The prevalence of phenylketonuria among children with mental retardation in Kelantan

The prevalence of phenylketonuria (PKU) in Malaysia to date is not known since no study has been conducted to address the subject. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of PKU among the mentally retarded children in Kelantan, to determine the feasibility of carrying out a screening programme for PKU in newborns and to establish a method for PKU screening should the need arise later on. The study was a cross-sectional survey involving all the schools with special programmes for mentally retarded children and community- and clinic-based rehabilitation centers ( CCRC) in Kelantan. All children listed and attended these two institutions were taken as the study samples. A validated questionnaire was used to obtain personal and socioeconomic information of the patients and their families. The questionnaire was collected together with the written consent for the study before the final list of respondents was recorded. Blood spots on filter papers were collected by a finger prick method using automated disposable lancet. Validation of the information in the questionnaire, physical examinations and blood spots collection were done at the respective schools and CCRC. Phenylalanine assays were done using the Bacteria Inhibition Assay (BIA), also known as the Guthrie method. The BIA method was optimized in local laboratory before it is used to test the study samples. A total of 24 schools and 34 CCRC were visited during the study period all over Kelantan. Out of 1715 respondents who returned the questionnaire and consented to take part in the study, only 1568 agreed to have blood spots taken and were present during the blood collections. Other then children with mental retardation, samples were also taken from normal and "lembam and last classes (lembam and LC) children. Out of the 1319 school-based respondents, 239 (18.1%) were mentally retarded and 276 (20.9%) were lembam and LC. All the 396 repondents from CCRC were mentally retarded children. The proportion of boys was significantly higher in school-based mentally retarded, Iembam and LC and CCRC respondents, but lower in the normal group. The majority of the respondents were malays, conforming to the population structure of Kelantan. Household income was significantly lower in the lembam and LC and CCRC respondents compared to the other two groups. Likewise, there was no significant difference in income between the lembam and LC and CCRC respondents, and between the nonnal and school-based mentally retarded respondents. The phenylalanine assays were negative for the 1170 respondents who had their blood spots taken. Although the result was negative, the study respondents constituted of only 5% of the projected population with mental retardation, which were not captured by this study because they did not attend any of the institutions visited. The laboratory technique used was accurate and errors had been systematically addressed and prevented to ensure the results were valid and reliable. Phenylketonuria, given the nature and outcome of the disease, is a considerable problem to both the health and social sectors, and fits the criteria to have a screening programme put in place. However, the negative result of this study requires further investigations to be conducted in the near future to convince the authority as to the need for such an expensive programme. This study should be extended to include patients not covered here and also patients in other states. Perhaps, it will also be beneficial to examine other methods of screening for PKU

The Impact of the Internet on the Sexual Health of Adolescents: A Brief Review

The object of this review is to summarize the impact of the Internet on the sexual health of adolescents. This article examines the use of websites, blogs and chat rooms as sources for sexual health information for adolescents. The influence of Internet pornography on sexual behaviors and attitudes is addressed. The use of the Internet as a place to find sexual partners is also assessed. During a time of great physical, emotional and sexual change, the Internet is playing a huge role in the decisions adolescents are making, both positive and negative

Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Tuberculosis Screening Among Immigrant Plantation Workers in Sabah, Malaysia

Tuberculosis (TB) among immigrants has substantial contribution to the TB epidemiology in Sabah. This study aimed to determine the yield of screening for TB disease among immigrant plantation workers in Sabah, Malaysia. This was a prospective cohort study involving 482 legal immigrant workers aged 18 years and above, consented and available at study sites during the study period. Workers with previous history of TB or currently on TB treatment were excluded from participation. Symptom based questionnaire was administered along with both chest radiograph and sputum samples collection for symptomatics participants. Out of 482 plantation workers creened, there was no case of active TB detected among the 44 (9.1%) symptomatics participants. Finding of low TB yield in this study was rather unexpected but this indicates the real challenges for the local health authority to come out with more cost effective screening programs, including reducing stigma, in active TB screening among migrant population

It's not what you play, it's how you play it: timbre affects perception of emotion in music.

Salient sensory experiences often have a strong emotional tone, but the neuropsychological relations between perceptual characteristics of sensory objects and the affective information they convey remain poorly defined. Here we addressed the relationship between sound identity and emotional information using music. In two experiments, we investigated whether perception of emotions is influenced by altering the musical instrument on which the music is played, independently of other musical features. In the first experiment, 40 novel melodies each representing one of four emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, or anger) were each recorded on four different instruments (an electronic synthesizer, a piano, a violin, and a trumpet), controlling for melody, tempo, and loudness between instruments. Healthy participants (23 young adults aged 18-30 years, 24 older adults aged 58-75 years) were asked to select which emotion they thought each musical stimulus represented in a four-alternative forced-choice task. Using a generalized linear mixed model we found a significant interaction between instrument and emotion judgement with a similar pattern in young and older adults (p < .0001 for each age group). The effect was not attributable to musical expertise. In the second experiment using the same melodies and experimental design, the interaction between timbre and perceived emotion was replicated (p < .05) in another group of young adults for novel synthetic timbres designed to incorporate timbral cues to particular emotions. Our findings show that timbre (instrument identity) independently affects the perception of emotions in music after controlling for other acoustic, cognitive, and performance factors

Urinary screening to determine the positivity of DMB and high volt age electrophoresis of mucopol ysaccharidosis in suspected metabolic disorders children in HUSM

i11troductio11: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) is a disease of inborn errors of metabolism (!EM). It constitutes a large and heterogenous subgroup among the lysosomal storage diseases. For the detection of this disease, urinary glycosaminoglycan (GAG) is measured by dimethlmethylene blue (DMB) assay and high resolution electrophoresis (I-IRE) is done to characterize the different types of MPS. Objective: To screen for MPS in all urine samples suspected of inborn errors of metabolism sent to the metabolic laboratory from 1998 to 2008 and to look into the association between the positivity of DMB assay and I-IRE in the same sample Group Met/rod: All urine samples sent to the metabolic laboratory that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were analyzed for GAG and were further subjected to I-IRE. Measurement of observed agreement using Cohen's kappa coefficient (k) was used for the association between both DMB and I-IRE method. Results: A total of 134 urine samples were obtained however only 90 samples were analyzed. 28 (31.1 %) of the samples had normal GAG levels, 59 (65.6%) had GAG levels between 1-2 folds above normal limits and 3 (3.3%) samples had more than 2 folds increment above the normal limits for age. Three samples showed abnormal bands when subjected to I-IRE. Poor association between both methods (k = 0.027) was observed. Co11clusio11: This study shows that all samples with high index of suspicion ofMPS and elevated values of GAG of two folds or more should be subjected to I-IRE. Characterization of MPS through I-IRE gives the clinician some presumptive diagnosis and prognosis in managing these patients

Assessing the influence of long-term urban growth scenarios on urban climate

International audienceThe objective of this paper is to assess the influence of future urban The objective of this paper is to assess the influence of future urban growth scenarios on future urban climate in Toulouse metropolitan area (France). Specifically, we aim to test the hypothesis that urban growth based on sprawling patterns has a significant influence on the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomena than compact patterns. Urban growth simulations, which are based on three contrasting scenarios built by 2100 with respect to different urban patterns, are made using a new spatially explicit urban growth model (SLEUTHR) which is specifically developed for that purpose. Potential UHI maps of 2006 and by 2100 are estimated under the same climate conditions using the SURFEX climate model. The influence of urban form on urban microclimate is assessed by comparing the estimated UHI map of 2006 with the potential UHI maps expected by 2100 with respect to the scenario-based urban expansion maps. Simulations with Meso-NH shows that, for the 2006 experience, the center of Toulouse is warmer than the surrounding rural areas by about 6.4°C at 00 LT and at 06 LT. The results highlight an increase of 1 to 2 degrees in the urban air temperature at the beginning of the night and a lost of cool capacity in the scenarios. Furthermore, the results show that big differences in the scenarios are found when exploring the horizontal distribution of the UHI. The increase in the urbanised surface by 2100 leads to a general elevation of temperatures of about 1°C at 00LT and at 06 LT

Early Skewed Distribution of Total and HIV-Specific CD8+ T-Cell Memory Phenotypes during Primary HIV Infection Is Related to Reduced Antiviral Activity and Faster Disease Progression

The important role of the CD8+ T-cells on HIV control is well established. However, correlates of immune protection remain elusive. Although the importance of CD8+ T-cell specificity and functionality in virus control has been underscored, further unraveling the link between CD8+ T-cell differentiation and viral control is needed. Here, an immunophenotypic analysis (in terms of memory markers and Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) expression) of the CD8+ T-cell subset found in primary HIV infection (PHI) was performed. The aim was to seek for associations with functional properties of the CD8+ T-cell subsets, viral control and subsequent disease progression. Also, results were compared with samples from Chronics and Elite Controllers. It was found that normal maturation of total and HIV-specific CD8+ T-cells into memory subsets is skewed in PHI, but not at the dramatic level observed in Chronics. Within the HIV-specific compartment, this alteration was evidenced by an accumulation of effector memory CD8+ T (TEM) cells over fully differentiated terminal effector CD8+ T (TTE) cells. Furthermore, higher proportions of total and HIV-specific CD8+ TEM cells and higher HIV-specific TEM/(TEM+TTE) ratio correlated with markers of faster progression. Analysis of PD-1 expression on total and HIV-specific CD8+ T-cells from PHI subjects revealed not only an association with disease progression but also with skewed memory CD8+ T-cell differentiation. Most notably, significant direct correlations were obtained between the functional capacity of CD8+ T-cells to inhibit viral replication in vitro with higher proportions of fully-differentiated HIV-specific CD8+ TTE cells, both at baseline and at 12 months post-infection. Thus, a relationship between preservation of CD8+ T-cell differentiation pathway and cell functionality was established. This report presents evidence concerning the link among CD8+ T-cell function, phenotype and virus control, hence supporting the instauration of early interventions to prevent irreversible immune damage.Fil: Ghiglione, Yanina Alexandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Falivene, Juliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Ruiz, Maria Juliz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Laufer, Natalia Lorna. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Socías, María Eugenia. Fundación Huésped; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos ; ArgentinaFil: Cahn, Pedro. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos ; Argentina. Fundación Huésped; ArgentinaFil: Giavedoni, Luis. Southwest National Primate Research Center; Estados UnidosFil: Sued, Omar Gustavo. Fundación Huésped; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos ; ArgentinaFil: Gherardi, Maria Magdalena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Salomon, Horacio Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Turk, Gabriela Julia Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; Argentin

Barriers to rural women entrepreneurs in Oman

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the barriers confronted by rural women entrepreneurs in Oman. The study focusses on women living in rural and mountain areas who aspire to move beyond their traditional family roles. It identifies several problems including accessing funding for new ventures and innovative activities, a lack of skills-based training and limited family support. Design/methodology/approach: Based on 57 responses to a semi-structured questionnaire, and face to face qualitative interviews with ten women entrepreneurs. Quantitative responses are evaluated and ranked in terms of their mean score, standard deviation and the intensity of each factor shaping rural women entrepreneurship. Five qualitative cases are presented. Findings: Although Oman is arguably one of the more progressive Arab countries regarding gender equality and women empowerment, the findings exhibit socio-cultural concerns which hamper women entrepreneurial venture creations and their subsequent success. The findings of the research are discussed using the three dimensions of entrepreneurship identified by Wenneker and Thurik (1999). The three dimensions are: conditions leading to entrepreneurship, characteristics of entrepreneurship and outcomes of entrepreneurship. Practical implications: Suggests that Omani policymakers should consider how women entrepreneurs can be better supported so that they can diversify household income by starting new ventures while simultaneously contributing to the socio-economic development of the region. A number of suggestions on how this can be achieved are presented. Originality/value: Research on rural women entrepreneurship in the context of an Arab country is scarce and the study can provide an overview of the obstacles and the support required for the development of the rural women entrepreneurship in this region

Evaluation of wound healing biomarkers of Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Matrix Metalloproteinases 9 (MMP-9) in post Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) patients consuming Channa Striatus extract

Background: Wound healing is a dynamic process which is divided into four phases; haemostasis, inflammatory, proliferation and tissue remodelling phases, that encompasses inflammatory cells, cytokines and growth factors. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) involve at the different phases of wound healing. Channa striatus (C.striatus) is a fresh water fish that is believed to have natural properties to promote wound healing. Currently, the effects of C.striatus on the cytokines and growth factors are not available. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the wound healing biomarkers; IL-6, VEGF and MMP-9 on post Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) women consuming oral C.striatus extract. Methods: This was a randomised, double-blinded study amongst LSCS women consuming C.striatus extract versus a placebo at Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital and Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital from May 2011 to January 2013. After randomization, the treatment group received freeze dried C.striatus extract 500 mg daily while the placebo group received maltodextrin 500 mg daily for 6 weeks. Blood samples for IL-6, VEGF and MMP-9 were taken from both groups post-operatively at day 3, week 2, week 4 and week 6. The data were analysed using SPSS version 22. Results: A total of 39 patients from C.striatus and 34 patients from placebo group were included in this study. Within C.striatus group, the results of IL-6, MMP-9 and VEGF showed significant differences (P<0.05) for all the study period. Between group comparison showed significant difference (P<0.05) on week 4 and week 6 for IL-6 and MMP-9 whereas VEGF showed significant difference (P<0.05) on day 1, day 3, week 4 and week 6. The trend of IL-6 and MMP-9 exhibit decreasing trend in both groups however, VEGF in C.striatus group exhibit increasing trend till week 6 compared to placebo group. Conclusion: This study showed C.striatus extract had effects on IL-6, VEGF and MMP-9 in post LSCS women