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Serum immunoglobulin levels in the Semai

Lim VK, Moosdeen F, Nagappan N

Med J Malaysia, 1977 Jun;31(4):288-91.
PMID: 927234
Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Chronic vasomotor rhinitis in the tropics

Gnanapragasam A

Med J Malaya, 1971 Dec;26(2):112-5.
PMID: 4260855
Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate*
The training of research workers for tropical countries

Sandosham AA

Med J Malaya, 1969 Mar;23(3):189-91.
PMID: 4240072
Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Sudden death during jungle trekking: a case of heat stroke

Nadesan K, Chan SP, Wong CM

Malays J Pathol, 1998 Jun;20(1):49-54.
PMID: 10879265

Heat stroke, which is also known as "sun stroke," is a medical emergency, and fatalities can occur unless it is diagnosed early and treated efficiently. Heat stroke may manifest quite suddenly, giving little time to differentiate it from extreme physical exhaustion in collapsed subjects. It is also known to lead to serious disseminated intravascular coagulation. Sudden death in a young female is presented who collapsed after trekking in a hilly, jungle area in Malaysia on a warm, humid day. She had joined a weight reduction programme a few weeks earlier. She was found collapsed and in a semiconscious state in the jungle by her groupmates and was taken to hospital. On admission she was unconscious, hyperpyrexic, with rapid, thready pulse and a low blood pressure. Biochemical studies revealed metabolic acidosis, elevated liver and cardiac enzymes and impairment of renal function. Her coagulation profile was found to be impaired and she started bleeding through the mouth and nostrils. She also developed watery diarrhoea and initially a septicaemic condition, including acute enteritis was suspected. Despite active treatment, her condition deteriorated and she died eight hours after admission. Autopsy confirmed a generalised bleeding tendency, with pulmonary, oesophageal and gastrointestinal mucosal haemorrhages. Flame-shaped subendocardial shock haemorrhages were seen in the interventricular septum on the left side of the heart. The findings support a diagnosis of heat stroke. Various aspects related to heat stroke, the autopsy diagnosis and its prevention are discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Effect of tropical outdoor weathering on the surface roughness and mechanical properties of maxillofacial silicones

Rahman AM, Jamayet NB, Nizami MMUI, Johari Y, Husein A, Alam MK

J Prosthet Dent, 2021 Jan 17.
PMID: 33472753 DOI: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2020.07.026

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The climate of tropical Southeast Asia includes high humidity and ultraviolet radiation that reduce the lifespan of silicone prostheses by inducing changes in their mechanical properties and color stability. Studies on the surface roughness (SR) and mechanical properties of different silicone elastomers (SEs) subjected to the natural tropical weather of Southeast Asia are lacking.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the SR, tensile strength (TS), and percentage elongation (% E) of different SEs subjected to outdoor weathering in the Malaysian climate.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Type-II dumbbell-shaped specimens (N-120) (nonweathered=15, weathered=15) were made from 3 room-temperature vulcanized (A-2000, A-2006, and A-103) and 1 heat-temperature vulcanized (M-511) silicone (Factor II). For 6 months, weathered specimens were subjected to outdoor weathering inside a custom exposure rack. Simultaneously, the nonweathered specimens were kept in a dehumidifier. Subsequently, the SR was measured with a profilometer; TS and % E were measured by using a universal testing machine. Two-way ANOVA was used to compare the means of the tested properties of the nonweathered and weathered specimens, and pairwise comparison was carried out between the silicones (α=.05).
RESULTS: After outdoor weathering, the SR, TS, and % E were adversely affected by weathering in the Malaysian environment. Among the silicone materials, A-2000 showed the least TS changes (2.51 MPa), while A-2006 demonstrated significant changes in percentage elongation after outdoor weathering (266.5%). M-511 exhibited the highest mean value (2.50 μm) for SR changes. In addition, A-103 SE showed statistically significant differences in most pairwise comparisons for all 3 dependent variables.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on the evaluation of mechanical properties, A-103 can be suggested as a suitable silicone for maxillofacial prostheses fabricated for tropical climates. However, A-2000 can be a suitable alternative, although significant changes to surface roughness were detected after outdoor weathering.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Some impressions of childbearing in tropical areas. II. Pre-eclampsia and low birthweight

Thompson B, Baird D

J Obstet Gynaecol Br Commonw, 1967 Aug;74(4):499-509.
PMID: 6033270
Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate*
Some impressions of childbearing in tropical areas. 3. Outcome of labour

Thompson B, Baird D

J Obstet Gynaecol Br Commonw, 1967 Aug;74(4):510-22.
PMID: 6033271
Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate*
A seven-year retrospective analysis of the clinicopathological and mycological manifestations of fungal rhinosinusitis in a single-centre tropical climate hospital

Goh LC, Shakri ED, Ong HY, Mustakim S, Shaariyah MM, Ng WSJ, et al.

J Laryngol Otol, 2017 Sep;131(9):813-816.
PMID: 28841131 DOI: 10.1017/S0022215117001505

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinicopathological and mycological manifestations of fungal rhinosinusitis occurring in the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, in Klang, Malaysia, which has a tropical climate.
METHODS: Records of patients treated from 2009 to 2016 were analysed retrospectively. Data from the records were indexed based on age, gender, clinical presentations, symptom duration, clinical signs and mycological growth.
RESULTS: Of 80 samples, 27 (33.75 per cent) had fungal growth. Sixteen patients were classified as having non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis and 11 as having invasive fungal rhinosinusitis. The commonest clinical presentation was nasal polyposis in non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis patients (p < 0.05) and ocular symptoms in invasive fungal rhinosinusitis patients (p < 0.05). The commonest organism was aspergillus sp. (p < 0.05) in non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis and mucorales in invasive fungal rhinosinusitis.
CONCLUSION: There is an almost equal distribution of both invasive and non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, as seen in some Asian countries. Invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, while slightly uncommon when compared to non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, is potentially life threatening, and may require early and extensive surgical debridement. The clinical presentation of nasal polyposis was often associated with non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, whereas ocular symptoms were more likely to be associated with invasive fungal rhinosinusitis.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Significance of enteric gram-negative bacilli in the throat

Philpot CR, McDonald PJ, Chai KH

J Hyg (Lond), 1980 Oct;85(2):205-10.
PMID: 7005325

Pharyngeal micro-organisms of 131 Australian and Malaysian children and adults were compared by analysis of aerobic culture of throat swab specimens. Enteric Gram-negative bacilli were commonly isolated in small numbers from Malaysian adults whether they had sore throats (28%) or not (36%), but were detected in only 9% of Australian adults without sore throats and in only 12% and 4% of Malaysian children with and without sore throats respectively. In other respects microbiological findings were similar in the different groups of subjects studied. It is concluded that the pharyngeal carriage rate of enteric Gram-negative bacilli may differ substantially between different groups of normal individuals. Our findings also suggest that these micro-organisms do not have a pathogenic role in pharyngitis.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Fulltext Molecular characterization of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli isolates from tropical environments in Southeast Asia

Hara H, Yusaimi YA, Zulkeflle SNM, Sugiura N, Iwamoto K, Goto M, et al.

J Gen Appl Microbiol, 2019 Jan 24;64(6):284-292.
PMID: 29877296 DOI: 10.2323/jgam.2018.02.003

The emergence of antibiotic resistance among multidrug-resistant (MDR) microbes is of growing concern, and threatens public health globally. A total of 129 Escherichia coli isolates were recovered from lowland aqueous environments near hospitals and medical service centers in the vicinity of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Among the eleven antibacterial agents tested, the isolates were highly resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (83.7%) and nalidixic acid (71.3%) and moderately resistant to ampicillin and chloramphenicol (66.7%), tetracycline (65.1%), fosfomycin (57.4%), cefotaxime (57.4%), and ciprofloxacin (57.4%), while low resistance levels were found with aminoglycosides (kanamycin, 22.5%; gentamicin, 21.7%). The presence of relevant resistance determinants was evaluated, and the genotypic resistance determinants were as follows: sulfonamides (sulI, sulII, and sulIII), trimethoprim (dfrA1 and dfrA5), quinolones (qnrS), β-lactams (ampC and blaCTX-M), chloramphenicol (cmlA1 and cat2), tetracycline (tetA and tetM), fosfomycin (fosA and fosA3), and aminoglycosides (aphA1 and aacC2). Our data suggest that multidrug-resistant E. coli strains are ubiquitous in the aquatic systems of tropical countries and indicate that hospital wastewater may contribute to this phenomenon.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Indoor air pollution and asthma in hospitalized children in a tropical environment

Azizi BHO, Zulkifli HI, Kasim S

J Asthma, 1995;32(6):413-8.
PMID: 7592244 DOI: 10.3109/02770909409077752

We performed a hospital-based study to examine a hypothesis that indoor air pollution was associated with acute asthma in young children living in Kuala Lumpur City. A total of 158 children aged 1 month to 5 years hospitalized for the first time for asthma were recruited as cases. Controls were 201 children of the same age group who were hospitalized for causes other than a respiratory illness. Information was obtained from mothers using a standardized questionnaire. Univariate analysis identified two indoor pollution variables as significant factors. Sharing a bedroom with an adult smoker and exposure to mosquito coil smoke at least three nights in a week were both associated with increased risk for asthma. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that sharing a bedroom with an adult smoker (OR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.13, 3.21) and exposure to mosquito coil smoke (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.02, 2.93) were independent risk factors. Other factors independently associated with acute asthma were previous history of allergy, history of asthma in first-degree relatives, low birth weight, and the presence of a coughing sibling. There was no association between asthma and exposure to kerosene stove, wood stove, aerosol mosquito repellent, type of housing, or crowding. We conclude that indoor air pollution is an avoidable factor in the increasing morbidity due to asthma in children in a tropical environment.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate*
Experimental evidence for the effects of dung beetle functional group richness and composition on ecosystem function in a tropical forest

Slade EM, Mann DJ, Villanueva JF, Lewis OT

J Anim Ecol, 2007 Nov;76(6):1094-104.
PMID: 17922706

Much of the literature on the relationship between species richness or functional group richness and measures of ecosystem function focuses on a restricted set of ecosystem function measures and taxonomic groups. Few such studies have been carried out under realistic levels of diversity in the field, particularly in high diversity ecosystems such as tropical forests. We used exclusion experiments to study the effects of dung beetle functional group richness and composition on two interlinked and functionally important ecological processes, dung removal and secondary seed dispersal, in evergreen tropical forest in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Overall, both dung and seed removal increased with dung beetle functional group richness. However, levels of ecosystem functioning were idiosyncratic depending on the identity of the functional groups present, indicating an important role for functional group composition. There was no evidence for interference or competition among functional groups. We found strong evidence for overyielding and transgressive overyielding, suggesting complementarity or facilitation among functional groups. Not all mixtures showed transgressive overyielding, so that complementarity was restricted to particular functional group combinations. Beetles in a single functional group (large nocturnal tunnellers) had a disproportionate influence on measures of ecosystem function: in their absence dung removal is reduced by approximately 75%. However, a full complement of functional groups is required to maximize ecosystem functioning. This study highlights the importance of both functional group identity and species composition in determining the ecosystem consequences of extinctions or altered patterns in the relative abundance of species.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Impacts of selective logging on the oxidative status of tropical understorey birds

Messina S, Edwards DP, AbdElgawad H, Beemster GTS, Tomassi S, Benedick S, et al.

J Anim Ecol, 2020 10;89(10):2222-2234.
PMID: 32535926 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13280

Selective logging is the dominant form of human disturbance in tropical forests, driving changes in the abundance of vertebrate and invertebrate populations relative to undisturbed old-growth forests. A key unresolved question is understanding which physiological mechanisms underlie different responses of species and functional groups to selective logging. Regulation of oxidative status is thought to be one major physiological mechanism underlying the capability of species to cope with environmental changes. Using a correlational cross-sectional approach, we compared a number of oxidative status markers among 15 understorey bird species in unlogged and selectively logged forest in Borneo in relation to their feeding guild. We then tested how variation of markers between forest types was associated with that in population abundance. Birds living in logged forests had a higher activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase and a different regulation of the glutathione cycle compared to conspecific birds in unlogged forest. However, neither oxidative damage nor oxidized glutathione differed between forest types. We also found that omnivores and insectivores differed significantly in all markers related to the key cellular antioxidant glutathione irrespective of the forest type. Species with higher levels of certain antioxidant markers in a given type of forest were less abundant in that forest type compared to the other. Our results suggest that there was little long-term effect of logging (last logging rotation occurred ~15 years prior to the study) on the oxidative status of understorey bird species. However, it is unclear if this was owing to plasticity or evolutionary change. Our correlative results also point to a potential negative association between some antioxidants and population abundance irrespective of the forest type.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Energy expenditure of soldiers in a warm humid climate

Haisman MF

Br J Nutr, 1972 Mar;27(2):375-81.
PMID: 5015257
Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate*
Tropical pyomyositis

Owen-Smith MS

Aust N Z J Surg, 1975 Feb;45(1):57-60.
PMID: 1057403

Six cases of tropical pyomyositis occurring in Australian, New Zealand and British soldiers in Malaysia and Singapore are described.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Demographic properties shape tree size distribution in a Malaysian rain forest

Kohyama TS, Potts MD, Kohyama TI, Kassim AR, Ashton PS

Am Nat, 2015 Mar;185(3):367-79.
PMID: 25674691 DOI: 10.1086/679664

Different mechanisms have been proposed to explain how vertical and horizontal heterogeneity in light conditions enhances tree species coexistence in forest ecosystems. The foliage partitioning theory proposes that differentiation in vertical foliage distribution, caused by an interspecific variation in mortality-to-growth ratio, promotes stable coexistence. In contrast, successional niche theory posits that horizontal light heterogeneity, caused by gap dynamics, enhances species coexistence through an interspecific trade-off between growth rate and survival. To distinguish between these theories of species coexistence, we analyzed tree inventory data for 370 species from the 50-ha plot in Pasoh Forest Reserve, Malaysia. We used community-wide Bayesian models to quantify size-dependent growth rate and mortality of every species. We compared the observed size distributions and the projected distributions from size-dependent demographic rates. We found that the observed size distributions were not simply correlated with the rate of population increase but were related to demographic properties such as size growth rate and mortality. Species with low relative abundance of juveniles in size distribution showed high growth rate and low mortality at small tree sizes and low per-capita recruitment rate. Overall, our findings were in accordance with those predicted by foliage partitioning theory.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate*
Diversity partitioning confirms the importance of beta components in tropical rainforest Lepidoptera

Beck J, Holloway JD, Khen CV, Kitching IJ

Am Nat, 2012 Sep;180(3):E64-74.
PMID: 22854086 DOI: 10.1086/666982

Tropical beta diversity, and particularly that of herbivorous insects in rainforests, is often considered to be enormous, but this notion has recently been challenged. Because tropical beta diversity is highly relevant to our view on biodiversity, it is important to gain more insights and to resolve methodological problems that may lead to contradictions in different studies. We used data on two ecologically distinct moth families from Southeast Asia and analyzed separately the contribution of beta components to overall species richness at three spatial scales. Observed diversity partitions were compared under different types of null models. We found that alpha diversity was lower than expected on the basis of null models, whereas hierarchical beta components were larger than expected. Beta components played a significant role in shaping gamma diversity, and their contribution can be high (multiplicative beta >5). We found a reduction in beta components when comparing primary forests to agricultural sites (cf. "biotic homogenization"), but even in these habitats, beta components were still substantial. Our analyses show that beta components do play an important role in our data on tropical herbivorous insects and that these results are not attributable to lumping different habitats when sampling environmental gradients.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
The nutrition of Malaysian aboriginal children

Robson P, Bolton JM, Dugdale AE

Am J Clin Nutr, 1973 Jan;26(1):95-100.
PMID: 4682820
Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
Food taboos among the Orang Asli in West Malaysia: a potential nutritional hazard

Bolton JM

Am J Clin Nutr, 1972 Aug;25(8):789-99.
PMID: 5046724
Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate
An improved SPE-LC-MS/MS method for multiclass endocrine disrupting compound determination in tropical estuarine sediments

Omar TFT, Aris AZ, Yusoff FM, Mustafa S

Talanta, 2017 Oct 01;173:51-59.
PMID: 28602191 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2017.05.064

Estuary sediments are one of the important components of coastal ecosystems and have been regarded as a sink for various types of organic pollutants. Organic pollutants such as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) which have been associated with various environmental and human health effects were detected in the estuary sediment at trace level. Considering various interferences that may exist in the estuarine sediment, a sensitive and selective method, capable of detecting multiclass EDC pollutants at the trace levels, needs to be developed and optimized to be applied for environmental analysis. A combination of Soxhlet extraction followed by offline solid phase extraction (SPE) cleaned up with detection based on LC triple quadrupole MS was optimized and validated in this study. The targeted compounds consisted of ten multiclass EDCs, namely, diclofenac, primidone, bisphenol A, estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), 4-octylphenol (4-OP), 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), progesterone, and testosterone. The method showed high extraction efficiency with percentage of recovery from 78% to 108% and excellent sensitivity with detection limit between 0.02ngg-1 and 0.81ngg-1. Excellent linearity from 0.991 to 0.999 was achieved for the developed compounds and the relative standard deviation was less than 18%, an indication of good precision analysis. Evaluation of the matrix effects showed ionization suppression for all the developed compounds. Verification of the method was carried out by analyzing the estuarine sediment collected from Langat River. The analyzed estuarine sediments showed a trace concentration of diclofenac, bisphenol A, progesterone, testosterone, primidone, and E1. However, E2, EE2, 4-OP, and 4-NP were below the method's detection limit. Diclofenac exhibited the highest concentration at 2.67ngg-1 followed by bisphenol A (1.78ngg-1) while E1 showed the lowest concentration at 0.07ngg-1.

Matched MeSH terms: Tropical Climate*

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