Browse publications by year: 2013

  1. Fulltext 7-Hy-droxy-methyl-2-pivaloyl-amino-1,8-naphthyridine
    Fun HK, Quah CK, Aich K, Das S, Goswami S
    Acta Crystallogr Sect E Struct Rep Online, 2013 Apr 1;69(Pt 4):o503.
    PMID: 23634051 DOI: 10.1107/S1600536813005527
    In the title compound, C14H17N3O2, the mean plane of the 1,8-naphthyridine ring system (r.m.s deviation = 0.020 Å) forms a dihedral angle of 23.4 (1)° with the acetamide moiety (r.m.s deviation = 0.001 Å). The mol-ecular structure is stabilized by an intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond, which generates an S(5) ring motif. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked into inversion dimers by pairs of N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, generating 18-membered R 2 (2)(18) ring motifs.
  2. Fulltext 2-Amino-5-bromo-pyridinium 5-chloro-2-hy-droxy-benzoate
    Thanigaimani K, Khalib NC, Arshad S, Razak IA
    Acta Crystallogr Sect E Struct Rep Online, 2013 Apr 1;69(Pt 4):o537-8.
    PMID: 23634078 DOI: 10.1107/S160053681300665X
    In the 5-chloro-salicylate anion of the title salt, C5H6BrN2 (+)·C7H4ClO3 (-), an intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond with an S(6) graph-set motif is formed, so that the anion is essentially planar with a dihedral angle of 1.3 (5)° between the benzene ring and the carboxyl-ate group. In the crystal, the protonated N atom and the 2-amino group of the cation are hydrogen bonded to the carboxyl-ate O atoms via a pair of N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming an R 2 (2)(8) ring motif. The crystal structure also features N-H⋯O and weak C-H⋯O inter-actions, resulting in a layer parallel to the (10-1) plane.
  3. Fulltext 5-Amino-6-methyl-quinolin-1-ium 3-carb-oxy-propano-ate
    Thanigaimani K, Khalib NC, Arshad S, Razak IA
    Acta Crystallogr Sect E Struct Rep Online, 2013 Apr 1;69(Pt 4):o539-40.
    PMID: 23634079 DOI: 10.1107/S1600536813006673
    The asymmetric unit of the title salt, C10H11N2 (+)·C4H5O4 (-), consists of two independent 5-amino-6-methyl-quinolin-1-ium cations and two 3-carb-oxy-propano-ate anions. Both cations are protonated at the pyridine N atoms and are essentially planar, with maximum deviations of 0.026 (3) and 0.016 (2) Å. In the crystal, the cations and anions are linked via N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a layer parallel to the ab plane. In the layer, weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking inter-actions, with centroid-to-centroid distances of 3.7283 (15) and 3.8467 (15) Å, are observed. The crystal structure also features weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the layers.
  4. Fulltext α -Mangostin from Cratoxylum arborescens (Vahl) Blume Demonstrates Anti-Ulcerogenic Property: A Mechanistic Study
    Sidahmed HM, Abdelwahab SI, Mohan S, Abdulla MA, Mohamed Elhassan Taha M, Hashim NM, et al.
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013;2013:450840.
    PMID: 23634169 DOI: 10.1155/2013/450840
    Cratoxylum arborescens (Vahl) Blume is an Asian herbal medicine with versatile ethnobiological properties including treatment of gastric ulcer. This study evaluated the antiulcerogenic mechanism(s) of α -mangostin (AM) in a rat model of ulcer. AM is a prenylated xanthone derived through biologically guided fractionation of C. arborescens. Rats were orally pretreated with AM and subsequently exposed to acute gastric lesions induced by ethanol. Following treatment, ulcer index, gastric juice acidity, mucus content, histological and immunohistochemical analyses, glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and nonprotein sulfhydryl groups (NP-SH) were evaluated. The anti-Helicobacter pylori, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitory effect, and antioxidant activity of AM were also investigated in vitro. AM (10 and 30 mg/kg) inhibited significantly (P < 0.05) ethanol-induced gastric lesions by 66.04% and 74.39 %, respectively. The compound induces the expression of Hsp70, restores GSH levels, decreases lipid peroxidation, and inhibits COX-2 activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AM showed an effective in vitro anti-H. pylori activity. The efficacy of the AM was accomplished safely without presenting any toxicological parameters. The results of the present study indicate that the antioxidant properties and the potent anti-H. pylori, in addition to activation of Hsp70 protein, may contribute to the gastroprotective activity of α -mangostin.
    MeSH terms: Ethanol; Animals; Antioxidants; Glutathione; Malondialdehyde; Nitric Oxide; Stomach Ulcer; Ulcer; Lipid Peroxidation; Helicobacter pylori; Clusiaceae; Herbal Medicine; Xanthones; Rats; Cyclooxygenase 2
  5. Fulltext Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology of Andrographis paniculata and Its Major Bioactive Phytoconstituent Andrographolide
    Jayakumar T, Hsieh CY, Lee JJ, Sheu JR
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013;2013:846740.
    PMID: 23634174 DOI: 10.1155/2013/846740
    Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F) Nees, generally known as "king of bitters," is an herbaceous plant in the family Acanthaceae. In China, India, Thailand, and Malaysia, this plant has been widely used for treating sore throat, flu, and upper respiratory tract infections. Andrographolide, a major bioactive chemical constituent of the plant, has shown anticancer potential in various investigations. Andrographolide and its derivatives have anti-inflammatory effects in experimental models asthma, stroke, and arthritis. In recent years, pharmaceutical chemists have synthesized numerous andrographolide derivatives, which exhibit essential pharmacological activities such as those that are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor, antidiabetic, anti-HIV, antifeedant, and antiviral. However, what is noteworthy about this paper is summarizing the effects of andrographolide against cardiovascular disease, platelet activation, infertility, and NF- κ B activation. Therefore, this paper is intended to provide evidence reported in relevant literature on qualitative research to assist scientists in isolating and characterizing bioactive compounds.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antiviral Agents; Arthritis; Asthma; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diterpenes; Hypoglycemic Agents; Malaysia; Pharyngitis; Thailand; NF-kappa B; Acanthaceae; Andrographis
  6. Fulltext Gamma-tocotrienol modulated gene expression in senescent human diploid fibroblasts as revealed by microarray analysis
    Makpol S, Zainuddin A, Chua KH, Mohd Yusof YA, Ngah WZ
    Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2013;2013:454328.
    PMID: 23634235 DOI: 10.1155/2013/454328
    The effect of γ -tocotrienol, a vitamin E isomer, in modulating gene expression in cellular aging of human diploid fibroblasts was studied. Senescent cells at passage 30 were incubated with 70  μ M of γ -tocotrienol for 24 h. Gene expression patterns were evaluated using Sentrix HumanRef-8 Expression BeadChip from Illumina, analysed using GeneSpring GX10 software, and validated using quantitative RT-PCR. A total of 100 genes were differentially expressed (P < 0.001) by at least 1.5 fold in response to γ -tocotrienol treatment. Amongst the genes were IRAK3, SelS, HSPA5, HERPUD1, DNAJB9, SEPR1, C18orf55, ARF4, RINT1, NXT1, CADPS2, COG6, and GLRX5. Significant gene list was further analysed by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), and the Normalized Enrichment Score (NES) showed that biological processes such as inflammation, protein transport, apoptosis, and cell redox homeostasis were modulated in senescent fibroblasts treated with γ -tocotrienol. These findings revealed that γ -tocotrienol may prevent cellular aging of human diploid fibroblasts by modulating gene expression.
    MeSH terms: Cells, Cultured; Chromans/pharmacology*; Diploidy; Fibroblasts/drug effects*; Fibroblasts/metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects*; Humans; Vitamin E/analogs & derivatives*; Vitamin E/pharmacology; Cluster Analysis; Cell Aging/drug effects; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Gene Regulatory Networks; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  7. Management of endoscopic complications, in particular perforation
    Paramasivam RK, Angsuwatcharakon P, Soontornmanokul T, Rerknimitr R
    Dig Endosc, 2013 May;25 Suppl 2:132-6.
    PMID: 23617664 DOI: 10.1111/den.12079
    Management of endoscopic complications is a pertinent aspect of patient care that has received great attention in the past decade due to advancements and increases in complexity of therapeutic endoscopy. Working groups from various institutions such as American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy have devised detailed guidelines and management algorithms. Three main factors that contribute to endoscopic complications are patient, operator, and type of procedure. No one rule suits all;hence endoscopic complication management must be customized to individual patients. Comprehensive knowledge of patient, machine/device, and its interrelationship must be in place to manage endoscopic complications.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Postoperative Complications*; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/adverse effects*; Practice Guidelines as Topic*; Disease Management*
  8. Fulltext Racial variations in booking haemoglobin of primigravidae in Malaysia: a prospective study
    Tan ACC, Leong EWK, Chua AC, Moy FM
    BMC Res Notes, 2013;6:173.
    PMID: 23634656 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-6-173
    BACKGROUND: Variations in racial haemoglobin had been previously described in multiple studies locally and abroad. This study was conducted to quantify the differences in haemoglobin of booking primigravidae amongst the three major races in Malaysia at the antenatal clinic of University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
    FINDINGS: One year prospective study of booking full blood count sample of primigravidae taken in one centre was conducted. Multiple comparative analyses of the booking haemoglobin were performed using the One-way ANOVA comparative mean test in each trimester. 622 primigravidae without any known history of haematological disorders were recruited into the study. The mean haemoglobin for the Indian race was the lowest compared to the two other races in the second and the third trimesters, and it was found to be statistically significant lower (p- value 0.001) than the Malay race in the second trimester. It was also found that the Indian race had a significantly higher incidence of moderate to severe anaemia (p- value: 0.029). The prevalence of anaemia in our study population is also significantly higher in the Indian population (p- value: 0.01 ).
    CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study have established that there is racial preponderance to anaemia in pregnancy. The Indian race is at a higher risk of having anaemia in pregnancy particularly in the second trimester.
    Study site: Antenatal clinic, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    MeSH terms: Adult; Anemia/epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Hemoglobins/metabolism*; Hospitals, University; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic/epidemiology; Prospective Studies; Genetic Variation*; Prevalence; Continental Population Groups*
  9. Fulltext Structural and optical characterization of metal tungstates (MWO4; M=Ni, Ba, Bi) synthesized by a sucrose-templated method
    M Zawawi SM, Yahya R, Hassan A, Mahmud HN, Daud MN
    Chem Cent J, 2013;7(1):80.
    PMID: 23634962 DOI: 10.1186/1752-153X-7-80
    Metal tungstates have attracted much attention due to their interesting structural and photoluminescence properties. Depending on the size of the bivalent cation present, the metal tungstates will adopt structures with different phases. In this work, three different phases of metal tungstates MWO4 (M= Ba, Ni and Bi) were synthesized via the sucrose templated method.
  10. Evaluation of suction detection during different pumping states in an implantable rotary blood pump
    Ng SC, Lim E, Mason DG, Avolio AP, Lovell NH
    Artif Organs, 2013 Aug;37(8):E145-54.
    PMID: 23635073 DOI: 10.1111/aor.12079
    In recent times, the problem of noninvasive suction detection for implantable rotary blood pumps has attracted substantial research interest. Here, we compare the performance of various suction indices for different types of suction and non-suction events based on pump speed irregularity. A total of 171 different indices that consist of previously proposed as well as newly introduced suction indices are tested using regularized logistic regression. These indices can be classified as amplitude based (derived from the mean, maximum, and minimum values of a cycle), duration based (derived from the duration of a cycle), gradient based (derived from the first order as well as higher order differences) and frequency based (derived from the power spectral density). The non-suction event data consists of ventricular ejection with or without arrhythmia and intermittent and continuous non-opening of the aortic valve. The suction event data consists of partial ventricular collapse that occurs intermittently as well as continuously with or without arrhythmia. In addition, we also attempted to minimize the usage of multiple indices by applying the sequential forward floating selection method to find which combination of indices gives the best performance. In general, the amplitude-based and gradient-based indices performed quite well while the duration-based and frequency-based indices performed poorly. By having only two indices ([i] the maximum gradient change in positive slope; and [ii] the standard deviation of the maximum value in a cycle), we were able to achieve a sensitivity of 98.9% and a specificity of 99.7%.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms; Animals; Heart Ventricles/physiopathology*; Heart-Assist Devices/adverse effects*; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Swine
  11. Fulltext Plasma adiponectin concentrations are associated with dietary glycemic index in Malaysian patients with type 2 diabetes
    Loh BI, Sathyasuryan DR, Mohamed HJ
    Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2013;22(2):241-8.
    PMID: 23635368 DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.2013.22.2.04
    Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived hormone has been implicated in the control of blood glucose and chronic inflammation in type 2 diabetes. However, limited studies have evaluated dietary factors on plasma adiponectin levels, especially among type 2 diabetic patients in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of dietary glycemic index on plasma adiponectin concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 305 type 2 diabetic patients aged 19-75 years from the Penang General Hospital, Malaysia. Socio-demographic information was collected using a standard questionnaire while dietary details were determined by using a pre-validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometry measurement included weight, height, BMI and waist circumference. Plasma adiponectin concentrations were measured using a commercial ELISA kit. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. After multivariate adjustment, dietary glycemic index was inversely associated with plasma adiponectin concentrations (β =-0.272, 95% CI -0.262, - 0.094; p<0.001). It was found that in individuals who consumed 1 unit of foods containing high dietary glycemic index that plasma adiponectin level reduced by 0.3 μg/mL. Thirty two percent (31.9%) of the variation in adiponectin concentrations was explained by age, sex, race, smoking status, BMI, waist circumference, HDL-C, triglycerides, magnesium, fiber and dietary glycemic index according to the multiple linear regression model (R2=0.319). These results support the hypothesis that dietary glycemic index influences plasma adiponectin concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes. Controlled clinical trials are required to confirm our findings and to elucidate the underlying mechanism.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood*; Diet/methods*; Dietary Fiber; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods; Female; Humans; Lipids/blood; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Socioeconomic Factors; Biomarkers/blood; Diet Records; Body Mass Index; Age Distribution; Sex Distribution; Glycemic Index*; Continental Population Groups/statistics & numerical data; Adiponectin/blood*; Waist Circumference; Young Adult
  12. Effect of HbE heterozygosity on the measurement of HbA1c
    Sthaneshwar P, Shanmugam H, Swan VG, Nasurdin N, Tanggaiah K
    Pathology, 2013 06;45(4):417-9.
    PMID: 23635828 DOI: 10.1097/PAT.0b013e32836142eb
    AIM: Measurement of HbA1c provides an excellent measure of glycaemic control for diabetic patients. However, haemoglobin (Hb) variants are known to interfere with HbA1c analysis. In our laboratory HbA1c measurement is performed by Variant II turbo 2.0. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of HbE trait on HbA1c analysis.

    METHODS: Haemoglobin variants were identified by HbA1c analysis in 93 of 3522 samples sent to our laboratory in a period of 1 month. Haemoglobin analysis identified HbE trait in 81 of 93 samples. To determine the influence of HbE trait on HbA1c analysis by Variant II Tubo 2.0, boronate affinity high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method (Primus PDQ) was used as the comparison method. Two stage linear regression analysis, Bland Altman plot and Deming regression analysis were performed to analyse whether the presence of HbE trait produced a statistically significant difference in the results. The total allowable error for HbA1c by the Royal Australasian College of Pathologists (RCPA) external quality assurance is 5%. Hence clinically significant difference is more than 5% at the medical decision level of 6% and 9%.

    RESULTS: Statistically and clinically significant higher results were observed in Variant II Turbo 2.0 due to the presence of HbE trait. A positive bias of ∼10% was observed at the medical decision levels.

    CONCLUSION: Laboratories should be cautious when evaluating HbA1c results in the presence of haemoglobin variants.

    MeSH terms: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated/analysis*; Hemoglobin E/genetics*; Heterozygote*; Humans; Reproducibility of Results; Linear Models
  13. Understanding thermostability factors of Aspergillus niger PhyA phytase: a molecular dynamics study
    Noorbatcha IA, Sultan AM, Salleh HM, Amid A
    Protein J, 2013 Apr;32(4):309-16.
    PMID: 23636517 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-013-9489-y
    Molecular dynamics simulation was used to study the dynamic differences between native Aspergillus niger PhyA phytase and a mutant with 20 % greater thermostability. Atomic root mean square deviation, radius of gyration, and number of hydrogen bonds and salt bridges are examined to determine thermostability factors. The results suggest that, among secondary structure elements, loops have the most impact on the thermal stability of A. niger phytase. In addition, the location rather than the number of hydrogen bonds is found to have an important contribution to thermostability. The results also show that salt bridges may have stabilizing or destabilizing effect on the enzyme and influence its thermostability accordingly.
    MeSH terms: Aspergillus niger/enzymology*; Aspergillus niger/genetics; Enzyme Stability; Fungal Proteins/genetics; Fungal Proteins/metabolism; Fungal Proteins/chemistry*; Hydrogen Bonding; Mutation; 6-Phytase/genetics; 6-Phytase/metabolism; 6-Phytase/chemistry*; Amino Acid Substitution; Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  14. Using mental imagery to deliver self-regulation techniques to improve sleep behaviors
    Loft MH, Cameron LD
    Ann Behav Med, 2013 Dec;46(3):260-72.
    PMID: 23640130 DOI: 10.1007/s12160-013-9503-9
    BACKGROUND: Poor sleep habits and insufficient sleep represent significant workplace health issues.

    PURPOSE: Applying self-regulation theory, we conducted a randomized, controlled trial testing the efficacy of mental imagery techniques promoting arousal reduction and implementation intentions to improve sleep behavior.

    METHOD: We randomly assigned 104 business employees to four imagery-based interventions: arousal reduction, implementation intentions, combined arousal reduction and implementation intentions, or control imagery. Participants practiced their techniques daily for 21 days. They completed online measures of sleep quality, behaviors, and self-efficacy at baseline and Day 21; and daily measures of sleep behaviors.

    RESULTS: Participants using implementation intention imagery exhibited greater improvements in self-efficacy, sleep behaviors, sleep quality, and time to sleep relative to participants using arousal reduction and control imagery.

    CONCLUSIONS: Implementation intention imagery can improve sleep behavior for daytime employees. Use of arousal reduction imagery was unsupported. Self-regulation imagery techniques show promise for improving sleep behaviors.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Arousal; Female; Humans; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/psychology; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/therapy*; Male; Middle Aged; Social Control, Informal; Imagery (Psychotherapy)*; Intention
  15. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities and the total protein content of protocorm-like bodies of Dendrobium sonia-28 subjected to vitrification
    Poobathy R, Sinniah UR, Xavier R, Subramaniam S
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2013 Jul;170(5):1066-79.
    PMID: 23640259 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-013-0241-z
    Dendrobium sonia-28 is an important ornamental orchid in the Malaysian flower industry. However, the genus faces both low germination rates and the risk of producing heterozygous progenies. Cryopreservation is currently the favoured long-term storage method for orchids with propagation problems. Vitrification, a frequently used cryopreservation technique, involves the application of pretreatments and cryoprotectants to protect and recover explants during and after storage in liquid nitrogen. However, cryopreservation may cause osmotic injuries and toxicity to cryopreserved explants from the use of highly concentrated additives, and cellular injuries from thawing, devitrification and ice formation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), occurring during dehydration and cryopreservation, may also cause membrane damage. Plants possess efficient antioxidant systems such as the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes to scavenge ROS during low temperature stress. In this study, protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of Dendrobium sonia-28 were assayed for the total protein content, and both SOD and CAT activities, at each stage of a vitrification exercise to observe for deleterious stages in the protocol. The results indicated that cryopreserved PLBs of Dendrobium sonia-28 underwent excessive post-thawing oxidative stress due to decreased levels of the CAT enzyme at the post-thawing recovery stage, which contributed to the poor survival rates of the cryopreserved PLBs.
    MeSH terms: Catalase/isolation & purification; Catalase/chemistry*; Enzyme Activation; Plant Proteins/isolation & purification; Plant Proteins/chemistry*; Seeds/chemistry*; Superoxide Dismutase/isolation & purification; Superoxide Dismutase/chemistry*; Dendrobium/embryology*; Dendrobium/chemistry*; Vitrification
  16. Twenty-four-hour urine constituents in stone formers: a study from the northeast part of Peninsular Malaysia
    Hussein NS, Sadiq SM, Kamaliah MD, Norakmal AW, Gohar MN
    Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl, 2013 May;24(3):630-7.
    PMID: 23640651
    Urolithiasis is a common disease with increasing incidence and prevalence world-wide, probably more common in industrialized countries. The metabolic evaluation of 24-h urine collection has been considered as part of the management of urinary stone patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the 24-h urine constituents in stone formers and its relation to demographic data in the northeast part of Peninsular Malaysia. One hundred and six patients were recruited in this study from two hospitals in the same geographical region; 96 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and an informed consent was obtained from all subjects. The 24-h urine was collected in sterile bottles with a preservative agent and calcium, oxalate, citrate, uric acid, magnesium and phosphate were tested using commercial kits on a Roche Hitachi 912 chemistry analyzer. The age (mean ± SD) of 96 patients was 56.45 ± 13.43 years and 82.3% of the patients were male while 17.7% were female. The 24-h urine abnormalities were hypercalciuria (14.5%), hyperoxaluria (61.4%), hypocitraturia (57.2%), hyperuricouria (19.7%), hypomagnesuria (59.3%) and hyperphosphaturia (12.5%). Hyperoxaluria (61.4%) was the most common abnormality detected during the analysis of 24-h urine constituents in contradiction to industrial countries, where hypercalciuria was the most common finding. The high frequencies of hypomagnesuria and hypocitraturia reflect the important role of magnesium and citrate in stone formation and their prophylactic role in the treatment of urinary stone disease in the given population.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Calcium/urine; Female; Humans; Magnesium/urine; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Phosphates/urine; Predictive Value of Tests; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; Time Factors; Uric Acid/urine; Urinary Calculi/epidemiology; Urinary Calculi/urine*; Biomarkers/urine; Chi-Square Distribution; Citric Acid/urine; Oxalic Acid/urine; Urolithiasis/epidemiology; Urolithiasis/urine*
  17. Fulltext The use of X-shaped cross-link in posterior spinal constructs improves stability in thoracolumbar burst fracture: a finite element analysis
    Alizadeh M, Kadir MR, Fadhli MM, Fallahiarezoodar A, Azmi B, Murali MR, et al.
    J Orthop Res, 2013 Sep;31(9):1447-54.
    PMID: 23640802 DOI: 10.1002/jor.22376
    Posterior instrumentation is a common fixation method used to treat thoracolumbar burst fractures. However, the role of different cross-link configurations in improving fixation stability in these fractures has not been established. A 3D finite element model of T11-L3 was used to investigate the biomechanical behavior of short (2 level) and long (4 level) segmental spine pedicle screw fixation with various cross-links to treat a hypothetical L1 vertebra burst fracture. Three types of cross-link configurations with an applied moment of 7.5 Nm and 200 N axial force were evaluated. The long construct was stiffer than the short construct irrespective of whether the cross-links were used (p < 0.05). The short constructs showed no significant differences between the cross-link configurations. The XL cross-link provided the highest stiffness and was 14.9% stiffer than the one without a cross-link. The long construct resulted in reduced stress to the adjacent vertebral bodies and screw necks, with 66.7% reduction in bending stress on L2 when the XL cross-link was used. Thus, the stability for L1 burst fracture fixation was best achieved by using long segmental posterior instrumentation constructs and an XL cross-link configuration. Cross-links did not improved stability when a short structure was used.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Bone Screws*; Computer Simulation; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation*; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods; Humans; Joint Instability/prevention & control; Lumbar Vertebrae/injuries*; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery; Models, Biological; Prosthesis Design*; Thoracic Vertebrae/injuries*; Thoracic Vertebrae/surgery; Range of Motion, Articular; Spinal Fractures/surgery*; Equipment Failure Analysis; Finite Element Analysis; Fractures, Compression/surgery*; Elastic Modulus
  18. Risk factors associated with unconjugated neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Malaysian neonates
    Wong F, Boo N, Othman A
    J Trop Pediatr, 2013 Aug;59(4):280-5.
    PMID: 23640907 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fmt023
    To investigate the risk factors associated with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Malaysian neonates.
    MeSH terms: Female; Genotype; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase/genetics*; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Mutation; Polymorphism, Genetic; Prospective Studies; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Glucuronosyltransferase/genetics*; Genetic Variation; Incidence; Organic Anion Transporters/genetics*; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/genetics*; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal/ethnology*; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal/genetics
  19. Fulltext Circulation of human respiratory syncytial virus strains among hospitalized children with acute lower respiratory infection in malaysia
    Etemadi MR, Sekawi Z, Othman N, Lye MS, Moghaddam FY
    Evol Bioinform Online, 2013;9:151-61.
    PMID: 23641140 DOI: 10.4137/EBO.S10999
    Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major viral pathogen associated with acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) among hospitalized children. In this study, the genetic diversity of the RSV strains was investigated among nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) taken from children less than 5 years of age hospitalized with ALRTIs in Hospital Serdang, Malaysia. A total of 165 NPA samples were tested for the presence of RSV and other respiratory viruses from June until December 2009. RSV was found positive in 83 (50%) of the samples using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Further classification of 67 RSV strains showed that subgroups A and B comprised 11/67 (16.4%) and 56/67 (83.6%) of the strains, respectively. The second hypervariable region at the carboxyl-terminal of the G gene was amplified and sequenced in order to do phylogenetic study. The phylogenetic relationships of the samples were determined separately for subgroups A and B using neighbor joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), and Bayesian inference (BI). Phylogenetic analysis of the 32 sequenced samples showed that all 9 RSV-A strains were clustered within NA1 genotype while the remaining 23 strains of the RSV-B subgroup could be grouped into a clade consisted of strains with 60-nucleotide duplication region. They were further classified into newly discovered BA10 and BA9 genotypes. The present finding suggests the emergence of RSV genotypes of NA1 and BA. This is the first documentation of the phylogenetic relationship and genetic diversity of RSV strains among hospitalized children diagnosed with ALRTI in Serdang, Malaysia.
    MeSH terms: Base Sequence; Bayes Theorem; Child; Child, Hospitalized; Genotype; Humans; Malaysia; Nucleotides; Phylogeny; Respiratory Tract Infections; Genetic Variation; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reverse Transcription
  20. Anxiety Status and its Relationship with General Health Related Quality of Life among Prostate Cancer Patients in Two University Hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Isa MR, Moy FM, Abdul Razack AH, Md Zainuddin Z, Zainal NZ
    Iran J Public Health, 2013;42(3):240-8.
    PMID: 23641401
    This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety among prostate cancer patients, and to ascertain the association between stress status, socio-demographic, medical and surgical illness, current urinary problem and cancer status with general health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among these patients.
    MeSH terms: Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Humans; Male; Prostatic Neoplasms; Quality of Life; Prevalence
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