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Acculturation of Malay culture into Malaysian non-malay and non-Malaysian and its reflection on the neural substrate of culture specific emotion
Get PDFRacism, prejudice, and discrimination are significant issues that can arise from cultural diversity. It is important to understand the effect of acculturation across members of different cultural groups and how this interaction displays cultural similarities. This research aims to understand the influence of acculturation of majority culture (Malay) into Malaysian non-Malay (Chinese and Indian) and non-Malaysian participants on the neural process of culturally specific emotion. This research was implemented in two phases: (1) Validation study, and (2) Event Related Potential (ERP) study. The amplitude and latency of ERP components were analyed using SPANOVA. The source of localisation and connectivity were analysed using narrative analysis. For the active paradigm, the interaction effect analysis showed significant activation in the Temporal area (T6) of the amplitude of P200 [F (5.378, 207.932) =2.245, p = 0.047], N200 [F (5.798, 224.177) =2.727, p = 0.015], and P300 [F (5.830, 225.432) =3.676, p = 0.002] ERP components. The source of localisation for Malay participants indicated patterns originated in Temporal lobe for N100 and Occipital lobe for P300, sharing similar patterns with non-Malay and non-Malaysian participants living in Malaysia for less than one year. There were 21 connectivity activations in Malay participants, with shared similarities in sensory, motor, visual, memory, emotion, attention, and decision-making processes among non-Malay participants, followed by non-Malaysian participants living in Malaysia for more than one year. For the passive paradigm, the interaction effect analysis showed significant activation in the Parietal-Temporal-Occipital area of the latency T4 [F (8.896, 343.974) = 2.336, p = 0.015], O2 [F (9, 348) =2.446, p = 0.010] of N100 and P4 [F (9, 348) = 2.546, p = 0.008], O1 [F (9, 348) = 2.355, p = 0.014] of P300 ERP components. The source of localisation for Malay participants indicated pattern originated in Occipital lobe in N100 and Frontal lobe in P200, shared similar pattern with non-Malay and non-Malaysian participants living in Malaysia for more than one year. There were 17 connectivity activations in Malay participants with shared similarities in sensory, motor, visual, memory, emotion, language, and higher cognitive functions among non-Malay participants, followed by non-Malaysian participants living in Malaysia for more than one year, and non-Malaysian participants living in Malaysia for less than one year. In conclusion, the finding of this research indicates that non-Malay participants share similar neural process pattern associated with culturally specific emotion with Malay participants due to the influence of acculturation
The differences of food preferences, food choices and its waste with nutritional status among students receiving school supplementary meals in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
Get PDFSchools are an important food environment to cultivate and promote healthy food choices and practices among children and adolescents. This study aimed to identify the differences of food preferences and food choices and its waste with nutritional status among children students received school supplementary meals in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Eligible schools were randomly selected from a complete list of public primary schools in Kota Bharu, Kelantan that was obtained from the Ministry of Education Malaysia's website. It involved a cross-sectional study that was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire among 130 school-aged children’ participants. The participants consisted of 38.5% (45) males and 61.5% (72) females. The participants will be selected based on the inclusion criteria, such as government-funded with non-religious and special educational needs, Malaysian citizens, primary school student’s male and female aged 7 to 12 years old, receive school supplementary meal program and able to understand Bahasa Malaysia. The questionnaire comprises three parts, Part One: Sociodemographic items, Part Two: Food Preferences which were classified based on food groups derived from Malaysian Food Pyramid and with the additional food groups in food preferences such as fast-food, processed foods, sugary foods and beverages and food items were chosen based on the most common foods found within school environment either from school canteen or brought from home to school, and Part Three: Food Choices that were provided within RMTs meals and its waste which refer from non- disliked meals within RMTs. The findings challenge the common perception that overweight and obese individuals have higher consumption rates of unhealthy foods. On the contrary, this study revealed that underweight individuals consume fried foods more than those who are overweight or obese. Gender differences in food preferences were evident, with girls showing more diverse and healthier food choices compared to boys, though no differences were found in unhealthy food preferences across BMI categories. Additionally, the study highlighted food waste behaviours, showing that underweight students waste less food compared to their normal and overweight/obese peers
Optimisation Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derivation From Human Cord Blood And Its Application For Cardiac Regeneration In Cryoinjured Rat Model
Get PDFCardiomyocyte therapy was considered the only option to repopulate myocardial loss, but challenges existed in achieving effective replenishment of functional cardiomyocytes that could translate into clinical benefits. This study aimed to examine the use and function of pre-epicardial cells in cardiomyocyte therapy in vivo. Cryopreserved cord blood was used to generate human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to harness the ‘youthfulness’ of foetal cells. The generated hiPSCs were also used to produce cardiomyocytes (CMs) and pre-epicardial cells (PECs) with high differentiation efficiency using established protocols. To confirm the effects of PECs on cardiomyocytes, both differentiated CMs and PECs were co-cultured for 6 days, and the proliferation and role of Hippo signaling were assessed. PECs (1x10⁶ cells/100 μl) were also combined with CMs (1x10⁶ cells/100 μl) to treat cryoinjured rat hearts after 1 month. Cardiac functions were assessed using Millar Pressure Volume Loop cardiac hemodynamics analysis. Differences between groups were considered significant when p < 0.05 using ANOVA. Frozen CD34 cells were successfully reprogrammed into hiPSCs with consistent expression of pluripotent markers. The generated hiPSCs demonstrated multilineage differentiation ability, forming cardiomyocytes, dopamine neurons, and early endodermal cells
Development of a new hybrid model and its application in biostatistics
Get PDFLinear regression, a fundamental tool in statistical analysis, enables the exploration of relationships between variables. Despite its widespread use, traditional regression analysis encounters challenges when handling qualitative predictive variables (QPV), Multilayer Layer Feedforward Neural Network (MLFFNN), and Fuzzy Linear Regression. There is a significant gap in understanding how to integrate multiple linear regression with other approaches to enhance model accuracy and predictability. This highlights the need for the development of hybrid models. Integrating Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) with advanced techniques, such as fuzzy regression and neural networks, addresses MLR's limitations in handling complex data and improves model accuracy and generalizability. This hybrid approach is crucial for overcoming challenges in biostatistics and enhancing predictive performance. This study utilizes a comprehensive methodology that integrates several techniques, such as transforming QPV, bootstrapping, MLFFNN, and employing fuzzy regression. The utility of the developed methodology is demonstrated using three secondary datasets. All obtained results demonstrate statistical significance, with high accuracy reflected in the R2 values. Additionally, small mean squared errors confirm a close alignment between predicted and actual values. All cases show the method's superiority, offering researchers precise tools for biostatistical inferences and forecasts. Future work will adapt this approach for other regression types and explore its application across various domains
The association between caffeine intake and mental health status among undergraduate medical student in Health Campus Of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan
Get PDFCaffeine is a widely consumed psychoactive substance, commonly used to enhance
alertness and performance, especially among students. The consumption patterns and
potential impacts of caffeine on mental health among medical students, who are often
under significant academic and psychological stress, are not well understood. This study
aimed to explore the association between caffeine intake and mental health status among
undergraduate medical students at the Health Campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia
Kelantan. This was a cross-sectional study that involved a sample of undergraduate
medical students from the Health Campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia Kelantan. Data
on caffeine intake and mental health status were collected through a self-administered
questionnaire. Mental health status was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder
7 (GAD-7) scale for anxiety and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) for
depression. SPSS version 27.0 was used to analyse the data. Based on the study finding,
64.1% of the student consumed caffeine, while 35.9% of the student did not consume
caffeine. There was no significant association between caffeine status and mental health
scoring of GAD-7 (p = 0.478) and PHQ-9 (p = 0.820). The study concluded that there
was no significant association between caffeine intake and mental health status, as
measured by GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores, among undergraduate medical students at the
Health Campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia Kelantan. These results indicate that caffeine
consumption might not be a major contributing factor to the mental health outcomes in this population. Other factors such as academic stress, cultural influences, smoking habits,
economic conditions, and mental health history were not directly examined in this study.
Further research is needed to explore other potential factors affecting the mental health
of medical students and to understand the broader implications of caffeine consumption
Expression of vascular endothelial growth receptors in human papilloma virus-related oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines
Get PDFOral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of malignancy that arises from mucosal epithelial lining of oral cavity. Smoking tobacco, alcohol consumption and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) are the main risk factors for OSCC. However, the effect of HPV infection in OSCC towards Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR) signalling in OSCC development is still unclear. This study aims to determine the expression of VEGFR1, VEGFR2, phosphorylated VEGFR1 (pVEGFR1), phosphorylated VEGFR2 (pVEGFR2) and Ki-67 with regards to HPV status in OSCC cell lines. Two types of OSCC cell lines which are HSC-2 (HPV-negative) and UPCI:SCC154 (HPV-positive) were maintained according to their recommended conditions. The expression of VEGFR1, VEGFR2, pVEGFR1, pVEGFR2 and Ki-67 were analysed using flow cytometry. The expression of VEGFR2 and pVEGFR2 were significantly higher on HSC-2 cells while significantly higher expression of Ki-67 was shown on SCC154 cells. Nevertheless, the protein expression value for all the targeted markers was higher on HSC-2 cells but not for Ki-67 which was higher on SCC154 cells. As conclusion, this study revealed that HPV infection in OSCC decreased the VEGFR expression which resulted in lower angiogenesis activity in HPV-infected OSCC. High Ki-67 expression in HPV-infected OSCC suggested that cell proliferation activity in HPV-infected OSCC was high even though lower angiogenesis marker were presented