Metabolite, Biochemical, and Dietary Intake Alterations Associated with Lifestyle Interventions in Obese and Overweight Malaysian Women.

Differences in metabolic regulation among obesity phenotypes, specifically metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) women, may lead to varied responses to interventions, which could be elucidated through metabolomics. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the differences in metabolite profiles between MHO and MUO women and the changes following a lifestyle intervention. Serum samples from 36 MHO and 34 MUO women who participated in a lifestyle intervention for weight loss were analysed using untargeted proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H NMR) at baseline and 6 months post-intervention.

Optimization of agarose-alginate hydrogel bead components for encapsulation and transportation of stem cells.

Unlabelled: Hydrogels have potential uses in various biological applications because of their unique characteristics. Fine-tuning of agarose-alginate (Ag-Al) hydrogel components improves the mechanical characteristics of the final construct for cell encapsulation and transportation. Formulation of suitable dissolving agents may enable the release of encapsulated cells for further applications in laboratory or clinical settings.

Cardiometabolic and Anthropometric Outcomes of Intermittent Fasting Among Civil Servants With Overweight and Obesity: Study Protocol for a Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Overweight and obesity among adults are a growing global public health threat and an essential risk factor for various noncommunicable diseases. Although intermittent fasting is a generally new dietary approach to weight management that has been increasingly practiced worldwide, the effectiveness of 2 days per week dry fasting remains unclear.

Objective: The Cardiometabolic and Anthropometric Outcomes of Intermittent Fasting study aims to determine the cardiometabolic, anthropometric, dietary intake, and quality of life changes among civil servants with overweight and obesity, following combined intermittent fasting and healthy plate (IFHP) and healthy plate (HP) and explore the participants' experiences.

Angiogenic and Migratory Gene Expression Analysis of Stem Cells From Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth for Wound Repair Application.

Background: The migration and differentiation of stem cells take place during the reparative phase of the healing cascade. Chemokine ligands and receptors are the key players in the homing process during the early stage of capillary morphogenesis. Stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth are known to possess a huge potential benefit for tissue regeneration.

Low potassium intake and its association with blood pressure among adults in Malaysia: findings from the MyCoSS (Malaysian Community Salt Survey).

Background: High blood pressure or hypertension is well recognized as an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Several studies had indicated potassium intake has a blood pressure lowering effect. This study aimed to estimate potassium intake via 24-h urinary potassium excretion and to determine the association between potassium intake and blood pressure among adults in Malaysia.

Knowledge, attitude and behaviour on salt intake and its association with hypertension in the Malaysian population: findings from MyCoSS (Malaysian Community Salt Survey).

Background: High blood pressure or hypertension has become one of the main health problems, worldwide. A number of studies have proven that an increased intake of salt was related to an increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. Of late, its relationship with high salt intake has received a lot of attention.

Risk factors related with high sodium intake among Malaysian adults: findings from the Malaysian Community Salt Survey (MyCoSS) 2017-2018.

Background: High sodium intake was an established risk factor for stroke and cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate factors associated with high sodium intake based on 24-h urinary sodium excretion from the MyCoSS study.

Methods: The cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults aged 18 years and above in Malaysia.

Abdominal obesity and its associated factors among older adults in Malaysia.

Aim: The rise in the prevalence of abdominal obesity (AO), in particular, has become a major concern as it contributes to diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease and certain types of cancer. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and associated factors of AO among older adults aged ≥60 years in Malaysia.

Methods: This was a nationwide cross-sectional study using two-stage stratified random sampling.

Factors contributing to food insecurity among older persons in Malaysia: Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2018.

Aim: Older persons are vulnerable to food insecurity. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of food insecurity and associated factors among older persons in Malaysia.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with two-stage stratified random sampling.

Importance of Stem Cell Migration and Angiogenesis Study for Regenerative Cell-based Therapy: A Review.

Stem cells play an essential role in maintaining homeostasis, as well as participating in new tissue regeneration. Over the past 20 years, a great deal of effort has been made to investigate the behaviour of stem cells to enable their potential use in regenerative medicine. However, a variety of biological characteristics are known to exist among the different types of stem cells due to variations in the methodological approach, formulation of cell culture medium, isolation protocol and cellular niches, as well as species variation.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Related to Vitamin D and Its Relationship with Vitamin D Status among Malay Female Office Workers.

This study assessed knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) related to vitamin D and its relationship with vitamin D status among Malay female office workers. A total of 147 women aged between 20 and 55 years were recruited from a university in Kuala Lumpur. They answered questionnaires related to KAP on vitamin D, sun exposure, dietary vitamin D intake and physical activity.

Body Weight, Body Weight Perception, and Bullying Among Adolescents in Malaysia.

Body weight is a factor, with body weight perception a mediator, toward being a victim of bullying. This study aimed to explore the association between body weight, body weight perception, and bullying among students 13 to 17 years of age in Malaysia. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire.

Factors Associated with High Sodium Intake Assessed from 24-hour Urinary Excretion and the Potential Effect of Energy Intake.

Dietary consumption and other environmental factors are known factors associated with sodium intake. However, little is known about the influence of energy intake on this relationship. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors associated with high sodium intake assessed from urine sodium excretion and the influence of energy intake.

An update on obesity research pattern among adults in Malaysia: a scoping review.

Background: Obesity is a global health burden in the non-communicable diseases and much efforts have been implemented in the past decade in response to the rise of obesity prevalence among the Malaysian population. These include the development of the national policies, health programmes and research activities. The main aim of the scoping review was to identify obesity research pattern among adults in Malaysia in terms of the scopes, topics and the research designs.

Changes in body pain among overweight and obese housewives living in Klang Valley, Malaysia: findings from the MyBFF@home study.

Background: Obesity leads to the increase of pain at different parts of the body and it is a potential marker for complications of chronic diseases. This paper aims to assess changes in the body pain among overweight and obese housewives who participated in the My Body is Fit and Fabulous at home (MyBFF@home) study.

Methods: Housewives aged 18 to 59 years old from the MyBFF@home study were selected and pain was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaire.

Influence of co-morbidity on body composition changes after weight loss intervention among overweight housewives: a follow-up study of the MyBFF@home.

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis and cardiovascular diseases. However, it is unclear if the presence of co-morbidities has any effect on the magnitude of body composition changes following weight reduction programmes. Thus, this study aimed to determine changes in body composition among obese housewives with and without co-morbidities after they participated in a weight loss intervention.

Seedless growth of zinc oxide flower-shaped structures on multilayer graphene by electrochemical deposition.

A seedless growth of zinc oxide (ZnO) structures on multilayer (ML) graphene by electrochemical deposition without any pre-deposited ZnO seed layer or metal catalyst was studied. A high density of a mixture of vertically aligned/non-aligned ZnO rods and flower-shaped structures was obtained. ML graphene seems to generate the formation of flower-shaped structures due to the stacking boundaries.

Seed/catalyst-free vertical growth of high-density electrodeposited zinc oxide nanostructures on a single-layer graphene.

We report the seed/catalyst-free vertical growth of high-density electrodeposited ZnO nanostructures on a single-layer graphene. The absence of hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and heat has resulted in the formation of nanoflake-like ZnO structure. The results show that HMTA and heat are needed to promote the formation of hexagonal ZnO nanostructures.