Comparative study on cartilage tissue collected from less- and severely-affected region of osteoarthritic knee

Culture expanded chondrocytes isolated from non-load bearing region of osteoarthritic (OA) joint has been used to construct tissue engineered cartilage for treatment purposes. The aim of the study was to compare the histological properties of the cartilage tissue and morphological properties of the chondrocytes isolated from less and severely affected OA knee. Human articular cartilage was obtained as redundant tissue from consented patients with late-stage OA undergoing total knee replacement surgery at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). Articular cartilage was graded according to Dougados and Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) classification. Articular cartilage was classified into less affected (LA; Grade 0-1) and severely affected (SA; Grade 2-3). Cartilage tissue from less and severely affected region was stained with Safranin O staining. Isolated chondrocytes from each group were cultured until passage 4 (P4). Their growth patterns, cell areas, and circularity were compared. LA-cartilage tissue shows uniform spread of safranin O staining indicating intact extracellular matrix (ECM) component. However, SA-cartilage shows significant reduction and unstable staining due to its degraded ECM. LA-chondrocytes showed an aggregated growth compared to SA-chondrocyte that remains monolayer. Moreover, LA-chondrocytes have significantly higher cell area with wider spreading at passage 0 and 4 compared to SA-chondrocytes. It was also found that chondrocyte circularity increased with passage, and circularity of LAchondrocytes was significantly higher than that of the SA-chondrocytes at passage 3. This study demonstrated the considerable difference in the cellular properties for less and severely affected chondrocytes and implication of these differences in cell-based therapy needed to be explored

Relationship between blood lead concentration and nutritional status among Malay primary school children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to identify the relationship between blood lead concentration and nutritional status among primary school children in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 225 Malay students, 113 male and 112 female, aged 6.3 to 9.8 were selected through a stratified random sampling method. The random blood samples were collected and blood lead concentration was measured by a Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The nutrient intake was determined by the 24-hour Dietary Recall method and Food Frequency Questionnaire. An anthropometric assessment was reported according to growth indices (z-scores of weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height). The mean blood lead concentration was low (3.4 ± 1.91 ug/dL) and was significantly different between gender. Only 14.7% of the respondents fulfilled the daily energy requirement. The protein and iron intakes were adequate for a majority of the children. However, 34.7% of the total children showed inadequate intake of calcium. The energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate intakes were significantly different by gender, that is, males had better intake than females. Majority of respondents had normal mean z-score of growth indices. Ten percent of the respondents were underweight, 2.8% wasted and 5.4% stunted. Multiple linear regression showed inverse significant relationships between blood lead concentration with children's age (β= -0.647, p<0.001) and per capita income (β=-0.001, p=0.018). There were inverse significant relationships between blood lead concentration with children's age (β=-0.877, p=0.001) and calcium intake (β= -0.011,p=0.014) and positive significant relationship with weight-for-height (β=0.326, p=0.041) among those with inadequate calcium intake. Among children with inadequate energy intake, children's age (β= -0.621, p< 0.001), per capita income (β= -0.001,p=0.025) and protein intake (β= -0.019, p=0.027) were inversely and significantly related with blood lead concentration. In conclusion, nutritional status might affect the children's absorption of lead and further investigation is required for confirmation

Multiracial in Malaysia: categories, classification, and campur in contemporary everyday life

This chapter outlines the historical process of classification in Malaysia and discusses its influence on the contemporary lives of Malaysians with multiple racial identities. Racial categorization is salient in the daily experiences of Malaysians because many social policies governing housing, education, language acquisition, and employment are administered based on a rigid racial classification system that imposes a single racial identity on citizens. While the current system is underpinned by colonial administrative practices, the construction of Malay (and by extension Bumiputera), Sakai (Aborigines), Chinese, and Indian identities in the country has been an evolving process that can be traced back to the second century. ‘Mixedness’ is therefore not new in the region and has been a central feature of Malaysian identity. The recognition of mixed race however has changed over time in Malaysia as will be shown through an investigation of census classifications. We highlight how political processes such as colonialism, independence, and nation-building impact racial classification in the country and the everyday lives of multiracial individuals today. By considering the current political trends and the lived experiences of multiracial individuals, the chapter ends by discussing the potential for changing existing racial classification practices in Malaysia to better reflect multiracial identities