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Fulltext Correlations between control of COVID-19 transmission and influenza occurrences in Malaysia

Tang KHD, Chin BLF

Public Health, 2021 Sep;198:96-101.
PMID: 34391039 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2021.07.007

OBJECTIVES: The transmission of COVID-19 has sent Malaysia into cycles of tightening and relaxation of movement control, which are still continuing currently in line with local fluctuations of new COVID-19 cases. During movement control, measures comprising physical distancing, hand cleaning or sanitizing, and sanitization of premises are consistently implemented while self-isolation and travel restrictions are adaptively enforced. This study aims to examine if the control of COVID-19 transmission has an effect on the national influenza occurrences as some measures for COVID-19 control are similar to those for influenza.
STUDY DESIGN: For this study, data of weekly new cases of influenza and COVID-19 were obtained from official platforms for non-parametric statistical analysis.
METHODS: This study compared the influenza occurrences before and after the onset of COVID-19 using the Mann-Whitney U-test and explored Spearman's correlations between COVID-19 and influenza incidences after the onset of COVID-19.
RESULTS: It shows that influenza incidences before and after the onset of COVID-19 were significantly different and that influenza cases have significantly reduced after the onset of COVID-19. The weekly cases of influenza and COVID-19 were significantly and negatively correlated.
CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the co-benefits of COVID-19 control measures and alleviates the concern for the risk of COVID-19 and influenza co-infection.
Impacts of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease on commercial shrimp aquaculture

Tang KFJ, Bondad-Reantaso MG

Rev. - Off. Int. Epizoot., 2019 Sep;38(2):477-490.
PMID: 31866681 DOI: 10.20506/rst.38.2.2999

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) has caused severe losses in farmed populations of marine shrimp Penaeus vannamei and P. monodon. The causative agents are unique strains of the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus and related Vibrio species. The disease emerged in the People's Republic of China (China) and Vietnam in 2010 and spread throughout South-East Asia; it was later reported in countries in both North and South America. The disease has had significant economic impacts on the shrimp aquaculture industry. From 2010 to 2016, combined losses from China, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam due primarily to outbreaks of AHPND, including losses at the farm gate and those resulting from a drop in feed sales and exports, were estimated at over US$ 44 billion. Other economic losses include those associated with processing facilities, decreased community revenues resulting from increased unemployment, financial investments, and the costs of implementing diagnostic and control measures. The reduced employment opportunities and increases in debt burden and investment risk have had sociological impacts. The responses to the disease have led to a gradual recovery of the shrimp industry in affected countries. These response efforts have included the implementation of changes in farming systems and management, including, among others, enhanced biosecurity and the use of AHPND-free and AHPND-resistant shrimp. This situation of losses and recovery illustrates the importance of having a multi-level response plan in place to prevent, or to reduce the risk of, outbreaks of disease.
Fulltext Surface Dissolution UV Imaging for Investigation of Dissolution of Poorly Soluble Drugs and Their Amorphous Formulation

Long CM, Tang K, Chokshi H, Fotaki N

AAPS PharmSciTech, 2019 Feb 13;20(3):113.
PMID: 30761437 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-019-1317-z

The aim of this study is to investigate the dissolution properties of poorly soluble drugs from their pure form and their amorphous formulation under physiological relevant conditions for oral administration based on surface dissolution ultraviolet (UV) imaging. Dissolution of two poorly soluble drugs (cefuroxime axetil and itraconazole) and their amorphous formulations (Zinnat® and Sporanox®) was studied with the Sirius Surface Dissolution Imager (SDI). Media simulating the fasted state conditions (compendial and biorelevant) with sequential media/flow rate change were used. The dissolution mechanism of cefuroxime axetil in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), fasted state simulated gastric fluid (FaSSGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) is predominantly swelling as opposed to the convective flow in fasted state simulated intestinal fluid (FaSSIF-V1), attributed to the effect of mixed micelles. For the itraconazole compact in biorelevant media, a clear upward diffusion of the dissolved itraconazole into the bulk buffer solution is observed. Dissolution of itraconazole from the Sporanox® compact is affected by the polyethylene glycol (PEG) gelling layer and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) matrix, and a steady diffusional dissolution pattern is revealed. A visual representation and a quantitative assessment of dissolution properties of poorly soluble compounds and their amorphous formulation can be obtained with the use of surface dissolution imaging under in vivo relevant conditions.
A simple and rapid HPLC-DAD method for simultaneously monitoring the accumulation of alkaloids and precursors in different parts and different developmental stages of Catharanthus roseus plants

Pan Q, Saiman MZ, Mustafa NR, Verpoorte R, Tang K

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci, 2016 Mar 1;1014:10-6.
PMID: 26854826 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2016.01.034

A rapid and simple reversed phase liquid chromatographic system has been developed for simultaneous analysis of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) and their precursors. This method allowed separation of 11 compounds consisting of eight TIAs (ajmalicine, serpentine, catharanthine, vindoline, vindolinine, vincristine, vinblastine, and anhydrovinblastine) and three related precursors i.e., tryptophan, tryptamine and loganin. The system has been applied for screening the TIAs and precursors in Catharanthus roseus plant extracts. In this study, different organs i.e., flowers, leaves, stems, and roots of C. roseus were investigated. The results indicate that TIAs and precursor accumulation varies qualitatively and quantitatively in different organs of C. roseus. The precursors showed much lower levels than TIAs in all organs. Leaves and flowers accumulate higher level of vindoline, catharanthine and anhydrovinblastine while roots have higher level of ajmalicine, vindolinine and serpentine. Moreover, the alkaloid profiles of leaves harvested at different ages and different growth stages were studied. The results show that the levels of monoindole alkaloids decreased while bisindole alkaloids increased with leaf aging and upon plant growth. The HPLC method has been successfully applied to detect TIAs and precursors in different types of C. roseus samples to facilitate further study of the TIA pathway and its regulation in C. roseus plants.
Fulltext Multidimensional impact of sport types on the psychological well-being of student athletes: A multivariate investigation

Li J, Leng Z, Tang K, Na M, Li Y, Shah Alam S

Heliyon, 2024 Jun 15;10(11):e32331.
PMID: 38947484 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32331

The correlation between sports participation and psychological well-being is well-documented, revealing a complex interplay influenced by competition level and cultural context. This is particularly relevant in Korea, where the university sports culture significantly impacts student life. This study evaluates how competitive versus non-competitive sports affect Korean university students' psychological well-being using a quantitative approach with SmartPLS 4 for multi-group analysis. Findings reveal that competitive sports significantly enhance mental toughness and stress management through structured coping mechanisms and robust social support, improving coping strategy effectiveness by 34 % compared to non-competitive sports. Conversely, participants in non-competitive sports experience greater general well-being with a 40 % higher use of informal support. These insights suggest that university sports programs could benefit from targeted interventions incorporating specific coping strategies and social support frameworks tailored to the competitive context. This research underscores the need for precise stress management techniques and resilience-building exercises in sports curricula to optimize psychological well-being across different sports environments in Korean universities.
Distinct haplotype profiles and strong linkage disequilibrium at the MDR1 multidrug transporter gene locus in three ethnic Asian populations

Tang K, Ngoi SM, Gwee PC, Chua JM, Lee EJ, Chong SS, et al.

Pharmacogenetics, 2002 Aug;12(6):437-50.
PMID: 12172212

The MDR1 multidrug transporter plays a key role in determining drug bioavailability, and differences in drug response exist amongst different ethnic groups. Numerous studies have identified an association between the MDR1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) exon 26 3435C>T and differences in MDR1 function. We performed a haplotype analysis of the MDR1 gene in three major ethnic groups (Chinese, Malays and Indians) by examining 10 intragenic SNPs. Four were polymorphic in all three ethnic groups: one occurring in the non-coding region and three occurring in coding exons. All three coding SNPs (exon 12 1236C>T, exon 21 2677G>T/A and exon 26 3435C>T) were present in high frequency in each ethnic group, and the derived haplotype profiles exhibited distinct differences between the groups. Fewer haplotypes were observed in the Malays (n = 6) compared to the Chinese (n = 10) and Indians (n = 9). Three major haplotypes (> 10% frequency) were observed in the Malays and Chinese; of these, two were observed in the Indians. Strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) was detected between the three SNPs in all three ethnic groups. The strongest LD was present in the Chinese, followed by Indians and Malays, with the corresponding LD blocks estimated to be approximately 80 kb, 60 kb and 40 kb, respectively. These data strongly support the hypothesis that strong LD between the neutral SNP exon 26 3435C>T and a nearby unobserved causal SNP underlies the observed associations between the neutral SNP and MDR1 functional differences. Furthermore, strong LD between exon 26 3435T and different unobserved causal SNPs in different study populations may provide a plausible explanation for conflicting reports associating the same exon 26 3435T allele with different MDR1 functional changes.
Ten-year fracture risk by FRAX and osteoporotic fractures in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases

Lai EL, Huang WN, Chen HH, Hsu CY, Chen DY, Hsieh TY, et al.

Lupus, 2019 Jul;28(8):945-953.
PMID: 31177913 DOI: 10.1177/0961203319855122

The Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) has been used universally for the purpose of fracture risk assessment. However, the predictive capacity of FRAX for autoimmune diseases remains inconclusive. This study aimed to compare the applicability of FRAX for autoimmune disease patients. This retrospective study recruited rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) patients with bone mineral density (BMD) tests. Patients with any osteoporotic fractures were identified. Taiwan-specific FRAX with and without BMD were then calculated. In total, 802 patients (451 RA, 233 SLE and 118 pSS) were enrolled in this study. The cumulative incidences of osteoporotic fractures in the RA, SLE and pSS patients were 43.0%, 29.2% and 33.1%, respectively. For those with a previous osteoporotic fracture, T-scores were classified as low bone mass. Overall, the patients' 10-year probability of major fracture risk by FRAX without BMD was 15.8%, which then increased to 20.3% after incorporation of BMD measurement. When analyzed by disease group, the fracture risk in RA patients was accurately predicted by FRAX. In contrast, current FRAX, either with or without BMD measurement, underestimated the fracture risk both in SLE and pSS patients, even after stratification by age and glucocorticoid treatment. For pSS patients with major osteoporotic fractures, FRAX risks imputed by RA were comparable to major osteoporotic fracture risks of RA patients. Current FRAX accurately predicted fracture probability in RA patients, but not in SLE and pSS patients. RA-imputed FRAX risk scores could be used as a temporary substitute for SLE and pSS patients.
Magnetic resonance imaging of Asians with multiple sclerosis was similar to that of the West

Chong HT, Ramli N, Lee KH, Kim BJ, Ursekar M, Dayananda K, et al.

Can J Neurol Sci, 2006 Feb;33(1):95-100.
PMID: 16583730

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is the most important paraclinical diagnostic test in multiple sclerosis (MS). The appearance of MRI in Asians with MS is not well defined. We retrospectively surveyed the first brain and spinal cord MRI in patients diagnosed to have MS, according to Poser's criteria in seven regions throughout Asia to define the MRI changes among Asians with MS. There were 101 patients with first brain, and 86 with first spinal cord MRI, 66 of whom had both. The brain MRI showed a mean of 17 lesions per patient in T2 weighted images, mostly asymptomatic. Almost all the lesions were in the white matter, particularly in the juxtacortical, deep and periventricular white matter. A third of the lesions were greater than 5 mm, 14% enhanced with gadolinium. There were more supratentorial than infratentorial lesions at a ratio of 7.5: 1. Ninety five percent of the spinal cord lesions were in cervical and thoracic regions, 34% enhanced with gadolinium. The lesions extended over a mean of 3.6 +/- 3.3 vertebral bodies in length. Fifty (50%) of the brain and 54 (63%) of the spinal MRI patients had the optic-spinal form of MS. The MRI of the optic-spinal and classical groups of patients were similar in appearance and distribution, except that the optic-spinal MS patients have fewer brain but longer and more severe spinal cord lesions. In conclusion, the brain and spinal cord MRI of Asian patients with MS was similar to that of the West, although, in this study, Asian MS patients had larger spinal cord lesions.