The Population Size of the Lesser Bandicoot (Bandicota bengalensis) in Three Markets in Penang, Malaysia.

A study of the population size of Bandicota bengalensis rats in three markets in Penang was conducted from April 2004 through May 2005. Taman Tun Sardon Market (TTS), Batu Lanchang Market (BTLG) and Bayan Lepas Market (BYNLP) were surveyed. Six sampling sessions were conducted in each market for four consecutive nights per session.

Bird species diversity in the padawan limestone area, sarawak.

Bird surveys were conducted in the Padawan Limestone Area for seven days at each of two study sites, Giam and Danu, from August to December 2008. The purpose of the study was to compare the area's bird species richness and abundance of bird species in other limestone areas and in other forest types. The study also compared the species richness and relative abundance of birds in undisturbed and disturbed areas at both study sites.

Avian diversity and feeding guilds in a secondary forest, an oil palm plantation and a paddy field in riparian areas of the kerian river basin, perak, malaysia.

The diversity and the feeding guilds of birds in three different habitats (secondary forest, oil palm plantation and paddy field) were investigated in riparian areas of the Kerian River Basin (KRB), Perak, Malaysia. Point-count observation and mist-netting methods were used to determine bird diversity and abundance. A total of 132 species of birds from 46 families were recorded in the 3 habitats.

Diversity Pattern of Bats at Two Contrasting Habitat Types along Kerian River, Perak, Malaysia.

We present an assessment of the diversity of Malaysian bats at two contrasting habitat types (secondary forest and oil palm plantation) along the Kerian River surveyed between February 2009 and February 2010. Three hundred and twenty nine individual bats from 13 species representing 4 families were recorded using 10 mist nets. The most commonly caught bat in the secondary forest was Cynopterus brachyotis (n=75), followed by Macroglossus minimus (n=10).

Neutralization of chemokine CXCL14 (BRAK) expression reduces CCl4 induced liver injury and steatosis in mice.

Using mouse gene expression microarray analysis, we earlier obtained dynamic profiles of whole genome expression in the CCl(4)-induced liver injury mouse model. CXCL14 expression was increased in the liver injury phase and returned to normal after liver regeneration suggesting its involvement in the liver injury or regeneration regulation. The role of CXCL14 in liver injury was investigated.

Involvement of nitric oxide (NO) signalling pathway in the antidepressant activity of essential oil of Valeriana wallichii Patchouli alcohol chemotype.

Valeriana wallichii DC (Valerianaceae), popularly named as Indian valerian has been shown to exist as three chemotypes. The present study evaluated the antidepressant like effect of root essential oil of Valeriana wallichii patchouli alcohol chemotype in both acute and chronic treatment study using forced swim test (FST). Mice (n=6 per group) received 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg p.

Effect of quercetin on lipopolysaccharide induced-sickness behavior and oxidative stress in rats.

Objectives: Gram-negative infections and control infusion of recombinant cytokines in human have been shown to induce sickness behavior characterized by fever, prolong sleep, decreased food and water intake, reduced mobility, depression, and anxiety. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of bioflavonoid quercetin in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sickness behavior.

Materials And Methods: Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups (n=6).

An unusual case of obstructive jaundice.

Tuberculosis of the pancreas is a rarity, reported in a handful of literature. We enumerate the case of a young girl with high fever, jaundice, and right hypochondrial pain, whose investigations revealed a mass at the head of the pancreas. FNAC from the mass astoundingly proclaimed tuberculosis.

Expression and purification of bioactive high-purity recombinant mouse CXCL14 in Escherichia coli.

Mouse CXCL14/BRAK is a monocyte-selective chemokine which is expressed in almost all normal tissues. A flood of reports on its new functions of tumor suppression and fat metabolism modulation has left CXCL14 a potential therapeutic candidate for these diseases. Therefore, a simple accessible method is on demand for large-scale production of recombinant mouse CXCL14 protein for in vivo animal studies.

High-resolution methylation polymerase chain reaction for fragile X analysis: evidence for novel FMR1 methylation patterns undetected in Southern blot analyses.

Purpose: Fragile X syndrome is associated with the expansion of CGG trinucleotide repeats and subsequent methylation of the FMR1 gene. Molecular diagnosis of fragile X currently requires Southern blot analysis to assess methylation. This study describes the evaluation of a polymerase chain reaction-only workflow for the determination of methylation status across a broad range of FMR1 genotypes in male and female specimens.

Antidepressant effect of Valeriana wallichii patchouli alcohol chemotype in mice: Behavioural and biochemical evidence.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Valeriana wallichii DC, an ayurvedic traditional medicine has now been shown to exist chemically as three distinct chemotypes. The study aimed to investigate the antidepressant effect of dichloromethane extract of Valeriana wallichii patchouli alcohol chemotype.

Materials And Methods: Antidepressant effect of dichloromethane extract of Valeriana wallichii (10, 20 and 40mg/kg, p.

Spontaneous rupture of incisional hernia: a rare cause of a life-threatening complication.

Spontaneous evisceration is a very rare and potentially fatal complication of abdominal-wall incisional hernia. Here the authors present a case report of spontaneous evisceration in an incisional hernia in a 45-year-old female patient. Management of the condition using prosthetic mesh repair risks mesh infection, while the use of non-prosthetic repair risks recurrence of the hernia due to the absence of stout natural tissues.

Elucidation of possible mechanism of analgesic action of Valeriana wallichii DC chemotype (patchouli alcohol) in experimental animal models.

Valeriana wallichii (Family Valerianaceae), popularly named as Indian valerian, exists as three chemotypes. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of V. wallichii chemotype (patchouli alcohol) extract (DCME) and essential oil (VPAEO) on experimental models of nociception and to elucidate its possible mechanism of action.

1-naphthol 2-hydroxylase from Pseudomonas sp. strain C6: purification, characterization and chemical modification studies.

1-Naphthol 2-hydroxylase (1-NH) which catalyzes the conversion of 1-naphthol to 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene was purified to homogeneity from carbaryl-degrading Pseudomonas sp. strain C6. The enzyme was found to be a homodimer with subunit molecular weight of 66 kDa.

Effect of reminders of personal sacrifice and suggested rationalizations on residents' self-reported willingness to accept gifts: a randomized trial.

Context: Despite expanding research on the prevalence and consequences of conflicts of interest in medicine, little attention has been given to the psychological processes that enable physicians to rationalize the acceptance of gifts.

Objective: To determine whether reminding resident physicians of the sacrifices made to obtain training, as well as suggesting this as a potential rationalization, increases self-stated willingness to accept gifts from industry.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Three hundred one US resident physicians from 2 sample populations (pediatrics and family medicine) who were recruited during March-July 2009 participated in a survey presented as evaluating quality of life and values.

Chemical composition and analgesic activity of Senecio rufinervis essential oil.

Context: Senecio rufinervis D.C (Asteraceae) is a tall aromatic herb, commonly found in Uttarakhand, India. No investigations on the biological activity of this plant have been published so far.

An information-rich CGG repeat primed PCR that detects the full range of fragile X expanded alleles and minimizes the need for southern blot analysis.

(CGG)(n) repeat expansion in the FMR1 gene is associated with fragile X syndrome and other disorders. Current methods for FMR1 molecular testing rely on Southern blot analysis to detect expanded alleles too large to be PCR-amplified and to identify female homozygous alleles that often confound interpretations of PCR data. A novel, single-tube CGG repeat primed FMR1 PCR technology was designed with two gene-specific primers that flank the triplet repeat region, as well as a third primer that is complementary to the (CGG)(n) repeat.

An antioxidant potential of hydromethanolic extract of urtica parviflora roxb.

Antioxidant activity of hydromethanolic extract of Urtica parviflora Roxb. (family Urticaceae) was investigated by different in vitro methods, namely, nitric oxide scavenging, DPPH scavenging, and reducing power assay. In the present study, plant extract exhibited dose dependent free radical scavenging and reducing activity.

Performance evaluation of commercial miRNA expression array platforms.

Background: microRNAs (miRNA) are short, endogenous transcripts that negatively regulate the expression of specific mRNA targets. The relative abundance of miRNAs is linked to function in vivo and miRNA expression patterns are potentially useful signatures for the development of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers.

Finding: We compared the performance characteristics of four commercial miRNA array technologies and found that all platforms performed well in separate measures of performance.

A novel FMR1 PCR method for the routine detection of low abundance expanded alleles and full mutations in fragile X syndrome.

Background: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a trinucleotide-repeat disease caused by the expansion of CGG sequences in the 5' untranslated region of the FMR1 (fragile X mental retardation 1) gene. Molecular diagnoses of FXS and other emerging FMR1 disorders typically rely on 2 tests, PCR and Southern blotting; however, performance or throughput limitations of these methods currently constrain routine testing.

Methods: We evaluated a novel FMR1 gene-specific PCR technology with DNA templates from 20 cell lines and 146 blinded clinical samples.

A clinical study of anestrus buffaloes in southern Nepal.

Anestrus is one of the most important reproductive disorders in dairy buffaloes. The clinical features of anestrus in buffaloes, however, have not been well described. The objectives of this study were to describe the causes of anestrus in buffaloes and their reproductive performance after treatment under field conditions in southern Nepal.

Freshwater fishes of gunung jerai, kedah darul aman: a preliminary study.

A total of 37 fish species from 14 families were observed during surveys conducted from January to March 2005 at 8 selected streams near the Gunung Jerai Forest Reserve. The list includes two species (Rasbora trilineata and Systomus partipentazona) that were visually identified at the lower part of the Sungai Teroi stream. Single specimens of Leiocassis micropogon, Clarias macrocephalus and Hampala macrolepidota were also obtained at certain sampling stations.

Checklist and Simple Identification Key for Frogs and Toads from District IV of The MADA Scheme, Kedah, Malaysia.

A survey was conducted to catalogue the diversity of anurans in District IV of the Muda Agriculture Development Authority Scheme (MADA) in Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia, from July 1996 to January 1997. Eight species of anurans from three families were present in the study area. Of these, the Common Grass Frog (Fejevarya limnocharis) was the most abundant, followed by Mangrove Frog (Fejevarya cancrivora), Long-legged Frog (Hylarana macrodactyla), and Common Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus).

Pattern of occurrence of leukemia at a teaching hospital in eastern region of Nepal - a six year study.

Introduction: Pattern of leukemia is known to vary widely throughout the world. The characterization of distribution patterns of different subtypes of leukemia in Nepal needs further study. We wanted to study the leukemia pattern in our institute.

Bronchial associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) lymphoma presenting as chronic lung sepsis.

A 58-year-old woman was referred from her general practitioner to the respiratory clinic with a 2 year history of recurrent pulmonary infections, mucus hypersecretion and right lobe consolidation following a severe pneumonic illness in 2006. She had no significant risk factors for respiratory disease. Chest computed tomography showed an air bronchogram and right lower lobe consolidation.