Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 559 in total

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  1. Kumar SK, Zain RB, Ismail SM, Cheong SC
    J Exp Clin Cancer Res, 2005 Dec;24(4):639-46.
    PMID: 16471328
    Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), the catalytic subunit of telomerase, is strongly associated with telomerase activity implicated in cellular immortalization and tumorigenesis. In situ detection of hTERT will aid in determining the localization of telomerase positive cells. The aim of this study was to detect hTERT protein expression in multistep oral carcinogenesis using paraffin embedded tissue samples, and to study the relationship of hTERT expression with different histological stages in oral carcinogenesis. Normal (n = 4), hyperplastic (n = 4), dysplastic (n = 4) and neoplastic (n = 10) oral epithelia representing different histological stages in oral carcinogenesis were included in the study. hTERT protein detection was done by immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique. Nuclear staining intensities were noted and the hTERT-labelling index was determined. Dysplastic and neoplastic oral epithelia showed an increased percentage of hTERT positive cells (Grade 4: > 50% positive staining nuclei) with intense staining in the basal, parabasal and superficial layers of the epithelia, unlike normal oral mucosa which showed intense staining only in the basal and parabasal cell layers, which are the normal proliferative progenitor compartments. hTERT protein expression was elevated with the corresponding advancement of the histological stages of oral carcinogenesis, from normal to hyperplasia to dysplasia to carcinoma. There seems to be an upregulation of hTERT protein expression during the progression of oral cancer, therefore, this may indicate the feasibility of IHC detection of hTERT protein in oral carcinogenesis as a potential diagnostic or prognostic marker.
  2. Kumar S, Miranda-Massari JR, Gonzalez MJ, Riordan HD
    P R Health Sci J, 2004 Jun;23(2):125-6.
    PMID: 15377062
    We report a case of jellyfish envenomation in a 39 year old male. He was stung extensively on both lower limbs by an unidentified jellyfish. This occurred in shallow waters of a beach in the vicinity of Labuan Island, Malaysia. The patient received ambulatory treatment with parenteral and oral ascorbate with remarkable recovery.
  3. Chan KY, Hairol O, Imtiaz H, Zailani M, Kumar S, Somasundaram S, et al.
    Med J Malaysia, 2002 Dec;57(4):418-25.
    PMID: 12733166
    This is a retrospective review of 110 patients admitted to the Burns Units between October 1999 and November 2001. The aim was to determine the burns pattern of patients admitted to hospital UKM. There was an increasing trend for patients admitted. Female to male ratio was 1:2. Children consisted 34% of the total admission. Children had significant higher number of scald burns as compare to adult (p < 0.01). Domestic burns were consist of 75% overall admission. Mean percentage of TBSA (total body surface area) burns was 19%. Thirty percent of patients sustained more than 20% of TBSA. Sixty percent of patients had scald burns. Ninety percents of patients with second degree burns that were treated with biologic membrane dressing or split skin graft. Mean duration of hospital stay was 10 days. Over 70% of patients were discharged within 15 days. Overall mortality rate was 6.3%. The patients who died had significantly larger area of burns of more than 20% TBSA (p < 0.05) and a higher incidence of inhalation injury (p < 0.02). Hence, this study suggests a need for better preventive measures by the authority to prevent burns related accident and the expansion of the service provided by the Burns Unit.
  4. Padmanathan A, Yadav M, Gregory AR, Kumar S, Norhanum AW
    Med J Malaysia, 1997 Jun;52(2):108-16.
    PMID: 10968067
    The present study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of HPV in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cervical carcinoma tissues using PCR followed by non-radioactive Southern hybridization with type-specific oligonucleotides for HPV 16 and 18. In addition, the tissue sections were immunohistochemically screened with two monoclonal antibodies, for expression of HPV 16 L1 and HPV 18 E6 proteins. A total of 57 of 60 cervical carcinomas (95.0%) were found with HPV using both techniques. HPV 16 and HPV 18 were present in equal proportions. Results of both DNA hybridization and immunohistochemistry were in agreement for the majority of the cases. HPV 16 and 18 DNA and virus-encoded antigens, L1 and E6 were found highly prevalent in these cervical carcinomas. Due to the high prevalence of HPV with cervical carcinoma in Malaysia, the implementation of routine diagnosis for the virus in cervical biopsies would be clinically useful.
  5. Kingma DW, Weiss WB, Jaffe ES, Kumar S, Frekko K, Raffeld M
    Blood, 1996 Jul 01;88(1):242-51.
    PMID: 8704180
    LMP-1, an Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) latency protein, is considered a viral oncogene because of its ability to transform rodent fibroblasts in vivo and render them tumorigenic in nude mice. In human B cells, EBV LMP-1 induces DNA synthesis and abrogates apoptosis. LMP-1 is expressed in EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a subset of Hodgkin's disease (HD), and in EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorders (EBV-LPDs). Recently, focused deletions near the 3' end of the LMP-1 gene (del-LMP-1, amino acids 346-355), in a region functionally related to the half-life to the LMP-1 protein, have been reported frequently in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated HD (100%) and EBV+ Malaysian and Danish peripheral T-cell lymphomas (100%, 61% respectively), but less frequently in cases of HD not associated with HIV (28%, 33%) and infectious mononucleosis (33%). To further investigate the potential relationship of del-LMP-1 to EBV-LPDs associated with immunosuppression or immunodeficiency, we studied 39 EBV-associated lymphoproliferations (10 benign, 29 malignant) from four distinct clinical settings: posttransplant (4 malignant, 1 reactive); HIV+ (18 malignant, 2 reactive); nonimmunodeficiency malignant lymphoma (ML) (7 cases); and sporadic EBV infection with lymphoid hyperplasia (7 cases). The presence of EBV within lymphoid cells was confirmed by EBV EBER1 RNA in situ hybridization or by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. EBV strain type and LMP-1 deletion status were determined by PCR. EBV strain types segregated into two distinct distributions: HIV+ (9 A; 11 B) and non-HIV (19 A, 0 B), consistent with previous reports. Overall, del-LMP-1 were found in 1 of 5 (20%) Burkitt lymphomas (BL); 17 of 24 (71%) aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (agg-NHL), and 2 of 10 (20%) reactive lymphoid proliferations. Of the agg-NHLs, del-LMP-1 were present in 4 of 4 PT-ML (100%); 10 of 15 HIV+ ML (67%); and 3 of 5 nonimmunodeficiency malignant lymphoma (ML, 60%). A total of 2 of 7 (28%) sporadic EBV-associated lymphoid hyperplasias contained a del-LMP-1. All del-LMP-1 were identical by DNA sequence analysis. No correlation was identified between the presence of del-LMP-1 and the EBV strain type observed. The high incidence of del-LMP-1 observed in agg-NHLs (71%), in contrast to the relatively low incidence observed in reactive lymphoid proliferations (28%), suggests that the deleted form may be preferentially selected in lymphomatous processes. All posttransplant agg-NHLs contained a del-LMP-1, and a similar frequency of del-LMP-1 was observed in both HIV-associated ML (66%) and nonimmunodeficiency ML (60%), suggesting that impairment of immune function alone is not a requirement for the expansion of malignant cells infected by EBV stains containing the deleted LMP-1 gene.
  6. Kamsan SS, Singh DKA, Tan MP, Kumar S
    PMID: 33916628 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073777
    Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic disorder in the older population. While timely management is important to minimize the consequences of knee OA, information on the utilization of healthcare services among this population remains limited. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the healthcare utilization and its associated factors in older persons with knee OA. Cross-sectional data from 1073 participants aged 60 years and above from the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) study were included. The utilization rate of healthcare services was quantified. Factors related to the utilization of healthcare services were determined using logistic regression analysis. Healthcare utilization among participants with knee OA was significantly higher than those without knee OA (p < 0.01). Outpatient usage was higher (p < 0.01) in comparison to inpatient and pharmacotherapy. Being married and having an income were significantly associated with seeking outpatient care (OR: 11.136, 95% CI: 1.73-52.82, p < 0.01) and pharmacotherapy (OR: 10.439, 95% CI: 1.187-91.812, p < 0.05), while females were less likely to utilize inpatient care services (OR: 0.126, 95% CI: 0.021-0.746, p < 0.05). The higher rate of healthcare utilization among older persons with knee OA indicates the increased healthcare needs of this population, who are commonly assumed to suffer from a benign disease.
  7. Joshi S, Rao V, Shetty UC, Rai S, Arora S, Kumar SR
    Malays Orthop J, 2021 Jul;15(2):151-158.
    PMID: 34429836 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2107.022
    Introduction: The movement and steadiness of the shoulder joint is due to both the dynamic and static stabilisers. Recurrent anterior shoulder instability is common due to the Bankart lesion or the Hill Sachs lesion. The bone loss and soft tissue failure due to these lesions causing instability is well compensated by Latarjet procedure which acts by triple blocking effect of the bone graft, the sling effect of the conjoint tendon of subscapularis and the ligament of the coracoacromial ligament stump.

    Materials and methods: Middle-aged patients with recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation and a mid-range instability on clinical assessment with an isolated glenoid bone loss of 20% or Bankart lesion with engaging Hill Sachs lesion were selected for the study. The surgical procedure included a subscapularis split to expose the glenoid. The coracoid graft harvested was prefixed with Kirschner wires and placed flush over the glenoid ensuring no medial or lateral overhang and fixed with 4.0mm cancellous screws with the washer. The functional outcome was measured with the ROWE score and ASES score and the movements were evaluated.

    Results: A total of 24 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Post-operatively at final follow-up, the mean ROWE score was 97.08 ±8.45 and the mean ASES score was 94.4±9.10. One patient had screw breakage as a complication and another had restriction of movement which was managed with physiotherapy.

    Conclusion: Open Latarjet is an effective procedure for recurrent anterior shoulder instability in non-athletic middle-aged patients as a excellent functional outcome was achieved with this technique. We therefore recommend open Latarjet as an alternative to arthroscopic treatment in developing countries where patient affordability and the availability of the resources are the issues.

  8. Arya S, Patel A, Kumar S, Pau-Loke S
    Environ Pollut, 2021 Aug 15;283:117033.
    PMID: 33887669 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117033
    Waste residues and acidic effluents (post-processing of E-waste) released into the local surroundings cause perilous environmental threats and potential risks to human health. Only limited research and information are available toward the sustainable management of waste residues generated post resource recovery of E-waste components. In the present study, the manual processing of obsolete computer (keyboard, monitor, CPU, and mouse) and chemical leaching of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) (motherboard, hard drive, DVD drive, and power supply) were performed for urban mining. The toxicity characteristics of typical pollutants in the residues of the WPCBs (post chemical leaching) were studied by toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) test. Manual dismantling techniques resulted in an efficient urban mining concept with an overall average profit estimation of INR 2513.73/US$ 34.59. The chemical leaching of WPCBs showed a high concentration of metal leaching like Cu (229662 ± 575.3 mg/kg) and Pb (36785.67 ± 13.07 mg/kg) in the motherboard after stripping epoxy coating. The toxicity test revealed that the concentration of Cu (245.746 ± 0.016 mg/l) in the treated waste residue and Cu (430.746 ± 0.0015 mg/l) and Pb (182.09 ± 0.0035 mg/l) in the non-treated waste residue exceeded the threshold limit. The concentrations of other elements As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ag, Mn, Zn, Ni, Fe, Se, and In were within the permissible limit. Hence, the waste residue stands non-hazardous except Cu and Pb. Stripping out the epoxy coating of WPCBs enhances the metal leaching concentrations. The study highlighted that efficient and appropriate E-waste urban mining has immense potential in tracing the waste scrap into secondary resources. This study also emphasized that the final processed waste residue (left unattended or discarded due to lack of appropriate skill and technology) can be taken into consideration and exploited for value-added materials.
  9. Shrivastava AK, Kumar S, Sahu PS, Mahapatra RK
    Parasitol Res, 2017 May;116(5):1533-1544.
    PMID: 28389892 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5430-1
    Computational approaches to predict structure/function and other biological characteristics of proteins are becoming more common in comparison to the traditional methods in drug discovery. Cryptosporidiosis is a major zoonotic diarrheal disease particularly in children, which is caused primarily by Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum. Currently, there are no vaccines for cryptosporidiosis and recommended drugs are ineffective. With the availability of complete genome sequence of C. hominis, new targets have been recognized for the development of effective and better drugs and/or vaccines. We identified a unique hypothetical protein (TU502HP) in the C. hominis genome from the CryptoDB database. A three-dimensional model of the protein was generated using the Iterative Threading ASSEmbly Refinement server through an iterative threading method. Functional annotation and phylogenetic study of TU502HP protein revealed similarity with human transportin 3. The model is further subjected to a virtual screening study form the ZINC database compound library using the Dock Blaster server. A docking study through AutoDock software reported N-(3-chlorobenzyl)ethane-1,2-diamine as the best inhibitor in terms of docking score and binding energy. The reliability of the binding mode of the inhibitor is confirmed by a complex molecular dynamics simulation study using GROMACS software for 10 ns in the water environment. Furthermore, antigenic determinants of the protein were determined with the help of DNASTAR software. Our findings report a great potential in order to provide insights in the development of new drug(s) or vaccine(s) for treatment and prophylaxis of cryptosporidiosis among humans and animals.
  10. Shrivastava AK, Kumar S, Smith WA, Sahu PS
    Trop Parasitol, 2017 Jan-Jun;7(1):8-17.
    PMID: 28459010 DOI: 10.4103/2229-5070.202290
    Cryptosporidiosis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium species, which is a leading cause of diarrhea in a variety of vertebrate hosts. The primary mode of transmission is through oral routes; infections spread with the ingestion of oocysts by susceptible animals or humans. In humans, Cryptosporidium infections are commonly found in children and immunocompromised individuals. The small intestine is the most common primary site of infection in humans while extraintestinal cryptosporidiosis occurs in immunocompromised individuals affecting the biliary tract, lungs, or pancreas. Both innate and adaptive immune responses play a critical role in parasite clearance as evident from studies with experimental infection in mice. However, the cellular immune responses induced during human infections are poorly understood. In this article, we review the currently available information with regard to epidemiology, diagnosis, therapeutic interventions, and strategies being used to control cryptosporidiosis infection. Since cryptosporidiosis may spread through zoonotic mode, we emphasis on more epidemiological surveillance-based studies in developing countries with poor sanitation and hygiene. These epidemiological surveys must incorporate fecal source tracking measures to identify animal and human populations contributing significantly to the fecal burden in the community, as mitigation measures differ by host type.
  11. Bera H, Ippagunta SR, Kumar S, Vangala P
    Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl, 2017 Jul 01;76:715-726.
    PMID: 28482582 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2017.03.074
    Novel alginate-arabic gum (AG) gel membrane coated alginate-ghatti gum (GG) modified montmorillonite (MMT) composite matrices were developed for intragastric flurbiprofen (FLU) delivery by combining floating and mucoadhesion mechanisms. The clay-biopolymer composite matrices containing FLU as core were accomplished by ionic-gelation technique. Effects of polymer-blend (alginate:GG) ratios and crosslinker (CaCl2) concentrations on drug entrapment efficiency (DEE, %) and cumulative drug release after 8h (Q8h, %) were studied to optimize the core matrices by a 32factorial design. The optimized matrices (F-O) demonstrated DEE of 91.69±1.43% and Q8hof 74.96±1.56% with minimum errors in prediction. The alginate-AG gel membrane enveloped optimized matrices (F-O, coated) exhibited superior buoyancy, better ex vivo mucoadhesion and slower drug release rate. The drug release profile of FLU-loaded uncoated and coated optimized matrices was best fitted in Korsmeyer-Peppas model with anomalous diffusion and case-II transport driven mechanism, respectively. The uncoated and coated matrices containing FLU were also characterized for drug-excipients compatibility, drug crystallinity, thermal behaviour and surface morphology. Thus, the newly developed alginate-AG gel membrane coated alginate-GG modified MMT composite matrices are appropriate for intragastric delivery of FLU over an extended period of time with improved therapeutic benefits.
  12. Amarnath Praphakar R, Jeyaraj M, Ahmed M, Suresh Kumar S, Rajan M
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2018 Oct 15;118(Pt B):1627-1638.
    PMID: 29981824 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.07.008
    Recently, drug functionalized biodegradable polymers have been appreciated to be imperative to fabricate multi-drug delivery nanosystems for sustainable drug release. In this work, amphiphilic chitosan-grafted-(cetyl alcohol-maleic anhydride-pyrazinamide) (CS-g-(CA-MA-PZA)) was synthesized by multi-step reactions. The incorporation of rifampicin (RF) and entrapment of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on CS-g-(CA-MA-PZA) polymer was carried out by dialysis technique. From the FT-IR experiment, the polymer modification, incorporation of drugs and the entrapment of Ag NPs on micelles were confirmed. The surface morphology of Ag NPs, polymeric system and drug loaded micelles was described by SEM, TEM and AFM techniques. In addition, the controlled release behaviour of CS-g-(CA-MA-PZA) micelles was studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy. In vitro cell viability, cell apoptosis and cellular uptake experiments shows that multi-drug delivery system could enhance the biocompatibility and higher the cytotoxicity effect on the cells. Since the prepared amphiphilic polymeric micelles exhibit spotty features and the system is a promising strategy for a novel candidate for immediate therapeutically effects for alveolar macrophages.
  13. Siow KS, Britcher L, Kumar S, Griesser HJ
    Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 2018 Oct 09;173:447-453.
    PMID: 30326361 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.10.015
    As some proteins are known to interact with sulfated and phosphated biomolecules such as specific glycosaminoglycans, this study derives from the hypothesis that sulfonate and phosphonate groups on solid polymer surfaces might cause specific interfacial interactions. Such surfaces were prepared by plasma polymerization of heptylamine (HA) and subsequent grafting of sulfonate or phosphonate groups via Michael-type addition of vinylic compounds. Adsorption of the proteins fibrinogen, albumin (HSA) and lysozyme on these functionalised plasma polymer surfaces was studied by XPS and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). It was also studied whether pre-adsorption with HSA would lead to a passivated surface against further adsorption of other proteins. XPS confirmed grafting of vinyl sulfonate and vinyl phosphonate onto the amine surface and showed that the proteins adsorbed to saturation at between 1 and 2 h. QCM-D showed rapid and irreversible adsorption of albumin on all three surfaces, while lysozyme could be desorbed with PBS to substantial extents from the sulfonated and phosphonated surfaces but not from the amine surface. Fibrinogen showed rapid initial adsorption followed by slower additional mass gain over hours. Passivation with albumin led to small and largely reversible subsequent adsorption of lysozyme, whereas with fibrinogen partial displacement yielded a mixed layer, regardless of the surface chemistry. Thus, protein adsorption onto these sulfonated and phosphonated surfaces is complex, and not dominated by electrostatic charge effects.
  14. Rajamanikam A, Hooi HS, Kudva M, Samudi C, Kumar S
    PLoS One, 2019;14(2):e0212542.
    PMID: 30794628 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212542
    Blastocsytis sp. is a protozoan parasite that has been linked to common gastrointestinal illnesses. Metronidazole, the first line therapy, was reported to show frequent inefficacy. Previously, Blastocystis sp. isolated from different population showed varying metronidazole resistance. However, the effect of metronidazole treatment on pathogenic potentials of Blastocystis sp. isolated from different populations, which is known to have different gut environment, is unclear. This study investigates the in vitro effect of metronidazole on the pathogenic potentials of Blastocystis sp. isolated from urban and orang asli individuals. Blastocystis sp. ST 3 isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals were treated with a range of metronidazole concentration. The parasites' growth characteristics, apoptotic rate, specific protease activity and the ability to proliferate cancer cells were analyzed upon treatment with 0.001 mg/l metronidazole. The study demonstrates that Blastocystis sp. isolates showed increase in the parasite numbers especially the amoebic forms (only in urban isolates) after treating with metronidazole at the concentration of 0.001 mg/ml. High number of cells in post-treated isolates coincided with increase of apoptosis. There was a significant increase in cysteine protease of Blastocystis sp. isolates upon treatment despite the initial predominance of serine protease in asymptomatic isolates. Metronidazole resistant Blastocystis sp. also showed significant increase in cancer cell proliferation. Resistance to metronidazole did not show significant different influence on the pathogenicity between Blastocystis sp. isolated from urban and orang asli individual. However, an increase in parasite numbers, higher amoebic forms, cysteine protease and ability to proliferate cancer cells implicates a pathogenic role. The study provides evidence for the first time, the effect of metronidazole towards enhancing pathogenic potentials in Blastocystis sp. when isolated from different gut environment. This necessitates the need for reassessment of metronidazole treatment modalities.
  15. Thergarajan G, Kumar S, Bhassu S, Omar SFBS, Rampal S
    PLoS One, 2019;14(3):e0211034.
    PMID: 30893309 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211034
    Increasing incidences of dengue have become a global health threat with major clinical manifestation including high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms. These symptoms were also expressed among Blastocystis sp. infected individuals, a parasite commonly seen in human stools. This parasite has been previously reported to replicate faster upon exposure to high temperature. The present study is a hospitalized-based cross-sectional study involved the collection of faecal sample from dengue patients. Stool examination was done by in vitro cultivation to isolate Blastocystis sp. Growth pattern of all the positive isolates were analyzed to identify the multiplication rate of Blastocystis sp. isolated from dengue patients. Distribution of Blastocystis sp. among dengue patients was 23.6%. Dengue patients who were positive for Blastocystis sp. infection denoted a significantly higher fever rate reaching 38.73°C (p<0.05) compared to the non-Blastocystis sp. infected patients (38.44°C). It was also found that Blastocystis sp. infected patients complained of frequenting the toilet more than five times a day (p<0.05) compared to those who were non-Blastocystis sp. infected. At the same time, the duration of hospitalization was significantly longer (p<0.05) for Blastocystis sp. infected dengue patients compared to the non-Blastocystis sp. infected patients. Besides, Blastocystis sp. isolated from dengue patients (in vivo thermal stress) showed a higher growth rate compared to the non-dengue isolated which was exposed to high temperature (in vitro thermal stress). Our findings suggest that presence of Blastocystis sp. during dengue infection could trigger the increase of temperature which could be due to highly elevated pro inflammatory cytokines by both parasitic and virus infection. This could justify why the temperature in Blastocystis sp. infected dengue patients is higher compared to the non-Blastocystis sp. infected patients. Higher temperature could have triggered a greater parasite multiplication rate that contributed to the aggravation of the gastrointestinal symptoms.
  16. Kamsan SS, Singh DKA, Tan MP, Kumar S
    PLoS One, 2020;15(3):e0230318.
    PMID: 32226047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230318
    Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is closely related with ageing, physical disability and functional dependency. The course of KOA is considered progressive and irreversible. Engagement with self-management may, however, minimize the impact of KOA. To be fully engaged with self-management activities, knowledge about KOA is a prerequisite. There is limited empirical data on older adults' understanding on KOA and their information needs about KOA. Therefore, the aims of this study were to explore older adults' knowledge about KOA and their perspectives on the information required to enable self-management. Three focus groups were conducted with 16 older adults with KOA. The sample consisted of three men and thirteen women with the mean age 73.2 years (range from 61 to 89). Thematic content analysis revealed two themes which were understanding about KOA and information needed about KOA. Participants' knowledge about KOA varied between individuals with many expressing that they needed more information about KOA. A targeted strategy is needed to educate older adults about KOA in order to support and prepare them for self-management.
  17. Heaw YC, Singh DKA, Tan MP, Kumar S
    Australas J Ageing, 2021 Nov 01.
    PMID: 34724301 DOI: 10.1111/ajag.13008
    OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the bidirectional associations between specific executive function (EF) and physical function (PF) subdomains among older adults.

    METHODS: A systematic literature search (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, EBSCOHOST, Scopus and EmCare) was undertaken from February 2018 to May 2020. Observational studies measuring associations between EF and PF subdomains among older adults were included.

    RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-seven studies reported associations between EF and PF. There were bidirectional associations between slower processing speed and slower gait speed; slower processing speed and lower muscle strength; and lower verbal fluency and slower gait speed. Lower muscle strength was unilaterally associated with lower working memory.

    CONCLUSIONS: We found consistent bidirectional associations between processing speed with gait speed and muscle strength, and verbal fluency and gait speed. There was a unidirectional association between muscle strength and working memory. Common causal mechanisms for EF and PF require further studies.

  18. Girish S, Kumar S, Aminudin N, Hashim NM
    Sci Rep, 2021 04 09;11(1):7833.
    PMID: 33837230 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81418-x
    Blastocystis sp. infection, although many remain asymptomatic, there is growing data in recent studies that suggests it is a frequent cause of gastrointestinal symptoms in children and adults. This proposes that treatment against this infection is necessary however metronidazole (MTZ), which is the current choice of treatment, has expressed non-uniformity in its efficacy in combating this infection which has led to the study of alternative treatment. In our previous study, it was established that Tongkat Ali fractions exhibited promising anti-protozoal properties which leads to the current aim of the study, to further narrow down the purification process in order to identify the specific active compound promoting the anti-protozoal effect through HPLC analysis. Based on the data analysis and in-vitro susceptibility assay, the collected Tongkat Ali fraction that demonstrated anti-blastocystis property was shown to contain eurycomanone. Previous studies have suggested that there is a mechanism in Blastocystis sp. that regulates the apoptotic process to produce higher number of viable cells when treated. In reference to this, our current study also aims to investigate the apoptotic response of Tongkat Ali extract and eurycomanone across different subtype groups with comparison to MTZ. Based on our investigation, both Tongkat Ali extract and eurycomanone induced the high apoptotic rate however exhibited a reduction in viable cell count (p 
  19. Kumar S, Thambiraja TS, Karuppanan K, Subramaniam G
    J Med Virol, 2022 Apr;94(4):1641-1649.
    PMID: 34914115 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27526
    Emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, especially those of concern, may have an impact on the virus's transmissibility and pathogenicity, as well as diagnostic equipment performance and vaccine effectiveness. Even though the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) emerged during India's second wave of infections, Delta variants have grown dominant internationally and are still evolving. On November 26, 2021, World Health Organization identified the variant B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern, naming it Omicron, based on evidence that Omicron contains numerous mutations that may influence its behavior. However, the mode of transmission and severity of the Omicron variant remains unknown. We used computational studies to examine the Delta and Omicron variants in this study and found that the Omicron variant had a higher affinity for human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) than the Delta variant due to a significant number of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), indicating a higher potential for transmission. Based on docking studies, the Q493R, N501Y, S371L, S373P, S375F, Q498R, and T478K mutations contribute significantly to high binding affinity with human ACE2. In comparison to the Delta variant, both the entire spike protein and the RBD in Omicron include a high proportion of hydrophobic amino acids such as leucine and phenylalanine. These amino acids are located within the protein's core and are required for structural stability. We observed a disorder-order transition in the Omicron variant between spike protein RBD regions 468-473, and it may be significant in the influence of disordered residues/regions on spike protein stability and binding to ACE2. A future study might investigate the epidemiological and biological consequences of the Omicron variant.
  20. Majid H, Ramachandra SS, Kumar S, Wei M, Gundavarapu KC
    Compend Contin Educ Dent, 2022 Jan;43(1):e5-e8.
    PMID: 35019665
    This study evaluated the effect of alloplastic bone grafts in osseous defects following surgical removal of horizontally impacted third molars by comparing the periodontal measures distal to the second molar in grafted and nongrafted third molar extraction sites. Materials and Methods: A double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial was designed on subjects with bilateral horizontally impacted mandibular third molars. Grafting consisting of alloplasts at the third molar extraction sites was compared with nongrafted sites. This study assessed 54 randomized sites in 27 patients who were selected using a split-mouth design. The predictor variable included the change in pocket depth distal to the mandibular second molar and associated dentin hypersensitivity around the second molar, assessed preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months after third molar surgery. The data regarding pocket depth reduction was statistically analyzed using paired t-test. The data concerning reduction in dentin hypersensitivity was statistically analyzed using chi-square test. Results: Six months after third molar surgery, mean pocket depth distal to mandibular second molar decreased significantly at the grafted sites compared to the nongrafted sites. The reduction in dentin hypersensitivity of mandibular second molar was statistically significant for the grafted sites at 6 months, compared to the nongrafted sites.
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