Browse publications by year: 2016

  1. Prevention of transmission of HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and tuberculosis in prisoners
    Kamarulzaman A, Reid SE, Schwitters A, Wiessing L, El-Bassel N, Dolan K, et al.
    Lancet, 2016 Sep 10;388(10049):1115-1126.
    PMID: 27427456 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30769-3
    The prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and tuberculosis are higher in prisons than in the general population in most countries worldwide. Prisons have emerged as a risk environment for these infections to be further concentrated, amplified, and then transmitted to the community after prisoners are released. In the absence of alternatives to incarceration, prisons and detention facilities could be leveraged to promote primary and secondary prevention strategies for these infections to improve prisoners health and reduce risk throughout incarceration and on release. Effective treatment of opioid use disorders with opioid agonist therapies (eg, methadone and buprenorphine) prevents blood-borne infections via reductions in injection in prison and after release. However, large gaps exist in the implementation of these strategies across all regions. Collaboration between the criminal justice and public health systems will be required for successful implementation of these strategies.
    MeSH terms: Hepatitis B/prevention & control*; Hepatitis B/transmission; Hepatitis C/prevention & control*; Hepatitis C/transmission; Humans; Primary Prevention; Prisoners/statistics & numerical data*; Tuberculosis/prevention & control*; HIV Infections/prevention & control*; HIV Infections/transmission; Secondary Prevention
  2. Spred-2 expression is associated with neural repair of injured adult zebrafish brain
    Lim FT, Ogawa S, Parhar IS
    J. Chem. Neuroanat., 2016 11;77:176-186.
    PMID: 27427471 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2016.07.005
    Sprouty-related protein-2 (Spred-2) is a negative regulator of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) pathway, which is important for cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation, plasticity and survival. Nevertheless, its general molecular characteristics such as gene expression patterns and potential role in neural repair in the brain remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to characterise the expression of spred-2 in the zebrafish brain. Digoxigenin-in situ hybridization showed spred-2 mRNA-expressing cells were mainly seen in the proliferative zones such as the olfactory bulb, telencephalon, optic tectum, cerebellum, and the dorsal and ventral hypothalamus, and most of which were neuronal cells. To evaluate the potential role of spred-2 in neuro-regeneration, spred-2 gene expression was examined in the dorsal telencephalon followed by mechanical-lesion. Real-time PCR showed a significant reduction of spred-2 mRNA levels in the telencephalon on 1-day till 2-days post-lesion and gradually increased to normal levels as compared with intact. Furthermore, to confirm involvement of Spred-2 signalling in the cell proliferation after brain injury, double-labelling of spred-2 in-situ hybridization with immunofluorescence of BrdU and phosphorylated-ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), a downstream of Spred-2 was performed. Increase of BrdU and p-ERK1/2 immunoreactive cells suggest that a decrease in spred-2 after injury might associated with activation of the ERK pathway to stimulate cell proliferation in the adult zebrafish brain. The present study demonstrates the possible role of Spred-2 signalling in cell proliferative phase during the neural repair in the injured zebrafish brain.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antimetabolites/pharmacology; Brain Chemistry/genetics; Brain Injuries/genetics; Brain Injuries/physiopathology; Bromodeoxyuridine/pharmacology; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein/metabolism; Male; Nerve Regeneration/genetics*; Nerve Regeneration/physiology*; Neurons/physiology*; Repressor Proteins/biosynthesis*; Repressor Proteins/genetics; Repressor Proteins/physiology*; RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger/genetics; Zebrafish/genetics; Zebrafish/physiology*; Gene Expression/genetics; MAP Kinase Signaling System/genetics; Zebrafish Proteins/biosynthesis*; Zebrafish Proteins/genetics; Zebrafish Proteins/physiology*; Cell Proliferation
  3. First isolation of Candida wangnamkhiaoensis from the blood of immunocompromised paediatric patient
    Tap RM, Ho Betty LS, Ramli NY, Suppiah J, Hashim R, Sabaratnam P, et al.
    Mycoses, 2016 Nov;59(11):734-741.
    PMID: 27427490 DOI: 10.1111/myc.12509
    Candida wangnamkhiaoensis is a species clustered under the Hyphopichia clade has not ever been isolated from any clinical specimens. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. wangnamkhiaoensis associated with fungaemia in immunocompromised paediatric patient. The isolate was assigned a strain name as UZ1679/14, in which the identification was confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction-sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) regions of the rRNA gene. Antifungal susceptibility pattern showed that the isolate was sensitive to anidulafungin, caspofungin, fluconazole and voriconazole. The patient clinically improved after the antifungal treatment with caspofungin.
    MeSH terms: Antifungal Agents/pharmacology; Candida/classification; Candida/genetics; Candida/isolation & purification*; Candida/ultrastructure; Child, Preschool; Humans; Male; Phylogeny; Fluconazole/pharmacology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Alignment; Immunocompromised Host*; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; Hyphae/isolation & purification; Hyphae/ultrastructure; Echinocandins/pharmacology; Echinocandins/therapeutic use; Lipopeptides/pharmacology; Lipopeptides/therapeutic use; Candidemia/drug therapy; Candidemia/immunology; Candidemia/microbiology*; Voriconazole/pharmacology
  4. Burden of respiratory disease in Thailand: Results from the APBORD observational study
    Thanaviratananich S, Cho SH, Ghoshal AG, Abdul Muttalif AR, Lin HC, Pothirat C, et al.
    Medicine (Baltimore), 2016 Jul;95(28):e4090.
    PMID: 27755477
    Asia-Pacific Burden of Respiratory Diseases (APBORD) was a cross-sectional, observational study examining the burden of respiratory disease in adults across 6 Asia-Pacific countries.This article reports symptoms, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), work impairment and cost burden associated with allergic rhinitis (AR), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and rhinosinusitis in Thailand.Consecutive participants aged ≥18 years with a primary diagnosis of AR, asthma, COPD, or rhinosinusitis were enrolled at 4 hospitals in Thailand during October 2012 and October 2013. Participants completed a survey detailing respiratory symptoms, HCRU, work productivity, and activity impairment. Locally sourced unit costs were used in the calculation of total costs.The study enrolled 1000 patients. The most frequent primary diagnosis was AR (44.2%), followed by rhinosinusitis (24.1%), asthma (23.7%), and COPD (8.0%). Overall, 316 (31.6%) of patients were diagnosed with some combination of the 4 diseases. Blocked nose or congestion (17%) and cough or coughing up phlegm (16%) were the main reasons for the current medical visit. The mean annual cost for patients with a respiratory disease was US$1495 (SD 3133) per patient. Costs associated with work productivity loss were the principal contributor for AR and rhinosinusitis patients while medication costs were the highest contributor for asthma and COPD patients.The study findings highlight the burden associated with 4 prevalent respiratory diseases in Thailand. Thorough investigation of concomitant conditions and improved disease management may help to reduce the burden of these respiratory diseases.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Thailand; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
  5. Fulltext Health and Pleasure in Consumers' Dietary Food Choices: Individual Differences in the Brain's Value System
    Petit O, Merunka D, Anton JL, Nazarian B, Spence C, Cheok AD, et al.
    PLoS One, 2016;11(7):e0156333.
    PMID: 27428267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156333
    Taking into account how people value the healthiness and tastiness of food at both the behavioral and brain levels may help to better understand and address overweight and obesity-related issues. Here, we investigate whether brain activity in those areas involved in self-control may increase significantly when individuals with a high body-mass index (BMI) focus their attention on the taste rather than on the health benefits related to healthy food choices. Under such conditions, BMI is positively correlated with both the neural responses to healthy food choices in those brain areas associated with gustation (insula), reward value (orbitofrontal cortex), and self-control (inferior frontal gyrus), and with the percent of healthy food choices. By contrast, when attention is directed towards health benefits, BMI is negatively correlated with neural activity in gustatory and reward-related brain areas (insula, inferior frontal operculum). Taken together, these findings suggest that those individuals with a high BMI do not necessarily have reduced capacities for self-control but that they may be facilitated by external cues that direct their attention toward the tastiness of healthy food. Thus, promoting the taste of healthy food in communication campaigns and/or food packaging may lead to more successful self-control and healthy food behaviors for consumers with a higher BMI, an issue which needs to be further researched.
    MeSH terms: Self-Control*; Adult; Brain/physiology*; Brain Mapping; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food Preferences*; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Body Mass Index; Taste Perception; Young Adult; Pleasure; Healthy Diet*
  6. In vivo tumor targeting and anti-tumor effects of 5-fluororacil loaded, folic acid targeted quantum dot system
    Bwatanglang IB, Mohammad F, Yusof NA, Abdullah J, Alitheen NB, Hussein MZ, et al.
    J Colloid Interface Sci, 2016 Oct 15;480:146-58.
    PMID: 27428851 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2016.07.011
    In this study, we modulated the anti-cancer efficacy of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) using a carrier system with enhanced targeting efficacy towards folate receptors (FRs) expressing malignant tissues. The 5-FU drug was loaded onto Mn-ZnS quantum dots (QDs) encapsulated with chitosan (CS) biopolymer and conjugated with folic acid (FA) based on a simple wet chemical method. The formation of 5-FU drug loaded composite was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Furthermore, the in vivo biodistribution and tumor targeting specificity of the 5-FU@FACS-Mn:ZnS in the tumor-bearing mice was conducted based on the Zn(2+) tissue bioaccumulation using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy. In addition to the characterization, the in vitro release profile of 5-FU from the conjugates investigated under diffusion controlled method demonstrated a controlled release behaviour as compared against the release behaviour of free 5-FU drug. The as-synthesized 5-FU@FACS-Mn:ZnS nanoparticle (NP) systemically induced higher level of apoptosis in breast cancer cells in vitro as compared to cells treated with free 5-FU drug following both cell cycle and annexin assays, respectively. Also, the in vivo toxicity assessment of the 5-FU@FACS-Mn:ZnS NPs as compared to the control did not cause any significant increase in the activities of the liver and kidney function biomarkers, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels. However, based on the FA-FRs chemistry, the 5-FU@FACS-Mn:ZnS NPs specifically accumulated in the tumor of the tumor-bearing mice and thus contributed to the smaller tumor size and less event of metastasis was observed in the lungs when compared to the tumor-bearing mice groups treated with the free 5-FU drug. In summary, the results demonstrated that the 5-FU@FACS-Mn:ZnS QDs exhibits selective anti-tumor effect in MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells in vitro and 4TI breast cancer cells in vivo, providing a blueprint for improving the 5-FU efficacy and tumor targeting specificity with limited systemic toxicity.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis; Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*; Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry; Cell Survival/drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Female; Fluorouracil/pharmacology*; Fluorouracil/chemistry; Folic Acid/chemical synthesis; Folic Acid/pharmacology*; Folic Acid/chemistry; Humans; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/drug therapy; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Structure-Activity Relationship; Quantum Dots*; Cell Proliferation/drug effects; Mice
  7. Undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of the effectiveness of clinical teaching behaviours in Malaysia: A cross-sectional, correlational survey
    Ludin SM, Fathullah NM
    Nurse Educ Today, 2016 Sep;44:79-85.
    PMID: 27429333 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2016.05.007
    BACKGROUND: Clinical teachers are a critical determinant of the quality of nursing students' clinical learning experiences. Understanding students' perceptions of clinical teachers' behaviours can provide the basis for recommendations that will help improve the quality of clinical education in clinical settings by developing better clinical teachers.

    OBJECTIVES: To understand clinical teaching behaviours and their influence on students' learning from the perspective of undergraduate nursing students.

    DESIGN: A cross-sectional, correlational survey.

    SETTING: A nursing faculty in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.

    PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 120/154 (78%) students from Year 2-Year 4 were recruited according to set criteria.

    METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect demographic data, and students' perceptions of clinical teaching behaviours and their impact on learning using the Nursing Clinical Teaching Effectiveness Inventory (NCTEI).

    RESULTS: Year 3 and 4 students perceived faculty clinical teaching behaviours positively. There was a significant association between clinical teaching behaviours and their influence on students' clinical learning. Teachers' competence rated as the most significant influential factor, while teachers' personality rated as least influential.

    CONCLUSION: Participants were able to identify the attributes of good clinical teachers and which attributes had the most influence on their learning. Overall, they perceived their teachers as providing good clinical teaching resulting in good clinical learning. Novice clinical teachers and nursing students can use this positive association between teaching behaviours and quality of clinical learning as a guide to clinical teaching and learning.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Clinical Competence; Cross-Sectional Studies; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate*; Faculty, Nursing*; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations*; Malaysia; Male; Surveys and Questionnaires; Students, Nursing/psychology*; Teaching*
  8. Fulltext Raman Spectroscopic Analysis of Fingernail Clippings Can Help Differentiate Between Postmenopausal Women Who Have and Have Not Suffered a Fracture
    Beattie JR, Cummins NM, Caraher C, O'Driscoll OM, Bansal AT, Eastell R, et al.
    Clin Med Insights Arthritis Musculoskelet Disord, 2016;9:109-16.
    PMID: 27429561 DOI: 10.4137/CMAMD.S38493
    Raman spectroscopy was applied to nail clippings from 633 postmenopausal British and Irish women, from six clinical sites, of whom 42% had experienced a fragility fracture. The objective was to build a prediction algorithm for fracture using data from four sites (known as the calibration set) and test its performance using data from the other two sites (known as the validation set). Results from the validation set showed that a novel algorithm, combining spectroscopy data with clinical data, provided area under the curve (AUC) of 74% compared to an AUC of 60% from a reduced QFracture score (a clinically accepted risk calculator) and 61% from the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry T-score, which is in current use for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Raman spectroscopy should be investigated further as a noninvasive tool for the early detection of enhanced risk of fragility fracture.
  9. Fulltext Antimicrobials: a global alliance for optimizing their rational use in intra-abdominal infections (AGORA)
    Sartelli M, Weber DG, Ruppé E, Bassetti M, Wright BJ, Ansaloni L, et al.
    World J Emerg Surg, 2016;11:33.
    PMID: 27429642 DOI: 10.1186/s13017-016-0089-y
    Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are an important cause of morbidity and are frequently associated with poor prognosis, particularly in high-risk patients. The cornerstones in the management of complicated IAIs are timely effective source control with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Empiric antimicrobial therapy is important in the management of intra-abdominal infections and must be broad enough to cover all likely organisms because inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy is associated with poor patient outcomes and the development of bacterial resistance. The overuse of antimicrobials is widely accepted as a major driver of some emerging infections (such as C. difficile), the selection of resistant pathogens in individual patients, and for the continued development of antimicrobial resistance globally. The growing emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms and the limited development of new agents available to counteract them have caused an impending crisis with alarming implications, especially with regards to Gram-negative bacteria. An international task force from 79 different countries has joined this project by sharing a document on the rational use of antimicrobials for patients with IAIs. The project has been termed AGORA (Antimicrobials: A Global Alliance for Optimizing their Rational Use in Intra-Abdominal Infections). The authors hope that AGORA, involving many of the world's leading experts, can actively raise awareness in health workers and can improve prescribing behavior in treating IAIs.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology*; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans; International Cooperation*; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Prognosis
  10. Fulltext Conductometric and volumetric studies of atorvastatin in aqueous solution of arginine from 298.15 to 313.15 K
    Affandi MM, Tripathy M, Majeed AB
    J Adv Pharm Technol Res, 2016 Jul-Sep;7(3):80-6.
    PMID: 27429926 DOI: 10.4103/2231-4040.184589
    Categorized as a Biopharmaceutics Classification System Class II drugs, atorvastatin (ATV) exhibits low aqueous solubility and bioavailability thus presenting an obstacle and great challenge to formulation researchers. Numerous studies are available in regard to the solubility enhancement of ATV, but very few actually describe this phenomenon in terms of thermodynamics and the solute-solvent interaction. Arginine (ARG) is an amino acid that has been reported to enhance the solubility of the highly insoluble wheat protein gluten through hydrogen bonding and π electron-cation interaction. To our knowledge, ARG has never been investigated as a solubility enhancement agent of aqueous insoluble drugs. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the solute-solvent and solute-cosolute interactions and derive thermodynamic parameters that bolstered the solubility of ATV in the presence of ARG. We examined the electrolytic conductance and densities of ATV-ARG binary system covering the temperature ranging from 298.15 K to 313.15 K. Conductometric and volumetric parameters such as limiting molar conductance, association constants, limiting partial molar volumes, and expansibility values were calculated. Additionally, thermodynamic parameters (ΔG(0), ΔH(0), ΔS(0), and Es) involved in the association process of the solute in the aqueous solution of ARG were also determined.
  11. Is Daycare Tonsillectomy Safe?
    Wong HT, Sien Hui T, Chong AW
    Iran J Otorhinolaryngol, 2016 May;28(86):183-8.
    PMID: 27429946
    Tonsillectomy is one of the most common procedures performed by Ear, Nose, and Throat surgeon. Usually, the procedure is carried out as an inpatient surgery. With the increasing need to reduce healthcare costs, spare precious hospital beds, and shorten elective surgery lists, there is currently a trend towards performing tonsillectomy on a daycare basis.
  12. Fulltext Fermentation Quality and Additives: A Case of Rice Straw Silage
    Oladosu Y, Rafii MY, Abdullah N, Magaji U, Hussin G, Ramli A, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2016;2016:7985167.
    PMID: 27429981 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7985167
    Rice cultivation generates large amount of crop residues of which only 20% are utilized for industrial and domestic purposes. In most developing countries especially southeast Asia, rice straw is used as part of feeding ingredients for the ruminants. However, due to its low protein content and high level of lignin and silica, there is limitation to its digestibility and nutritional value. To utilize this crop residue judiciously, there is a need for improvement of its nutritive value to promote its utilization through ensiling. Understanding the fundamental principle of ensiling is a prerequisite for successful silage product. Prominent factors influencing quality of silage product include water soluble carbohydrates, natural microbial population, and harvesting conditions of the forage. Additives are used to control the fermentation processes to enhance nutrient recovery and improve silage stability. This review emphasizes some practical aspects of silage processing and the use of additives for improvement of fermentation quality of rice straw.
    MeSH terms: Food Additives/chemistry*; Oryza/microbiology*; Oryza/chemistry*; Silage/microbiology*; Plant Stems/microbiology*; Plant Stems/chemistry*
  13. Anisotropic lanthanide-based nano-clusters for imaging applications
    Yang X, Wang S, King TL, Kerr CJ, Blanchet C, Svergun D, et al.
    Faraday Discuss, 2016 Jul 18.
    PMID: 27430046
    We have developed a new class of lanthanide nano-clusters that self-assemble using flexible Schiff base ligands. Cd-Ln and Ni-Ln clusters, [Ln8Cd24(L(1))12(OAc)39Cl7(OH)2] (Ln = Nd, Eu), [Eu8Cd24(L(1))12(OAc)44], [Ln8Cd24(L(2))12(OAc)44] (Ln = Nd, Yb, Sm) and [Nd2Ni4(L(3))2(acac)6(NO3)2(OH)2], were constructed using different types of flexible Schiff base ligands. These molecular nano-clusters exhibit anisotropic architectures that differ considerably depending upon the presence of Cd (nano-drum) or Ni (square-like nano-cluster). Structural characterization of the self-assembled particles has been undertaken using crystallography, transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. Comparison of the metric dimensions of the nano-drums shows a consistency of size using these techniques, suggesting that these molecules may share similar structural features in both solid and solution states. Photophysical properties were studied by excitation of the ligand-centered absorption bands in the solid state and in solution, and using confocal microscopy of microspheres loaded with the compounds. The emissive properties of these compounds vary depending upon the combination of lanthanide and Cd or Ni present in these clusters. The results provide new insights into the construction of novel high-nuclearity nano-clusters and offer a promising foundation for the development of new functional nanomaterials.
    MeSH terms: Cadmium; Crystallography; Ligands; Microspheres; Schiff Bases; X-Rays; Microscopy, Confocal; Lanthanoid Series Elements; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nanostructures; Physical Phenomena
  14. Fulltext Under-body forced-air warming blanket versus resistive heating blanket for prevention of hypothermia during spinal surgery: a randomized prospective study
    Shariffuddin, I.I., Hasan, M.S., Chong, T.H., Kwan, M.K., Chan, Y.K.
    JUMMEC, 2016;19(1):1-6.
    MyJurnal
    Background:
    Prevention of hypothermia in patients undergoing major posterior approach spinal surgery can be difficult, as a
    large body surface is exposed to the cold environment of the operating theatre. We compared the efficacy of a
    new under-body forced-air warming blanket with that of a resistive heating blanket in preventing hypothermia.
    Methods:
    Sixty patients undergoing major posterior approach spinal surgery lasting for more than 2 hours were randomly
    assigned to warming with a full under-body forced-air warming blanket or three segments of resistive heating
    blankets, both set at 42°C. The ambient temperature was kept near 20°C. Nasopharyngeal, rectal and axillary
    temperatures were measured at regular intervals. Changes in core temperature (average of nasopharyngeal
    and rectal) over time were compared by the independent t-test.
    Results:
    The characteristics of the patients were comparable. The baseline core temperature was 36.36 ±0.38°C in the
    forced-air group and 36.27 ± 0.46°C in the resistive heating group. During the first hour, the core temperature
    decreased similarly from baseline in both groups. From 100 minutes after induction until the end of the surgery,
    core temperature rose in both groups. At the end of surgery, the core temperature was increased by 0.08
    ± 0.09°C from baseline in the forced-air group but decreased by 0.40 ±0.04°C from baseline in the resistive
    heating group. The difference in the change of the core temperature, at the end of the surgery, between the
    two groups is statistically significant (P
    MeSH terms: Bedding and Linens; Cold Temperature; Heating; Humans; Hypothermia; Operating Rooms; Temperature; Rewarming; Rosa
  15. Fulltext Aloe emodin enhances tamoxifen cytotoxicity effect on ER a-positive breast cancer cells, MCF-7, through downregulation of MEK1 and MEK2
    Amin, I.M., Sheikh Abdul Kadir, S.H., Isa, M.R., Rosdy. N.M.M.N.M., Hasani NAH
    JUMMEC, 2016;19(1):1-10.
    MyJurnal
    The positive response to tamoxifen in ERa-positive breast cancer patients is usually of a short duration as many
    of the patients eventually develop resistance. Our preliminary results show that aloe emodin extracted from
    the leaves of the Aloe barbadensis Miller demonstrated a cytotoxicity that is selective to ERa-positive breast
    cancer cells (MCF-7), but not to ERa-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) and to the control cells (MCF-
    10A). The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that aloe emodin may enhance the response of
    MCF-7 cells to treatment with tamoxifen. MCF-7 cells were treated with aloe emodin alone, tamoxifen alone
    or a combination of emodin and tamoxifen, at their respective IC50 concentrations and at different time points
    of 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours. The respective IC50s were the concentrations of aloe emodin and tamoxifen
    required to achieve 50% inhibition of the cells in the study. Cell viability and apoptosis were determined using
    trypan blue exclusion and DNA fragmentation assays, respectively. The involvement of RAS/MEKs/ERKs genes
    of MAPK signalling pathways with aloe emodin was determined using QuantiGene 2.0 Plex assay. Data was
    evaluated using the one-way ANOVA test. Our findings showed that aloe emodin enhanced the cytotoxicity of
    tamoxifen on MCF-7 cells through apoptosis by downregulation of MEK1/2 genes. Our research may provide a
    rational basis for further in vivo studies to verify the efficacy of a combination of aloe emodin and tamoxifen
    on the viability of ERa-positive-breast cancer cells.
    MeSH terms: Aloe; Analysis of Variance; Anthraquinones; Breast; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Survival; Emodin; Humans; Tamoxifen; Trypan Blue; Down-Regulation; Apoptosis; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; DNA Fragmentation; MCF-7 Cells
  16. Fulltext Parkinsonism and brain MRI findings in a relapsed culture-proven salmonella typhi infection: a case report in Malaysia
    Ng, Y.M., Cheng, J.T.
    JUMMEC, 2016;19(1):1-2.
    MyJurnal
    Typhoid fever is a systemic infection caused by Salmonella typhi, which may be associated with extra-intestinal
    complications. Neurological manifestations, particularly Parkinsonism, are rarely reported. We report a
    17-year-old patient with relapsed culture-proven Salmonella typhi infection who developed septic shock and
    subsequently Parkinsonism. Lumbar puncture revealed acellular cerebrospinal fluid with raised protein level.
    Magnetic resonance imaging revealed cerebral petechial haemorrhages resulted from small vessels vasculitis.
    His symptoms resolved spontaneously after 3 months.
    MeSH terms: Cerebral Hemorrhage; Humans; Intestines; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Salmonella Infections; Salmonella typhi; Shock, Septic; Spinal Puncture; Typhoid Fever; Vasculitis; Sepsis; Parkinsonian Disorders
  17. Fulltext Phyllodes tumours of the breast: retrospective analysis of a University Hospital’s experience
    Toh, Y.F., Cheah, P.L., Looi, L.M., Teoh, K.H., Tan, P.H.
    Malaysian Journal of Pathology, 2016;38(1):19-24.
    MyJurnal
    Taking cognizance of the purported variation of phyllodes tumours in Asians compared with Western
    populations, this study looked at phyllodes tumours of the breast diagnosed at the Department of
    Pathology, University of Malaya Medical Centre over an 8-year period with regards to patient
    profiles, tumour parameters, treatment offered and outcome. Sixty-four new cases of phyllodes
    tumour were diagnosed during the period, however only 30 (21 benign, 4 borderline and 5 malignant)
    finally qualified for entry into the study. These were followed-up for 4-102 months (average = 41.7
    months). Thirteen cases (8 benign, 3 borderline, 2 malignant) were Chinese, 9 (all benign) Malay,
    7 (4 benign, 1 borderline, 2 malignant) Indian and 1 (malignant) Indonesian. Prevalence of benign
    versus combined borderline and malignant phyllodes showed a marginally significant difference
    (p=0.049) between the Malays and Chinese. Patients’ ages ranged from 21-70 years with a mean of
    44.9 years with no significant difference in age between benign, borderline or malignant phyllodes
    tumours. Except for benign phyllodes tumours (mean size = 5.8 cm) being significantly smaller
    at presentation compared with borderline (mean size = 12.5 cm) and malignant (mean size = 15.8
    cm) (p
    MeSH terms: Breast; Breast Neoplasms; Phyllodes Tumor; Humans; Prevalence; Asian Continental Ancestry Group
  18. Fulltext Anti N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor encephalitis with ovarian teratoma: a dilemma in diagnosis
    Lee, CL, Zainuddin AA, Abdul Karim AK, Yulianty A, Law, ZK, Md.Isa N, et al.
    Journal of Surgical Academia, 2016;6(1):66-69.
    MyJurnal
    We report a rare case of altered mental status in a young patient with immature ovarian teratoma. A 22-year-old woman presented with seizures, hallucination, amnesia and orofacial dyskinesia. Examination and investigation revealed an ovarian massand asalphing-oophorectomy was performed. The histopathological examination result showed an immature teratoma grade 2 with thepresence of immature primitive glial tissue. Her CSF N-Methyl-D-Aspartic acid receptor (Anti-NMDAR) antibodytest was positive. N-Methyl-D-Aspartic acid receptor antibody associated limbic encephalitis is an autoimmune antibody-mediated neuropsychiatric disorder. Resection of the tumour and immunotherapy resulted in full recovery.
    MeSH terms: Amnesia; Autoantibodies; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Immunotherapy; Movement Disorders; Ovariectomy; Seizures; Teratoma; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; N-Methylaspartate; Limbic Encephalitis
  19. Fulltext Case report: progression of pre-septal cellulitis to orbital subperiosteal abscess despite intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics in a child
    Noor Aniah A, Norshamsiah MD, Safinaz MK, Bastion, MLC, Mawaddah A
    Journal of Surgical Academia, 2016;6(1):62-65.
    MyJurnal
    We report a case of a 7-year-old girl who initially presented with painless right eyelid swelling with full extra-ocular movement (EOM). She was treated with intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics for preseptal cellulitis but her condition worsened. An urgent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and orbit showed orbital abscess, subperiosteal abscess in the medial orbital wall and evidence of sinusitis in the anterior ethmoidal air cells. She underwent Endoscopic Orbital Decompression (EOD) surgery on day 4 of presentation and her condition improved remarkably. We report a case of orbital abscess with subperiosteal abscess in the medial orbital wall. This case highlights the possibility of progression of orbital cellulitis despite administration of a broad-spectrum antibiotic.
    MeSH terms: Abscess; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Brain; Endoscopy; Eye; Eye Movements; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Orbit; Sinusitis; Orbital Cellulitis
  20. Fulltext A rare case of recurrent orbital solitary fibrous tumour with intracranial extension
    Ainal Adlin N, Umi Kalthum MN, Amizatul Aini S, Reena Rahayu MZ
    Journal of Surgical Academia, 2016;6(1):59-61.
    MyJurnal
    A 47-year-old lady, presented with progressive proptosis of left eye with deterioration of vision. She had a history of left solitary fibrous tumour and had undergone left frontal craniotomy and orbitotomy in 2004. Surveillance Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) six years later showed tumour recurrence with intracranial extension. However, she did not follow-up and only presented again 3 years, later. Tumour resection and left exenteration was performed. Histology showed ‘patternless’ pattern of neoplastic cells, and CD34 staining was diffusely positive. Diagnosis of recurrent solitary fibrous tumour with intracranial extension was made.
    MeSH terms: Craniotomy; Exophthalmos; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Staining and Labeling; Solitary Fibrous Tumors
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