The Medical Department of Sabah, in collaboration with various governmental and non-governmental agencies and 'Surgeons International' conducted a state-wide campaign for the 'Early Detection of Cancer' over a period of 3 months from July 1992. The purpose of the campaign was to educate the population about the early signs and symptoms of common cancers, to remove the myth that cancer was incurable and to impress on the public the need to detect cancer early for a possible cure and a better prognosis.
Apolipoprotein E (APOE = gene, apoE = protein) plays a central role in plasma lipoprotein metabolism and in lipid transport within tissues. The APOE shows a genetic polymorphism determined by three common alleles, APOE*2, APOE*3, APOE*4 and the product of the three alleles differs in several functional properties. APOE is involved in the development of certain pathological conditions. In particular, the APOE*4 allele is a risk factor for susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In the present study we analyzed the APOE allele distribution in the world. The APOE*3 is the most frequent in all the human groups, especially in populations with a long-established agricultural economy like those of the Mediterranean basin (0.849-0.898). The frequency of APOE*4, the ancestral allele, remains higher in populations like Pygmies (0.407) and Khoi San (0.370), aborigines of Malaysia (0.240) and Australia (0.260), Papuans (0.368), some Native Americans (0.280), and Lapps (0.310) where an economy of foraging still exists, or food supply is (or was until the recent past) scarce and sporadically available. The APOE*2 frequency fluctuates with no apparent trend (0.145-0.02) and is absent in Native Americans. We suggest that the APOE*4, based on some functional properties it has and on its distribution among human populations, could be identified as a 'thrifty' allele. The exposure of APOE*4 to the contemporary environmental conditions (Western diet, longer lifespans) could have rendered it a susceptibility allele for CAD and AD. The absence of the association of APOE*4 with CAD and AD in Sub-Saharan Africans, and its presence in African Americans, seems to confirm this hypothesis.
Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a rare disease. The annual incidence in the West is 1-2 cases per million population per year. A recent WHO symposium in 1998 has produced a consensus on classification, methods of screening, risk assessment and treatment. PPH is a diagnosis of exclusion after all other secondary causes of pulmonary hypertension are ruled out. Current treatment strategy involves acute vasodilator drug trial where positive responders are treated with high dose calcium channel blockers and anticoagulation. Those who do not show positive response may be commenced on intravenous prostacyclin. Surgical treatment is one option for patients with severe PPH or for symptomatic relief. Prognosis in general is very poor.
This study was done to ascertain the knowledge and practice of medical officers on spirometry and management of COPD in a medical department of a state hospital. A total of 81 questionnaires with nine items were distributed to medical officers in the medical department (MD) and in other departments (controls). Eight incomplete questionnaires were rejected. In all 15 (21%) respondents were analysed from MD and 58 (79%) from the control group. The respondents from MD were aware that spirometry was important in COPD (100% versus 69%, P < 0.01) but in practice both groups were as likely to use peak expiratory flow rate. Respondents from MD were more likely to treat mild COPD (73% versus 12%, P < 0.001) according to Malaysian Thoracic Society COPD guidelines and also more likely to perform steroid trial (93% versus 37%, P < 0.001). Only 9 (60%) from MD and 33(57%) would refer patients for home oxygen assessment. This preliminary survey suggests that there was lack of translation of knowledge into practice particularly in terms of use of spirometry in COPD as well as lack of awareness for home oxygen assessment. A bigger survey involving all doctors in the state to answer issues raised in this preliminary survey is being conducted.
Palms are iconic plants. Oil palms are very important economically and originate in Africa where they can act as a model for palms in general. The effect of future climate on the growth of oil palm will be very detrimental. Latitudinal migration of tropical crops to climate refuges may be impossible, and longitudinal migration has only been confirmed for oil palm, of all the tropical crops. The previous method to determine the longitudinal trend for oil palm used the longitudes of various countries in Africa and plotted these against the percentage suitable climate for growing oil palms in each country. An increasing longitudinal trend was observed from west to east. However, the longitudes of the countries were randomly distributed which may have introduced bias and the procedure was time consuming. The present report presents an optimised and systematic procedure that divided the regions, as presented on a map derived from a CLIMEX model, into ten equal sectors and the percentage suitable climates for growing oil palm were determined for each sector. This approach was quicker, systematic and straight forward and will be useful for management of oil palm plantations under climate change. The method confirmed and validated the trends reported in the original method although the suitability values were often lower and there was less spread of values around the trend. The values for the CSIRO MK3.0 and MIROC H models demonstrated considerable similarities to each other, contributing to validation of the method. The procedure of dividing maps equally into sectors derived from models, could be used for other crops, regions, or systems more generally, where the alternative may be a more superficial visual examination of the maps. Methods are required to mitigate the effects of climate change and stakeholders need to contribute more actively to the current climate debate with tangible actions.
Intact immature flower buds of African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha H. Wendl.) were used as explant sources for in vitro studies. The effect of exogenous hormones, NAA and BAP on the indirect organogenesis of this species was observed. Callus was formed on the cut end (base) of pedicels of floral buds where they were in contact with the medium. When maintained on the same medium, callus was differentiated into adventitious shoots after 10 weeks in culture. MS media supplemented with 2.0 mg L(-1) NAA and 1.0 mg L(-1) BAP gave the highest number of sterile or vegetative floral buds from the surface of callus of the explants, but these buds failed to develop further. The floral buds were expanded as abnormal flowers. The floral structures were smaller in size compared to intact flowers. Petals (corolla) were white to purple in colour but did not form any reproductive organs, i.e., stamens or pistils. All sterile or vegetative floral buds and abnormal flowers survived for 3 months in culture but failed to reach anthesis.
Ureteritis cystica is a rare, benign, proliferative condition. We report the case of a 51-year-old female who complained of dysuria and frequency for the last 10 years. The symptoms, however, increased in severity and frequency over the past one year. Urine culture and sensitivity showed presence of Escherichia Coli which was sensitive to augmentin and ciproflaxocin. The urinary tract ultrasonography and intravenous urography revealed bladder diverticula with multiple small, smooth well defects with sharp borders that protruded into the lumen along the proximal and mid left ureter. This finding was later confirmed by retrograde pyelogram. She was treated and currently is on long term antibiotic therapy. The diagnostic features and management of ureteritis cystic is being discussed in detail.
Pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium following blunt chest trauma are rare. Diagnosis is by chest radiograph and CT Scan. They have to be identified and treated accordingly. Usually, pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium are self-limiting requiring no specific therapy. However, vigilance and a continuous monitoring of the vital signs are necessary.
This paper will study and evaluate watermarking technique by Zain and Fauzi [1]. Recommendations will then be made to enhance the technique especially in the aspect of recovery or reconstruction rate for medical images. A proposal will also be made for a better distribution of watermark to minimize the distortion of the Region of Interest (ROI). The final proposal will enhance AW-TDR in three aspects; firstly the image quality in the ROI will be improved as the maximum change is only 2 bits in every 4 pixels, or embedding rate of 0.5 bits/pixel. Secondly the recovery rate will also be better since the recovery bits are located outside the region of interest. The disadvantage in this is that, only manipulation done in the ROI will be detected. Thirdly the quality of the reconstructed image will be enhanced since the average of 2 x 2 pixels would be used to reconstruct the tampered image.
Metal implants such as titanium, stainless steel and Co-Cr-Mo are used for load bearing purposes such as hip joint prostheses, fixing plates and dental root implants. For practical application, plasma-sprayed coatings of hydroxyapatite (HA) on metal implants are applied to promote early formation of strong bonds between metal implant and living bone. Plasma spray coating involves heating of HA material to a semi-molten or molten state and then propels its to a metal substrate. The plasma flame temperature is in the range of 6,000 degrees C to 16,000 degrees C but the surface temperature of the substrate rarely exceeds 150 degrees C. The HA materials are feed into the spray gun in the form of powders. Furthermore, this paper will discuss the processes of plasma-sprayed coating of HA on various types of metal implants.
A rare case of a newborn male with a perineal hamartoma, accessory scrotum, anorectal anomaly, hypospadias, and bifid scrotum is reported, with discussion of its embryological significance. Only three other cases with such a combination of anomalies have been reported in the English literature.
A power law called the species-area relationship describes the finding that the number of species is proportional to the size of the area in which they are found, raised to an exponent (usually, a number between 0.2 and 0.3). In their Perspective, May and Stumpf discuss new results from a survey of five tropical forest census areas containing a total of a million trees. They explain how this large data set can be used to fine-tune the existing power law so that it provides a better prediction of species diversity in small census samples.