In this study, the effects of temperature on drying kinetics and eurycomanone content of
Eurycoma longifolia roots were investigated to determine the optimum temperature for
drying of this herb. The roots were subjected to drying temperatures of 40, 50, 60 and 70°
C. The drying kinetics data indicated that the drying rate increased with increase in
temperature but decreased with time. The drying process took place in the falling rate
period. Three established thin layer drying models include Page, Midili and Logarithmic
were employed to describe the drying process. The Midili model was found as the best
fitting model in representing the process. The quality of the products was evaluated by
comparing the content of its active compound, eurycomanone, quantified using an ultra
performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). The fastest drying process was achieved at
70°C, but UPLC results showed that the product suffered at 18% reduction in
eurycomanone content as compared to the control. Based on the findings of this work, the
optimum drying temperature for E. longifolia roots is 60°C.
We report a case of a 33-year-old woman who underwent stress and rest myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) to exclude coronary artery disease. MPS images showed an apparent dextrocardia with a right-sided septal wall uptake. The electrocardiograph showed a right axis deviation with dominant R waves at leads aVR and V1. Upon retrieval of the patient's medical records, she had an underlying transposition of great arteries and underwent a Senning atrial switch surgery. Hence, the MPS images demonstrated a prominent right ventricular wall due to its function as the "systemic" ventricle with minimal uptake in the "pulmonary" left ventricle.
Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta-1) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in the regulation of growth and differentiation of both normal and transformed cells. The main aim of this study was to determine whether TGF-beta-1 or alpha fetoprotein (AFP) or the combination of the two is a better indicator for hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC). Serum TGF-beta-1 and AFP were measured by ELISA in 40 healthy subjects, 23 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 70 patients with hepatitis B, 26 patients with hepatitis C and 16 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). Patients with liver diseases showed significantly higher serum TGF-beta-1 values (> 3 fold) compared to control subjects. As for serum AFP, significant elevation was only observed for HCC cases. Serum TGF-beta-1 exhibited higher percent sensitivity compared to serum AFP in all liver diseases. Combination of serum TGF-beta-1 and AFP increased specificities in all cases studied. In conclusion, serum TGF-beta-1 is a more sensitive marker for HCC when compared to serum AFP and its specificity is increased when combined with serum AFP.
The risk variants have been shown to vary substantially across populations and a genetic study in a heterogeneous population might shed a new light in the disease mechanism. This preliminary study aims to determine the frequency of the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the three main ethnic groups in Malaysia and its association with bipolar disorder.