Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 309 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext Recognizing life-threatening features of dengue in children and health seeking behavior in dengue emergency amongst parents and carers: A cross-sectional study in Gombak district, Malaysia
    Ariffin F, Ramli AS, Naim N, Selamat MI, Syed-Jamal SJ
    Med J Malaysia, 2014 Oct;69(5):210-5.
    PMID: 25638233
    Dengue is life-threatening and the paediatric population is highly susceptible to complications. Deterioration can occur rapidly and ability to recognise early warning signs is crucial. This study aims to determine the knowledge and awareness of parents and carers and to predict their ability in recognising life-threatening symptoms and signs of dengue in children and to assess their health-seeking behaviour in dengue emergency. Methods This is a crosssectional study involving parents and carers of children ≤ 12 years old in schools and kindergartens in the Gombak district. Demographic details, knowledge on life-threatening symptoms and signs of dengue and health-seeking behaviour were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and knowledge scoring was done. The questionnaire was pilot tested with a Cronbach alpha of 0.82. The results were analysed using SPSS version 20.0. Results Total respondents were 866 with 44.8% men and 55.2% women. The mean age was 40.3 years (SD ± 5.7). Knowledge score of dengue life threatening features among respondents were good (30.0%) to average (56.8%). Respondents were able to recognise fever (98.5%), petechial rash (97.1%) and bleeding (65.2%) but were less able to recognise abdominal pain (22.3%) and passing less urine (28.2%) as life threatening dengue features. However, the ability to recognise fever is a poor predictor in recognising life threatening dengue in children compared to all other symptoms which were good predictors. A respondent that recognise stomach pain or neck stiffness were five times more likely to recognise life-threatening dengue. Respondents preferred to bring their children to the clinic (50.8%) or hospital (37.8%) themselves Instead of calling for ambulance. Worryingly, some would give antipyretics (3.6%) or wait for improvements (7.8%). Conclusion Concerted efforts by the schools, healthcare professionals and health authorities are required to educate parents and carers to identify life-threatening features of dengue and to improve their health seeking-behaviour.
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups
  2. The population genomic landscape of human genetic structure, admixture history and local adaptation in Peninsular Malaysia
    Deng L, Hoh BP, Lu D, Fu R, Phipps ME, Li S, et al.
    Hum Genet, 2014 Sep;133(9):1169-85.
    PMID: 24916469 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-014-1459-8
    Peninsular Malaysia is a strategic region which might have played an important role in the initial peopling and subsequent human migrations in Asia. However, the genetic diversity and history of human populations--especially indigenous populations--inhabiting this area remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a genome-wide study using over 900,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four major Malaysian ethnic groups (MEGs; Malay, Proto-Malay, Senoi and Negrito), and made comparisons of 17 world-wide populations. Our data revealed that Peninsular Malaysia has greater genetic diversity corresponding to its role as a contact zone of both early and recent human migrations in Asia. However, each single Orang Asli (indigenous) group was less diverse with a smaller effective population size (N(e)) than a European or an East Asian population, indicating a substantial isolation of some duration for these groups. All four MEGs were genetically more similar to Asian populations than to other continental groups, and the divergence time between MEGs and East Asian populations (12,000--6,000 years ago) was also much shorter than that between East Asians and Europeans. Thus, Malaysian Orang Asli groups, despite their significantly different features, may share a common origin with the other Asian groups. Nevertheless, we identified traces of recent gene flow from non-Asians to MEGs. Finally, natural selection signatures were detected in a batch of genes associated with immune response, human height, skin pigmentation, hair and facial morphology and blood pressure in MEGs. Notable examples include SYN3 which is associated with human height in all Orang Asli groups, a height-related gene (PNPT1) and two blood pressure-related genes (CDH13 and PAX5) in Negritos. We conclude that a long isolation period, subsequent gene flow and local adaptations have jointly shaped the genetic architectures of MEGs, and this study provides insight into the peopling and human migration history in Southeast Asia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups/ethnology; Population Groups/genetics*
  3. Fulltext Combined protein- and nucleic acid-level effects of rs1143679 (R77H), a lupus-predisposing variant within ITGAM
    Maiti AK, Kim-Howard X, Motghare P, Pradhan V, Chua KH, Sun C, et al.
    Hum Mol Genet, 2014 Aug 1;23(15):4161-76.
    PMID: 24608226 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu106
    Integrin alpha M (ITGAM; CD11b) is a component of the macrophage-1 antigen complex, which mediates leukocyte adhesion, migration and phagocytosis as part of the immune system. We previously identified a missense polymorphism, rs1143679 (R77H), strongly associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the molecular mechanisms of this variant are incompletely understood. A meta-analysis of published and novel data on 28 439 individuals with European, African, Hispanic and Asian ancestries reinforces genetic association between rs1143679 and SLE [Pmeta = 3.60 × 10(-90), odds ratio (OR) = 1.76]. Since rs1143679 is in the most active region of chromatin regulation and transcription factor binding in ITGAM, we quantitated ITGAM RNA and surface protein levels in monocytes from patients with each rs1143679 genotype. We observed that transcript levels significantly decreased for the risk allele ('A') relative to the non-risk allele ('G'), in a dose-dependent fashion: ('AA' < 'AG' < 'GG'). CD11b protein levels in patients' monocytes were directly correlated with RNA levels. Strikingly, heterozygous individuals express much lower (average 10- to 15-fold reduction) amounts of the 'A' transcript than 'G' transcript. We found that the non-risk sequence surrounding rs1143679 exhibits transcriptional enhancer activity in vivo and binds to Ku70/80, NFKB1 and EBF1 in vitro, functions that are significantly reduced with the risk allele. Mutant CD11b protein shows significantly reduced binding to fibrinogen and vitronectin, relative to non-risk, both in purified protein and in cellular models. This two-pronged contribution (nucleic acid- and protein-level) of the rs1143679 risk allele to decreasing ITGAM activity provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of its potent association with SLE.
    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups
  4. Fulltext Latent tuberculosis infection screening in foreign-born populations: a successful mobile clinic outreach model
    Morano JP, Zelenev A, Walton MR, Bruce RD, Altice FL
    Am J Public Health, 2014 Aug;104(8):1508-15.
    PMID: 24922157 DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.301897
    OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the efficacy of a mobile medical clinic (MMC) screening program for detecting latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active tuberculosis.
    METHODS: A LTBI screening program in a MMC in New Haven, Connecticut, used medical surveys to examine risk factors and tuberculin skin test (TST) screening eligibility. We assessed clinically relevant correlates of total (prevalent; n = 4650) and newly diagnosed (incident; n = 4159) LTBI from 2003 to 2011.
    RESULTS: Among 8322 individuals, 4159 (55.6%) met TST screening eligibility criteria, of which 1325 (31.9%) had TST assessed. Similar to LTBI prevalence (16.8%; 779 of 4650), newly diagnosed LTBI (25.6%; 339 of 1325) was independently correlated with being foreign-born (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 8.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.54, 13.02), Hispanic (AOR = 3.12; 95% CI = 1.88, 5.20), Black (AOR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.31, 3.55), employed (AOR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.14, 2.28), and of increased age (AOR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.05). Unstable housing (AOR = 4.95; 95% CI = 3.43, 7.14) and marijuana use (AOR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.05, 2.37) were significantly correlated with incident LTBI, and being male, heroin use, interpersonal violence, employment, not having health insurance, and not completing high school were significantly correlated with prevalent LTBI.
    CONCLUSIONS: Screening for TST in MMCs successfully identifies high-risk foreign-born, Hispanic, working, and uninsured populations and innovatively identifies LTBI in urban settings.
    Study site: Mobile clinic, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups/statistics & numerical data
  5. Ultrasonography-diagnosed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is not associated with prevalent ischemic heart disease among diabetics in a multiracial Asian hospital clinic population
    Chan WK, Tan AT, Vethakkan SR, Tah PC, Vijayananthan A, Goh KL
    Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol, 2014 Jun;38(3):284-91.
    PMID: 24736032 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2014.02.009
    BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular diseases are both common among patients with diabetes mellitus.
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine if ultrasonography-diagnosed NAFLD is associated with prevalent ischemic heart disease (IHD) among patients with diabetes mellitus.
    METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study on consecutive patients seen at the Diabetic Clinic, University of Malaya Medical Centre. The medical record for each patient was reviewed for documented IHD. Patients without documented IHD but had symptoms and/or electrocardiographic changes suggestive of IHD were referred for cardiac evaluation.
    RESULTS: Data for 399 patients were analyzed. Mean age was 62.8±10.5 years with 43.1% male. NAFLD and IHD were present in 49.6 and 26.6%, respectively. The prevalence of IHD among patients with and without NAFLD was 24.7 and 28.4%, respectively (P=0.414). The prevalence of IHD was highest among the Indians (34.1%) followed by the Malays (29.2%) and the Chinese (20.1%). No association was found between NAFLD and IHD when analyzed according to ethnicity. On multivariate analysis, independent factors associated with IHD were older age, lower levels of physical activity, greater waist circumference and higher serum glycated hemoglobin level.
    CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography-diagnosed NAFLD was not associated with prevalent IHD among patients with diabetes mellitus in a multiracial Asian hospital clinic population.

    Study site: Diabetic clinc, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)
    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups/statistics & numerical data
  6. An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by tribal and native people of Madhupur forest area, Bangladesh
    Islam MK, Saha S, Mahmud I, Mohamad K, Awang K, Jamal Uddin S, et al.
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2014 Feb 3;151(2):921-30.
    PMID: 24342778 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.056
    Madhupur forest area, Tangail is one of early human settlements in Bangladesh. Having abode in the vicinity of the forest, a strong ethnobotanical practice has prevailed in this area since ancient time. Due to the rapid deforestation during the last few decades, many plants have already disappeared or are facing extinction. Thus we attempted to document the medicinal plant use of Madhupur forest area with a view to preserve the ethnobotanical knowledge and in order to protect the biodiversity of this area.
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups
  7. The applicability of Greulich and Pyle atlas to assess skeletal age for four ethnic groups
    Mansourvar M, Ismail MA, Raj RG, Kareem SA, Aik S, Gunalan R, et al.
    J Forensic Leg Med, 2014 Feb;22:26-9.
    PMID: 24485416 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2013.11.011
    Recently, determination of skeletal age, defined as the assessment of bone age, has rapidly become an important task between forensic experts and radiologists. The Greulich-Pyle (GP) atlas is one of the most frequently used methods for the assessment of skeletal age around the world. After presentation of the GP approach for the estimation of the bone age, much research has been conducted to examine the usability of this method in various geographic or ethnic categories. This study investigates on a small-scale and compares the reliability of the GP atlas for assessment of the bone age for four ethnic groups - Asian, African/American, Caucasian and Hispanic - for a different range of ages.
    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups*
  8. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a young multiracial Asian population: a worrying ethnic predilection in Malay and Indian males
    Chan WK, Bahar N, Razlan H, Vijayananthan A, Sithaneshwar P, Goh KL
    Hepatol Int, 2014 Jan;8(1):121-7.
    PMID: 26202413 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-013-9510-8
    PURPOSE: Previous studies on multiracial Malaysian populations found inordinately high prevalence of NAFLD among Malays and Indians. Whether the prevalence of NAFLD is different among young adults of different ethnic origins is not known. We aimed to determine racial differences in NAFLD in a young multiracial Malaysian population and associated factors.

    METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study on medical students from the University of Malaya. Diagnosis of NAFLD was by transabdominal ultrasonography and following exclusion of significant alcohol intake and other causes of chronic liver disease.

    RESULTS: Data of 469 subjects were analyzed (mean age 23.2 ± 2.4 years, 40.3 % male). The racial distribution was: Chinese 53.9 %, Malay 30.5 % and Indian 15.6 %. The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 7.9 %. Subjects with NAFLD were older, had greater BMI and WC, higher SBP and DBP, higher FBS, serum TG and LDL levels, and lower serum HDL level. The prevalence of NAFLD was higher among males compared to females (17.9 % vs. 3.3 %, p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups
  9. Fulltext Seroprevalence screening for the West Nile virus in Malaysia's Orang Asli population
    Marlina S, Radzi SF, Lani R, Sieng KC, Rahim NF, Hassan H, et al.
    Parasit Vectors, 2014;7:597.
    PMID: 25515627 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-014-0597-0
    West Nile virus (WNV) infection is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by an RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus. WNV is preserved in the environment through cyclic transmission, with mosquitoes, particularly Culex species, serving as a vector, birds as an amplifying host and humans and other mammals as dead-end hosts. To date, no studies have been carried out to determine the prevalence of the WNV antibody in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to screen for the seroprevalence of the WNV in Malaysia's Orang Asli population.
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups
  10. Significant genotype difference in the CYP2E1 PstI polymorphism of indigenous groups in Sabah, Malaysia with Asian and non-Asian populations
    Goh LP, Chong ET, Chua KH, Chuah JA, Lee PC
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(17):7377-81.
    PMID: 25227845
    CYP2E1 PstI polymorphism G-1259C (rs3813867) genotype distributions vary significantly among different populations and are associated with both diseases, like cancer, and adverse drug effects. To date, there have been limited genotype distributions and allele frequencies of this polymorphism reported in the three major indigenous ethnic groups (KadazanDusun, Bajau, and Rungus) in Sabah, also known as North Borneo. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the CYP2E1 PstI polymorphism G-1259C in these three major indigenous peoples in Sabah. A total of 640 healthy individuals from the three dominant indigenous groups were recruited for this study. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) at G-1259C polymorphic site of CYP2E1 gene was performed using the Pst I restriction enzyme. Fragments were analyzed using agarose gel electrophoresis and confirmed by direct sequencing. Overall, the allele frequencies were 90.3% for c1 allele and 9.7% for c2 allele. The genotype frequencies for c1/c1, c1/c2 and c2/c2 were observed as 80.9%, 18.8%, and 0.3%, respectively. A highly statistical significant difference (p<0.001) was observed in the genotype distributions between indigenous groups in Sabah with all Asian and non-Asian populations. However, among these three indigenous groups, there was no statistical significant difference (p>0.001) in their genotype distributions. The three major indigenous ethnic groups in Sabah show unique genotype distributions when compared with other populations. This finding indicates the importance of establishing the genotype distributions of CYP2E1 PstI polymorphism in the indigenous populations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups/genetics
  11. Fulltext PIK3CA gene amplification and PI3K p110α protein expression in breast carcinoma
    Firoozinia M, Zareian Jahromi M, Moghadamtousi SZ, Nikzad S, Abdul Kadir H
    Int J Med Sci, 2014;11(6):620-5.
    PMID: 24782652 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.8251
    A family of PI3Ks is the lipid kinases, which enhance intracellular pools of phosphatidyl inositol 3,4,5-tri-phosphate (PIP3) through phosphorylating its precursor. Amplifications and deletions of genes, as well as somatic missense of the PIK3CA gene have been described in many human cancer varieties, including of the brain, colon, liver, lung and stomach. Immunohistochemistry and Real-time quantitative PCR tests were used to determine the PIK3CA gene amplification (gene copy number) and to detect protein expression, respectively. The results obtained were analysed and the ratio of PIK3CA to β-actin gene copy number was calculated. Positive gene amplification of PIK3CA was appointed as a copy number of ≥4. Also, PI3K p110α protein expression was scored from 0 to 3+ and the scores of 2+ and 3+ were considered as positive for PI3K p110α protein expression. We studied 50 breast carcinoma samples for PI3K p110α protein expression and PIK3CA gene copy numbers. In general, 36 out of 50 (72%) breast carcinoma samples showed a significant increase in PIK3CA gene amplification. 12 out of 50 (24%) showed positive staining, and 38 out of 50 (76%) showed negative staining for PI3K p110α expression. We have identified no significant relationship between PIK3CA amplification, race (p= 0.630) and histological type (p=0. 731) in breast carcinoma, but correlation of PIK3CA amplification and age showed a significant relationship (p=0. 003) between them. No significant relationship has been identified in correlation of PI3K p110α protein expression compared to age (p=0. 284), race (p=0. 546) and histological type (p=0. 285). Amplification of PIK3CA was frequent in breast carcinoma and occurs in stages of breast carcinoma. Our result shows that there is a relationship between gene amplification and age in breast carcinoma. We suggest that PIK3CA is significant in breast tumorigenesis serve as a prevalent mechanism contributes to the oncogenic activation pathway of PIK3CA in breast cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups/genetics
  12. Fulltext Factors affecting nutritional status of children below 24 months in Pekan district, Pahang, Malaysia
    Masroor N, Ab Rahman J, Han TM, Khattak MAK, Aye A
    Malays J Nutr, 2014;20(2):197-207.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of children below 24 months in the district of Pekan, Pahang, and identify the contributing factors. Methods: Using a cross-sectional methodology, a total of 910 children was selected by random sampling from four public health clinics. Anthropometric measurements were taken and weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for- height were calculated in Z scores. Immediate caregivers of children were interviewed by using a pretested validated questionnaire to assess their socio- economic, demographic, educational and occupational status. Results: Of the 910 children who participated in the study, the majority were Malay (70.1%), while the remaining comprised indigenous or Orang-Asli (OA) children. Prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight were 28.7 %, 15.6 % and 19.0% respectively. There were more underweight males than females. Wasting was most common among children aged below 6 months. Stunting was more prevalent in children between 12 to 24 months. Obesity was seen in 7.3% of the sample. Maternal education, employment and socio-economic status had a significant influence on wasting and underweight. Children were vulnerable to stunting as age advanced, whereas prevalence of wasting tended to decrease. Conclusion: Malnutrition exists in significant proportions among children below 24 months in the Pekan district. This study identified low birth weight along with age, race, gender, large family size and socio-economic status as important risk factors of malnutrition.
    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups
  13. Fulltext Health related quality of life using commercially prepared food supplements, multivitamins and minerals - a meta-analysis
    R.(III) P. Dioso
    ASM Science Journal, 2014;8(1):55-66.
    MyJurnal
    Through the six domains of the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) - physical, psychological, level of independence, social relationship, environment and spirituality or religion - ten out of one hundred randomly selected studies were analysed and evaluated as a theoretical outcome of self care using health products such as food supplements, multivitamins and minerals. A reconstructed HRQOL tool was used in the qualitative and the quantitative analysis and evaluation of the ten selected studies. A Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool was also used in making sense of the evidences of the study trials. The Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome guide focused the protocol for the selection of the studies used in this meta-analysis. A probability sampling generated a uniform distribution of the populations. The manner of consuming or the route of administration, the volume and the preparation of commercially prepared health products were neither analysed nor evaluated as the exclusion criteria. Of the ten studies, nine gave a high significance to the six domains of the (O.R. = 90% / p =
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups
  14. Fulltext Reliability and factor structure of the General Health Questionnaire-12 among university students
    Normala Ibrahim, Zubaidah Jamil Osman, Khin Ohmar Naing Noor Jan, Siti Irma Fadhilah Ismail, Phang Cheng Kar, Firdaus Mukhtar, et al.
    Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2014;10(2):53-60.
    MyJurnal
    The 12- item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) has been translated into many languages and widely used in different settings and countries. Its reliability and psychometric properties were extensively studied in many population groups which suggested that it measures psychological distress in multidimensional construct. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the reliability and factor structure of the Bahasa Malaysia version of the GHQ-12 among university students attending a health program at a Malaysian public university. Method: The cross sectional survey was conducted on 306 undergraduate students aged between 18 to 27 years old who visited the booth set up for mental health screening at a health program. The screening was conducted using a self-administered, validated Bahasa Malaysia version of GHQ-12 questionnaire. Results: Using exploratory factor analysis, the Bahasa Malaysia version of GHQ-12 was found to have a three factor structures namely depressive symptoms, self-esteem and perceived abilities which accounted for 58% of the item variance. The overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was found to be high (0.84) with each factor having acceptable inter-item consistency ranging from 0.61 to 0.82. Conclusion: The findings of the study show that the Bahasa Malaysia version GHQ-12 is reliable and has good structural characteristics. It can assess a few domains of the psychological status of university students. It also helps in providing more information
    on the domain which may become a focus target of intervention in the prevention of mental illness.
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups
  15. Prevalence of intestinal protozoan infections among Orang Asli schoolchildren in Pos Senderut, Pahang, Malaysia
    Al-Harazi T, Ghani MK, Othman H
    J Egypt Soc Parasitol, 2013 Dec;43(3):561-8.
    PMID: 24640856
    The current study determined the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infections among the Orang Asli schoolchildren in Pos Senderut, Pahang, Malaysia. The overall intestinal protozoan infection rate was 85% (261 out of 307). The highest prevalence rates were due to Entamoeba coli (24.4%), Giardia lamblia (21.8%), Blastocystis hominis (21.2%) and Entamoeba histolytica (15.0%). The prevalence of Iodamoeba butschlii was only 2.9%. Among the positive samples, mixed infection with B. hominis and E. histolytica was 3.3%, B. hominis and G. lamblia was 2.9%, G. lamblia and E. histolytica was 2.0% and triple infections (B. hominis, G. lamblia and E. histolytica) was 1.0 %. The prevalence of the infection was high in all age groups (6-14 years old). Thus, we can conclude that intestinal protozoan infections are still representing a serious public health problem in aboriginal communities, especially among children.
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups
  16. Fulltext Knowledge of diabetes and lifestyle behaviour amongst indigenous population in Peninsular Malaysia
    Ahmad B, Khalid BA, Quek KF, Anuar Z, Phipps ME
    Med J Malaysia, 2013 Aug;68(4):309-14.
    PMID: 24145258 MyJurnal
    A cross-sectional study involving seven Orang Asli
    settlements located in three different states in Peninsular
    Malaysia; Johor, Selangor and Perak.
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups*
  17. A comparative study on radiographic analysis of impacted third molars among three ethnic groups of patients attending AIMST Dental Institute, Malaysia
    Kanneppady SK, Balamanikandasrinivasan, Kumaresan R, Sakri SB
    Dent Res J (Isfahan), 2013 May;10(3):353-8.
    PMID: 24019804
    The patterns of facial growth, jaw and tooth size are inherited and are likely to differ among population and races. Aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the pattern of third molar (3M) impaction among three different ethnic groups (Chinese, Indian, Malay) of patients attending AIMST Dental Institute, Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups
  18. Fulltext Deep whole-genome sequencing of 100 southeast Asian Malays
    Wong LP, Ong RT, Poh WT, Liu X, Chen P, Li R, et al.
    Am J Hum Genet, 2013 Jan 10;92(1):52-66.
    PMID: 23290073 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.12.005
    Whole-genome sequencing across multiple samples in a population provides an unprecedented opportunity for comprehensively characterizing the polymorphic variants in the population. Although the 1000 Genomes Project (1KGP) has offered brief insights into the value of population-level sequencing, the low coverage has compromised the ability to confidently detect rare and low-frequency variants. In addition, the composition of populations in the 1KGP is not complete, despite the fact that the study design has been extended to more than 2,500 samples from more than 20 population groups. The Malays are one of the Austronesian groups predominantly present in Southeast Asia and Oceania, and the Singapore Sequencing Malay Project (SSMP) aims to perform deep whole-genome sequencing of 100 healthy Malays. By sequencing at a minimum of 30× coverage, we have illustrated the higher sensitivity at detecting low-frequency and rare variants and the ability to investigate the presence of hotspots of functional mutations. Compared to the low-pass sequencing in the 1KGP, the deeper coverage allows more functional variants to be identified for each person. A comparison of the fidelity of genotype imputation of Malays indicated that a population-specific reference panel, such as the SSMP, outperforms a cosmopolitan panel with larger number of individuals for common SNPs. For lower-frequency (<5%) markers, a larger number of individuals might have to be whole-genome sequenced so that the accuracy currently afforded by the 1KGP can be achieved. The SSMP data are expected to be the benchmark for evaluating the value of deep population-level sequencing versus low-pass sequencing, especially in populations that are poorly represented in population-genetics studies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Population Groups/genetics
  19. Colour detection thresholds in faces and colour patches
    Tan KW, Stephen ID
    Perception, 2013;42(7):733-41.
    PMID: 24344549
    Human facial skin colour reflects individuals' underlying health (Stephen et al 2011 Evolution & Human Behavior 32 216-227); and enhanced facial skin CIELab b* (yellowness), a* (redness), and L* (lightness) are perceived as healthy (also Stephen et al 2009a International Journal of Primatology 30 845-857). Here, we examine Malaysian Chinese participants' detection thresholds for CIELab L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) colour changes in Asian, African, and Caucasian faces and skin coloured patches. Twelve face photos and three skin coloured patches were transformed to produce four pairs of images of each individual face and colour patch with different amounts of red, yellow, or lightness, from very subtle (deltaE = 1.2) to quite large differences (deltaE = 9.6). Participants were asked to decide which of sequentially displayed, paired same-face images or colour patches were lighter, redder, or yellower. Changes in facial redness, followed by changes in yellowness, were more easily discriminated than changes in luminance. However, visual sensitivity was not greater for redness and yellowness in nonface stimuli, suggesting red facial skin colour special salience. Participants were also significantly better at recognizing colour differences in own-race (Asian) and Caucasian faces than in African faces, suggesting the existence of cross-race effect in discriminating facial colours. Humans' colour vision may have been selected for skin colour signalling (Changizi et al 2006 Biology Letters 2 217-221), enabling individuals to perceive subtle changes in skin colour, reflecting health and emotional status.
    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups/psychology*
  20. Fulltext Plasma adiponectin concentrations are associated with dietary glycemic index in Malaysian patients with type 2 diabetes
    Loh BI, Sathyasuryan DR, Mohamed HJ
    Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2013;22(2):241-8.
    PMID: 23635368 DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.2013.22.2.04
    Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived hormone has been implicated in the control of blood glucose and chronic inflammation in type 2 diabetes. However, limited studies have evaluated dietary factors on plasma adiponectin levels, especially among type 2 diabetic patients in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of dietary glycemic index on plasma adiponectin concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 305 type 2 diabetic patients aged 19-75 years from the Penang General Hospital, Malaysia. Socio-demographic information was collected using a standard questionnaire while dietary details were determined by using a pre-validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometry measurement included weight, height, BMI and waist circumference. Plasma adiponectin concentrations were measured using a commercial ELISA kit. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. After multivariate adjustment, dietary glycemic index was inversely associated with plasma adiponectin concentrations (β =-0.272, 95% CI -0.262, - 0.094; p<0.001). It was found that in individuals who consumed 1 unit of foods containing high dietary glycemic index that plasma adiponectin level reduced by 0.3 μg/mL. Thirty two percent (31.9%) of the variation in adiponectin concentrations was explained by age, sex, race, smoking status, BMI, waist circumference, HDL-C, triglycerides, magnesium, fiber and dietary glycemic index according to the multiple linear regression model (R2=0.319). These results support the hypothesis that dietary glycemic index influences plasma adiponectin concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes. Controlled clinical trials are required to confirm our findings and to elucidate the underlying mechanism.
    Matched MeSH terms: Continental Population Groups/statistics & numerical data
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

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

External Links