PIP: Long term use of low doses of combination oral contraceptives appears to increase plasminogen level, thereby increasing fibrinolytic activity and reducing the risk of thromboembolism. Blood levels of plasminogen, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI), were measured before and after stress (5 minutes of stair climbing) in a group of 30 women, 23-40 years old, who had taken 30 mcg of ethinyl estradiol with 150 mcg of desogestrel or levonorgestrel for at least 1 year. Similar measurements were taken from a control group of 30 women matched for age, height, and weight. Plasminogen and tPA levels in both groups increased significantly after exercise. The level of PAI did not change significantly with stress in either group. The level of plasminogen was significantly higher in the group taking contraceptives, whether before or after exercise, when compared to the control group. Levels of tPA and PAI, although slightly increased in the oral contraceptive group, were not significantly different between the two groups. The increase in plasminogen may be due to the estrogen component of the contraceptives. Stress seems to increase fibrinolytic response.
Gonadectomized male albino rats aged 7 weeks were given 1.5 mg/kg testosterone propionate daily and inoculated with 50 third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus malaysiensis. The treatment significantly increased the number of larvae and adult worms recovered from the brain and pulmonary arteries, respectively, and the rats exhibited smaller thymus glands. The total numbers of leukocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and especially eosinophils increased significantly post-infection, but the counts were higher in the untreated infected controls. Presumably, immunosuppressive effects of testosterone may at least partly be responsible for the higher loads of A. malaysiensis worms found in male rats as compared with females in the field.
Daily intramuscular injection with thyroxine (T4) at a dose of 2.5 micrograms/100 g body weight decreased the larvae and adult worm burden of Parastrongylus malaysiensis in the brain and pulmonary arteries of male Sprague-Dawley albino rats. In contrast, rats treated with propyl thiouracil (PTU), an antithyroid drug, at a dose of 3.75 mg/100 g body weight retained greater numbers of larvae and adult worms. The results may reflect the contrasting immunomodulatory effects of T4 and PTU that influence the susceptibility of the host.
Gonadectomized male laboratory rats were given 0.06 mg/kg estradiol benzoate daily for 14 days before being inoculated with 50 third-stage larvae of Parastrongylus malaysiensis. Hormone treatment was continued until the rats were killed. The numbers of larvae in the brain and of adult worms in the pulmonary area of the rats were determined every 7 days after the inoculation. It was found that the rats treated daily with estradiol benzoate had significantly and consistently higher numbers of larvae and adult worms as compared with the controls. The number of total leukocytes increased significantly after the rats were infected. The results show that estradiol-treated rats become susceptible to P. malaysiensis infection, which may indicate that the immunosuppressive effects of testosterone observed in earlier studies may partly be caused by estradiol that was peripherally aromatized from testosterone.
Mosquito adults and larvae were collected from dengue high risk areas and transported to the laboratory for identification. Identified mosquitos were pooled according to the species, date and locality and stored at -70 degrees C. A total of 1,385 pools of Aedes albopictus and 267 pools of Ae. Aegypti were collected from major towns in 12 states in Peninsular Malaysia. Virus isolation was carried out using cell culture (C6/36 clone) of Ae. albopictus and detection of dengue virus by the peroxidase anti-peroxidase staining. All positive isolations were further re-confirmed by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Most of the pools were negative with PAP staining and RT-PCR. However, 11 mosquito pools were positive with PAP staining. On the other hand, samples from Terengganu, Pulau Pinang and Johor were positive using both methods.
Polishing of dental ceramics has become an increasingly important procedure in restorative dentistry as allceramic restorations, which require post-cementation occlusal adjustment, are gaining in popularity. There are numerous studies in both dental and ceramic literature on polishing of dental ceramics and the effects of polishing on their mechanical properties. However, lack of standardization in polishing parameters, precludes comparison among these studies. A clear understanding is lacking of the relative roles and interdependence of handpiece speed, abrasive characteristic, and polishing load. This paper will discuss the mechanism of polishing and review the literature on polishing and its effect on the mechanical properties of ceramic restorations.
The present study was carried out to characterize the causative genetic mutation in a medium-sized Malaysian Chinese pedigree of three generations affected with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Clinical data and genetic studies revealed considerable phenotypic variability in affected individuals in this family. Blood was obtained from members of the FAP-01 family and genomic DNA was extracted. Mutation screening of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene was carried out using the single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique. The possibility of exon skipping was predicted by splicing motif recognition software (ESEfinder release2.0). SSCP results showed mobility shifts in exon 8 of the APC gene which segregated with affected members of the family. Sequence analysis revealed that the affected individuals are heterozygous for a C847T transition, whilst all the unaffected family members and control individuals are homozygous C at the same position. This nucleotide substitution generates a stop codon at amino acid position 283, in place of the usual arginine (Arg283Ter). We conclude that an Arg283Ter mutation in the APC gene is causative of the FAP phenotype in this family, although there is considerable variation in the presentation of this disease among affected individuals. Computational analysis predicts that this mutation occurs within sequences that may function as splicing signals, so that the sequence change may affect normal splicing.
The Ministry of Health has launched healthy lifestyle and diabetes campaigns. However, adopting healthy lifestyle practices is not easy as revealed in this case. Patients and their families need to be supervised personally and counseled regularly. Healthy lifestyle habits such as maintaining a balanced diet, ideal body weight and physical activities need to be cultivated and practised. Dietary counseling sessions need to be implemented, preferably by dietitians as this has been shown to be effective in motivating diabetic patients to achieve a better food choice, as well as better glycaemic, lipid and weight control, as shown in this case.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of acoustic rhinometry in assessing surgical outcomes in sinonasal surgery. This prospective study was carried out from January till December 2001. A group of 44 patients who presented with nasal obstruction due to various rhinologic abnormality were examined with acoustic rhinometry pre and post-operatively. They were examined with acoustic rhinometry pre and post decongestion with cocaine and adrenaline. A highly significant correlation existed between minimal cross sectional area (MCA) and the subjective feeling of nasal problem, pre and post surgery. Thus MCA is a valuable parameter to express objectively the nasal patency. The mucovascular component of the nasal cavity plays a major role in the nasal patency as determined in the pre and post-decongestion acoustic rhinometry measurement. Acoustic rhinometry is a good tool to evaluate the nasal patency in cases where sinonasal surgery is considered in correcting the abnormality as well as for the post-operative evaluation.
The effect of ten microalgal chlorophytes isolated from mosquito breeding containers on the survival, larval development and adult body size of the mosquito Aedes aegypti was investigated. All larvae fed with six of the microalgal isolates died after 7 days. These isolates were found to be resistant to digestion by mosquito larvae. Delayed pupation and body size reduction of the mosquitos fed with Chlorococcum UMACC 218 and Scenedesmus UMACC 220 were observed. In contrast, larvae fed with Ankistrodesmus convolutus UMACC 101 and Chlorococcum UMACC 213 were bigger in size than those fed with normal insectory feed. The present study showed that microalgal chlorophytes have the potential to be used as larvicidal agents for mosquitos.
Childhood obesity has been growing at an alarming rate and is the most common nutritional problem among children in developed as well as in developing countries. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, including cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine and psychosocial morbidities. This unhealthy trend will progress to adulthood and is expected to lead to huge economic costs in health and social security systems. Among the many factors which contribute to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity include environment and genetic factors. This paper discusses the aetiology, consequences and necessary interventions for this problem.
The antioxidant, radical-scavenging, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of methanolic extracts of seven Hedyotisspecies were investigated. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by the ferric thiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods while the radical scavenging activity was measured by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The anti-inflammatory activity related to NO inhibition of the plant extracts was measured by the Griess assay while cytotoxicity were measured by the MTT assay against CEM-SS cell line. The antibacterial bioassay (against 4 bacteria, i.e. Bacillus subtilis B28 (mutant), Bacillus subtilis B29 (wild-type), Pseudomonas aeruginosa UI 60690 and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, (MRSA) was also carried out using the disc-diffusion method. All tested extracts exhibited very strong antioxidant properties when compared to Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) with percent inhibition of 89-98% in the FTC and 60-95% in the TBA assays. In the DPPH method, H. herbacea exhibited the strongest radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 32 microg/ml. The results from the Griess assay showed that the tested extracts are weak inhibitors of NO synthase. However, all tested extracts exhibited moderate cytotoxic properties against CEM-SS cell line giving CD50 values in the range of 21-41 microg/ml. In the antibacterial bioassay, the stems and the roots of H. capitellata showed moderate activity against the 4 tested bacteria while the leaves showed moderate activity towards B. subtilis B28, MRSA and P. aeruginosa only. The roots of H. dichotoma showed strong antibacterial activity against all 4 bacteria. All other extracts did not exhibit any antibacterial activity.
Four new furanoanthraquinones, 2-hydroxymethyl-3,4-[2'-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-dihydrofurano]-8-hydroxyanthraquinone, 2-hydroxymethyl-3,4-[1'-hydroxy-2'-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-dihydrofurano]-8-hydroxyanthraquinone, 2-hydroxymethyl-3,4-[2'-1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-dihydrofurano]anthraquinone and 2-methyl-3,4-[2'-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-dihydrofurano] anthraquinone or capitellataquinone A-D and four known anthraquinones, rubiadin, anthragallol 2-methyl ether, alizarin 1-methyl ether and digiferruginol, together with scopoletin were isolated from the stems of Hedyotis capitellata Wall (Rubiaceae). Lucidin-3-O-beta-glucoside was isolated from the roots of the plant. Characterization of the new compounds was carried out by extensive NMR studies using FGCOSY, FGHMQC, FGHMBC and DEPT-135 in addition to other spectroscopic methods.
This retrospective study attempted to identify the pattern of ambulance calls for the past two years at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) and Hospital Kota Bharu (HKB). This study will provide a simple method of acquiring information related to ambulance response time (ART) and to test whether it met the international standards and needs of the client. Additionally, this paper takes into account the management of emergency calls. This included ambulance response time, which was part of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) episode: onset of ART, which started when details like phone number of the caller, exact location of the incident and the nature of the main complaint had been noted. ART ended when the emergency team arrived at the scene of incident. Information regarding ambulance calls from the record offices of HUSM and HKB was recorded for the year 2001 and 2002, tabulated and analyzed. There was a significant difference in the total number of calls managed by HUSM and HKB in the year 2001. It was noted that 645 calls were managed by HUSM while 1069 calls were recorded at HKB. In the year 2002, however, HUSM led with 613 extra numbers of calls as compare to HKB with 1193 numbers of calls. The pattern of ambulance calls observed is thought to possibly be influenced by social activities like local festivities, school holidays and the seasons. Further, it is observed that no studies were previously undertaken to compare the ART at both the HUSM and HKB to that of the international standards. In fact, a literature review undertaken so far showed no similar studies have been done for the whole Malaysia.
Many children have benefited from cochlear implant device including those with congenital malformation of the inner ear. The results reported in children with malformed cochlea are very encouraging. We describe 2 cases of Mondini's malformation with severe sensorineural hearing loss. Cochlear implantation was performed and both of them underwent post-implantation speech rehabilitation. Post-implantation, both of them were noted to respond to external sound. But the second case developed facial twitching a few months after the device was switched on. It is important to evaluate the severity of the inner ear deformity and the other associated anomalies in pre-implantation radiological assessment in order to identify the problem that may complicate the surgery and subsequent patient management.
Many studies on the strengthening effects of grinding and polishing, as well as heat treatment on ceramics, are not well standardized or use commercially available industrial polishing systems. The reported effectiveness of these strengthening mechanisms on ceramics may not be applicable to clinical dentistry.
A study to determine the contribution of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts from cattle farms was carried out at the Langat Basin. This study investigated the contribution of cattle farms, located near Sungai Langat and Sungai Semenyih, towards river contamination with these cysts and oocysts. The findings showed that out of 24 samples of water taken from Sungai Semenyih, 4.2% was positive for Giardia cysts with a concentration of 1.3 cysts/L and 20.8% were positive with Cryptosporidium oocysts with a range of 0.7 - 2.7 oocysts/L. At Sungai Langat, from the 43 samples taken, 23.3% were positive for Giardia cysts with a range of 1.5 - 9 cysts/L whereas 11.6% were positive with Cryptosporidium oocysts with a range of 2.5 - 240 oocysts/L. Isolation of cysts and oocysts in bovine faecal materials revealed that 14.6% of faecal samples were positive for Giardia cysts which had a range of 75 - 1.3x104 cysts/g and 25% were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts with a range of 50 - 3.9x105 oocysts/g. From the cattle wastewater, 98% were positive with oocysts and 6.7% with cysts. The concentrations were between 20 - 3.1x103 oocysts/mL for Cryptosporidium and 4 - 75 cysts/mL for Giardia. Given that the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia are high amongst the cattle and the positive findings of the (oo)cysts in the river samples, it could be deduced that there is a very high possibility of the cattle farms contaminating the river with Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts. Viability study of Cryptosporidium oocysts in the surrounding soil and pond within the cattle farm showed that the viability of Cryptosporidium oocysts decreased with time. It was estimated that it will take 52 days for all the oocysts from both environment to be non-viable. With a viability rate of approximately 2 months in a cattle farm setup, river water contaminated with Cryptosporidium oocysts has a high chance of acting as an agent of transmission. As cattle farms are also inhabited by the owners and their families, this problem may pose a threat to humans (e.g. children) especially if they are dependent on the river water as their source of water for their daily activities.
The main objective of this study was to assess knowledge on tooth bleaching among patients visiting dental health care centres in Klang Valley. A total of 200 patients were conveniently selected and interviewed using structured questionnaires. Among the 200 respondents, 75.5% knew about bleaching. There was no statistically significant difference in knowledge of bleaching in relation to age, gender, ethnic group and income level of the patients interviewed (p>0.05) but the education level had a significant influence (p=0.049). Respondents with tertiary education had better knowledge about tooth bleaching as compared to those respondents without tertiary education. The sources of information about bleaching came from advertisements on electronic media (65.5%), articles in newspapers and magazines (14.7%), dentists (10.9%) and family and friends (8.8%). Out of the 75.5% of respondents who knew about bleaching, 18.2% had tried bleaching their teeth using either over-the-counter products or had undergone professional bleaching treatment. The commonest reasons cited for bleaching treatment were to remove coffee and tea stains (70%) and cigarette stains (16.7%). 73.3% of these patients were satisfied with the results achieved after bleaching. However, the majority of these patients (59.6%) were unsure of the safety of these bleaching products/procedures. In conclusion, 75.5% of patients interviewed in this study knew that bleaching is one of the treatment options available to improve dental aesthetics but only 18.2% have tried bleaching their teeth. Their main source of knowledge about bleaching came from advertisements on electronic media.
Intranasal haemangioma is quite rare. This tumor may be confused with other intranasal vascular tumor such as juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA), glomus tumors as well as other tumor such as angiosarcoma and leiomyoma. Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is the most common vascular tumor encountered in nasal cavity. A definitive histology diagnosis pre-operatively is difficult to be obtained as the biopsy may lead into severe uncontrolled bleeding. The final diagnosis very much depends on histology after the tumor excision. Complete surgical resection of the tumor is the standard approach. In this report we describe our surgical management in approaching intranasal haemangioma endoscopically and this pathology can be considered as one of differential diagnosis for unilateral nasal mass.