Browse publications by year: 2006

  1. Second harmonic generation of magnetic and dielectric multilayers
    Lim SC
    J Phys Condens Matter, 2006 May 3;18(17):4329-43.
    PMID: 21690785 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/18/17/019
    The second harmonic generation of antiferromagnetic and dielectric multilayers is analysed by using a conventional nonlinear optics approach and transfer matrix formalism. The theoretical modelling of the multilayers is configured in Voigt geometry in order to observe second harmonic transmission and reflection through the film system, with the assumption of weak nonlinearity and no depletion of incident waves. With these, some of the linear and second harmonic transmissions and reflections are calculated numerically and shown graphically.
  2. Quality of life and psychological status in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome at 3 months postdischarge
    Kwek SK, Chew WM, Ong KC, Ng AW, Lee LS, Kaw G, et al.
    J Psychosom Res, 2006 May;60(5):513-9.
    PMID: 16650592
    BACKGROUND: Little is known about the long-term consequence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). We carried out an assessment on SARS patients after their recovery from their acute illness.

    METHOD: Postal survey comprising Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) questionnaires and anxiety and depression measures was sent to them at 3 months' postdischarge.

    RESULTS: There was a significant impairment in both the HRQoL and mental functioning. Forty-one percent had scores indicative of a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); about 30% had likely anxiety and depression.

    CONCLUSION: SARS has significant impact on HRQoL and psychological status at 3 months.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Anxiety Disorders/diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders/epidemiology*; Anxiety Disorders/psychology; China/ethnology; Demography; Depression/diagnosis; Depression/epidemiology*; Depression/psychology; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; India/ethnology; Malaysia/ethnology; Male; Patient Discharge; Pilot Projects; Quality of Life/psychology*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Severity of Illness Index; Singapore; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology*; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology; Time Factors; Survivors/psychology*
  3. Cardamonin, inhibits pro-inflammatory mediators in activated RAW 264.7 cells and whole blood
    Ahmad S, Israf DA, Lajis NH, Shaari K, Mohamed H, Wahab AA, et al.
    Eur J Pharmacol, 2006 May 24;538(1-3):188-94.
    PMID: 16650843
    Some chalcones, such as hydroxychalcones have been reported previously to inhibit major pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and reactive oxygen species production by suppressing inducible enzyme expression via inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and nuclear translocation of critical transcription factors. In this report, the effects of cardamonin (2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxychalcone), a chalcone that we have previously isolated from Alpinia rafflesiana, was evaluated upon two cellular systems that are repeatedly used in the analysis of anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds namely RAW 264.7 cells and whole blood. Cardamonin inhibited NO and PGE(2) production from lipopolysaccharide- and interferon-gamma-induced RAW cells and whole blood with IC(50) values of 11.4 microM and 26.8 microM, respectively. Analysis of thromboxane B(2) (TxB(2)) secretion from whole blood either stimulated via the COX-1 or COX-2 pathway revealed that cardamonin inhibits the generation of TxB(2) via both pathways with IC(50) values of 2.9 and 1.1 microM, respectively. Analysis of IC(50) ratios determined that cardamonin was more COX-2 selective in its inhibition of TxB(2) with a ratio of 0.39. Cardamonin also inhibited the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and secretion of TNF-alpha from RAW 264.7 cells in a dose responsive manner with IC(50) values of 12.8 microM and 4.6 microM, respectively. However, cardamonin was a moderate inhibitor of lipoxygenase activity when tested in an enzymatic assay system, in which not a single concentration tested was able to cause an inhibition of more than 50%. Our results suggest that cardamonin acts upon major pro-inflammatory mediators in a similar fashion as described by previous work on other closely related synthetic hydroxychalcones and strengthens the conclusion of the importance of the methoxyl moiety substitution on the 4' or 6' locations of the A benzene ring.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Cell Line; Cell Survival/drug effects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flavonoids/pharmacology*; Flavonoids/chemistry; Humans; Interferon-gamma/pharmacology; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology; Lipoxygenase/metabolism; Macrophages/cytology; Macrophages/drug effects; Macrophages/metabolism; Monocytes/cytology; Monocytes/drug effects; Monocytes/metabolism; Nitric Oxide/biosynthesis; Thromboxane B2/biosynthesis; Thromboxane B2/blood; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/biosynthesis; Dinoprostone/biosynthesis; Dinoprostone/blood; Molecular Structure; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism; Inflammation Mediators/blood; Inflammation Mediators/metabolism*; Chalcones; Mice
  4. Simultaneous species identification and detection of methicillin resistance in staphylococci using triplex real-time PCR assay
    Sabet NS, Subramaniam G, Navaratnam P, Sekaran SD
    Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2006 Sep;56(1):13-8.
    PMID: 16650954
    For rapid identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, molecular methods are generally targeting mecA and species-specific genes. Sa442 DNA fragment is a popular species-specific target. However, recently, there have been few reports on S. aureus isolates that are negative for Sa442 fragment; therefore, use of single gene or DNA-fragment-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for identification of microbial isolate may result in misidentification. This study includes CoA gene in parallel with Sa442 marker for identification of S. aureus. This further improves the specificity of the assay by checking for 2 determinants simultaneously for the identification of S. aureus and can prevent misidentification of S. aureus isolates lacking Sa442 DNA fragment. In this study, the newly developed triplex real-time PCR assay was compared with a quadruplex conventional gel-based PCR assay using the same primer sets in both assays. The dual-labeled TaqMan probes (ProOligo, France) for these primers were specifically designed and used in a real-time PCR assay. The clinical isolates (n = 152) were subjected to both PCR assays. The results obtained from both assays proved that the primer and probe sets were 100% sensitive and 100% specific for identification of S. aureus and detection of methicillin resistance. This triplex real-time PCR assay represents a rapid and powerful method for S. aureus identification and detection of methicillin resistance.
    MeSH terms: Coenzyme A/genetics; DNA, Bacterial/analysis; Humans; Sensitivity and Specificity; Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus/genetics*; Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification; Methicillin Resistance/genetics*; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods*; DNA Primers
  5. Outbreak news. Avian influenza--spread of the virus to new countries
    Wkly. Epidemiol. Rec., 2006 Feb 24;81(8):69-70.
    PMID: 16671220
    MeSH terms: Africa/epidemiology; Disease Outbreaks*; Europe/epidemiology; Humans; India/epidemiology; Influenza, Human/epidemiology*; Malaysia/epidemiology; Middle East/epidemiology; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype*
  6. Sinonasal inverted papilloma with malignant transformation in the middle ear: a multicentric origin?
    Mazlina S, Shiraz MA, Hazim MY, Amran AR, Zulkarnaen AN, Wan Muhaizan WM
    J Laryngol Otol, 2006 Jul;120(7):597-9.
    PMID: 16672089
    Inverted papilloma is a rare, benign tumour representing only 0.5 to 4 per cent of all sinonasal neoplasms; its involvement of the middle ear is extremely rare. We present a case of multicentric inverted papilloma in the sinonasal region and middle ear in a 54-year-old man. The patient later developed neck metastasis secondary to malignant transformation of the inverted papilloma in the middle ear.
    MeSH terms: Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Ear Neoplasms/pathology*; Ear, Middle/pathology; Humans; Male; Maxillary Sinus Neoplasms/pathology*; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/pathology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Papilloma, Inverted/pathology*
  7. Fulltext Body image differences among Malay, Samoan, and Australian women
    McDowell AJ, Bond M
    Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2006;15(2):201-7.
    PMID: 16672204
    Comparisons of body attitudes and associated behaviours were undertaken using Malay, Samoan, and Australian female students. The general goal of the research was to determine the degree to which the observed pattern of attitudes and behaviours was attributable to culture. The specific analyses comprised an examination of group differences using standard measures that included the Body Attitudes Questionnaire, the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire and detailed questions concerning the use of diet and exercise as weight control strategies. The main findings concerned a number of cultural differences, particularly in relation to diet and exercise, that were evident even with the effect of body mass index held constant. These results are interpreted in terms of the efficacy of entrenched cultural beliefs in protecting against introduced, more dominant, cultural values. The Australian sample exhibited the most negative body image, although there was some evidence that Malays and Samoans were influenced by Western ideals of weight and shape. It is proposed that to fully understand the differential meaning of negative body image across cultures and the potential impact of westernisation, both within-group and between-group differences in body size need to be acknowledged.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Attitude to Health/ethnology*; Australia; Body Image*; Body Weight; Cross-Cultural Comparison*; Diet*; Female; Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*; Malaysia; Obesity/ethnology*; Obesity/psychology; Exercise; Body Mass Index; Samoa
  8. Melatonin in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders
    Srinivasan V, Pandi-Perumal SR, Cardinali DP, Poeggeler B, Hardeland R
    Behav Brain Funct, 2006 May 04;2:15.
    PMID: 16674804
    Increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have been identified as common pathophysiological phenomena associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD). As the age-related decline in the production of melatonin may contribute to increased levels of oxidative stress in the elderly, the role of this neuroprotective agent is attracting increasing attention. Melatonin has multiple actions as a regulator of antioxidant and prooxidant enzymes, radical scavenger and antagonist of mitochondrial radical formation. The ability of melatonin and its kynuramine metabolites to interact directly with the electron transport chain by increasing the electron flow and reducing electron leakage are unique features by which melatonin is able to increase the survival of neurons under enhanced oxidative stress. Moreover, antifibrillogenic actions have been demonstrated in vitro, also in the presence of profibrillogenic apoE4 or apoE3, and in vivo, in a transgenic mouse model. Amyloid-beta toxicity is antagonized by melatonin and one of its kynuramine metabolites. Cytoskeletal disorganization and protein hyperphosphorylation, as induced in several cell-line models, have been attenuated by melatonin, effects comprising stress kinase downregulation and extending to neurotrophin expression. Various experimental models of AD, PD and HD indicate the usefulness of melatonin in antagonizing disease progression and/or mitigating some of the symptoms. Melatonin secretion has been found to be altered in AD and PD. Attempts to compensate for age- and disease-dependent melatonin deficiency have shown that administration of this compound can improve sleep efficiency in AD and PD and, to some extent, cognitive function in AD patients. Exogenous melatonin has also been reported to alleviate behavioral symptoms such as sundowning. Taken together, these findings suggest that melatonin, its analogues and kynuric metabolites may have potential value in prevention and treatment of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
    MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease; Animals; Antioxidants; Attention; Behavioral Symptoms; Cognition; Electron Transport; Electrons; Humans; Huntington Disease; Kynuramine; Melatonin; Mice, Transgenic; Mitochondria; Models, Theoretical; Nerve Growth Factors; Neurons; Parkinson Disease; Down-Regulation; Oxidative Stress; Disease Progression; Neuroprotective Agents; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase I Deficiency Disease; Mice; Apolipoprotein E3; Apolipoprotein E4
  9. DNA sequence analysis of a small cryptic plasmid from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis M14
    Raha AR, Hooi WY, Mariana NS, Radu S, Varma NR, Yusoff K
    Plasmid, 2006 Jul;56(1):53-61.
    PMID: 16675013
    A small plasmid designated pAR141 was isolated from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis M14 and its complete 1,594 base pair nucleotide sequence was determined. Analysis of the sequence indicated that this plasmid does not carry any industrially important determinants besides the elements involved in plasmid replication and control. The transcriptional repressor CopG and replication initiation protein RepB appeared as a single operon. A small countertranscribed RNA (ctRNA) coding region was found between the copG and repB genes. The double strand origin (dso) and single strand origin (sso) of rolling circle replicating (RCR) plasmids were also identified in pAR141, suggesting that this plasmid replicates by rolling circle (RC) mode. This observation was supported by S1 nuclease and Southern hybridization analyses.
    MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Cloning, Molecular; DNA Restriction Enzymes/pharmacology; DNA, Single-Stranded/chemistry; Molecular Sequence Data; Plasmids/metabolism*; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Lactococcus lactis/genetics*; Blotting, Southern; Open Reading Frames; Lactococcus/metabolism; Sequence Analysis, DNA*
  10. A comparative longitudinal study of bovine trypanosomiasis in tsetse-free and tsetse-infested zones of the Amhara Region, northwest Ethiopia
    Cherenet T, Sani RA, Speybroeck N, Panandam JM, Nadzr S, Van den Bossche P
    Vet Parasitol, 2006 Sep 10;140(3-4):251-8.
    PMID: 16675127
    A study was conducted to determine the incidence of trypanosome infections in cattle in tsetse-free and tsetse-infested zones of the Amhara Region of northwest Ethiopia. A total of six sentinel herds were established and the cattle observed during a period of 8 consecutive months. The prevalence of seropositive cattle was high in both the tsetse-free and tsetse-infested zones. The average monthly incidence of trypanosome infection, determined using molecular diagnostic tools, was 20.9% and 25.7% in the tsetse-free and the tsetse-infested zones, respectively. In the tsetse-free, Trypanosoma vivax was responsible for 90.9% of the cattle trypanosome infections. In the tsetse-infested zone, Trypanosoma congolense and T. vivax contributed almost equally to the trypanosome infections in cattle. Trypanosome infection, regardless of species, resulted in anaemia as evidenced by a significant decrease in the packed cell volume of the infected animal. The outcome of this longitudinal study suggests that control of trypanosomiasis in the Amhara Region cannot be achieved by tsetse control alone. Supplemental measures to include drug therapy and biting fly control are discussed.
    MeSH terms: Anemia/blood; Anemia/parasitology; Anemia/veterinary*; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood*; Cattle; Cattle Diseases/blood; Cattle Diseases/parasitology*; Ethiopia; Hematocrit/veterinary; Insect Bites and Stings/prevention & control; Insect Bites and Stings/veterinary; Insect Control; Longitudinal Studies; Seasons; Trypanosoma congolense/immunology; Trypanosoma congolense/isolation & purification; Trypanosomiasis, African/blood; Trypanosomiasis, African/epidemiology; Trypanosomiasis, African/transmission; Trypanosomiasis, African/veterinary*; Trypanosomiasis, Bovine/blood; Trypanosomiasis, Bovine/epidemiology*; Trypanosomiasis, Bovine/transmission; Tsetse Flies/parasitology*; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Trypanosoma vivax/immunology; Trypanosoma vivax/isolation & purification
  11. alpha-Amylase inhibitory activity of some Malaysian plants used to treat diabetes; with particular reference to Phyllanthus amarus
    Ali H, Houghton PJ, Soumyanath A
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2006 Oct 11;107(3):449-55.
    PMID: 16678367
    Extracts of six selected Malaysian plants with a reputation of usefulness in treating diabetes were examined for alpha-amylase inhibition using an in vitro model. Inhibitory activity studied by two different protocols (with and without pre-incubation) showed that Phyllanthus amarus hexane extract had alpha-amylase inhibitory properties. Hexane and dichloromethane extracts of Anacardium occidentale, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Averrhoa bilimbiPithecellobium jiringa and Parkia speciosa were not active when tested without pre-incubation. Extraction and fractionation of Phyllanthus amarus hexane extract led to the isolation of dotriacontanyl docosanoate, triacontanol and a mixture of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. Dotriacontanyl docosanoate and the mixture of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are reported from this plant species for the first time. All compounds were tested in the alpha-amylase inhibition assay and the results revealed that the oleanolic acid and ursolic acid (2:1) mixture was a potent alpha-amylase inhibitor with IC(50)=2.01 microg/ml (4.41 microM) and that it contributes significantly to the alpha-amylase inhibition activity of the extract. Three pure pentacyclic triterpenoids, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and lupeol were shown to inhibit alpha-amylase.
    MeSH terms: alpha-Amylases/antagonists & inhibitors*; alpha-Amylases/metabolism; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry; Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology*; Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry; Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology*; Hypoglycemic Agents/chemistry; Malaysia; Maltose/metabolism; Medicine, Traditional; Plants, Medicinal; Seeds; Time Factors; Triticum; Phyllanthus*
  12. Chromobacterium violaceum infection
    Tee HP, Francis AL, How SH
    Br J Hosp Med (Lond), 2006 Apr;67(4):208-9.
    PMID: 16681318 DOI: 10.12968/hmed.2006.67.4.20869
    MeSH terms: Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use; Chromobacterium*; Humans; Male; Imipenem/therapeutic use; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/diagnosis*; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/drug therapy; Skin Diseases, Bacterial/diagnosis*; Skin Diseases, Bacterial/drug therapy; Fatal Outcome; Pneumonia, Bacterial/diagnosis*; Pneumonia, Bacterial/drug therapy; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic/diagnosis*; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic/drug therapy
  13. Indicators of prolonged hospital stay in hyperemesis gravidarum
    Tan PC, Jacob R, Quek KF, Omar SZ
    Int J Gynaecol Obstet, 2006 Jun;93(3):246-7.
    PMID: 16682037
    MeSH terms: Adult; Creatinine/blood; Erythrocyte Count; Female; Hematocrit; Hospitalization*; Humans; Hyperemesis Gravidarum/pathology*; Hyperemesis Gravidarum/physiopathology*; Hyperemesis Gravidarum/ultrasonography; Ketones/urine*; Kidney Function Tests; Length of Stay; Liver Function Tests; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, First; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Thyroid Function Tests; Urea/blood; Clinical Laboratory Techniques/methods*
  14. Treatment with olanzapine, risperidone or typical antipsychotic drugs in Asian patients with schizophrenia
    Lee C, Wu KH, Habil H, Dyachkova Y, Lee P
    Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 2006 May;40(5):437-45.
    PMID: 16683970
    To examine clinical outcomes in Asian patients with schizophrenia receiving monotherapy with olanzapine, risperidone or typical antipsychotics in naturalistic settings.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Basal Ganglia Diseases/chemically induced; Basal Ganglia Diseases/epidemiology; Benzodiazepines/adverse effects; Benzodiazepines/therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Korea; Malaysia; Male; Obesity/chemically induced; Obesity/epidemiology; Schizophrenia/diagnosis; Schizophrenia/drug therapy*; Schizophrenia/ethnology*; Severity of Illness Index; Taiwan; Antipsychotic Agents/adverse effects; Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use*; Risperidone/adverse effects; Risperidone/therapeutic use*; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/statistics & numerical data*
  15. Noninvasive assessment of cutaneous vascular function in vivo using capillaroscopy, plethysmography and laser-Doppler instruments: its strengths and weaknesses
    Yvonne-Tee GB, Rasool AH, Halim AS, Rahman AR
    Clin. Hemorheol. Microcirc., 2006;34(4):457-73.
    PMID: 16687786
    Given that functional abnormalities of the microcirculation are one of the primary abnormalities in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis, various noninvasive clinical tools have been developed recently to assess the microvascular function, particularly at the skin. The common techniques used to assess cutaneous microvascular function in vivo include capillaroscopy, venous occlusion plethysmography, and laser-Doppler instruments (laser-Doppler fluximetry and laser-Doppler imaging). These noninvasive techniques can be used as an early measure of functional abnormalities within the microvascular tree, predominantly in population at high risk for cardiovascular events. This review discusses some underlying application principle of these techniques, including its clinical significance, method reproducibility and limitations.
    MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases/physiopathology; Humans; Plethysmography*; Risk Factors; Reproducibility of Results; Microscopic Angioscopy*
  16. Effects of Strobilanthes crispus tea aqueous extracts on glucose and lipid profile in normal and streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats
    Fadzelly AB, Asmah R, Fauziah O
    Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 2006 Mar;61(1):7-12.
    PMID: 16688478
    Strobilanthes crispus (Acanthaceae) has been used traditionally as antidiabetic, diuretic, antilytic, and laxative and has been proven scientifically to possess high antioxidant activity, anti-AIDS, and anticancer properties. It is commonly consumed in the form of herbal tea. The ethnopharmacological value of this plant, such as the development of nutraceutical S. crispus herbal tea (fermented and unfermented) and assessment of their antihyperglycemic properties were investigated. The antidiabetic properties of S. crispus fermented and unfermented tea was carried out in normal and streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemic rats for 21 days. Glucose and lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol) were determined at day 0 (baseline), day 7, and day 21. The results showed that the hot water extract of both fermented and unfermented S. crispus tea reduced blood glucose in hyperglycaemic rats. S. crispus unfermented tea also reduced glucose level in normal rat. Both fermented and unfermented S. crispus tea also showed to improve lipid profile. Antioxidant and polyphenol content that present in the extracts might contribute to the antihyperglycemic and antilipidemic properties. Further study is needed to be carried out in pre-clinical and clinical environment to prove its efficacy in human.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Hypolipidemic Agents/therapeutic use*; Blood Glucose/drug effects; Blood Glucose/metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy*; Fermentation; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use*; Lipids/blood; Phytotherapy*; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use*; Random Allocation; Treatment Outcome; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Acanthaceae/chemistry*; Lipid Metabolism/drug effects; Rats
  17. Changes in the distribution of lung cancer cell types and patient demography in a developing multiracial Asian country: experience of a university teaching hospital
    Liam CK, Pang YK, Leow CH, Poosparajah S, Menon A
    Lung Cancer, 2006 Jul;53(1):23-30.
    PMID: 16690159
    A comparison of patients with lung cancer diagnosed at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from October 1991 to September 1999 with another group of lung cancer patients diagnosed at the same hospital during an earlier period of 1967-1976 was undertaken to determine whether there had been a change in the distribution of lung cancer cell types and patient demography. The number of histologically and/or cytologically proven lung cancer cases was 583 from October 1991 to September 1999 and 278 from 1967 to 1976. The mean (S.D.) age of the patients during the period 1991-1999, 60.1 (12.0) years was similar to that of patients during the period 1967-1976, 60.3 (12.2) years. There was no shift of the peak age distribution of lung cancer (i.e., the 7th decade) between the two periods. In the recent period, the percentage of patients with adenocarcinoma had increased significantly to 43.2% from 25.2% while that of large cell carcinoma had decreased to 3.3% from 11.9%. The percentages of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and small cell lung cancer remained stable. In the period 1967-1976, SCC was the commonest cell type in men and in smokers while adenocarcinoma was the commonest cell type in women and in never smokers. In the period 1991-1999, adenocarcinoma was the commonest cell type in both men and women as well as in smokers and never smokers.
    MeSH terms: Adenocarcinoma/ethnology; Adenocarcinoma/pathology; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/ethnology; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/ethnology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology; Demography; Female; Hospitals, Teaching; Hospitals, University; Humans; Lung Neoplasms/ethnology*; Lung Neoplasms/pathology*; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Smoking/epidemiology; Age Distribution; Sex Distribution; Carcinoma, Large Cell/ethnology; Carcinoma, Large Cell/pathology; Carcinoma, Small Cell/ethnology; Carcinoma, Small Cell/pathology
  18. Factors associated with adult poisoning in northern Malaysia: a case-control study
    Fathelrahman AI, Ab Rahman AF, Zain ZM, Tengku MA
    Hum Exp Toxicol, 2006 Apr;25(4):167-73.
    PMID: 16696291
    Data on adult risk factors associated with drug or chemical poisonings in Malaysia are scarce. The objective of the study was to identify possible risk factors associated with adult admissions to the Penang General Hospital (PGH) due to chemical poisoning and/or drug overdose. The present study was a case-control study, conducted over 18 weeks. One hundred acutely poisoned adult patients admitted to PGH during the period from September 2003 to February 2004 were considered as cases. Two hundred patients admitted to the same medical wards for other illnesses, during the same period, were matched for age and gender with the poisoned cases and thus selected as controls. McNemar test and binary logistic were used for univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis for multivariate analyses. The odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated for each predictor variable. Positive histories of psychiatric illness and previous poisoning, problems in boy/girl friend relationships, family problems, marital problems, Indian ethnicity, Chinese ethnicity, living in rented houses and living in a household with less than five people were significant risk factors associated with adult admissions due to poisoning.
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; China/ethnology; Ethnic Groups; Family Relations; Female; Health Status; Household Products/poisoning; Humans; India/ethnology; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Poisoning/epidemiology*; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Multivariate Analysis; Odds Ratio; Case-Control Studies; Drug Overdose/epidemiology
  19. Robotic repair of vesicovaginal fistula: case series of five patients
    Sundaram BM, Kalidasan G, Hemal AK
    Urology, 2006 May;67(5):970-3.
    PMID: 16698357
    To describe a technique of robotic repair of vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) and present our experience with 5 such patients.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Female; Humans; Hysterectomy/adverse effects; Middle Aged; Robotics*; Urogenital Surgical Procedures*; Vesicovaginal Fistula/etiology; Vesicovaginal Fistula/surgery*
  20. Acinetobacter baumannii respiratory isolates in ventilated patients are associated with prolonged hospital stay
    Loh LC, Yii CT, Lai KK, Seevaunnamtum SP, Pushparasah G, Tong JM
    Clin Microbiol Infect, 2006 Jun;12(6):597-8.
    PMID: 16700715
    MeSH terms: Acinetobacter Infections/microbiology*; Acinetobacter Infections/mortality; Acinetobacter Infections/epidemiology*; Adult; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology; Female; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Respiration, Artificial/adverse effects*; Retrospective Studies; Time Factors; Drug Resistance, Multiple; Acinetobacter baumannii/drug effects; Acinetobacter baumannii/isolation & purification*; Acinetobacter baumannii/pathogenicity*
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