A web-based tailored diet management tool (DMT) in managing diabetes patients

Diet Management Tool (DMT) merupakan sistem penilaian nutrisi yang telah dibangunkan oleh kumpulan penyelidik dari Program Dietetik, Pusat Pengajian Sains Kesihatan, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Sistem tersebut telah digunakan dalam kaunseling diet ke atas pesakit diabetes yang mendapatkan rawatan di Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) bagi menggantikan kaunseling diet secara tradisional (rutin). Kajian ini dijalankan untuk melihat keberkesanan kaunseling diet menggunakan DMT dalam menambahbaik nilai antropometri, biokimia dan corak pemakanan dalam pengurusan diet bagi pesakit diabetes jenis 2. Kajian secara rawak (RCT) dilakukan ke atas 50 orang pesakit diabetes jenis 2 berumur di antara 30-55 tahun yang dibahagikan kepada dua kumpulan iaitu 22 orang di dalam kumpulan kawalan (KK) dan 28 orang di dalam kumpulan intervensi (KI). Diet Management Tool (DMT) is a nutrition assessment system developed by the researchers from Dietetic Programme, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). The web-based system has been applied in dietary counselling for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), replacing the standardised dietary counselling approach. This study examined the effectiveness of the dietary counselling using the DMT in the improvement of dietary management of type 2 diabetes patients in anthropometric, biochemical measurements and dietary intake pattern. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) was performed on 50 participants aged between 30-55 years old with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the traditional dietary counselling (CG) (control group, n=22) and the DMT (IG) (intervention group, n=28)

The use of weight loss products and body mass index among university students in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Body mass index (BMI) was one of the reasons people used weight loss products to lose weight. The purpose of this study is to look into the use of weight loss products and their relationship to BMI and associated factors. A cross-sectional study with convenient sampling was conducted on 133 students from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian (USMKK) Health Campus. Participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire that included sociodemographic information, self-reported weight and height for BMI, weight loss product use, weight loss product usage characteristics, body weight perception and satisfaction, and weight loss product perception. The majority of participants were female (78.2%), 80.5% were Malay, and the mean age was 22 ± 3.1 years old. Majority had a normal BMI (56.4%), whereas 16.5% were underweight, 18.8% were overweight, and 8.3% were obese. Nevertheless, only 10.5% of participants utilised weight loss products. It was discovered that the use of weight loss products is statistically associated with BMI, with a high proportion of users having an overweight or obese BMI (p=0.042). Those who reported using a weight loss product had a higher BMI [25.56 (IQR 6.6) kg/m2 ] than those who did not [21.35 (IQR 5.3) kg/m2 ] (p = 0.015). The use of weight loss products was also statistically associated with perceived product safety (p=0.041) and body weight dissatisfaction (p=0.011). Universities should therefore provide students with appropriate weight loss advice, up-to date information on the safety and efficacy of various weight loss products, and opportunities to enhance their knowledge, self-efficacy, and social support. For future research, it is suggested to wider the research population to overweight and obese adults in Kelantan

A comparison between goat milk and cow milk supplementation on nutritional status among paediatrics with cerebral palsy in Kelantan

Goat milk (GM) can be used as an alternative if cerebral palsy (CP) children are unable to tolerate cow milk. The purpose of this study was to compare the anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and dietary intake of powdered GM versus CM among CP children in Kelantan, Malaysia. The study consists of two phases: Phase 1 focuses on determining and analysing the proximate and fatty acids profile of GM and CM, while Phase 2 involves the intervention study. In Phase 1, a grand total of 20 GM samples were analysed, along with 1 GM sample (reference) and 1 CM sample. The study’s criteria for references on GM and CM involved the use of powdered full cream milk as a primary ingredient or the most popular brand among consumers. Meanwhile, during Phase 2 of the study (quasi-experimental design, single blind), a total of 87 children with CP were randomly assigned to either goat milk (GM, n=43) or cow milk (CM, n=44). The research achieved an 82.1% response rate. The study included children between the ages of 4 and 12, but excluded those with severe cases of CP who needed special nutritional requirements such as inborn error metabolism, tube feedings, and cow milk protein allergy (CMPA). In the intervention group, the mean age was 9.05 ± 2.30 years, while in the control group, it was 8.27 ± 2.55 years. The gender distribution was as follows: in the GM group, 53.5% were male and 46.5% were female, while in the CM group, 70.5% were male and 29.5% were female. Milk powder in the form of a sachet (21-23 grams, twice a day) was provided from the start of the study until the end of the 4 months (3 meetings; baseline, 2-months, and 4-months). Anthropometric data (weight, height, BMI, MUAC, triceps and subscapular skinfold measurements, body fat percentage), biochemical data (hemoglobin and hematocrit), clinical data (systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate), and dietary intake were gathered from baseline to 4-months. The Phase 1 study found that only nine GM samples out of 20 contained pure GM (based on the ingredient label), and sample G17 was chosen as goat milk for Phase 2 because it contained the highest medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) content of 2803.9 mg (12.97%) compared to CM, 765 mg (7.19%), and the other goat milk samples. Phase 2 results show that GM showed greater improvements. There were significant differences in triceps skinfold measurement (0.33 mm vs -0.20 mm, p=0.024) and vitamin B1 (p=0.043), while other parameters did not show significant differences between GM and CM after the intervention (p>0.05). Furthermore, there was a reduction in calcium (p=0.040) and vitamin B12 (p=0.022) levels between GM and CM. In conclusion, laboratory analysis shows that GM has a higher MCFA content than CM. Meanwhile, for the intervention study, GM can be used as a tolerable supplement for CP children based solely on significant differences in triceps skinfold measurement and vitamin B1 levels. Moreover, calcium and vitamin B12 intake decreased in the daily diet of GM in comparison to CM. Further research is needed to confirm and explore this matter over a longer duration, with the necessity of conducting blood tests to assess the decrease in calcium and vitamins from the daily diet

Nutritional Assessment among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patient in Southeast Asian Countries: A Scoping Review

This scoping review aims to determine the available nutritional assessments for people with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Southeast Asian countries. The methodology used for this research was based on the PRISMA-ScR standards. An extensive electronic search was carried out for papers published between 2012 and 2022 that pertained to studies conducted in Southeast Asian countries and were written in English. The eligibility criteria for this review were T2DM patients aged 20 years and older. The search was carried out using PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Hence, out of 5,445, fourteen articles met the eligibility requirements of the analysis. According to the findings, twelve studies used anthropometry measurements and biochemical tests, followed by eight studies using clinical assessments and four studies using dietary assessments. The research utilized various nutritional assessment methods such as weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist and hip circumference, body fat percentage, Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profiles, Blood Pressure (BP), 3-day and 24-hour dietary recall. This review examined how the available nutritional assessments for T2DM are frequently carried out in Southeast Asian countries. The review discovered that weight, height, BMI, waist and hip circumference, FBG, HbA1c, BP, and 3-day dietary recall are the most commonly reported nutritional assessment methods

Incorporating 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid into iota carrageenan solid biopolymer electrolyte for electrochemical devices application

Solid biopolymer electrolyte based on iota carrageenan and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, [Bmim]Cl were successfully prepared by solution casting technique. Weight percentage (wt. %) of [Bmim]Cl was varied from 0 wt. % to 100 wt. % and the highest ionic conductivity achieved was 2.70 × 10-3 S cm-1 for 70 wt. % [Bmim]Cl at ambient temperature. The interaction between iota carrageenan and [Bmim]Cl was confirmed by the formation of new peak on the ATR-FTIR spectrum. The reduction in crystallinity of iota carrageenan as the inclusion of [Bmim]Cl was observed based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. FESEM morphology showed the compatibility and homogeneity between iota carrageenan and [Bmim]Cl while the LSV analysis showed that solid biopolymer electrolyte-based iota carrageenan-[Bmim]Cl possess high electrochemical stability up to 3.0 V. The transference number (TN) analysis indicated that ions are the main contributor for the ionic conduction

Green electrolyte host based on synthesized benzoyl kappa-carrageenan: Reduced hydrophilicity and improved conductivity

Newly synthesized benzoyl kappa carrageenan (Bz-ƙcar) was successfully produced by the Friedel Craft acylation method. The successful substitution of benzoyl molecule into kappa carrageenan (ƙcar) polymeric chain was confirmed by the FTIR analysis based on the formation of new carbonyl (CO) and CC bonds in Bz-ƙcar. 1H NMR analysis further proved the benzoylation by the appearance of new multiple resonances peaks at δ = 6.6–9.50 ppm, which belonged to the characteristic signals of protons in the aromatic benzoate group. XRD analysis showed reduced crystallinity of the synthesised carrageenan, while elemental analyser analysis revealed the increased percentages of carbon in Bz-ƙcar upon the substitution. The highest degree of substitution obtained was 0.27. TGA showed lower degradation temperature in the synthesised carrageenan, while water contact angle analysis demonstrated that Bz-ƙcar was less hydrophilic as compared to the pristine ƙcar. Solubility tests showed that Bz-ƙcar was best dissolved in ethylene glycol. The benzoylation also improved the ionic conductivity of Bz-ƙcar to 3.10 × 10−4 Scm−1 at ambient temperature

Rejection Mechanism of Ionic Solute Removal by Nanofiltration Membranes: An Overview

The toxicity of heavy metals can cause water pollution and has harmful effects on human health and the environment. Various methods are used to overcome this pressing issue and each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Membrane filtration technology such as nanofiltration (NF) produces high quality water and has a very small footprint, which results in lower energy usage. Nanofiltration is a membrane-based separation technique based on the reverse osmosis separation process developed in the 1980s. NF membranes have a pore size of 1 nm and molecular weight cut off (MWCO) of 300 to 500 Da. The properties of NF membranes are unique since the surface charge of the membranes is dependent on the functional groups of the membrane. The rejection mechanism of NF membrane is unique as it is a combination of various rejection mechanisms such as steric hindrance, electric exclusion, dielectric effect, and hydration mechanism. However, these mechanisms have not been studied in-depth due to their complexity. There are also many factors contributing to the rejection of NF membrane. Many junior researchers would face difficulty in studying NF membrane. Therefore, this paper is designed for researchers new to the field, and will briefly review the rejection mechanisms of NF membrane by both sieving and non-sieving separation processes. This mini-review aims to provide new researchers with a general understanding of the concept of the separation process of charged membranes