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Polypeptides associated with in vitro cyst formation of Blastocystis hominis

Init I, Mak JW, Top S, Zulhainan Z, Prummongkol S, Nissapatorn V, et al.

Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2003 Dec;34(4):727-32.
PMID: 15115079

The objective of this study was to characterize the polypeptides associated with cysts of Blastocystis hominis. This form is believed to be infective and plays a role in parasite resistance to anti-B. hominis drugs currently used for treatment of Blastocystis associated diarrhea. Cysts were induced through in vitro culture of the parasite in complete medium supplemented with bacterial extract with trypticase, metronidazole or doxycycline. SDS-PAGE analysis showed almost similar polypeptide patterns of parasite extracts obtained from in vitro cultured parasites before and after exposure with the three supplements. Polypeptide bands at 76, 58.5, 48, 45, 40, 38, 32, 25 and 22 kDa were constantly seen in all antigenic preparations and no specific cyst-associated polypeptide was present. However, on immunoblot analysis, 3 out of 16 blastocystosis human sera identified a cyst-associated polypeptide at 60 kDa in all parasite extracts prepared from cultures with the three supplements. In addition, there were associated morphological changes detected in these parasites stained with acridine orange and observed under fluorescence microscopy. Metronidazole induced cyst forms (reddish cells) as early as 12 hours post-exposure; more cyst production (with stronger immunoblot bands) occurred after 24 hours exposure. However, cysts rupture with release and destruction of B. hominis daughters cells occurred after 48 hours exposure. Doxycycline induced less cyst-like forms at 24 hours (weaker 60 kDa band) and less destruction of the cysts (60 kDa band still present at 72 hours post exposure). Bacterial extract and trypticase also induced cysts at 12 hours with increasing numbers up to 72 hours exposure (corresponding increase in intensity of 60 kDa band from samples harvested at 12 to 72 hours post exposure) without any sign of deleterious effect on the parasite.
Physico-chemical removal of iron from semi-aerobic landfill leachate by limestone filter

Aziz HA, Yusoff MS, Adlan MN, Adnan NH, Alias S

Waste Manag, 2004;24(4):353-8.
PMID: 15081062

Limestone has been proven effective in removing metals from water and wastewater. A literature review indicated that limestone is capable of removing heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Fe and Mn are through a batch process or by filtration technique. The removal capability is reported at up to 90%. However, to date most of the studies have been focused on synthetic wastewater. The present study attempts to investigate the suitability of limestone to attenuate total iron (Fe) from semi aerobic leachate at Pulau Burung Landfill Site in Penang, Malaysia. Iron was found in significant quantities at the landfill site. The study also aims to establish the Fe isotherm and breakthrough time of the proposed limestone filter for post-treatment to the migrating landfill leachate before its release to the environment. The Fe isotherms were established using a batch equilibrium test, while the breakthrough characteristics were determined using continuous flow permeating through a limestone column. The latter was used in order to simulate the continuous flow of leachate that would occur in the proposed limestone filter. The limestone media used in the experiment contain more than 90% CaCO3 with particle sizes ranging from 2 to 4 mm. Four filter columns (each 150 mm in diameter and 1000 mm depth) were installed at the landfill site. Metal loadings were kept below 0.5 kg /m3 day and the experiment was run continuously for 30 days. Initial results indicated that 90% of Fe can be removed from the leachate based on retention time of 57.8 min and surface loading of 12.2 m3/m2 day. For the batch study on the Fe isotherm, the results indicated that limestone is potentially useful as an alternative leachate treatment system at a relatively low cost.
Solubility, immunogenicity and physical properties of the nucleocapsid protein of Nipah virus produced in Escherichia coli

Tan WS, Ong ST, Eshaghi M, Foo SS, Yusoff K

J Med Virol, 2004 May;73(1):105-12.
PMID: 15042656

The nucleocapsid (N) protein of Nipah virus (NiV) can be produced in three Escherichia coli strains [TOP10, BL21(DE3) and SG935] under the control of trc promoter. However, most of the product existed in the form of insoluble inclusion bodies. There was no improvement in the solubility of the product when this protein was placed under the control of T7 promoter. However, the solubility of the N protein was significantly improved by lowering the growth temperature of E. coli BL21(DE3) cell cultures. Solubility analysis of N- and C-terminally deleted mutants revealed that the full-length N protein has the highest solubility. The soluble N protein could be purified efficiently by sucrose gradient centrifugation and nickel affinity chromatography. Electron microscopic analysis of the purified product revealed that the N protein assembled into herringbone-like particles of different lengths. The C-terminal end of the N protein contains the major antigenic region when probed with antisera from humans and pigs infected naturally.
Overexpression of phospho-Akt correlates with phosphorylation of EGF receptor, FKHR and BAD in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Yip WK, Leong VC, Abdullah MA, Yusoff S, Seow HF

Oncol Rep, 2008 Feb;19(2):319-28.
PMID: 18202777

The Akt pathway is one of the most common molecular alterations in various human malignancies. However, its involvement in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumorigenesis has not been well established. In this study, the status of Akt activation and expression of its upstream and downstream molecules was investigated in 64 NPC and 38 non-malignant nasopharyngeal tissues by immunohistochemistry. The hotspot mutations of PIK3CA, encoding the p110alpha catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), were also determined in 25 of these NPC tissues. No hotspot mutations were found in any of the samples tested. Akt was activated in 27 (42.2%) and 23 (35.9%) NPCs, as indicated by p-Akt (Thr308) and p-Akt (Ser473) immunoreactivity, respectively. PTEN loss did not correlate statistically with activated Akt. However, a positive correlation was observed between activated Akt and phospho-epidermal growth factor receptor (p-EGFR), suggesting that the EGFR signaling might be one of the upstream regulators of the Akt pathway. The phosphorylation of forkhead (FKHR) and Bcl-2 associated death domain (BAD), but not mammalian target of rapamycin and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, was significantly correlated with Akt activation. This implies that Akt promotes cell proliferation (as estimated by Ki-67) and survival, at least, through the inactivation of FKHR and BAD in NPC. Our data revealed that the EGFR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is important in NPC pathogenesis and that PIK3CA hotspot mutations are rare in NPC.
Disruption of MAPK1 expression in the ERK signalling pathway and the RUNX1‑RUNX1T1 fusion gene attenuate the differentiation and proliferation and induces the growth arrest in t(8;21) leukaemia cells

Bashanfer SAA, Saleem M, Heidenreich O, Moses EJ, Yusoff NM

Oncol Rep, 2019 Mar;41(3):2027-2040.
PMID: 30569130 DOI: 10.3892/or.2018.6926

The t(8;21) translocation is one of the most frequent chromosome abnormalities associated with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). This abberation deregulates numerous molecular pathways including the ERK signalling pathway among others. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the gene expression patterns following siRNA‑mediated suppression of RUNX1‑RUNX1T1 and MAPK1 in Kasumi‑1 and SKNO‑1 cells and to determine the differentially expressed genes in enriched biological pathways. BeadChip microarray and gene ontology analysis revealed that RUNX1‑RUNX1T1 and MAPK1 suppression reduced the proliferation rate of the t(8;21) cells with deregulated expression of several classical positive regulator genes that are otherwise known to enhance cell proliferation. RUNX1‑RUNX1T1 suppression exerted an anti‑apoptotic effect through the overexpression of BCL2, BIRC3 and CFLAR genes, while MAPK1 suppression induced apopotosis in t(8;21) cells by the apoptotic mitochondrial changes stimulated by the activity of upregulated TP53 and TNFSF10, and downregulated JUN gene. RUNX1‑RUNX1T1 suppression supported myeloid differentiation by the differential expression of CEBPA, CEBPE, ID2, JMJD6, IKZF1, CBFB, KIT and CDK6, while MAPK1 depletion inhibited the differentiation of t(8;21) cells by elevated expression of ADA and downregulation of JUN. RUNX1‑RUNX1T1 and MAPK1 depletion induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Accumulation of cells in the G1 phase was largely the result of downregulated expression of TBRG4, CCNE2, FOXO4, CDK6, ING4, IL8, MAD2L1 and CCNG2 in the case of RUNX1‑RUNX1T1 depletion and increased expression of RASSF1, FBXO6, DADD45A and P53 in the case of MAPK1 depletion. Taken together, the current results demonstrate that MAPK1 promotes myeloid cell proliferation and differentiation simultaneously by cell cycle progression while suppresing apoptosis.
Comparison of Different Protein Extraction Methods for Gel-Based Proteomic Analysis of Ganoderma spp

Al-Obaidi JR, Saidi NB, Usuldin SR, Hussin SN, Yusoff NM, Idris AS

Protein J, 2016 Apr;35(2):100-6.
PMID: 27016942 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-016-9656-z

Ganoderma species are a group of fungi that have the ability to degrade lignin polymers and cause severe diseases such as stem and root rot and can infect economically important plants and perennial crops such as oil palm, especially in tropical countries such as Malaysia. Unfortunately, very little is known about the complex interplay between oil palm and Ganoderma in the pathogenesis of the diseases. Proteomic technologies are simple yet powerful tools in comparing protein profile and have been widely used to study plant-fungus interaction. A critical step to perform a good proteome research is to establish a method that gives the best quality and a wide coverage of total proteins. Despite the availability of various protein extraction protocols from pathogenic fungi in the literature, no single extraction method was found suitable for all types of pathogenic fungi. To develop an optimized protein extraction protocol for 2-DE gel analysis of Ganoderma spp., three previously reported protein extraction protocols were compared: trichloroacetic acid, sucrose and phenol/ammonium acetate in methanol. The third method was found to give the most reproducible gels and highest protein concentration. Using the later method, a total of 10 protein spots (5 from each species) were successfully identified. Hence, the results from this study propose phenol/ammonium acetate in methanol as the most effective protein extraction method for 2-DE proteomic studies of Ganoderma spp.
Fulltext Effective refolding of a cysteine rich glycoside hydrolase family 19 recombinant chitinase from Streptomyces griseus by reverse dilution and affinity chromatography

Oyeleye AO, Mohd Yusoff SF, Abd Rahim IN, Leow ATC, Saidi NB, Normi YM

PLoS One, 2020;15(10):e0241074.
PMID: 33091044 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241074

Conventional refolding methods are associated with low yields due to misfolding and high aggregation rates or very dilute proteins. In this study, we describe the optimization of the conventional methods of reverse dilution and affinity chromatography for obtaining high yields of a cysteine rich recombinant glycoside hydrolase family 19 chitinase from Streptomyces griseus HUT6037 (SgChiC). SgChiC is a potential biocontrol agent and a reference enzyme in the study and development of chitinases for various applications. The overexpression of SgChiC was previously achieved by periplasmic localization from where it was extracted by osmotic shock and then purified by hydroxyapatite column chromatography. In the present study, the successful refolding and recovery of recombinant SgChiC (r-SgChiC) from inclusion bodies (IB) by reverse dilution and column chromatography methods is respectively described. Approximately 8 mg of r-SgChiC was obtained from each method with specific activities of 28 and 52 U/mg respectively. These yields are comparable to that obtained from a 1 L culture volume of the same protein isolated from the periplasmic space of E. coli BL21 (DE3) as described in previous studies. The higher yields obtained are attributed to the successful suppression of aggregation by a stepwise reduction of denaturant from high, to intermediate, and finally to low concentrations. These methods are straight forward, requiring the use of fewer refolding agents compared with previously described refolding methods. They can be applied to the refolding of other cysteine rich proteins expressed as inclusion bodies to obtain high yields of actively folded proteins. This is the first report on the recovery of actively folded SgChiC from inclusion bodies.
Fulltext Prevalence of Red Blood Cell Alloimmunization among Transfused Chronic Kidney Disease Patients in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia

Yusoff SM, Bahar R, Hassan MN, Noor NHM, Ramli M, Shafii NF

Oman Med J, 2020 Sep;35(5):e177.
PMID: 33083035 DOI: 10.5001/omj.2020.95

Objectives: Red blood cell (RBC) immunization is a common complication in blood transfusion recipients. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) eventually develop anemia, which is multifactorial, and requires regular blood transfusions, which exposes patients to the development of RBC antibodies. We sought to determine the prevalence and specificity patterns of RBC immunization and its risk factors among transfused CKD patients.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study over one year from January to December 2018 in the Transfusion Medicine Unit, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. A total of 249 samples were recruited from CKD patients who received a blood transfusion (at least one-pint), which only match for ABO and Rh(D) antigen. The serum was screened for the presence of the RBC antibody using the gel agglutination technique (Diamed gel cards). Samples with positive antibody screening were subjected to antibody identification.
Results: Of the 249 transfused CKD patients, 31 (12.4%) developed RBC immunization. Thirty (12%) were alloimmunized, and one (0.4%) was autoimmunized. Anti-Mia was the most common antibody (n = 14, 46.7%) among alloantibodies, followed by anti-E (n = 7, 23.3%). There was a significant association between pregnancy history with the development of antibodies whereas, no significant association was found between sociodemographic background, stage of CKD, hemodialysis status, underlying medical illness, and number of packed cell transfusions with the development of RBC antibodies.
Conclusions: One-eighth of our patient cohort had RBC alloimmunization, and the risk was increased in patients with a history of pregnancy. We propose Rhesus RBC phenotyping and to supply blood match Rhesus antigen in CKD patients, especially patients of reproductive age.
Fulltext The relationship of smartphone addiction with psychological distress and neuroticism among university medical students

Lei LY, Ismail MA, Mohammad JA, Yusoff MSB

BMC Psychol, 2020 Sep 11;8(1):97.
PMID: 32917268 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-020-00466-6

BACKGROUND: Smartphone plays a vital role in higher education as it serves as a device with multiple functions. Smartphone addiction was reported on the rise among college and university students. The addiction may result in unwanted consequences on their academic performance and psychological health. One factor that consistently relates to psychological distress and smartphone addiction is the neurotic personality trait. This study explored the relationship of smartphone addiction with psychological health and neuroticism among USM medical students.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on medical students in a public medical school. DASS-21, the neuroticism-subscale of USMaP-i and SAS-SV were administered to measure psychological distress, neuroticism, and smartphone addiction of the medical students. Spearman correlation was performed to examine the correlation between smartphone addiction with psychological distress and neuroticism. Simple linear regression was performed to investigate relationship factors of smartphone addiction.
RESULTS: A total of 574 medical students participated in this study. The prevalence of smartphone addiction was 40.6%. It was higher among male (49.2%) compared to female (36.6%) medical students. The result showed a fair positive correlation between smartphone addiction and psychological health (rdepression = 0.277, p-value
Fulltext Integration of Algae to Improve Nitrogenous Waste Management in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems: A Review

Ramli NM, Verreth JAJ, Yusoff FM, Nurulhuda K, Nagao N, Verdegem MCJ

Front Bioeng Biotechnol, 2020;8:1004.
PMID: 33015002 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.01004

This review investigates the performance and the feasibility of the integration of an algal reactor in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). The number of studies related to this topic is limited, despite the apparent benefit of algae that can assimilate part of the inorganic waste in RAS. We identified two major challenges related to algal integration in RAS: first, the practical feasibility for improving nitrogen removal performance by algae in RAS; second, the economic feasibility of integrating an algal reactor in RAS. The main factors that determine high algal nitrogen removal rates are light and hydraulic retention time (HRT). Besides these factors, nitrogen-loading rates and RAS configuration could be important to ensure algal performance in nitrogen removal. Since nitrogen removal rate by algae is determined by HRT, this will affect the size (area or volume) of the algal reactor due to the time required for nutrient uptake by algae and large surface area needed to capture enough light. Constraints related to design, space, light capture, and reactor management could incur additional cost for aquaculture production. However, the increased purification of RAS wastewater could reduce the cost of water discharge in places where this is subject to levees. We believe that an improved understanding of how to manage the algal reactor and technological advancement of culturing algae, such as improved algal reactor design and low-cost artificial light, will increase the practical and economic feasibility of algal integration in RAS, thus improving the potential of mass cultivation of algae in RAS.
Fulltext Electrochemical Sodiation/Desodiation into Mn3O4 Nanoparticles

Mahamad Yusoff NF, Idris NH, Md Din MF, Majid SR, Harun NA, Rahman MM

ACS Omega, 2020 Nov 17;5(45):29158-29167.
PMID: 33225147 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c03888

Mn3O4 is considered to be a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of its low cost, high capacity, and enhanced safety. However, the inferior cyclic stability of the Mn3O4 anode is a major challenge for the development of SIBs. In this study, a one-step solvothermal method was established to produce nanostructured Mn3O4 with an average particle size of 21 nm and a crystal size of 11 nm. The Mn3O4 obtained exhibits a unique architecture, consisting of small clusters composed of numerous tiny nanoparticles. The Mn3O4 material could deliver high capacity (522 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1), reasonable cyclic stability (158 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles), and good rate capability (73 mAh g-1 at 1000 mA g-1) even without further carbon coating, which is a common exercise for most anode materials so far. The sodium insertion/extraction was also confirmed by a reversible conversion reaction by adopting an ex situ X-ray diffraction technique. This simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly synthesis technique with good electrochemical performance shows that the Mn3O4 nanoparticle anode has the potential for SIB development.
Fulltext Vanishing lung syndrome Masquerading as bilateral pneumothorax: A case report

Muhamad NI, Mohd Nawi SN, Yusoff BM, Ab Halim NA, Mohammad N, Wan Ghazali WS

Respir Med Case Rep, 2020;31:101276.
PMID: 33209576 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2020.101276

Vanishing lung syndrome (VLS) is a rare condition characterized by giant emphysematous bullae. It is frequently misdiagnosed as pneumothorax. We describe a case of a 30-year-old male who presented with shortness of breath, reduced effort tolerance, and pleuritic chest pain for three months. He was initially diagnosed with bilateral pneumothorax based on clinical examination and chest radiograph findings. However, further imaging with a high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the thorax confirmed bilateral giant emphysematous bullae. Our patient subsequently underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and bullectomy. In this report, we discuss the clinical presentations, radiological features, and the management of VLS. We also highlight the differentiating features of VLS from a pneumothorax.
Fulltext Why so stressed? A comparative study on stressors and stress between hospital and non-hospital nurses

Muhamad Robat R, Mohd Fauzi MF, Mat Saruan NA, Mohd Yusoff H, Harith AA

BMC Nurs, 2021 Jan 04;20(1):2.
PMID: 33390159 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-020-00511-0

BACKGROUND: Stress, which can be attributed to household and workplace stressors, is prevalent among nurses. However, these stressors' attribution may differ between hospital and non-hospital nurses. It is currently unknown whether there are significant differences in the sociodemographic and occupational characteristics between hospital and non-hospital nurses which may potentially influence the type and magnitude of stressors, and subsequently the stress status. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of stress and compare the roles of sociodemograhic characteristics, occupational profiles, workplace stressors and household stressors in determining the stress status between hospital and non-hospital female nurses in Malaysia.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly-selected 715 female nurses in Malaysia using pencil-and-paper self-reported questionnaires.
RESULTS: The majority of participants were ever married (87.0%), having children (76.2%), and work in hospital setting (64.8%). The level of household stressors was generally similar between hospital and non-hospital nurses. However, hospital nurses significantly perceived higher level of workplace stressors. Shift work is significantly associated with higher level of household and workplace stressors among nurses in both groups. The level of stress was significantly higher among hospital nurses. Both household and workplace stressors explained about 40% of stress status in both hospital and non-hospital nurses.
CONCLUSION: Hospital nurses are at higher risk of having stressors and stress as compared to non-hospital nurses, probably due to higher proportion of them involved in shift work. Hospital nurses should be given high priority in mitigating stress among nurses.
Fulltext Investigation on the Electrochemical Performances of Mn2O3 as a Potential Anode for Na-Ion Batteries

Yusoff NFM, Idris NH, Din MFM, Majid SR, Harun NA, Rahman MM

Sci Rep, 2020 Jun 08;10(1):9207.
PMID: 32513958 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66148-w

Currently, the development of the sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries has been accelerated to meet the energy demands of large-scale power applications. The difficulty of obtaining suitable electrode materials capable of storing large amount of Na-ion arises from the large radius of Na-ion that restricts its reversible capacity. Herein, Mn2O3 powders are synthesised through the thermal conversion of MnCO3 and reported for the first time as an anode for Na-ion batteries. The phase, morphology and charge/discharge characteristics of Mn2O3 obtained are evaluated systematically. The cubic-like Mn2O3 with particle sizes approximately 1.0-1.5 µm coupled with the formation of Mn2O3 sub-units on its surface create a positive effect on the insertion/deinsertion of Na-ion. Mn2O3 delivers a first discharge capacity of 544 mAh g-1 and retains its capacity by 85% after 200 cycles at 100 mA g-1, demonstrating the excellent cyclability of the Mn2O3 electrode. Therefore, this study provides a significant contribution towards exploring the potential of Mn2O3 as a promising anode in the development of Na-ion batteries.
Virotherapy: Current Trends and Future Prospects for Treatment of Colon and Rectal Malignancies

Lee CL, Veeramani S, Molouki A, Lim SHE, Thomas W, Chia SL, et al.

Cancer Invest, 2019;37(8):393-414.
PMID: 31502477 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2019.1660887

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies. In recent decades, early diagnosis and conventional therapies have resulted in a significant reduction in mortality. However, late stage metastatic disease still has very limited effective treatment options. There is a growing interest in using viruses to help target therapies to tumour sites. In recent years the evolution of immunotherapy has emphasised the importance of directing the immune system to eliminate tumour cells; we aim to give a state-of-the-art over-view of the diverse viruses that have been investigated as potential oncolytic agents for the treatment of CRC.
Fulltext Extraneural metastasis of meningeal haemangiopericytoma to the liver

Yusoff AR, Mokhtar S, Raman K, Singh H, Shabery NAM

Turk J Gastroenterol, 2019 09;30(9):848-850.
PMID: 31530530 DOI: 10.5152/tjg.2019.18454
Fulltext Subcritical Water-Carbon Dioxide Pretreatment of Oil Palm Mesocarp Fiber for Xylooligosaccharide and Glucose Production

Ahmad N, Zakaria MR, Mohd Yusoff MZ, Fujimoto S, Inoue H, Ariffin H, et al.

Molecules, 2018 May 30;23(6).
PMID: 29848973 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23061310

The present work aimed to investigate the pretreatment of oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) in subcritical H₂O-CO₂ at a temperature range from 150⁻200 °C and 20⁻180 min with CO₂ pressure from 3⁻5 MPa. The pretreated solids and liquids from this process were separated by filtration and characterized. Xylooligosaccharides (XOs), sugar monomers, acids, furans and phenols in the pretreated liquids were analyzed by using HPLC. XOs with a degree of polymerization X2⁻X4 comprising xylobiose, xylotriose, xylotetraose were analyzed by using HPAEC-PAD. Enzymatic hydrolysis was performed on cellulose-rich pretreated solids to observe xylose and glucose production. An optimal condition for XOs production was achieved at 180 °C, 60 min, 3 MPa and the highest XOs obtained was 81.60 mg/g which corresponded to 36.59% of XOs yield from total xylan of OPMF. The highest xylose and glucose yields obtained from pretreated solids were 29.96% and 84.65%, respectively at cellulase loading of 10 FPU/g-substrate.
Depressive symptoms in adolescents in Kuching, Malaysia: Prevalence and associated factors

Ang AL, Wahab S, Abd Rahman FN, Hazmi H, Md Yusoff R

Pediatr Int, 2019 Apr;61(4):404-410.
PMID: 30597707 DOI: 10.1111/ped.13778

BACKGROUND: The trend of depression is rising worldwide. There are limited studies on depression in adolescents. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of and identify the factors associated with depressive symptoms in adolescents in Kuching, Malaysia, and to analyze the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 320 students from urban and rural secondary schools. The participants were randomly selected via multi-stage sampling. They completed the Malay versions of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS).
RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 26.2%. On binary logistic regression analysis, variables with significant association with depressive symptoms were race (P = 0.028), type of class (P < 0.001), mother's education level (P = 0.036), type of housing (P = 0.036), parents' marital status (P = 0.012), alcohol intake (P = 0.005), stealing (P < 0.001) and history of disciplinary record (P = 0.005). Variables that remained significant on multivariable logistic regression were type of class (P = 0.004), parents' marital status (P = 0.017) and stealing (P < 0.001). Students from the Arts stream (OR, 2.43) with parents who were separated, divorced or widowed (OR, 3.13) and who had experience of stealing (OR, 3.27) were predicted to be at risk of developing depressive symptoms. There was a significant correlation between total CDI score and total BSS score (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms in adolescents was high. Depressive symptoms are significantly correlated with suicidal ideation. Greater collaboration between the education and health agencies is essential for mental health promotion in schools and early detection of depression, especially in at-risk adolescents.
The need for educating healthcare professionals regarding good musculoskeletal health practice

Mohd Yusoff NS, Firdaus MKZH, Jamaludin FIC, Che Hasan MK

Enferm Clin, 2019 09;29 Suppl 2:579-584.
PMID: 31281003 DOI: 10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.04.089

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the level of knowledge and practice of body mechanics towards preserving musculoskeletal health in daily routine activities of HCPs (medical officers, staff nurses, community health nurses, assistant medical officers, physiotherapists, and assistant nurses) from Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Pahang.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with convenience sampling employed across five different departments. The departments were a department of medical, surgical, orthopedics, emergency and rehabilitation. The samples were selected according to a minimum of two years of clinical experience without any history of low back surgery. An instrument consists of socio-demographic background, knowledge on body mechanics and Owestry Low Back Pain Disability Index Questionnaire was used in this study.
RESULTS: A total of 139 HCPs were recruited including medical officers, staff nurses, community health nurses, assistant medical officers, physiotherapists, and assistant nurses. A self-administered questionnaire pertaining to knowledge revealed that 73.4% of HCPs had inadequate knowledge of musculoskeletal body mechanics. Among all, 90.6% (minimal: 9.4%, moderate: 43.2%, severe: 42.4%, crippled: 5.0%) of HCPs showed moderate to crippled disability using Oswestry Disability Index classifications indicating the poor practice of body mechanics while working.
CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that a lack of knowledge among healthcare professionals lead to the inadequate practice of preserving musculoskeletal health while carrying out duty in caring patients. It is suggested that enforcing and emphasizing health education for healthcare professionals is urgently needed towards reducing the risk of the musculoskeletal problem among healthcare professionals.
Nurturing professional identity through a community based education program: medical students experience

Ahmad A, Bahri Yusoff MS, Zahiruddin Wan Mohammad WM, Mat Nor MZ

J Taibah Univ Med Sci, 2018 Apr;13(2):113-122.
PMID: 31435313 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2017.12.001

Objectives: Community-based education (CBE) has an impact on the types of medical students produced at the end of medical training. However, its impact on professional identity development (PID) has not been clearly understood. This study thus explores the effect of the CBE program on PID.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted on a group of Universiti Sains Malaysia medical students who had finished the Community and Family Case Study (CFCS) program. Data were gathered through focused group discussions and student reflective journals. Participants were sampled using the maximal variation technique of purposive sampling. Three steps of thematic analysis using the Atlasti software were employed to identify categories, subthemes, and themes.
Results: Personal, role, social, and research identities were generated that contribute to the PID of medical students through the CFCS program. The results indicate that the CFCS program nurtured personal identity through the development of professional skills, soft skills, and personal values. Pertaining to role identity, this is related to patient care in terms of primary care and interprofessional awareness. Pertaining to social identity, the obvious feature was community awareness related to culture, society, and politics. A positive outcome of the CFCS program was found to be its fostering of research skills, which is related to the use of epidemiology and research methods.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that the CFCS program promotes PID among medical students. The current data highlight and provide insights into the importance of integrating CBE into medical curricula to prepare future doctors for their entry into the profession.

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