Several binary and ternary medium- and long-chain triacylglycerol (MLCT)-enriched margarine formulations were examined for their solid fat content, heating profile, polymorphism and textural properties. MLCT feedstock was produced through enzymatic esterification of capric and stearic acids with glycerol. The binary formulations were produced by mixing MLCT feedstock blend (40%–90%) and palm olein (10%–60%) with 10% increments (w/w). Solid fat profiles of commercial margarines were used as a reference to determine the suitability of the formulations for margarine production. The solid fat content of the binary formulations of MO 82 and MO 91 (M, MLCT, O, palm olein) were similar to the commercial margarines at 25°C which met the basic requirement for efficient dough consistency. Ternary formulations using reduced MLCT feedstock blend proportion (from 80%–90% to 60%–70%) were also developed. The reduction of MLCT feedstock blend was
done as it had the highest production cost (3USD/kg) in comparison to palm olein (0.77USD/kg) and palm stearin (0.7USD/kg). The proportions of 5%–15% of palm stearin were substituted with palm olein in MO 64 and MO 73 (M, MLCT; O, palm olein) formulations with 5% increment (w/w). As a result, MOS 702010 and MOS 603010 (M, MLCT; O, palm olein; S, palm stearin) margarine formulations showed similar SFC % to the commercial margarines at 25ºC. These formulations were subsequently chosen to produce margarines. The onset melting and complete melting points of MLCT-enriched margarine formulations were high (51.04ºC –57.93ºC) due to the presence of a high amount of long chain saturated fatty acids. Most of the formulations showed β΄- crystals. MOS 702010 was selected as the best formulation due to values for textural parameters comparable (P
In this study, Centella asiatica and surface soils were collected from 12 sampling sites in Peninsular Malaysia, and the barium (Ba) concentrations were determined. The Ba concentration [µg/g dry weight (dw)] was 63.72 to 382.01 µg/g in soils while in C. asiatica, Ba concentrations ranged from 5.05 to 21.88 µg/g for roots, 3.31 to 11.22 µg/g for leaves and 2.37 to 6.14 µg/g for stems. In C. asiatica, Ba accumulation was found to be the highest in roots followed by leaves and stems. The correlation coefficients (r) of Ba between plants and soils were found to be significantly positively correlated, with the highest correlation being between roots-soils (r=0.922, p
The EXIT (Ex utero intrapartum treatment) procedures have been, with a high degree of success, employed to treat a myriad types of fetal airway obstruction most commonly neck masses such as cystic hygroma and lymphangioma with ample plan including prenatal diagnosis by ultrasound scan or MRI. Before the advent of EXIT, formal documentations had been published with descriptions of intubation during intrapartum period and fetal airway protection either during normal or operative delivery. We report a 28-year-old gravida 2 para 1 who was referred to our Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) unit at 26 weeks and 3 days gestation with a foetal neck mass. We present a case of an successful EXIT procedure performed in the Lloyd Davies position with the hips abducted and flexed at 15 degrees as is employed during gynecologic laparoscopy surgery minus the Trendelenburg tilt. Both mother and baby are well. The benefits of this position are discussed.
We report a 33-year-old Malay lady who presented with fever, tonsillitis and pharyngitis a month after initiation of antithyroid therapy (carbimazole 15 mg tds) for thyrotoxicosis by her general practitioner. She was still clinically and biochemically thyrotoxic but not in thyroid storm. At that time, she was also confirmed to be four weeks pregnant. Her full blood count revealed neutropaenia with an absolute neutrophil count of 0.036 × 109/L. Bone marrow aspirate and trephine were compatible with carbimazole-related agranulocytosis. Carbimazole was discontinued and she was given broad spectrum antibiotics and Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (GCSF), to which she responded. Verapamil was used for symptomatic heart rate control instead of beta-blockers as she had a history of bronchial asthma. The patient subsequently opted for termination of pregnancy after which she was given radioactive iodine I131 (10 mCi) for definitive therapy of her thyrotoxicosis. In conclusion, carbimazole-related agranulocytosis is an important entity to recognise and treat early to prevent morbidity and mortality. Termination of pregnancy was carried out as the treatment given during the episode of agranulocytosis may have negative effects on foetal viability and growth.
Gentamicin, whether administered either intravenously, incorporated into bone cement or for local intra-operative irrigation, is a commonly used antibiotic in orthopaedic practice. The former two have been well studied, however the literature on the therapeutic efficacy and safety of gentamicin irrigation is sparse. The objective of this study was to assess systemic absorption of gentamicin irrigation in joint replacement surgery. This was a non-randomised, prospective study. Ninety-eight patients (group A) who underwent total joint replacement and 40 patients (group B) who underwent hemi-arthroplasty were treated traoperatively with gentamicin irrigation. Serum gentamicin levels were assayed at 4 hours and 24 hours post-surgery. Sixteen of 98 patients in group A (16%) and 12 out of 40 patients in group B (30%) were found to have serum gentamicin level above 2mcg/ml at 4 hours post-surgery. We conclude that intra-articular gentamicin irrigation is systemically absorbed at substantial levels.
Palmaris longus is a dispensable muscle with a long tendon which is very useful in reconstructive surgery. It is absent 2.8 to 24% of the population depending on the race/ethnicity studied. Four hundred and fifty healthy subjects (equally distributed among Malaysia's 3 major ethnic groups) were clinically examined for the presence or absence of palmaris longus. This tendon was found to be absent unilaterally in 6.4% of study subjects, and bilaterally in 2.9% of study participants. Malays have a high prevalence of palmaris longus absence at 11.3% followed closely by Indians at 10.7% whilst Chinese had a low absence rate of 6.0%.
Objective: This case report highlights males as victims of sexual abuse, ascertain the factors that are associated with male sexual abuse and outline problems in management of sexual abuse with the presence of co morbidities. Methods: We report a case of sexual abuse in a 14 year old boy who has borderline mental retardation and ADHD. Results: The victim was
traumatized due to the abuse. The perpetrator was not charged due to lack of evidence of the abuse and stigma. Conclusion: Sexual abuse that occurs in males can be influenced by multiple factors such as the presence of comorbidities. Strong awareness must be present in caregivers to prevent abuse in this population and to take appropriate and early action to effect the necessary intervention.
Objective: The aim of this study was to identify depression among HIVinfected patients attending Infectious Disease Clinic in University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). Methods: This is a cross sectional study on HIVinfected patients attending Infectious Disease Clinic, UMMC. Those who fulfilled inclusion criteria were recruited and interviewed. Sociodemographic characteristics and clinical conditions such as mode of transmission, year of diagnosis, CD4+ counts, drug treatment and clinical stage were collected. The patients were then subjected to self-administered questionnaires, Patient Health Questionnaire, (PHQ-9) and Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale (HADS). Results: 89 patients were recruited. Scores from PHQ9 showed 32% of depression rate while scores from HADS showed 19% of depression rate among the respondents. Non-self financial supporter, nonalcoholic drinkers and females were more likely to be depressed (P
Basal stem rot (BSR) caused by species Ganoderma, is one of the most serious disease of oil palm in Malaysia. As far as the disease problem to oil palm in Malaysia is concerned, BSR is the only disease requiring urgent solution. The BSR is not new to Malaysia, it has been known to attack oil palm since the early years when the crop was introduced into this country. There is an indication that there are differences in susceptibility to basal stem rot between germplasm materials from different genetic origin [2]. This provides hope in generating oil palm varieties with reduced level of susceptibility using existing genetic materials. There is also interest in developing diagnostic tools such as using PCR primers for detection of the pathogen in oil palms [1]. Altered expression of several classes of genes was observed in plants in response to fungal infection. These include genes associated with cell maintenance and development, genes involved in biosynthesis of lignin and phenolics and genes implicated in oxidative burst, programmed cell death or hypersensitive response [5].
The blood of the Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala) and the Milky Storks (M. cinerea) from Malaysia were collected
invasively from the breeding site. The blood was dropped on to FTA® cards and stored at room temperature. DNA was isolated from
the FTA® cards through a modification of the Wizard DNA Purification kit (Promega) procedure and PCR was performed with 11 pairs
of microsatellite primers of the American Wood Stork (M. americana). The collection of a drop of blood onto the card is superior to the
usual practice of collecting about five ml of blood into a vacuum tube as it causes fewer traumas to these sensitive birds. Moreover, this
collection procedure can be adopted for use in various wild animal species which are usually found in the remote areas of Malaysia as
the sample collection cards can be transported back to the laboratory at room temperature. Our procedure allows the typing of several
molecular genetic markers from just a drop of blood collected in the field and stored at room temperature alleviating the need for storage
in expensive deep freezers or liquid nitrogen tanks.
Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are tandem repeats of DNA of 1-6 bp long. They ubiquitously occur in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes. Because of their abundance,
they have widespread applications in both animal and plant sciences; such as varietal identification, genetic mapping, QTL mapping, phylogenetic and diversity studies. Thus, SSRs have become valuable DNA markers for molecular biologists and geneticists. Microsatellites are markers
of choice for many molecular geneticists because of their hypervariability, codominant
inheritance, multi-allelism and PCR-based assaying of variations that are amenable to automation and high throughput assay. However, the utilization of microsatellite markers in the past was
hampered by its laborious de novo isolations and species-specific nature.
Electrophoresis is a crucial step for the studies of proteins, allozymes, DNAs and RNAs. Two commonly used electrophoresis systems are agarose gel and polyacrylmide gel. Agarose gel is frequently used for DNAs and RNAs studies whereas polyacrylmide gel is widely used for the studies of other macromolecules such as proteins, allozymes (isozymes), DNAs and RNAs. The banding patterns of the gels, rather than the numbers of bands appearing on the gels are important for scoring in fingerprinting, footprinting and in population genetic studies.
Numerical studies of blood flow system of aorta coronary sinus conduit were carried out using ANSYSTMCFD simulation. A different model of conduit, which differs in the inlet diameter, was investigated. Theinvestigated inlet diameters are 3 mm, 4 mm and 5 mm. Pressure drop from 80 mmHg to 15 mmHgwas achieved for all the models. The comparison chart was produced to compare the pattern of pressurereduction as well as velocity distribution in each model. From the analysis of coronary sinus conduit,it was found that a narrow tube needs to be incorporated into the conduit produced. This is to inducea venturi effect to reduce the pressure drop of blood within a specific throat length. As conclusion, amodel of 3 mm inlet and a throat diameter of 1.13 mm show satisfactory result for pressure reductionfrom 80 mmHg to 15 mmHg. This particular model also has a lower peak velocity at the inlet zone ofthe throat section, which is more preferable in terms of Reynolds number.
Recent research suggesting the existence of potential source of pectin from roselle calyces. Pectin was successfully extracted from seven different varieties of roselle calyces. Pectin extraction was conducted using hydrochloric acid (HCl, 0.03 N, pH 1.5) or ammonium oxalate (0.25% w/v, pH 4.6) at 85⁰C for 1 h. Chemical characteristics of the HCl- and ammonium oxalate extracted pectin were compared. Results indicated that ammonium oxalate exhibited greater efficiency in pectin extraction than HCl. Highest pectin yield at 18.7% was obtained by ammonium oxalate extraction of roselle calyx variety Acc.6 compared to only 9.77% by HCl extraction. The lowest pectin yield at 11.3% and 5.78% were observed respectively in ammonium oxalate and HCl extractions of roselle calyx variety UKMR-3. Some important characteristics of ammonium oxalate extracted pectin of roselle Acc.6 were 5.98% moisture, 3.81% ash, 4.64% methoxyl content, 42.24% anhydrouronic acid (AUA) and degree of esterification (DE) 60%. This study suggested that the high DE% roselle pectin is an alternative source of pectin for food industry.
The effects of alginate-based [sodium alginate, 0-2% (w/v), glycerol, 0-2% (w/v) and sunflower oil 0.025% (w/v)] and gellan-based [gellan, 0-1% (w/v), glycerol, 0-1% (w/v) and sunflower oil 0.025% (w/v)] edible coatings on fresh-cut pineapple were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). Weight loss, firmness and respiration rate were considered as response variables. The results showed that for all response variables the RSM models were significantly (p0.05) difference between predicted and experimental values. The overall optimum region predicted by RSM indicated that alginate and gellan-based coatings containing 1.29% (w/v) sodium alginate, 1.16% (w/v) glycerol and 0.56% (w/v) gellan gum, 0.89% (w/v) glycerol were optimized formulations respectively.
This paper aims to determine acute responses of standardized resistance training load on cardio-respiratory variables in recreationally active participants. The methodology involved twelve recreationally active males with an age of 23.5 (± 4.07) years, a mass of 70.5 (± 7.84 kg), a height of 1.69 (± 0.06 m), and a body mass index of 24.8 (± 2.14) kg/m2). The participants performed an exercise protocol that comprises five exercises on a standardized load. Each exercise was performed in a duration of 60 seconds with uncontrolled lifting velocity. Cardio-respiratory responses were measured using a portable metabolic system analyzer during the exercises. A wrist digital blood pressure monitor was used to determine pre- and postprotocol blood pressure responses. Based on the results, pre- and postprotocol systolic (p=0.744) and diastolic (p=0.758) blood pressure indicated no significant responses. However, significant differences were observed in pre- and post-heart rate responses (p=0.000). Peak cardio-respiratory responses recorded during the protocol were 30.2 (± 4.02) ml/Kg/min for oxygen consumption, 138 (± 61.9) bpm for heart rate, and 633 (± 71.2) kcal for energy expenditure (estimated per hour). On average, the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) was recorded at a value of 8.62 (± 1.19). For a short duration standardized load circuit training exercise protocol, cardio respiratory responses were similar to other protocols. The metabolic cost of the predefined exercises was nearly half of the recommended energy expenditure through exercise per week. The prescribed protocol was comparable with other exercise protocols for cardiorespiratory variables. The single set protocol used was efficient in terms of caloric expenditure, and was less strenuous over similar exercise duration. Furthermore, the prescribed protocol is applicable and beneficial for active and healthy individuals.
Background and objectives: Radiation treatment in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is known to be associated with increased prevalence of carotid stenosis. The objectives of the study was to determine the prevalence of radiation-induced extracranial carotid stenosis, plaque, carotid intima thickness (CIMT) in NPC patients; to explore whether the stenosis is due to direct effect of radiation rather than general tendency to atherosclerosis. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the University Malaya Medical Centre from July 2011 to February 2012. The study subjects consisted of 47 NPC patients who were treated with radiation, and 47 healthy control. The patients and control had carotid duplex ultrasound and transcranial Doppler (TCD). Results: The mean age of the patients was 55.1 years, the time lapse from radiation was 76.7 ± 95.3 months. Internal carotid artery (ICA) and common carotid artery (CCA) stenosis of ≥50% was seen in 17.0% of patients vs 2.1 % of controls (p = 0.031), with 61.7% of patients and 19.1% of controls having plaque in ICA and CCA (p=0.004). CIMT was increased in 70.2% of patients and 44.7% of controls (p =0.022). Both the patient group and control had similar rate of intracranial stenosis of 12.8% in TCD.
Conclusion: Extracranial internal carotid artery is the most common site of stenosis following radiotherapy in NPC. This suggests that local trauma from irradiation is the most important factor in predisposition to atherosclerosis following radiation therapy.
Introduction: None of the quantitative scale for public attitudes toward epilepsy was translated to Chinese language. This study aimed to translate and test the validity and reliability of a Chinese version of the Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy (PATE) scale. Methods: The translation was performed according to standard principles and tested in 140 Chinese-speaking adults aged more than 18 years for psychometric validation. Results: The items in each domain had similar standard deviations (equal item variance), ranged from 0.85-0.95 in personal domain and 0.75-1.04 in general domain. The correlation between an item and its domain was 0.4 and above for all, and higher than the correlation with the other domain. Multitrait analysis showed the Chinese PATE had a similar variance, floor and ceiling effects, and relative relationship between the domains, as the original PATE. The Chinese PATE scale showed a similar correlation with almost all demographic variable except age. Item means were generally clustered in the factor analysis as hypothesized. The Cronbach’s α values was within acceptable range (0.773) in the personal domain and satisfactory range (0.693) in the general domain. Conclusion: The Chinese PATE scale is a validated and reliable translated version in measuring the public attitudes toward epilepsy.
Introduction: None of the identified studies employed quantitative scales correlating the knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy. Method: This study aimed to study the relationship between the knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy, using the Epilepsy Knowledge Questionnaire (EKQ) and the Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy (PATE) scale. Results: A total of 279 publics with a mean age of 36.6±14.7 years (ranged from 15-77 years), 50.8% female with majority (63.0%) Chinese, and 49.5% with tertiary education level, were recruited. The mean score of epilepsy knowledge questionnaire (EKQ) was 21.05±3.92 (95% CI: 20.57-21.48). Higher score in EKQ was associated with higher education level (p
The effects of dietary fat during pregnancy and lactation on growth performance of pups, milk composition and very low density lipoprotein composition in rats were studied. A total of 33 dams were used in this study and each litter was adjusted to 8 pups per dam. The dams were fed on high fat (150 g fat/kg diet, HF), medium fat (75 g fat/kg of diet, MF) and low fat (2.5 g fat/kg diet, LF) diets. The body weights of dams increased during pregnancy and decreased after pregnancy. The HF pups had a higher body weight and higher weight gain than those of LF pups. The amount of feed intake of HF dams was significantly higher than LF and MF dams. The HF dams had significantly higher milk fat and water concentrations than LF dams. The milk protein was not significantly different among the treatment groups. All dams showed hypertriacylglycerolaemia in their very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) in late pregnancy. The VLDL-protein concentrations increased during the first week after parturition. The HF dams showed a greater response to the dietary fat than that of LF and MF dams. The findings suggest that addition of fat in the diet during pregnancy and lactation may improve the milk quality through modifying the composition of VLDL contents, leading to better growth of pups.