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  1. Fulltext Fogging to combat dengue: factors influencing stakeholders' attitudes in Malaysia
    Arham AF, Amin L, Mustapa MAC, Mahadi Z, Yaacob M, Wasli MMP, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2023 Jun 14;23(1):1140.
    PMID: 37312081 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16054-3
    BACKGROUND: Fogging is a conventional technique used to combat Aedes mosquitoes and prevent dengue disease. It is often implemented in outbreak areas or areas harbouring a high density of Aedes mosquitoes. Currently, studies on stakeholders' attitudes towards fogging are still limited in number. Therefore, this study aims to assess Malaysian attitudes, and identify the predicting factors influencing such attitudes.

    METHODS: A validated instrument was used to interview 399 randomly selected respondents from the public (n = 202, 50.6%) and scientists (n = 197, 49.4%) in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. The data were analysed using PLS-SEM involving Smart-PLS software.

    RESULTS: The results confirmed that stakeholder attitudes toward fogging should be viewed in terms of a multi-dimensional association. The stakeholders surveyed were highly positive with regard to the application of fogging to control dengue but professed moderate concerns as to associated risks. The PLS-SEM analyses demonstrated that the perceived benefit was the most important factor influencing attitudes, followed by trust in key players.

    CONCLUSIONS: This result provides a good insight from the perspective of education and unravels the underlying fundamentals of stakeholders' attitudes toward the fogging technique. The findings also provide a positive indicator to the responsible parties involved to continue the usage of this technique in conjunction with improvements with regard to its safety aspects, and possibly in combination with other environmental-friendly alternatives in order to achieve a healthy environment without dengue in Malaysia.

    Matched MeSH terms: Communicable Disease Control/methods
  2. Fulltext Application of the double bounded dichotomous choice model to the estimation of parent's willingness to pay for the hand foot mouth disease vaccination: A survey in Selangor, Malaysia
    Rajamoorthy Y, Taib NM, Harapan H, Wagner AL, Munusamy S
    PLoS One, 2023;18(6):e0286924.
    PMID: 37307254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286924
    Hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a notifiable viral disease in Malaysia, and is transmitted primarily among young children. Although vaccines for enteroviruses 71 (EV-71) were approved in China against HFMD, the availability and the acceptance of the vaccine in the Malaysia are unknown. This study investigated and ascertained the determinants of willingness-to-pay (WTP) for HFMD vaccination in Selangor Malaysia. This study adopted a cross-sectional, contingent valuation method involving 390 parents of young children aged six and below. The double bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) approach was employed to assess the WTP for HFMD vaccine among respondents. A bivariate probit model was used to assess the key determinants of WTP for HFMD vaccine, while the mean WTP was measured using the Krinsky and Robb procedure. We found that 279 (71.5%) of parents were willing to pay for the HFMD vaccination. The estimated single bounded mean WTP was MYR460.23 (equivalent to US$ 102.17) for two doses of HFMD vaccination. The double bounded analysis revealed that the vaccine's price, poor education background and lower income were the key factors that significantly affected the WTP, with the estimated mean WTP being MYR394.00 (US$ 87.47). In conclusion, most Malaysian parents are willing to pay for the HFMD vaccination. The estimated WTP identifies the optimal price point for HFMD vaccination in Malaysia. Furthermore, the government should focus on an awareness programme for the HFMD vaccination among parents who have lower income or education level.
    Matched MeSH terms: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease*
  3. Fulltext Epidemiology of dengue reported in the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region, 2013-2019
    Togami E, Chiew M, Lowbridge C, Biaukula V, Bell L, Yajima A, et al.
    Western Pac Surveill Response J, 2023;14(1):1-16.
    PMID: 37064541 DOI: 10.5365/wpsar.2023.14.1.973
    The global burden of dengue, an emerging and re-emerging mosquito-borne disease, increased during the 20-year period ending in 2019, with approximately 70% of cases estimated to have been in Asia. This report describes the epidemiology of dengue in the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region during 2013-2019 using regional surveillance data reported from indicator-based surveillance systems from countries and areas in the Region, supplemented by publicly available dengue outbreak situation reports. The total reported annual number of dengue cases in the Region increased from 430 023 in 2013 to 1 050 285 in 2019, surpassing 1 million cases for the first time in 2019. The reported case-fatality ratio ranged from 0.19% (724/376 972 in 2014 and 2030/1 050 285 in 2019) to 0.30% (1380/458 843 in 2016). The introduction or reintroduction of serotypes to specific areas caused several outbreaks and rare occurrences of local transmission in places where dengue was not previously reported. This report reinforces the increased importance of dengue surveillance systems in monitoring dengue across the Region.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
  4. Vitamin D, Calbindin, and calcium signaling: Unraveling the Alzheimer's connection
    Acharya M, Singh N, Gupta G, Tambuwala MM, Aljabali AAA, Chellappan DK, et al.
    Cell Signal, 2024 Apr;116:111043.
    PMID: 38211841 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111043
    Calcium is a ubiquitous second messenger that is indispensable in regulating neurotransmission and memory formation. A precise intracellular calcium level is achieved through the concerted action of calcium channels, and calcium exerts its effect by binding to an array of calcium-binding proteins, including calmodulin (CAM), calcium-calmodulin complex-dependent protein kinase-II (CAMK-II), calbindin (CAL), and calcineurin (CAN). Calbindin orchestrates a plethora of signaling events that regulate synaptic transmission and depolarizing signals. Vitamin D, an endogenous fat-soluble metabolite, is synthesized in the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet B radiation. It modulates calcium signaling by increasing the expression of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), stimulating phospholipase C activity, and regulating the expression of calcium channels such as TRPV6. Vitamin D also modulates the activity of calcium-binding proteins, including CAM and calbindin, and increases their expression. Calbindin, a high-affinity calcium-binding protein, is involved in calcium buffering and transport in neurons. It has been shown to inhibit apoptosis and caspase-3 activity stimulated by presenilin 1 and 2 in AD. Whereas CAM, another calcium-binding protein, is implicated in regulating neurotransmitter release and memory formation by phosphorylating CAN, CAMK-II, and other calcium-regulated proteins. CAMK-II and CAN regulate actin-induced spine shape changes, which are further modulated by CAM. Low levels of both calbindin and vitamin D are attributed to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Further research on vitamin D via calbindin-CAMK-II signaling may provide newer insights, revealing novel therapeutic targets and strategies for treatment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease*
  5. Maternal and neonatal group B streptococcus colonisation: A systematic review and the meta-analysis of matched-pair studies
    Lee KW, Yap SF, Murdan S, Zainudin Z, Abdul Hamid H, Emamjomeh M, et al.
    Acta Paediatr, 2024 May;113(5):892-911.
    PMID: 38351491 DOI: 10.1111/apa.17152
    AIM: To determine the prevalence of group B Streptococcus (GBS) carriage among parturient women and neonates, and the relative risk of vertical transmission, the relative risk of early and late-onset GBS and the pooled incidence of early-late-onset GBS infection.

    METHODS: A systematic search of relevant cohort studies from three electronic databases to identify all relevant studies published up to 7 November 2022. The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses.

    RESULTS: A total of 54 articles with 355 787 matched pairs of parturient women and neonates from 30 countries were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of GBS colonisation was 17.1% among the pregnant women and 1.0% among neonates. The pooled prevalence of vertical transmission of GBS was 4.5% and the pooled relative risk of GBS colonisation of neonates born to mothers with GBS was 9.9.

    CONCLUSION: We support the implementation of targeted intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis for all women who are positive for GBS as well as women with risks factors for early onset GBS in their infants regardless of their GBS colonisation status.

    Matched MeSH terms: Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical*
  6. Molecular progress on the mapping and cloning of functional genes for blast disease in rice (Oryza sativa L.): current status and future considerations
    Ashkani S, Rafii MY, Shabanimofrad M, Ghasemzadeh A, Ravanfar SA, Latif MA
    Crit Rev Biotechnol, 2016;36(2):353-67.
    PMID: 25394538 DOI: 10.3109/07388551.2014.961403
    Rice blast disease, which is caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae, is a recurring problem in all rice-growing regions of the world. The use of resistance (R) genes in rice improvement breeding programmes has been considered to be one of the best options for crop protection and blast management. Alternatively, quantitative resistance conferred by quantitative trait loci (QTLs) is also a valuable resource for the improvement of rice disease resistance. In the past, intensive efforts have been made to identify major R-genes as well as QTLs for blast disease using molecular techniques. A review of bibliographic references shows over 100 blast resistance genes and a larger number of QTLs (∼500) that were mapped to the rice genome. Of the blast resistance genes, identified in different genotypes of rice, ∼22 have been cloned and characterized at the molecular level. In this review, we have summarized the reported rice blast resistance genes and QTLs for utilization in future molecular breeding programmes to introgress high-degree resistance or to pyramid R-genes in commercial cultivars that are susceptible to M. oryzae. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the significant studies in order to update our understanding of the molecular progress on rice and M. oryzae. This information will assist rice breeders to improve the resistance to rice blast using marker-assisted selection which continues to be a priority for rice-breeding programmes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Resistance/genetics*
  7. Fulltext Brain injury in canine models of cardiac surgery
    Blue ME, Wilson MA, Beaty CA, George TJ, Arnaoutakis GJ, Haggerty KA, et al.
    J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol., 2014 Dec;73(12):1134-43.
    PMID: 25383634 DOI: 10.1097/NEN.0000000000000134
    Neuropathology and neurologic impairment were characterized in a clinically relevant canine model of hypothermic (18°C) circulatory arrest (HCA) and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Adult dogs underwent 2 hours of HCA (n = 39), 1 hour of HCA (n = 20), or standard CPB (n = 22) and survived 2, 8, 24, or 72 hours. Neurologic impairment and neuropathology were much more severe after 2-hour HCA than after 1-hour HCA or CPB; histopathology and neurologic deficit scores were significantly correlated. Apoptosis developed as early as 2 hours after injury and was most severe in the granule cells of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Necrosis evolved more slowly and was most severe in amygdala and pyramidal neurons in the cornu ammonis hippocampus. Neuronal injury was minimal up to 24 hours after 1-hour HCA, but 1 dog that survived to 72 hours showed substantial necrosis in the hippocampus, suggesting that, with longer survival time, the injury was worse. Although neuronal injury was minimal after CPB, we observed rare apoptotic and necrotic neurons in hippocampi and caudate nuclei. These results have important implications for CPB in humans and may help explain the subtle cognitive changes experienced by patients after CPB.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Models, Animal*
  8. Dentist-nephrologist symbiosis in the dental management of chronic kidney disease patient
    Chidambaram R
    J Coll Physicians Surg Pak, 2014 Dec;24(12):955.
    PMID: 25523738 DOI: 12.2014/JCPSP.955955
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Management*
  9. Differentiating multiple-system atrophy from Parkinson's disease
    Ramli N, Nair SR, Ramli NM, Lim SY
    Clin Radiol, 2015 May;70(5):555-64.
    PMID: 25752581 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2015.01.005
    The purpose of this review is to illustrate the differentiating features of multiple-system atrophy from Parkinson's disease at MRI. The various MRI sequences helpful in the differentiation will be discussed, including newer methods, such as diffusion tensor imaging, MR spectroscopy, and nuclear imaging.
    Matched MeSH terms: Parkinson Disease/diagnosis*
  10. Fulltext Genome-wide association analysis of more than 120,000 individuals identifies 15 new susceptibility loci for breast cancer
    Michailidou K, Beesley J, Lindstrom S, Canisius S, Dennis J, Lush MJ, et al.
    Nat Genet, 2015 Apr;47(4):373-80.
    PMID: 25751625 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3242
    Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and large-scale replication studies have identified common variants in 79 loci associated with breast cancer, explaining ∼14% of the familial risk of the disease. To identify new susceptibility loci, we performed a meta-analysis of 11 GWAS, comprising 15,748 breast cancer cases and 18,084 controls together with 46,785 cases and 42,892 controls from 41 studies genotyped on a 211,155-marker custom array (iCOGS). Analyses were restricted to women of European ancestry. We generated genotypes for more than 11 million SNPs by imputation using the 1000 Genomes Project reference panel, and we identified 15 new loci associated with breast cancer at P < 5 × 10(-8). Combining association analysis with ChIP-seq chromatin binding data in mammary cell lines and ChIA-PET chromatin interaction data from ENCODE, we identified likely target genes in two regions: SETBP1 at 18q12.3 and RNF115 and PDZK1 at 1q21.1. One association appears to be driven by an amino acid substitution encoded in EXO1.
    Matched MeSH terms: Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  11. Coffee consumption and coronary artery calcium in young and middle-aged asymptomatic adults
    Choi Y, Chang Y, Ryu S, Cho J, Rampal S, Zhang Y, et al.
    Heart, 2015 May;101(9):686-91.
    PMID: 25732752 DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2014-306663
    To investigate the association between regular coffee consumption and the prevalence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) in a large sample of young and middle-aged asymptomatic men and women.
    Matched MeSH terms: Coronary Artery Disease/epidemiology*
  12. Fulltext Distribution of mosquito larvae in various breeding sites in National Zoo Malaysia
    Muhammad-Aidil R, Imelda A, Jeffery J, Ngui R, Wan Yusoff WS, Aziz S, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2015 Mar;32(1):183-6.
    PMID: 25801269 MyJurnal
    Mosquitoes are principal vectors of major vector-borne diseases. They are widely found throughout urban and rural areas in Malaysia. They are responsible for various vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, filariasis and encephalitis. A total of 158 mosquito larvae specimens were collected from the National Zoo, Malaysia, from 11 types of breeding habitats during the study period from end of May 2007 to July 2007. Aedes albopictus was the predominant species (35.4%), followed by Tripteroides aranoides (26.6%), Lutzia halifaxii (11.4%), Aedes alboscutellatus (10.1%), Aedes caecus (8.9%), Armigeres spp. (4.4%), Malaya genurostris (2.5%) and Culex vishnui (0.6%). It is important to have a mosquito free environment in a public place like the zoo. Routine larval surveillance should be implemented for an effective mosquito control program in order to reduce mosquito population.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Vectors/classification
  13. Genetic analyses of resistance against Leptopilina victoriae in Drosophila bipectinata
    Takigahira T, Kohyama TI, Suwito A, Kimura MT
    Genetica, 2015 Jun;143(3):279-85.
    PMID: 25663497 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-015-9824-7
    Drosophila bipectinata from Iriomote-jima (IR) is susceptible to the endoparasitoid Leptopilina victoriae from Kota Kinabalu (L. victoriae KK), but D. bipectinata from Kota Kinabalu (KK) and Bogor (BG) is resistant. The cross experiments between the resistant (KK) and susceptible (IR) populations of D. bipectinata suggested that the resistance to this parasitoid is a dominant trait and controlled by a single locus or few linked loci on an autosome. In the AFLP analysis using the IR, KK and BG populations of D. bipectinata and the resistant and susceptible populations derived from a mixed population of these three geographic populations, a DNA fragment almost specific to susceptible flies was detected. It also revealed that genes from the IR population were more frequently maintained in the mixed population compared with those from the KK and BG populations, suggesting that at least a number of genes from the IR population are more advantageous under the laboratory conditions. This explains our previous results that the resistance was lowered in the mixed population although the resistance itself is suggested to incur only low costs; i.e., the resistance gene(s) from the KK and BG populations would have been linked with some genes that are disadvantageous under the laboratory conditions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Resistance/genetics*
  14. Fulltext 2013 dengue outbreaks in Singapore and Malaysia caused by different viral strains
    Ng LC, Chem YK, Koo C, Mudin RNB, Amin FM, Lee KS, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2015 Jun;92(6):1150-1155.
    PMID: 25846296 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0588
    Characterization of 14,079 circulating dengue viruses in a cross-border surveillance program, UNITEDengue, revealed that the 2013 outbreaks in Singapore and Malaysia were associated with replacement of predominant serotype. While the predominant virus in Singapore switched from DENV2 to DENV1, DENV2 became predominant in neighboring Malaysia. Dominance of DENV2 was most evident on the southern states where higher fatality rates were observed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
  15. Progress in public health in the Year of the Goat
    Binns C, Low WY
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Mar;27(2):121-2.
    PMID: 25834268 DOI: 10.1177/1010539515576167
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control
  16. Dietary fiber and risk of inflammatory bowel disease: fact or hype?
    Lee YY, Yu S, Khurana S, Rao SS
    Gastroenterology, 2014 Apr;146(4):1133-4.
    PMID: 24576735 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2013.12.043
    Matched MeSH terms: Crohn Disease/epidemiology*
  17. Fulltext Infectious diseases and their outbreaks in Asia-Pacific: biodiversity and its regulation loss matter
    Morand S, Jittapalapong S, Suputtamongkol Y, Abdullah MT, Huan TB
    PLoS One, 2014;9(2):e90032.
    PMID: 24587201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090032
    Despite increasing control measures, numerous parasitic and infectious diseases are emerging, re-emerging or causing recurrent outbreaks particularly in Asia and the Pacific region, a hot spot of both infectious disease emergence and biodiversity at risk. We investigate how biodiversity affects the distribution of infectious diseases and their outbreaks in this region, taking into account socio-economics (population size, GDP, public health expenditure), geography (latitude and nation size), climate (precipitation, temperature) and biodiversity (bird and mammal species richness, forest cover, mammal and bird species at threat). We show, among countries, that the overall richness of infectious diseases is positively correlated with the richness of birds and mammals, but the number of zoonotic disease outbreaks is positively correlated with the number of threatened mammal and bird species and the number of vector-borne disease outbreaks is negatively correlated with forest cover. These results suggest that, among countries, biodiversity is a source of pathogens, but also that the loss of biodiversity or its regulation, as measured by forest cover or threatened species, seems to be associated with an increase in zoonotic and vector-borne disease outbreaks.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
  18. Fulltext New to Galleria mellonella: modeling an ExPEC infection
    Nathan S
    Virulence, 2014 Apr 1;5(3):371-4.
    PMID: 24569500 DOI: 10.4161/viru.28338
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Models, Animal*
  19. Treatment stability of Milwaukee brace in idiopathic hyperkyphosis
    Mehdikhani M, Behtash H, Ganjavian MS, Abu Osman NA, Khalaj N
    Prosthet Orthot Int, 2014 Aug;38(4):316-20.
    PMID: 23950552 DOI: 10.1177/0309364613499063
    The Milwaukee brace is an efficient method for correcting hyperkyphosis before skeletal maturity. However, loss of correction in long-term follow-up is inevitable.
    Matched MeSH terms: Scheuermann Disease/therapy
  20. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: pathogenesis model using Caenorhabditis elegans
    Thomas R, Hamat RA, Neela V
    J Med Microbiol, 2013 Nov;62(Pt 11):1777-1779.
    PMID: 23988629 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.063230-0
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Models, Animal*
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