Development and Validation of Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR Assays for Erucic Acid Content in Indian Mustard [ (L.) Czern and Coss.].

is the most widely cultivated oilseed crop in Indian subcontinent. Its seeds contain oil with very high concentration of erucic acid (≈50%). Of late, there is increasing emphasis on the development of low erucic acid varieties because of reported association of the consumption of high erucic acid oil with cardiac lipidosis.

Detection and molecular characterization of chicken infectious anaemia virus in young chicks in Punjab region of north-western India.

Chicken infectious anaemia (CIA) is an important viral disease of chicken causing significant immunosuppression and severe anaemia worldwide. Occurrence of severe disease and mortality is noticed in young chicks (2-3 weeks). Vertical mode of transmission increases chance of infection and persistence of virus among the infected flocks.

Association of BMI with risk of CVD mortality and all-cause mortality.

Objective: To determine the relationship between BMI and risk of CVD mortality and all-cause mortality among Malaysian adults.

Design: Population-based, retrospective cohort study. Participants were followed up for 5 years from 2006 to 2010.

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of diabetes mellitus among the elderly: The 2011 National Health and Morbidity Survey, Malaysia.

Diabetes mellitus is an important cardiovascular risk factor. The objective of this study was to provide population-based estimates on the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control rate of diabetes among the older persons in Malaysia. Analysis of secondary data from a cross-sectional national population-based survey was done, which was conducted in 2011 throughout Malaysia.

Smoking behaviours and attitudes toward tobacco control among assistant environmental health officer trainees.

Assistant environmental health officers (AEHO) are health care providers (HCPs) who act as enforcers, educators and trusted role models for the public. This is the first study to explore smoking behaviour and attitudes toward tobacco control among future HCPs. Almost 30% of AEHO trainees did not know the role of AEHOs in counselling smokers to stop smoking, but 91% agreed they should not smoke before advising others not to do so.