Exposure to High-Fat Style Diet Induced Renal and Liver Structural Changes, Lipid Accumulation and Inflammation in Intact and Ovariectomized Female Rats.

Purpose: We hypothesized that low estrogen levels aggravate obesity-related complications. Diet-induced obesity can cause distinct pathologies, including impaired glucose tolerance, inflammation, and organ injury that leads to fatty liver and chronic kidney diseases. To test this hypothesis, ovariectomized (OVX) rats were fed a high-fat style diet (HFSD), and we examined structural changes and inflammatory response in the kidney and liver.

Auditory attentional filter in the absence of masking noise.

Signals containing attended frequencies are facilitated while those with unexpected frequencies are suppressed by an auditory filtering process. The neurocognitive mechanism underlying the auditory attentional filter is, however, poorly understood. The olivocochlear bundle (OCB), a brainstem neural circuit that is part of the efferent system, has been suggested to be partly responsible for the filtering via its noise-dependent antimasking effect.

Comparison of high-fat style diet-induced dysregulation of baroreflex control of renal sympathetic nerve activity in intact and ovariectomized female rats: Renal sympathetic nerve activity in high-fat style diet fed intact and ovariectomized female rats.

Over activation of renal sensory nerve in obesity blunts the normal regulation of renal sympathetic nerve activity. To date, there is no investigation that has been carried out on baroreflex regulation of renal sympathetic nerve activity in obese ovarian hormones deprived rat model, and the effect of renal denervation on the baroreflex regulation of renal sympathetic nerve activity. Thus, we investigated the role of renal innervation on baroreflex regulation of renal sympathetic nerve activity in obese intact and ovariectomized female rats.

Malaysian adaptation of the physical activity scale for individuals with physical disabilities in individuals with spinal cord injury.

The Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities questionnaire provides an assessment of physical activity after spinal cord injury. This study sought to adapt, with cultural competence, the English questionnaire and translate it into Bahasa Malaysia, including evaluation of content and face validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and completion of a factor analysis in order to validate the Malaysian version. A total of 250 participants completed the questionnaire that was distributed via email, postal mail, the internet, physically and by word of mouth.

Leisure time physical activity participation in individuals with spinal cord injury in Malaysia: barriers to exercise.

Study Design: Cross-sectional.

Objectives: An epidemiological study describing leisure time physical activities (LTPA) and the associations of barriers, sociodemographic and injury characteristics to moderate-vigorous aerobic exercise participation among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) in a developing Southeast Asian country.

Setting: SCI community in Malaysia.

Exergaming for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Commercially available exergames that are for wheelchair-bound individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) are scarce. This study sought to identify exergames for individuals with SCI that are "dose-potent" for health benefits.

Materials And Methods: Six participants with SCI were recruited for a pilot study to investigate the exercise intensity of selected exergames (Move Tennis, Move Boxing, and Move Gladiator Duel) for the potential to improve health.

Exergaming boxing versus heavy-bag boxing: are these equipotent for individuals with spinal cord injury?

Background: Current strategies for increased physical activity and exercise in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) face many challenges with regards to maintaining their continuity of participation. Barriers cited often include problems with accessing facilities, mundane, monotonous or boring exercises and expensive equipment that is often not adapted for wheelchair users.

Aim: To compare the physiological responses and user preferences between conventional heavy-bag boxing against a novel form of video game boxing, known as exergaming boxing.

Dental Students' Educational Environment and Perceived Stress: The University of Malaya Experience.

Background: An equitable and positive learning environment fosters deep self-directed learning in students and, consequently, good practice in their profession. Although demotivating weaknesses may lead to repeated day-to-day stress with a cascade of deleterious consequences at both personal and professional levels, a possible relationship between these parameters has not been reported. This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between students' perceptions of their educational environment and their stress levels.

Exergaming for individuals with neurological disability: a systematic review.

Introduction: Exergames have the potential to enable persons with disabilities to take part in physical activities that are of appropriate "dose-potency" and enjoyable within a relatively safe home environment. It overcomes some of the challenges regarding transportation difficulties in getting to commercial gymnasium facilities, reducing physical activities perceived as "boring" or getting access into the built environment that may be "wheelchair unfriendly".

Objective: This systematic review assessed available evidence whether "exergaming" could be a feasible modality for contributing to a recommended exercise prescription according to current ACSM™ or WHO guidelines for physical activity.

Role of Genistein in Preeclampsia: A Case-Control Study.

Objective: To examine the association between genistein intake (estimated from a food frequency questionnaire [FFQ) and incidence of preeclampsia.

Study Design: The study was conducted at University Malaya Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, and involved 32 women with preeclampsia and 32 healthy pregnant women (matched by parity and gestational age). A validated FFQ was used to collect information regarding dietary intake of genistein during their pregnancy.

Plasma isoflavones in Malaysian men according to vegetarianism and by age.

Epidemiological studies indicate lower prevalences of breast and prostate cancers and cardiovascular disease in Southeast Asia where vegetarianism is popular and diets are traditionally high in phytoestrogens. This study assessed plasma isoflavones in vegetarian and non-vegetarian Malaysian men according to age. Daidzein, genistein, equol (a daidzein metabolite), formononetin, biochanin A, estrone, estradiol and testosterone were measured by validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LCMSMS).

Hearing Risk among Young Personal Listening Device Users: Effects at High-Frequency and Extended High-Frequency Audiogram Thresholds.

Objective: The usage of personal listening devices (PLDs) is associated with risks of hearing loss. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of music exposure from these devices on high-frequency hearing thresholds of PLD users.

Materials And Methods: A total of 282 young adults were questioned regarding their listening habits and symptoms associated with PLD listening.

Vascular endothelial growth factor, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 and genistein-induced changes in the vascular reactivity of rat's aorta.

Aim: During preeclampsia (PE), the excessive circulation of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFLT1) hinders the vasodilatory effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This effect has been proven in vitro in the renal artery of rats. The endothelium of the blood vessels is also said to be dysfunctional in PE.

Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire to estimate the intake of genistein in Malaysia.

Objective: To develop and validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to estimate the genistein intake in a Malaysian population of pregnant women.

Method: A single 24-h dietary recall was obtained from 40 male and female volunteers. A FFQ of commonly consumed genistein-rich foods was developed from these recalls, and a database of the genistein content of foods found in Malaysia was set up.

Exercise responses during functional electrical stimulation cycling in individuals with spinal cord injury.

Purpose: This study compared acute exercise responses during arm cranking, functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted leg cycling, and combined arm and leg ("hybrid") cycling in individuals with spinal cord injury during maximal and submaximal exercise.

Methods: Nine male subjects with long-standing neurological lesions from C7 to T12 were recruited. All subjects performed arm crank ergometry (ACE), FES leg cycle exercise (FES-LCE), combined ACE + FES-LCE, and cycling on a hybrid FES tricycle (HYBRID).

Urinary metabolic evaluation of stone formers-a Malaysian perspective.

Objective: To investigate the urinary metabolic excretion pattern among local stone formers given the great differences in the intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors as well as the urinary metabolic excretions compared with other populations.

Methods: Thirty urinary stone formers out of an initial 62 recruited provided a complete 24-hour urine sample for metabolic evaluation. Student's t-test and Pearson correlation test were used for the statistical analysis.

Treatment with captopril abrogates the altered expression of alpha1 macroglobulin and alpha1 antiproteinase in sera of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Background: Proteins that are associated with hypertension may be identified by comparing the 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) profiles of the sera of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with those generated from normotensive Spraque-Dawley rats (SDR).

Results: Five proteins of high abundance were found to be significantly altered when the 2-DE serum profiles of the SHR were compared to those that were similarly generated from the SDR. Analysis by mass spectrometry and database search identified the proteins as retinol binding protein 4, complement C3, albumin (19.

Integrating an open-source course management system (Moodle) into the teaching of a first-year medical physiology course: a case study.

Educators in medical schools around the world are presently experimenting with innovative ways of using web-based learning to supplement the existing teaching and learning process. We have recently used a popular open-source course management system (CMS) called the modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) to construct an online site (DPhysiol) to facilitate our face-to-face teaching of physiology to a group of first-year students in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery program. The integration of the Moodle site into our teaching was assessed using online log activity, student examination marks, and feedback from students.

Twenty-four hour and spot urine metabolic evaluations: correlations versus agreements.

Objectives: To investigate the correlations and agreements between the solute/creatinine ratios from the 24-hour and early morning spot urine samples for metabolic evaluation in stone-formers given the various pitfalls with the 24-hour urinary metabolic evaluation in stone-formers.

Methods: 30 urinary stone-formers out of an initial 62 recruited provided a complete 24-hour urine and early morning spot urine samples for metabolic evaluation. Pearson correlation and Bland and Altman Test were used to assess the correlations and agreements.

Differential effects of carvedilol and atenolol on plasma noradrenaline during exercise in humans.

Aims: Evidence of long-term beneficial effects of beta-blockers on mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure has been demonstrated in recent randomized trials. However, not all beta-blockers are identical. Carvedilol, a nonselective beta- and alpha-adrenergic blocker, can potentially blunt the release of noradrenaline by blocking presynaptic beta2-adrenergic receptors.

Population differences in cardiovascular reactivity to the cold pressor test.

The interaction of race and climatic adaptation on patterns of cardiovascular reactivity among young adult males was examined. Malay and Chinese subjects living in a tropical climate in the Orient and Caucasians living in a sub-tropical climate in North America were investigated. The cold pressor test with hand immersion in cold water was used as the stressor.