Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Evidence from Malaysia.

The interplay of physical, social, and economic factors during the pandemic adversely affected the mental health of healthy people and exacerbated pre-existing mental disorders. This study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the general population in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study involving 1246 participants was conducted.

Effects of Ambient Particulate Matter (PM) Exposure on Calorie Intake and Appetite of Outdoor Workers.

Malaysia has been experiencing smoke-haze episodes almost annually for the past few decades. PM2.5 is the main component in haze and causes harmful impacts on health due to its small aerodynamic size.

Dietary protein interacts with polygenic risk scores and modulates serum concentrations of C-reactive protein in overweight and obese Malaysian adults.

Dietary intake may interact with gene variants and modulate inflammatory status. This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of fat mass and obesity-associated rs9930501, rs9930506, and rs9932754 and beta-2 adrenergic receptor rs1042713 on C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations using polygenic risk scores (PRS), and modulatory effect of dietary nutrients on these associations. We hypothesized that higher protein intake is associated with lower inflammatory status in individuals genetically predisposed to obesity.

Combination of Talazoparib and Calcitriol Enhanced Anticancer Effect in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Monotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is often ineffective. This study aimed to investigate the effect of calcitriol and talazoparib combination on cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis and cell cycle in TNBC cell lines. Monotherapies and their combination were studied for (i.

Effect of Rice ( L.) Ceramides Supplementation on Improving Skin Barrier Functions and Depigmentation: An Open-Label Prospective Study.

Ceramides plays a crucial role in maintaining skin barrier function. Although foregoing evidence supported beneficial effects of topical ceramides for restoration of the skin barrier, studies on oral ceramides are extremely scarce, with most published data collected from in vivo and in vitro models. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of rice ceramides (RC) supplementation to improve skin barrier function and as a depigmenting agent through comprehensive clinical assessments.

Recombinant C-Reactive Protein: A Potential Candidate for the Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis of BALB/c Mice Caused by Leishmania major.

Purpose: Leishmaniasis, a widespread parasitic disease, is a public health concern that is endemic in more than 90 countries. Owing to the drug resistance and also undesirable complications, designing new therapeutic methods are essential. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase protein of plasma with several immune modulatory functions.

Lifestyle Interventions for Weight Control Modified by Genetic Variation: A Review of the Evidence.

Background/aims: Excess weight gain is a result of the interaction between diet, environment, and genes. Evidence suggests that responses to lifestyle interventions to manage weight are partially modified by genetic factors. This review is aimed at summarizing the current evidence from studies done on gene variants - single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - and intervention outcomes on weight loss and obesity-related traits.

Association of rs1042713 with Obesity and Obesity-Related Phenotypes and Its Interaction with Dietary Fat in Modulating Glycaemic Indices in Malaysian Adults.

Gene-diet interaction studies have reported that individual variations in phenotypic traits may be due to variations in individual diet. Our study aimed to evaluate (i) the association of rs1042713 with obesity and obesity-related metabolic parameters and (ii) the effect of dietary nutrients on these associations in Malaysian adults. genotyping, dietary, physical activity, anthropometric, and biochemical data were collected from 79 obese and 99 nonobese individuals.

Polymorphisms in P53 and VEGFA genes in different subtypes of periorbital hyperpigmentation in a Malaysian Chinese population.

Background/objectives: The unknown pathogenesis of periorbital hyperpigmentation makes its treatment difficult. Existing evidence links p53 and VEGFA genes with skin hyperpigmentation. This study was aimed at (i) identifying the clinical pattern of periorbital hyperpigmentation; and (ii) detecting the presence of VEGFA and P53 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in different subtypes of periorbital hyperpigmentation in Malaysian Chinese.

Feasibility and toxicity of hematopoietic stem cell transplant in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease of the central nervous system. It affects people of all ages but is more prevalent among 20-40 year olds. Patients with MS can be presented with potentially any neurological symptom depending on the location of the lesion.

Effectiveness and relevant factors of platelet-rich plasma treatment in managing plantar fasciitis: A systematic review.

Background: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a common foot complaint, affects both active sportsmen and physically inactive middle age group. It is believed that PF results from degenerative changes rather than inflammation. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has been introduced as an alternative therapy for PF.

The therapeutic potential of stem cells and progenitor cells for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Unlabelled: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. It is usually seen in those above 50 years old. Current medical treatments only provide symptomatic relief but cannot cure the disease.

Targeting colorectal cancer stem cells using curcumin and curcumin analogues: insights into the mechanism of the therapeutic efficacy.

Colorectal cancer is one of the commonest cancers in the world and it is also a common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Despite advanced treatment strategies, the disease is rarely cured completely due to recurrence. Evidence shows that this is due to a small population of cells, called cancer stem cells (CSCs), in the tumour mass that have the self-renewal and differentiation potential to give rise to a new tumour population.

3'-UTR variations and G6PD deficiency.

The combination of two silent mutations, c.1311C>T in exon 11 and IVS11 T93C (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) 1311T/93C), with unknown mechanism, have been reported in G6PD-deficient individuals in Asian populations including Malaysian aboriginal group, Negrito. Here, we report the screening of G6PD gene in 103 Negrito volunteers using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC) and direct sequencing.