Displaying publications 521 - 540 of 1325 in total

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  1. Simons MJ, Chan SH, Day NE, Wee GB, Shanmugaratnam K
    Prog. Clin. Biol. Res., 1977;16:145-8.
    PMID: 905319
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  2. Seah, B.H.A., Tow, S.L.C., Ong, K.C.B. Ong, Yang, C.C., Tsai, C.P., Lee, K.H., et al.
    Neurology Asia, 2017;22(4):341-348.
    MyJurnal
    Optic neuritis, which may be a precursor to multiple sclerosis (MS), is an uncommon disease in
    Asian patients. The Asian Collaborative Longitudinal Optic Neuritis Epidemiology (ACLONE) is
    an observational cohort study that assessed the risk of recurrent optic neuritis and/or progression
    of further neurologic events, either MS or neuromyelitis optica (NMO) in Asian patients with firstever
    optic neuritis. Secondary aims were to study the presenting characteristics and visual outcome,
    and to identify risk factors for development of either MS or NMO. A total of 112 patients (25 men
    and 87 women) aged from 12 to 61 years were recruited from Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and
    Malaysia. Of these, 94 (84%) had unilateral optic neuritis, with the right eye involved in 45 patients
    and the left eye in 49 patients and the remaining 18 (16%) had bilateral optic neuritis. Follow up
    data was available for 104 patients, and patients were followed for a median duration of 25.9 months.
    Of these patients, 6 patients were adjudicated to have reached the primary endpoint (composite of
    MS/NMO and optic neuritis): 3 patients with recurrent optic neuritis also subsequently experienced
    neurologic symptoms, and 3 patients without recurrent eye involvement had neurologic symptoms.
    Only one patient was considered to have prototypical MS, the other 5 were diagnosed with NMO,
    all with subsequent antibody confirmation. Optic neuritis in Asian patients has significantly different
    presenting characteristics from the classic description. However, in the majority of the patients it is
    usually a benign disease, with good visual outcome and no further events.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  3. Laciny A, Zettel H, Kopchinskiy A, Pretzer C, Pal A, Salim KA, et al.
    Zookeys, 2018.
    PMID: 29706783 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.751.22661
    A taxonomic description of all castes of Colobopsis explodens Laciny & Zettel, sp. n. from Borneo, Thailand, and Malaysia is provided, which serves as a model species for biological studies on "exploding ants" in Southeast Asia. The new species is a member of the Colobopsis cylindrica (COCY) group and falls into a species complex that has been repeatedly summarized under the name Colobopsis saundersi (Emery, 1889) (formerly Camponotus saundersi). The COCY species group is known under its vernacular name "exploding ants" for a unique behaviour: during territorial combat, workers of some species sacrifice themselves by rupturing their gaster and releasing sticky and irritant contents of their hypertrophied mandibular gland reservoirs to kill or repel rivals. This study includes first illustrations and morphometric characterizations of males of the COCY group: Colobopsis explodens Laciny & Zettel, sp. n. and Colobopsis badia (Smith, 1857). Characters of male genitalia and external morphology are compared with other selected taxa of Camponotini. Preliminary notes on the biology of C. explodens Laciny & Zettel, sp. n. are provided. To fix the species identity of the closely related C. badia, a lectotype from Singapore is designated. The following taxonomic changes within the C. saundersi complex are proposed: Colobopsis solenobia (Menozzi, 1926), syn. n. and Colobopsis trieterica (Menozzi, 1926), syn. n. are synonymized with Colobopsis corallina Roger, 1863, a common endemic species of the Philippines. Colobopsis saginata Stitz, 1925, stat. n., hitherto a subspecies of C. badia, is raised to species level.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  4. Shazmeen Daniar Shamsuddin, Nurlyana Omar, Koh, Meng-Hock
    MATEMATIKA, 2017;33(2):149-157.
    MyJurnal
    It has come to attention that Malaysia have been aiming to build its own
    nuclear power plant (NPP) for electricity generation in 2030 to diversify the national
    energy supply and resources. As part of the regulation to build a NPP, environmental
    risk assessment analysis which includes the atmospheric dispersion assessment has to
    be performed as required by the Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB)
    prior to the commissioning process. The assessment is to investigate the dispersion of
    radioactive effluent from the NPP in the event of nuclear accident. This article will focus
    on current development of locally developed atmospheric dispersion modeling code
    based on Gaussian Plume model. The code is written in Fortran computer language
    and has been benchmarked to a readily available HotSpot software. The radionuclide
    release rate entering the Gaussian equation is approximated to the value found in the
    Fukushima NPP accident in 2011. Meteorological data of Mersing District, Johor of
    year 2013 is utilized for the calculations. The results show that the dispersion of radionuclide
    effluent can potentially affect areas around Johor Bahru district, Singapore
    and some parts of Riau when the wind direction blows from the North-northeast direction.
    The results from our code was found to be in good agreement with the one
    obtained from HotSpot, with less than 1% discrepancy between the two.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  5. Kowitlawkul Y, Yap SF, Makabe S, Chan S, Takagai J, Tam WWS, et al.
    Int Nurs Rev, 2018 Apr 06.
    PMID: 29633267 DOI: 10.1111/inr.12457
    AIMS: To investigate the key determinants of nurses' quality of life and work-life balance statuses in a tertiary hospital in Singapore.
    BACKGROUND: Nurses' quality of life can directly and indirectly impact patients' safety and quality of care. Therefore, identifying key factors that influence nurses' quality of life is essential in the healthcare delivery system.
    METHODS: A descriptive quantitative study design was adopted, and validated questionnaires were used. Data were collected in a period of 3 months (March to May 2014) at a 600-bed tertiary hospital in Singapore. One thousand and forty nurses participated in the study.
    RESULTS: Social support and sense of coherence were found to be significant predictors for high quality of life in all domains. Most nurses in this study spent more time on work than their private lives. However, there was no significant difference in job satisfaction among the four groups of nurses' proportions of percentages of actual time spent on work and private life.
    CONCLUSIONS: Cultivating social support from family, friends/colleagues and supervisors can help an individual cope with stress and enhance a nurse's quality of life.
    IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY AND PRACTICE: Even though nurses who spent more time at work were still satisfied with their job, they might need to be aware of their physical health and work environment. Nursing policy related to nurses' physical health and environment should be established. Health promotion programmes such as physical exercise and mindfulness interventions should be conducted to promote nurses' well-being and healthy workplace environments to enhance nurses' quality of life.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  6. Guest JR, Tun K, Low J, Vergés A, Marzinelli EM, Campbell AH, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2016 11 08;6:36260.
    PMID: 27824083 DOI: 10.1038/srep36260
    Coral cover on reefs is declining globally due to coastal development, overfishing and climate change. Reefs isolated from direct human influence can recover from natural acute disturbances, but little is known about long term recovery of reefs experiencing chronic human disturbances. Here we investigate responses to acute bleaching disturbances on turbid reefs off Singapore, at two depths over a period of 27 years. Coral cover declined and there were marked changes in coral and benthic community structure during the first decade of monitoring at both depths. At shallower reef crest sites (3-4 m), benthic community structure recovered towards pre-disturbance states within a decade. In contrast, there was a net decline in coral cover and continuing shifts in community structure at deeper reef slope sites (6-7 m). There was no evidence of phase shifts to macroalgal dominance but coral habitats at deeper sites were replaced by unstable substrata such as fine sediments and rubble. The persistence of coral dominance at chronically disturbed shallow sites is likely due to an abundance of coral taxa which are tolerant to environmental stress. In addition, high turbidity may interact antagonistically with other disturbances to reduce the impact of thermal stress and limit macroalgal growth rates.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  7. Man REK, Veerappan AR, Tan SP, Fenwick EK, Sabanayagam C, Chua J, et al.
    Ocul Surf, 2017 Oct;15(4):742-748.
    PMID: 28442380 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtos.2017.04.004
    PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of symptomatic dry eye disease (SDED) and associated risk factors in a well-characterized cohort of ethnic Malays in Singapore.

    METHODS: We included 1682 participants (mean age [SD]: 57 [10]years; 55.4% female) without SDED from the Singapore Malay Eye Study (SiMES), a population-based longitudinal study with baseline examination (SiMES-1) conducted between 2004 and 2006, and follow-up examination (SiMES-2) conducted between 2010 and 2013. SDED was considered to be present if a participant answered "often" or "all the time" to any of the six questions from the Salisbury Eye Evaluation Study dry eye questionnaire. Age-standardized incidence of SDED was calculated as the crude 6-year cumulative incidence standardized to Singapore's population census. Gender-stratified multivariable log-binomial regression models were utilized to determine the independent risk factors of incident SDED.

    RESULTS: At the 6-year follow-up, 86 of 1682 participants had developed SDED, which was equivalent to an age-standardized 6-year incidence of 5.1% (95% CI 4.1-6.4%). There were no differences in the incidence of SDED between men and women (P = 0.9). Multivariable models revealed that presence of glaucoma and poorer self-rated health were independently associated with incident SDED in men (P = 0.003 and 0.03, respectively), while contact lens wear (P = 0.002), history of thyroid disease (P = 0.03), and having had cataract surgery (P = 0.02) were predictive of incident SDED in women.

    CONCLUSION: One in twenty adult Malays developed SDED over a 6-year period. Risk factors for incident SDED were different between men and women. Future studies and public health interventions should consider this gender-specific difference in risk factors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  8. Daban KDY, Goh DYT
    Behav Sleep Med, 2017 07 17;17(3):281-290.
    PMID: 28613954 DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2017.1342168
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Optimal sleeping habits are important for health development of infants. The role of culture in sleep habits cannot be underestimated. We aimed to characterize sleep patterns, sleep practices, and sleep problems; and assess the sleep settings and parental perceptions of sleep problems in children from birth to 36 months in countries in the Southeast Asian (SEA) region.

    PARTICIPANTS: Parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers (birth to 36 months old) from countries in Southeast Asia participated in this study.

    METHODS: Data was collected using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire for a total of 5,987 children from 6 countries in the SEA region (967 Indonesia/ID, 997 Malaysia/MY, 1,034 Philippines/PH, 1,001 Singapore/SG, 988 Thailand/TH, and 1,000 Vietnam/VN).

    RESULTS: The sleep variables varied among SEA children studied. Bedtimes and nighttime sleep varied across the region by as much as 1 hr 34 min and 1 hr 15 min respectively.

    CONCLUSIONS: Despite being geographically very close together and having some common sociocultural characteristics, sleep variables in the young child within the SEA region do differ in significant ways.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  9. Lee CF
    Zootaxa, 2017 05 19;4269(1):1-43.
    PMID: 28610338 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4269.1.1
    The genus Doryscus Jacoby, 1887 is revised. Twelve new species are described: D. indochinensis sp. nov. from China (Yunnan), India, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam; D. krausi sp. nov. from Laos and Thailand; D. kubani sp. nov., from China (Yunnan); D. geiseri sp. nov. from Singapore and Thailand; D. nepalensis sp. nov. from Bhutan, north India, and Nepal; D. luzonensis sp. nov., and D. mindanaoensis sp. nov. from Philippines; D. barclayi sp. nov., D. boreri sp. nov., D. javanensis sp. nov., and D. sumatrensis sp. nov. from Indonesia; D. wangi sp. nov. from East Malaysia (Sabah). Doryscus chujoi Takizawa, 1978 and D. varians (Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963) are removed from synonymy with D. testaceus Jacoby, 1887. Doryscus nigricollis Jiang, 1992 and D. marginicollis Jiang, 1992 are regarded as junior synonyms of D. varians (Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963). A lectotype is designated for Doryscus testaceus Jacoby, 1887.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  10. Phoon PHY, MacLaren G, Ti LK, Tan JSK, Hwang NC
    J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth, 2019 Dec;33(12):3394-3401.
    PMID: 30131218 DOI: 10.1053/j.jvca.2018.07.018
    Singapore is a small Southeast Asian island city-state located at the tip of the Malay peninsula with a population of 5.61 million people. It was a former British colony that went on to become a part of Malaysia before gaining independence in 1965. Since then, Singapore has developed tremendously from a small fishing village into the region's medical hub. This article will explore the roots of cardiac anesthesia in Singapore and how it has developed into a subspecialty today.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  11. Panettieri S, Gjinaj E, John G, Lohman DJ
    PLoS One, 2018;13(9):e0202465.
    PMID: 30208047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202465
    With varied, brightly patterned wings, butterflies have been the focus of much work on the evolution and development of phenotypic novelty. However, the chemical structures of wing pigments from few butterfly species have been identified. We characterized the orange wing pigments of female Elymnias hypermnestra butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) from two Southeast Asian populations. This species is a sexually dimorphic Batesian mimic of several model species. Females are polymorphic: in some populations, females are dark, resemble conspecific males, and mimic Euploea spp. In other populations, females differ from males and mimic orange Danaus spp. Using LC-MS/MS, we identified nine ommochrome pigments: six from a population in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and five compounds from a population in Bali, Indonesia. Two ommochromes were found in both populations, and only two of the nine compounds have been previously reported. The sexually dimorphic Thai and Balinese populations are separated spatially by monomorphic populations in peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Sumatra, suggesting independent evolution of mimetic female wing pigments in these disjunct populations. These results indicate that other butterfly wing pigments remain to be discovered.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  12. Jendek E, Grebennikov VV
    Zootaxa, 2019 Mar 06;4564(2):zootaxa.4564.2.7.
    PMID: 31716506 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4564.2.7
    Twenty new species of Agrilus jewel beetles from the Oriental region are described and illustrated: Agrilus cicadelloides sp. nov. (Malaysia: Sarawak); A. draco sp. nov. (Malaysia: Sabah); A. hergovitsi sp. nov. (Malaysia: Johor); A. hik sp. nov.(Cambodia); A. ika sp. nov. (Solomon Islands); A. jankae sp. nov. (Indonesia: Sumatra, Singapore); A. jum sp. nov. (Laos); A. kon sp. nov. (Cambodia); A. mimicus sp. nov. (Laos); A. qom sp. nov. (Laos); A. titi sp. nov. (Malaysia: Perak); A. uxo sp. nov. (Vietnam); A. wos sp. nov. (Laos); A. xen sp. nov. (Laos); A. xia sp. nov. (Laos); A. xis sp. nov. (Laos); A. yoa sp. nov. (Laos, Vietnam); A. yuk sp. nov. (Laos); A. zao sp. nov. (Indonesia: Java and Sumba Islands); A. zim sp. nov. (Malaysia: Pahang).
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  13. Tuite AR, Watts AG, Khan K, Bogoch II
    Infect Dis Model, 2019;4:251-256.
    PMID: 31667444 DOI: 10.1016/j.idm.2019.09.001
    Southern Thailand has been experiencing a large chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak since October 2018. Given the magnitude and duration of the outbreak and its location in a popular tourist destination, we sought to determine international case exportation risk and identify countries at greatest risk of receiving travel-associated imported CHIKV cases. We used a probabilistic model to estimate the expected number of exported cases from Southern Thailand between October 2018 and April 2019. The model incorporated data on CHIKV natural history, infection rates in Southern Thailand, average length of stay for tourists, and international outbound air passenger numbers from the outbreak area. For countries highly connected to Southern Thailand by air travel, we ran 1000 simulations to estimate the expected number of imported cases. We also identified destination countries with conditions suitable for autochthonous CHIKV transmission. Over the outbreak period, we estimated that an average of 125 (95% credible interval (CrI): 102-149) cases would be exported from Southern Thailand to international destinations via air travel. China was projected to receive the most cases (43, 95% CrI: 30-56), followed by Singapore (7, 95% CrI: 2-12) and Malaysia (5, 95% CrI: 1-10). Twenty-three countries were projected to receive at least one imported case, and 64% of these countries had one or more regions that could potentially support autochthonous CHIKV transmission. The overall risk of international exportation of CHIKV cases associated with the outbreak is Southern Thailand is high. Our model projections are consistent with recent reports of CHIKV in travelers returning from the region. Countries should be alert to the possibility of CHIKV infection in returning travelers, particularly in regions where autochthonous transmission is possible.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  14. Shafie AA, Chandriah H, Yong YV, Wan Puteh SE
    Value Health Reg Issues, 2019 May;18:145-150.
    PMID: 31082794 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2019.03.003
    OBJECTIVE: To describe the process and role of health technology assessment (HTA) in the context of drug policy in Malaysia.

    METHODS: We summarized the HTA process through review of documents and reports available in the public domain combined with the authors' experience.

    RESULTS: Health technology assessment plays an integral part in prioritizing treatment in public health facilities in Malaysia, particularly for the Ministry of Health Medicines Formulary (MOHMF). The MOHMF is the reference list of drugs allowed to be prescribed in the Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities. There are 2 organizations within the MOH that conduct HTA as their core activities, namely the Malaysian Health Technology Assessment Section and the Formulary Management Branch of Pharmacy Practice & Development Division. The assessment of pharmaceuticals for the purpose of listing medicines into the MOHMF is under the purview of the Formulary Management Branch. The evidence-based assessment focuses on safety, efficacy, effectiveness, and budget impact of the drug. Cost-effectiveness evidence is currently not mandatory but is of interest to the decision makers. The assessment outcomes are considered by the MOH Medicines List Review Panel for formulary decisions.

    CONCLUSIONS: Health technology assessment has supported formulary decisions in MOH. Evidence generation needs to progress beyond efficacy or effectiveness, safety, and budget impact to incorporate cost-effectiveness. Nevertheless, there are challenges to be met to achieve this. The impact of the HTA process is currently unknown and is yet to be evaluated formally.

    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  15. Tan CW, Wittwer K, Lim XF, Uehara A, Mani S, Wang LF, et al.
    Emerg Microbes Infect, 2019;8(1):787-795.
    PMID: 31132935 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2019.1621668
    Pteropine orthoreoviruses (PRV) are emerging bat-borne viruses with proven zoonotic transmission. We recently demonstrated human exposure to PRV in Singapore, which together with previous reports from Malaysia and Vietnam suggest that human infection of PRV may occur periodically in the region. This raises the question whether bats are the only sources of human infection. In this study, we screened 517 cynomolgus macaques caught in Singapore for evidence of exposure to PRV3M (also known as Melaka virus), which was first isolated from human patients in Melaka, Malaysia. We found that 67 serum samples were PRV3M positive by ELISA and 34 were also positive by virus neutralization assay. To investigate whether monkeys could act as hosts for PRV transmission, we experimentally infected cynomolgus macaques with PRV3M and housed these animals with uninfected monkeys. Although no clinical signs of infection were observed in infected animals, viral RNA was detected in nasal and rectal swabs and all infected macaques seroconverted. Additionally, one of the uninfected animals seroconverted, implying active shedding and transmission of PRV3M. We provide evidence that PRV exposure in the macaque population in Singapore occurs at a relatively high prevalence and this study suggests that cynomolgus macaques may be an intermediate or reservoir host for PRVs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
  16. Sinnadurai S, Kwong A, Hartman M, Tan EY, Bhoo-Pathy NT, Dahlui M, et al.
    BJS Open, 2019 02;3(1):48-55.
    PMID: 30734015 DOI: 10.1002/bjs5.50111
    Background: Mastectomy rates among women with early breast cancer in Asia have traditionally been high. This study assessed trends in the surgical management of young women with early-stage breast cancer in Asian settings. Survival in women treated with breast-conserving surgery (BCS; lumpectomy with adjuvant radiotherapy) and those undergoing mastectomy was compared.

    Methods: Young women (aged less than 50 years) newly diagnosed with stage I or II (T1-2 N0-1 M0) breast cancer in four hospitals in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong in 1990-2012 were included. Overall survival (OS) was compared for patients treated by BCS and those who had a mastectomy. Propensity score analysis was used to account for differences in demographic, tumour and treatment characteristics between the groups.

    Results: Some 63·5 per cent of 3536 women underwent mastectomy. Over a 15-year period, only a modest increase in rates of BCS was observed. Although BCS was significantly associated with favourable prognostic features, OS was not significantly different for BCS and mastectomy; the 5-year OS rate was 94·9 (95 per cent c.i. 93·5 to 96·3) and 92·9 (91·7 to 94·1) per cent respectively. Inferences remained unchanged following propensity score analysis (hazard ratio for BCS versus mastectomy: 0·81, 95 per cent c.i. 0·64 to 1·03).

    Conclusion: The prevalence of young women with breast cancer treated by mastectomy remains high in Asian countries. Patients treated with BCS appear to survive as well as those undergoing mastectomy.

    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore
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