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Fulltext Response to dietary supplementation of L-glutamine and L-glutamate in broiler chickens reared at different stocking densities under hot, humid tropical conditions

Shakeri M, Zulkifli I, Soleimani AF, O'Reilly EL, Eckersall PD, Anna AA, et al.

Poult Sci, 2014 Nov;93(11):2700-8.
PMID: 25143595 DOI: 10.3382/ps.2014-03910

A study was conducted to determine whether supplementing AminoGut (a commercial dietary supplement containing a mixture of l-glutamine and l-glutamic acid) to broiler chickens stocked at 2 different densities affected performance, physiological stress responses, foot pad dermatitis incidence, and intestinal morphology and microflora. A randomized design in a factorial arrangement with 4 diets [basal diet, basal diet + 0.5% AminoGut from d 1 to 21, basal diet + 0.5% AminoGut from d 1 to 42, and basal diet + virginiamycin (0.02%) for d 1 to 42] and 2 stocking densities [0.100 m(2)/bird (23 birds/pen; LD) or 0.067 m(2)/bird (35 birds/pen; HD)]. Results showed that villi length and crypt depth were not changed by different dietary treatments. However, birds in the HD group had smaller villi (P = 0.03) compared with those of the LD group. Regardless of diet, HD consistently increased the serum concentrations of ceruloplasmin, α-1 acid glycoprotein, ovotransferin, and corticosterone (P = 0.0007), and elevated heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (0.0005). Neither AminoGut supplementation nor stocking density affected cecal microflora counts. In conclusion, under the conditions of this study, dietary supplementation of AminoGut, irrespective of stocking density, had no beneficial effect on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and physiological adaptive responses of broiler chickens raised under hot and humid tropical conditions. However, AminoGut supplementation from d 1 to 42 was beneficial in reducing mortality rate. Also, the increased serum concentrations of a wide range of acute phase proteins together with elevated corticosterone and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio suggested that high stocking density induced an acute phase response either indirectly as a result of increased incidence of inflammatory diseases such as foot pad dermatitis or possibly as a direct physiological response to the stress of high stocking density.
Fulltext Schiff base metal derivatives enhance the expression of HSP70 and suppress BAX proteins in prevention of acute gastric lesion

Golbabapour S, Gwaram NS, Al-Obaidi MM, Soleimani AF, Ali HM, Abdul Majid N

Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:703626.
PMID: 24298554 DOI: 10.1155/2013/703626

Schiff base complexes have appeared to be promising in the treatment of different diseases and disorders and have drawn a lot of attention to their biological activities. This study was conducted to evaluate the regulatory effect of Schiff base metal derivatives on the expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) 70 and BAX in protection against acute haemorrhagic gastric ulcer in rats. Rats were assigned to 6 groups of 6 rats: the normal control (Tween 20 5% v/v, 5 mL/kg), the positive control (Tween 20 5% v/v, 5 mL/kg), and four Schiff base derivative groups named Schiff_1, Schiff_2, Schiff_3, and Schiff_4 (25 mg/kg). After 1 h, all of the groups received ethanol 95% (5 mL/kg) but the normal control received Tween 20 (Tween 20 5% v/v, 5 mL/kg). The animals were euthanized after 60 min and the stomachs were dissected for histology (H&E), immunohistochemistry, and western blot analysis against HSP70 and BAX proteins. The results showed that the Schiff base metal derivatives enhanced the expression of HSP70 and suppressed the expression of BAX proteins during their gastroprotection against ethanol-induced gastric lesion in rats.
Accuracy of MRI in the diagnosis of meniscal tears in patients with chronic ACL tears

Sharifah MI, Lee CL, Suraya A, Johan A, Syed AF, Tan SP

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc, 2015 Mar;23(3):826-30.
PMID: 24240983 DOI: 10.1007/s00167-013-2766-7

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing meniscal tears in patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and to determine the frequency of missed meniscal tears on MRI.
METHODS: This prospective comparative study was conducted from 2009 to 2012. Patients with ACL injuries who underwent knee arthroscopy and MRI were included in the study. Two radiologists who were blinded to the clinical history and arthroscopic findings reviewed the pre-arthroscopic MR images. The presence and type of meniscal tears on MRI and arthroscopy were recorded. Arthroscopic findings were used as the reference standard. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of MRI in the evaluation of meniscal tears were calculated.
RESULTS: A total of 65 patients (66 knees) were included. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV for the MRI diagnosis of lateral meniscal tears in our patients were 83, 97, 92, 96, and 90 %, respectively, whereas those for medial meniscus tears were 82, 92, 88, 82, and 88 %, respectively. There were five false-negative diagnoses of medial meniscus tears and four false-negative diagnoses of lateral meniscus tears. The majority of missed meniscus tears on MRI affected the peripheral posterior horns.
CONCLUSION: The sensitivity for diagnosing a meniscal tear was significantly higher when the tear involved more than one-third of the meniscus or the anterior horn. The sensitivity was significantly lower for tears located in the posterior horn and for vertically oriented tears. Therefore, special attention should be given to the peripheral posterior horns of the meniscus, which are common sites of injury that could be easily missed on MRI. The high NPVs obtained in this study suggest that MRI is a valuable tool prior to arthroscopy.
20 GHz spacing multi-wavelength generation of Brillouin-Raman fiber laser in a hybrid linear cavity

Mamdoohi G, Sarmani AR, Abas AF, Yaacob MH, Mokhtar M, Mahdi MA

Opt Express, 2013 Aug 12;21(16):18724-32.
PMID: 23938788 DOI: 10.1364/OE.21.018724

We demonstrate a tunable multi-wavelength Brillouin-Raman fiber laser with 20 GHz wavelength spacing. The setup is arranged in a linear cavity by employing 7.2 and 11 km dispersion compensating fibers (DCF) in addition to a 30 cm Bismuth-oxide erbium doped fiber. In this experiment, for the purpose of increasing the Stokes lines, it is necessary to optimize Raman pump power and Brillouin pump power together with its corresponding wavelengths. At the specific Brillouin pump wavelength, it is found that the longer length of 11 km DCF with optimized parameters results in larger number of Stokes combs and optical signal to noise ratios (OSNRs). In this case, a total of 195 Brillouin Stokes combs are produced across 28 nm bandwidth at Brillouin pump power of -2 dBm and Raman pump power of 1000 mW. In addition, all Brillouin Stokes signals exhibit an average OSNR of 26 dB.
Fulltext Knowledge of Good Blood Culture Sampling Practice among Healthcare Staffs in An Emergency Department - Are We Getting It Right?

Chew KS, Mohd Hashairi F, Jusoh AF, Aziz AA, Nik Hisamuddin NAR, Siti Asma H

Med J Malaysia, 2013 Aug;68(4):323-5.
PMID: 24145260 MyJurnal

Although a vital test, blood culture is often plagued with the problem of contamination and false results, especially in a chaotic emergency department setting. The objectives of this pilot study is to find out the level of understanding among healthcare staffs in emergency department, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) regarding good blood culture sampling practice.
Diversity in the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clones

Ghaznavi-Rad E, Neela V, Nor Shamsudin M, Ghasemzadeh Moghaddam H, Tavakol M, van Belkum A, et al.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 2012 Dec;31(12):3317-21.
PMID: 23010901 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-012-1698-3

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is well known for its epidemicity, with the emergence of new clones on a daily basis. Diversity in the clonal types of MRSA challenges the success of treatment, as different clones respond to different sets of antibiotics. However, the antibiotic susceptibility among the isolates within the same clones is largely unexplored. In a previous study on MRSA epidemiology in Malaysia, we identified six major clonal complexes (ST-239-CC8, ST-1-CC1, ST-188-CC1, ST-22-CC22, ST-7-CC7 and ST-1283-CC8). In the present study, we investigated the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of isolates of different clones. Three hundred and eighty-nine MRSA isolates were subjected to the disc diffusion test, oxacillin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination and assessment of the distribution of macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin B (MLS(B)) resistance genes. Thirty-six different antibiotic profiles were observed: 30 (83.3 %) among ST-239, 2 (5.6 %) among ST-1283 and 1 (2.8 %) each for ST-1, ST-7, ST-22 and ST-188. All ST-239 (362, 9 %) isolates were multiple drug-resistant (MDR; resistant to more than three classes of antibiotics) and had oxacillin MICs >256 mg/l. Among the 385 clindamycin-resistant isolates, 375 (96.4 %) illustrated inducible resistance (D-zone-positive), while 10 (2.6 %) showed constitutive resistance. The vast majority of the macrolide-resistant isolates carried the ermA gene (95.1 %), followed by ermC (12.9 %). Diversity in the antibiotic susceptibilities of isolates within the clones emphasises the need for continuous surveillance of MDR strains to prescribe the correct antibiotic rather than empirical treatment. This will likely reduce the emergence of new endemic or epidemic resistant MRSA clones.
Dietary supplementation of Zingiber officinale and Zingiber zerumbet to heat-stressed broiler chickens and its effect on heat shock protein 70 expression, blood parameters and body temperature

Hasheimi SR, Zulkifli I, Somchit MN, Zunita Z, Loh TC, Soleimani AF, et al.

J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl), 2013 Aug;97(4):632-8.
PMID: 22533311 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2012.01302.x

The present study was conducted to assess the effects of dietary supplementation of Zingiber officinale and Zingiber zerumbet and to heat-stressed broiler chickens on heat shock protein (HSP) 70 density, plasma corticosterone concentration (CORT), heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (HLR) and body temperature. Beginning from day 28, chicks were divided into five dietary groups: (i) basal diet (control), (ii) basal diet +1%Z. zerumbet powder (ZZ1%), (iii) basal diet +2%Z. zerumbet powder (ZZ2%), (iv) basal diet +1%Z. officinale powder (ZO1%) and (v) basal diet +2%Z. officinale powder (ZO2%). From day 35-42, heat stress was induced by exposing birds to 38±1°C and 80% RH for 2 h/day. Irrespective of diet, heat challenge elevated HSP70 expression, CORT and HLR on day 42. On day 42, following heat challenge, the ZZ1% birds showed lower body temperatures than those of control, ZO1% and ZO2%. Neither CORT nor HLR was significantly affected by diet. The ZO2% and ZZ2% diets enhanced HSP70 expression when compared to the control groups. We concluded that dietary supplementation of Z. officinale and Z. zerumbet powder may induce HSP70 reaction in broiler chickens exposed to heat stress.
Fulltext Morphometric and molecular analysis of mackerel (Rastrelliger spp) from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Darlina MN, Masazurah AR, Jayasankar P, Jamsari AF, Siti AM

Genet. Mol. Res., 2011;10(3):2078-92.
PMID: 21968625 DOI: 10.4238/vol10-3gmr1249

Mackerel (Scombridae; Rastrelliger) are small commercially important pelagic fish found in tropical regions. They serve as a cheap source of animal protein and are commonly used as live bait. By using a truss morphometrics protocol and RAPD analysis, we examined morphological and genetic variation among 77 individual mackerel that were caught using long lines and gillnets at 11 locations along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Nineteen morphometric traits were evaluated and genetic information was estimated using five 10-base RAPD random primers. Total DNA was extracted from muscle tissue. Morphometric discriminant function analysis revealed that two morphologically distinct groups of Rastrelliger kanagurta and a single group of R. brachysoma can be found along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. We also found that the head-related characters and those from the anterior part of the body of Rastrelliger spp significantly contribute to stock assessment of this population. RAPD analysis showed a trend similar to that of the morphometric analysis, suggesting a genetic component to the observed phenotypic differentiation. These data will be useful for developing conservation strategies for these species.
Multiwavelength Brillouin fiber laser with enhanced reverse-S-shaped feedback coupling assisted by out-of-cavity optical amplifier

Rahman ZA, Hitam S, Al-Mansoori MH, Abas AF, Mahdi MA

Opt Express, 2011 Oct 24;19(22):21238-45.
PMID: 22108976 DOI: 10.1364/OE.19.021238

A multiwavelength widely tunable Brillouin optical comb with an enhanced reverse-S-shaped feedback coupling assisted by out-of-cavity optical amplifier is demonstrated. The enhancement is done by locating the amplifier and the Brillouin pump into the reverse-S-shaped fiber section. The oscillating modes in the cavity are directly influenced solely by the Brillouin gain. A wide tuning range of 45 nm is obtained that is only limited by the erbium amplification bandwidth. An average of eleven laser lines that can be tuned to over 45 nm wavelengths is obtained at 40% optimum output coupling ratio.
Phosphorus removal using nanofiltration membranes

Leo CP, Chai WK, Mohammad AW, Qi Y, Hoedley AF, Chai SP

Water Sci Technol, 2011;64(1):199-205.
PMID: 22053475

A high concentration of phosphorus in wastewater may lead to excessive algae growth and deoxygenation of the water. In this work, nanofiltration (NF) of phosphorus-rich solutions is studied in order to investigate its potential in removing and recycling phosphorus. Wastewater samples from a pulp and paper plant were first analyzed. Commercial membranes (DK5, MPF34, NF90, NF270, NF200) were characterized and tested in permeability and phosphorus removal experiments. NF90 membranes offer the highest rejection of phosphorus; a rejection of more than 70% phosphorus was achieved for a feed containing 2.5 g/L of phosphorus at a pH <2. Additionally, NF90, NF200 and NF270 membranes show higher permeability than DK5 and MPF34 membranes. The separation performance of NF90 is slightly affected by phosphorus concentration and pressure, which may be due to concentration polarization and fouling. By adjusting the pH to 2 or adding sulfuric acid, the separation performance of NF90 was improved in removing phosphorus. However, the presence of acetic acid significantly impairs the rejection of phosphorus.
A note on heat shock protein 70 expression in goats subjected to road transportation under hot, humid tropical conditions

Zulkifli I, Norbaiyah B, Cheah YW, Soleimani AF, Sazili AQ, Goh YM, et al.

Animal, 2010 Jun;4(6):973-6.
PMID: 22444271 DOI: 10.1017/S1751731110000285

The influence of two different stocking densities (0.20 m2/animal and 0.40 m2/animal) in transit under the hot, humid tropical conditions on heat shock protein (hsp) 70 induction was investigated in 60 Boer does. The animals were road transported for 3 h and the control group was kept under normal conditions in the farm. Irrespective of stocking density, transportation significantly increased hsp 70 densities (P < 0.05) in the kidneys. The hsp 70 response in the kidneys was more profound compared with those of heart tissues. Higher stocking density was more stressful to the goats based on hsp 70 expression. These results suggest that, irrespective of stocking density, transportation under hot, humid tropical conditions evoked hsp 70 reactions.
Preliminary analysis of the anti-inflammatory activity of essential oils of Zingiber zerumbet

Zakaria ZA, Mohamad AS, Ahmad MS, Mokhtar AF, Israf DA, Lajis NH, et al.

Biol Res Nurs, 2011 Oct;13(4):425-32.
PMID: 21112917 DOI: 10.1177/1099800410386590

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used for the treatment of inflammation. However, despite their effectiveness, most NSAIDs cause various side effects that negatively affect the management of inflammation and, in part, pain. Thus, there is a need to search for new anti-inflammatory agents with few, or no, side effects. Natural products of plant, animal, or microorganism origin have been good sources of new bioactive compounds. The present study was carried out to evaluate the acute and chronic anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil of the rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet (Zingiberaceae) using the carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma tests, respectively. The effect of the essential oil on inflammatory- and noninflammatory-mediated pain was also assessed using the formalin test. Essential oil of Z. zerumbet, at doses of 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, was administered intraperitoneally to rats. The substance exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity both in acute and chronic animal models. The essential oil also inhibited inflammatory- and noninflammatory-mediated pain when assessed using the formalin test. In conclusion, the essential oil of Z. zerumbet possessed anti-inflammatory activity, in addition to its antinociceptive activity, which may explain its traditional uses to treat inflammatory-related ailments.
Molecular phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses of Muar strain of Japanese encephalitis virus reveal it is the missing fifth genotype

Mohammed MA, Galbraith SE, Radford AD, Dove W, Takasaki T, Kurane I, et al.

Infect Genet Evol, 2011 Jul;11(5):855-62.
PMID: 21352956 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2011.01.020

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the most important cause of epidemic encephalitis worldwide but its origin is unknown. Epidemics of encephalitis suggestive of Japanese encephalitis (JE) were described in Japan from the 1870s onwards. Four genotypes of JEV have been characterised and representatives of each genotype have been fully sequenced. Based on limited information, a single isolate from Malaysia is thought to represent a putative fifth genotype. We have determined the complete nucleotide and amino acid sequence of Muar strain and compared it with other fully sequenced JEV genomes. Muar was the least similar, with nucleotide divergence ranging from 20.2 to 21.2% and amino acid divergence ranging from 8.5 to 9.9%. Phylogenetic analysis of Muar strain revealed that it does represent a distinct fifth genotype of JEV. We elucidated Muar signature amino acids in the envelope (E) protein, including E327 Glu on the exposed lateral surface of the putative receptor binding domain which distinguishes Muar strain from the other four genotypes. Evolutionary analysis of full-length JEV genomes revealed that the mean evolutionary rate is 4.35 × 10(-4) (3.4906 × 10(-4) to 5.303 × 10(-4)) nucleotides substitutions per site per year and suggests JEV originated from its ancestral virus in the mid 1500s in the Indonesia-Malaysia region and evolved there into different genotypes, which then spread across Asia. No strong evidence for positive selection was found between JEV strains of the five genotypes and the E gene has generally been subjected to strong purifying selection.
Fulltext Selected microbial groups and short-chain fatty acids profile in a simulated chicken cecum supplemented with two strains of Lactobacillus

Meimandipour A, Shuhaimi M, Soleimani AF, Azhar K, Hair-Bejo M, Kabeir BM, et al.

Poult Sci, 2010 Mar;89(3):470-6.
PMID: 20181862 DOI: 10.3382/ps.2009-00495

Among the bacterial fermentation end products in the chicken cecum, butyrate is of particular importance because of its nutritional properties for the epithelial cell and pathogen inhibitory effects in the gut. An in vitro experiment, operated with batch bioreactor, was conducted to quantify butyric-producing bacteria in a simulated broiler cecum supplemented with Lactobacillus salivarius ssp. salicinius JCM 1230 and Lactobacillus agilis JCM 1048 during 24 h of incubation. Selected bacterial species were determined by real-time PCR and short-chain fatty acids and lactate concentrations were monitored. The results showed that after 24 h of incubation, Lactobacillus supplementation significantly increased the number of lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in medium containing cecal content and lactobacilli supplementation (Cc + L) compared with the control (Cc). Addition of lactobacilli did not alter Escherichia coli and Clostridium butyricum, whereas it significantly (P < 0.05) reduced Salmonella in treatment Cc + L compared with the Cc treatment. Propionate and butyrate formation were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in treatment Cc + L as compared with the Cc treatment. Lactate was only detected in treatment containing 2 Lactobacillus strains. After 24 h of incubation, acetate concentration significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in all treatments. It was suggested that lactate produced by Lactobacillus in the cecal content improved the growth of butyric producers such as F. prausnitzii, which significantly increased butyrate accumulation. Additionally, the results showed that butyrate and propionate inhibited Salmonella without influencing the E. coli profile.
Incorporation of N-doped TiO2 nanorods in regenerated cellulose thin films fabricated from recycled newspaper as a green portable photocatalyst

Mohamed MA, Salleh WN, Jaafar J, Ismail AF, Abd Mutalib M, Jamil SM

Carbohydr Polym, 2015 Nov 20;133:429-37.
PMID: 26344299 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.07.057

In this work, an environmental friendly RC/N-TiO2 nanocomposite thin film was designed as a green portable photocatalyst by utilizing recycled newspaper as sustainable cellulose resource. Investigations on the influence of N-doped TiO2 nanorods incorporation on the structural and morphological properties of RC/N-TiO2 nanocomposite thin film are presented. The resulting nanocomposite thin film was characterized by FESEM, AFM, FTIR, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, and XPS analysis. The results suggested that there was a remarkable compatibility between cellulose and N-doped TiO2 nanorods anchored onto the surface of the RC/N-TiO2 nanocomposite thin film. Under UV and visible irradiation, the RC/N-TiO2 nanocomposite thin film showed remarkable photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue solution with degradation percentage of 96% and 78.8%, respectively. It is crucial to note that the resulting portable photocatalyst produced via an environmental and green technique in its fabrication process has good potential in the field of water and wastewater treatment application.
Further Insight into the Definite Morphology and Formation Mechanism of Mesoporous Silica KCC-1

Febriyanti E, Suendo V, Mukti RR, Prasetyo A, Arifin AF, Akbar MA, et al.

Langmuir, 2016 06 14;32(23):5802-11.
PMID: 27120557 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b00675

The unique three-dimensional pore structure of KCC-1 has attracted significant attention and has proven to be different compared to other conventional mesoporous silica such as the MCM-41 family, SBA-15, or even MSN nanoparticles. In this research, we carefully examine the morphology of KCC-1 to define more appropriate nomenclature. We also propose a formation mechanism of KCC-1 based on our experimental evidence. Herein, the KCC-1 morphology was interpreted mainly on the basis of compiling all observation and information taken from SEM and TEM images. Further analysis on TEM images was carried out. The gray value intensity profile was derived from TEM images in order to determine the specific pattern of this unique morphology that is found to be clearly different from that of other types of porous spherical-like morphologies. On the basis of these results, the KCC-1 morphology would be more appropriately reclassified as bicontinuous concentric lamellar morphology. Some physical characteristics such as the origin of emulsion, electrical conductivity, and the local structure of water molecules in the KCC-1 emulsion were disclosed to reveal the formation mechanism of KCC-1. The origin of the KCC-1 emulsion was characterized by the observation of the Tyndall effect, conductometry to determine the critical micelle concentration, and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the morphological evolution study during KCC-1 synthesis completes the portrait of the formation of mesoporous silica KCC-1.
Fulltext Analysis of selected glutathione S-transferase gene polymorphisms in Malaysian type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with and without cardiovascular disease

Etemad A, Vasudevan R, Aziz AF, Yusof AK, Khazaei S, Fawzi N, et al.

Genet. Mol. Res., 2016 Apr 07;15(2).
PMID: 27173202 DOI: 10.4238/gmr.15025845

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is believed to be associated with excessive production of reactive oxygen species. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) polymorphisms result in decreased or absent enzyme activity and altered oxidative stress, and have been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The present study assessed the effect of GST polymorphisms on the risk of developing T2DM in individuals of Malaysian Malay ethnicity. A total of 287 subjects, consisting of 87 T2DM and 64 CVD/T2DM patients, as well as 136 healthy gender- and age-matched controls were genotyped for selected polymorphisms to evaluate associations with T2DM susceptibility. Genomic DNA was extracted using commercially available kits, and GSTM1, GSTT1, and α-globin sequences were amplified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Biochemical parameters were measured with a Hitachi autoanalyzer. The Fisher exact test, the chi-square statistic, and means ± standard deviations were calculated using the SPSS software. Overall, we observed no significant differences regarding genotype and allele frequencies between each group (P = 0.224 and 0.199, respectively). However, in the combined analysis of genotypes and blood measurements, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, and triglyceride levels, followed by age, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, and history of T2DM significantly differed according to GST polymorphism (P ˂ 0.05). Genetically induced absence of the GSTT1 enzyme is an independent and powerful predictor of premature vascular morbidity and death in individuals with T2DM, and might be triggered by cigarette smoking's oxidative effects. These polymorphisms could be screened in other ethnicities within Malaysia to determine further possible risk factors.
Young Malaysian children with lower respiratory tract infections show low incidence of chlamydial infection

Ngeow YF, Weil AF, Khairullah NS, Yusof MY, Luam L, Gaydos C, et al.

J Paediatr Child Health, 1997 Oct;33(5):422-5.
PMID: 9401887

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis infection was studied among infants and young children admitted to hospital for the management of lower respiratory tract infections, over a 12 month period.
METHODOLOGY: Respiratory secretions were examined for chlamydiae by cell culture, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction-enzyme immunoassay. Sera were tested by micro-immunofluorescence for chlamydial IgG, IgM and IgA. Other bacterial and viral pathogens were also looked for by standard cultural and serological methods.
RESULTS: Of 87 patients aged 2 months-3 years, an aetiologic diagnosis was made in 41 (47.1%). C. pneumoniae and C. trachomatis were each detected in 1 (1.2%) of the patients. Among common bacterial pathogens, Haemophilus influenzae (13.8%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (8.1%) were the most frequently identified. Respiratory viruses and elevated Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies were found in 10.3% and 9.1% of patients, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Chlamydiae are infrequent causes of community-acquired acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants and very young children in Malaysia.
Fulltext Trends in inquiries on poisoning: a five-year report from the National Poison Centre, Malaysia

Awang R, Abd Rahman AF, Wan Abdullah WZA, Lajis R, Abdul Majid MI

Med J Malaysia, 2003 Aug;58(3):375-9.
PMID: 14750377

This report describes inquiries relating to poisoning cases which were received by the National Poison Centre of Malaysia from the years 1996 to 2000. The study utilized data from the NPC report forms. Only data relating to patient contact with a poison or chemical were included in the analysis. The poison centre received an average of 186 poisoning inquiries per year. Doctors remained the highest group of caller to the poison centre throughout the five-year period. Nearly 50% of all inquiries was regarding pesticide poisoning and this trend remained constant during the five-year period. Overall, the findings showed that poisoning inquiries relating to patient care were lower than in Japan and the United States.
Fulltext Docetaxel-Loaded Poly(3HB-co-4HB) Biodegradable Nanoparticles: Impact of Copolymer Composition

Faisalina AF, Sonvico F, Colombo P, Amirul AA, Wahab HA, Majid MIA

Nanomaterials (Basel), 2020 Oct 26;10(11).
PMID: 33114572 DOI: 10.3390/nano10112123

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers show a relatively higher in vivo degradation rate compared to other PHAs, thus, they receive a great deal of attention for a wide range of medical applications. Nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with poorly water-soluble anticancer drug docetaxel (DCX) were produced using poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB-co-4HB), copolymers biosynthesised from Cupriavidus malaysiensis USMAA1020 isolated from the Malaysian environment. Three copolymers with different molar proportions of 4-hydroxybutirate (4HB) were used: 16% (PHB16), 30% (PHB30) and 70% (PHB70) 4HB-containing P(3HB-co-4HB). Blank and DCX-loaded nanoparticles were then characterized for their size and size distribution, surface charge, encapsulation efficiency and drug release. Preformulation studies showed that an optimised formulation could be achieved through the emulsification/solvent evaporation method using PHB70 with the addition of 1.0% PVA, as stabilizer and 0.03% VitE-TPGS, as surfactant. DCX-loaded PHB70 nanoparticles (DCX-PHB70) gave the desired particle size distribution in terms of average particle size around 150 nm and narrow particle size distribution (polydispersity index (PDI) below 0.100). The encapsulation efficiency result showed that at 30% w/w drug-to-polymer ratio: DCX- PHB16 NPs were able to encapsulate up to 42% of DCX; DCX-PHB30 NPs encapsulated up to 46% of DCX and DCX-PHB70 NPs encapsulated up to 50% of DCX within the nanoparticle system. Approximately 60% of DCX was released from the DCX-PHB70 NPs within 7 days for 5%, 10% and 20% of drug-to-polymer ratio while for the 30% and 40% drug-to-polymer ratios, an almost complete drug release (98%) after 7 days of incubation was observed.

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