Overnutrition among older persons in a Maltese nursing home

Background: International studies on nursing home residents have demonstrated that undernutrition is a prevalent and serious health issue among this population of older persons. On the other hand, obesity is prevalent among the elderly in Malta. However, to date, there has been no published study on the nutritional status of elderly nursing home residents in Malta. Objective: To assess the nutritional status of Maltese nursing home residents and determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity. Method: Cross-sectional quantitative survey research was undertaken from 19 Jan to 23 Feb 04 using the full MiniNutritional Assessment (MNA) tool which includes Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement. Subjects: 43 eligible residents (23 females and 19 males) from one female and one male ward of St Vincent de Paul Residence (SVPR). Results: The prevalence of undernutrition was 9.5% and risk of undernutrition was 71.5%. The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obese residents was 7.1%, 35.7% and 26.2% respectively.peer-reviewe

Occupational Health Response to SARS

Emerging Infectious Diseases111167-168EIDI

Perbandingan tingkah laku sosial berdasarkan kumpulan etnik dalam kalangan generasi muda terpinggir di Malaysia

Artikel ini disediakanbertujuan untuk mengenalpastiperbandingan tingkah laku sosial berdasarkan kumpulan etnik dalam kalangan generasi mudaterpinggir di Malaysia. Kajian telah dijalankan dengan menggunakan reka bentuk tinjauan keratan-lintang secara kuantitatif. Seramai 4,107generasi mudapelbagai etnik yang tinggal di kawasan terpinggir dan berumur dalam lingkungan 15-25 tahun telahdipilih sebagai responden kajian. Data kajiantelah dianalisis dengan menggunakan ujianANOVA untuk mengenalpasti perbandingan tingkah laku sosial berdasarkan kumpulan etnik di Malaysia. Hasil kajian mendapati secara relatifnya, majoriti generasi muda pelbagai etnik yang tinggal di kawasan terpinggir tidak menunjukkan gangguan tingkah laku dan masalah emosi yang membimbangkan. Kesemua etnik generasi muda yang tinggal di kawasan terpinggir juga mempamerkan kemahiran prososial yang baik dan perlu dibanggakan. Hanya generasi muda dalam kalangan enik India sahaja menunjukkan masalah hubungan dengan rakan sebaya yang membimbangkan berbanding generasi muda terpinggir dalam kalangan pelbagai etnik lain di Malaysia. Analisis terhadap dimensi tingkah laku hiperaktif menunjukkan tingkah laku hiperaktif yang dipamerkan oleh generasi muda yang tinggal di kawasan terpinggir berada pada tahap yang membimbangkan. Hasil kajian memberi implikasi ke arah keperluan mewujudkan program-program pembangunan generasi muda masa hadapan yang lebih relevan dan terkini dengan keperluan semasa mereka. Usaha mempertingkatkan aspek tingkah laku hiperaktif dalam kalangan generasi muda pelbagai etnik di Malaysia adalah diperlukan bagi membantu mencapai matlamat negara ke arah pembentukan perpaduan dan generasi muda yang sejahtera

Consumer perceived value of organic vegetables: Does ethnic group matter?

This study examined the role of ethnic groups on factors influencing the perceived value of organic vegetables among consumers in Malaysia. An online survey questionnaire collected 385 responses. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the validity, reliability, hypothesis testing, importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) of the study constructs. Partial least squares-multi-group analysis (PLS-MGA) was employed to examine whether there are significant differences among various ethnic groups. The findings revealed that food safety concerns, health concerns, and trust in organic food claim significantly influenced the consumer perceived value of organic vegetables. This study offers new findings regarding the role of ethnic groups in explaining significant differences among consumers toward the perceived value of organic vegetables. It also provides essential information to the ministry of agriculture, organic farmers, dealers, and retailers in developing marketing strategies and expansion plans to achieve higher household expenditures on organic vegetables

Colorectal cancer screening: Barriers to the faecal occult blood test (FOBT) and colonoscopy in Singapore

Introduction: This study aims to identify the barriers to adopting faecal occult blood test (FOBT) and colonoscopy as colorectal cancer (CRC) screening methods among the eligible target population of Singapore. Materials and methods: This study was previously part of a randomised controlled trial reported elsewhere. Data was collected from Singapore residents aged 50 and above, via a household sample survey. The study recruited subjects who were aware of CRC screening methods, and interviewed them about the barriers to screening that they faced. Collected results on barriers to each screening method were analysed separately. Results: Out of the 343 subjects, 85 (24.8%) recruited knew about FOBT and/or colonoscopy. Most of the respondents (48.9%) cited not having symptoms as the reason for not using the FOBT. This is followed by inconvenience (31.1%), not having any family history of colon cancer (28.9%), lack of time (28.9%) and lack of reminders/recommendation (28.9%). Of the respondents who indicated not choosing colonoscopy as a screening method, more than one-half (54.8%) identified not having any symptoms as the main barrier for them, followed by not having any family history (38.7%) and having a healthy/low-risk lifestyle (29.0%). There was no difference between the reported barriers to each of the screening methods and the respondents\u27 dwelling types. Conclusions: Lack of knowledge, particularly the misconceptions of not having symptoms and being healthy, were identified as the main barriers to FOBT and colonoscopy as screening methods. Interventions to increase the uptake of CRC screening in this population should be tailored to address this misconception

Comparison of Body Mass Index (BMI), Body Adiposity Index (BAI), Waist Circumference (WC), Waist-To-Hip Ratio (WHR) and Waist-To-Height Ratio (WHtR) as predictors of cardiovascular disease risk factors in an adult population in Singapore

10.1371/journal.pone.0122985PLoS ONE104e012298

Unravelling the genome of long chain N-acylhomoserine lactone-producing Acinetobacter sp. strain GG2 and identification of its quorum sensing synthase gene

Myriad proteobacteria use N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) molecules as quorum-sensing (QS) signals to regulate different physiological functions, including virulence, antibiotic production and biofilm formation. Many of these proteobacteria possess LuxI/LuxR system as the QS mechanism. Recently, we reported the 3.89 Mb genome of Acinetobacter sp. strain GG2. In this work, the genome of this long chain AHL-producing bacterium was unravelled which led to the molecular characterization of luxI homlogue, designated as aciI. This 552 bp gene was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The purified protein was approximately 20.5 kDa and is highly similar to several autoinducer proteins of LuxI family among Acinetobacter species. To verify the AHL synthesis activity of this protein, high resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed the production of 3-oxo-dodecanoyl homoserine lactone and 3-hydroxy dodecanoyl homoserine lactone from induced E.coli harboring the recombinant AciI. Our data show for the first time, the cloning and characterization of the luxI homologue from Acinetobacter sp. strain GG2, and confirmation of its AHLs production. These data are of great significance as the annotated genome of strain GG2 has provided a valuable insight in the study of autoinducer molecules and its roles in QS mechanism of the bacterium

Patients with more comorbidities have better detection of chronic conditions, but poorer management and control:findings from six middle-income countries

Background The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is rising rapidly in middle-income countries (MICs), where NCDs are often undiagnosed, untreated and uncontrolled. How comorbidity impacts diagnosis, treatment, and control of NCDs is an emerging area of research inquiry and have important clinical implications as highlighted in the recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for treating patients suffering from multiple NCDs. This is the first study to examine the association between increasing numbers of comorbidities with being undiagnosed, untreated, and uncontrolled for NCDs, in 6 large MICs. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of the World Health Organisation Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health (WHO SAGE) Wave 1 (2007–10), which consisted of adults aged ≥18 years from 6 populous MICs, including China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa (overall n = 41, 557). Results A higher number of comorbidities was associated with better odds of diagnosis for hypertension, angina, and arthritis, and higher odds of having treatment for hypertension and angina. However, more comorbidities were associated with increased odds of uncontrolled hypertension, angina, arthritis, and asthma. Comorbidity with concordant conditions was associated with improved diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and angina. Conclusion Patients with more comorbidities have better diagnosis of chronic conditions, but this does not translate into better management and control of these conditions. Patients with multiple NCDs are high users of health services and are at an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Hence, improving their access to care is a priority for healthcare systems

Characterization of N-acylhomoserine lactone-degrading bacteria associated with the Zingiber officinale (ginger) rhizosphere: Co-existence of quorum quenching and quorum sensing in Acinetobacter and Burkholderia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cell-to-cell communication (quorum sensing (QS)) co-ordinates bacterial behaviour at a population level. Consequently the behaviour of a natural multi-species community is likely to depend at least in part on co-existing QS and quorum quenching (QQ) activities. Here we sought to discover novel <it>N</it>-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL)-dependent QS and QQ strains by investigating a bacterial community associated with the rhizosphere of ginger (<it>Zingiber officinale) </it>growing in the Malaysian rainforest.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>By using a basal growth medium containing <it>N</it>-(3-oxohexanoyl)homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL) as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen, the ginger rhizosphere associated bacteria were enriched for strains with AHL-degrading capabilities. Three isolates belonging to the genera <it>Acinetobacter </it>(GG2), <it>Burkholderia </it>(GG4) and <it>Klebsiella </it>(Se14) were identified and selected for further study. Strains GG2 and Se14 exhibited the broadest spectrum of AHL-degrading activities via lactonolysis while GG4 reduced 3-oxo-AHLs to the corresponding 3-hydroxy compounds. In GG2 and GG4, QQ was found to co-exist with AHL-dependent QS and GG2 was shown to inactivate both self-generated and exogenously supplied AHLs. GG2, GG4 and Se14 were each able to attenuate virulence factor production in both human and plant pathogens.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Collectively our data show that ginger rhizosphere bacteria which make and degrade a wide range of AHLs are likely to play a collective role in determining the QS-dependent phenotype of a polymicrobial community.</p

Perbandingan tingkah laku sosial berdasarkan gender antara generasi muda tinggal di kawasan terpinggir dan arus perdana di Malaysia

This article aims to compare social behaviors (peer to peer problem, hyperactive behavior, prosocial behavior, behavioral disorder and emotional problem) based on gender (male and female) among young people living in marginalised and mainstream area. This study used quantitative design and cross-sectional approach. A total of 5,237 young people (15-25 years old) were selected as respondents. They were grouped based on their residence area, namely as marginalised and mainstream. For data analysis, t-test was used in this study. Both group in this study were analyzed separately according to respondents’ residence area. For marginalised young people, T-test showed that there were no significant difference in term of gender towards peer to peer problems [t (3556) = 1.62, p = .103] and hyperactive behavior [t (3556) = 1.46, p = .144]. On the other hand, result revealed that there were significant difference in term on gender towards prosocial behavior [t (3556) = 4.85, p = .001], behavioral disorders [t (3556) = 4.83, p = .001] = 3.00, p = .003] and emotional problems [t (3556) = 3.00, p = .003] among these marginalised young people. As for young people in the mainstream area, no significant difference occurred between female and male towards peer to peer problems [t (1667) = 1.10, p = .270], hyperactive behavior [t (1667) = .66, p = .511] and behavioral disorders [t (1667) = .76, p = .449]. However, for this group, significant difference do exist in term of gender towards prosocial behaviors [t (1667) = 2.80, p = .525] and emotional problems [t (1667) = 5.54, p = .001]. These findings have implications on the efforts of stakeholders in developing future programs that can empower social behavior and enhance the development of identity for young generation based on gender living in marginalised or mainstream area in Malaysia