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  1. Tai YT, Khoo JK, Lim QH, Lim LL, Paramasivam SS, Ratnasingam J, et al.
    PLoS One, 2025;20(1):e0316837.
    PMID: 39761286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0316837
    Gestational Weight Gain (GWG) modulates pregnancy outcomes and long-term offspring metabolic health. The 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) GWG recommendations have largely been validated in Caucasian and mono-ethnic East Asian cohorts. Asians are at higher metabolic risk at a lower body mass index (BMI), and this has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify lower BMI cut-offs for risk evaluation amongst Asians. This prospective observational cohort study aimed to determine if 2009 IOM GWG thresholds are applicable in a contemporary multi-ethnic South-East Asian cohort. We recruited 875 mothers from an urban Malaysian tertiary clinic during screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) from 2014-2021. Data collected included measures of insulin-sensitivity, total GWG (maternal weight at delivery-self-reported pre-gravid weight), and neonatal anthropometrics (birthweight and skinfold-thickness measured with Harpenden calipers). BMI was stratified by Caucasian (overweight ≥25kg/m2, obese ≥30kg/m2) as well as Asian (overweight ≥23kg/m2, obese ≥27.5kg/ m2) cut-offs, and patients categorized by 2009 IOM GWG reference ranges. The cohort comprised 67% Malay-, 23% Chinese- and 10% Indian-descent mothers with a high prevalence of overweight/obesity (Asian cut-offs 56.9% vs Caucasian 44%). When Asian BMI cut-offs were deployed, excessive GWG incidence increased (34.1% → 40.6%) whilst inadequate GWG declined (30% → 24.8%) (p<0.05). Upon multivariate-analysis (adjusting for age, parity, race, GDM, insulin-sensitivity, baby-gender) excessive GWG categorized with Caucasian BMI cut-offs was significantly associated with increased risk of macrosomia (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 8.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-70.01), Neonatal-Fat-Mass (NFM) >90th centile (aOR 2.14, 95% CI 1.02-4.45) and Sum-of-Skinfold Thickness (SSFT) >90th centile (aOR 3.88, 95% CI 1.77-8.51). Excessive GWG by Asian cut-offs was also associated with increased risk of SSFT >90th centile (aOR 5.75, 95% CI 2.35-14.10). Inadequate GWG by both Caucasian and Asian BMI cut-offs was associated with Small-for-Gestational-Age (SGA) status (aOR 4.30, 95% CI 2.48-7.45 and aOR 3.66, 95% CI 2.13-6.30 respectively). In conclusion, the 2009 IOM GWG recommendations, using either Caucasian or regional Asian BMI cut-offs, are applicable in a contemporary Malay majority South-East Asian cohort in terms of predicting abnormal neonatal adiposity. Importantly, the association with neonatal adiposity is independent of increased maternal insulin resistance characteristic of Asians.
  2. Young PJ, Al-Fares A, Aryal D, Arabi YM, Ashraf MS, Bagshaw SM, et al.
    Crit Care Resusc, 2024 Jun;26(2):87-94.
    PMID: 39072241 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccrj.2024.03.004
    BACKGROUND: The effect of conservative vs. liberal oxygen therapy on 90-day in-hospital mortality in adults with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) following a cardiac arrest who are receiving invasive mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU) is uncertain.

    OBJECTIVE: To summarise the protocol and statistical analysis plan for the Mega-ROX HIE trial.

    DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Mega-ROX HIE is an international randomised clinical trial that will be conducted within an overarching 40,000-participant registry-embedded clinical trial comparing conservative and liberal ICU oxygen therapy regimens. We expect to enrol approximately 4000 participants with suspected HIE following a cardiac arrest who are receiving invasive mechanical ventilation in the ICU.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome is in-hospital all-cause mortality up to 90 days from the date of randomisation. Secondary outcomes include duration of survival, duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, and the proportion of participants discharged home.

    RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Mega-ROX HIE will compare the effect of conservative vs. liberal oxygen therapy regimens on day-90 in-hospital mortality in adults in the ICU with suspected HIE following a cardiac arrest. The protocol and planned analyses are reported here to mitigate analysis bias.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN 12620000391976).

  3. Halim-Fikri H, Zulkipli NN, Alauddin H, Bento C, Lederer CW, Kountouris P, et al.
    Database (Oxford), 2024 Sep 04;2024.
    PMID: 39231257 DOI: 10.1093/database/baae080
    Thalassemia is one of the most prevalent monogenic disorders in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). There are an estimated 270 million carriers of hemoglobinopathies (abnormal hemoglobins and/or thalassemia) worldwide, necessitating global methods and solutions for effective and optimal therapy. LMICs are disproportionately impacted by thalassemia, and due to disparities in genomics awareness and diagnostic resources, certain LMICs lag behind high-income countries (HICs). This spurred the establishment of the Global Globin Network (GGN) in 2015 at UNESCO, Paris, as a project-wide endeavor within the Human Variome Project (HVP). Primarily aimed at enhancing thalassemia clinical services, research, and genomic diagnostic capabilities with a focus on LMIC needs, GGN aims to foster data collection in a shared database by all affected nations, thus improving data sharing and thalassemia management. In this paper, we propose a minimum requirement for establishing a genomic database in thalassemia based on the HVP database guidelines. We suggest using an existing platform recommended by HVP, the Leiden Open Variation Database (LOVD) (https://www.lovd.nl/). Adoption of our proposed criteria will assist in improving or supplementing the existing databases, allowing for better-quality services for individuals with thalassemia. Database URL: https://www.lovd.nl/.
  4. Singh R, Low ET, Ooi LC, Ong-Abdullah M, Ting NC, Nagappan J, et al.
    Nature, 2013 Aug 15;500(7462):340-4.
    PMID: 23883930 DOI: 10.1038/nature12356
    A key event in the domestication and breeding of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis was loss of the thick coconut-like shell surrounding the kernel. Modern E. guineensis has three fruit forms, dura (thick-shelled), pisifera (shell-less) and tenera (thin-shelled), a hybrid between dura and pisifera. The pisifera palm is usually female-sterile. The tenera palm yields far more oil than dura, and is the basis for commercial palm oil production in all of southeast Asia. Here we describe the mapping and identification of the SHELL gene responsible for the different fruit forms. Using homozygosity mapping by sequencing, we found two independent mutations in the DNA-binding domain of a homologue of the MADS-box gene SEEDSTICK (STK, also known as AGAMOUS-LIKE 11), which controls ovule identity and seed development in Arabidopsis. The SHELL gene is responsible for the tenera phenotype in both cultivated and wild palms from sub-Saharan Africa, and our findings provide a genetic explanation for the single gene hybrid vigour (or heterosis) attributed to SHELL, via heterodimerization. This gene mutation explains the single most important economic trait in oil palm, and has implications for the competing interests of global edible oil production, biofuels and rainforest conservation.
  5. Singh R, Ong-Abdullah M, Low ET, Manaf MA, Rosli R, Nookiah R, et al.
    Nature, 2013 Aug 15;500(7462):335-9.
    PMID: 23883927 DOI: 10.1038/nature12309
    Oil palm is the most productive oil-bearing crop. Although it is planted on only 5% of the total world vegetable oil acreage, palm oil accounts for 33% of vegetable oil and 45% of edible oil worldwide, but increased cultivation competes with dwindling rainforest reserves. We report the 1.8-gigabase (Gb) genome sequence of the African oil palm Elaeis guineensis, the predominant source of worldwide oil production. A total of 1.535 Gb of assembled sequence and transcriptome data from 30 tissue types were used to predict at least 34,802 genes, including oil biosynthesis genes and homologues of WRINKLED1 (WRI1), and other transcriptional regulators, which are highly expressed in the kernel. We also report the draft sequence of the South American oil palm Elaeis oleifera, which has the same number of chromosomes (2n = 32) and produces fertile interspecific hybrids with E. guineensis but seems to have diverged in the New World. Segmental duplications of chromosome arms define the palaeotetraploid origin of palm trees. The oil palm sequence enables the discovery of genes for important traits as well as somaclonal epigenetic alterations that restrict the use of clones in commercial plantings, and should therefore help to achieve sustainability for biofuels and edible oils, reducing the rainforest footprint of this tropical plantation crop.
  6. Young PJ, Bellomo R, Al-Fares A, Antognini DG, Arabi YM, Ashraf MS, et al.
    Crit Care Resusc, 2025 Mar;27(1):100095.
    PMID: 40109286 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccrj.2024.12.001
    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate intensive care doctors' views about a large-scale pragmatic minimum mean arterial pressure (MAP) targets trial and their attitudes and beliefs about minimum MAP targets in different clinical scenarios.

    DESIGN: An online survey was conducted.

    SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: An online survey was distributed to intensive care doctors in sites participating in a large-scale international randomised clinical trial evaluating oxygen therapy targets in 15 countries and to additional intensive care clinicians from Canada.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes included the expressed level of support for a large pragmatic trial to evaluate minimum MAP targets in critically ill adults and stated current practice and acceptability of minimum MAP for specific scenarios.

    RESULTS: The response rate to our survey for respondents who work in sites participating in the mega randomised registry trial research program was 265 out of 701 (37.8%), with an additional 56 out of 256 (21.8%) responses obtained from a direct email containing a link to the survey sent to intensive care clinicians in Canada. A total of 309 of 321 respondents (96.3%) were supportive, in principle, of conducting a very large pragmatic trial to evaluate MAP targets in intensive care unit patients receiving noradrenaline. The commonest response in all scenarios was to agree that the optimal minimum MAP target was uncertain. In all scenarios, except for active bleeding, the most common reported minimum MAP target was 65 mmHg; for patients who were actively bleeding, the most common reported target was 60 mmHg.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that intensive care clinicians are broadly supportive of a large-scale pragmatic minimum MAP targets in intensive care unit patients receiving noradrenaline.

  7. Belhaj Salem S, Idrissi FEE, Fikry Mohamed A, Khrais H, Jad RE, Haq UU, et al.
    Brain Behav, 2025 Mar;15(3):e70417.
    PMID: 40103217 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.70417
    BACKGROUND: Eating disorders (EDs) are a group of mental diseases marked by disrupted eating behaviors, and are associated with several factors. Medical students are highly exposed to this mental disorder with a prevalence of 17.35% in 2022.

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of EDs and its associated factors among medical students in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

    METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in the MENA region during the months of June and July 2024. The primary data collection instrument was a comprehensive questionnaire that contained the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and sociodemographic and clinical features and designed using Google Forms and distributed via social media platforms.

    RESULTS: The total number of participants was 5061. The mean age in our population was 22.58 ± 3.27. Our population's average EAT-26 score was 13.87 ± 10.7, with ranges varying from 0 to 72. Based on their EAT-26 scores being 20 or above, 1254 people (24.8%) were deemed to be at risk of EDs. Among the participants, 8% were underweight. The multivariable logistic regression model revealed several eating disorder risk factors such as T1DM, schizophrenia, autism, female gender, IBD, and daily exposure to thin body ideal. Regular sports practice and weight satisfaction were protective factors.

    CONCLUSION: There exists a higher prevalence of individuals at risk for the development of EDs in the MENA region especially females, students with comorbidities, and those having conflictual relationships with their parents. Regular sports practice and weight satisfaction are protective factors.

  8. Fornace K, Hein PS, Djaafara B, Ashad-Uz-Zaman MN, Chang CC, Elyazar I, et al.
    Nat Med, 2026 Oct 30.
    PMID: 42963406 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-026-04722-x
    Climate change threatens decades of progress toward malaria elimination across the Asia Pacific. In recent years, reported cases have increased sharply in several regions, including Pakistan following the 2022 floods. However, current research and adaptation strategies have largely focused on gradual warming and shifting transmission seasons and may not fully capture acute operational disruptions in endemic settings. Here we examine how climate change influences malaria through cascading disruptions to health systems, population displacement and ecological change. As a multidisciplinary group of policymakers and researchers, we identify priority actions: integrating malaria control into disaster response, deploying adaptive vector control for displaced populations, strengthening cross-border data sharing, linking early warnings to anticipatory action, and incorporating land-use data into surveillance. Leveraging existing advances in climate policy, digital surveillance and community engagement will be critical. Sustaining elimination will require complementing long-term projections with preparedness for near-term system shocks.
  9. Hassanein M, Yousuf S, Ahmedani MY, Albashier A, Shaltout I, Yong A, et al.
    Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2023 Jul;17(7):102799.
    PMID: 37301008 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2023.102799
    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The DaR Global survey was conducted to observe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the intentions to fast and the outcomes of fasting in people with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

    METHODS: Muslim people with diabetes and CKD were surveyed in 13 countries shortly after the end of Ramadan 2020, using a simple Survey Monkey questionnaire.

    RESULTS: This survey recruited 6736 people with diabetes, of which 707 (10.49%) had CKD. There were 118 (16.69%) people with type1 diabetes (T1D), and 589 (83.31%) were with type2 diabetes (T2D). 62 (65.24%) people with T1D and 448 (76.06%) people with T2D had fasted with CKD. Episodes of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia were more frequent among people with T1D compared to T2D, 64.52% and 43.54% vs 25.22% and 22.32% respectively. Visits to the emergency department and hospitalization were more frequent among people with CKD, however no significant difference was found between people with T1D and T2D.

    CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic had only a minor effect on the intention to fast during Ramadan in people with diabetes and CKD. However, hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia were found to be more frequent, as well as emergency visits and hospital admissions among people with diabetic kidney disease. Prospective studies are needed in future to evaluate the risk indicators of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia among fasting people with CKD, especially in the context of different stages of kidney disease.

  10. Kong TW, Ryu HS, Kim SC, Enomoto T, Li J, Kim KH, et al.
    J Gynecol Oncol, 2019 Mar;30(2):e39.
    PMID: 30740961 DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2019.30.e39
    The Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology International Workshop 2018 on gynecologic oncology was held in the Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Korea on the 24th to 25th August 2018. The workshop was an opportunity for Asian doctors to discuss the latest findings of gynecologic cancer, including cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, as well as the future of fertility-sparing treatments, minimally invasive/radical/debulking surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Clinical guidelines and position statement of Asian countries were presented by experts. Asian clinical trials for gynecologic cancers were reviewed and experts emphasized the point that original Asian study is beneficial for Asian patients. In Junior session, young gynecologic oncologists presented their latest research on gynecologic cancers.
  11. Feachem RGA, Chen I, Akbari O, Bertozzi-Villa A, Bhatt S, Binka F, et al.
    Lancet, 2019 09 21;394(10203):1056-1112.
    PMID: 31511196 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31139-0
  12. Ooi LC, Low ET, Abdullah MO, Nookiah R, Ting NC, Nagappan J, et al.
    Front Plant Sci, 2016;7:771.
    PMID: 27446094 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00771
    Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is the most productive oil bearing crop worldwide. It has three fruit forms, namely dura (thick-shelled), pisifera (shell-less) and tenera (thin-shelled), which are controlled by the SHELL gene. The fruit forms exhibit monogenic co-dominant inheritance, where tenera is a hybrid obtained by crossing maternal dura and paternal pisifera palms. Commercial palm oil production is based on planting thin-shelled tenera palms, which typically yield 30% more oil than dura palms, while pisifera palms are female-sterile and have little to no palm oil yield. It is clear that tenera hybrids produce more oil than either parent due to single gene heterosis. The unintentional planting of dura or pisifera palms reduces overall yield and impacts land utilization that would otherwise be devoted to more productive tenera palms. Here, we identify three additional novel mutant alleles of the SHELL gene, which encode a type II MADS-box transcription factor, and determine oil yield via control of shell fruit form phenotype in a manner similar to two previously identified mutant SHELL alleles. Assays encompassing all five mutations account for all dura and pisifera palms analyzed. By assaying for these variants in 10,224 mature palms or seedlings, we report the first large scale accurate genotype-based determination of the fruit forms in independent oil palm planting sites and in the nurseries that supply them throughout Malaysia. The measured non-tenera contamination rate (10.9% overall on a weighted average basis) underscores the importance of SHELL genetic testing of seedlings prior to planting in production fields. By eliminating non-tenera contamination, comprehensive SHELL genetic testing can improve sustainability by increasing yield on existing planted lands. In addition, economic modeling demonstrates that SHELL gene testing will confer substantial annual economic gains to the oil palm industry, to Malaysian gross national income and to Malaysian government tax receipts.
  13. Krys K, Capaldi CA, van Tilburg W, Lipp OV, Bond MH, Vauclair CM, et al.
    Int J Psychol, 2018 Oct;53 Suppl 1:21-26.
    PMID: 28295294 DOI: 10.1002/ijop.12420
    Inequalities between men and women are common and well-documented. Objective indexes show that men are better positioned than women in societal hierarchies-there is no single country in the world without a gender gap. In contrast, researchers have found that the women-are-wonderful effect-that women are evaluated more positively than men overall-is also common. Cross-cultural studies on gender equality reveal that the more gender egalitarian the society is, the less prevalent explicit gender stereotypes are. Yet, because self-reported gender stereotypes may differ from implicit attitudes towards each gender, we reanalysed data collected across 44 cultures, and (a) confirmed that societal gender egalitarianism reduces the women-are-wonderful effect when it is measured more implicitly (i.e. rating the personality of men and women presented in images) and (b) documented that the social perception of men benefits more from gender egalitarianism than that of women.
  14. Zerillo JA, Schouwenburg MG, van Bommel ACM, Stowell C, Lippa J, Bauer D, et al.
    JAMA Oncol, 2017 May 01;3(5):686-694.
    PMID: 28384684 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2017.0417
    Importance: Global health systems are shifting toward value-based care in an effort to drive better outcomes in the setting of rising health care costs. This shift requires a common definition of value, starting with the outcomes that matter most to patients.

    Objective: The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), a nonprofit initiative, was formed to define standard sets of outcomes by medical condition. In this article, we report the efforts of ICHOM's working group in colorectal cancer.

    Evidence Review: The working group was composed of multidisciplinary oncology specialists in medicine, surgery, radiation therapy, palliative care, nursing, and pathology, along with patient representatives. Through a modified Delphi process during 8 months (July 8, 2015 to February 29, 2016), ICHOM led the working group to a consensus on a final recommended standard set. The process was supported by a systematic PubMed literature review (1042 randomized clinical trials and guidelines from June 3, 2005, to June 3, 2015), a patient focus group (11 patients with early and metastatic colorectal cancer convened during a teleconference in August 2015), and a patient validation survey (among 276 patients with and survivors of colorectal cancer between October 15, 2015, and November 4, 2015).

    Findings: After consolidating findings of the literature review and focus group meeting, a list of 40 outcomes was presented to the WG and underwent voting. The final recommendation includes outcomes in the following categories: survival and disease control, disutility of care, degree of health, and quality of death. Selected case-mix factors were recommended to be collected at baseline to facilitate comparison of results across treatments and health care professionals.

    Conclusions: A standardized set of patient-centered outcome measures to inform value-based health care in colorectal cancer was developed. Pilot efforts are under way to measure the standard set among members of the working group.

  15. Halim-Fikri H, Etemad A, Abdul Latif AZ, Merican AF, Baig AA, Annuar AA, et al.
    BMC Res Notes, 2015;8:176.
    PMID: 25925844 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-015-1123-y
    The Malaysian Node of the Human Variome Project (MyHVP) is one of the eighteen official Human Variome Project (HVP) country-specific nodes. Since its inception in 9(th) October 2010, MyHVP has attracted the significant number of Malaysian clinicians and researchers to participate and contribute their data to this project. MyHVP also act as the center of coordination for genotypic and phenotypic variation studies of the Malaysian population. A specialized database was developed to store and manage the data based on genetic variations which also associated with health and disease of Malaysian ethnic groups. This ethnic-specific database is called the Malaysian Node of the Human Variome Project database (MyHVPDb).
  16. Krys K, -Melanie Vauclair C, Capaldi CA, Lun VM, Bond MH, Domínguez-Espinosa A, et al.
    Journal of nonverbal behavior, 2015 12 30;40:101-116.
    PMID: 27194817
    Smiling individuals are usually perceived more favorably than non-smiling ones-they are judged as happier, more attractive, competent, and friendly. These seemingly clear and obvious consequences of smiling are assumed to be culturally universal, however most of the psychological research is carried out in WEIRD societies (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) and the influence of culture on social perception of nonverbal behavior is still understudied. Here we show that a smiling individual may be judged as less intelligent than the same non-smiling individual in cultures low on the GLOBE's uncertainty avoidance dimension. Furthermore, we show that corruption at the societal level may undermine the prosocial perception of smiling-in societies with high corruption indicators, trust toward smiling individuals is reduced. This research fosters understanding of the cultural framework surrounding nonverbal communication processes and reveals that in some cultures smiling may lead to negative attributions.
  17. Sachs JD, Karim SSA, Aknin L, Allen J, Brosbøl K, Colombo F, et al.
    Lancet, 2022 Oct 08;400(10359):1224-1280.
    PMID: 36115368 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01585-9
  18. Schutte AE, Jafar TH, Poulter NR, Damasceno A, Khan NA, Nilsson PM, et al.
    Cardiovasc Res, 2023 Mar 31;119(2):381-409.
    PMID: 36219457 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvac130
    Raised blood pressure (BP) is the leading cause of preventable death in the world. Yet, its global prevalence is increasing, and it remains poorly detected, treated, and controlled in both high- and low-resource settings. From the perspective of members of the International Society of Hypertension based in all regions, we reflect on the past, present, and future of hypertension care, highlighting key challenges and opportunities, which are often region-specific. We report that most countries failed to show sufficient improvements in BP control rates over the past three decades, with greater improvements mainly seen in some high-income countries, also reflected in substantial reductions in the burden of cardiovascular disease and deaths. Globally, there are significant inequities and disparities based on resources, sociodemographic environment, and race with subsequent disproportionate hypertension-related outcomes. Additional unique challenges in specific regions include conflict, wars, migration, unemployment, rapid urbanization, extremely limited funding, pollution, COVID-19-related restrictions and inequalities, obesity, and excessive salt and alcohol intake. Immediate action is needed to address suboptimal hypertension care and related disparities on a global scale. We propose a Global Hypertension Care Taskforce including multiple stakeholders and societies to identify and implement actions in reducing inequities, addressing social, commercial, and environmental determinants, and strengthening health systems implement a well-designed customized quality-of-care improvement framework.
  19. Ong-Abdullah M, Ordway JM, Jiang N, Ooi SE, Kok SY, Sarpan N, et al.
    Nature, 2015 Sep 24;525(7570):533-7.
    PMID: 26352475 DOI: 10.1038/nature15365
    Somaclonal variation arises in plants and animals when differentiated somatic cells are induced into a pluripotent state, but the resulting clones differ from each other and from their parents. In agriculture, somaclonal variation has hindered the micropropagation of elite hybrids and genetically modified crops, but the mechanism responsible remains unknown. The oil palm fruit 'mantled' abnormality is a somaclonal variant arising from tissue culture that drastically reduces yield, and has largely halted efforts to clone elite hybrids for oil production. Widely regarded as an epigenetic phenomenon, 'mantling' has defied explanation, but here we identify the MANTLED locus using epigenome-wide association studies of the African oil palm Elaeis guineensis. DNA hypomethylation of a LINE retrotransposon related to rice Karma, in the intron of the homeotic gene DEFICIENS, is common to all mantled clones and is associated with alternative splicing and premature termination. Dense methylation near the Karma splice site (termed the Good Karma epiallele) predicts normal fruit set, whereas hypomethylation (the Bad Karma epiallele) predicts homeotic transformation, parthenocarpy and marked loss of yield. Loss of Karma methylation and of small RNA in tissue culture contributes to the origin of mantled, while restoration in spontaneous revertants accounts for non-Mendelian inheritance. The ability to predict and cull mantling at the plantlet stage will facilitate the introduction of higher performing clones and optimize environmentally sensitive land resources.
  20. Mansour B, Lemberg K, Schneider R, Saida K, Elmubarak I, Yu S, et al.
    Pediatr Nephrol, 2026 Jun;41(6):1663-1675.
    PMID: 41575523 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-026-07151-7
    BACKGROUND: Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) constitutes the second most common cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children. A monogenic cause can be identified in approximately 25% of SRNS cases. In contrast, steroid-sensitive or steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SSNS/SDNS) is typically attributed to multifactorial or immunological causes and rarely linked to monogenic etiology.

    METHODS: We performed exome sequencing (ES) in 237 families, including 183 with SRNS and 54 with SSNS/SDNS.

    RESULTS: A (likely) pathogenic variant in a known SRNS gene was identified in 29/183 individuals with SRNS (15.8%). Additionally, 6/183 (3.3%) individuals with SRNS carried pathogenic variants in phenocopy genes-genes associated with diseases that clinically mimic SRNS. The diagnostic yield was significantly higher in individuals with ≥ 50 Mb homozygosity-by-descent (HBD) (44.7% vs. 8.5%) and in those with SRNS disease onset before 1 year of age (41.9%). In individuals with SSNS/SDNS, we found a likely causative variant in only 1 of 54 probands.

    CONCLUSIONS: A genetic cause was established in 19.1% of SRNS patients (15.8% in known SRNS genes and 3.3% in phenocopy genes), but only 1.9% of non-steroid-resistant cases.

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