METHODS: Data from a nationwide survey implemented using a stratified cluster sampling design were analyzed. This study was carried out through face-to-face interviews and guided questionnaires. The questions were based on the Washington Group of Disability (WG) questionnaires, which produce multiple disability identifiers. Hearing disability is defined as at least one domain or question out of four questions coded as "A lot of difficulty" or "Cannot hear at all".
RESULTS: The prevalence of hearing disability among older persons aged ≥60 years was 6.4% (95% CI 5.0-8.3), whereas 1.5% (95% CI 0.90, 2.50) older persons were reported to be using a hearing aid. The determinants of hearing disability are being male (aOR 2.67, 95% CI 1.94-3.66), being unemployed (retired, homemaker, unemployed; aOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.86-4.14) and had no formal education (aOR 18.25, 95% CI 4.18-79.55).
CONCLUSIONS: Promoting healthy aging is important and crucial for Malaysia, in preparation toward an aging nation, as it could reduce the country's financial burden in the long term. Health-related agencies should promote health awareness and treatment centers in relation to hearing disability among older persons, as they should be educated and informed about healthcare choices availability, which is aligned with the Global Disability Action Plan 2014-2021. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 43-48.
OBJECTIVE: The effects of Brequinar Sodium (BQR) and 4SC-101 on lymphoblastoid cell lines were investigated.
METHODS: DHODH expression and cell proliferation inhibition of lymphoblastoid and lymphoma cell lines were analyzed using Western blot analysis and XTT assay, respectively. JC-1 probe and ATP biochemiluminescence kit were used to evaluate the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP generation in these cell lines. Furthermore, we explored the cell cycle progression using Muse™ Cell Cycle Kit.
RESULTS: Ramos, SUDHL-1 and RPMI-1788 cells are fast-growing cells with equal expression of DHODH enzyme and sensitivity to DHODH inhibitors that showed that the inhibition of DHODH was not cancer-specific. In ATP depletion assay, the non-cancerous RPMI-1788 cells showed only a minor ATP reduction compared to Ramos and SUDHL-1 (cancer) cells. In the mechanistic impact of DHODH inhibitors on non-cancerous vs cancerous cells, the mitochondrial membrane potential assay revealed that significant depolarization and cytochrome c release occurred with DHODH inhibitors treatment in Ramos but not in the RPMI-1788 cells, indicating a different mechanism of proliferation inhibition in normal cells.
CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide evidence that DHODH inhibitors perturb the proliferation of non-cancerous cells via a distinct mechanism compared to cancerous cells. These results may lead to strategies for overcoming the impact on non-cancerous cells during treatment with DHODH inhibitors, leading to a better therapeutic window in patients.
METHODS: The MELoR study recruited community-dwelling adults aged 55 years and over, selected through stratified random sampling from three parliamentary constituencies. The baseline data collected during the first wave was obtained through face-to-face interviews in participants' homes using computer-assisted questionnaires. During their baseline assessments, participants were asked whether they had ever experienced a blackout in their lifetime and if they had experienced a blackout in the preceding 12 months.
RESULTS: Information on blackouts and ethnicity were available for 1530 participants. The weight-adjusted lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope for the overall population aged 55 years and above was 27.7%. The estimated lifetime cumulative incidence according to ethnic groups was 34.6% for Malays, 27.8% for Indians and 23.7% for Chinese. The estimated 12-month incidence of syncope was 6.1% overall, equating to 11.7% for Malays, 8.7 % for Indians and 2.3% for Chinese. Both Malay [odds ratio (OR) 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.95 and OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.96-6.68] and Indian (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.01-1.80 and OR 3.31, 1.78-6.15) ethnicities were independently associated with lifetime and 12-month cumulative incidence of syncope, respectively, together with falls, dizziness and myocardial infarction.
CONCLUSION: Ethnic differences exist for lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope in community-dwelling individuals aged 55 years and over in an urban area in Southeast Asia. Future studies should now seek to determine potential genetic, cultural and lifestyle differences which may predispose to syncope.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human and caprine MFGM proteins were isolated and analyzed, initially by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and subsequently by quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This was then followed by database search and gene ontology analysis. In general, this method selectively analyzed the abundantly expressed proteins in milk MFGM.
RESULTS: Human MFGM contains relatively more abundant bioactive proteins compared with caprine. While a total of 128 abundant proteins were detected in the human MFGM, only 42 were found in that of the caprine. Seven of the bioactive proteins were apparently found to coexist in both human and caprine MFGM.
RESULTS/DISCUSSION: Among the commonly detected MFGM proteins, lactotransferrin, beta-casein, lipoprotein lipase, fatty acid synthase, and butyrophilin subfamily 1 member A1 were highly expressed in human MFGM. On the other hand, alpha-S1-casein and EGF factor 8 protein, which are also nutritionally beneficial, were found in abundance in caprine MFGM. The large number of human MFGM abundant proteins that were generally lacking in caprine appeared to mainly support human metabolic and developmental processes.
CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated superiority of human MFGM by having more than one hundred nutritionally beneficial and abundantly expressed proteins, which are clearly lacking in caprine MFGM. The minor similarity in the abundantly expressed bioactive proteins in caprine MFGM, which was detected further, suggests that it is still nutritionally beneficial, and therefore should be included when caprine milk-based formula is used as an alternative.
METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into four groups (n = 8) as follows: (i) the Normal Control group (NC), (ii) the BPA-exposed group (PC), (iii) the group concurrently treated with BPA and F. deltoidea (FC) and (iv) the group treated with F. deltoidea alone (F).
RESULTS: After 6 weeks of concurrent treatment with F. deltoidea, uterine abnormalities in the BPA-exposed rats showed a significant improvement. Specifically, the size of stromal cells increased; interstitial spaces between stromal cells expanded; the histology of the glandular epithelium and the myometrium appeared normal and mitotic figures were present. The suppressive effects of BPA on the expression levels of sex steroid receptors (ERα and ERβ) and the immunity gene C3 were significantly normalised by F. deltoidea treatment. The role of F. deltoidea as an antioxidant agent was proven by the significant reduction in malondialdehyde level in BPA-exposed rats. Moreover, in BPA-exposed rats, concurrent treatment with F. deltoidea could normalise the level of the gonadotropin hormone, which could be associated with an increase in the percentage of rats with a normal oestrous cycle.
CONCLUSION: F. deltoidea has the potential to counter the toxic effects of BPA on the female reproductive system. These protective effects might be due to the phytochemical properties of F. deltoidea. Therefore, future study is warranted to identify the bioactive components that contribute to the protective effects of F. deltoidea.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a community-based prospective cohort study using randomly selected households from the national census. A multistage sampling method was employed to obtain a total of 2496 older adults living in the rural Kuala Pilah district. The study is divided into two phases: cross-sectional study (baseline), and a longitudinal follow-up study at the third and fifth years. Elder mistreatment was measured using instrument derived from the previous literature and modified Conflict Tactic Scales. Outcomes of elder mistreatment include mortality, physical function, mental health, quality of life and health utilisation. Logistic regression models are used to examine the relationship between risk factors and abuse estimates. Cox proportional hazard regression will be used to estimate risk of mortality associated with abuse. Associated annual rate of hospitalisation and health visit frequency, and reporting of abuse, will be estimated using Poisson regression.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the University of Malaya Medical Center (MEC Ref 902.2) and the Malaysian National Medical Research Register (NMRR-12-1444-11726). Written consent was obtained from all respondents prior to baseline assessment and subsequent follow-up. Findings will be disseminated to local stakeholders via forums with community leaders, and health and social welfare departments, and published in appropriate scientific journals and presented at conferences.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis was carried out using the first wave data from MELoR which is a longitudinal study.
SETTING: Urban community dwellers in a middle-income South East Asian country.
PARTICIPANTS: 1565 participants aged ≥55 years were selected by simple random sampling from the electoral rolls of three parliamentary constituencies.
OUTCOME MEASURES: Consenting participants from the MELoR study were asked the question 'Have you fallen down in the past 12 months?' during their computer-assisted home-based interviews. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare the prevalence of falls among various ethnic groups.
RESULTS: The overall estimated prevalence of falls for individuals aged 55 years and over adjusted to the population of Kuala Lumpur was 18.9%. The estimated prevalence of falls for the three ethnic populations of Malays, Chinese and Indian aged 55 years and over was 16.2%, 19.4% and 23.8%, respectively. Following adjustment for ethnic discrepancies in age, gender, marital status and education attainment, the Indian ethnicity remained an independent predictor of falls in our population (relative risk=1.45, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.85).
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of falls in this study is comparable to other previous Asian studies, but appears lower than Western studies. The predisposition of the Indian ethnic group to falls has not been previously reported. Further studies may be needed to elucidate the causes for the ethnic differences in fall prevalence.
DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July-September 2018.
SETTING: This study was conducted at the University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
PARTICIPANTS: We recruited community-dwelling adults (ambulatory care patients or their accompanying persons) who were ≥21 years old and able to understand English or Malay. A 1:10 systematic sampling procedure was used. Excluded were community-dwelling adults with intellectual disabilities or non-Malaysian accompanying persons. A trained researcher administered the validated English or Malay Advance Care Planning Questionnaire at baseline and 2 weeks later.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the KAP regarding ACP. The secondary outcomes were factors associated with KAP.
RESULTS: A total of 385/393 community-dwelling adults agreed to participate (response rate 98%). Only 3.1% of the community-dwelling adults have heard about ACP and 85.7% of them felt that discussion on ACP was necessary after explanation of the term. The desire to maintain their decision-making ability when seriously ill (94.9%) and reducing family burden (91.6%) were the main motivating factors for ACP. In contrast, resorting to fate (86.5%) and perceived healthy condition (77.0%) were the main reasons against ACP. Overall, 84.4% would consider discussing ACP in the future. Community-dwelling adults who were employed were less likely to know about ACP (OR=0.167, 95% CI 0.050 to 0.559, p=0.004) whereas those with comorbidities were more likely to favour ACP (OR=2.460, 95% CI 1.161 to 5.213, p=0.019). No factor was found to be associated with the practice of ACP.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite the lack of awareness regarding ACP, majority of community-dwelling adults in Malaysia had a positive attitude towards ACP and were willing to engage in a discussion regarding ACP after the term 'ACP' has been explained to them.
RESULTS: An investigation on the adherence, invasion and intracellular survival of bacterial strains within the bovine aortic endothelial cell line (BAEC) were carried out. The potential vaccine strain, P. multocida B:2 GDH7, was significantly better (p ≤ 0.05) at adhering to and invading BAEC compared to its parent strain and to P. multocida B:2 JRMT12 and survived intracellularly 7 h post treatment, with a steady decline over time. A dual reporter plasmid, pSRGM, which enabled tracking of bacterial movement from the extracellular environment into the intracellular compartment of the mammalian cells, was subsequently transformed into P. multocida B:2 GDH7. Intracellular trafficking of the vaccine strain, P. multocida B:2 GDH7 was subsequently visualized by tracking the reporter proteins via confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).
CONCLUSIONS: The ability of P. multocida B:2 GDH7 to model bactofection represents a possibility for this vaccine strain to be used as a delivery vehicle for DNA vaccine for future multivalent protection in cattle and buffaloes.