Major Ethnic Groups Research Articles

Assessment of Gene Frequencies of Human Platelet Alloantigens in Rivers-State, Nigeria Based on ABO/Rhesus Blood Groups Distribution

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the Gene Frequencies of Human Platelet Alloantigens in Rivers-State, Nigeria based on ABO/Rhesus blood groups distribution
 Study Design: A randomized controlled trial.
 Place and Duration of Study: Rivers State University Medical Centre, Port Harcourt, Safety Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Enugu State, Justcare clinical laboratory Port Harcourt Rivers State and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, between October 2019 and March 2020.
 Methodology: The subjects consisted of apparently healthy individuals who were of Rivers State origin totaling 104 persons aged 17 to 42 years. They were under-graduate and post graduate students of Rivers State University of Port Harcourt. Five major ethnic groups were considered which included Ikwerre, Ogoni, Ijaw, Etche and Ogba. Their demographic information was collected using a sample register and a questionnaire. Samples were collected from the antecubital vein. 10ml of blood was collected, 5ml was transferred into EDTA sample bottle (Ethylene diamine tetracetic acid) while 2ml was dispensed into plain bottle and labeled accordingly. Serological testing including HIV (RVS) screening, HBsag, HCV and VDRL were all as part of the inclusion criteria immediately after samples were collected. The remaining sample was analyzed using genotyping of Human Platelet Antigens by High Resolution Melting Curve Analysis Polymerase Chain Reaction (HRM-PCR), while tile method also known as forward/cell grouping method which is based on haem-agglutination reaction was used for ABO/Rh blood grouping. The melt curve analysis was done using the MicPCR software while the frequency analysis was done using Number Cruncher Statistical Software (NCSS) Version 13. GraphPad Prism Version 8.0.2 was used to determine the statistical significance between the various HPA genotypes and the ethnic groups and p-values of < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. Results were presented in percentages, mean+/- standard deviation and in tables
 Results: The results showed that the A+ blood group had highest frequencies of 19.2% and 17.7% for HPA-5 b/b and HPA-4 a/a, while the least was 0.8% each for HPA-3 a/a, HPA-4 b/b and HPA-5. For blood group B+, the highest were 20.0% (HPA-5 b/b) and 16.7% (HPA-3 b/b), and the least were 5.0% each for HPA-1 b/b and HPA-4 a/b, while blood group B- had highest frequencies for HPA-1 a/a, HPA-2 b/b, HPA-3 b/b, HPA-4 a/b and HPA-5 b/b (20.0% each). The blood group O+ HPA gene patterns had their highest values at 19.7% (HPA-5 b/b), 16.5% (HPA-4 a/a) and 13.7% (HPA-3 b/b) and the least was 7.9% (HPA-1 a/b), while for the blood group O-, the highest was observed for HPA-3 b/b and HPA-5 b/b (20.0% each) and the least for HPA-1 a/a and a/b, HPA-2 a/b and b/b, and HPA-4 a/b and b/b (10.0% each).
 Conclusion: Based on the results, we conclude that A+ blood group had highest HPA frequencies. Whilst, the highest for blood group B+ were (HPA-5 b/b) and (HPA-3 b/b), and blood group B- had highest frequencies for HPA-1 a/a, HPA-2 b/b, HPA-3 b/b, HPA-4 a/b and HPA-5 b/b. The blood group O+ HPA gene patterns had their highest values (HPA-5 b/b), (HPA-4 a/a) and (HPA-3 b/b) and the least was (HPA-1 a/b), while for the blood group O-, the highest was observed for HPA-3 b/b and HPA-5 b/b and the least for HPA-1 a/a and a/b, HPA-2 a/b and b/b, and HPA-4 a/b and b/b.

Does employer discrimination contribute to the subordinate labor market inclusion of individuals of a foreign background?

Advanced labor markets are typically stratified by origin with a majority ethnic group occupying more desirable (high-skilled) positions and subordinated ethnic minorities occupying less desirable (low-skilled) positions. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether employer recruitment choices reinforce these patterns. This would be the case if employers were more reluctant to hire subordinate minority job applicants for high-skilled positions than for low-skilled occupations. We use experimental correspondence audit data derived from 6407 job applications sent to job openings in the Swedish labor market, where the ‘foreignness’ of the job applicants has been randomly assigned to otherwise equally merited job applications. We find that negative discrimination of job applicants with ‘foreign’ names is very similar in the high-skilled and low-skilled segments of the labor market. There is no significant relative ethnic difference in chances of callbacks by skill level. Because baseline callback rates are higher in high-skilled occupations, discrimination however translates into a significantly larger percentage unit callback difference between ‘natives’ and ‘foreigners’ in these occupations, in particular between male job applicants. That is, the number of (male) ‘foreign’ job seekers subject to ethnic discrimination in terms of actually being denied a job chance is higher in the highly skilled segment, but the effects on the relative scale do not suggest this to be driven by employers being particularly less welcoming of ‘foreigners’ in this segment.

Clinical and demographic pattern of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) from a multicenter perspective: Malaysia\u2019s experience over 26 years

BackgroundA retrospective review of clinical manifestations and demographic pattern of patients diagnosed as chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) from 7 hospitals in Malaysia. An analysis of the available database would establish clinical characteristics, diagnoses and outcome including microbiologic pattern. Studying the demography allows us to document the occurrence of CGD amongst multiethnic groups and its geographical distribution for Malaysia.MethodsData from the Malaysia Primary Immunodeficiency Network (MyPIN) with cases of CGD diagnosed from 1991 until 2016 were collated and analysed.ResultsTwenty patients were diagnosed as CGD. Males (N = 13, 65%) outnumber females (N = 7, 35%). CGD is commonest amongst the Malays (65%) followed by the Chinese (15.0%), Indians (10.0%) and natives of Borneo (10.0%), reflecting the ethnic composition of the country. The mean age of diagnosis was 3.7 years. There was a positive family history in 40% of the cases. Abscess was the main presenting feature in 16 patients (80%) with one involving the brain. Pneumonia occurred in 10 (50%) and one with complicated bronchiectasis. Catalase-positive bacteria were the most commonly isolated pathogen with Chromobacterium violaceum predominating (N = 5, 25%) with consequent high mortality (N = 4, 80%). All CGD patients with C. violaceum infection displayed CD4 + (T helper cells) lymphopenia.ConclusionThis study has shown CGD occurs in the major ethnic groups of Malaysia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first and the largest series of chronic granulomatous disease in South East Asia which may be reflective of similar clinical pattern in the region. C. violaceum infection is associated with a higher mortality in CGD patients in Malaysia. All the CGD patients with C. violaceum infection in this patient series displayed CD4 + (T helper) lymphopenia. We recorded rare clinical manifestation of CGD viz. brain abscess and bronchiectasis.

The association between ambient air pollution and birth defects in five major ethnic groups in Liuzhou, China

BackgroundStudies suggest that exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy may be associated with increased risks of birth defects (BDs), but conclusions have been inconsistent. This study describes the ethnic distribution of major BDs and examines the relationship between air pollution and BDs among different ethnic groups in Liuzhou city, China.MethodsSurveillance data of infants born in 114 registered hospitals in Liuzhou in 2019 were analyzed to determine the epidemiology of BDs across five major ethnic groups.Concentrations of six air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, NO2, O3) were obtained from the Liuzhou Environmental Protection Bureau. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between ambient air pollution exposure and risk of BDs.ResultsAmong 32,549 infants, 635 infants had BDs, yielding a prevalence of 19.5 per 1000 perinatal infants. Dong ethnic group had the highest prevalence of BDs (2.59%), followed by Yao (2.57%), Miao (2.35%), Zhuang (2.07%), and Han (1.75%). Relative to the Han ethnic group, infants from Zhuang, Miao, Yao and Dong groups had lower risks of congenital heart disease, polydactyly, and hypospadias. The Zhuang ethnic group had higher risks of severe thalassemia, cleft lip and/or palate, and syndactyls. Overall BDs were positively correlated with air pollutants PM10 (aOR =1.14, 95% CI:1.12 ~ 2.43; aOR =1.51, 95% CI:1.13 ~ 2.03 for per 10μg/mg3 increment) and CO (aOR =1.36, 95% CI:1.14 ~ 2.48; aOR =1.75, 95% CI:1.02 ~ 3.61 for every 1 mg /m3 increment) in second and third month of pregnancy. SO2 was also significantly associated with BDs in the second month before the pregnancy (aOR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.20 ~ 3.22) and third month of pregnancy (aOR =1.75; 95% CI:1.02 ~ 3.61). Congenital heart disease, polydactyl, cleft lip and/or palate were also significantly associated with PM10, SO2 and CO exposures. However, no significant association was found between birth defects and O3, PM2.5 and NO2 exposures (P > 0.05).ConclusionThis study provides a comprehensive description of ethnic differences in BDs in Southwest China and broadens the evidence of the association between air pollution exposure during gestation and BDs.

Maternal sensitivity and warmth in Singapore: Cultural insights from comparing the Ainsworth and Emotional Availability Scales

AbstractThe convergence between sensitivity scores on the Ainsworth and Emotional Availability Scales was examined, along with their associations with maternal warmth, children's language ability and likeability by peers in preschool. Participants were 167 mothers and their child aged 4–6 (55.7% girls) from the four major ethnic groups in Singapore (Chinese, Malay, Indian and Other). Emotional availability (EA) sensitivity was positively related to Ainsworth sensitivity and maternal warmth, but the overlap was not large, pointing to key conceptual differences that were discussed in light of cultural considerations. Contrary to expectation, Ainsworth sensitivity was more closely linked to maternal warmth than EA sensitivity was. Ainsworth sensitivity and warmth were related to less pragmatic difficulty and better likeability by female peers among preschoolers. The findings suggest that sensitivity and warmth may have a positive functional value despite the prevalence of emotional restraint in this cultural context.

Iban as a koine language in Sarawak

This article attempts to delineate the issue of linguistic homogeny in Iban variants in Sarawak (Malaysia). In brief, the Iban speakers are claimed to descend from Upper Kapuas watershed, Western Kalimantan (Indonesia). Based on local traditions and oral materials, this ethnic group began to move out from Kapuas watershed and penetrate into Sarawak in sixteenth century. After several generations, they expanded to become the major ethnic group in the state. Several recent studies show that the number of ethnic Ibans in West Kalimantan is fairly small and the distribution of Iban communities often displays a pattern of distant pockets or enclaves. The purpose of this article is to explain how a minority group became a majority ethnic group in a newly settled territory. This article argues that this research question is strongly related to the ethnonym of “Iban” and regional dialect levelling or koineization. During the initial stage of the migration, the term “Iban” was an exonym . By the mid-twentieth century, the exonym “Iban” or “Sea Dayak” was gradually becoming an endonym . The change in the status of this ethnonym has enlarged the population size of the “Iban” in Sarawak. The existence of several Iban-like ethnic groups in Sarawak, for example, the Balau, Remun, Kantu’, Milikin, and Kumpang, adds support to this argument. This article revisits the issue of linguistic homogeny of the Iban language, taking the language koineization approach. A phonological analysis on the Ibanic varieties spoken in West Kalimantan offer a possible explanation that the Iban variants in Sarawak have appeared as a stable linguistic variety as a result of “dialect levelling” and “simplification”. Furthermore, the development of koine Iban seems to fulfil several features in the koine developmental continua proposed by J. Siegel (1985).

The Impact of Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19) on Multicultural Life in Tanjung Benoa, Bali

Covid-19 has spread to various places and has had an impact on people's lives. Likewise, the impact is felt in the tourism area of Tirta Tanjung Benoa. The people of Tanjung Benoa are very dependent on tourism services. Since the emergence of Covid-19 on March 2, 2020 until now this pandemic has affected the tourism sector and experienced a sluggishness in tourist visits. Government policies in tackling the spread of Covid-19 as well as access restrictions and other policies have resulted in the closure of Tanjung Benoa tourist objects and destinations. In addition, community activities began to be restricted and social distress was tightened. The government began implementing policies related to large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), bringing social, economic, cultural and other looks. Social unrest began to emerge, Resistance and suspicion towards ethnic sub-culture in the Tanjung Benoa area have begun to surface due to Covid-19. This study uses the Triangulation method, namely: Observation, Interview, literature study. Analysis of descriptive data analysis. The findings in this paper are: Tanjung Benua is a multicultural society where there are four major ethnic groups that inhabit the area, such as: Balinese, Javanese, Buginese and Chinese. The consequences of the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic affect inter-ethnic relations that have been built for a long time. The policy of distributing social assistance to the community experiences various obstacles due to various factors so that the assistance is sometimes concentrated in several regions or in several sub-ethnic groups. As a result of this suspicion and resistance began to emerge.

Social dominance orientation and ethnocentric bias: ingroup identification and group status differentials

ABSTRACT In this study, social dominance orientation (SDO) was examined in relation to ethnocentric bias while ingroup identification and group status were tested as moderator variables. With a survey research design, data were collected via standardised psychological scales from a sample of 1050 participants drawn from majority and minority ethnic groups using a multistage sampling procedure. Findings showed that SDO was a significant positive predictor of ethnocentric bias. In addition, the predictive strength of SDO on ethnocentric bias was stronger for majority ethnic group. Also a preference for social hierarchy was associated with less devotion to one’s ingroup. Results further showed ingroup identification to be a moderator of the relationship between SDO and ethnocentric bias such that it reduces the strength of the relationship between the two variables. Likewise, ingroup identification was directly related to higher pro-ingroup and lower anti-outgroup attitudes. Going by the findings of this study, SDO proves to be a significant variable that consistently influences social/political attitudes. Equally, ingroup identification shows potential as a useful tool in brokering peaceful relations within a multi-ethnic setting in which interacting groups are competitive but interdependent. Findings were discussed within the tenets of extant literature and the social context of the study.

Inter-ethnic relations among black students at a South African higher education institution

This study explored the inter-ethnic relations and experiences of students at a higher education institution, using an exploratory case study approach. Purposive sampling was used to select students belonging to black South African ethnic groups. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from three participants; interpretative phenomenological analysis was used for analysis. The themes extracted were ethnic identity: identity confusion vs. certainty; personal experiences of inter-ethnic relations; and majority and minority ethnic groups’ experiences. Identity salience was found to not particularly be integral to the cultivation of inter-ethnic relations. Moreover, participants’ inter-ethnic experiences were varied; some were positive, and others, negative. Relations between majority and minority ethnic groups are seemingly supported by existing literature, as majority ethnic group members typically initiated negative interactions, more so than did minority ethnic groups. Future studies should interrogate inter-ethnic dynamics on a broader scale, and explore ethnic bullying and its impact on inter-ethnic relations.

Frequency of ABCB1 C3435T and CYP3A5*3 Genetic Polymorphisms in the Lebanese Population.

CYP3A5 and ABCB1 are highly implicated in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of immunosuppressive agents, such as calcineurin inhibitors and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors. The polymorphisms of their coding genes play important roles in the interindividual and intraindividual differences of bioavailability of these drugs. In this study, our objective was to investigate, in a Lebanese population,the frequency of ABCB1C3435T (rs1045642) and CYP3A5*3 (rs776746) polymorphisms and to compare the results to preexisting data from other populations. We determined the frequencies of the allelic variants of interest for 1824 Lebanese participants, and we compared these results with those from other major ethnic groups. The allelic frequencies were 91.4% (C) and 8.6% (T) for CYP3A5*3 and 50.8% (T) and 49.2% (C) for ABCB1 C3435T. Our results were significantly different from most other world populations, except the European population. The frequencies of gene variants of interest in our Lebanese population were similar to those found in European populations. Most of our study population were CYP3A5*3 carriers, and more than half may have a lower P-glycoprotein efflux pump. These characteristics might render Lebanese transplant recipients more prone to the development of drug toxicity and in need of lower drug doses.

Association between end-of-life cancer care and immigrant status: a retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada

ObjectiveTo compare recent immigrants and long-term residents in Ontario, Canada, on established health service quality indicators of end-of-life cancer care.DesignRetrospective, population-based cohort study of cancer decedents between 2004 and 2015.SettingOntario,...

Mobile Advertising to Hispanic Digital Natives

Besides being the second largest ethnic group in the United States, Hispanics are the youngest major ethnic group. As a result, Hispanic consumers are emerging as a robust market segment. Young Hispanic consumers are part of the generation known as Digital Natives. This emerging generation has acclimated to their surrounding culture, resulting in different behavior than their ancestors. It is common for them to use their mobile devices to gather product information and make purchases. The findings of this study reveal that the advertising preferences of Hispanic Digital Natives reflect a practical orientation. They want to know how a product works and how it will benefit them. ‘Real life’ scenarios are preferred over unrealistic ones. This group would rather an ad reflect their status as ‘young adult consumers’ instead of ‘Hispanic consumers’. Recommendations are provided to help marketers create mobile advertising that will resonate with Hispanic Digital Natives.

Road home: The role of ethnicity in the post-Soviet regional migration

AbstractThis article investigates the role of ethnicity in determining migration patterns, by using a newly constructed late- and post-Soviet dataset. The members of various indigenous ethnic groups, who had been spread across the Soviet territories, had to decide whether or not to leave the land in which they suddenly became diaspora after the dissolution of the USSR. The post-Soviet case reveals that ethnicity played a crucial and independent role in migration decision and destination choice, as potential migrants were likely to move to the regions where their co-ethnics are prevalent and/or likely to stay if they are already in such regions. This trend of ‘ethnic unmixing’ is observed in a novel dataset regarding the regional migration patterns of major ethnic groups in the post-Soviet space. Econometric analyses using this dataset also confirm that ethnic composition of a region, along with wages and employment, has significant effects on the regional migration patterns. This article also shows that the post-Soviet migration trend was a complete reverse of pre-collapse migration which had been in the direction of ethnic mixing.

Malaysia’s Creeping Islamization—and Dimming Prospects for Covenantal Pluralism

For countries with religiously diverse populations that have a record of tense relations with each other, the notion of a covenantal pluralism, if successfully established and entrenched as an organizing principle for society, offers an opportunity to break out of the cycle of mutual mistrust and suspicion. Yet, the reality is that the effectiveness of covenantal pluralism as not just an idea but a framework will depend, among other things, on the structural nature of these relationships between religious constituencies and the processes that shape them, as determined by the configuration of political power. This paper proposes that this is precisely the case in Malaysia, where a deeply entrenched narrative of affirmative action favoring the majority ethnic group has found expression in the spheres of politics, economics, social relations, and indeed, everyday life. Concomitantly, it is for this reason that the prospects for covenantal pluralism to gain traction in Malaysia will be profoundly difficult.

The Quality of Life of Older Adults in a Multiethnic Metropolitan: An Analysis of CASP-19

This study examines the well-being of older Malaysians, using Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization, and Pleasure (CASP-19) score. Data for this study came from a cross-sectional survey on older adults living in a multiethnic metropolitan in Malaysia. The sample comprised Asia’s three major ethnic groups. Bivariate and multivariate analyses show significant ethnic differentials in quality of life (QoL). Results from multiple regression show that CASP-19 is strongly influenced by self-rated health and the ability to manage expenditure, and to a lesser extent by educational level and marital status, but not by age, gender, work status, co-residence with children, and housing tenure. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, self-rated health was the only significant factor affecting the QoL of all ethnic groups. Ability to manage expenditure was also significant among the Chinese and Indians. Marital status matters for the Chinese, while education and housing tenure matter for the Indians. Differences in the effects of the various factors on the QoL of older adults require specific strategies and programs for different target groups.

Visceral Obesity-Related Indices in the Identification of Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome Among Different Ethnicities in Xinjiang, China.

BackgroundFew studies have focused on the predictive ability of visceral obesity-related indices for metabolic syndrome (MetS), especially in different ethnic groups. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of visceral obesity-related indices for MetS screening among three major ethnic groups living in remote rural areas of Xinjiang.MethodsBased on multistage stratified cluster random sampling method, 3,192 Uyghurs, 3,054 Kazakhs, and 3,658 Hans were recruited from Xinjiang, China. The Joint Interim Statement (JIS) criteria were used to define MetS. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), area under the ROC curve (AUC), and predictive value of each visceral obesity-related index were used to evaluate the predictive ability of MetS.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounding factors, the lipid accumulation product (LAP), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were significantly correlated with MetS for each ethnic group, and the odds ratios (ORs) for MetS increased across quartiles. LAP was best able to identify MetS status in Kazakhs (AUC=0.853) and Uyghurs (AUC=0.851), with optimal cut-offs being 36.3 and 28.2, respectively. Both LAP (AUC=0.798) and CVAI (AUC=0.791) most accurately identified MetS status in Hans, with the optimal cut-offs being 27.3 and 85.0, respectively. Moreover, the AUC of the combination of these visceral obesity-related indices is higher for each ethnic group. However, compared with LAP, the improved value of combined screening was not significant.ConclusionLAP had the best discriminative capability for the screening of MetS among Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and Hans. The screening ability of CVAI for MetS was similar to that of LAP in Hans. Thus, LAP may be a complementary indicator for assessing MetS in various ethnic groups.

Do preservice teacher education candidates’ implicit biases of ethnic differences and mindset toward academic ability change over time?

Teachers' implicit biases about ethnic differences in student achievement and teachers' mindsets have been associated with significant differences in their students’ achievement. In two studies (N = 313; N = 57) with preservice teachers undertaking a three-year teacher education programme aimed at promoting social justice, we found that third-year students showed significantly less implicit ethnic achievement bias and reduced fixed mindsets compared to the first-year preservice teachers. Students from the ethnic minority were found to have the least bias, but still associated student achievement more with the ethnic majority group. It is concluded that more is needed to reduce implicit biases and develop a growth mindset among our preservice teachers.

Predicting Coronary Artery Disease in Primary Care: Development and Validation of a Diagnostic Risk Score for Major Ethnic Groups in Southeast Asia.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) risk prediction tools are useful decision supports. Their clinical impact has not been evaluated amongst Asians in primary care. We aimed to develop and validate a diagnostic prediction model for CAD in Southeast Asians by comparing it against three existing tools. We prospectively recruited patients presenting to primary care for chest pain between July 2013 and December 2016. CAD was diagnosed at tertiary institution and adjudicated. A logistic regression model was built, with validation by resampling. We validated the Duke Clinical Score (DCS), CAD Consortium Score (CCS), and Marburg Heart Score (MHS). Discrimination and calibration quantify model performance, while net reclassification improvement and net benefit provide clinical insights. CAD prevalence was 9.5% (158 of 1658 patients). Our model included age, gender, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, chest pain type, neck radiation, Q waves, and ST-T changes. The C-statistic was 0.808 (95% CI 0.776-0.840) and 0.815 (95% CI 0.782-0.847), for model without and with ECG respectively. C-statistics for DCS, CCS-basic, CCS-clinical, and MHS were 0.795 (95% CI 0.759-0.831), 0.756 (95% CI 0.717-0.794), 0.787 (95% CI 0.752-0.823), and 0.661 (95% CI 0.621-0.701). Our model (with ECG) correctly reclassified 100% of patients when compared with DCS and CCS-clinical respectively. At 5% threshold probability, the net benefit for our model (with ECG) was 0.063. The net benefit for DCS, CCS-basic, and CCS-clinical was 0.056, 0.060, and 0.065. PRECISE (Predictive Risk scorE for CAD In Southeast Asians with chEst pain) performs well and demonstrates utility as a clinical decision support for diagnosing CAD among Southeast Asians.

Bioaccumulation of zinc in edible tropical vegetables in Peninsular Malaysia and its human health risk assessment based on various ethnicities in Malaysia.

Along with the growing utilization of zinc (Zn) and Zn-containing nanoparticles in various industries, Zn ecotoxicological evaluation on human food supply is necessary even though Zn is generally considered safe and rarely concentrated ecotoxicologically. This study aimed to investigate the bioaccumulation of Zn in 18 species of vegetables (seven leafy, nine fruity vegetables and one species each of tuber and legume) collected from two farming sites in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. A human health risk assessment (HHRA) was also conducted. In addition to HHRA based on the general population, HHRA based on each major ethnic group of the Malaysian society was also determined considering that the food consumption pattern would definitely be varied across ethnicities and age groups (children and adults). The study results showed that Zn concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in leafy vegetables than in other types of vegetables. However, the target hazard quotient (THQ) values were all found to be < 1.0. Therefore, based on the Malaysian ethnicities and age groups with their respective vegetable consumption patterns, the results indicated insignificant noncarcinogenic human health risk of Zn via oral consumption of vegetables by the Malaysian population. As a metric of measurement of HHRA, a comparison of THQ values could yield previously unreported insights into HHRA differences among the compared populations. A comparison of THQ values among the consumer groups indicated higher HHR for Chinese Malaysians and children due to their higher vegetable consumption and lower body weight, respectively. A comparison the Zn intakes of all the consumer groups with the recommended nutrient intakes indicated that the oral consumption of the vegetable species collected in this study would not result in Zn-related hazards and would not be able to fulfil the Zn dietary need of the individual consumer.

Becoming Polyglots through Formal and Non-Formal Language Education

It is not surprising that there are Indonesian people who are able to communicate only in one language, i.e., their native Language (L1). Some Javanese people—the major ethnic group living in East and Central Java -are only able to communicate in Javanese; some Sundanese people—the second major ethnic group living in West Java -are able to communicate only in Sundanese; and some Banjarese—the people living in South Kalimantan province are only able to communicate in Banjarese. This is especially true for those who never experience formal education and live in villages and remote areas for almost of their lives. For those who have ever gone to and attended formal education, they are usually able to communicate at least in two different languages, i.e., their L1 and Indonesian language, their L2. Even, some Indonesian people are not only able to communicate in L1 and L2, but also are able to communicate in more languages. In relation to these phenomena, the following question is raised: “Why do some people be able to communicate only in one language while some others are able to communicate in more, different languages?”