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1.
J Water Health ; 22(6): 953-966, 2024 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38935448

RESUMO

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to estimate heavy metal exposure in Sungai Petani, Malaysia. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to detect copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and cadmium (Cd) in wastewater from eight sewage treatment facilities in Sungai Petani in January 2022. The heavy metal concentrations were measured in both influent and effluent, and the mean concentrations in the wastewater were found to be in the following order: Fe > Ni > Zn > Cd > Cu, with a 100% detection frequency. The results of WBE estimation showed that Fe, Ni, and Zn had the highest estimated per population exposure levels, while Cd had the lowest. Compared to a similar study conducted in Penang, Malaysia, all metals except Cu were found to have higher concentrations in Sungai Petani, even though it is a non-industrial district. These findings highlight the importance of addressing heavy metal contamination in Sungai Petani and implementing effective risk management and prevention strategies.


Assuntos
Metais Pesados , Águas Residuárias , Poluentes Químicos da Água , Metais Pesados/análise , Malásia , Águas Residuárias/análise , Águas Residuárias/química , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Humanos
2.
Pediatr Int ; 59(8): 861-868, 2017 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28510345

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: We examined the parental perception and accuracy of the Mandarin translation of the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status, a screening questionnaire for parent concerns about children's various developmental skills. METHODS: The questionnaire was translated into Mandarin. Upon enrollment, caregivers completed the Mandarin PEDS and answered four questions about its acceptability and usefulness, and its ease of understanding and completion. The Mandarin PEDS was independently evaluated by a pediatrician and a community nurse, and classified as high risk (≥two predictive concerns), medium risk (one predictive concern), low risk (any non-predictive concerns) or no risk (if no concern) for developmental delays. The caregivers repeated Mandarin PEDS at a 2 week interval for test-retest reliability, while the children underwent testing for accuracy using a developmental assessment test. RESULTS: The majority (≥85%) of the 73 caregivers perceived the Mandarin PEDS as acceptable and useful, as well as easy to understand and complete. Fifteen (20.5%) and 24 responses (33.9%) were classified as high and moderate risk, respectively. The test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities were excellent, with an intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.812 (95% CI: 0.701-0.881, P < 0.001) and a kappa value of 0.870 (P < 0.001), respectively. Mandarin PEDS was 80.0% sensitive and 83.8% specific for those in the high-risk category (adjusted OR, 64.68; 95% CI: 1.33-3,139.72; P = 0.035). CONCLUSION: Mandarin PEDS was well received by the caregivers, and was reliable and accurate in detecting developmental delays in the Mandarin-speaking subjects. We recommend it for early detection of children with developmental and behavioral problems.


Assuntos
Deficiências do Desenvolvimento/diagnóstico , Pais , Inquéritos e Questionários , Atitude Frente a Saúde , Criança , Pré-Escolar , China , Estudos Transversais , Diagnóstico Precoce , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Variações Dependentes do Observador , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Medição de Risco , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Traduções
3.
Int J Mol Sci ; 15(6): 9242-54, 2014 May 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24865488

RESUMO

The pronghorn spiny lobster Panulirus penicillatus is a highly valuable species which is widely distributed in Indo-West Pacific and Eastern Pacific regions. Mitochondrial DNA control region sequences (566-571 bp) were determined to investigate the population genetic structure of this species in the Indian Ocean. In total, 236 adult individuals of Panulirus penicillatus were collected from five locations in the Indian Ocean region. Almost all individuals had a unique haplotype. Intrapopulation haplotype (h) and nucleotide (π) diversities were high for each locality, ranging from h = 0.9986-1.0000 and π = 0.031593-0.043441. We observed distinct genetic isolation of population located at the northwestern and southwestern edge of the species range. Gene flow was found within localities in the central and eastern region of the Indian Ocean, probably resulting from an extended planktonic larval stage and prevailing ocean currents.


Assuntos
Variação Genética , Palinuridae/genética , Animais , DNA Mitocondrial/genética , Fluxo Gênico , Especiação Genética , Genética Populacional , Haplótipos , Oceano Índico , Análise de Sequência de DNA
4.
Biol Trace Elem Res ; 200(8): 3475-3481, 2022 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34591221

RESUMO

The presence of heavy metals in human hair is being tracked to predict health risk, forensics, and environmental monitoring. Heavy metals are typically non-biodegradable and have a lengthy half-life, allowing them to linger in humans and the environment for many years. Heavy metal exposure in hair has been attributed to multiple sources from the environment and food intake. In this study, copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) levels were measured in the scalp hair of 50 individuals in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia. In conjunction with sampling, subjects' age, gender, lifestyle, diet, and working environment were also obtained through the questionnaire. The Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) method was used to extract all the metals in the hair samples. The mean concentrations of heavy metals were found to be in the following order (unit of mg/kg): Cr > Zn > Pb > Ni > Cd > Cu. Manganese was detected below the limit of quantitation among the elements (< LOQ). All elements except Mn were higher and comparable to the previous studies' international limit values. Cadmium prevalence was substantially associated with age, smoking habit, dyed hair, and working environment in Pearson's correlation analysis (p ≤ 0.05). Zinc was also found to be related to the working environment. Some elements were observed to be statistically related between heavy metals, Cd/Zn, Cd/Ni, Cr/Ni, and Pb/Ni, whereas smoking habit/dyed hair and dyed hair/working environment were the associated factors for metal distribution that were statistically correlated (p ≤ 0.05). To recapitulate, this study found that the distribution of heavy metals in hair was influenced by associated factors and between heavy metals. It has been indicated that heavy metal exposure to humans is influenced by factors such as geographical location, lifestyle, and working environment.


Assuntos
Cádmio , Metais Pesados , Adulto , Cádmio/análise , Cromo/análise , Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , Cabelo/química , Humanos , Chumbo/análise , Malásia , Manganês/análise , Metais Pesados/análise , Níquel/análise , Zinco/análise
5.
PLoS One ; 15(4): e0230910, 2020.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32236146

RESUMO

Several sites, Z-7L, Z-5 and Z-14, in Sibu district, Sarawak, Malaysia, experienced intense dengue transmission in 2014 that continued into 2015. A pilot study with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) to control Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse) was evaluated in Z-7L, a densely populated site of 12 ha. Bti treatments were conducted weekly from epidemiology week (EW) 24/2015 for 4 weeks, followed by fortnight treatments for 2 months, in addition to the routine control activities. Bti was directly introduced into potable containers and the outdoor artificial and natural containers were treated via a wide area spray application method using a backpack mister. Aedes indices significantly reduced during the treatment and post treatment phases, compared to the control site, Z-5 (p<0.05). A 51 fold reduction in the incidence rate per 100,000 population (IR) was observed, with one case in 25 weeks (EW 29-52). In Z-5 and Z-14, control sites, a 6 fold reduction in the IR was observed from EW 29-52. However, almost every week there were dengue cases in Z-14 and until EW 44 in Z-5. In 2016, dengue cases resurfaced in Z-7L from EW 4. Intensive routine control activities were conducted, but the IR continued to escalate. The wide area Bti spray misting of the outdoor containers was then included from EW 27 on fortnight intervals. A 6 fold reduction in IR was observed in the Bti treatment phase (EW 32-52) with no successive weekly cases after EW 37. However, in the control sites, there were dengue cases throughout the year from EW 1-52, particularly in Z-14. We feel that the wide area Bti spray application method is an integral component in the control program, in conjunction with other control measures carried out, to suppress the vector population in outdoor cryptic containers and to interrupt the disease transmission.


Assuntos
Bacillus thuringiensis , Agentes de Controle Biológico , Dengue , Mosquitos Vetores , Aedes/microbiologia , Aedes/virologia , Animais , Dengue/epidemiologia , Dengue/transmissão , Reservatórios de Doenças/virologia , Vetores de Doenças , Inseticidas , Larva/microbiologia , Larva/virologia , Malásia/epidemiologia , Controle de Mosquitos/métodos , Mosquitos Vetores/microbiologia , Mosquitos Vetores/virologia , Projetos Piloto , Prevalência
6.
Mol Metab ; 16: 150-159, 2018 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30098928

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Islets from the same pancreas show remarkable variability in glucose sensitivity. While mitochondrial respiration is essential for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, little is known regarding heterogeneity in mitochondrial function at the individual islet level. This is due in part to a lack of high-throughput and non-invasive methods for detecting single islet function. METHODS: We have developed a novel non-invasive, high-throughput methodology capable of assessing mitochondrial respiration in large-sized individual islets using the XF96 analyzer (Agilent Technologies). RESULTS: By increasing measurement sensitivity, we have reduced the minimal size of mouse and human islets needed to assess mitochondrial respiration to single large islets of >35,000 µm2 area (∼210 µm diameter). In addition, we have measured heterogeneous glucose-stimulated mitochondrial respiration among individual human and mouse islets from the same pancreas, allowing population analyses of islet mitochondrial function for the first time. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a novel methodology capable of analyzing mitochondrial function in large-sized individual islets. By highlighting islet functional heterogeneity, we hope this methodology can significantly advance islet research.


Assuntos
Ensaios de Triagem em Larga Escala/métodos , Ilhotas Pancreáticas/metabolismo , Pâncreas/metabolismo , Adulto , Idoso , Animais , Respiração Celular/fisiologia , Feminino , Glucose/metabolismo , Ensaios de Triagem em Larga Escala/instrumentação , Humanos , Insulina/metabolismo , Secreção de Insulina/fisiologia , Ilhotas Pancreáticas/fisiologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Cultura Primária de Células
8.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev ; 17(5): 2555-8, 2016.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27268629

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is the second most common gastrointestinal cancer and is still associated with significant morbidity and mortality due to late presentation and diagnosis at advanced stages. Studies have reported that a variable proportion of gastric cancer is positive for the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and patients with HER2 positive (HER2 +ve) lesions can benefit from targeted therapy. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of HER2 +ve gastric cancers in Brunei Darussalam, a developing Southeast Asian nation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were identified from the Department of Pathology registry and retrospectively reviewed. HER2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and only those staining 3+ were considered positive. RESULTS: Our study included 103 cases (66 males and 37 females) with a mean age of 65.1 ± 14.8 years old. There were 14 cases positive for HER2 (10 males and 4 females) giving a prevalence of 13.6%. The HER2 +ve cases were significantly older (70.6 ± 19.3 years old) than the negative cases (64.2 ± 13.8, p=0.041) and had significantly more advanced disease (stages 3 and 4, p=0.026). There were no significant differences in gender distribution, presence of intestinal metaplasia, EBV status, Helicobacter pylori status, tumor location (proximal vs. distal) and degree of tumor differentiation (all p values >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that 13.6% of our gastric cancers are positive for HER2, the affected patients being older and having more advanced disease at diagnosis.


Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma/metabolismo , Biomarcadores Tumorais/metabolismo , Receptor ErbB-2/metabolismo , Neoplasias Gástricas/metabolismo , Adenocarcinoma/epidemiologia , Adenocarcinoma/patologia , Idoso , Brunei/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Invasividade Neoplásica , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Prognóstico , Estudos Prospectivos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Neoplasias Gástricas/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Gástricas/patologia , Taxa de Sobrevida
9.
Trop Life Sci Res ; 26(1): 31-40, 2015 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26868591

RESUMO

Lecithocladium angustiovum is identified from the stomach (87.33%) and the intestine (12.67%) of Indonesian short mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma). The description includes an elongated body; a mean total length of 1018.84 µm; and an ecsoma of 47.52% of the total length. The oral and ventral sucker ratio is 1:0.63, and the pharynx length is 97.42 µm. The sequence results were obtained by 18s rDNA gene sequencing of the 354 basepair (bp) DNA segment, and the mean base composition (%) was 17.7 A; 35.7 T; 29.6 G; and 17.1 C. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to demonstrate the genetic distance between L. angustiovum and sequences from Lecithocladium excisum, Dinurus longisinus, Plerurus digitatus and Lecithochirium caesionis obtained from GenBank.

10.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev ; 16(12): 5063-7, 2015.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26163642

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common gastrointestinal malignancy and is a significant cause of mortality. Its incidence is generally increasing in Asia. Reports from the West have indicated that the incidence of rectal cancer is increasing in the younger population. This study assessed the time trend of CRC in Brunei Darussalam specifically assessing the different age groups at which the incidences start to increase. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The National Cancer registry was reviewed (1991 to 2014). The age standardized rate (ASR) and the age specific incidence rates (ASIRs) for three time periods (1991-1998), (1999-2006) and (2007-2014) were calculated. RESULTS: The mean age of diagnosis was 59.3±14.6 years old, incidences being slightly higher amongst men (57.6%) and Malays (67.1%). The most common tumor type was adenocarcinoma (96.4%). Rectal cancers accounted for 35.2% (n=372/1,056) of all cancers of the large bowel; more men were affected than women. The proportion of rectal cancer was also high among the indigenous group. In the three time periods, the ASR for CRC increased from 16 per 100,000 (1991-1998) to 19.6 per 100,000 (1999-2006) and 24.3 per 100,000 (2007-2014). The ASIRs for CRC increased markedly between the time periods 1998-2006 and 2007-2014, beginning in the 40-44 years age group. For rectal cancers, the ASIRs started to increase in the 25-29 age group onward whereas for colon cancers, the increase was observed at a later age, starting from the 45-49 age group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed an increase in the incidence of CRC including in the younger age groups. The increase was seen earlier in rectal cancer compared to colon cancer. These data mirror the trends reported from the West.


Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma/epidemiologia , Carcinoma de Células em Anel de Sinete/epidemiologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/epidemiologia , Neoplasias do Colo/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Colorretais/epidemiologia , Linfoma/epidemiologia , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Retais/epidemiologia , Adenocarcinoma/patologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Brunei/epidemiologia , Carcinoma de Células em Anel de Sinete/patologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Neoplasias do Colo/patologia , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Incidência , Lactente , Linfoma/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/patologia , Prognóstico , Neoplasias Retais/patologia , Adulto Jovem
11.
PLoS One ; 6(12): e29280, 2011.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22195038

RESUMO

The pronghorn spiny lobster, Panulirus penicillatus, is a circumtropical species which has the widest global distribution among all the species of spiny lobster, ranging throughout the entire Indo-Pacific region. Partial nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA COI (1,142-1,207 bp) and 16S rDNA (535-546 bp) regions were determined for adult and phyllosoma larval samples collected from the Eastern Pacific (EP)(Galápagos Islands and its adjacent water), Central Pacific (CP)(Hawaii and Tuamotu) and the Western Pacific (WP)(Japan, Indonesia, Fiji, New Caledonia and Australia). Phylogenetic analyses revealed two distinct large clades corresponding to the geographic origin of samples (EP and CP+WP). No haplotype was shared between the two regional samples, and average nucleotide sequence divergence (Kimura's two parameter distance) between EP and CP+WP samples was 3.8±0.5% for COI and 1.0±0.4% for 16S rDNA, both of which were much larger than those within samples. The present results indicate that the Pacific population of the pronghorn spiny lobster is subdivided into two distinct populations (Eastern Pacific and Central to Western Pacific), with no gene flow between them. Although the pronghorn spiny lobster have long-lived teleplanic larvae, the vast expanse of Pacific Ocean with no islands and no shallow substrate which is known as the East Pacific Barrier appears to have isolated these two populations for a long time (c.a. 1MY).


Assuntos
Variação Genética , Palinuridae/genética , Animais , Pareamento de Bases/genética , DNA Mitocondrial/genética , DNA Ribossômico/genética , Complexo IV da Cadeia de Transporte de Elétrons/genética , Genética Populacional , Geografia , Larva/genética , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Oceano Pacífico , Filogenia , Polimorfismo Genético , Análise de Sequência de DNA
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