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Intellectual and physical activities, but not social activities, are associated with better global cognition: a multi-site evaluation of the cognition and lifestyle activity study for seniors in Asia (CLASSA)

Lam LC, Ong PA, Dikot Y, Sofiatin Y, Wang H, Zhao M, et al.

Age Ageing, 2015 Sep;44(5):835-40.
PMID: 26271049 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afv099

population ageing will lead to a leap in the dementia population in Asia. However, information about potentials for low-cost and low-risk interventions is limited.
Molecular genetic analysis of anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma

Nasuha NA, Daud AH, Ghazali MM, Yusoff AA, Zainuddin N, Abdullah JM, et al.

Asian J Surg, 2003 Apr;26(2):120-5.
PMID: 12732498

A case of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma in a 10-year-old Malay boy is reported. The patient presented with headache and epilepsy. On computed tomography, a ring-enhancing low-density lesion was observed in the left fronto-temporal area. During surgery, a cystic tumour containing serous fluid was found and almost totally removed. Histologically, the tumour exhibited marked pleomorphism of oval and spindle-shaped cells intermixed with uni- and multinucleated giant cells, and xanthomatous cells with foamy cytoplasm. The tumour displayed pericellular reticulin and periodic acid-Schiff positive granules. Focally, six mitotic characters per 10 high-power fields were seen, and necrosis was confined only to the inner lining of the cyst. Mutational analysis showed that a frameshift mutation (a 4-bp deletion) in the p53 gene had occurred in codons 273 and 274 of exon 8. No mutation was detected in the p16 gene. No allelic loss and/or loss of heterozygosity were observed on chromosome 10 using microsatellite marker D105532. The patient was treated with postoperative radiotherapy because of histological anaplasia and the presence of residual tumour. The patient showed marked neurological recovery after a follow-up period of 2 years.
Fulltext Author Correction: A Randomised Controlled Trial on the Effectiveness and Adherence of Modified Alternate-day Calorie Restriction in Improving Activity of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Johari MI, Yusoff K, Haron J, Nadarajan C, Ibrahim KN, Wong MS, et al.

Sci Rep, 2020 Jun 25;10(1):10599.
PMID: 32587371 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67806-9

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Fulltext Exposure to secondhand smoke among school-going adolescents in Malaysia: Findings from the tobacco and e-cigarettes survey among Malaysian adolescents (TECMA)

Ling MYJ, Lim KH, Hasani WSR, Rifin HM, Majid NLA, Lourdes TGR, et al.

Tob Induc Dis, 2020;18:96.
PMID: 33262682 DOI: 10.18332/tid/128622

INTRODUCTION: Many studies have revealed that exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) substantially increases the risk of smoking related diseases especially among the vulnerable groups, yet data on the location of SHS exposure among youth in Malaysia are still lacking. The study aims to describe the prevalence and factors associated with SHS exposure at home, outside the home, and inside the school among school-going adolescents in Malaysia.
METHODS: We derived the data from the TECMA study, which used a cross-sectional study design and multi-stage sampling method to obtain a representative sample of school-going adolescents aged 11-19 years in Malaysia in 2016. Data were collected through a self-administered approach using a pre-validated standard questionnaire. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used to analyze the data, and results are presented as adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI).
RESULTS: SHS exposure for the past seven days was higher outside the home (51.2%; 95% CI: 49.2-53.2) compared to at home (37.8%; 95% CI: 35.8-39.9) while 27.3% (95% CI: 25.1-29.5) of school-going adolescents reported exposure to SHS inside the school in the past one month. In the regression analyses, older adolescents, those of Malay and Bumiputra Sarawak ethnicities, adolescents from rural areas and current smokers had higher likelihood of exposure to SHS at home, outside home and inside the school. Our study also found that adolescents who were current smokers had higher odds of being exposed to SHS at home (AOR=2.87; 95% CI: 2.57-3.21), outside the home (AOR=3.46; 95% CI: 3.05-3.92) and in the school (AOR=2.25; 95% CI: 2.01-2.51).
CONCLUSIONS: Health promotion measures should target parents/guardians and household members to reduce SHS exposure among adolescents. In addition, smoke-free regulation should be fully enforced in school. Furthermore, more public places should be designated non-smoking areas to reduce SHS exposure and denormalize smoking behavior.
Fulltext A Randomised Controlled Trial on the Effectiveness and Adherence of Modified Alternate-day Calorie Restriction in Improving Activity of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Johari MI, Yusoff K, Haron J, Nadarajan C, Ibrahim KN, Wong MS, et al.

Sci Rep, 2019 08 02;9(1):11232.
PMID: 31375753 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47763-8

Currently, there is no effective therapy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), although intensive calorie restriction is typically recommended but dietary adherence is an issue. The current study aimed to determine the effectiveness and adherence of eight weeks of modified alternate-day calorie restriction (MACR) in the control of NAFLD activity. This was a randomized controlled trial with MACR as the intervention and normal habitual diet as control. The outcome measures were body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, fasting blood sugar (FBS), liver enzymes (ALT and AST), and ultrasonographic measurements of liver steatosis and shear wave elastography (SWE). Per-protocol (PP) and intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis were performed within and between-groups with P 0.22). Both liver steatosis grades and fibrosis (SWE) scores were reduced in between-group analyses of MACR vs. controls (PP and ITT, all P
Fulltext Evaluation of a Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus Expressing Human IL12 against Human Breast Cancer

Mohamed Amin Z, Che Ani MA, Tan SW, Yeap SK, Alitheen NB, Syed Najmuddin SUF, et al.

Sci Rep, 2019 Sep 30;9(1):13999.
PMID: 31570732 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50222-z

The Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strain AF2240 is an avian avulavirus that has been demonstrated to possess oncolytic activity against cancer cells. However, to illicit a greater anti-cancer immune response, it is believed that the incorporation of immunostimulatory genes such as IL12 into a recombinant NDV backbone will enhance its oncolytic effect. In this study, a newly developed recombinant NDV that expresses IL12 (rAF-IL12) was tested for its safety, stability and cytotoxicity. The stability of rAF-IL12 was maintained when passaged in specific pathogen free (SPF) chicken eggs from passage 1 to passage 10; with an HA titer of 29. Based on the results obtained from the MTT cytotoxic assay, rAF-IL12 was determined to be safe as it only induced cytotoxic effects against normal chicken cell lines and human breast cancer cells while sparing normal cells. Significant tumor growth inhibition (52%) was observed in the rAF-IL12-treated mice. The in vivo safety profile of rAF-IL12 was confirmed through histological observation and viral load titer assay. The concentration and presence of the expressed IL12 was quantified and verified via ELISA assay. In summary, rAF-IL12 was proven to be safe, selectively replicating in chicken and cancer cells and was able to maintain its stability throughout several passages; thus enhancing its potential as an anti-breast cancer vaccine.
Fulltext Source of cigarettes among youth smokers in Malaysia: Findings from the tobacco and e-cigarette survey among Malaysian school adolescents (TECMA)

Lim KH, Teh CH, Heng PP, Pan S, Ling MY, Yusoff MFM, et al.

Tob Induc Dis, 2018;16:51.
PMID: 31516448 DOI: 10.18332/tid/96297

INTRODUCTION: Understanding how and where youth obtain tobacco products are major factors in the development of suitable intervention programs to reduce youth smoking. This study aimed to determine the source of cigarettes and the associated factors among Malaysian school adolescent smokers.

METHODS: Our sample consisted of 1348 youth aged 10-17 years who were current smokers (having smoked at least once in the last 30 days). The source of cigarettes (commercial, over-the-counter purchases; or social, borrowing or obtaining from someone else) was the dependent variable, and multivariable logistic regression was employed to determine its association with independent variables (i.e. sociodemographics, smoking behavior, and knowledge of laws prohibiting sales of cigarettes to youth).

RESULTS: Over half (54.3%) of current smokers obtained cigarettes from commercial sources, with a proportion nearly two times higher (84.2% vs 43.7%) among frequent smokers (i.e. those smoking more than 20 days per month) compared to less-frequent smokers, and among young males (56.5% vs 32.0%) compared young females. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that in urban areas, young females (AOR=12.5, 95% CI: 1.38-99.8) frequent smokers (AOR=4.41, 95% CI: 2.05-9.46), and those studying in lower (AOR=3.76, 95% CI: 1.41-10.02) and upper secondary (AOR=4.74, 95% CI: 1.72-13.06) school students were more likely to obtain cigarettes from a commercial source. On the other hand, in rural areas, only frequent smokers were more likely to get their cigarettes from commercial sources, whilst other variables were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of youth smokers who obtained cigarettes from commercial sources appeared to be high, suggesting that law enforcement and health promotion activities should be enhanced to reduce the rate of smoking among Malaysian youth.
Raised levels of Il-6, Il-17a, and Il-22 in fatal leptospirosis

Wan Yusoff WSY, Abdullah M, Sekawi Z, Amran F, Yuhana MY, Mohd Taib N, et al.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 2019 Dec;38(12):2349-2353.
PMID: 31529307 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-019-03699-5

Clinical manifestations of leptospirosis range from mild, common cold-like illness, to a life-threatening condition. The host immune response has been hypothesized to play a major role in leptospirosis outcome. Increased levels of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines, may promote tissue damage that lead to increased disease severity. The question is whether cytokines levels may predict the outcome of leptospirosis and guide patient management. This study aimed to assess the association between Th1-, Th2-, and Th17-related cytokines with the clinical outcome of patients with leptospirosis. Different cytokine levels were measured in fifty-two plasma samples of hospitalized patients diagnosed with leptospirosis in Malaysia (January 2016-December 2017). Patients were divided into two separate categories: survived (n = 40) and fatal outcome (n = 12). Nineteen plasma samples from healthy individuals were obtained as controls. Cytokine quantification was performed using Simple Plex™ assays from ProteinSimple (San Jose, CA, USA). Measurements were done in triplicate and statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad software and SPSS v20. IL-6 (p = 0.033), IL-17A (p = 0.022), and IL-22 (p = 0.046) were significantly elevated in fatal cases. IL-17A concentration (OR 1.115; 95% CI 1.010-1.231) appeared to be an independent predictor of fatality of leptospirosis. Significantly higher levels of TNF-α (p ≤ 0.0001), IL-6 (p ≤ 0.0001), IL-10 (p ≤ 0.0001), IL-12 (p ≤ 0.0001), IL17A (p ≤ 0.0001), and IL-18 (p ≤ 0.0001) were observed among leptospirosis patients in comparison with healthy controls. Our study shows that certain cytokine levels may serve as possible prognostic biomarkers in leptospirosis patients.
Motives for using Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) among regular users in Malaysia

Singh D, Narayanan S, Müller CP, Swogger MT, Chear NJY, Dzulkapli EB, et al.

J Ethnopharmacol, 2019 Apr 06;233:34-40.
PMID: 30594604 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.12.038

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The leaves of Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) or kratom have been traditionally used in Malaysia and Thailand mainly to enhance work productivity, as a folk remedy for treating common ailments, and as a mood enhancer.
AIM OF THE STUDY: This present study sought to investigate kratom use motives among regular kratom users in Malaysia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 116 regular kratom users were recruited for this cross-sectional survey. The Drinking Motives Questionnaire (DMQ) was administered to measure kratom use motives.
RESULTS: Our results indicate that heavy (>3 glasses daily, each glass contains 48.24-50.4 mg of mitragynine) kratom use was associated with coping (t87.09 =3.544, p 3 glasses daily) kratom consumption (p 3 glasses daily) kratom consumption among regular kratom users in traditional, rural settings.
Risk Factors for Illicit Drug Use Among Malaysian Male Adolescents

Rodzlan Hasani WS, Miaw Yn JL, Saminathan TA, Robert Lourdes TG, Ramly R, Abd Hamid HA, et al.

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2019 11;31(8_suppl):48S-56S.
PMID: 31347375 DOI: 10.1177/1010539519865053

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of illicit drug use and its associated factors among male adolescents in Malaysia. Data of 13 135 adolescents were extracted from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2017, a cross-sectional survey among school-going adolescents in Malaysia aged between 13 and 17 years, using a 2-stage stratified cluster sampling. A complex sample design analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were applied. The overall prevalence of lifetime illicit drug use among male adolescents was 6.6%. The multivariable model showed that illicit drug use among male adolescents were associated with younger age, rural school area, marital status of parent, current smoker, ever having sex, truancy, involved in physical fight, and lack of peer support. The findings from this study can assist community and relevant authorities in their efforts to combat illicit drug usage among adolescents using intervention programs that diminishes risk factors and enhances the protective factors.
A community-based comprehensive intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk in hypertension (HOPE 4): a cluster-randomised controlled trial

Schwalm JD, McCready T, Lopez-Jaramillo P, Yusoff K, Attaran A, Lamelas P, et al.

Lancet, 2019 10 05;394(10205):1231-1242.
PMID: 31488369 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31949-X

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease globally. Despite proven benefits, hypertension control is poor. We hypothesised that a comprehensive approach to lowering blood pressure and other risk factors, informed by detailed analysis of local barriers, would be superior to usual care in individuals with poorly controlled or newly diagnosed hypertension. We tested whether a model of care involving non-physician health workers (NPHWs), primary care physicians, family, and the provision of effective medications, could substantially reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
METHODS: HOPE 4 was an open, community-based, cluster-randomised controlled trial involving 1371 individuals with new or poorly controlled hypertension from 30 communities (defined as townships) in Colombia and Malaysia. 16 communities were randomly assigned to control (usual care, n=727), and 14 (n=644) to the intervention. After community screening, the intervention included treatment of cardiovascular disease risk factors by NPHWs using tablet computer-based simplified management algorithms and counselling programmes; free antihypertensive and statin medications recommended by NPHWs but supervised by physicians; and support from a family member or friend (treatment supporter) to improve adherence to medications and healthy behaviours. The primary outcome was the change in Framingham Risk Score 10-year cardiovascular disease risk estimate at 12 months between intervention and control participants. The HOPE 4 trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01826019.
FINDINGS: All communities completed 12-month follow-up (data on 97% of living participants, n=1299). The reduction in Framingham Risk Score for 10-year cardiovascular disease risk was -6·40% (95% CI 8·00 to -4·80) in the control group and -11·17% (-12·88 to -9·47) in the intervention group, with a difference of change of -4·78% (95% CI -7·11 to -2·44, p<0·0001). There was an absolute 11·45 mm Hg (95% CI -14·94 to -7·97) greater reduction in systolic blood pressure, and a 0·41 mmol/L (95% CI -0·60 to -0·23) reduction in LDL with the intervention group (both p<0·0001). Change in blood pressure control status (<140 mm Hg) was 69% in the intervention group versus 30% in the control group (p<0·0001). There were no safety concerns with the intervention.
INTERPRETATION: A comprehensive model of care led by NPHWs, involving primary care physicians and family that was informed by local context, substantially improved blood pressure control and cardiovascular disease risk. This strategy is effective, pragmatic, and has the potential to substantially reduce cardiovascular disease compared with current strategies that are typically physician based.
FUNDING: Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Grand Challenges Canada; Ontario SPOR Support Unit and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care; Boehringer Ingelheim; Department of Management of Non-Communicable Diseases, WHO; and Population Health Research Institute. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
Fulltext The political economy of health financing reform in Malaysia

Croke K, Mohd Yusoff MB, Abdullah Z, Mohd Hanafiah AN, Mokhtaruddin K, Ramli ES, et al.

Health Policy Plan, 2019 Dec 01;34(10):732-739.
PMID: 31563946 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czz089

There is growing evidence that political economy factors are central to whether or not proposed health financing reforms are adopted, but there is little consensus about which political and institutional factors determine the fate of reform proposals. One set of scholars see the relative strength of interest groups in favour of and opposed to reform as the determining factor. An alternative literature identifies aspects of a country's political institutions-specifically the number and strength of formal 'veto gates' in the political decision-making process-as a key predictor of reform's prospects. A third group of scholars highlight path dependence and 'policy feedback' effects, stressing that the sequence in which health policies are implemented determines the set of feasible reform paths, since successive policy regimes bring into existence patterns of public opinion and interest group mobilization which can lock in the status quo. We examine these theories in the context of Malaysia, a successful health system which has experienced several instances of proposed, but ultimately blocked, health financing reforms. We argue that policy feedback effects on public opinion were the most important factor inhibiting changes to Malaysia's health financing system. Interest group opposition was a closely related factor; this opposition was particularly powerful because political leaders perceived that it had strong public support. Institutional veto gates, by contrast, played a minimal role in preventing health financing reform in Malaysia. Malaysia's dramatic early success at achieving near-universal access to public sector healthcare at low cost created public opinion resistant to any change which could threaten the status quo. We conclude by analysing the implications of these dynamics for future attempts at health financing reform in Malaysia.
Fulltext The EMPOWER-SUSTAIN e-Health Intervention to improve patient activation and self-management behaviours among individuals with metabolic syndrome in primary care: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

Daud MH, Ramli AS, Abdul-Razak S, Isa MR, Yusoff FH, Baharudin N, et al.

Trials, 2020 Apr 05;21(1):311.
PMID: 32248825 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-04237-x

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies conducted in various parts of the world have clearly demonstrated that metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an increasing global health problem, not only in Western societies but also in Asian populations. Web-based and mobile phone-based self-management applications have been proven to be effective in improving self-management behaviour of patients with MetS components (i.e., diabetes or hypertension). However, evidence is lacking in terms of their effectiveness specifically for patients with MetS. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility and potential effectiveness of the EMPOWER-SUSTAIN Self-Management e-Health Intervention in improving activation and self-management behaviours among patients with MetS. This paper presents the study protocol.

METHODS: A pilot randomised controlled trial will be conducted in a university primary care clinic. A total of 232 patients aged 18-60 years with MetS will be recruited; 116 will be randomised to receive the EMPOWER-SUSTAIN intervention for 6 months, and another 116 patients will continue with usual care. The EMPOWER-SUSTAIN intervention is a multifaceted chronic disease management strategy based on the Chronic Care Model and persuasive technology theory. It consists of training primary care physicians, nurses and patients to use the EMPOWER-SUSTAIN web-based self-management mobile app, strengthening the patient-physician relationship and reinforcing the use of relevant clinical practice guidelines to guide management and prescribing. The primary outcome is the mean change in patient activation score using the Patient Activation Measure short form Malay version (PAM-13-M) questionnaire. The secondary outcomes include the changes in waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, patient physical activity level, eating behaviour, perception of chronic illness care, satisfaction with patient-physician interaction, and perceived absolute 10-year cardiovascular disease risk. Feasibility of implementing the intervention will be evaluated. This includes acceptability of the intervention, estimating the likely rate of participant recruitment and retention, appropriateness of the outcome measures, calculation of sample size, and the intervention's potential effectiveness.

CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study in Malaysia that aims to determine the feasibility of a multifaceted e-health intervention, as well as to indicate more useful aspects of this intervention for further exploration in a larger trial.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04120779. Registered on 9 October 2019, protocol version 1.
Fulltext Herbal-Based Formulation Containing Eurycoma longifolia and Labisia pumila Aqueous Extracts: Safe for Consumption?

Teh BP, Ahmad N, Ibnu Rasid EN, Zolkifli NA, Sastu Zakaria UR, Mohamed Yusoff N, et al.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel), 2021 Feb 10;14(2).
PMID: 33579048 DOI: 10.3390/ph14020142

A combined polyherbal formulation containing tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) and kacip fatimah (Labisia pumila) aqueous extracts was evaluated for its safety aspect. A repeated dose 28-day toxicity study using Wistar rats was conducted where the polyherbal formulation was administered at doses 125, 500 and 2000 mg/kg body weight to male and female treatment groups daily via oral gavage, with rats receiving only water as the control group. In-life parameters measured include monitoring of food and water consumption and clinical and functional observations. On day 29, blood was collected for haematological and biochemical analysis. The rats were necropsied and the organs were collected for histopathological examination. This study showed that the combined formulation did not induce any significant toxicity effect at any dose level in terms of morbidity, mortality, behaviour, functional observation, body weight, food and water consumption, whole blood haematology and serum biochemistry. However, there were some microscopic changes in the histopathological examinations of some organs given 2000 mg/kg body weight, which may suggest an early response to the polyherbal formulation. From this study, the no observed adverse effect level is estimated to be more than 500 mg/kg body weight but not exceeding 2000 mg/kg body weight. The observed effects at the highest dose indicate the need for further study of longer dosing duration.
Fulltext Prevalence of obesity and its associated risk factors among the elderly in Malaysia: Findings from The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2015

Ariaratnam S, Rodzlan Hasani WS, Krishnapillai AD, Abd Hamid HA, Jane Ling MY, Ho BK, et al.

PLoS One, 2020;15(9):e0238566.
PMID: 32915860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238566

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a crucial public health problem and is rising globally. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of obesity and its associated factors among the elderly in Malaysia.
METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2015. This was a cross sectional population-based study using a two stage stratified random sampling design. Elderly population aged 60 years and above was selected. Data were collected using pre-tested self-administered questionnaire in the form of sociodemographic profile, non-communicable diseases (NCD) comorbidities (status on hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia) and NCD risk factors (current smoker and physical activity). Obesity has been defined using the World Health Organization (WHO) Body Mass Index (BMI) guideline, 1998. A complex sampling design analysis was used for the descriptive statistics. The associated risk factors for obesity were identified using Multiple Logistic Regression analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 3794 respondents were included in this study. The prevalence of obesity among Malaysian elderly was 30.2%. The prevalence of obesity among the elderly was significantly higher in females, respondents from urban areas and Indians. Approximately one third of the elderly with non-communicable diseases such as hypertension (33.1%) and diabetes (38.8%), respectively, were obese. Among elderly who were obese, majority of them (89.8%) had at least one NCD. The prevalence of obesity was 16.8% among current smokers (aOR 0.59). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that elderly females (aOR [adjusted odds ratio] 1.52), having secondary education (aOR 1.96) with household income of RM 3000 and above (aOR 1.57) as well as being hypertensive (aOR 1.61) and diabetic (aOR 1.50) were more likely to be obese. In contrast, the Chinese elderly respondents (aOR 0.62) and current smokers (aOR 0.59) were less likely to be obese. There were no significant associations of obesity with hypercholesterolemia or with physical activity.
CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of Malaysian elderly were obese, and factors associated with obesity among them were being female, having secondary education with a household income of RM 3000 and above and being hypertensive or diabetic. Enhanced health promotion and education should be targeted at younger people in order to prevent obesity in the later years.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2015)
Fulltext Prevalence of cigarette smoking and its associated factors among male adolescents in Malaysia [Abstract]

Ling JMY, Hasani WSR, Mohd Yusoff MF, Abd Hamid HA, Lim KH, Tee GH, et al.

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(106):34-34.
MyJurnal

ABSTRACTS FOR THE 1ST INTERNATIONAL BORNEO HEALTHCARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE AND 4TH BORNEO TROPICAL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONGRESS. New Frontiers in Health: Expecting the Unexpected
Held at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. 3rd-5th September 2019
Introduction: Smoking kills 5 million people a year and it is known to cause several types of cancer and chronic diseases. Majority of smokers started smoking during adolescence and therefore preventing tobacco use among adolescents is critical to prevent them from future smoking. Our study aims to investigate the prevalence of current cigarette smoking and its associated factors among male adolescents in Malaysia.
Methods: Data was obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS): Adolescent Health Survey (AHS) 2017 which was a cross-sectional study. A two-stage stratified cluster sampling design was used to select a nationally representative sample of school-going adolescents in Malaysia. Data collection was conducted using a validated self-administered questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the associated factors of current cigarette smoking among male adolescents in Malaysia.
Results: Approximately one-fifth (22.4%) of male adolescents were current cigarette smokers. Male adolescents who aged 16-17 years, from rural schools, those whose parents were widowed/ divorced/ separated, those who had either one or both parents/guardians who used tobacco product, those who were current illicit drug users and current alcohol users were more likely to be current cigarette smokers.
Conclusion: A substantial percentage of Malaysian male adolescents were current cigarette smokers. Anti-smoking campaigns and tobacco prevention initiatives should be targeted at adolescents at risk to prevent them from becoming cigarette smokers.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2017)
Adsorption mechanism and effectiveness of phenol and tannic acid removal by biochar produced from oil palm frond using steam pyrolysis

Lawal AA, Hassan MA, Ahmad Farid MA, Tengku Yasim-Anuar TA, Samsudin MH, Mohd Yusoff MZ, et al.

Environ Pollut, 2021 Jan 15;269:116197.
PMID: 33316496 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116197

In order to meet the growing demand for adsorbents to treat wastewater effectively, there has been increased interest in using sustainable biomass feedstocks. In this present study, the dermal tissue of oil palm frond was pyrolyzed with superheated steam at 500 °C to produce nanoporous biochar as bioadsorbent. The effect of operating conditions was investigated to understand the adsorption mechanism and to enhance the adsorption of phenol and tannic acid. The biochar had a microporous structure with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 422 m2/g containing low polar groups. The adsorption capacity of 62.89 mg/g for phenol and 67.41 mg/g for tannic acid were obtained using 3 g/L biochar dosage after 8 h of treatment at solution pH of 6.5 and temperature of 45 °C. The Freundlich model had the best fit to the isotherm data of phenol (R2 of 0.9863), while the Langmuir model best elucidated the isotherm data of tannic acid (R2 of 0.9632). These indicated that the biochar-phenol interface was associated with a heterogeneous multilayer sorption mechanism, while the biochar-tannic acid interface had a nonspecific monolayer sorption mechanism. The residual concentration of 26.3 mg/L phenol and 23.1 mg/L tannic acid was achieved when treated from 260 mg/L three times consecutively with 1 g/L biochar dosage, compared to a reduction to 72.3 mg/L phenol and 69.9 mg/L tannic acid using 3 g/L biochar dosage in a single treatment. The biochar exhibited effective adsorption of phenol and tannic acid, making it possible to treat effluents that contain varieties of phenolic compounds.
Fulltext Corrigendum to "Inventory and composting of yard waste in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia" [Heliyon 6 (7) (July 2020) 04486]

Abdul Rahman MH, Sadi T, Ahmad AA, Masri IN, Mohammad Yusoff M, Kamaruddin H, et al.

Heliyon, 2020 Aug;6(8):e04748.
PMID: 32885080 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04748

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04486.].
Fulltext Association between Availability of Neighborhood Fast Food Outlets and Overweight Among 5⁻18 Year-Old Children in Peninsular Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Chee Cheong K, Yoon Ling C, Kuang Hock L, Mohd Ghazali S, Chien Huey T, Che Ibrahim MK, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 02 18;16(4).
PMID: 30781699 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16040593

A growing number of fast-food outlets in close proximity to residential areas raises a question as to its impact on childhood overweight and obesity. This study aimed at determining the relationship between the availability of fast-food outlets that were in close proximity to residential areas and overweight among Malaysian children aged 5 to 18 years. Measurement data on the weight and height of 5544 children (2797 boys, 2747 girls) were obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011. Overweight (including obesity) is defined as BMI-for-age z-score > +1 SD based on the WHO growth reference. Geographic information system geospatial analysis was performed to determine the number of fast-food outlets within 1000 m radius from the children's residential address. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between the availability of fast-food outlets (none or more than one outlet) and overweight with adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, monthly household income, parental educational level, residential area and supermarket density. Our results showed that the prevalence of overweight was 25.0% and there was a statistically significant association between the density of fast-food outlets and overweight (odds ratio: 1.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.47). Our study suggested that the availability of fast-food outlets with close proximity in residential areas was significantly associated with being overweight among children. Limiting the number of fast-food outlets in residential areas could have a significant effect in reducing the prevalence of overweight among Malaysian children.
Fulltext A Review on Haematococcus pluvialis Bioprocess Optimization of Green and Red Stage Culture Conditions for the Production of Natural Astaxanthin

Oslan SNH, Shoparwe NF, Yusoff AH, Rahim AA, Chang CS, Tan JS, et al.

Biomolecules, 2021 02 10;11(2).
PMID: 33578851 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020256

As the most recognizable natural secondary carotenoid astaxanthin producer, the green microalga Haematococcus pluvialis cultivation is performed via a two-stage process. The first is dedicated to biomass accumulation under growth-favoring conditions (green stage), and the second stage is for astaxanthin evolution under various stress conditions (red stage). This mini-review discusses the further improvement made on astaxanthin production by providing an overview of recent works on H. pluvialis, including the valuable ideas for bioprocess optimization on cell growth, and the current stress-exerting strategies for astaxanthin pigment production. The effects of nutrient constituents, especially nitrogen and carbon sources, and illumination intensity are emphasized during the green stage. On the other hand, the significance of the nitrogen depletion strategy and other exogenous factors comprising salinity, illumination, and temperature are considered for the astaxanthin inducement during the red stage. In short, any factor that interferes with the cellular processes that limit the growth or photosynthesis in the green stage could trigger the encystment process and astaxanthin formation during the red stage. This review provides an insight regarding the parameters involved in bioprocess optimization for high-value astaxanthin biosynthesis from H. pluvialis.

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