MyMedR

Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 4282 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

The Impact of Sociological and Environmental Factors for Dengue Infection in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Adnan RA, Ramli MF, Othman HF, Asha'ri ZH, Ismail SNS, Samsudin S

Acta Trop, 2021 Apr;216:105834.
PMID: 33485870 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105834

BACKGROUND: Dengue incidence has grown dramatically around the world in recent years. Vector control is the only method to reduce dengue incidence due to the lack of a vaccine available. By understanding the factors contributed to the vector densities such as environmental and sociological factors, dengue prevention and control may succeed.
OBJECTIVE: This study is aimed at determining the impact of sociological and environmental factors contributing to dengue cases.
METHODS: The study surveyed 379 respondents with dengue history. The socio-environmental factors were evaluated by chi-square and binary regression.
RESULT: The chi-square results revealed sociological factors associated between family with dengue experience such as older age (p =0.012), fewer than four people in the household (p= 0.008), working people (p= 0.004) and apartment/terrace houses (p=0.023). Similarly, there is a significant association between respondent's dengue history and houses that are shaded with vegetation (p= 0.012) and the present of public playground areas near the residential (p = 0.011).
CONCLUSION: The study identified socio-environmental factors that play an important role in the abundance of Aedes mosquitoes and also for the local dengue control measures.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Lateral flow dipstick antigen assay for human cystic echinococcosis

Khanbabaie S, Riazi M, Chang CH, Yunus MH, Noordin R

Acta Trop, 2019 Feb;190:171-176.
PMID: 30458123 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.11.018

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected zoonotic disease with a worldwide distribution and is a major public health problem in some areas. Diagnosis of CE is mainly based on clinical symptoms, imaging and serological testing, however, improvement in serodiagnosis is still needed. This study was aimed at detecting circulating Echinococcus antigen in CE patients using a lateral flow dipstick (LFD) assay. Three types of hydatid antigens i.e. hydatid cyst fluid (HCF), native antigen B (nAgB) and recombinant antigen B (rAgB) were prepared and polyclonal rabbit antiserum was raised against each antigen. Purified IgG fractions were prepared and a portion was conjugated to gold nanoparticles. After a series of optimizations, a final antigen detection LFD assay was developed using a combination of anti-nAgB-IgG and gold-conjugated anti-HCF-IgG. Evaluation of the assay showed that 27 out of 35 (77%) serum samples from CE patients gave positive results. Meanwhile, the test showed a diagnostic specificity of 82% when tested with sera from 38 healthy individuals and 13 patients with other parasitic diseases. In conclusion, the antigen detection LFD assay seemed to be useful for diagnosis of CE and possibly for post-treatment follow-up, and merit further evaluation studies. We foresee that it may improve serodiagnosis of CE when used in tandem with an antibody detection test.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Inapparent dengue in a community living among dengue-positive Aedes mosquitoes and in a hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Tan W, Liew JWK, Selvarajoo S, Lim XY, Foo CJ, Refai WF, et al.

Acta Trop, 2020 Apr;204:105330.
PMID: 31917959 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105330

The public health burden of dengue is most likely under reported. Current dengue control measures only considered symptomatic dengue transmission. Hence, there is a paucity of information on the epidemiology of inapparent dengue. This study reports that many people have been unknowingly exposed to dengue infection. Almost 10% and 70% of individuals without any history of dengue infection and living in a dengue hotspot, in Selangor, Malaysia, were dengue IgM and IgG positive respectively. When dengue-positive mosquitoes were detected in the hotspot, 11 (6.3%) of the 174 individuals tested were found to have dengue viremia, of which 10 were asymptomatic. Besides, upon detection of a dengue-infected mosquito, transmission was already widespread. In a clinical setting, it appears that people living with dengue patients have been exposed to dengue, whether asymptomatic or symptomatic. They can either have circulating viral RNA and/or presence of NS1 antigen. It is also possible that they are dengue seropositive. Collectively, the results indicate that actions taken to control dengue transmission after the first report of dengue cases may be already too late. The current study also revealed challenges in diagnosing clinically inapparent dengue in hyperendemic settings. There is no one best method for diagnosing inapparent dengue. This study demonstrates empirical evidence of inapparent dengue in different settings. Early dengue surveillance in the mosquito population and active serological/virological surveillance in humans can go hand in hand. More studies are required to investigate the epidemiology, seroprevalence, diagnostics, and control of inapparent dengue. It is also crucial to educate the public, health staff and medical professionals on asymptomatic dengue and to propagate awareness, which is important for controlling transmission.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Copro-molecular study of Entamoeba infection among the indigenous community in Malaysia: A first report on the species-specific prevalence of Entamoeba in dogs

Ngui R, Hassan NA, Nordin NMS, Mohd-Shaharuddin N, Chang LY, Teh CSJ, et al.

Acta Trop, 2020 Apr;204:105334.
PMID: 31926914 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105334

BACKGROUND: Entamoeba is a free-living protozoan parasitic species that infect a variety of hosts. In humans, Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of amoebiasis. Entamoeba species has also been reported in dogs. However, little is known about the molecular epidemiology and the specific species of this parasite in dogs globally, including Malaysia. As dogs are important companion animals for the indigenous community, and close contact with dogs is part of the natural living conditions for this community, this study aims to determine the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of Entamoeba species in human and dogs in Malaysia.
METHOD: The presence of Entamoeba species was examined in 504 fresh fecal samples, collected randomly from 411 humans and 93 dogs using microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifying 16 s ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Data was analyzed using appropriate statistical analysis.
RESULTS: The microscopy data showed an overall occurrence of Entamoeba species of 26.3% (108/411) and 36.6% (34/93) in humans and dogs respectively. In humans, the most common species was a single infection of E. dispar (26.5%; 13/49), followed by E. histolytica and E. moshkovskii, (20.4% for each species respectively). Double infection of E. dispar + E. moshkovskii was detected at 10.2%, followed by E. dispar + E. histolytica (8.2%) and E. moshkovskii and E. histolytica (6.1%). 8.2% of the samples had triple infection with all three species. In animals, E. moshkovskii (46.7%) was the most common species detected, followed by E. histolytica, and E. dispar, at 20.0% and 13.3% respectively. Double infection with E. moshkovskii + E. histolytica and a triple infection were found in 2 samples (13.3%) and 1 (6.7%) sample respectively. Risk factor analysis showed that members of the community who used untreated water were more prone to be infected with Entamoeba.
CONCLUSION: This study provides information on the species-specific occurrence of Entamoeba infection, the potential risk factors and their zoonotic potential to humans. This is the first report to describe the molecular occurrence of Entamoeba species in dogs in Malaysia. The presence of pathogenic Entamoeba species implies that dogs could be a reservoir or mechanical host for human amoebiasis. Further studies need to be conducted to better understand the transmission dynamics and public health significance of Entamoeba species in human and animal hosts.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Global dengue death before and after the new World Health Organization 2009 case classification: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis

Low GK, Ogston SA, Yong MH, Gan SC, Chee HY

Acta Trop, 2018 Jun;182:237-245.
PMID: 29545158 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.03.014

BACKGROUND: Since the introduction of 2009 WHO dengue case classification, no literature was found regarding its effect on dengue death. This study was to evaluate the effect of 2009 WHO dengue case classification towards dengue case fatality rate.
METHODS: Various databases were used to search relevant articles since 1995. Studies included were cohort and cross-sectional studies, all patients with dengue infection and must report the number of death or case fatality rate. The Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal checklist was used to evaluate the risk of bias of the full-texts. The studies were grouped according to the classification adopted: WHO 1997 and WHO 2009. Meta-regression was employed using a logistic transformation (log-odds) of the case fatality rate. The result of the meta-regression was the adjusted case fatality rate and odds ratio on the explanatory variables.
RESULTS: A total of 77 studies were included in the meta-regression analysis. The case fatality rate for all studies combined was 1.14% with 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.82-1.58%. The combined (unadjusted) case fatality rate for 69 studies which adopted WHO 1997 dengue case classification was 1.09% with 95% CI of 0.77-1.55%; and for eight studies with WHO 2009 was 1.62% with 95% CI of 0.64-4.02%. The unadjusted and adjusted odds ratio of case fatality using WHO 2009 dengue case classification was 1.49 (95% CI: 0.52, 4.24) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.26, 2.63) respectively, compared to WHO 1997 dengue case classification. There was an apparent increase in trend of case fatality rate from the year 1992-2016. Neither was statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: The WHO 2009 dengue case classification might have no effect towards the case fatality rate although the adjusted results indicated a lower case fatality rate. Future studies are required for an update in the meta-regression analysis to confirm the findings.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Volunteer motivations at a National Special Olympics event

Khoo S, Engelhorn R

Adapt Phys Activ Q, 2011 Jan;28(1):27-39.
PMID: 21282846

Understanding the motivations for people to volunteer with the management and execution of major sporting events is important for the recruitment and retention of the volunteers. This research investigated volunteer motivations at the first National Special Olympics held in Ames, Iowa, USA in July 2006. A total of 289 participants completed the 28 item Special Event Volunteer Motivation Scale. The top motivations related to the purposive incentives of wanting to help make the event a success and to do something good for the community. Factor analysis revealed a five-factor model, with the altruistic factor (purposive) being the most important. A MANCOVA was also used to compare subjects using both gender and experience as independent variables. Small but significant differences in motivation were observed.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Stop smoking clinics in Malaysia: characteristics of attendees and predictors of success

Wee LH, Shahab L, Bulgiba A, West R

Addict Behav, 2011 Apr;36(4):400-3.
PMID: 21195553 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.11.011

INTRODUCTION: As Stop Smoking Clinics (SSCs) become more common across the globe, it is important to know how far one can make broad generalisations concerning characteristics of smokers who attend these clinics and factors that predict their success. This involves accumulation of data from different countries.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of smokers and factors leading up to quitting with clinics in Malaysia.
METHOD: Records from 629 smokers who had sought help from five selected SSCs in Malaysia from January 2006 to June 2007 were analysed.
RESULTS: The characteristics of smokers attending Malaysian smoking clinics were broadly similar to those in Western countries. Consistent with the findings from other countries, older age and longest duration of previous quit attempts were associated with successful smoking cessation. Greater baseline carbon-monoxide readings (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.99; p=0.013), but not Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), predicted failure to quit at six-month in multivariate analysis. Success rates varied greatly between clinics even after adjusting for all other predictors.
CONCLUSION: In these rare data from a non-Western culture some predictors of successful smoking cessation appeared to generalise from Western smokers but the universal validity of the FTND in particular needs to be examined further.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Validation of the drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire in Arab and Asian samples

AlMarri TS, Oei TP, AbRahman RM

Addict Behav, 2009 Sep;34(9):776-8.
PMID: 19481874 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.05.009

The influence of an individuals' belief in their ability to resist drinking alcohol has recognised importance in understanding the pattern of drinking behaviours among Caucasian samples. Measures used to investigate this construct, such as the drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire-revised (DRSEQ-R; [Oei, T. P. S., Hasking, P. A., & Young, R. M. (2005). Drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire-revised (DRSEQ-R): A new factor structure with confirmatory factor analysis. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 78, 297-307.]) have been widely used and have established psychometric properties. However, the exploration of the utility of this questionnaire with samples of different ethnicity, religion and living in different countries remains scarce. In the current study, Arab Muslim samples living in the United Arab Emirates and Oman (n=356) and Asian predominately Muslim samples living in Malaysia and Indonesia (n=256) were used. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the DRSEQ-R has a three factor structure. Internal consistency ranged from alpha .96 to alpha .86 and validity was good. This study offers evidence of the utility of this measure with Arab and Asian samples.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Risk and protective factors for recreational and hard drug use among Malaysian adolescents and young adults

Razali MM, Kliewer W

Addict Behav, 2015 Nov;50:149-56.
PMID: 26135336 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.06.022

This study investigated risk and protective factors for recreational and hard drug use in Malaysian adolescents and young adults.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Should the threshold for expired-air carbon monoxide concentration as a means of verifying self-reported smoking abstinence be reduced in clinical treatment programmes? Evidence from a Malaysian smokers' clinic

Wee LH, West R, Mariapun J, Chan CM, Bulgiba A, Peramalah D, et al.

Addict Behav, 2015 Aug;47:74-9.
PMID: 25889913 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.03.021

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that the expired-air carbon monoxide (CO) threshold for confirming smoking abstinence in clinical practice be reduced below 10 ppm. Optimal thresholds may vary across regions. Data are needed to assess the impact of such a change on claimed success.
METHODS: A total of 253 smokers who attended the Tanglin quit smoking clinic in Malaysia were followed-up 1, 3 and 6 months after the target quit date. All participants received a standard behavioural support programme and were prescribed either varenicline or nicotine replacement therapy. Expired-air CO was measured at every visit. Respondents' smoking status was assessed using a range of different CO thresholds (3, 5 and 10 ppm) and the impact on quit rates was calculated. Predictors of success as defined using the different thresholds were assessed.
RESULTS: The 6-month abstinence rates were: 1 month - 54.9% at 10 ppm, 54.9% at 5 ppm and 48.6% at 3 ppm; 3 months - 36.0% at 10 ppm, 35.2% at 5 ppm and 30.4% at 3 ppm; 6 months - 24.1% at 10 ppm, 24.1% at 5 ppm and 20.6% at 3 ppm. Older smokers were more likely to be recorded as abstinent at 6 months regardless of the threshold used.
CONCLUSIONS: Reducing the threshold for expired-air carbon monoxide concentrations to verify claimed smoking abstinence from 10 ppm to 5 ppm makes minimal difference to documented success rates in Malaysian smoker's clinic patients. Reducing to 3 ppm decreases success rates slightly. Predictors of success at stopping appear to be unaffected by the threshold used.
KEYWORDS: Carbon monoxide; Predictors for abstinence; Smoking cessation; Success rates

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Difficulties in emotion regulation mediate negative and positive affects and craving in alcoholic patients

Khosravani V, Sharifi Bastan F, Ghorbani F, Kamali Z

Addict Behav, 2017 08;71:75-81.
PMID: 28273489 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.02.029

The aim of this study was to assess the mediating effects of difficulties in emotion regulation (DER) on the relations of negative and positive affects to craving in alcoholic patients. 205 treatment-seeking alcoholic outpatients were included. DER, positive and negative affects as well as craving were evaluated by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Positive/Negative Affect Scales, and the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) respectively. Clinical factors including depression and severity of alcohol dependence were investigated by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) respectively. Results revealed that both increased negative affect and decreased positive affect indirectly influenced craving through limited access to emotion regulation strategies. It was concluded that limited access to emotion regulation strategies may be important in predicting craving for alcoholics who experience both increased negative affect and decreased positive affect. This suggests that treatment and prevention efforts focused on increasing positive affect, decreasing negative affect and teaching effective regulation strategies may be critical in reducing craving in alcoholic patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Fulltext Internet pornography exposures amongst young people in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study looking into the role of gender and perceived realism versus the actual sexual activities

Zohor Ali AA, Muhammad NA, Jamil TR, Ahmad S, Abd Aziz NA

Addict Behav Rep, 2021 Dec;14:100350.
PMID: 34041356 DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2021.100350

Despite the wide accessibility to internet, pornography activities among youths are not well described in conservative countries like Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, elicit gender differences and identify associated factors of pornographic exposure including perceived realism among college students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among students aged 18 to 25 years from seven colleges in Penang, Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on socio-demographic characteristics, pornography exposure, pattern of use, sexual exposure and perceived realism. Among 986 participants, the prevalence of lifetime pornography exposure was 74.5%. More males (71.7%) were exposed to pornography, had started at earlier age, were frequent users and using the internet alone at home (p

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Pooled Human Serum Increases Regenerative Potential of In Vitro Expanded Stem Cells from Human Extracted Deciduous Teeth

Haque N, Abu Kasim NH

Adv Exp Med Biol, 2017 7 22;1083:29-44.
PMID: 28730381 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2017_74

In regenerative therapy, in vitro expansion of stem cells is critical to obtain a significantly higher number of cells for successful engraftment after transplantation. However, stem cells lose its regenerative potential and enter senescence during in vitro expansion. In this study, the influence of foetal bovine serum (FBS) and pooled human serum (pHS) on the proliferation, morphology and migration of stem cells from human extracted deciduous teeth (SHED) was compared. SHED (n = 3) was expanded in KnockOut DMEM supplemented with either pHS (pHS-SM) or FBS (FBS-SM). pHS was prepared using peripheral blood serum of six healthy male adults, aged between 21 and 35 years old. The number of live SHED was significantly higher, from passage 5 to 7, when cultured in pHS-SM compared to those cultured in FBS-SM (p

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Greek Nurses' Perception of Hospital Ethical Climate: A Cross-Sectional Study

Fradelos EC, Latsou D, Alikari V, Papathanasiou IV, Roupa A, Balang V, et al.

Adv Exp Med Biol, 2021;1337:17-25.
PMID: 34972887 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_3

This study aimed to examine Greek nurses' perceptions about hospital ethical climate and to investigate the possible difference of those perceptions regarding their demographic and work-related characteristics. The cross-sectional study design was employed in this study in which 286 nurses and nurse assistants participated. Data were collected by a sheet containing demographic and work-related characteristics and the Greek version of the Oslons' Hospital Ethical Climate Scale. IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences 25 was used in data analysis. Frequencies, means, percentages, and standard deviations summarized the data. For the statistical differences, parametric tests were performed. Independent Samples t and Pearson correlation analysis were used to determine the relationship between the ethical climate of the hospital and the nurses' characteristics. The p-values 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The mean age of the nurses was 44 years (SD: 8.5 years; range 24-66 years). The majority of them were women (77.3%). A percent of 57.7% of the sample was married. Most positive perceptions were concerning managers (4.01) following by peers (3.82), patients (3.69), hospitals (3.29) while the least positive perceptions of the ethical climate were concerning the physicians (3.16). The factors associated with hospital ethical perception were: working experience and responsible position. The highest score of ethical climate reported to managers subscale, while the minimum score was related to physicians. In general, Greek nurses reported positive perceptions regarding hospital ethical climate. The positive ethical climate is associated with a better working environment, fewer nurses' experience of moral distress, fewer chances for nursing turnover, high quality of nursing care, and fewer errors in nursing practice.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Effects of a brief mindfulness-based intervention program for stress management among medical students: the Mindful-Gym randomized controlled study

Phang CK, Mukhtar F, Ibrahim N, Keng SL, Mohd Sidik S

Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract, 2015 Dec;20(5):1115-34.
PMID: 25697124 DOI: 10.1007/s10459-015-9591-3

Pursuing undergraduate medical training can be very stressful and academically challenging experience. A 5-week mindfulness-based stress management (MBSM/Mindful-Gym) program was developed to help medical students cope with stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing stress among students in a medical school in Malaysia. Seventy-five medical students participated in the program. They were stratified according to years of studies and randomly allocated to intervention (N = 37) and control groups (N = 38). The following outcome variables were measured at pre- and post-intervention: mindfulness (with Mindful Awareness Attention Scale); perceived stress (with Perceived Stress Scale); mental distress (with General Health Questionnaire), and self-efficacy (with General Self-efficacy Scale). Hierarchical multiple regressions were used to analyse the effect of group (intervention vs. control) on changes in the outcome variables. There were significant improvements at one week post-intervention in all outcome variables: mindfulness (β = 0.19, ΔR2 = 0.04, p = .040, f (2) = 0.05), perceived stress (β = -0.26, ΔR2 = 0.07, p = .009, f (2) = 0.10); mental distress (β = -0.28, ΔR2 = 0.10, p = .003, f (2) = 0.15); and self-efficacy (β = 0.30, ΔR2 = 0.09, p < .001, f (2) = 0.21). Six months after the intervention, those who had joined the program reported higher self-efficacy compared to those in the control group (β = 0.24, ΔR2 = 0.06, p = .020, f (2) = 0.08); but there was no difference in other outcome measures. More than 90% of the participants found the program applicable in helping patients and all reported that they would recommend it to others. This study indicates that the program is potentially an effective stress management program for medical students in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Fulltext Empathy levels among first year Malaysian medical students: an observational study

Williams B, Sadasivan S, Kadirvelu A, Olaussen A

Adv Med Educ Pract, 2014;5:149-56.
PMID: 24876799 DOI: 10.2147/AMEP.S58094

BACKGROUND: The literature indicates that medical practitioners experience declining empathy levels in clinical practice. This highlights the need to educate medical students about empathy as an attribute early in the academic curriculum. The objective of this study was to evaluate year one students' self-reported empathy levels following a 2-hour empathy workshop at a large medical school in Malaysia.
METHODS: Changes in empathy scores were examined using a paired repeated-measures t-test in this prospective before and after study.
RESULTS: Analyzing the matched data, there was a statistically significant difference and moderate effect size between mean empathy scores before and 5 weeks after the workshop (112.08±10.67 versus 117.93±13.13, P<0.0001, d=0.48) using the Jefferson Scale Physician Empathy (Student Version).
CONCLUSION: The results of this observational study indicate improved mean self-reported empathy scores following an empathy workshop.
KEYWORDS: Malaysia; empathy; medical students
Study site: Jeffry Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Fulltext Intake of Palm Olein and Lipid Status in Healthy Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Voon PT, Lee ST, Ng TKW, Ng YT, Yong XS, Lee VKM, et al.

Adv Nutr, 2019 Jul 01;10(4):647-659.
PMID: 31095284 DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmy122

It is not clear whether a saturated fatty acid-rich palm olein diet has any significant adverse effect on established surrogate lipid markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We reviewed the effect of palm olein with other oils on serum lipid in healthy adults. We searched in MEDLINE and CENTRAL: Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1975 to January 2018 for randomized controlled trials of ≥2 wk intervention that compared the effects of palm olein (the liquid fraction of palm oil) with other oils such as coconut oil, lard, canola oil, high-oleic sunflower oil, olive oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil on changes in serum lipids. Nine studies were eligible and were included, with a total of 533 and 542 subjects on palm olein and other dietary oil diets, respectively. We extracted and compared all the data for serum lipids, such as total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, and TC/HDL cholesterol ratio. When comparing palm olein with other dietary oils, the overall weighted mean differences for TC, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and the TC/HDL cholesterol ratio were -0.10 (95% CI: -0.30, 0.10; P = 0.34), -0.06 (95% CI: -0.29,0.16; P = 0.59), 0.02 (95% CI: -0.01, 0.04; P = 0.20), 0.01 (95% CI: -0.05, 0.06; P = 0.85), and -0.15 (95% CI: -0.43, 0.14; P = 0.32), respectively. Overall, there are no significant differences in the effects of palm olein intake on lipoprotein biomarkers (P > 0.05) compared with other dietary oils. However, dietary palm olein was found to have effects comparable to those of other unsaturated dietary oils (monounsaturated fatty acid- and polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich oils) but differed from that of saturated fatty acid-rich oils with respect to the serum lipid profile in healthy adults.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Fulltext Integrating an open-source course management system (Moodle) into the teaching of a first-year medical physiology course: a case study

Seluakumaran K, Jusof FF, Ismail R, Husain R

Adv Physiol Educ, 2011 Dec;35(4):369-77.
PMID: 22139773 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00008.2011

Educators in medical schools around the world are presently experimenting with innovative ways of using web-based learning to supplement the existing teaching and learning process. We have recently used a popular open-source course management system (CMS) called the modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) to construct an online site (DPhysiol) to facilitate our face-to-face teaching of physiology to a group of first-year students in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery program. The integration of the Moodle site into our teaching was assessed using online log activity, student examination marks, and feedback from students. The freely available Moodle platform was simple to use, helped to effectively deliver course materials, and has features that allowed cooperative learning. Students who used the CMS throughout their academic year and commented favorably regarding its use as a complement to the face-to-face classroom sessions. The group of students used the CMS obtained significantly higher scores in the final examination compared with the previous class that did not use the CMS. In addition, there was a significant correlation between student participation and performance in online quizzes and their final examination marks. However, students' overall online usage of the CMS did not correlate with their examination marks. We recommend Moodle as a useful tool for physiology educators who are interested in integrating web-based learning into their existing teaching curriculum.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Management of Dyslipidemia in Individuals with Low-to-Moderate Cardiovascular Risk: Role of Nutraceuticals

Dolzhenko MM, Barnett OY, Grassos C, Dragomiretska NV, Goloborodko BI, Ilashchuk TO, et al.

Adv Ther, 2020 11;37(11):4549-4567.
PMID: 32979190 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-020-01490-z

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of premature deaths globally and in Ukraine. Dyslipidemia is a recognized risk factor for the development of CVD. Therefore, early detection and appropriate management of dyslipidemia are essential for the primary prevention of CVDs. However, currently, there is a lack of Ukraine-specific guideline recommendations focusing on the management of dyslipidemia in individuals with low-to-moderate CV risk, thus creating an urgent need for structured and easily implementable clinical recommendations/guidelines specific to the country. An expert panel of cardiologists, endocrinologists, and family physicians convened in Ukraine in March 2019. The expert panel critically reviewed and analyzed the current literature and put forth the following recommendations for the management of dyslipidemia in individuals with low-to-moderate risk of CVDs specific to Ukraine: (1) family physicians have the greatest opportunities in carrying out primary prevention; (2) lipid-lowering interventions are essential for primary prevention as per guidelines; (3) a number of nutraceuticals and nutraceutical combinations with clinically established lipid-lowering properties can be considered for primary prevention; they also have a suggested role as an alternative therapy for statin-intolerant patients; (4) on the basis of clinical evidence, nutraceuticals are suggested by guidelines for primary prevention; (5) red yeast rice has potent CV-risk-lowering potential, in addition to lipid-lowering properties; (6) in patients with low-to-moderate cardiovascular risk, a nutraceutical combination of low-dose red yeast rice and synergic lipid-lowering compounds can be used as integral part of guideline-recommended lifestyle interventions for effective primary prevention strategy; (7) nutraceutical combination can be used in patients aged 18 to 75+ years; its use is particularly appropriate in the age group of 18-44 years; (8) it is necessary to attract the media (websites, etc.) to increase patient awareness on the importance of primary prevention; and (9) it is necessary to legally separate nutraceuticals from dietary supplements. These consensus recommendations will help physicians in Ukraine effectively manage dyslipidemia in individuals with low-to-moderate CV risk.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult
Fulltext Perceptions of Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in South-East Asia: Results from Patient and Physician Surveys

Malik RA, Aldinc E, Chan SP, Deerochanawong C, Hwu CM, Rosales RL, et al.

Adv Ther, 2017 06;34(6):1426-1437.
PMID: 28502036 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-017-0536-5

There are no data on physician-patient communication in painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) in the Asia-Pacific region. The objective of this study was to examine patient and physician perceptions of pDPN and clinical practice behaviors in five countries in South-East Asia. Primary care physicians and practitioners, endocrinologists, diabetologists, and patients with pDPN completed separate surveys on pDPN diagnosis, impact, management, and physician-patient interactions in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand. Data were obtained from 100 physicians and 100 patients in each country. The majority of physicians (range across countries, 30-85%) were primary care physicians and practitioners. Patients were mostly aged 18-55 years and had been diagnosed with diabetes for >5 years. Physicians believed pDPN had a greater impact on quality of life than did patients (ranges 83-92% and 39-72%, respectively), but patients believed pDPN had a greater impact on items such as sleep, anxiety, depression, and work than physicians. Physicians considered the diagnosis and treatment of pDPN a low priority, which may be reflected in the generally low incidence of screening (range 12-65%) and a lack of awareness of pDPN. Barriers to treatment included patients' lack of awareness of pDPN. Both physicians and patients agreed that pain scales and local language descriptions were the most useful tools in helping to describe patients' pain. Most patients were monitored upon diagnosis of pDPN (range 55-97%), but patients reported a shorter duration of monitoring compared with physicians. Both physicians and patients agreed that it was patients who initiated conversations on pDPN. Physicians most commonly referred to guidelines from the American Diabetes Association or local guidelines for the management of pDPN. This study highlights important differences between physician and patient perceptions of pDPN, which may impact on its diagnosis and treatment. For a chronic and debilitating complication like pDPN, the physician-patient dialogue is central to maximizing patient outcomes. Strategies, including education of both groups, need to be developed to improve communication.
FUNDING: Pfizer.

Matched MeSH terms: Young Adult

Filters

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links