Efficacy of yeast beta-glucan 1,3/1,6 supplementation on respiratory infection, fatigue, immune markers and gut health among moderate stress adults in Klang Valley of Malaysia: protocol for a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study.

Introduction: Yeast beta-glucan (YBG) are recognised for enhancing the immune system by activating macrophages, a key defence mechanism. Given the global prevalence and impact of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) on productivity and healthcare costs, YBG has shown promise as a potential therapeutic and preventive strategy for recurrent respiratory tract infections. However, little is known regarding the efficacy of YBG at lower dosages in relation to URTI, fatigue, immune response and uncertainties of how they affect the gut microbiota composition.

Overweight, obesity, and cardiovascular disease in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia: the EAS FH Studies Collaboration registry.

Background And Aims: Overweight and obesity are modifiable risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in the general population, but their prevalence in individuals with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH) and whether they confer additional risk of ASCVD independent of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) remains unclear.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 35 540 patients with HeFH across 50 countries, in the EAS FH Studies Collaboration registry. Prevalence of World Health Organization-defined body mass index categories was investigated in adults (n = 29 265) and children/adolescents (n = 6275); and their association with prevalent ASCVD.

The opportunities in implementing assistive technology in oral health care for individuals with sensory impairments: a systematic review.

Purpose: People with sensory impairments (SI) face unique challenges in out-of-home care, especially in oral health (OH) care, compared to the general population. Various assistive technologies (ATs) and media are used to influence OH behaviors and outcomes for individuals with SI. This systematic review (SR) aimed to identify the types of ATs and assess their effectiveness for individuals with SI.

Factors Associated with Dengue Outbreaks in Pulau Pinang from the eDengue Database 2023: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Objectives: Dengue is now endemic in over 100 countries, with Asia bearing over 70% of the global burden. In Malaysia, dengue cases have increased dramatically, particularly in Pulau Pinang, where cases rose from 1,621 in 2022 to 7,343 in 2023. To examine factors associated with dengue outbreaks in Pulau Pinang in 2023 by comparing outbreak cases with single cases.

Pediatric Mycosis Fungoides Mimicking Benign Dermatoses: A Report of a Rare Case.

BACKGROUND Primary cutaneous lymphomas (PCL) are a multifaceted spectrum of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) and cutaneous B cell lymphomas (CBCL). Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a rare subset of CTCL that primarily affects adults, and its occurrence in children is exceedingly rare. Most pediatric MF manifests as hypopigmented patches resembling other benign dermatoses, causing diagnostic challenges.

Adverse Events Associated with Antivirals for COVID-19: An Analysis Based on FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has called for the rapid development and use of antiviral drugs to effectively control the disease. Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (Paxlovid), Molnupiravir, and Remdesivir have been pivotal in therapeutic approaches, although they raise concerns regarding adverse drug reactions (ADRs).

Objective: This study aimed to thoroughly assess the ADRs associated with these drugs by utilizing the Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Harnessing the Potential of Natural Composites in Biomedical 3D Printing.

Natural composites are emerging as promising alternative materials for 3D printing in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, sustainability, and unique mechanical properties. The use of natural composites offers several advantages, including reduced environmental impact, enhanced biodegradability, and improved tissue compatibility. These materials can be processed into filaments or resins suitable for various 3D printing techniques, such as fused deposition modeling (FDM).

The inter-trial and inter-session reliability of Theia3D-derived markerless gait analysis in tight versus loose clothing.

Background: Gait analysis is traditionally conducted using marker-based methods yet markerless motion capture is emerging as an alternative. Initial studies have begun to evaluate the reliability of markerless motion capture yet the evaluation of different clothing conditions across sessions and complete evaluation of the lower limb and pelvis reliability have yet to be considered. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter-trial, inter-session and inter-session-clothing variation and root mean square differences between tight- or loose-fitting clothing during walking.

Forward-backward translation, content validity, face validity, construct validity, criterion validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of a questionnaire on patient acceptance of orthodontic retainer.

This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of a questionnaire on patient acceptance of orthodontic retainers. The original questionnaire was forward- and backward-translated, followed by four validity tests (content validity, face validity, construct validity, criterion validity) and two reliability tests (test-retest reliability, internal consistency). Content validity was assessed by nine orthodontists who appraised the questionnaire's representativeness, relevance, clarity, and necessity.

Dengue's climate conundrum: how vegetation and temperature shape mosquito populations and disease outbreaks.

Introduction: Dengue, a prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease in tropical regions, is influenced by environmental factors such as rainfall, temperature, and urbanization. This study aims to assess the effects of microclimate, vegetation, and Aedes species distribution on dengue transmission in distinct hotspot and non-hotspot locations.

Methods: This cohort study was conducted in two sites within Selangor, Malaysia: a recurrent dengue hotspot and a non-dengue hotspot.

Anti-invasion activities of heat-killed lactic acid bacteria isolates against serovar Typhimurium.

Background And Objectives: The most common cause of severe foodborne salmonellosis is Typhimurium. Its interaction with intestinal epithelial cells is little known. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were recognized as a prominent probiotic gastrointestinal microbiota of humans and animals that confer health-promoting and protective effects.

Differential proteomic profiles between cognitive frail and robust older adults from the MELoR cohort.

The present study explored for the first time the blood-based proteomic signature that could potentially distinguish older adults with and without cognitive frailty (CF). The participants were recruited under the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) study. Cognition and physical frailty were determined using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Fried's criteria, respectively.

Spatial patterns of colorectal cancer survival rates in Malaysia, 2013-2018.

Background: Large geographical variations in colorectal cancer (CRC) survival rates have been reported across regions. Poorer survival rates were mainly found in socioeconomically deprived areas, highly dense areas, and areas lacking healthcare accessibility. The objective of this study was to identify, compare, and contrast the spatial patterns of 5-year CRC-specific survival rates and identify high-priority areas by districts in Malaysia.

Federated learning-driven collaborative recommendation system for multi-modal art analysis and enhanced recommendations.

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, recommendation systems have been widely applied in various fields. However, in the art field, art similarity search and recommendation systems face unique challenges, namely data privacy and copyright protection issues. To address these problems, this article proposes a cross-institutional artwork similarity search and recommendation system (AI-based Collaborative Recommendation System (AICRS) framework) that combines multimodal data fusion and federated learning.

Ethyl (2,3,4)-1-ethyl-2-(furan-2-yl)-4-hy-droxy-5-oxopyrrolidine-3-carboxyl-ate.

The title racemic oxopyrrolidine compound, CHNO, contains three stereogenic centres and crystallizes with two mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. The five-membered pyrrolidine rings in both mol-ecules exhibit envelope conformations. The -ethyl group of one of the mol-ecules is disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.

Understanding climate literacy research using scientometrics analysis.

Climate literacy, critical for understanding both the individual's impact on climate and the consequential effects on society and the biosphere, is comprehensively examined in this study through scientometric analysis. Spanning research from 1981 to 2024 and utilizing the Web of Science database, this study maps the evolution of publication trends, pinpoints central themes, and identifies pivotal publications within the domain. Leveraging advanced visualization tools like CiteSpace, the research employs dual-map overlays and document co-citation analysis to uncover the intricate web of interconnections among scholarly works.

Dexibuprofen loaded into nanoemulsion based gel for topical application - In vitro characterization and in vivo anti-inflammatory evaluation.

Arthritic disease is one of the most common diseases in adults and a leading cause of joint degeneration. Dexibuprofen (DEX) is routinely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, acute postoperative pain, primary dysmenorrheal, and in lower back pain. However, it is poorly water soluble with compromised bioavailability, and hence has limited therapeutic activity.

The efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation for epilepsy in Malaysia.

Introduction: The first vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) implantation in Malaysia was back in 2000, and the implantation rate increased tremendously since 2019. VNS has been used in patients who had persistent seizures despite epilepsy surgeries or were not candidates for epilepsy surgeries. We aimed to study the efficacy of VNS in Malaysia.

A comprehensive review of lignin-reinforced lignocellulosic composites: Enhancing fire resistance and reducing formaldehyde emission.

The rising environmental concerns and the growing demand for renewable materials have surged across various industries. In this context, lignin, being a plentiful natural aromatic compound that possesses advantageous functional groups suitable for utilization in biocomposite systems, has gained notable attention as a promising and sustainable alternative to fossil-derived materials. It can be obtained from lignocellulosic biomass through extraction via various techniques, which may cause variability in its thermal, mechanical, and physical properties.

Repeated time-series cross-validation: A new method to improved COVID-19 forecast accuracy in Malaysia.

Forecasting COVID-19 cases is challenging, and inaccurate forecast values will lead to poor decision-making by the authorities. Conversely, accurate forecasts aid Malaysian government authorities and agencies (National Security Council, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of International Trade and Industry) and financial institutions in formulating action plans, regulations, and legal acts to control COVID-19 spread in the country. Therefore, this study proposes Repeated Time-Series Cross-Validation, a new data-splitting strategy to identify the best forecasting model that is capable of producing the lowest error measures value and a high percentage of forecast accuracy for COVID-19 prediction in Malaysia.

RETRACTED: Azra et al. Crayfish Research: A Global Scientometric Analysis Using CiteSpace. 2023, , 1240.

The journal retracts the article titled "Crayfish Research: A Global Scientometric Analysis Using CiteSpace" [...

A review of vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor polymorphisms in endocrine-related disorders.

The endocrine system is a complex network of glands that produce and release hormones that regulate various physiological processes. In the past few decades, the human skin has been identified as an important peripheral endocrine organ that is the main site for the synthesis of vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. Mutations in downstream vitamin D-related gene pathways are associated with disease development.

Repurposing the antipsychotic drug penfluridol for cancer treatment (Review).

Cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases and the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite the improved survival rates of cancer in recent years, the current available treatments often face resistance and side effects. Drug repurposing represents a cost‑effective and efficient alternative to cancer treatment.

Physio-Mechanic and Microscopic Analyses of Bioactive Glass-Based Resin Infiltrants.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and durability of bioactive glass-based dental resin infiltrants. Resin infiltrants were formulated by combining photoinitiated dimethacrylate monomers with three variations of bioactive glass: 45S5 Bioglass (RIS), boron-substituted (RIB), fluoride-substituted (RIF), and pure resins (PR), whereby TOOTH group (TH) and ICON (CN) served as commercial control groups. Teeth samples were prepared, and experimental and control infiltrants were applied on demineralized human-extracted teeth.