Publications by authors named "Kee-Seong Ng"

Article Synopsis
  • James Neel's Thrifty Genotype Hypothesis suggests that genetic traits promoting energy conservation and fat storage were advantageous during resource-scarce periods in human evolution but now contribute to modern health issues like obesity and type 2 diabetes in industrialized societies.
  • Despite its popularity and extensive citations, the applicability of the Thrifty Genotype Hypothesis to current human health remains debatable, leading to exploration of other theories such as the Evolutionary Mismatch Hypothesis.
  • The text emphasizes the need for new empirical research, particularly through partnerships with transitioning subsistence-level communities, to better understand the impact of evolutionary history on modern cardiometabolic health, using the Orang Asli of Malaysia as a case study.
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Characterizing DNA methylation patterns is important for addressing key questions in evolutionary biology, geroscience, and medical genomics. While costs are decreasing, whole-genome DNA methylation profiling remains prohibitively expensive for most population-scale studies, creating a need for cost-effective, reduced representation approaches (i.e.

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  • * Beta testing involved 14 MSM participants interacting with the chatbot via Zoom, providing feedback through a think-aloud method, interviews, and surveys, which were then analyzed using a theoretical framework for acceptance and use of technology.
  • * Results showed that 93% of participants found the chatbot useful and user-friendly, with most rating its quality highly and expressing a willingness to continue using it, as well as suggestions for incorporating a local language.
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  • * The patient population primarily consisted of older males with significant smoking histories and various complications, including a high rate of respiratory infections and a notable need for mechanical ventilation.
  • * Key risk factors for readmission included a higher mMRC grade and previous exacerbations requiring hospitalization, suggesting that better symptom management and integrated care strategies could help reduce readmission rates.
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Introduction: The all-cause mortality for tuberculosis is 1 in every 10 patients in Malaysia. The currently available national surveillance database does not record patients' variables such as socio-economic factors, existing co-morbidities, and risk behavior for investigation. An electronic medical record system can capture this missing information and use it to determine all-cause mortality factors more accurately.

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  • Indigenous populations, like certain Malaysian villages, show microbiomes that are diverse and less understood compared to those in industrialized societies, particularly regarding helminth (worm) infections.
  • Villages with higher helminth infection rates exhibited more unmapped genetic data and greater microbial diversity, with differences in microbiome composition related to specific localities and associated infection status.
  • Treatment with albendazole (a deworming drug) caused changes in both infected and uninfected individuals' microbiomes, highlighting the complex interactions between helminths and microbiota, and emphasizing the need for careful interpretation in deworming research.
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Introduction: Non-communicable disease (NCD) risk is influenced by environmental factors that are highly variable worldwide, yet prior research has focused mainly on high-income countries where most people are exposed to relatively homogeneous and static environments. Understanding the scope and complexity of environmental influences on NCD risk around the globe requires more data from people living in diverse and changing environments. Our project will investigate the prevalence and environmental causes of NCDs among the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, known collectively as the Orang Asli, who are currently undergoing varying degrees of lifestyle and sociocultural changes that are predicted to increase vulnerability to NCDs, particularly metabolic disorders and musculoskeletal degenerative diseases.

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In Malaysia, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections still persist among indigenous communities. In the past, local studies have focused mostly on epidemiologic aspects of STH infections with a scarcity of information on the efficacy of deworming treatment. The present study consisted of 2 phases: a cross-sectional phase on current epidemiological status and risk factors of STH infections and a longitudinal study over 6 weeks on triple dose albendazole efficacy against STH infections.

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With the record surge of positive cases in Southeast Asia, there is a need to examine the adverse mental effects of COVID-19 among the under-researched countries. This study aims to synthesize the extant literature reporting the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological outcomes of people in Southeast Asia, and its risk factors. A scoping review was adopted targeting articles published in PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus from January 2020 to March 30, 2021.

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Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to synthesize the extant literature reporting the effects of COVID-19 pandemic based on the pooled prevalence of depression among affected populations in Asia Pacific, as well as its risk factors.

Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis approach was adopted as per the PRISMA guidelines, targeting articles published in PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus from January 2021 to March 30, 2021. The screening resulted in 82 papers.

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Objective: To identify the prevalence of stage B heart failure (SBHF) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Design: Observational study.

Setting: A single-centre study in which eligible patients were recruited from T2DM clinic.

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Background: The role of protocol renal allograft biopsy in kidney transplantation is controversial due to the concern with procedural-related complications; however, its role is slowly evolving. Recent evidence suggests that protocol biopsy is useful in detecting subclinical renal pathology. Early recognition and treatment of renal pathologies can improve long-term outcomes of renal allografts.

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Thermal imbalances are very common during surgery. Hypothermia exposes the patient to post-operative shivering, cardiac dysfunction, coagulopathy, bleeding, wound infection, delayed anesthesia recovery, prolonged hospital stay and increased hospitalization cost. There are many factors contributing to intraoperative hypothermia.

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