Browse publications by year: 2014

  1. Refractory acute monoblastic leukaemia with low hypodiploidy
    Lum SH, Chin TF, Lau KH, Yap TY, Rajagopal R, Ariffin H
    Int J Hematol, 2014 Mar;99(3):215-6.
    PMID: 24470150 DOI: 10.1007/s12185-014-1515-0
    MeSH terms: Blood Cell Count; Bone Marrow/enzymology; Bone Marrow/ultrastructure; Child; Chromosomes, Human/genetics; Diploidy*; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Karyotyping/methods; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute/blood; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute/diagnosis; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute/genetics*; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute/pathology*; Male; Fatal Outcome; Carboxylesterase/metabolism
  2. Cattle herd inspections and fly trapping for the detection of the Old World screw-worm fly (Chrysomya bezziana)
    Urech R, Muharsini S, Tozer RS, Sumartono, Green PE, Brown GW, et al.
    Aust Vet J, 2014 Jan;92(1-2):28-32.
    PMID: 24471879 DOI: 10.1111/avj.12142
    To compare the sensitivity of inspections of cattle herds and adult fly trapping for detection of the Old World screw-worm fly (OWS).
    MeSH terms: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases/epidemiology; Cattle Diseases/parasitology*; Diptera/growth & development*; Indonesia/epidemiology; Malaysia/epidemiology; Myiasis/epidemiology; Myiasis/parasitology; Myiasis/veterinary*; Screw Worm Infection/epidemiology; Screw Worm Infection/parasitology; Screw Worm Infection/veterinary*; Sensitivity and Specificity; Incidence; Prevalence
  3. Antimycobacterial evaluation of novel hybrid arylidene thiazolidine-2,4-diones
    Ponnuchamy S, Kanchithalaivan S, Ranjith Kumar R, Ali MA, Choon TS
    Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 2014 Feb 15;24(4):1089-93.
    PMID: 24472146 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2014.01.007
    A series of novel hybrid heterocycles comprising arylidene thiazolidine-2,4-dione and 1-cyclopropyl-2-(2-fluorophenyl)ethanone were synthesized. These compounds were evaluated for their antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv in High Throughput Screen. Most of the hybrid arylidene thiazolidine-2,4-diones displayed moderate to good activity with MIC of less than 50 μM. Compound 1m exhibited maximum potency being 5.87 fold more active at EC50 and 6.26 fold more active at EC90 than the standard drug pyrimethamine.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemical synthesis; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology*; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/drug effects*; Structure-Activity Relationship; Molecular Structure; Thiazolidinediones/chemical synthesis; Thiazolidinediones/pharmacology*; Thiazolidinediones/chemistry
  4. What determines host acceptance and suitability in tropical Asian Drosophila parasitoids?
    Kimura MT, Suwito A
    Environ Entomol, 2014 Feb;43(1):123-30.
    PMID: 24472204 DOI: 10.1603/EN13141
    For successful parasitism, parasitoid females must oviposit and the progeny must develop in individual hosts. Here, we investigated the determinants of host acceptance for oviposition and host suitability for larval development of Drosophila parasitoids from Bogor and Kota Kinabalu (≍1,800 km northeast of Bogor), Indonesia, in tropical Asia. Asobara pleuralis (Ashmead) from both localities oviposited frequently (>60%) in all of the drosophilid species tested, except the strain from Kota Kinabalu oviposited rarely (10%) in Drosophila eugracilis Bock & Wheeler. Leptopilina victoriae Nordlander from both localities only oviposited frequently (>77%) in species from the Drosophila melanogaster species group except D. eugracilis (<3.7%), whereas Leptopilina pacifica Novković & Kimura from Bogor oviposited frequently (>85%) only in species from the Drosophila immigrans species group. Thus, host acceptance appeared to be affected by host taxonomy, at least in Leptopilina species. Host suitability varied considerably, even among closely related drosophilid species, which suggests that the host suitability is at least in part independent of host taxonomy and that it has been determined via parasitoid-host coevolutionary interactions (i.e., arms race). Host acceptance did not always coincide with host suitability, i.e., parasitoids sometimes oviposited in unsuitable host species. Geographic origin strongly affected the host acceptance and suitability in the A. pleuralis-D. eugracilis parasitoid-host pair, whereas it only weakly affected the acceptability and suitability in other parasitoid-host combinations.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Drosophila/parasitology*; Female; Host-Parasite Interactions*; Indonesia; Larva/growth & development; Oviposition*; Wasps/physiology*
  5. Psychometric properties of the Malay version of the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS-M) among type 2 diabetic patients
    Abdulameer SA, Syed Sulaiman SA, Hassali MA, Sahib MN, Subramaniam K
    Int J Rheum Dis, 2014 Jan;17(1):93-105.
    PMID: 24472272 DOI: 10.1111/1756-185X.12104
    The aims of this study were to translate and examine the psychometric properties of the Malaysian version of the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS-M) among type 2 diabetes patients (T2DM) and to assess the correlation between osteoporosis knowledge, health belief and self-efficacy scales, as well as assess the osteoporosis risk in the sample population using quantitative ultrasound measurement (QUS).
    MeSH terms: Aged; Calcaneus/ultrasonography; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cultural Characteristics; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/diagnosis; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/ethnology*; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/psychology*; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice/ethnology*; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis/ethnology*; Osteoporosis/psychology*; Osteoporosis/ultrasonography; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychometrics*; Surveys and Questionnaires*; Translating; Reproducibility of Results; Bone Density; Self Efficacy; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/psychology*
  6. Fulltext A Bahasa Malaysia version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: validation in stroke
    Sahathevan R, Mohd Ali K, Ellery F, Mohamad NF, Hamdan N, Mohd Ibrahim N, et al.
    Int Psychogeriatr, 2014 May;26(5):781-6.
    PMID: 24472343 DOI: 10.1017/S1041610213002615
    BACKGROUND: Many stroke research trials do not include assessment of cognitive function. A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial (AVERT) is an international multicenter study that includes the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as an outcome. At the Malaysian AVERT site, completion of the MoCA has been limited by low English proficiency in some participants. We aimed to develop a Bahasa Malaysia (BM) version of the MoCA and to validate it in a stroke population.

    METHODS: The original English version of the MoCA was translated into BM and then back-translated to ensure accuracy. Feasibility testing in a group of stroke patients prompted minor changes to the BM MoCA. In the validation phase, a larger group of bilingual stroke patients completed both the original English MoCA and the finalized BM MoCA, with presentation order counter-balanced.

    RESULTS: Forty stroke patients participated, with a mean age of 57.2 (SD = 10.3). Agreement between BM MoCA and English MoCA was strong (intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.90). Scores on BM MoCA were slightly higher than scores on English MoCA (median absolute difference = 2.0, IQR 0-3.5), and this difference was present regardless of which version was completed first.

    CONCLUSIONS: The existence of a validated BM version of the MoCA will be of major benefit to clinicians and researchers in Malaysia and the wider South-east Asian region, where the Malay language is used by over 200 million people.

    MeSH terms: Cognition/physiology; Female; Humans; Intelligence Tests/standards*; Malaysia; Male; Mental Status Schedule/standards; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests/standards*; Translations; Reproducibility of Results
  7. Fulltext Highly sensitive integrated pressure sensor with horizontally oriented carbon nanotube network
    Mohammad Haniff MA, Lee HW, Bien DC, Teh AS, Azid IA
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):49.
    PMID: 24472487 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-49
    This paper presents a functionalized, horizontally oriented carbon nanotube network as a sensing element to enhance the sensitivity of a pressure sensor. The synthesis of horizontally oriented nanotubes from the AuFe catalyst and their deposition onto a mechanically flexible substrate via transfer printing are studied. Nanotube formation on thermally oxidized Si (100) substrates via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition controls the nanotube coverage and orientation on the flexible substrate. These nanotubes can be simply transferred to the flexible substrate without changing their physical structure. When tested under a pressure range of 0 to 50 kPa, the performance of the fabricated pressure sensor reaches as high as approximately 1.68%/kPa, which indicates high sensitivity to a small change of pressure. Such sensitivity may be induced by the slight contact in isolated nanotubes. This nanotube formation, in turn, enhances the modification of the contact and tunneling distance of the nanotubes upon the deformation of the network. Therefore, the horizontally oriented carbon nanotube network has great potential as a sensing element for future transparent sensors.
    MeSH terms: Gases; Pressure; Printing; Nanotubes, Carbon; Orientation, Spatial
  8. Fulltext Walking on thin ice! Identifying methamphetamine "drug mules" on digital plain radiography
    Abdul Rashid SN, Mohamad Saini SB, Abdul Hamid S, Muhammad SJ, Mahmud R, Thali MJ, et al.
    Br J Radiol, 2014 Apr;87(1036):20130472.
    PMID: 24472728 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20130472
    The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of identifying methamphetamine (MA) internal payloads in "drug mules" by plain abdominal digital radiography (DR).
    MeSH terms: Adult; Animals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Methamphetamine*; Middle Aged; Radiographic Image Enhancement*; Radiography, Abdominal/methods*; Retrospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods
  9. Fulltext Caught in the web: a review of web-based suicide prevention
    Lai MH, Maniam T, Chan LF, Ravindran AV
    J Med Internet Res, 2014;16(1):e30.
    PMID: 24472876 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.2973
    Suicide is a serious and increasing problem worldwide. The emergence of the digital world has had a tremendous impact on people's lives, both negative and positive, including an impact on suicidal behaviors.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Suicide/prevention & control*; Internet*
  10. Fulltext 4'-O-substitutions determine selectivity of aminoglycoside antibiotics
    Perez-Fernandez D, Shcherbakov D, Matt T, Leong NC, Kudyba I, Duscha S, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2014;5:3112.
    PMID: 24473108 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4112
    Clinical use of 2-deoxystreptamine aminoglycoside antibiotics, which target the bacterial ribosome, is compromised by adverse effects related to limited drug selectivity. Here we present a series of 4',6'-O-acetal and 4'-O-ether modifications on glucopyranosyl ring I of aminoglycosides. Chemical modifications were guided by measuring interactions between the compounds synthesized and ribosomes harbouring single point mutations in the drug-binding site, resulting in aminoglycosides that interact poorly with the drug-binding pocket of eukaryotic mitochondrial or cytosolic ribosomes. Yet, these compounds largely retain their inhibitory activity for bacterial ribosomes and show antibacterial activity. Our data indicate that 4'-O-substituted aminoglycosides possess increased selectivity towards bacterial ribosomes and little activity for any of the human drug-binding pockets.
    MeSH terms: Aminoglycosides/pharmacology*; Aminoglycosides/therapeutic use; Aminoglycosides/chemistry*; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology*; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use; Base Sequence; Cell-Free System; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Interactions; Escherichia coli/drug effects; Escherichia coli/isolation & purification; Humans; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Ribosomes/metabolism; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry; Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects; Protein Biosynthesis/drug effects; Crystallography, X-Ray; Sepsis/drug therapy; Mycobacterium smegmatis/drug effects; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Mice
  11. Fulltext A simple visual ethanol biosensor based on alcohol oxidase immobilized onto polyaniline film for halal verification of fermented beverage samples
    Kuswandi B, Irmawati T, Hidayat MA, Jayus, Ahmad M
    Sensors (Basel), 2014;14(2):2135-49.
    PMID: 24473284 DOI: 10.3390/s140202135
    A simple visual ethanol biosensor based on alcohol oxidase (AOX) immobilised onto polyaniline (PANI) film for halal verification of fermented beverage samples is described. This biosensor responds to ethanol via a colour change from green to blue, due to the enzymatic reaction of ethanol that produces acetaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide, when the latter oxidizes the PANI film. The procedure to obtain this biosensor consists of the immobilization of AOX onto PANI film by adsorption. For the immobilisation, an AOX solution is deposited on the PANI film and left at room temperature until dried (30 min). The biosensor was constructed as a dip stick for visual and simple use. The colour changes of the films have been scanned and analysed using image analysis software (i.e., ImageJ) to study the characteristics of the biosensor's response toward ethanol. The biosensor has a linear response in an ethanol concentration range of 0.01%-0.8%, with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.996. The limit detection of the biosensor was 0.001%, with reproducibility (RSD) of 1.6% and a life time up to seven weeks when stored at 4 °C. The biosensor provides accurate results for ethanol determination in fermented drinks and was in good agreement with the standard method (gas chromatography) results. Thus, the biosensor could be used as a simple visual method for ethanol determination in fermented beverage samples that can be useful for Muslim community for halal verification.
    MeSH terms: Alcohol Oxidoreductases/metabolism*; Alcohol Oxidoreductases/chemistry; Ethanol/analysis*; Ethanol/standards; Aniline Compounds/chemistry*; Beverages/analysis*; Calibration; Chromatography, Gas; Color; Enzymes, Immobilized/metabolism; Enzymes, Immobilized/chemistry; Food Analysis/methods*; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Oxidation-Reduction
  12. Characterization and source identification of stormwater runoff in tropical urban catchments
    Chow MF, Yusop Z
    Water Sci Technol, 2014;69(2):244-52.
    PMID: 24473291 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2013.574
    The characteristics of urban stormwater pollution in the tropics are still poorly understood. This issue is crucial to the tropical environment because its rainfall and runoff generation processes are so different from temperate regions. In this regard, a stormwater monitoring program was carried out at three urban catchments (e.g. residential, commercial and industrial) in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 51 storm events were collected at these three catchments. Samples were analyzed for total suspended solids, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand (COD), oil and grease, nitrate nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), soluble reactive phosphorus and total phosphorus. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to interpret the stormwater quality data for pattern recognition and identification of possible sources. The most likely sources of stormwater pollutants at the residential catchment were from surface soil and leachate of fertilizer from domestic lawns and gardens, whereas the most likely sources for the commercial catchment were from discharges of food waste and washing detergent. In the industrial catchment, the major sources of pollutants were discharges from workshops and factories. The PCA factors further revealed that COD and NH3-N were the major pollutants influencing the runoff quality in all three catchments.
    MeSH terms: Environmental Monitoring/methods*; Nitrogen/analysis; Phosphorus/analysis; Rain; Water Movements*; Principal Component Analysis; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
  13. Post-transfusion hypertension and seizure in congenital hemolytic anemia: a case report and literature review
    Ngim CF, Ng CS, Lai NM
    J Trop Pediatr, 2014 Jun;60(3):253-6.
    PMID: 24473404 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fmu003
    A rare syndrome of hypertension, seizures and intracranial bleed has been reported among patients with congenital hemolytic anemia who underwent multiple blood transfusions. We report this syndrome in a 12-year-old Malay girl with hemoglobin E-beta-thalassemia, who underwent intensive transfusion and subsequently had headache, visual loss, severe hypertension and seizures. A comprehensive literature review revealed 30 patients with this syndrome, of whom 15 had intracranial bleed and 12 among these 15 died. A less-intensive transfusion regimen among patients with chronic hemolytic anemia and prompt detection and management of hypertension may prevent this potentially fatal syndrome.
    MeSH terms: Anemia, Hemolytic, Congenital; Blood Transfusion/adverse effects*; Cerebral Hemorrhage/etiology; Child; Female; Headache/etiology; Humans; Hypertension/etiology*; Seizures/etiology*; Syndrome; Thalassemia/complications; Thalassemia/therapy*; Rare Diseases
  14. Fulltext Nasal epithelial cells can act as a physiological surrogate for paediatric asthma studies
    Thavagnanam S, Parker JC, McBrien ME, Skibinski G, Shields MD, Heaney LG
    PLoS One, 2014;9(1):e85802.
    PMID: 24475053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085802
    Differentiated paediatric epithelial cells can be used to study the role of epithelial cells in asthma. Nasal epithelial cells are easier to obtain and may act as a surrogate for bronchial epithelium in asthma studies. We assessed the suitability of nasal epithelium from asthmatic children to be a surrogate for bronchial epithelium using air-liquid interface cultures.
    MeSH terms: Asthma/physiopathology*; Cell Differentiation/physiology; Child; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epithelial Cells/physiology*; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Nasal Mucosa/cytology*; Biomarkers/metabolism*; Cytokines/metabolism; Electric Impedance; Respiratory Mucosa/cytology; Cell Proliferation; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  15. Fulltext Drug-related problems in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a cross sectional retrospective study
    Zaman Huri H, Hui Xin C, Sulaiman CZ
    PLoS One, 2014;9(1):e86215.
    PMID: 24475089 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086215
    Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) patients are at risk of acquiring drug-related problems (DRPs), as it is present in the majority of aging men. To date, DRPs among BPH patients have not been well studied. We conducted this retrospective study in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia from January 2009 to June 2012 with the aim of identifying the factors associated with DRPs among BPH patients. The Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe Classification Version (PCNE) 5.01 was used as a tool to classify DRPs. We enrolled 203 patients from 259 hospital admissions. A total of 390 DRPs were found and there was an average of 1.5±1.3 problems per hospitalization. 76.1% of hospital admissions included at least one DRP. The most common DRP categories encountered were drug choice problems (45.9%), drug interactions (24.9%), and dosing problems (13.3%). Factors such as advanced age (p = 0.005), a hospital stay of more than 6 days (p = 0.001), polydrug treatments (p<0.001), multiple comorbidities (p<0.001), and comorbid cardiovascular disease (p = 0.011), diabetes mellitus(p = 0.001), hypertension (p<0.001) and renal impairment (p = 0.011) were significantly associated with the occurrence of DRPs. These data indicated that the prevalence of DRPs is high among BPH patients. The identification of different subtypes of DRPs and the factors associated with DRPs may facilitate risk reduction for BPH patients.
    MeSH terms: Cross-Sectional Studies; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Prostatic Hyperplasia/drug therapy*; Prostatic Hyperplasia/epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Prevalence; Drug Utilization Review/statistics & numerical data*; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/epidemiology*
  16. Fulltext Inhibitory potency of 8-methoxypsoralen on cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) allelic variants CYP2A6 15, CYP2A6 16, CYP2A6 21 and CYP2A6 22: differential susceptibility due to different sequence locations of the mutations
    Tiong KH, Mohammed Yunus NA, Yiap BC, Tan EL, Ismail R, Ong CE
    PLoS One, 2014;9(1):e86230.
    PMID: 24475091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086230
    Human cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) is a highly polymorphic isoform of CYP2A subfamily. Our previous kinetic study on four CYP2A6 allelic variants (CYP2A6 15, CYP2A6 16, CYP2A6 21 and CYP2A6 22) have unveiled the functional significance of sequence mutations in these variants on coumarin 7-hydroxylation activity. In the present study, we further explored the ability of a typical CYP2A6 inhibitor, 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), in inhibition of these alleles and we hypothesized that translational mutations in these variants are likely to give impact on 8-MOP inhibitory potency. The CYP2A6 variant and the wild type proteins were subjected to 8-MOP inhibition to yield IC50 values. In general, a similar trend of change in the IC50 and Km values was noted among the four mutants towards coumarin oxidation. With the exception of CYP2A6 16, differences in IC50 values were highly significant which implied compromised interaction of the mutants with 8-MOP. Molecular models of CYP2A6 were subsequently constructed and ligand-docking experiments were performed to rationalize experimental data. Our docking study has shown that mutations have induced enlargement of the active site volume in all mutants with the exception of CYP2A6 16. Furthermore, loss of hydrogen bond between 8-MOP and active site residue Asn297 was evidenced in all mutants. Our data indicate that the structural changes elicited by the sequence mutations could affect 8-MOP binding to yield differential enzymatic activities in the mutant CYP2A6 proteins.
    MeSH terms: Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases/antagonists & inhibitors*; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases/genetics*; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases/chemistry; Escherichia coli; Humans; Isoenzymes/genetics; Methoxsalen/pharmacology*; Models, Molecular*; Mutation/genetics; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation; Structure-Activity Relationship*; Genetic Variation*; Molecular Structure; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2A6
  17. Fulltext Modulation of obesity-induced inflammation by dietary fats: mechanisms and clinical evidence
    Teng KT, Chang CY, Chang LF, Nesaretnam K
    Nutr J, 2014;13:12.
    PMID: 24476102 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2891-13-12
    Obesity plays a pivotal role in the development of low-grade inflammation. Dietary fatty acids are important modulators of inflammatory responses. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been reported to exert pro-inflammatory effects. n-3 PUFA in particular, possess anti-inflammatory properties. Numerous clinical studies have been conducted over decades to investigate the impact of dietary fatty acids on inflammatory response in obese individuals, however the findings remained uncertain. High fat meals have been reported to increase pro-inflammatory responses, however there is limited evidence to support the role of individual dietary fatty acids in a postprandial state. Evidence in chronic studies is contradictory, the effects of individual dietary fatty acids deserves further attention. Weight loss rather than n-3 PUFA supplementation may play a more prominent role in alleviating low grade inflammation. In this context, the present review provides an update on the mechanistic insight and the influence of dietary fats on low grade inflammation, based on clinical evidence from acute and chronic clinical studies in obese and overweight individuals.
    MeSH terms: Dietary Fats/therapeutic use*; Humans; Inflammation/diet therapy*; Male; Obesity/complications*; Obesity/diet therapy*; Signal Transduction/drug effects; Overweight/diet therapy; Toll-Like Receptor 4
  18. Fulltext Effect of honey in diabetes mellitus: matters arising
    Erejuwa OO
    J Diabetes Metab Disord, 2014 Jan 29;13(1):23.
    PMID: 24476150 DOI: 10.1186/2251-6581-13-23
    Diabetes mellitus remains an incurable disorder in spite of intense research. As result of limitations and unmet goals associated with the use of anti-diabetic drugs, an increased number of diabetic populations globally now resort to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) such as herbs and other natural products. There has been a renewed interest in the use of honey in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, partly due to an increase in the availability of evidence-based data demonstrating its benefits in diabetic rodents and patients. This commentary aims to underscore some of the research implications, issues and questions raised from these studies which show the beneficial effects of honey in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Some of the issues highlighted in this article include: considering honey is sweet and rich in sugars, how could it be beneficial in the management of diabetes mellitus? Are the observed effects of honey or combined with anti-diabetic drugs exclusive to certain honey such as tualang honey? Could these beneficial effects be reproduced with other honey samples? Anti-diabetic drugs in combination with honey improve glycemic control, enhance antioxidant defenses and reduce oxidative damage. These effects are believed to be mediated partly via antioxidant mechanism of honey. This raises another question. Could similar data be obtained if anti-diabetic drugs are co-administered with other potent antioxidants such as vitamin C or E? As the evidence has revealed, the prospect of managing diabetes mellitus with honey or antioxidants (such as vitamin C or E) as an adjunct to conventional diabetes therapy is vast. However, more well-designed, rigorously conducted randomized controlled studies are necessary to further validate these findings.
    MeSH terms: Complementary Therapies; Animals; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Biological Products; Blood Glucose; Goals; Honey; Humans; Research; Rodentia; Vitamins; Oxidative Stress
  19. Surface electromyographic analysis of the biceps brachii muscle of cricket bowlers during bowling
    Ahamed NU, Sundaraj K, Ahmad B, Rahman M, Ali MA, Islam MA
    Australas Phys Eng Sci Med, 2014 Mar;37(1):83-95.
    PMID: 24477560 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-014-0245-1
    Cricket bowling generates forces with torques on the upper limb muscles and makes the biceps brachii (BB) muscle vulnerable to overuse injury. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in the amplitude of the EMG signal of the BB muscle during fast and spin delivery, during the seven phases of both types of bowling and the kinesiological interpretation of the bowling arm for muscle contraction mechanisms during bowling. A group of 16 male amateur bowlers participated in this study, among them 8 fast bowlers (FB) and 8 spin bowlers (SB). The root mean square (EMGRMS), the average sEMG (EMGAVG), the maximum peak amplitude (EMGpeak), and the variability of the signal were calculated using the coefficient of variance (EMGCV) from the BB muscle of each bowler (FB and SB) during each bowling phase. The results demonstrate that, (i) the BB muscle is more active during FB than during SB, (ii) the point of ball release and follow-through generated higher signals than the other five movements during both bowling categories, (iii) the BB muscle variability is higher during SB compared with FB, (iv) four statistically significant differences (p<0.05) found between the bowling phases in fast bowling and three in spin bowling, and (v) several arm mechanics occurred for muscle contraction. There are possible clinical significances from the outcomes; like, recurring dynamic contractions on BB muscle can facilitate to clarify the maximum occurrence of shoulder pain as well as biceps tendonitis those are medically observed in professional cricket bowlers, and treatment methods with specific injury prevention programmes should focus on the different bowling phases with the maximum muscle effect. Finally, these considerations will be of particular importance in assessing different physical therapy on bowler's muscle which can improve the ball delivery performance and stability of cricket bowlers.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology; Electromyography/methods*; Humans; Sports/physiology*; Muscle, Skeletal/physiology*; Young Adult
  20. Fulltext Hepatitis C virus genotyping methods: evaluation of AmpliSens(®) HCV-1/2/3-FRT compared to sequencing method
    Mohamed NA, Rashid ZZ, Wong KK
    J Clin Lab Anal, 2014 May;28(3):224-8.
    PMID: 24478138 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.21670
    BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping is important for treatment and epidemiological purposes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of AmpliSens(®) HCV-1/2/3-FRT kit in comparison to sequencing method for genotyping.

    METHODS: A total of 17 samples collected from December 2009 to January 2011 were analyzed. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed, followed by sequencing technique. Results were analyzed based on sequence information in GenBank. A second genotyping method (AmpliSens(®) HCV-1/2/3-FRT) was done, which differentiates HCV genotypes by means of real-time hybridization-fluorescence detection.

    RESULTS: From 17 samples, four were untypeable by AmpliSens(®) HCV-1/2/3-FRT. Eleven of 13 (84.6%) results showed concordant genotypes. A specimen that was determined as genotype 3a by sequencing was genotype 1 by the AmpliSens(®) HCV-1/2/3-FRT. Another specimen that was genotype 1 by sequencing was identified as genotype 3 by AmpliSens(®) HCV-1/2/3-FRT.

    CONCLUSION: HCV genotyping with AmpliSens(®) HCV-1/2/3-FRT using real-time PCR method provides a much simpler and more feasible workflow with shorter time compared to sequencing method. There was good concordance compared to sequencing method. However, more evaluation studies would be required to show statistical significance, and to troubleshoot discordant results. AmpliSens(®) HCV-1/2/3-FRT does differentiate between genotype but not until subtype level.

    MeSH terms: Cross-Sectional Studies; Genotype; Hepacivirus/genetics*; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Genotyping Techniques*
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