Prevalence,Associated Factors and Predictors of Depression among Adults in the Community of Selangor,Malaysia

Introduction

Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders and is an emerging public health problem. The objectives of this paper were to determine the prevalence of depression, its associated factors and the predictors of depression among adults in the community of Selangor.

Methods

A cross sectional study was conducted in three districts in Selangor, from 11th June to 30th December 2012. The sampling frame was obtained from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOS) in May 2012, using the National Population and Housing Census 2010. Adults aged 18 years and above, living in the selected living quarters were approached to participate in the study and requested to complete a set of questionnaires.

Results

A total of 1,556 out of 2,152 participants participated in this study, giving an overall study response rate of 61.90%. Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) was used to determine the presence of depression. The prevalence of depression was 10.3%, based on the PHQ-9 cut off point of 10 and above. Based on multiple logistic regression analysis, the predictors of depression were presence of anxiety, serious problems at work, unhappy relationship with children, high perceived stress, domestic violence, unhappy relationship with spouse, low self-esteem, unhappy relationship with family, serious financial constraint and presence of chronic diseases. When reanalyzed after removing anxiety, high perceived stress and low self-esteem, additional predictors of depression were found to be serious marital problems and religiosity.

Conclusion

The prevalence of depression in this study is similar to that found in other studies. Findings from this study are being used as baseline data to develop an effective program to assist in the management of common mental health disorders in the community, in particular depression. The identification of predictors of depression in the community is important to identify the target population for the program.     

Deep genetic differentiation between two morphologically similar species of wolf herrings (Teleostei,Clupeoidei, Chirocentridae)

Wolf herrings (Chirocentridae; Clupeoidei) are commonly found in local fish markets throughout the Indo‐West Pacific region where they constitute an auxiliary source of food and income for local communities. The validity of the two species of wolf herrings, Chirocentrus dorab Forsskål, 1775 and C. nudus Swainon, 1839, is only supported by slight morphological differences. The identification of either species is challenging, especially for juveniles, and precludes accurate assessments of these natural resources at a species level. As a step towards gaining better knowledge of the genetic structure of these fishes, we examined genetic differentiation between these two species by reconstructing their entire mitogenomic sequences using high‐throughput sequencing technology. We found that the mitogenome of each species shared the same gene content and order that were the same for those found in most other teleost fishes. Despite their high morphological similarity, these two species of Chirocentrus were genetically well differentiated (p‐distance = 16.3% at their cytochrome oxidase I). A mitogenomic time‐calibrated phylogenetic analysis showed that wolf herrings originated about 35 million years ago, and they represent a case of morphological stasis. Furthermore, comparison of published and newly determined mitochondrial COI barcode region sequences from 22 individuals revealed species‐level cryptic genetic diversity within C. dorab. Altogether, these mitochondrial data are effective in discriminating species within this genus and informing population genetic relationships within species of wolf herrings.     

Red tide phenomena in Brunei Darussalam — some implications for fisheries

Since the first recorded occurrence in 1976, the coastal waters of Brunei Darussalam have been sporadically subjected to the effects of red tide. The 1976 incident overwhelmed the nation which had no previous experience of red tides. Subsequently, a routine was established to monitor the red tide phenomenon. This included plankton monitoring and shellfish toxicity testing, measures which helped to prevent or mitigate adverse human impacts and economic losses to the fishing industry.The second red tide occurrence was in 1980. However, this time there was greater awareness and with the experience gained from the 1976 incident, the situation was handled effectively.A subsequent incident in 1988 was discovered in a slightly different manner. High densities of Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum, the causative organism, were found in the stomach contents of a pelagic fish, Sardinella spp. Cats which had fed on contaminated Sardinella suffered sickness and mortality. This led to a ban on the import and sale of Sardinella spp. and the closure of a local shellfish farm for almost a year.Red tide occurrences have had some impact on the fisheries of Brunei Darussalam, mainly due to the need to impose bans on the import, sale and consumption of certain species of fish and shellfish.It is suggested that the effects of red tides on finfish capture fisheries, especially planktivorous fish can be minimised by implementing simple precautions. Shellfish under culture would invariably face losses in the event of a prolonged red tide occurrence and it is proposed that an insurance scheme be implemented to cover such losses.A Red Tide Action Plan is currently in force in Brunei Darussalam. It is a contingency plan for red tide vigilance, monitoring and management, and will serve to reduce the negative impacts of red tides.     

Influence of cryoprotectants on abnormality and motility of baung (Mystus nemurus) spermatozoa after long-term cryopreservation

Study on the effect of cryoprotectants on abnormality and motility of baung, Mystus nemurus spermatozoa were evaluated using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Four cryoprotectants, dmso, ethanol, methanol and glycerol at concentration of 10% were tested in triplicates. Three ml of fresh sperm which was diluted with 60 ml of ringer solution was added to each of twelve 5-ml vials containing of 0.50-ml of the cryoprotectants. The vials were placed in an icebox containing dry ice 5 min and then storage into container containing liquid nitrogen for 13 months. The effect of cryoprotectants on the spermatozoa abnormality and motility were significant (P < 0.05). The spermatozoa abnormality was significantly lower in methanol (62.65%) compared with the other cryoprotectants. The spermatozoa motility was higher in methanol, but not significantly different with ethanol (P > 0.05). It is a negative correlation between sperm motility and abnormality. Generally, higher abnormalities of spermatozoa resulted low motility.     

Syntheses, structures and vibrational spectroscopy of some 1:1 and 1:2 adducts of silver(I) oxyanion salts with 2,2′-bis(pyridine) chelates

Syntheses and room-temperature single-crystal X-ray structure determinations are recorded for a number of adducts of 1:1 stoichiometry of silver(I) oxyanion salts (perchlorate, nitrate, trifluoroacetate (‘tfa’) (increasing basicity)) with 2,2′-bis(pyridine) ligands (2,2′-bipyridyl, ‘bpy’; 2,2′-biquinolyl, ‘bq’; 2,2′-dipyridylketone, ‘dpk’; 2,9-dimethylphenanthroline, ‘dmp’). The adducts take two forms: (a) neutral mononuclear molecules, in which the 2,2′-bis(pyridine) ligand behaves as a chelate, with the silver coordination number dependent on the denticity of the anion; these are Agtfa:bpy (1:1) and AgClO₄:bq (1:1) (and various (ionic) acetonitrile or pyridine solvates AgClO₄:bq/dmp:MeCN/py (1:1:1), in which the solvent molecules are coordinated); and (b) one-dimensional polymers. The latter are diverse: in AgClO₄:bpy, dpk (1:1), the anion is discrete, the polymer made up of an array of two-coordinate silver atoms linked by bpy ligands twisted about their central connecting element. In AgNO₃:bpy, bq (1:1), the bpy ligands are chelating with the oxyanions bridging, cf. previously reported AgNO₃:dpk (1:1), in which the nitrate chelates the metal, with the dpk bridging, chelating N,O to one silver, while the other nitrogen bridges to the next. With Agtfa, a novel binuclear adduct has been isolated in conjunction with the hydrated ligand, Agtfa:dpk:(dpk · H₂O) (1:1:2). The far-IR spectra of several of these complexes show bands that can be assigned to the ν(AgN) modes, the positions of these bands correlating well with the relative Ag-N bond lengths.Syntheses and single-crystal X-ray structural characterizations are also reported for various adducts of silver(I) perchlorate, nitrate and trifluoromethanesulfonate with bpy, bq, ‘phen’ (= 1,10-phenanthroline), and ‘dmp’, of stoichiometry AgX:L (1:2). In each case the complex is ionic [AgL₂]X; the silver atom is four-coordinate, but diverse and remarkable variations in stereochemistries associated with changes in the interligand N-Ag-N angles, presumably influenced by the different packing arrangements, are observed.     

Linocarpon angustatum sp. nov., andNeolinocarpon nypicola sp. nov. from petioles ofNypa fruticans, and a list of fungi from aerial parts of this host

Two new ascomycetes,Linocarpon angustatum sp. nov. andNeolinocarpon nypicola sp. nov., are described from petioles ofNypa fruticans in Malaysia.Linocarpon angustatum differs from species in the genus in having needle-shaped ascospores.Neolinocarpon nypicola differs from species in the genus in having filiform ascospores which gradually taper towards the ends, and ascomata developing within well developed stromata. These new species are compared with existing species and illustrated with interference light micrographs. The fungi known from aerial parts ofNypa fruticans are listed.