Background and Objectives: Noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes are strongly associated with the insulin resistance (IR) status of an individual. However, the prevalence of insulin resistance in Southeast Asia is poorly reported. Hence, this study investigated the prevalence of IR in Southeast Asia from the year 2016 to 2021. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines. The literature search was conducted utilizing the PubMed and SCOPUS databases from the year 2016 to 2021 using the keywords ‘(insulin AND resistance) OR (insulin AND sensitivity) OR (prevalence OR incidence) AND (Malaysia OR Thailand OR Singapore OR Brunei OR Cambodia OR Indonesia OR Laos OR Myanmar OR Philippines OR Timor leste OR Vietnam)’. Funnel plot and publication bias were assessed using Egger’s tests. Data were expressed as the prevalence rate. Results: A total of 12 studies with 2198 subjects were considered in the meta-analysis. Significant heterogeneity (I² > 94% and p-value < 0.001) was observed in the meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of IR in Southeast Asia was 44.3%, with Malaysia having the highest prevalence rate at 50.4%, followed by Indonesia at 44.2%. Bias was detected in the meta-analysis. It may be that reports published before the year 2016 met the study selection criteria, but were excluded from the meta-analysis. Conclusions: The results from the meta-analysis indicate that the prevalence of IR in Southeast Asia is very high. This provided insights for healthcare policy makers and public health officials in designing IR screening programs.

Free radical is a byproducts of biochemical processes that happen in human body. In order to overcome this free radicals damage, antioxidant functions as a molecule that would interact safely to free radicals and terminate the current reaction before further damage is happening. Two choices of antioxidants are available which are natural and synthetic but natural are more preferable because synthetic might cause toxicity and higher cost. The common natural source of antioxidants are medicinal plants and herbs. Due to this, two medicinal plants, Alpinia galangal and Kaempferia galanga, from Zingiberaceae family is chosen to study the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of different crude extracts; hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol, from dried rhizomes. These two species of Zingberaceae were collected specifically in Beaufort, Sabah. The crude extracts were obtained by maceration process by using low polarity to high polarity solvent. Phytochemical studies were done. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were determined by using DPPH assay and Agar Disc-Diffusion assay, respectively. Results for phytochemical screening for both plants shows that methanol extracts has the following phytochemical properties; saponins, phenols, flavonoids, tannins, steroid and terpenoid. All of the crude extract tested showed that absorbance increase in accordance with the increasing of sample concentration. Both of the plant shows the antioxidant activity as follow order of crude extract: methanol > ethyl acetate > hexane. Four bacteria strain has been tested for antibacterial activity for both plants which are S. aureus, B, Cereus, S. thyphimurium and V. Cholerae. For both plant, the non-polar extracts (hexane) exhibits greater antibacterial activity than that of polar extracts (ethyl acetate). However, there was no antibacterial activity observed in methanol extract for both plant. Overall, A. galanga and K. galanga could serve as potential sources of antibacterial and antioxidant agents

The central dogma of molecular biology was no longer "central" after ground-breaking discoveries conveyed gene expression involves more complex physiological functions in cancer pathogenesis over the last decade. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA that regulate gene expression, affecting key molecular pathways involved in sustaining the proliferative signalling for tumour development, evasion of cellular death, invasion, angiogenesis, as well as metastasis in a plethora of cancer types. MiRNA expression is dysregulated in human cancer through a number of processes, including miRNA gene amplification or deletion, faulty miRNA transcriptional regulation, dysregulated epigenetic alterations, and flaws in the miRNA biogenesis machinery. As a result, the current progress of treatment intervention focuses on modifying the miRNA levels in cancer therapeutics. Nevertheless, the mode of delivery and current management of miRNA therapies remains one of the many questions that need to be addressed. Here, we provided a comprehensive mini-review outlining the role of miRNA in cancer as well as its mode of delivery which includes liposomes, viral vectors, inorganic material-based nanoparticles, and cell-derived membrane vesicles. Likewise, the regulation of miRNA in other diseases and their challenges in translational research was also thoroughly discussed.

Bioleaching is a promising technological advancement of metal refinement which arises from the application of beneficial microorganism. Low grade ores and electronic waste (e-waste) that contains significant amounts of “critical metals” such as the rare earth elements (REE) are commonly discarded in waste heaps which causes major pollution. The over mining of the primary resources of REE is becoming a major concern considering its limited supply and increasing demand. Bioleaching application is able to provide not only a simpler method of metal leaching but are also cost-effective in comparison to chemical leaching and thermo-hydrometallurgy. By applying bioleaching in major e-waste treatments, we can extract back significant amounts of REE with lower cost and better environmental impacts. This review provides studies which discuss the backgrounds of bioleaching, its methods and mechanisms, direct comparison of chemical leaching, pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and bioleaching in terms of its economic and environmental aspect and lastly its future in the mining industry in Malaysia.