Search

Abstract Introduction Community-driven research in primary healthcare (PHC) may reduce the chronic disease burden in Indigenous peoples. This systematic review assessed the cultural safety of reports of research on PHC use by Indigenous peoples from four countries with similar colonial histories. Methods Medline, CINAHL and Embase were all systematically searched from 1st January 2002 to 4th April 2023. Papers were included if they were original studies, published in English and included data (quantitative, qualitative and/or mixed methods) on primary healthcare use for chronic disease (chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus) by Indigenous Peoples from Western colonial countries. Study screening and data extraction were undertaken independently by two authors, at least one of whom was Indigenous. The baseline characteristics of the papers were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Aspects of cultural safety of the research papers were assessed using two quality appraisal tools: the CONSIDER tool and the CREATE tool (subset analysis). This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool. Results We identified 35 papers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. Most papers were quantitative (n = 21) and included data on 42,438 people. Cultural safety across the included papers varied significantly with gaps in adequate reporting of research partnerships, provision of clear collective consent from participants and Indigenous research governance throughout the research process, particularly in dissemination. The majority of the papers (94%, 33/35) stated that research aims emerged from communities or empirical evidence. We also found that 71.4% (25/35) of papers reported of using strengths-based approaches by considering the impacts of colonization on reduced primary healthcare access. Conclusion Research on Indigenous PHC use should adopt more culturally safe ways of providing care and producing research outputs which are relevant to community needs by privileging Indigenous voices throughout the research process including dissemination. Indigenous stakeholders should participate more formally and explicitly throughout the process to guide research practices, inclusive of Indigenous values and community needs.

Objectives The Antecedents of Renal Disease in Aboriginal Children and Young Adults (“ARDAC”) study is the largest data linkage study on the kidney health of First Nations Peoples internationally. Using this data linkage this study aimed to describe the kidney health of ARDAC study participants (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) aged under 25 years old. Methods Administrative data from hospital and community healthcare utilisation, pharmaceutical claims, and biomedical measurements were used to create a hybrid case definition for CKD. Using this definition, descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used to describe sociodemographic characteristics of ARDAC participants with CKD. A ‘strengths-based’ regression analysis was also undertaken to challenge past ways of reporting kidney health outcomes and improve equity among young Aboriginal peoples. Results From the 3758 participants enrolled at baseline, approximately 1.5% of young people developed CKD between 2002 to 2019 (follow-up: 2-4 years). The current median age of the cohort is 26.7 years. The majority of those with CKD were identified through biomedical and pharmaceutical data combined, followed by community healthcare claims, and hospitalizations. Findings from the regression analysis will provide insight into the socioeconomic factors that lead to CKD in young people and will be the focus of this presentation. Conclusions/Implications Our findings report for the first time the socioeconomic drivers of kidney health equity for young Aboriginal peoples. Understanding these drivers provides opportunities to work in partnership with communities to develop culturally safe health promotion.

Background. Women are more likely than men to be living kidney donors. We summarized the evidence concerning the reasons behind sex and gender disparities in living kidney donation (LKD). Methods. A scoping review of quantitative and qualitative evidence on reasons for sex and gender disparities in LKD was conducted from inception to March 2023. Results. Of 1123 studies screened, 45 were eligible for inclusion. Most studies were from North America, Europe, and Central Asia (n = 33, 73%). A predominance of women as living donors (55%–65%) was observed in 15 out of 18 (83%) studies. Reasons for sex and gender disparities in LKD included socioeconomic, biological, and cognitive or emotional factors. A gendered division of roles within the families was observed in most studies, with men being the primary income earner and women being the main caregiver. Fear of loss of income was a barrier to male donation. Human leukocyte antigen sensitization through pregnancy in female recipients precluded male partner donation, whereas female donation was supported by altruism and a positive attitude toward LKD. Conclusions. Sex imbalance in LKD is prevalent, with a predominance of women as living donors. Such disparities are driven by societal and cultural perceptions of gender roles, pregnancy-induced sensitization, and attitudes toward donation and at least some of these factors are modifiable. Donor compensation to support predonation assessments and income loss, implementation of innovative desensitization treatments, promotion of paired kidney exchange program, and targeted educational initiatives to promote equitable living donation may help to close the gender gap in LKD.

Divorce separates not only husband and wife but also parents and children. After the divorce, the role of the mother is identified as the best caregiver for the child. While the father's role is only limited to providing for the child's needs. The question is "whether a mother is the only one with custody rights of a child who has not been mumayiz or is not 12 years old yet? The study was carried out in a descriptive juridical method, with a gender approach, from two things: (1) the normative basis for determining child custody after divorce and (2) determining child custody for the father in a religious court. The findings of this study proved that caring for unmarried children is not the absolute right of a mother. Fathers also have the same rights, even more than a mother. The principle of "the best interest of the child" can be easily enforced by placing the custody rights of the father and mother equally.

Abstract Background This update summarises key changes made to the protocol since the publication of the original protocol for the NAVKIDS2 trial of patient navigators for children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) experiencing social disadvantage and provides the statistical analysis plan (SAP) which has not previously been published. Methods/design The original protocol was published in BMC Nephrology ( https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-019-1325-y ) prior to the commencement of trial recruitment. During the course of the trial, some key methodological changes needed to be made including changes to eligibility criteria (addition of patients with CKD stages 1–2, broadening of financial status eligibility criterion, addition of patients living in rural/remote areas, modification of age eligibility to 0–16 years, addition of limits related to the language spoken by family, guidance regarding families with multiple eligible children), changes to sites, reduction of sample size, addition of virtual options for consent and study procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, removal of staggered recruitment across sites, addition of outcomes, and changes to the timing and number of assessments. This update summarises the changes made and their rationale and provides the detailed plan for statistical analysis of the trial. These changes have been finalised prior to the completion of study follow-up and the commencement of data analysis. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12618001152213 . Prospectively registered on 12 July 2018

The social, cultural, and technological developments of society are unavoidable. This has an impact on the development of Islamic Law, which keeps all Muslim activities in the right corridor. Contemporary Islamic law, known as Contemporary Islamic Law, has also developed to answer new societal problems. Various views on Contemporary Islamic Law in solving multiple issues certainly reap various responses from the community and scholars. These views are often conveyed through social media such as Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Therefore, this article aims to discuss a preliminary study of text analysis techniques used to find out the views of the community and Ulama on Contemporary Islamic Law issues computationally and automatically. This initial study reviews the methods and techniques that will be used, namely the Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (SKKNI) methodology for data science. This study will also use a sentiment analysis approach, topic modeling, and pattern analysis to find out people's views on issues of Contemporary Islamic Law through social media. The algorithm used for sentiment analysis is the Multinomial Naïve Bayes Classifier (MNBC), for topic modeling is Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), while for pattern analysis using the Prefix-projected Sequential Pattern Mining (PrefixSpan) algorithm. The model generated from sentiment analysis, topic modeling, and pattern analysis will be evaluated by measuring the confusion matrix, coherence value, and silhouette coefficient value. In addition, analysis and interpretation of the model results will be carried out in-depth qualitatively by involving the views and thoughts of Islamic Law experts.

Abstract Background Parental donor kidney transplantation is the most common treatment option for children and adolescents with kidney failure. Emerging data from observational studies have reported improved short- and medium-term allograft outcomes in recipients of paternal compared to maternal donors. The INCEPTION study aims to identify potential differences in immunological compatibility between maternal and paternal donor kidneys and ascertain how this affects kidney allograft outcomes in children and adolescents with kidney failure. Methods This longitudinal observational study will recruit kidney transplant recipients aged ≤18 years who have received a parental donor kidney transplant across 4 countries (Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the Netherlands) between 1990 and 2020. High resolution human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing of both recipients and corresponding parental donors will be undertaken, to provide an in-depth assessment of immunological compatibility. The primary outcome is a composite of de novo donor-specific anti-HLA antibody (DSA), biopsy-proven acute rejection or allograft loss up to 60-months post-transplantation. Secondary outcomes are de novo DSA, biopsy-proven acute rejection, acute or chronic antibody mediated rejection or Chronic Allograft Damage Index (CADI) score of > 1 on allograft biopsy post-transplant, allograft function, proteinuria and allograft loss. Using principal component analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression modelling, we will determine the associations between defined sets of immunological and clinical parameters that may identify risk stratification for the primary and secondary outcome measures among young people accepting a parental donor kidney for transplantation. This study design will allow us to specifically investigate the relative importance of accepting a maternal compared to paternal donor, for families deciding on the best option for donation. Discussion The INCEPTION study findings will explore potentially differential immunological risks of maternal and paternal donor kidneys for transplantation among children and adolescents. Our study will provide the evidence base underpinning the selection of parental donor in order to achieve the best projected long-term kidney transplant and overall health outcomes for children and adolescents, a recognized vulnerable population. Trial registration The INCEPTION study has been registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, with the trial registration number of ACTRN12620000911998 (14th September 2020).

Islamic inheritance law is one aspect that is regulated in Qur’an and Hadith. However, the inheritance distribution of the descendent of children and siblings is not explicitly explained in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, which often creates conflicts and disputes. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the approach of Islamic law in completing inheritance for the descendant of children and siblings with the local wisdom of Indonesian society. This research used a qualitative descriptive analysis method. This research also observed Indigenous Peoples in West Java Province, a local cultural representation in Indonesia. The results of this study found that there is a factor of kanyaah (love affection), which is local wisdom as a separate mechanism in resolving the distribution of inheritance for descendent of children and siblings without causing family conflict, besides the understanding of Islamic inheritance law and educational factors.

Background. Recurrent membranous nephropathy (MN) posttransplantation affects 35% to 50% of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and accounts for 50% allograft loss 5 y after diagnosis. Predictive factors for recurrent MN may include HLA-D risk alleles, but other factors have not been explored with certainty. Methods. The Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant registry was used to develop 3 prediction models for recurrent MN (Group Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator [LASSO], penalized Cox regression, and random forest), which were tuned using tenfold cross-validation in a derivation cohort with complete HLA data. KTRs with MN but incomplete HLA data formed the validation cohort. Model performance was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC). Results. One hundred ninety-nine KTRs with MN were included, and 25 (13%) had recurrent MN (median follow-up 5.9 y). The AUC-ROCs for Group LASSO, penalized Cox regression, and random forest models were 0.85 (95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.94), 0.91 (0.85-0.96), and 0.62 (0.57-0.69), respectively, in the derivation cohort, with moderate agreement in selected variables between the models (55%-70%). In their validation cohorts, the AUC-ROCs for Group LASSO and penalized Cox regression were 0.60 (0.49-0.70) and 0.73 (0.59-0.86), respectively. Variables of importance chosen by all models included recipient HLA-A2, donor HLA-DR12, donor-recipient HLA-B65, and HLA-DR12 match. Conclusions. A penalized Cox regression performed reasonably for predicting recurrent MN and was superior to Group LASSO and random forest models. These models highlighted the importance of donor-recipient HLA characteristics to recurrent MN, although validation in larger datasets is required.

This research aims to investigate the absolute competence in the fields of alms in the Religious Court in Indonesia. The method used in this research is normative juridical research with the type of prescriptive analysis of research, namely studying the purpose of the law, the values of justice, the validity of the rule of law, legal concepts, and legal norms. This research found that the case of alms has never appeared. It can happen because alms cases are resolved through non-litigation. The settlement of alms disputes has likely been completed up to the zakat management institution's level, and alms has become part of Islam's teachings. It is necessary o cooperate with other institutions in resolving it legally. Besides that, there is a need for legislation that provides opportunities to solve alms' problem does not clash with its legal aspects.

Abstract: Normatively inheritance with different religions is hindered from inheritance rights because religious differences between heirs and heirs or vice versa cause someone not to inherit from each other. However, in line with the development of Islamic legal thinking the discovery of inheritance laws of different religions by judges in the Religious Courts is something that is not impossible to do ijtihad in order to fulfill a sense of justice in accordance with the objectives of the law. The purpose of this study was to find out the legal findings of judges about inheritance of different religions in the Bandung Religious Court in line with the demands of justice seekers about heirs of different religions. This study uses the Normative Juridical method which means that this research will be seen from the values that evolve in Islamic law, including in the view of legislation and content analysis, with a normative juridical approach. The data found in this study are the thoughts of judges who are bound by prevailing legal norms as outlined in the form of verdicts and stipulations. The results of this study conclude that judges do not rule out the possibility of finding a new law regarding interfaith inheritance by giving inheritance rights to different religious heirs if desired by the heirs by carrying out various legal interpretations and adhering to the legal objectives of the principle of benefit, the principle of justice and the benefit principle for heirs. Abstrak: Secara normatif kewarisan yang berbeda agama terhalang atas hak waris karena beda agama antara pewaris dengan ahli waris atau sebaliknya menyebabkan seseorang tidak saling mewaris. Namun, sejalan dengan berkembangnya pemikiran hukum Islam penemuan hukum waris beda agama oleh para hakim di Pengadilan Agama adalah sesuatu yang tidak mustahil untuk melakukan ijtihad dalam rangka memenuhi rasa keadilan sesuai dengan tujuan hukum. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui penemuan hukum hakim tentang waris beda agama di Pengadilan Agama Kota Bandung sejalan dengan tuntutan para pencari keadilan tentang ahli waris yang berbeda agama. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode Yuridis Normatif artinya penelitian ini akan dilihat dari nilai-nilai yang berkembanmg dalam hukum Islam termasuk dalam pandangan perundang-undangan. Juga yurisprudensi yang dapat dijadikan sumber hukum dalam memutuskan perkara yang sama yang datang dikemudian hari Untuk itu penelitian ini metode yang digunakan adalah analisis isi (content analysis), dengan pendekatan yuridis normatif. Data yang ditemukan dalam penelitian ini berupa pemikiran para hakim yang terikat dengan norma-norma hukum yang berlaku yang dituangkan dalam bentuk putusan maupun penetapan, adapun ijtihad hakim dalam memberikan pertimbangan atas perkara yang diajukan pertama, berdasarkan pada hukum tertulis dan tidak tertulis, kemudian yurisprudensi Mahkamah Agung. Hasil Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa hakim tidak menutup kemungkinan menemukan hukum baru tentang waris beda agama dengan memberikan hak waris kepada ahli waris beda agama jika dikehendaki oleh ahli waris dengan melakukan berbagai penafsiran hukum dan berpegang pada tujuan hukum yakni asas manfaat, asas keadilan dan asas kemaslahatan bagi para ahli waris.

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui bentuk hukum perlindungan bagi anak korban kekerasan seksual di wilayah kabupaten Timor Tengah Selatan NTT. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian hukum normatif dengan menggunakan metode pendekatan perundang-undangan. Lokasi penelitian ini berada di Dinas Sosial kabupaten Timor Tengah Selatan. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan studi kepustakaan dan wawancara. Hasil penelitian dalam pembahasan ini bahwa Telah dijelaskan dalam undang undang No. 35 tahun 2014 tentang perubahan undang-undang No. 23 tahun 2002 tentang perlindungan anak dalam pasal 59A mengenai pendampingan medis, psikososial, social, dan proses peradilan. Pasal 67 B mengenai pembinaan, pendampingan, serta pemulihan social kesehatan fisik mental dan pasal 69 A mengenai edukasi, rehabilitas social, pedampingan psikososial, dan pendampingan proses peradilan. Adapun Undang-Undang No. 31 Tahun 2014 Tentang Perubahan Undang-Undang No. 13 Tahun 2006 Tentang Perlindungan Saksi Dan Korban Dalam Pasal 5 mengenai hak saksi dan korban, Pasal 6 mengenai bantuan medis, dan rehabilitasi psikososial dan psikologis, dan Pasal 10 mengenai saksi dan/atau korban tidak dapat dituntut secara hukum. Kemudian Undang-Undang Nomor 11 Tahun 2012 Tentang Sistem Peradilan Pidana Anak. Perlindungan hukum terhadap anak korban kekerasan seksual yang diberikan oleh Dinas sosial merupakan suatu bentuk bantuan yang dimulai sejak anak menjadi korban dan korban dapat kembali ke masyarakat.kekerasan seksual mendapatkan pendampingan secara gratis dari dinas social dan balai rehabilitasi social anak yang memerlukan perlindungan khusus (BRSAMPK) meliputi; medis, psikis, social dan pengadilan. Kata Kunci: kekerasan seksual, perlindungan khusus anak

Norma ideal sesungguhnya merupakan aturan yang terakumulasi dari pengabdian yang berdimensi untuk kepentingan hablum mina Allah dan hablum min annas, bukan norma yang di dalamnya mengandung kekuasaan, maksudnya norma ideal mengandung akumulasi dimensi transendental yang idealogistik dan horizontal yang realistik. Di Indonesia norma ideal merupakan refleksi dari idiologi negara, yakni Pancasila yang merupakan perwujudan dari cita hukum dan kesadaran hukum bangsa Indonesia yang tumbuh dan lahir dari tuntutan pandangan hidup dan cita moral mereka, yaitu pandangan hidup yang berakar pada nilai-nilai religius. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengkaji peran hakim dengan mengusung nilai-nilai norma ideal selaras dengan Pancasila. Metode yang digunakan adalah kualitatif dengan pendekatan analisis konten. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa yang peran hakim dengan norma ideal dapat ditranformasikan melalui pertimbangan hukum oleh hakim dalam memutuskan suatu perkara yang dihadapkan kepadanya tanpa terikat dengan peran dan alat kepentingan kekuasaan manapun, dimana kekuasaan identik dengan muatan politik. Dan moralitas hakim dapat diukur dengan lahirnya putusan atau produk hukum serta kebijakan penegak hukum.

Abstract: This paper departs from the different concepts between grants and inheritance. A grant is a form of transfer of property from a person (grantor) to another person (grantee) which is carried out while the grantor is still alive with the maximum amount of 1/3 of the inheritance. The grantee may come not only from the grantor’s heir, but also from other party, whether a person or a legal person. While inheritance is the transfer of property from a deceased person to their heir with the provisions that have been stated in the Qur'an and hadith, and other applicable legislation. The descriptive method with normative judicial approach was applied to describe how grants might become one of resolutions for inheritance-related conflict. The research found that some part of community distributes inheritance while the testator is still alive in order to avoid dispute between heirs. This practice is based on custom or simply due to lack of knowledge on Islamic inheritance provision. It can be concluded that the inheritance may be distributed while the testator is still alive through the concept of grant, as long as there is an agreement between the heirs. Whenever a dispute occurs after the grantor deceased, the distributed assets can be withdrawn and taken into account as inheritance. Abstrak: Tulisan ini berangkat dari konsep yang berbeda antara hibah dengan waris. Hibah merupakan bentuk perpindahan harta dari seseorang (pemberi hibah) kepada orang lain (penerima hibah) ketika pemberi hibah masih hidup dengan batasan yang disepakati maksimal sampai 1/3 dari harta peninggalan. Penerima hibah tersebut tidak hanya ahli waris tetapi bisa orang lain baik secara perorangan maupun lembaga atau organisasi yang dilaksanakan. Sementara waris merupakan perpindahan harta dari orang yang sudah meninggal dunia kepada ahli waris dengan ketentuan yng sudah tercantum dalam al-Qur’an maupun hadist atau dalam ketentuan perundang-undangan yang berlaku. Metode ynag digunakan dalam tulisan ini adalah metode deskriftif dengan pendekatan yuridis normatif yang bertujuan untuk menggambarkan hibah sebagai penyelesaian waris. Ditemukan dalam masyarakat bagaimana pembagian warisan dilakukan ketika si pewaris masih hidup. Adapun alasannya antara lain agar tidak terjadi sengketa diantara ahli waris, karena faktor pemahaman keagamaan masyarakat yang masih kurang terhadap kewarisan Islam, atau karena kebiasaan yang terjadi dimasyarakat. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa penyelesaian waris bisa dilakukan dengan cara membaginya ketika pewaris masih hidup melalui konsep hibah, selama adanya kesepakatan diantara ahli waris. Jika terjadi sengketa setelah meninggalnya pemberi hibah, maka harta hibah yang diberikan ketika hidup dan dinilai sebagai warisan dapat ditarik kembali dan diperhitungkan sebagai warisan.

Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a devastating illness associated with increased mortality, reduced quality of life, impaired growth, neurocognitive impairment and psychosocial maladjustment in children. There is growing evidence of socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes among children with CKD. Patient navigators are trained non-medical personnel who assist patients with chronic conditions journey through the continuum of care and transit across different care settings. They help vulnerable and underserved populations to better understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and available resources, guide them through complex medical systems, and help them to overcome barriers to health care access. Given the complexity and chronicity of the disease process and concerns that current models of care may not adequately support the provision of high-level care in children with CKD from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, a patient navigator program may improve the provision of care and overall health of children with CKD. Methods The NAV-KIDS2 trial is a multi-centre, staggered entry, waitlisted randomised controlled trial assessing the health benefits and costs of a patient navigator program in children with CKD (stages 3–5, on dialysis, and with kidney transplants), who are of low socioeconomic backgrounds. Across 5 sites, 210 patients aged from 3 to 17 years will be randomised to immediate receipt of a patient navigator intervention for 24 weeks or waitlisting with standard care until receipt of a patient navigator at 24 weeks. The primary outcome is child self-rated health (SRH) 6-months after completion of the intervention. Other outcomes include utility-based quality of life, caregiver SRH, satisfaction with healthcare, progression of kidney dysfunction, other biomarkers, missed school days, hospitalisations and mortality. The trial also includes an economic evaluation and process evaluation, which will assess the cost-effectiveness, fidelity and barriers and enablers of implementing a patient navigator program in this setting. Discussion This study will provide clear evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a new intervention aiming to improve overall health and well-being for children with CKD from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, through a high quality, well-powered clinical trial. Trial registration Prospectively registered (12/07/2018) on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12618001152213).

This paper describes the legal consequences of marriage were not recorded on the wives and children of the right material according to Islamic law in Indonesia, so this article is focused on the history of marriage in Indonesia, marriage is not recorded, and the legal consequences of marriage were not recorded for the right material. Legal remedies that can be done to make the recognition of the state for the marriage were not recorded, namely through the filing legalitation of marriage (isbat nikah) to the Islamic Courts. In Islamic Law Compilation explained that: who has the right to apply for legalitation of marriage (isbat nikah) is a husband or wife, their children, the guardian of marriage, and interested parties.

Introduction: Infant gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a significant cause of concern to parents. This study seeks to describe GERD prevalence in infants, evaluate possible risk factors and assess common beliefs influencing management of GERD among Asian parents., Methods: Mother-infant dyads in the Singapore PREconception Study of long-Term maternal and child Outcomes (S-PRESTO) cohort were prospectively followed from preconception to 12 months post-delivery. GERD diagnosis was ascertained through the revised Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire (I-GERQ-R) administered at 4 time points during infancy. Data on parental perceptions and lifestyle modifications were also collected., Results: The prevalence of infant GERD peaked at 26.5% at age 6 weeks, decreasing to 1.1% by 12 months. Infants exclusively breastfed at 3 weeks of life had reduced odds of GERD by 1 year (adjusted odds ratio 0.43, 95% confidence interval 0.19-0.97, P =0.04). Elimination of "cold or heaty food" and "gas producing" vegetables, massaging the infant's abdomen and application of medicated oil to the infant's abdomen were quoted as major lifestyle modifications in response to GERD symptoms., Conclusion: Prevalence of GERD in infants is highest in the first 3 months of life, and the majority outgrow it by 1 year of age. Infants exclusively breastfed at 3 weeks had reduced odds of GERD. Cultural-based changes such as elimination of "heaty or cold" food influence parental perceptions in GERD, which are unique to the Asian population. Understanding the cultural basis for parental perceptions and health-seeking behaviours is crucial in tailoring patient education appropriately for optimal management of infant GERD.

Introduction: We aimed to provide a practical and evidence-based guide on the indications, performance and reporting of high-resolution oesophageal manometry (HRM) and ambulatory pH monitoring (PHM) in adult patients in Singapore., Methods: The guideline committee comprised local gastroenterologists from public and private sectors with particular expertise in aspects of HRM and PHM, and it was tasked to produce evidence-based statements on the indications, performance and reporting of these tests. Each committee member performed literature searches to retrieve relevant articles within the context of domains to which they were assigned., Results: Twelve recommendation statements were created and summarised., Conclusion: Standardising key aspects of HRM and PHM is imperative to ensure the delivery of high-quality care. We reported the development of recommendations for the performance and interpretation of HRM and ambulatory reflux monitoring in Singapore.

Background: Kiwifruit is high in pectic polysaccharides and dietary fiber. This study aimed to find out how the ingestion of kiwifruit will affect intestinal microbiota populations, namely Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Bifidobacterium, and Enterococcus., Methods: Freeze dried kiwifruit (equivalent of two fresh kiwifruits) was given to each of the six subjects daily for four days. Faecal samples were collected before, during and after kiwifruit consumption. The faecal bacteria were enumerated by qPCR and RT qPCR methods., Results: The effect of the kiwifruit on intestinal microbiota profile varied between individuals; in general, the kiwifruit demonstrated a prebiotic effect of promoting the content of faecal lactobacilli and bifidobacteria (as compared to the baselines of the same individual before consumption) for as long as the fruit was consumed. The effect was however transient, the levels of the two bacteria returned near to that of the baselines upon cessation of consumption., Conclusion: Kiwifruit is a prebiotic in selectively enhancing the growth of intestinal lactic acid bacteria.