MyMedR

Prevalence of intestinal helminths among patients admitted to the Balik Pulau district hospital on Penang island

Khan SM, Anuar AK

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1977 Jun;8(2):260-4.

Faecal samples from patients admitted to the District Hospital in Balik, Pulau, Penang revealed high infection rates for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms. The prevalence rates were Trichuris trichiura 51.7%, Ascaris lumbricoides 31.9% and hookworm 37.2%. The overall highest infection is among the Malays (79%), the least being among the Chinese (61.1%). The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides was highest in the 11-20 age group. The prevalence of Trichura was highest in the 51-60 age group, Ascaris and Trichuris infections is higher among the males but hookworm infection is higher among the females. 72.6% of the patients were infected with at least one type of helminth and 32.9% of the patients were infected with at least 2 types of helminths.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

A cross-sectional study of hepatitis B immune status in Asian children in Singapore

Quak SH, Singh R, Oon CJ, Wong HB

Ann Trop Paediatr, 1982 Jun;2(2):53-6.

PMID: 6185078

A study of race-related distribution of hepatitis B markers was conducted in 458 children admitted consecutively to Singapore General Hospital. The positive rates for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Chinese, Malays and Indians were 11.2, 8.0 and 12.2% respectively and the corresponding figures for anti-HBs were 30.2, 12.0 and 14.6%. In Chinese children HBsAg prevalence was shown to be sex-related, being higher in males than females. The percentages of Chinese children positive for anti-HBs and anti-HBc were also higher than those of the Indians. This study confirmed that Singapore children were exposed to hepatitis B infection from early life. All three races were equally susceptible to this infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

On tests for sex preferences

Leung SF

J Popul Econ, 1988 Oct;1(2):95-114.

PMID: 12282511

"This paper presents a critical evaluation of three widely used tests for sex preferences: sex ratio, parity progression ratio and ordinary least squares [OLS] regression of birth interval. We show that under some appropriate conditions, the sex ratio is a valid test for sex preferences. The methods of parity progression ratio and OLS regression of birth interval fail to deal with right censoring and time varying covariates, which reduce the power of the tests. We suggest the use of hazard estimation to test for sex preferences. We demonstrate the differences among the tests by analyzing the retrospective fertility histories of the Chinese and the Malays in Malaysia. We find that unlike the two conventional methods, the hazard estimation gives clear and strong evidence of sex preferences among the Chinese in Malaysia."

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

New admissions to Woodbridge Hospital 1975 with special reference to schizophrenia

Tsoi WF, Chen AJ

Ann Acad Med Singap, 1979 Jul;8(3):275-9.

PMID: 547870

Woodbrige Hospital had 2,257 patients in 1975. Of these 75 percent were suffering from Schizophrenia. This pattern was similar to that of developing countries like Padistan and Malaya. A study was carried out on all new admissions in 1975. There were 1,068 patients whose age ranged from 10 to 89. Schizophrenia which constituted 62% of the cases was analysed in detail. They were mainly in the age range 10-29 (64%). The sex ratio was 3 males to 2 females. Their distribution by their type of housing was similar to that of the general populations. They were better educated. The most common presentation were reports of aggressive, violent, disturbed, abnormal or withdrawn behaviour. The 10 most common symptoms were paranoid ideas, hearing of voices, talking to oneself, insomnia, aggression, abnormal behaviour, laughing to oneself, disturbed behaviour, crying to oneself and withdrawn behaviour. The most common drugs used were trifluoperazine (47%) and chlorpromazine (45%). Electroconvulsive therapy was given to 25% of the patients. Most of the patients (63%) stayed less than 20 days.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Caregiver burden among caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness: testing the moderation and mediation models of resilience

Mulud ZA, McCarthy G

Arch Psychiatr Nurs, 2017 Feb;31(1):24-30.

PMID: 28104054 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2016.07.019

The association between the socio-demographic characteristics of caregivers, such as gender and caregiver burden, is well documented; however, the process underlying this relationship is poorly understood. Based on the stress process model, we designed a cross-sectional study to examine the mediating and moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between gender and caregiver burden. Caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness (n=201) were recruited in two psychiatric outpatient clinics in Malaysia. The relationship between the gender of the caregiver and caregiver burden was mediated by resilience, thus supporting the stress process model. The findings from the present research contribute to the growing evidence of the interaction between socio-demographic variables of caregivers and resilience, and caregiver burden.

Study site:Two clinics in West Malaysia Clinic A is located in the Klang administrative district, while clinic B is underthe Petaling administrative district

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Influence of testosterone on mean arterial pressure: A physiological study in male and female normotensive WKY and hypertensive SHR rats

Loh SY, Salleh N

Physiol Int, 2017 Mar 01;104(1):25-34.

PMID: 28361574 DOI: 10.1556/2060.104.2017.1.3

Introduction Testosterone plays an important role in the blood pressure regulation. However, information with regard to the effect of this hormone on blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive conditions is limited. Therefore, in this study, the relationship between plasma testosterone level and mean arterial pressure (MAP) was investigated under these conditions. Methods Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and hypertensive Spontaneous Hypertensive (SHR) male and female rats were gonadectomized with female rats treated with testosterone. Estrous cycle stages of intact female rats of both strains were identified by vaginal smear. Pressure in the carotid artery of anesthetized rats was measured via direct cannulation technique. The blood was withdrawn for plasma testosterone level measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Treatment of ovariectomized female WKY and SHR rats with testosterone for 6-week duration has resulted in MAP to increase (P

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

An examination of the factor structure and sex invariance of a French translation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 in university students

Kertechian S, Swami V

Body Image, 2017 Jun;21:26-29.

PMID: 28260632 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.02.005

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a measure of positive body image that has been found that have a one-dimensional factor structure in a number of different cultural groups. Here, we examined the factor structure and sex-based measurement invariance of a French translation of the BAS-2. A total of 652 university students (age M=21.33, SD=3.18) completed a newly-translated French version of the BAS-2. Exploratory factor analyses with a randomly selected split-half subsample revealed that the BAS-2 had a one-dimensional factor structure in both sexes. Confirmatory factor analyses with a second split-half subsample indicated that the one-dimensional factor structure had adequate fit following modifications and was invariant across sex. French BAS-2 scores had adequate internal consistency and men had significantly higher body appreciation than women (ds=.16-.23). These results provide preliminary support for the factorial validity of the French BAS-2.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Heavy metals in human teeth dentine: A bio-indicator of metals exposure and environmental pollution

Asaduzzaman K, Khandaker MU, Binti Baharudin NA, Amin YBM, Farook MS, Bradley DA, et al.

Chemosphere, 2017 Jun;176:221-230.

PMID: 28273529 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.114

With rapid urbanization and large-scale industrial activities, modern human populations are being increasingly subjected to chronic environmental heavy metal exposures. Elemental uptake in tooth dentine is a bioindicator, the uptake occurring during the formation and mineralization processes, stored to large extent over periods of many years. The uptake includes essential elements, most typically geogenic dietary sources, as well as non-essential elements arising through environmental insults. In this study, with the help of the Dental Faculty of the University of Malaya, a total of 50 separate human teeth were collected from dental patients of various ethnicity, age, gender, occupation, dietary habit, residency, etc. Analysis was conducted using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), most samples indicating the presence of the following trace elements, placed in order of concentration, from least to greatest: As, Mn, Ba, Cu, Cr, Pb, Zn, Hg, Sb, Al, Sr, Sn. The concentrations have been observed to increase with age. Among the ethnic groups, the teeth of ethnic Chinese showed marginally greater metal concentrations than those of the Indians and Malays, the teeth dentine of females generally showing greater concentrations than that of males. Greater concentrations of Hg, Cu and Sn were found in molars while Pb, Sr, Sb and Zn were present in greater concentrations in incisors. With the elevated concentration levels of heavy metals in tooth dentine reflecting pollution from industrial emissions and urbanization, it is evident that human tooth dentine can provide chronological information on exposure, representing a reliable bio-indicator of environmental pollution.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Fulltext Clustering of cardiovascular risk factors and carotid intima-media thickness: The USE-IMT study

Wang X, Dalmeijer GW, den Ruijter HM, Anderson TJ, Britton AR, Dekker J, et al.

PLoS One, 2017;12(3):e0173393.

PMID: 28323823 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173393

BACKGROUND: The relation of a single risk factor with atherosclerosis is established. Clinically we know of risk factor clustering within individuals. Yet, studies into the magnitude of the relation of risk factor clusters with atherosclerosis are limited. Here, we assessed that relation.

METHODS: Individual participant data from 14 cohorts, involving 59,025 individuals were used in this cross-sectional analysis. We made 15 clusters of four risk factors (current smoking, overweight, elevated blood pressure, elevated total cholesterol). Multilevel age and sex adjusted linear regression models were applied to estimate mean differences in common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) between clusters using those without any of the four risk factors as reference group.

RESULTS: Compared to the reference, those with 1, 2, 3 or 4 risk factors had a significantly higher common CIMT: mean difference of 0.026 mm, 0.052 mm, 0.074 mm and 0.114 mm, respectively. These findings were the same in men and in women, and across ethnic groups. Within each risk factor cluster (1, 2, 3 risk factors), groups with elevated blood pressure had the largest CIMT and those with elevated cholesterol the lowest CIMT, a pattern similar for men and women.

CONCLUSION: Clusters of risk factors relate to increased common CIMT in a graded manner, similar in men, women and across race-ethnic groups. Some clusters seemed more atherogenic than others. Our findings support the notion that cardiovascular prevention should focus on sets of risk factors rather than individual levels alone, but may prioritize within clusters.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Fulltext Incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Malaysia, with special reference to the state of Selangor

Armstrong RW, Kutty MK, Dharmalingam SK

Br. J. Cancer, 1974 Jul;30(1):86-94.

PMID: 4413823

A "registry" of all known cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Malaysia, 1968-72, was established. Attention was focused on the State of Selangor where conditions are best for case finding. Age-adjusted incidence rates among Chinese males and females were 17·3 and 7·3 per 100,000; among Malay males and females, the rates were 2·5 and 0·3 and among Indian males, 1·1. The detailed ethnicity of 192 cases in Selangor was established. Estimated incidence rates for the Chinese sub-groups agreed with the pattern observed elsewhere: highest among the Cantonese, lowest among the Hokkien/Teochiu, with the Khek in between. There was no correlation between histological type and sub-ethnic group among the Chinese cases.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

The siamang in Malaya. A field study of a primate in tropical rain forest

Chivers DJ

Contrib Primatol, 1974;4:1-335.

PMID: 4474071

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Levels of plasma immunoglobulins in Malaysians

Shah FH, Yadav M

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1973 Dec;4(4):468-73.

PMID: 4207078

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Composition of normal urine in students of the University of Malaya

Chandra N, Bhattathiry EP

Trop Geogr Med, 1967 Dec;19(4):300-3.

PMID: 5585976

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Skin-piercing blood-sucking moths I: ecological and ethological studies on Calpe eustrigata (Lepid., noctuidae)

Bänziger H

Acta Trop, 1975;32(2):125-44.

PMID: 240258

The Noctuid Calpe [Calyptral] eustrigata Hmps. was reported as a skin-piercing blood-sucking moth for the first time in Malaya (Bänziger, 1968) and is so far the only lepidopteran proved to suck blood by means of a piercing act. A few field observations and the description of the piercing behaviour of caged moths were given. Apart from a taxonomic study of the genus Calpe (Berio, 1956), a single record (Büttiker, 1969) and some notes on the moth's proboscis and possible evolutionary pathway (Bänziger, 1970, 1971, 1972) to our knowledge no other data have been published on the moth after its description as a new species (Hampson, 1926). The life cycle is completely unknown. From the scanty museum specimens available, it appears that the species inhabits South and Southeast Asia. A closely related, though less rare species, the fruit-piercing C. thalictri Bkh., has been used for a detailed study of the piercing mechanism likely to be adopted by Calpe (Bänziger, 1970); the feeding turned out to be as unusual as the feeding habits. Little or nothing is known about other Calpe species. C. eustrigata is not the only adult lepidopterous parasite of mammals. Lachryphagous ("eye-frequenting") moths feed as "marginal" parasites upon eye-secretions of ungulates, elephants and occasionally man (Shannon, 1928; Reid, 1954; Büttiker, 1964, 1967; Bänziger, 1966). Arcyophora species and the eulachryphagous Noctuid Lobocraspis graseifusa Hmps. which apparently feeds exclusively upon eye discharges, are suspected as vectors of eye diseases (Guilbride et al., 1959, Büttiker, 1964; Bänziger, 1972). While no lachryphagous moth is able to suck blood by a piercing act, there are a number of facultative lachryphagous moths which lick up the blood freely present at wounds, or that excreted anally by mosquitoes (Bänziger, 1969, 1972). Because of the scientific interest in C. eustrigata, research has been carried out to investigate different biological aspects of the species in Malaysia, Thailand. Laos and Indonesia (May 1971-May 1973). The first account presented here will be continued with a paper (in prep.) on the piercing mechanism and soon, it is hoped, with more information on the physiology, life cycle and medical importance of the moth.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Soil-transmitted Helminths in rural infants and children near Kuala Lumpur

Joe LK, Hoa KE, Kong OC

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1971 Jun;2(2):196-200.

PMID: 5136709

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Fulltext Diabetes in Central America

West KM, Kalbfleisch JM

Diabetes, 1970 Sep;19(9):656-63.

PMID: 5469119 DOI: 10.2337/diab.19.9.656

The prevalence of diabetes in Central America was somewhat greater than in East Pakistan and Malaya, less
than in Uruguay and Venezuela, and substantially less than in affluent societies such as the United States. Differences in prevalence among Central American countries were modest but probably significant in some instances. In all Central American countries diabetes was more common in females but this difference was probably attributable to the greater adiposity of the women. Age-matched populations from eleven different countries of three continents have now been tested using standardized methods. Prevalence of diabetes varied greatly, and differences were more related to environment than to race. These results support the hypothesis that environmental factors can increase or reduce prevalence by several-fold.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Alpha-thalassaemia in newborns in West Malaysia

Lopez CG, Lie-Injo Luan Eng

Hum Hered, 1971;21(2):185-91.

PMID: 5127409

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Treatment of thyrotoxicosis with radioactive iodine: a report on 137 cases

Dharmalingam SK, Taek YS, Mahadev V

Med J Malaya, 1970 Sep;25(1):3-7.

PMID: 4249493

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Five-year review of nephrotic syndrome in Singapore children