Browse publications by year: 2016

  1. Lai PS, Tan SY, Liew SM
    Arch Sex Behav, 2016 Nov;45(8):2081-2089.
    PMID: 27502351 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0796-1
    Sociocultural factors have been shown to be important influencers of sexual health and sexuality. Hence, the aim of our study was to explore the views and experiences of family medicine trainees regarding female sexual dysfunction (FSD) with a focus on the barriers and facilitators towards the initiation of conversation on this topic. A qualitative study design involving semi-structured focus group discussions (FGDs) was conducted with 19 family medicine trainees in Malaysia. The conceptual framework used was based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Thematic approach was used to analyze the data. Participants perceived FSD as being uncommon and unimportant. According to our participants, patients often presented with indirect complaints, and doctors were not proactive in asking about FSD. Three main barriers were identified: doctor factors, perceived patient factors, and system factors. Lack of confidence, knowledge, experience, time, and embarrassment were the key barriers identified at the doctors' level. Lack of awareness, among patients regarding FSD, and local cultural and religious norms were the perceived patient barriers. System barriers were lack of time and privacy. Various facilitators, such as continuous medical education and public forums, were suggested as means to encourage family medicine trainees to initiate discussion on sexual matters during consultations. In conclusion, family medicine trainees found it difficult to initiate conversation on FSD with patients. Interventions to encourage conversation on FSD should target this and other identified barriers.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel*; Culture; Female; Health Personnel/psychology*; Humans; Malaysia/ethnology; Sexual Behavior/psychology*; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/diagnosis; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/psychology; Sexuality; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological/diagnosis; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological/psychology; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Reproductive Health*
  2. Doufesh H, Ibrahim F, Safari M
    Complement Ther Clin Pract, 2016 Aug;24:6-10.
    PMID: 27502795 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.04.004
    This study investigates the difference of mean gamma EEG power between actual and mimic Salat practices in twenty healthy Muslim subjects. In the actual Salat practice, the participants were asked to recite and performing the physical steps in all four stages of Salat; whereas in the mimic Salat practice, they were instructed to perform only the physical steps without recitation. The gamma power during actual Salat was statistically higher than during mimic Salat in the frontal and parietal regions in all stages. In the actual Salat practice, the left hemisphere exhibited significantly higher mean gamma power in all cerebral regions and all stages, except the central-parietal region in the sitting position, and the frontal area in the bowing position. Increased gamma power during Salat, possibly related to an increase in cognitive and attentional processing, supports the concept of Salat as a focus attention meditation.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Attention*; Brain/physiology*; Cognition*; Electroencephalography; Humans; Islam*; Male; Religion*; Meditation/psychology*; Young Adult
  3. Yong HS, Song SL, Lim PE, Eamsobhana P, Suana IW
    Genetica, 2016 Oct;144(5):513-521.
    PMID: 27502829
    Zeugodacus caudatus is a pest of pumpkin flowers. It has a Palearctic and Oriental distribution. We report here the complete mitochondrial genome of the Malaysian and Indonesian samples of Z. caudatus determined by next-generation sequencing of genomic DNA and determine their taxonomic status as sibling species and phylogeny with other taxa of the genus Zeugodacus. The whole mitogenome of both samples possessed 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes-PCGs, 2 rRNA and 22 tRNA genes) and a control region. The mitogenome of the Indonesian sample (15,885 bp) was longer than that of the Malaysian sample (15,866 bp). In both samples, TΨC-loop was absent in trnF and DHU-loop was absent in trnS1. Molecular phylogeny based on 13 PCGs was concordant with 15 mitochondrial genes (13 PCGs and 2 rRNA genes), with the two samples of Z. caudatus forming a sister group and the genus Zeugodacus was monophyletic. The Malaysian and Indonesian samples of Z. caudatus have a genetic distance of p = 7.8 % based on 13 PCGs and p = 7.0 % based on 15 mitochondrial genes, indicating status of sibling species. They are proposed to be accorded specific status as members of a species complex.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Indonesia; Malaysia; Male; Phylogeny; Genetic Variation; Open Reading Frames; Tephritidae/classification*; Tephritidae/genetics*; Siblings*; Genetic Structures; Genome, Mitochondrial*; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Genome Size
  4. Chia JY, Tan WS, Ng CL, Hu NJ, Foo HL, Ho KL
    Sci Rep, 2016 08 09;6:31210.
    PMID: 27502833 DOI: 10.1038/srep31210
    DNA methylation in a CpG context can be recognised by methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) via its methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD). An A/T run next to a methyl-CpG maximises the binding of MeCP2 to the methylated DNA. The A/T run characteristics are reported here with an X-ray structure of MBD A140V in complex with methylated DNA. The A/T run geometry was found to be strongly stabilised by a string of conserved water molecules regardless of its flanking nucleotide sequences, DNA methylation and bound MBD. New water molecules were found to stabilise the Rett syndrome-related E137, whose carboxylate group is salt bridged to R133. A structural comparison showed no difference between the wild type and MBD A140V. However, differential scanning calorimetry showed that the melting temperature of A140V constructs in complex with methylated DNA was reduced by ~7 °C, although circular dichroism showed no changes in the secondary structure content for A140V. A band shift analysis demonstrated that the larger fragment of MeCP2 (A140V) containing the transcriptional repression domain (TRD) destabilises the DNA binding. These results suggest that the solution structure of MBD A140V may differ from the wild-type MBD although no changes in the biochemical properties of X-ray A140V were observed.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; Circular Dichroism; Cytosine/chemistry*; DNA/chemistry; Humans; Mutation; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Nucleotides/genetics; Protein Binding; Repressor Proteins/genetics; Temperature; Water/chemistry; Rett Syndrome/genetics; Protein Structure, Secondary; CpG Islands; DNA Methylation*; HMGA1a Protein/genetics*; HMGA1a Protein/chemistry; Mice; Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2/genetics*; Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2/chemistry; DNA, B-Form/chemistry*; Protein Domains
  5. Loganathan T, Jit M, Hutubessy R, Ng CW, Lee WS, Verguet S
    Trop Med Int Health, 2016 Nov;21(11):1458-1467.
    PMID: 27503549 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12766
    OBJECTIVES: To evaluate rotavirus vaccination in Malaysia from the household's perspective. The extended cost-effectiveness analysis (ECEA) framework quantifies the broader value of universal vaccination starting with non-health benefits such as financial risk protection and equity. These dimensions better enable decision-makers to evaluate policy on the public finance of health programmes.

    METHODS: The incidence, health service utilisation and household expenditure related to rotavirus gastroenteritis according to national income quintiles were obtained from local data sources. Multiple birth cohorts were distributed into income quintiles and followed from birth over the first five years of life in a multicohort, static model.

    RESULTS: We found that the rich pay more out of pocket (OOP) than the poor, as the rich use more expensive private care. OOP payments among the poorest although small are high as a proportion of household income. Rotavirus vaccination results in substantial reduction in rotavirus episodes and expenditure and provides financial risk protection to all income groups. Poverty reduction benefits are concentrated amongst the poorest two income quintiles.

    CONCLUSION: We propose that universal vaccination complements health financing reforms in strengthening Universal Health Coverage (UHC). ECEA provides an important tool to understand the implications of vaccination for UHC, beyond traditional considerations of economic efficiency.

    MeSH terms: Cost-Benefit Analysis; Female; Humans; Infant; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Rotavirus Infections/epidemiology; Rotavirus Infections/prevention & control*; Universal Coverage*; Rotavirus Vaccines/economics*; Public-Private Sector Partnerships*
  6. Biju N, Sathiyaraj G, Raj M, Shanmugam V, Baskaran B, Govindan U, et al.
    Dis Aquat Organ, 2016 08 09;120(3):225-30.
    PMID: 27503918 DOI: 10.3354/dao03036
    Hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis in cultivated Litopenaeus vannamei and Penaeus monodon is caused by the newly emerged pathogen Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP). It has been detected in shrimp cultured in China, Vietnam and Thailand and is suspected to have occurred in Malaysia and Indonesia and to be associated with severely retarded growth. Due to retarded shrimp growth being reported at farms in the major grow-out states of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in India, shrimp were sampled from a total of 235 affected ponds between March 2014 and April 2015 to identify the presence of EHP. PCR and histology detected a high prevalence of EHP in both P. monodon and L. vannamei, and infection was confirmed by in situ hybridization using an EHP-specific DNA probe. Histology revealed basophilic inclusions in hepatopancreas tubule epithelial cells in which EHP was observed at various developmental stages ranging from plasmodia to mature spores. The sequence of a region of the small subunit rDNA gene amplified by PCR was found to be identical to EHP sequences deposited in GenBank. Bioassays confirmed that EHP infection could be transmitted orally to healthy shrimp. Histology also identified bacterial co-infections in EHP-infected shrimp sampled from slow-growth ponds with low-level mortality. The data confirm that hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis caused by EHP is prevalent in shrimp being cultivated in India. EHP infection control measures thus need to be implemented urgently to limit impacts of slowed shrimp growth.
    MeSH terms: Animals; India; Prevalence; Aquaculture*; Enterocytozoon/physiology*; Penaeidae/microbiology*; Host-Pathogen Interactions
  7. Thwala C, Carrera PM
    Health Aff (Millwood), 2016 08 01;35(8):1546.
    PMID: 27503987 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0790
    MeSH terms: Health Resources*; Humans; Malaysia; Oman
  8. Cheong WL
    Health Aff (Millwood), 2016 08 01;35(8):1547.
    PMID: 27503988 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0791
    MeSH terms: Delivery of Health Care*; Malaysia; Surveys and Questionnaires*
  9. Rannan-Eliya RP
    Health Aff (Millwood), 2016 08 01;35(8):1547.
    PMID: 27503989 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0792
    MeSH terms: Humans; Malaysia
  10. Shokrollahi F, Kılıçman A
    Springerplus, 2016;5(1):1145.
    PMID: 27504243 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-016-2784-2
    This research aims to investigate a model for pricing of currency options in which value governed by the fractional Brownian motion model (FBM). The fractional partial differential equation and some Greeks are also obtained. In addition, some properties of our pricing formula and simulation studies are presented, which demonstrate that the FBM model is easy to use.
  11. Chin KL, Redhuan NE, Balaram P, Phua KK, Ong EB
    J Clin Diagn Res, 2016 Jun;10(6):DM01-3.
    PMID: 27504289 DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2016/17801.7909
    The Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) haemolysin E protein (HlyE) has been shown to be a sensitive and specific antigen for the detection of typhoid fever through the detection of anti-HlyE antibodies in sera. Saliva can also be a useful diagnostic fluid as it also contains antibodies against bacterial pathogens.
  12. Uthamalingam M, Singh DS
    J Clin Diagn Res, 2016 Jun;10(6):PD05-6.
    PMID: 27504347 DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2016/18761.7965
    Incidences of cerebral palsy (CP) in children are not quite common even though it is the most common motor disorder in children. Further quality of life in CP cases is not so good in young adult stages and has to face certain problems. However scalp haematoma formation in CP patient without injury to head is rarely been reported. The case is being reported for the first time from Malaysia. We report on a unique case of scalp haematoma in an 18-year-old girl of known CP patient with unknown cause. No history of trauma or fall with any of the focal neurological signs or symptoms was found. Clinical examination showed soft boggy swelling of 8 x 10 cm size, involving most of scalp and upper face. CT - scan showed scalp haematoma with right orbital extraconal lesion. She underwent incision and drainage of scalp lesion; consequently around 100 ml of clotted blood came out. At follow-up she was doing well.
    MeSH terms: Accidental Falls; Motor Disorders; Adolescent; Adult; Cerebral Palsy; Child; Drainage; Face; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hematoma; Humans; Malaysia; Quality of Life; Scalp; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Incidence
  13. Karim KM, Husaini A, Hossain MA, Sing NN, Mohd Sinang F, Hussain MH, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2016;2016:5962028.
    PMID: 27504454 DOI: 10.1155/2016/5962028
    A novel thermostable glucoamylase cDNA without starch binding domain (SBD) of Aspergillus flavus NSH9 was successfully identified, isolated, and overexpressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. The complete open reading frame of glucoamylase from Aspergillus flavus NSH9 was identified by employing PCR that encodes 493 amino acids lacking in the SBD. The first 17 amino acids were presumed to be a signal peptide. The cDNA was cloned into Pichia pastoris and the highest expression of recombinant glucoamylase (rGA) was observed after 8 days of incubation period with 1% methanol. The molecular weight of the purified rGA was about 78 kDa and exhibited optimum catalytic activity at pH 5.0 and temperature of 70°C. The enzyme was stable at higher temperature with 50% of residual activity observed after 20 min at 90°C and 100°C. Low concentration of metal (Mg(++), Fe(++), Zn(++), Cu(++), and Pb(++)) had positive effect on rGA activity. This rGA has the potential for use and application in the saccharification steps, due to its thermostability, in the starch processing industries.
    MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence; Aspergillus flavus/classification; Aspergillus flavus/enzymology*; Aspergillus flavus/genetics; Cloning, Molecular/methods; Enzyme Activation; Enzyme Stability; Glucan 1,4-alpha-Glucosidase/biosynthesis*; Glucan 1,4-alpha-Glucosidase/genetics; Glucan 1,4-alpha-Glucosidase/chemistry*; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Weight; Pichia/genetics*; Pichia/metabolism*; Recombinant Proteins/isolation & purification; Recombinant Proteins/metabolism; Recombinant Proteins/chemistry; Species Specificity; Substrate Specificity; Temperature; Protein Engineering/methods*
  14. Law TH, Ghanbari M, Hamid H, Abdul-Halin A, Ng CP
    Accid Anal Prev, 2016 Nov;96:64-70.
    PMID: 27505097 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2016.04.013
    Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to injury in crashes with heavy vehicles due to substantial differences in vehicle mass, the degree of protection and speed. There is a considerable difference in height between motorcycles and trucks; motorcycles are viewed by truck drivers from downward angles, and shorter distances between them mean steeper downward angles. Hence, we anticipated that the effects of motorcycle conspicuity treatments would be different for truck drivers. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of motorcycle conspicuity treatments on the identification and detection of motorcycles by truck drivers. Two complementary experiments were performed; the first experiment assessed the impact of motorcycle sensory conspicuity on the ability of un-alerted truck drivers to detect motorcycles, and the second experiment assessed the motorcycle cognitive conspicuity to alerted truck drivers. The sensory conspicuity was measured in terms of motorcycle detection rates by un-alerted truck drivers when they were not anticipating a motorcycle within a realistic driving scene, while the cognitive conspicuity was determined by the time taken by alerted truck drivers to actively search for a motorcycle. In the first experiment, the participants were presented with 10 pictures and were instructed to report the kinds of vehicles that were presented in the pictures. Each picture was shown to the participants for 600ms. In the second experiment, the participants were presented with the same set of pictures and were instructed to respond by clicking the right button on a mouse as soon as they detected a motorcycle in the picture. The results indicate that the motorcycle detection rate increases, and the response time to search for a motorcycle decreases, as the distance between the targeted motorcycle and the viewer decreases. This is true regardless of the type of conspicuity treatment used. The use of daytime running headlights (DRH) was found to increase the detection rate and the identification of a motorcycle by a truck driver at a farther distance, but effect deteriorates as the distance decreases. The results show that the detection rate and the identification of a motorcyclist wearing a black helmet with a reflective sticker increases as the distance between the motorcycle and the truck decreases. We also found that a motorcyclist wearing a white helmet and a white outfit is more identifiable and detectable at both shorter and longer distances. In conclusion, although this study provides evidence that the use of appropriate conspicuity treatments enhances motorcycle conspicuity to truck drivers, we suggest that more attention should be paid to the effect of background environment on motorcycle conspicuity.
    MeSH terms: Accidents, Traffic/prevention & control*; Adult; Animals; Automobile Driving/psychology; Automobile Driving/statistics & numerical data*; Cognition*; Environment; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Motorcycles/statistics & numerical data*; Reaction Time; Safety; Mice
  15. Abdul-Kadir NA, Mat Safri N, Othman MA
    Int J Cardiol, 2016 Nov 01;222:504-8.
    PMID: 27505342 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.07.196
    BACKGROUND: The feasibility study of the natural frequency (ω) obtained from a second-order dynamic system applied to an ECG signal was discovered recently. The heart rate for different ECG signals generates different ω values. The heart rate variability (HRV) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) have an association to represent cardiovascular variations for each individual. This study further analyzed the ω for different ECG signals with HRV for atrial fibrillation classification.

    METHODS: This study used the MIT-BIH Normal Sinus Rhythm (nsrdb) and MIT-BIH Atrial Fibrillation (afdb) databases for healthy human (NSR) and atrial fibrillation patient (N and AF) ECG signals, respectively. The extraction of features was based on the dynamic system concept to determine the ω of the ECG signals. There were 35,031 samples used for classification.

    RESULTS: There were significant differences between the N & NSR, N & AF, and NSR & AF groups as determined by the statistical t-test (p<0.0001). There was a linear separation at 0.4s(-1) for ω of both databases upon using the thresholding method. The feature ω for afdb and nsrdb falls within the high frequency (HF) and above the HF band, respectively. The feature classification between the nsrdb and afdb ECG signals was 96.53% accurate.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study found that features of the ω of atrial fibrillation patients and healthy humans were associated with the frequency analysis of the ANS during parasympathetic activity. The feature ω is significant for different databases, and the classification between afdb and nsrdb was determined.

    MeSH terms: Atrial Fibrillation/classification*; Atrial Fibrillation/diagnosis; Atrial Fibrillation/physiopathology*; Autonomic Nervous System/physiology*; Electrocardiography/classification*; Heart Rate/physiology*; Humans; Databases, Factual/classification*
  16. Yong YK, Shankar EM, Westhorpe CL, Maisa A, Spelman T, Kamarulzaman A, et al.
    Medicine (Baltimore), 2016 Aug;95(31):e4477.
    PMID: 27495090 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000004477
    HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Given the relationship between innate immune activation and CVD, we investigated the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TLR4 and CD14 and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), a surrogate measurement for CVD, in HIV-infected individuals on ART and HIV-uninfected controls as a cross-sectional, case-control study. We quantified the frequency of monocyte subsets (CD14, CD16), markers of monocyte activation (CD38, HLA-DR), and endothelial adhesion (CCR2, CX3CR1, CD11b) by flow cytometry. Plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide, sCD163, sCD14, sCX3CL1, and sCCL2, were measured by ELISA. Genotyping of TLR4 and CD14 SNPs was also performed. The TT genotype for CD14/-260SNP but not the CC/CT genotype was associated with elevated plasma sCD14, and increased frequency of CD11b+CD14+ monocytes in HIV-infected individuals. The TT genotype was associated with lower cIMT in HIV-infected patients (n = 47) but not in HIV-uninfected controls (n = 37). The AG genotype for TLR4/+896 was associated with increased CX3CR1 expression on total monocytes among HIV-infected individuals and increased sCCL2 and fibrinogen levels in HIV-uninfected controls. SNPs in CD14/-260 and TLR4/+896 were significantly associated with different markers of systemic and monocyte activation and cIMT that differed between HIV-infected participants on ART and HIV-uninfected controls. Further investigation on the relationship of these SNPs with a clinical endpoint of CVD is warranted in HIV-infected patients on ART.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Fibrinogen/analysis; Genotype; Humans; Lipopolysaccharides/blood; Male; Middle Aged; Monocytes/metabolism*; Receptors, Cell Surface/blood; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic/blood; HIV Infections/drug therapy*; Antigens, CD/blood; Case-Control Studies; Chemokine CCL2/blood; Antigens, CD14/genetics*; Antigens, CD14/metabolism; Receptors, Chemokine/metabolism; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*; Antigens, CD11b/metabolism; Anti-Retroviral Agents/therapeutic use*; Toll-Like Receptor 4/genetics; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness*
  17. Din NM, Talat L, Isa H, Tomkins-Netzer O, Barton K, Lightman S
    Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol, 2016 Dec;254(12):2439-2448.
    PMID: 27495303
    PURPOSE: To determine whether the second eyes (SE) of patients with bilateral uveitic glaucoma undergoing filtration surgery have more glaucomatous progression in terms of visual acuity, visual field (VF) and optic nerve changes compared to the first eyes (FE).

    METHODS: This retrospective study analysed data of 60 eyes from 30 patients with bilateral uveitic glaucoma who had undergone glaucoma surgery in both eyes on separate occasions. Humphrey VF progression was assessed using the Progressor software.

    RESULTS: The pre-operative IOP between the FE (43.1 ± 7.7 mmHg) and SE (40 ± 8.7 mmHg) was not statistically significant (p = 0.15). IOP reduction was greater in the FE (64 %) than SE (59.7 %) post-operatively, but the mean IOP at the final visit in the FE (12.3 ± 3.9 mmHg) and SE (14.5 ± 7 mmHg) was not statistically different (p = 0.2). There was no significant change in mean logMAR readings pre and post-operatively (0.45 ± 0.6 vs 0.37 ± 0.6, p = 0.4) or between the FE and SE. The number of SE with CDR > 0.7 increased by 23 % compared to the FE. From 23 available VFs, five SE (21.7 %) progressed at a median of five locations (range 1-11 points) with a mean local slope reduction of 1.74 ± 0.45 dB/year (range -2.39 to -1.26), whereas only one FE progressed. However, there was no significant difference between mean global rate of progression between the FE (-0.9 ± 1.6 dB/year) and SE (-0.76 ± 2.1 dB/year, p = 0.17) in the Humphrey VF.

    CONCLUSION: In eyes with bilateral uveitic glaucoma requiring glaucoma surgery, the SEs had more progressed points on VF and glaucomatous disc progression compared to FEs at the final visit.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Glaucoma/complications; Glaucoma/physiopathology; Glaucoma/surgery*; Humans; Intraocular Pressure/physiology*; Male; Middle Aged; Optic Disk/pathology; Optic Nerve Diseases/diagnosis; Optic Nerve Diseases/etiology; Retrospective Studies; Time Factors; Uveitis/complications*; Visual Acuity*; Visual Fields/physiology*; Disease Progression; Filtering Surgery/adverse effects*; Young Adult
  18. Tan SY, Wong MM, Tiew AL, Choo YW, Lim SH, Ooi IH, et al.
    Cancer Chemother Pharmacol, 2016 10;78(4):709-18.
    PMID: 27495788 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-016-3120-9
    PURPOSE: Pharmacokinetic interaction of sunitinib with diclofenac, paracetamol, mefenamic acid and ibuprofen was evaluated due to their P450 mediated metabolism and OATP1B1, OATP1B3, ABCB1, ABCG2 transporters overlapping features.

    METHODS: Male and female mice were administered 6 sunitinib doses (60 mg/kg) PO every 12 h and 30 min before the last dose were administered vehicle (control groups), 250 mg/kg paracetamol, 30 mg/kg diclofenac, 50 mg/kg mefenamic acid or 30 mg/kg ibuprofen (study groups), euthanized 6 h post last administration and sunitinib plasma, liver, kidney, brain concentrations analyzed.

    RESULTS: Ibuprofen halved sunitinib plasma concentration in female mice (p 

    MeSH terms: Acetaminophen/pharmacology*; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/pharmacology*; Carrier Proteins/metabolism; Diclofenac/pharmacology*; Drug Interactions; Female; Ibuprofen/pharmacology*; Indoles/pharmacokinetics*; Male; Mefenamic Acid/pharmacology*; Mice, Inbred ICR; Pyrroles/pharmacokinetics*; Sex Characteristics; Tissue Distribution; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic/pharmacology*; Angiogenesis Inhibitors/pharmacokinetics*; Mice
  19. Ng CY, Lee ZS, Goh KS
    Med J Malaysia, 2016 Jun;71(3):99-104.
    PMID: 27495881 MyJurnal
    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health concern worldwide. There are limited studies which look into the actual knowledge level of CKD among the general population both locally and internationally. This study aims to assess the knowledge level of CKD among patients in a secondary hospital in Malaysia.

    Study site: medical outpatient clinic of
    Hospital Pakar Sultanah Fatimah
    MeSH terms: China/ethnology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Hospitals, General; Humans; India/ethnology; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*; Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology; Male; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; Renal Insufficiency*
  20. Yusoff Z, Maqbool M, George E, Hassan R, Ramasamy R
    Med J Malaysia, 2016 Jun;71(3):105-10.
    PMID: 27495882 MyJurnal
    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human umbilical cord (UC) have been considered as an important tool for treating various malignancies, tissue repair and organ regeneration. Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) are better alternative to MSCs that derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) as they are regarded as medical waste with little ethical concern for research and easily culture-expanded. In this present study, the foetal distal end of human UC was utilised to generate MSC by explant method. Upon in vitro culture, adherent cells with fibroblastic morphology were generated with rapid growth kinetics. Under the respective inductive conditions, these cells were capable of differentiating into adipocytes and osteocytes; express an array of standard MSC's surface markers CD29, CD73, CD90, CD106 and MHC-class I. Further assessment of immunosuppression activity revealed that MSCs generated from UC had profoundly inhibited the proliferation of mitogen-activated T lymphocytes in a dosedependent manner. The current laboratory findings have reinforced the application of explant method to generate UCMSCs thus, exploring an ideal platform to fulfil the increasing demand of MSCs for research and potential clinical use.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Malaysia; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation
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