Browse publications by year: 2014

1. Fulltext Changes in trends and pattern of strong opioid prescribing in primary care

   Zin CS, Chen LC, Knaggs RD

   Eur J Pain, 2014 Oct;18(9):1343-51.

   PMID: 24756859 DOI: 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2014.496.x

   Abstract

   BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the prescribing trends of four commonly prescribed strong opioids in primary care and explored utilization in non-cancer and cancer users.
   METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2000 to 2010 using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Prescriptions of buprenorphine, fentanyl, morphine and oxycodone issued to adult patients were included in this study. Opioid prescriptions issued after patients had cancer medical codes were defined as cancer-related use; otherwise, they were considered non-cancer use. Annual number of prescriptions and patients, defined daily dose (DDD/1000 inhabitants/day) and oral morphine equivalent (OMEQ) dose were measured in repeat cross-sectional estimates.
   RESULTS: In total, there were 2,672,022 prescriptions (87.8% for non-cancer) of strong opioids for 178,692 users (59.9% female, 83.9% non-cancer, mean age 67.1 ± 17.0 years) during the study period. The mean annual (DDD/1000 inhabitants/day) was higher in the non-cancer group than in the cancer group for all four opioids; morphine (0.73 ± 0.28 vs. 0.12 ± 0.04), fentanyl (0.46 ± 0.29 vs. 0.06 ± 0.24), oxycodone (0.24 ± 0.19 vs. 0.038 ± 0.028) and buprenorphine (0.23 ± 0.15 vs. 0.008 ± 0.006). The highest proportion of patients were prescribed low opioid doses (OMEQ ≤ 50 mg/day) in both non-cancer (50.3%) and cancer (39.9%) groups, followed by the dose ranks of 51-100 mg/day (26.2% vs. 28.7%), 101-200 mg/day (15.1% vs. 19.2%) and >200 mg/day (8.25% vs. 12.1%).
   CONCLUSIONS: There has been a huge increase in strong opioid prescribing in the United Kingdom, with the majority of prescriptions for non-cancer pain. Morphine was the most frequently prescribed, but the utilization of oxycodone, buprenorphine and fentanyl increased markedly over time.

   MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analgesics, Opioid/administration & dosage; Analgesics, Opioid/therapeutic use*; Buprenorphine/administration & dosage; Buprenorphine/therapeutic use*; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug Utilization; Female; Fentanyl/administration & dosage; Fentanyl/therapeutic use*; Great Britain/epidemiology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Morphine/administration & dosage; Morphine/therapeutic use*; Oxycodone/administration & dosage; Oxycodone/therapeutic use*; Pain/drug therapy*; Practice Patterns, Physicians'/trends; Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data*; Drug Prescriptions/statistics & numerical data*; Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data*; Young Adult
2. Resistotype of Helicobacter pylori isolates: the impact on eradication outcome

   Alfizah H, Norazah A, Hamizah R, Ramelah M

   J Med Microbiol, 2014 May;63(Pt 5):703-709.

   PMID: 24757218 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.069781-0

   Abstract

   Antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide, and it has been regarded as the main factor reducing the efficacy of Helicobacter pylori therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the phenotype and genotype of antibiotic-resistant strains of H. pylori in the Malaysian population and to evaluate the impact of antibiotic resistance to eradication outcome. One hundred and sixty-one H. pylori isolates were analysed in this study. Metronidazole, clarithromycin, fluoroquinolone, amoxicillin and tetracycline susceptibilities were determined by Etest. PCR followed by DNA sequencing was carried out to determine mutations. The medical records of the patients infected with resistant strains were reviewed to determine the eradication outcome. Metronidazole resistance was encountered in 36.6 % of H. pylori isolates, whereas clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone resistance was observed in 1.2  and 1.9 % of isolates, respectively. All strains tested were susceptible to amoxicillin and tetracycline. Frameshift and nonsense mutations in rdxA and frxA genes resulting in stop codons contributed to metronidazole resistance, which leads to reduced eradication efficacy. A2142G and A2143G mutations of 23S rRNA were identified as causing failure of the eradication therapy. Mutation at either codon 87 or 91 of the gyrA gene was identified in fluoroquinolone-resistant strains. However, the effect of resistance could not be assessed. This study showed that frameshift and nonsense mutations in rdxA or frxA genes and point mutations in the 23S rRNA affected the efficacy of H. pylori eradication therapy.

   MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology*; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use*; Female; Genes, Bacterial; Humans; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged; Mutation; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Helicobacter pylori/drug effects*; Helicobacter pylori/isolation & purification; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy*; Helicobacter Infections/microbiology*; Treatment Outcome; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Drug Resistance, Bacterial*; Young Adult
3. Fulltext Determination of suitable microspore stage and callus induction from anthers of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.)

   Ibrahim AM, Kayat FB, Hussin ZE, Susanto D, Ariffulah M

   ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:284342.

   PMID: 24757416 DOI: 10.1155/2014/284342

   Abstract

   Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is one of the important species of Hibiscus cultivated for fiber. Availability of homozygous parent lines is prerequisite to the use of the heterosis effect reproducible in hybrid breeding. The production of haploid plants by anther culture followed by chromosome doubling can be achieved in short period compared with inbred lines by conventional method that requires self pollination of parent material. In this research, the effects of the microspore developmental stage, time of flower collection, various pretreatments, different combinations of hormones, and culture condition on anther culture of KB6 variety of Kenaf were studied. Young flower buds with immature anthers at the appropriate stage of microspore development were sterilized and the anthers were carefully dissected from the flower buds and subjected to various pretreatments and different combinations of hormones like NAA, 2,4-D, Kinetin, BAP, and TDZ to induce callus. The best microspore development stage of the flower buds was about 6-8 mm long collected 1-2 weeks after flower initiation. At that stage, the microspores were at the uninucleate stage which was suitable for culture. The best callus induction frequency was 90% in the optimized semisolid MS medium fortified with 3.0 mg/L BAP + 3.0 mg/L NAA.

   MeSH terms: Bony Callus/cytology; Bony Callus/drug effects; Bony Callus/growth & development*; Cell Division/drug effects; Cell Division/physiology; Cells, Cultured; Plant Growth Regulators/pharmacology*; Seeds/drug effects; Seeds/physiology*; Spores/cytology; Spores/drug effects; Spores/growth & development*; Cell Culture Techniques/methods; Hibiscus/cytology; Hibiscus/drug effects; Hibiscus/physiology*; Flowers/cytology; Flowers/drug effects; Flowers/growth & development*; Embryonic Development/drug effects; Embryonic Development/physiology*
4. Fulltext Critical state of sand matrix soils

   Marto A, Tan CS, Makhtar AM, Kung Leong T

   ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:290207.

   PMID: 24757417 DOI: 10.1155/2014/290207

   Abstract

   The Critical State Soil Mechanic (CSSM) is a globally recognised framework while the critical states for sand and clay are both well established. Nevertheless, the development of the critical state of sand matrix soils is lacking. This paper discusses the development of critical state lines and corresponding critical state parameters for the investigated material, sand matrix soils using sand-kaolin mixtures. The output of this paper can be used as an interpretation framework for the research on liquefaction susceptibility of sand matrix soils in the future. The strain controlled triaxial test apparatus was used to provide the monotonic loading onto the reconstituted soil specimens. All tested soils were subjected to isotropic consolidation and sheared under undrained condition until critical state was ascertain. Based on the results of 32 test specimens, the critical state lines for eight different sand matrix soils were developed together with the corresponding values of critical state parameters, M, λ, and Γ. The range of the value of M, λ, and Γ is 0.803-0.998, 0.144-0.248, and 1.727-2.279, respectively. These values are comparable to the critical state parameters of river sand and kaolin clay. However, the relationship between fines percentages and these critical state parameters is too scattered to be correlated.

   MeSH terms: Aluminum Silicates/standards; Aluminum Silicates/chemistry; Particle Size; Silicon Dioxide/standards; Silicon Dioxide/chemistry; Soil/standards*; Soil/chemistry*; Compressive Strength*
5. Fulltext Local convexity-preserving C2 rational cubic spline for convex data

   Abbas M, Abd Majid A, Ali JM

   ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:391568.

   PMID: 24757421 DOI: 10.1155/2014/391568

   Abstract

   We present the smooth and visually pleasant display of 2D data when it is convex, which is contribution towards the improvements over existing methods. This improvement can be used to get the more accurate results. An attempt has been made in order to develop the local convexity-preserving interpolant for convex data using C(2) rational cubic spline. It involves three families of shape parameters in its representation. Data dependent sufficient constraints are imposed on single shape parameter to conserve the inherited shape feature of data. Remaining two of these shape parameters are used for the modification of convex curve to get a visually pleasing curve according to industrial demand. The scheme is tested through several numerical examples, showing that the scheme is local, computationally economical, and visually pleasing.

   MeSH terms: Algorithms; Computer Graphics*; Image Enhancement/methods; Statistics as Topic
6. Fulltext Gene technology for papaya ringspot virus disease management

   Azad MA, Amin L, Sidik NM

   ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:768038.

   PMID: 24757435 DOI: 10.1155/2014/768038

   Abstract

   Papaya (Carica papaya) is severely damaged by the papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). This review focuses on the development of PRSV resistant transgenic papaya through gene technology. The genetic diversity of PRSV depends upon geographical distribution and the influence of PRSV disease management on a sequence of PRSV isolates. The concept of pathogen-derived resistance has been employed for the development of transgenic papaya, using a coat protein-mediated, RNA-silencing mechanism and replicase gene-mediated transformation for effective PRSV disease management. The development of PRSV-resistant papaya via post-transcriptional gene silencing is a promising technology for PRSV disease management. PRSV-resistant transgenic papaya is environmentally safe and has no harmful effects on human health. Recent studies have revealed that the success of adoption of transgenic papaya depends upon the application, it being a commercially viable product, bio-safety regulatory issues, trade regulations, and the wider social acceptance of the technology. This review discusses the genome and the genetic diversity of PRSV, host range determinants, molecular diagnosis, disease management strategies, the development of transgenic papaya, environmental issues, issues in the adoption of transgenic papaya, and future directions for research.

   MeSH terms: Plant Diseases/genetics; Plant Diseases/therapy*; Genetic Therapy*; Potyvirus/pathogenicity*; Disease Management*
7. Fulltext Linguatula serrata (Porocephalida: Linguatulidae) Infection among Client-Owned Dogs in Jalingo, North Eastern Nigeria: Prevalence and Public Health Implications

   Oluwasina OS, Thankgod OE, Augustine OO, Gimba FI

   J Parasitol Res, 2014;2014:916120.

   PMID: 24757557 DOI: 10.1155/2014/916120

   Abstract

   Pentastomiasis is a parasitic zoonosis endemic to western and central Africa. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and public health implications of Linguatulosis in client-owned dogs in Jalingo, North Eastern Nigeria. Seven hundred and seventy seven (777) dogs brought for treatment at the hospital were subjected to buccal (sublingual) examination for pentastomiasis. Parameters such as age, sex, and breeds were determined. Also, the months of the year were taken into consideration. An overall prevalence of 37.45% was recorded. Of the 477 dogs examined in 2010, 184 were positive representing prevalence of 38.57% and in 2011 107 were positive representing prevalence of 35.67%. The infection was higher in the male than in the female which does not differ significantly (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference between sexes (P > 0.05). However, significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed between breeds and age of dogs examined. Season did not have much influence on the prevalence of Linguatulosis. The high prevalence of Linguatulosis in dogs and other animals found in this study highlights the need of improving preventative measures to reduce the rate of infection, which may pose a hazard to human health.
8. Fulltext Functional Balance and Motor Impairment Correlations with Gait Parameters during Timed Up and Go Test across Three Attentional Loading Conditions in Stroke Survivors

   Manaf H, Justine M, Omar M

   Stroke Res Treat, 2014;2014:439304.

   PMID: 24757575 DOI: 10.1155/2014/439304

   Abstract

   The aim of this study was to determine whether stroke survivor's gait performance during dual-task Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is correlated with the level of functional balance and motor impairment. Thirty stroke survivors (22 men, 8 women) were recruited for this study. The level of functional balance (Berg Balance Scale) and motor impairment (Fugl-Meyer assessment lower extremity) were assessed prior to the TUG test. TUG test was conducted under three attentional loading conditions (single, dual motor, and dual-cognitive). The time and number of steps were used to quantify gait parameters. The Spearmen's rank correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between these variables. There was moderate to strong negative correlation between functional balance and gait parameters (range -0.53 to -0.73, P < 0.05). There was a weak negative correlation observed between the time taken to complete the single task and motor impairment (r s = -0.43; P = 0.02) dual motor task and motor impairment (r s = -0.41; P = 0.02). However, there were no significant correlations between lower limb motor impairment and the number of steps in all conditions. These findings suggest that functional balance may be an influential domain of successful dual-task TUG in stroke.
9. Fulltext Modeling and docking studies on novel mutants (K71L and T204V) of the ATPase domain of human heat shock 70 kDa protein 1

   Elengoe A, Naser MA, Hamdan S

   Int J Mol Sci, 2014;15(4):6797-814.

   PMID: 24758925 DOI: 10.3390/ijms15046797

   Abstract

   The purpose of exploring protein interactions between human adenovirus and heat shock protein 70 is to exploit a potentially synergistic interaction to enhance anti-tumoral efficacy and decrease toxicity in cancer treatment. However, the protein interaction of Hsp70 with E1A32 kDa of human adenovirus serotype 5 remains to be elucidated. In this study, two residues of ATPase domain of human heat shock 70 kDa protein 1 (PDB: 1 HJO) were mutated. 3D mutant models (K71L and T204V) using PyMol software were then constructed. The structures were evaluated by PROCHECK, ProQ, ERRAT, Verify 3D and ProSA modules. All evidence suggests that all protein models are acceptable and of good quality. The E1A32 kDa motif was retrieved from UniProt (P03255), as well as subjected to docking interaction with NBD, K71L and T204V, using the Autodock 4.2 program. The best lowest binding energy value of -9.09 kcal/mol was selected for novel T204V. Moreover, the protein-ligand complex structures were validated by RMSD, RMSF, hydrogen bonds and salt bridge analysis. This revealed that the T204V-E1A32 kDa motif complex was the most stable among all three complex structures. This study provides information about the interaction between Hsp70 and the E1A32 kDa motif, which emphasizes future perspectives to design rational drugs and vaccines in cancer therapy.

   MeSH terms: Humans; Software; Thermodynamics; Protein Structure, Tertiary; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/genetics; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/chemistry*; Amino Acid Substitution; Catalytic Domain; Molecular Docking Simulation
10. Fulltext Anti-amoebic properties of carbonyl thiourea derivatives

    Ibrahim MA, Yusof MS, Amin NM

    Molecules, 2014 Apr 22;19(4):5191-204.

    PMID: 24759076 DOI: 10.3390/molecules19045191

    Abstract

    Thiourea derivatives display a broad spectrum of applications in chemistry, various industries, medicines and various other fields. Recently, different thiourea derivatives have been synthesized and explored for their anti-microbial properties. In this study, four carbonyl thiourea derivatives were synthesized and characterized, and then further tested for their anti-amoebic properties on two potential pathogenic species of Acanthamoeba, namely A. castellanii (CCAP 1501/2A) and A. polyphaga (CCAP 1501/3A). The results indicate that these newly-synthesized thiourea derivatives are active against both Acanthamoeba species. The IC50 values obtained were in the range of 2.39-8.77 µg·mL⁻¹ (9.47-30.46 µM) for A. castellanii and 3.74-9.30 µg·mL⁻¹ (14.84-31.91 µM) for A. polyphaga. Observations on the amoeba morphology indicated that the compounds caused the reduction of the amoeba size, shortening of their acanthopodia structures, and gave no distinct vacuolar and nuclear structures in the amoeba cells. Meanwhile, fluorescence microscopic observation using acridine orange and propidium iodide (AOPI) staining revealed that the synthesized compounds induced compromised-membrane in the amoeba cells. The results of this study proved that these new carbonyl thiourea derivatives, especially compounds M1 and M2 provide potent cytotoxic properties toward pathogenic Acanthamoeba to suggest that they can be developed as new anti-amoebic agents for the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis.

    MeSH terms: Acanthamoeba/drug effects*; Acanthamoeba/growth & development; Acanthamoeba/ultrastructure; Antiprotozoal Agents/chemical synthesis; Antiprotozoal Agents/pharmacology*; Cell Membrane/drug effects; Cell Membrane/ultrastructure; Cell Nucleus/drug effects; Cell Nucleus/ultrastructure; Thiourea/analogs & derivatives*; Thiourea/chemical synthesis; Thiourea/pharmacology*; Vacuoles/drug effects; Vacuoles/ultrastructure; Inhibitory Concentration 50
11. Fulltext Quorum sensing activity of Aeromonas caviae strain YL12, a bacterium isolated from compost

    Lim YL, Ee R, Yin WF, Chan KG

    Sensors (Basel), 2014 Apr 22;14(4):7026-40.

    PMID: 24759107 DOI: 10.3390/s140407026

    Abstract

    Quorum sensing is a well-studied cell-to-cell communication method that involves a cell-density dependent regulation of genes expression mediated by signalling molecules. In this study, a bacterium isolated from a plant material compost pile was found to possess quorum sensing activity based on bioassay screening. Isolate YL12 was identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and molecular typing using rpoD gene which identified the isolate as Aeromonas caviae. High resolution tandem mass spectrometry was subsequently employed to identify the N-acyl homoserine lactone profile of Aeromonas caviae YL12 and confirmed that this isolate produced two short chain N-acyl homoserine lactones, namely C4-HSL and C6, and the production was observed to be cell density-dependent. Using the thin layer chromatography (TLC) bioassay, both AHLs were found to activate C. violaceum CV026, whereas only C6-HSL was revealed to induce bioluminescence expression of E. coli [pSB401]. The data presented in this study will be the leading steps in understanding the role of quorum sensing in Aeromonas caviae strain YL12.

    MeSH terms: Base Sequence; Chromatography, Liquid; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Genes, Bacterial; Phylogeny; Soil*; Biosensing Techniques; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Quorum Sensing*; Acyl-Butyrolactones/metabolism; Aeromonas caviae/genetics; Aeromonas caviae/isolation & purification*; Aeromonas caviae/physiology*
12. Fulltext Smartphone-based solutions for fall detection and prevention: challenges and open issues

    Habib MA, Mohktar MS, Kamaruzzaman SB, Lim KS, Pin TM, Ibrahim F

    Sensors (Basel), 2014 Apr 22;14(4):7181-208.

    PMID: 24759116 DOI: 10.3390/s140407181

    Abstract

    This paper presents a state-of-the-art survey of smartphone (SP)-based solutions for fall detection and prevention. Falls are considered as major health hazards for both the elderly and people with neurodegenerative diseases. To mitigate the adverse consequences of falling, a great deal of research has been conducted, mainly focused on two different approaches, namely, fall detection and fall prevention. Required hardware for both fall detection and prevention are also available in SPs. Consequently, researchers' interest in finding SP-based solutions has increased dramatically over recent years. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no published review on SP-based fall detection and prevention. Thus in this paper, we present the taxonomy for SP-based fall detection and prevention solutions and systematic comparisons of existing studies. We have also identified three challenges and three open issues for future research, after reviewing the existing articles. Our time series analysis demonstrates a trend towards the integration of external sensing units with SPs for improvement in usability of the systems.

    MeSH terms: Accidental Falls/prevention & control*; Algorithms; Humans; Cell Phones*
13. [Asian Harmonization Working Party (AHWP) report]

    Takahashi S

    Nihon Hoshasen Gijutsu Gakkai Zasshi, 2014 Apr;70(4):416-7.

    PMID: 24759223

    MeSH terms: Congresses as Topic*; Equipment and Supplies/standards*; Malaysia
14. Fulltext Increasing leaf vein density by mutagenesis: laying the foundations for C4 rice

    Feldman AB, Murchie EH, Leung H, Baraoidan M, Coe R, Yu SM, et al.

    PLoS One, 2014;9(4):e94947.

    PMID: 24760084 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094947

    Abstract

    A high leaf vein density is both an essential feature of C4 photosynthesis and a foundation trait to C4 evolution, ensuring the optimal proportion and proximity of mesophyll and bundle sheath cells for permitting the rapid exchange of photosynthates. Two rice mutant populations, a deletion mutant library with a cv. IR64 background (12,470 lines) and a T-DNA insertion mutant library with a cv. Tainung 67 background (10,830 lines), were screened for increases in vein density. A high throughput method with handheld microscopes was developed and its accuracy was supported by more rigorous microscopy analysis. Eight lines with significantly increased leaf vein densities were identified to be used as genetic stock for the global C4 Rice Consortium. The candidate population was shown to include both shared and independent mutations and so more than one gene controlled the high vein density phenotype. The high vein density trait was found to be linked to a narrow leaf width trait but the linkage was incomplete. The more genetically robust narrow leaf width trait was proposed to be used as a reliable phenotypic marker for finding high vein density variants in rice in future screens.

    MeSH terms: Oryza/anatomy & histology*; Oryza/genetics; Mutagenesis; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/physiology; Plant Leaves/anatomy & histology*; Plant Leaves/genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified/anatomy & histology*; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics
15. Fulltext Factors associated with anxiety and depression among type 2 diabetes outpatients in Malaysia: a descriptive cross-sectional single-centre study

    Ganasegeran K, Renganathan P, Manaf RA, Al-Dubai SA

    BMJ Open, 2014 Apr 23;4(4):e004794.

    PMID: 24760351 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-004794

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression among type 2 diabetes outpatients in Malaysia.

    DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional single-centre study with universal sampling of all patients with type 2 diabetes.

    SETTING: Endocrinology clinic of medical outpatient department in a Malaysian public hospital.

    PARTICIPANTS: All 169 patients with type 2 diabetes (men, n=99; women, n=70) aged between 18 and 90 years who acquired follow-up treatment from the endocrinology clinic in the month of September 2013.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The validated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), sociodemographic characteristics and clinical health information from patient records.

    RESULTS: Of the total 169 patients surveyed, anxiety and depression were found in 53 (31.4%) and 68 (40.3%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, age, ethnicity and ischaemic heart disease were significantly associated with anxiety, while age, ethnicity and monthly household income were significantly associated with depression.

    CONCLUSIONS: Sociodemographics and clinical health factors were important correlates of anxiety and depression among patients with diabetes. Integrated psychological and medical care to boost self-determination and confidence in the management of diabetes would catalyse optimal health outcomes among patients with diabetes.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anxiety/ethnology; Anxiety/epidemiology*; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression/ethnology; Depression/epidemiology*; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/ethnology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/psychology*; Diabetic Angiopathies/ethnology; Diabetic Angiopathies/psychology; Female; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Linear Models; Myocardial Ischemia/ethnology; Myocardial Ischemia/psychology; Young Adult
16. Fulltext Anticonvulsant activity of Morus alba and its effect on brain gamma-aminobutyric acid level in rats

    Gupta G, Afzal M, David SR, Verma R, Candaswamy M, Anwar F

    Pharmacognosy Res, 2014 Apr;6(2):188-9.

    PMID: 24761125 DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.129046
17. Distribution and haplotype associations of XPD Lys751Gln, XRCC1 Arg280His and XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphisms with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the Malaysian population

    Visuvanathan S, Chong PP, Yap YY, Lim CC, Tan MK, Lye MS

    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(6):2747-51.

    PMID: 24761895

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: DNA repair pathways play a crucial role in maintaining the human genome. Previous studies associated DNA repair gene polymorphisms (XPD Lys751Gln, XRCC1 Arg280His and XRCC1 Arg399Gln) with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. These non-synonymous polymorphisms may alter DNA repair capacity and thus increase or decrease susceptibility. The present study aimed to determine the genotype distribution of XPD codon 751, XRCC1 codon 280 and codon 399 polymorphisms and haplotype associations among NPC cases and controls in the Malaysian population.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected 157 NPC cases and 136 controls from two hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for this study. The polymorphisms studied were genotyped by PCR-RFLP assay and allele and genotype frequencies, haplotype and linkage disequilibrium were determined using SNPstat software.

    RESULTS: For the XPD Lys751Gln polymorphism, the frequency of the Lys allele was higher in cases than in controls (94.5% versus 85.0%). For the XRCC1 Arg280His polymorphism, the frequency of Arg allele was 90.0% and 89.0% in cases and controls, respectively and for XRCC1 Arg399Gln the frequency of the Arg allele was 72.0% and 72.8% in cases and controls respectively. All three polymorphisms were in linkage disequilibrium. The odds ratio from haplotype analysis for these three polymorphisms and their association with NPC was 1.93 (95%CI: 0.90-4.16) for haplotype CGC vs AGC allele combinations. The global haplotype association with NPC gave a p-value of 0.054.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides an estimate of allele and genotype frequencies of XRCC1Arg280His, XRCC1 Arg399Gln and XPD Lys751Gln polymorphisms in the Malaysian population and showed no association with nasopharyngeal cancer.

    MeSH terms: Carcinoma; DNA Repair; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*; Genotype; Haplotypes/genetics*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/genetics*; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/epidemiology; Polymorphism, Genetic/genetics*; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Risk Factors; Incidence; Case-Control Studies; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group D Protein/genetics*
18. Fulltext Colorectal cancer screening practices of primary care providers: results of a national survey in Malaysia

    Norwati D, Harmy MY, Norhayati MN, Amry AR

    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(6):2901-4.

    PMID: 24761922

    Abstract

    The incidence of colorectal cancer has been increasing in many Asian countries including Malaysia during the past few decades. A physician recommendation has been shown to be a major factor that motivates patients to undergo screening. The present study objectives were to describe the practice of colorectal cancer screening by primary care providers in Malaysia and to determine the barriers for not following recommendations. In this cross sectional study involving 132 primary care providers from 44 Primary Care clinics in West Malaysia, self-administered questionnaires which consisted of demographic data, qualification, background on the primary care clinic, practices on colorectal cancer screening and barriers to colorectal cancer screening were distributed. A total of 116 primary care providers responded making a response rate of 87.9%. About 21% recommended faecal occult blood test (FOBT) in more than 50% of their patients who were eligible. The most common barrier was "unavailability of the test". The two most common patient factors are "patient in a hurry" and "poor patient awareness". This study indicates that colorectal cancer preventive activities among primary care providers are still poor in Malaysia. This may be related to the low availability of the test in the primary care setting and poor awareness and understanding of the importance of colorectal cancer screening among patients. More awareness programmes are required for the public. In addition, primary care providers should be kept abreast with the latest recommendations and policy makers need to improve colorectal cancer screening services in health clinics.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diagnostic Tests, Routine/statistics & numerical data*; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Services Misuse; Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Malaysia; Male; Patient Participation; Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data*; Primary Health Care/standards*; Prognosis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Colorectal Neoplasms/diagnosis*; Colorectal Neoplasms/prevention & control; Early Detection of Cancer/standards; Early Detection of Cancer/statistics & numerical data*
19. Optimizing nutrition support in cancer care

    Menon KC

    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(6):2933-4.

    PMID: 24761928

    Abstract

    Involvement of a multidisciplinary team in cancer care may have added benefits over the existing system of patient management. A paradigm shift in the current patient management would allow more focus on nutritional support, in addition to clinical care. Malnutrition, a common problem in cancer patients, needs special attention from the early days of cancer care to improve quality of life and treatment outcomes. Patient management teams with trained oncology dietitians may provide quality personalized nutritional care to cancer patients.

    MeSH terms: Humans; Neoplasms/complications*; Neoplasms/psychology; Prognosis; Quality of Life; Nutritional Support; Malnutrition/diagnosis*; Malnutrition/etiology; Malnutrition/therapy*; Nutrition Therapy*
20. Fulltext Risky sexual behavior among rural female adolescents in Malaysia: a limited role of protective factors

    Ahmadian M, Hamsan HH, Abdullah H, Samah AA, Noor AM

    Glob J Health Sci, 2014 May;6(3):165-74.

    PMID: 24762359 DOI: 10.5539/gjhs.v6n3p165

    Abstract

    PURPOSE: This paper presents the findings of a cross-sectional survey on the risk and protective factors of premarital sexual behavior among rural female adolescents in Peninsular Malaysia.
    METHODS: We investigated data on 770 female respondents aged 13-17 years in rural areas to identify predictive factors for premarital sexual intercourse. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate regression. Specific socio-demographic factors, psychological and family domains, peer delinquency, and knowledge and attitudes about sexuality were considered in risky sexual behaviors in rural Malay girls. The effects of other covariates for premarital sexual intercourse were controlled by logistic regression model.
    RESULTS: Of the 770 rural female students, about 3.2% of respondents reported experience of sexual intercourse in the past three months. Out of those sexually active girls, 36% were 17 years old and 20% stated having sexual intercourse with more than one partner, and 72% did not use contraception during the most recent sexual intercourse. Midnight activities, peer-sexual disorder, self-evaluation, and attitude toward sexual health were significant predictors of sexual intercourse in rural girls in Malaysia.
    CONCLUSION: The finding highlights the impact of psychological factors and peer group influences on the challenges of premarital sexual behavior among rural girls and the notion of school-based sexual health education for adolescents. This study triggers other researchers take into account a comprehensive view of protective factors operating in adolescents' risky sexual behaviors in Asian culture seeing that family domain variables, unexpectedly, exerted no predicting influence on sexually active female teens in rural areas in Malaysia.
    Study site: 41 schools located in ten states of Peninsular Malaysia

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior*; Contraception/psychology; Contraception/utilization; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression/epidemiology; Family Relations; Female; Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Life Style; Malaysia; Malaysia/epidemiology; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking*; Rural Population; Sexual Behavior/statistics & numerical data*; Socioeconomic Factors