Browse publications by year: 2016

Fulltext Efficiency of different sampling tools for aquatic macroinvertebrate collections in Malaysian streams

Wan Mohd Hafezul Wan Abdul Ghani, Che Salmah Md Rawi, Suhaila Abd. Hamid, Al-Shami, Salman Abdo

Trop Life Sci Res, 2016;27(1):115-133.
MyJurnal

This study analyses the sampling performance of three benthic sampling tools
commonly used to collect freshwater macroinvertebrates. Efficiency of qualitative D-frame
and square aquatic nets were compared to a quantitative Surber sampler in tropical
Malaysian streams. The abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrates collected using
each tool evaluated along with their relative variations (RVs). Each tool was used to
sample macroinvertebrates from three streams draining different areas: a vegetable farm,
a tea plantation and a forest reserve. High macroinvertebrate diversities were recorded using the square net and Surber sampler at the forested stream site; however, very low
species abundance was recorded by the Surber sampler. Relatively large variations in the
Surber sampler collections (RVs of 36% and 28%) were observed for the vegetable farm
and tea plantation streams, respectively. Of the three sampling methods, the square net
was the most efficient, collecting a greater diversity of macroinvertebrate taxa and a
greater number of specimens (i.e., abundance) overall, particularly from the vegetable
farm and the tea plantation streams (RV

MeSH terms: Fresh Water; Tea; Vegetables; Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Forests; Farms
Fulltext Sequencing crop genomes: a gateway to improve tropical agriculture

Thottathil, Gincy Paily, Jayasekaran, Kandakumar, Ahmad Sofiman Othman

Trop Life Sci Res, 2016;27(1):93-114.
MyJurnal

Agricultural development in the tropics lags behind development in the
temperate latitudes due to the lack of advanced technology, and various biotic and abiotic
factors. To cope with the increasing demand for food and other plant-based products,
improved crop varieties have to be developed. To breed improved varieties, a better
understanding of crop genetics is necessary. With the advent of next-generation DNA
sequencing technologies, many important crop genomes have been sequenced. Primary
importance has been given to food crops, including cereals, tuber crops, vegetables, and
fruits. The DNA sequence information is extremely valuable for identifying key genes
controlling important agronomic traits and for identifying genetic variability among the
cultivars. However, massive DNA re-sequencing and gene expression studies have to be
performed to substantially improve our understanding of crop genetics. Application of the
knowledge obtained from the genomes, transcriptomes, expression studies, and
epigenetic studies would enable the development of improved varieties and may lead to a
second green revolution. The applications of next generation DNA sequencing
technologies in crop improvement, its limitations, future prospects, and the features of
important crop genome projects are reviewed herein.

MeSH terms: Agriculture; Base Sequence; Edible Grain; DNA; Fruit; Vegetables; Genome; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Crops, Agricultural; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Transcriptome
The first riparian skink (Genus: Sphenomorphus Strauch, 1887) from Peninsular Malaysia and its relationship to other Indochinese and Sundaic species

Sumarli A, Grismer LL, Wood PL, Ahmad AB, Rizal S, Ismail LH, et al.

Zootaxa, 2016 Oct 02;4173(1):29-44.
PMID: 27701201 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4173.1.3

Recently discovered populations of skinks of the genus Sphenomorphus from central Peninsular Malaysia represent a new species, S. sungaicolus sp. nov., and the first riparian skink known from Peninsular Malaysia. Morphological analyses of an earlier specimen reported as S. tersus from the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor indicate that it too is the new riparian species S. sungaicolus sp. nov. Additionally, two specimens from the Tembat Forest Reserve, Hulu Terengganu, Kelantan and another from Ulu Gombak, Selangor have been diagnosed as new the species. The latter specimen remained unidentified in the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii since its collection in June 1962. Morphological and molecular analyses demonstrate that S. sungaicolus sp. nov. forms a clade with the Indochinese species S. maculatus, S. indicus, and S. tersus and is the sister species of the latter. Sphenomorphus sungaicolus sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other members of this clade by having a smaller SVL (66.5-89.6 mm); 39-44 midbody scale rows; 72-81 paravertebral scales; 74-86 ventral scales; a primitive plantar scale arrangement; and 20-22 scale rows around the tail at the position of the 10th subcaudal.

MeSH terms: Animals; Female; Geography; Lizards/anatomy & histology; Lizards/classification*; Lizards/genetics; Malaysia; Male; Phylogeny; Sequence Analysis, DNA
Molecular and serological detection of occult hepatitis B virus among healthy hepatitis B surface antigen-negative blood donors in Malaysia

Hudu SA, Harmal NS, Saeed MI, Alshrari AS, Malik YA, Niazlin MT, et al.

Afr Health Sci, 2016 Sep;16(3):677-683.
PMID: 27917199

BACKGROUND: Occult hepatitis B infections are becoming a major global threat, but the available data on its prevalence in various parts of the world are often divergent.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to detect occult hepatitis B virus in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative serum using anti-HBc as a marker of previous infection.
PATIENT AND METHODS: A total of 1000 randomly selected hepatitis B surface antigen-negative sera from blood donors were tested for hepatitis B core antibody and hepatitis B surface antibody using an ELISA and nested polymerase chain reaction was done using primers specific to the surface gene (S-gene).
RESULTS: Of the 1000 samples 55 (5.5%) were found to be reactive, of which 87.3% (48/55) were positive for hepatitis B surface antibody, indicating immunity as a result of previous infection however, that does not exclude active infection with escaped mutant HBV. Nested PCR results showed the presence of hepatitis B viral DNA in all the 55 samples that were positive for core protein, which is in agreement with the hepatitis B surface antibody result.
CONCLUSION: This study reveals the 5.5% prevalence of occult hepatitis B among Malaysian blood donors as well as the reliability of using hepatitis B core antibody in screening for occult hepatitis B infection in low endemic, low socioeconomic settings.

MeSH terms: Blood Donors*; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Hepatitis B/diagnosis*; Hepatitis B/epidemiology; Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood*; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/genetics; Hepatitis B virus/isolation & purification*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Prevalence; Polymerase Chain Reaction
Fulltext Efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on refractory epilepsy in Malaysia

Sherrini Bazir Ahmad, Lim, Kheng Seang, Goh, Hui Ting, Wo, Chen Mun, Low, Siew Yong, Tan, Chong Tin

Neurology Asia, 2016;21(3):225-233.
MyJurnal

Background & Objective: Modulation of cortical excitability by low frequency repetitive transcranial
magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has demonstrated therapeutic use in epilepsy. This study aimed to evaluate
the efficacy of low-frequency rTMS on refractory epilepsy in a group of Malaysian subjects. Methods:
Nine patients with refractory epilepsy completed the study. All patients received 10 sessions of 1Hz
rTMS (1000 pulses per session) at 90% of resting motor threshold. Outcome measures included seizure
frequency, Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II) and Quality of
Life in Epilepsy-31 (QOLIE-31). Responders were defined as having ≥ 50% seizure reduction. Results:
The mean age was 33.8 years (SD 11.7), with 4 male. Three patients had mesial temporal sclerosis
(MTS); 4 with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) and two lesion-negative. Three patients achieved >50%
seizure reduction at 8 weeks post-treatment, with 2 of them had improvement in the number of IED.
All of the responders had FCD. The responders were younger (mean 24.7 vs. 38.3 years old), had
shorter duration of illness (mean 15.7 vs. 30.5 years) and had less frequent seizure frequency prior to
treatment (mean 5.5 vs. 10.8 attacks per week), as compared to the non-responders. Six patients had
improvement in BDI-II scores, two in QOLIE-31 and four in SCL-90 post treatment, irrespective of
seizure control. The mean scores in BDI-II improved significantly with treatment (p
Fulltext Validity and reliability of the Chinese parent proxy and child self-report health related quality of life measure for children with epilepsy (CHEQOL-25) in Malaysia

Wo, Su Woan, Lai, Pauline Siew Mei, Ong, Lai Choo, Low, Wah Yun, Lim, Kheng Seang, Tay, Chee Geap, et al.

Neurology Asia, 2016;21(3):235-245.
MyJurnal

Objective: To determine the validity and reliability of the Chinese parent proxy and child self-report
health related quality of life measure for children with epilepsy (CHEQOL-25) in Malaysia. Methods:
Face and content validity of the Chinese parent proxy and child self-report CHEQOL-25 was verified
by an expert panel, and piloted in five children with epilepsy (CWE). The Chinese CHEQOL-25 was
then administered to 40 parent proxies and their CWE (aged 8-18 years), from two tertiary hospitals,
at baseline and 2 weeks later. Results: Forty parents and their CWE were recruited. Cronbach’s alpha
for each subscale ranged from 0.56-0.83. At test-retest, the interclass correlation for all items ranged
from 0.68-0.97. Items 8 and 25 were removed as their corrected item-total correlation values were

MeSH terms: Child; Epilepsy; Humans; Malaysia; Parents; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; Proxy; Tertiary Care Centers
Fulltext Sarcocystis nesbitti related autoimmune diffuse alopecia

Ch’ng CC, Wong SM, Tan CT

Neurology Asia, 2016;21(3):261-264.
MyJurnal

Background & Objective: Symptomatic sarcocystosis has been said to be rare until recent years, when there were reports of outbreaks of febrile myositis for travellers returning from the Malaysian island resorts. In 2012, an outbreak of Sarcocystis nesbitti infection involving 92 college students and staff occurred after returning from Pangkor Island, Malaysia. A few months after recovering from the febrile illness, some patients complained of hair loss. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, clinical features and outcome of this disorder.
Methods: All patients who became sick in the outbreak were asked whether they had the hair loss. For those who had, they were interviewed with standard questionnaires, examined and investigated. Patients were followed-up via an online survey 2 years later.
Results: Out of 89 patients who were ill, 19 patients (21.4%) complained of alopecia. The mean peak onset was 4 months after the initial illness. Eleven patients (57.9%) reported the hair fall of more than 100 per day. The other symptoms were itch 10 (52.6%), scaling 10 (52.6%), erythema 4 (21.1%), none had scarring. Eleven patients (57.8%) had positive antinuclear factor with high titre (speckled or nucleolar pattern). Two years after the event, 10 had complete or near complete spontaneous recovery, 1 had partial response and 1 had no improvement.
Conclusions: A delayed transient diffuse alopecia is seen in close to half of patients with Sarcocystis nesbittiinfection. This high frequency of positive ANF suggested an immune-mediated mechanism.

Study site: Dermatology Clinic, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)

MeSH terms: Adult; Alopecia*; Antibodies, Antinuclear; Autoimmune Diseases; Cross-Sectional Studies; Hospitals, University; Humans; Malaysia; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; Sarcocystis*
Fulltext Sleep quality and psychosocial correlates among elderly attendees of an urban primary care centre in Malaysia

Razali R, Wahab S, Mohd Daud TI, Ariffin J, Abdul Aziz AF, Wan Puteh SE

Neurology Asia, 2016;21(3):265-273.
MyJurnal

Sleep quality can vary in relation to one’s general well-being and in the elderly, it is often affected by the presence of medical or psychological conditions. This study aims to determine the frequency of different components of sleep quality in the elderly, and their relationships with psychosocial and medical attributes. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 123 attendees aged 60 years and above at Pusat Perubatan Primer Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Sleep quality and psychological distress were assessed using the validated Malay versions of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and Hamilton anxiety depression scale (HADS) respectively. Information on medical comorbidities and medications were obtained from the participants, their doctors and medical notes. Almost half of the patients experienced poor sleep quality (47.2%) which was significantly associated with older mean age (69.5 ±4.55). There was no statistical significance between sleep quality and other sociodemographic characteristics (gender, ethnicity and living arrangement). Most patients described their sleep quality as subjectively generally “fairly good” (69.1%) despite PSQI scores indicating poor sleep quality. A majority of the patients (59.3%) were on follow-up for 3 or more medical illnesses, with heart disease as the only medical comorbidity significantly associated with poor sleep quality. Most of them also complained of only “mild difficulty” with their sleep. Among the 7 sleep components of PSQI, “sleep disturbance” was the most frequent experience. Most experienced mild sleep disturbance (87.8%) and usage of hypnotic agents was low (6.5%). Only 23.6% of patients had significant psychological distress (HADS scores ≥ 8), with positive correlation with sleep quality.
Study site: Pusat Perubatan Primer, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPPUKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

MeSH terms: Aged; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Anxiety*; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression*; Humans; Sleep*; Prevalence*
Haematological, biochemical and histopathological aspects of Hericium erinaceus ingestion in a rodent model: A sub-chronic toxicological assessment

Lakshmanan H, Raman J, David P, Wong KH, Naidu M, Sabaratnam V

J Ethnopharmacol, 2016 Dec 24;194:1051-1059.
PMID: 27816657 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.10.084

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hericium erinaceus is a culinary-medicinal mushroom and has a long history of usage in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic for stomach disorders, ulcers and gastrointestinal ailments.
AIM OF THE STUDY: The present investigation was aimed to evaluate the potential toxic effects of the aqueous extract from the fruiting bodies of H. erinaceus in rats by a sub-chronic oral toxicity study.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this sub-chronic toxicity study, rats were orally administered with the aqueous extract of H. erinaceus (HEAE) at doses of 250, 500 and 1000mg/kg body weight (b.w.) for 90 days. Body weights were recorded on a weekly basis and general behavioural changes were observed. The blood samples were subjected to haematological, biochemical, serum electrolyte, and antioxidant enzyme estimations. The rats were sacrificed and organs were processed and examined for histopathological changes.
RESULTS: No mortality or morbidity was observed in all the treated and control rats. The results showed that the oral administration of HEAE daily at three different doses for 90 days had no adverse effect on the general behaviour, body weight, haematology, clinical biochemistry, and relative organ weights. Histopathological examination at the end of the study showed normal architecture except for few non-treatment related histopathological changes observed in liver, heart and spleen.
CONCLUSION: The results of this sub-chronic toxicity study provides evidence that oral administration of HEAE is safe up to 1000mg/kg and H. erinaceus consumption is relatively non-toxic.

MeSH terms: Administration, Oral; Agaricales/chemistry*; Animals; Antioxidants/metabolism; Basidiomycota/chemistry*; Biological Factors/administration & dosage*; Biological Factors/toxicity*; Biological Factors/chemistry; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Eating; Female; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/adverse effects*; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; Toxicity Tests, Acute/methods; Models, Animal; Rats; Toxicity Tests, Subchronic/methods
Piper sarmentosum Effects on 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Enzyme in Serum and Bone in Rat Model of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis

Mohamad Asri SF, Mohd Ramli ES, Soelaiman IN, Mat Noh MA, Abdul Rashid AH, Suhaimi F

Molecules, 2016 Nov 15;21(11).
PMID: 27854305

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis is one of the common causes of secondary osteoporosis. Piper sarmentosum (Ps) extract possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we determined the correlation between the effects of Ps leaf water extract with the regulation of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) type 1 enzyme activity in serum and bone of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic rats. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were grouped into following: G1: sham-operated group administered with intramuscular vehicle olive oil and vehicle normal saline orally; G2: adrenalectomized (adrx) control group given intramuscular dexamethasone (120 μg/kg/day) and vehicle normal saline orally; G3: adrx group given intramuscular dexamethasone (120 μg/kg/day) and water extract of Piper sarmentosum (125 mg/kg/day) orally. After two months, the femur and serum were taken for ELISA analysis. Results showed that Ps leaf water extract significantly reduced the femur corticosterone concentration (p < 0.05). This suggests that Ps leaf water extract was able to prevent bone loss due to long-term glucocorticoid therapy by acting locally on the bone cells by increasing the dehydrogenase action of 11β-HSD type 1. Thus, Ps may have the potential to be used as an alternative medicine against osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture in patients on long-term glucocorticoid treatment.

MeSH terms: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry; Antioxidants/pharmacology; Antioxidants/chemistry; Body Weight/drug effects; Bone and Bones/drug effects*; Bone and Bones/metabolism*; Corticosterone/blood; Corticosterone/metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Glucocorticoids/adverse effects*; Osteoporosis/blood; Osteoporosis/drug therapy; Osteoporosis/etiology*; Osteoporosis/metabolism*; Plant Extracts/pharmacology*; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Biomarkers; Piper/chemistry*; 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1/blood; 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1/metabolism*; Rats
Fulltext Gabapentin Differentially Modulate c-Fos Expression in Hypothalamus and Spinal Trigeminal Nucleus in Surgical Molar Extraction

Kazi JA, Ibrahim BK

Braz Dent J, 2016 Oct-Dec;27(6):744-750.
PMID: 27982189 DOI: 10.1590/0103-6440201600207

The study on the efficacy of oral analgesics reported that no single class of drug is effective in post-surgical dental pain. Pain following removal of third molar is most commonly used and widely accepted acute pain model for assessing the analgesic effect of drugs in humans. Reports demonstrated that analgesic efficacy in the human dental model is highly predictive. The high incidence of false-negative findings in analgesic investigations hinders the process of molecular discovery. Molecular mechanism of post-surgical pain is not known. More importantly, the animal model for postoperative dental pain is not well established. In an attempt to discover an effective post-surgical dental pain blocker with acceptable side effects, it is essential to elucidate the molecular mechanism of post-operative dental pain. The present study investigated mandibular molars extraction in rat as an animal model for the post-operative dental pain in central nervous system. Using c-Fos immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated that pre administration of GBP (150 mg/kg. i.p) significantly (p< 0.01) neutralized the surgical molar extraction induced c-Fos expression bilaterally in rat hypothalamus. Present results indicate that pain after surgical molar extraction might follow novel neural pathways therefore difficult to treat with existing anti-nociceptive drugs.

MeSH terms: Amines/pharmacology*; Amines/therapeutic use; Animals; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids/pharmacology*; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids/therapeutic use; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/pharmacology*; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/therapeutic use; Hypothalamus/drug effects*; Hypothalamus/metabolism; Male; Pain, Postoperative/drug therapy*; Tooth Extraction/adverse effects; Tooth Extraction/methods*; Trigeminal Nucleus, Spinal/drug effects*; Trigeminal Nucleus, Spinal/metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/metabolism*; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rats
Fulltext Bilateral thalamic internal medullary lamina involvement in a case of dengue encephalitis

Sherrini Bazir Ahmad, Chin, Sum Cheong, Lim, Shen-Yang, Kartini Rahmat, FaizatulIzza Rozalli, Sekaran, Shamala Devi, et al.

Neurology Asia, 2016;21(4):374-379.
MyJurnal

There are 50-100 million dengue infections each year, but dengue encephalitis is relatively
uncommon. The aetiology of neuronal injury is proposed to be due to direct viral neurotropism or
host immune response-mediated inflammation causing neuronal damage. We report a case of severe
dengue encephalitis, presenting during the acute viraemic phase of the disease. This was associated
with inflammation and haemorrhage of the internal medullary lamina of both thalami which, to our
knowledge, has not yet been reported in other infections of the central nervous system.
Fulltext Profil psikologi atlet berpasukan kriket wanita malaysia

Nur Syuhadah Sailan, Nelfianty Hj. Mohd Rasyid, Santhiramathy, Subramaniam

Movement Health & Exercise, 2016;5(2):65-72.
MyJurnal

The purpose of this research is to identify the psychological profile of Malaysian female
cricket athletes. The sample size consists of 21 Malaysian athletes who took part in Incheon
Asian Sport, South Korea 2014. The type of questionnaire used in this research are the Sports
Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) to evaluate athletes’ mental endurance; the Sports
Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) to assess athlete’s anxiety and the Leadership Scale for
Sports (LSS) to evaluate coach’s leadership qualities. The data is analysed by means of a
descriptive research method and standard variance. Only one respondent received the scores
between 26-30 whilst the rest received scores between 0-22. The results suggest that
Malaysian female cricket athletes possess low mental endurance. The primary factor that
affects mental endurance is motivation. The study also established that the level of anxiety
among athletes is moderate. Training and orders were found to be the general leadership
qualities amongst the five dimension for athletes whilst the autocratic dimension is the least.
As for the leadership qualities that is most commonly used by coaches is positive
feedback whilst the least leadership dimension used is autocratic. The result this study
provides considerable insight in the field of sports, especially to coaches and those who are
involved in sports development from a psychological standpoint that may affect the
performance of the athletes.
Fulltext A systematic review on the effectiveness of perceptual motor training on improvement in motor performance in individuals with developmental coordination disorder

Srilekha, Saha, Faria, Sultana, Maruf, Ahmed, Soumendra, Saha

Movement Health & Exercise, 2016;5(2):51-64.
MyJurnal

To systematically review published research literature to identify and evaluate the
effectiveness of perceptual motor training on improvement in motor performance in individuals
with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Methods: Multiple databases were
methodically searched for articles related to Developmental Coordination Disorder; only
descriptive, intervention or qualitative articles were retained. Results: A generalized performance
deficit may be observed in majority of the children with DCD. Pronounced difficulty in internal
(forward) modeling, rhythmic coordination, executive function, gait and postural control, catching
and interceptive action, and aspects of sensoriperceptual function were observed in most of the
individuals diagnosed with DCD. Research indicates that poor motor co-ordination has far-reaching
implications for social and emotional wellbeing. DCD occurs not only in children, as motor
difficulties are retained in adulthood. Conclusions: The perceptual motor training approach may
result in positive outcomes in motor performance in individuals with DCD. Cognitive orientation to
daily occupational performance was observed to be a superior alternative to contemporary
coordination treatment approach. Furthermore, psychomotor therapy placing emphasis on music
rhythm and sensory integration therapy was observed to have a sustainably facilitative impact.
Fulltext Design and development of a 6-dof system for virtual bicycle simulator

Hwa, Jen Yap, Jenn, Guey Ng, Zanatul Aqillah Zakaria, Zahari Taha, Chang, Siow-Wee, Keem, Siah Yap

Movement Health & Exercise, 2016;5(2):31-39.
MyJurnal

There are many variations of the competition that takes place in Olympic track cycling. Hence,
a bicycle simulator will provide a number of benefits to coaches and athletes in practical
training. It is extremely low cost compared to a real Velodrome track, which requires a long
construction time due to the unique geometry and size. In this project, a 6-degree-of-freedom (6-
DOF) motion platform is designed and developed to simulate the Velodrome track cycling. A
parallel manipulator was chosen to control the moving platform due to its higher accuracy and
greater weight to strength ratio compared to a serial manipulator. The 6-DOF platform is
controlled by linear actuators and micro-controller. An optical encoder was installed for closedloop
position feedback control. An inverse kinematics model was developed to obtain the
movement of the platform and validated with its CAD model. Furthermore, a design feasibility
program was developed to determine the optimum design dimensions for the motion platform.
All the positions (3-axes) and orientations (3-rotational axes) data are tracked for analysis
purpose. A lab-scale prototype was successfully built for analysis and validation purposes. A
standard Velodrome track dimensions was chosen for simulation. A gyro accelerometer was
installed at the platform to acquire the actual motion of the platform. The data is used to validate
the control algorithms and accuracy of the motion platform. The experiment was conducted and
the results analysed for further development.
Fulltext Notational analysis on game strategy performed by female squash players in international competition

Diyana Zulaika Abdul Ghani, Halijah Ibrahim, Zainal Abidin Zainuddin, Button, Chris

Movement Health & Exercise, 2016;5(2):15-21.
MyJurnal

Recently, the general performance standards of women’s squash have progressed to very high
levels as demonstrated by several ‘spectacular’ world championships final matches. Our aim
was to identify successful game strategies of female squash players at the international level via
notational analysis. 25 matches were obtained for analysis from several international
competitions, including the Women’s World Championship 2014, the Women’s World Team
Squash Championship 2014 and the Malaysia Circuit Squash 2015. Analysis was based on
observation of the type of stroke performed and the rally outcome. The mean total number of
shots performed per game was 337 (SD=189.6) shots. The most preferred strokes performed
were drive (47.1%), followed by cross-court (19.9%), volley (12.7%), drop (11.1%), boast
(5.8%), with the lob (3.4%) as least frequently occurring shot. Meanwhile, rally outcomes were
categorized as winners, errors, stroke, and let. There were more winners produced (58.5%) than
errors (24.8%) or lets (16.69%). The findings indicate that defensive long rallies together with
offensive endings (such as well-timed drop shots) are characteristic of points played in elite
women’s squash. The practical implications of this analysis may help coaches and female
players enhance both tactical strategy and performance.
Fulltext Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm as A Cause of Ortner’s Syndrome – A Case Series

Ismazizi Zaharudin, Zainal Ariffin Azizi

Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2016;71(3):139-141.
MyJurnal

Hoarseness due to left recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis
was first described in 1897 by Norbert Ortner. Various
cardiopulmonary and thoracic arch aorta pathologies
associated with left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy have
been described over the last 100 years and is also known as
cardio-vocal syndrome.
We report our experience with seven cases of Ortners
syndrome due to thoracic aortic aneurysm with
compression of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve and
resultant hoarseness.
Fulltext Serotype prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Malaysia – the need for carriage studies

Hannah C. McNeil, Stuart C. Clarke

Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2016;71(3):134-138.
MyJurnal

Pneumococcal disease, caused by the bacterium
Streptococcus pneumoniae, is a major burden to global
health. Although the World Health Organisation (WHO)
strongly recommends the inclusion of pneumococcal
conjugate vaccines in national immunisation programmes
(NIP’s) worldwide, this has not occurred in many countries
in the WHO South East Asia and Western Pacific regions –
particularly longstanding middle-income countries. It is
widely accepted that carriage of S. pneumoniae is a
precursor to developing any pneumococcal disease. The
reduction in pneumococcal disease from vaccine serotypes
(VT) following widespread implementation of the
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) is believed to be
through the direct immunogenic protective effect of
immunised individuals as well as indirectly through herd
immunity diminishing the incidence of disease in nonimmunised
individuals. In Malaysia, pneumococcal disease
is not included in national surveillance programmes and
although PCVs have been licensed, they have not been
included in the NIP. Hence, the vaccine is only available
privately and the majority of the population is not able to
afford it. There is an urgent need to develop surveillance
programmes in Malaysia to include pneumococcal serotype
data from carriage and invasive disease so that it may help
guide national vaccine policy prior to a decision being taken
on the inclusion of PCVs in the NIP.
Fulltext Prophylactic bilateral internal iliac artery balloon occlusion in the management of placenta accreta: A 36- month review

Tan, Yiap Loong, Haris Suharjono, Lau, Nina Lee Jing, Hian, Yan Voon

Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2016;71(3):111-116.
MyJurnal

Background: The contemporary obstetrician is increasingly
put to the test by rising numbers of pregnancies with
morbidly adherent placenta. This study illustrates our
experience with prophylactic bilateral internal iliac artery
occlusion as part of its management.
Methods: Between January 2011 to January 2014, 13
consecutive patients received the intervention prior to
scheduled caesarean delivery for placenta accreta. All cases
were diagnosed by ultrasonography, color Doppler imaging
and supplemented with MRI where necessary. The Wanda
balloonTM catheter (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA, U.S.A)
were placed in the proximal segment of the internal iliac
arteries preceding surgery. This was followed by a midline
laparotomy and classical caesarean section, avoiding the
placenta. Both internal iliac balloons were inflated just
before the delivery of fetus and deflated once haemostasis
was secured. Primary outcomes measured were
perioperative blood loss, blood transfusion requirement and
the need for ICU admission.
Results: The mean and median intraoperative blood loss
were 1076mls±707 and 800mls (300-2500) respectively while
mean perioperative blood loss was 1261mls±946. Just over
half of the patients in our series required blood and/or blood
products transfusion. Two patients (15.4%) required ICU
admission.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that preoperative
prophylactic balloon occlusion of bilateral internal iliac
arteries reduces both blood loss and transfusion
requirement in patients with placenta accreta, scheduled to
undergo elective caesarean hysterectomy. It is an adjunct to
be considered in the management of a modern day obstetric
problem, although the authors are cautious about
generalizing its benefit without larger, randomized trials.
Glycaemic responses to liquid food supplements among three Asian ethnic groups

Tey SL, Van Helvoort A, Henry CJ

Eur J Nutr, 2016 Dec;55(8):2493-2498.
PMID: 26467048

PURPOSE: A limited number of studies have compared the glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic responses (GR) to solid foods between Caucasians and Asians. These studies have demonstrated that Asians have greater GI and GR values for solid foods than Caucasians. However, no study has compared the GI and GR to liquids among various Asian ethnic groups.
METHODS: A total of forty-eight males and females (16 Chinese, 16 Indians, and 16 Malay) took part in this randomised, crossover study. Glycaemic response to the reference food (glucose beverage) was measured on three occasions, and GR to three liquids were measured on one occasion each. Liquids with different macronutrient ratio's and carbohydrate types were chosen to be able to evaluate the response to products with different GIs. Blood glucose concentrations were measured in duplicate at baseline (-5 and 0 min) and once at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min after the commencement of beverage consumption.
RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in GI and GR between the three liquids (P

MeSH terms: Adult; Beverages/analysis; Blood Glucose/metabolism*; Blood Pressure; China; Female; Glucose/administration & dosage; Humans; India; Malaysia; Male; Body Mass Index; Cross-Over Studies; Glycemic Index*; European Continental Ancestry Group*; Asian Continental Ancestry Group*; Young Adult

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