Browse publications by year: 2005

  1. Habsah H, Zeehaida M, Van Rostenberghe H, Noraida R, Wan Pauzi WI, Fatimah I, et al.
    J Hosp Infect, 2005 Nov;61(3):213-8.
    PMID: 16213372
    Contaminated parenteral nutrition (PN) is an important source of infection in neonates. Many organisms have been reported to cause contamination that results in outbreaks in intensive care units. The objective of this study was to investigate an outbreak caused by Pantoea spp., which contaminates PN, in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This was a descriptive study of an outbreak of sepsis in an NICU of a tertiary teaching hospital in Malaysia. Pantoea spp. infection was detected in eight patients over a three-day period from 24 to 27 January 2004 following the administration of PN. Seven of the eight patients died due to the infection. Extensive environmental samplings for culture were performed. PN solution from the NICU and the pharmacy were also cultured during the outbreak period. Pantoea spp. was isolated from blood cultures of all infected patients, and the unused PN from the pharmacy and the NICU. All the strains of Pantoea spp. had a similar antibiotic susceptibility pattern and biochemical reaction. From the results, we concluded that PN was the source of the outbreak and the contamination may have occurred during its preparation in the pharmacy. A thorough investigation has been carried out and, where possible, corrective measures have been taken to avoid similar outbreaks in the future.
    MeSH terms: Blood/microbiology; Cross Infection/etiology; Cross Infection/microbiology; Cross Infection/epidemiology*; Disease Outbreaks*; Drug Contamination; Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal*; Malaysia/epidemiology; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Parenteral Nutrition/adverse effects*; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/etiology; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/microbiology; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/epidemiology*; Pantoea/isolation & purification*
  2. Chutrakul C, Peberdy JF
    FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2005 Nov 15;252(2):257-65.
    PMID: 16214297
    Many species of Trichoderma have attracted interest as agents for the biological control of soil borne fungal pathogens of a range of crop plants. Research on the biochemical mechanisms associated with this application has focused on the ability of these fungi to produce enzymes which lyse fungal cell walls, and antifungal antibiotics. An important group of the latter are the non-ribosomal peptides called peptaibols. In this study Trichoderma asperellum, a strain used in biological control in Malaysia, was found to produce the peptaibol, trichotoxin. This type of peptide molecule is synthesised by a peptide synthetase (PES) enzyme template encoded by a peptide synthetase (pes) gene. Using nucleotide sequences amplified from adenylation (A-) domains as probes, to hybridise against a lambda FIXII genomic library from T. asperellum, 25 clones were recovered. These were subsequently identified as representative of four groups based on their encoding properties for specific amino acid incorporation modules in a PES. This was based on analysis of their amino acid sequences which showed up to 86% identity to other PESs including TEX 1.
    MeSH terms: Cloning, Molecular; DNA, Fungal/genetics; DNA, Fungal/chemistry; Fungal Proteins/genetics; Genes, Fungal*; Molecular Sequence Data; Peptide Synthases/genetics*; Peptides/metabolism; Trichoderma/enzymology*; Trichoderma/genetics; Restriction Mapping; Gene Library; Sequence Analysis, DNA
  3. Loo CY, Lee WH, Tsuge T, Doi Y, Sudesh K
    Biotechnol Lett, 2005 Sep;27(18):1405-10.
    PMID: 16215858
    Palm kernel oil, palm olein, crude palm oil and palm acid oil were used for the synthesis of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] by a mutant strain of Wautersia eutropha (formerly Ralstonia eutropha) harboring the Aeromonas caviae polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase gene. Palm kernel oil was an excellent carbon source for the production of cell biomass and P(3HB-co-3HHx). About 87% (w/w) of the cell dry weight as P(3HB-co-3HHx) was obtained using 5 g palm kernel oil/l. Gravimetric and microscopic analyses further confirmed the high PHA content in the recombinant cells. The molar fraction of 3HHx remained constant at 5 mol % regardless of the type and concentration of palm oil products used. The small amount of 3HHx units was confirmed by 13C NMR analysis. The number average molecular weight (M(n)) of the PHA copolymer produced from the various palm oil products ranged from 27 0000 to 46 0000 Da. The polydispersity was in the range of 2.6-3.9.
    MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics; Acyltransferases/metabolism; Aeromonas/enzymology; Caproates/isolation & purification; Caproates/metabolism*; Caproates/chemistry; Molecular Weight; Mutation*; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Plant Oils/metabolism*; Plant Oils/chemistry; Recombinant Proteins/metabolism; Molecular Structure; Biomass; Cupriavidus necator/genetics; Cupriavidus necator/metabolism*; Cupriavidus necator/ultrastructure; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid/isolation & purification; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid/metabolism*; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid/chemistry; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  4. Bilung LM, Radu S, Bahaman AR, Rahim RA, Napis S, Ling MW, et al.
    FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2005 Nov 1;252(1):85-8.
    PMID: 16216442
    This study aimed to determine the occurrence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in cockles (Anadara granosa) at a harvesting area and to detect the presence of virulent strains carrying the thermostable direct hemolysin (tdh) and TDH-related hemolysin genes (trh) using PCR. Of 100 samples, 62 were positive for the presence of V. parahaemolyticus with an MPN (most probable number) value greater than 3.0 (>1100 MPN per g). The PCR analysis revealed 2 samples to be positive for the tdh gene and 11 to be positive for the trh gene. Hence, these results demonstrate the presence of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in cockles harvested in the study area and reveal the potential risk of illness associated with their consumption.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Bacterial Proteins/genetics*; Bacterial Toxins/genetics; DNA, Bacterial/analysis; DNA, Bacterial/isolation & purification; Environmental Monitoring/methods; Hemolysin Proteins; Shellfish/microbiology*; Vibrio parahaemolyticus/genetics; Vibrio parahaemolyticus/isolation & purification*; Vibrio parahaemolyticus/pathogenicity; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods*; Bivalvia/microbiology*
  5. Song BK, Nadarajah K, Romanov MN, Ratnam W
    Cell Mol Biol Lett, 2005;10(3):425-37.
    PMID: 16217554
    The construction of BAC-contig physical maps is an important step towards a partial or ultimate genome sequence analysis. Here, we describe our initial efforts to apply an overgo approach to screen a BAC library of the Malaysian wild rice species, Oryza rufipogon. Overgo design is based on repetitive element masking and sequence uniqueness, and uses short probes (approximately 40 bp), making this method highly efficient and specific. Pairs of 24-bp oligos that contain an 8-bp overlap were developed from the publicly available genomic sequences of the cultivated rice, O. sativa, to generate 20 overgo probes for a 1-Mb region that encompasses a yield enhancement QTL yld1.1 in O. rufipogon. The advantages of a high similarity in melting temperature, hybridization kinetics and specific activities of overgos further enabled a pooling strategy for library screening by filter hybridization. Two pools of ten overgos each were hybridized to high-density filters representing the O. rufipogon genomic BAC library. These screening tests succeeded in providing 69 PCR-verified positive hits from a total of 23,040 BAC clones of the entire O. rufipogon library. A minimal tilling path of clones was generated to contribute to a fully covered BAC-contig map of the targeted 1-Mb region. The developed protocol for overgo design based on O. sativa sequences as a comparative genomic framework, and the pooled overgo hybridization screening technique are suitable means for high-resolution physical mapping and the identification of BAC candidates for sequencing.
    MeSH terms: Malaysia; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Oryza/classification*; Oryza/genetics*; Genomic Library*; DNA, Plant*; Contig Mapping*; Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial*; Quantitative Trait Loci*
  6. Schilthuizen M, Davison A
    Naturwissenschaften, 2005 Nov;92(11):504-15.
    PMID: 16217668
    The direction that a snail (Mollusca: Gastropoda) coils, whether dextral (right-handed) or sinistral (left-handed), originates in early development but is most easily observed in the shell form of the adult. Here, we review recent progress in understanding snail chirality from genetic, developmental and ecological perspectives. In the few species that have been characterized, chirality is determined by a single genetic locus with delayed inheritance, which means that the genotype is expressed in the mother's offspring. Although research lags behind the studies of asymmetry in the mouse and nematode, attempts to isolate the loci involved in snail chirality have begun, with the final aim of understanding how the axis of left-right asymmetry is established. In nature, most snail taxa (>90%) are dextral, but sinistrality is known from mutant individuals, populations within dextral species, entirely sinistral species, genera and even families. Ordinarily, it is expected that strong frequency-dependent selection should act against the establishment of new chiral types because the chiral minority have difficulty finding a suitable mating partner (their genitalia are on the 'wrong' side). Mixed populations should therefore not persist. Intriguingly, however, a very few land snail species, notably the subgenus Amphidromus sensu stricto, not only appear to mate randomly between different chiral types, but also have a stable, within-population chiral dimorphism, which suggests the involvement of a balancing factor. At the other end of the spectrum, in many species, different chiral types are unable to mate and so could be reproductively isolated from one another. However, while empirical data, models and simulations have indicated that chiral reversal must sometimes occur, it is rarely likely to lead to so-called 'single-gene' speciation. Nevertheless, chiral reversal could still be a contributing factor to speciation (or to divergence after speciation) when reproductive character displacement is involved. Understanding the establishment of chirality, the preponderance of dextral species and the rare instances of stable dimorphism is an important target for future research. Since the genetics of chirality have been studied in only a few pulmonate species, we also urge that more taxa, especially those from the sea, should be investigated.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology*; Copulation; Crosses, Genetic; Biological Evolution*; Female; Functional Laterality; Male; Snails/anatomy & histology*; Snails/genetics
  7. Beaucournu JC, Wells K
    Parasite, 2005 Sep;12(3):237-40.
    PMID: 16218211
    This species, known only by a single male, is described from Mount Kinabalu and thus is recorded from the same area as Macrostylophora borneensis (Jordan, 1926), teste Traub (1972). It is distinguished from its congeneric and characterized by the absence of eriged setae on the thorax and first abdominal tergits, as well as by the shape of terminal segments and the phallosom. Macrostylophora kinabaluae was found to parasitize the Sciurid rodent Callosciurus prevostii that is widespread throughout most areas in the Malaysian subregion.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Borneo; Diptera/anatomy & histology; Diptera/classification*; Female; Male; Sex Characteristics
  8. Bhalla R, Narasimhan K, Swarup S
    Plant Cell Rep, 2005 Dec;24(10):562-71.
    PMID: 16220342
    A natural shift is taking place in the approaches being adopted by plant scientists in response to the accessibility of systems-based technology platforms. Metabolomics is one such field, which involves a comprehensive non-biased analysis of metabolites in a given cell at a specific time. This review briefly introduces the emerging field and a range of analytical techniques that are most useful in metabolomics when combined with computational approaches in data analyses. Using cases from Arabidopsis and other selected plant systems, this review highlights how information can be integrated from metabolomics and other functional genomics platforms to obtain a global picture of plant cellular responses. We discuss how metabolomics is enabling large-scale and parallel interrogation of cell states under different stages of development and defined environmental conditions to uncover novel interactions among various pathways. Finally, we discuss selected applications of metabolomics.
    MeSH terms: Biochemistry/methods; Biochemistry/trends; Metabolism/genetics*; Molecular Biology/methods; Molecular Biology/trends*; Plants/genetics*; Plants/metabolism*; Databases, Bibliographic/trends; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/genetics; Genome, Plant/genetics; Gene Expression Profiling/methods; Gene Expression Profiling/trends*; Genomics/methods; Genomics/trends*
  9. Ong LM, Hooi LS, Lim TO, Goh BL, Ahmad G, Ghazalli R, et al.
    Nephrology (Carlton), 2005 Oct;10(5):504-10.
    PMID: 16221103 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1797.2005.00444.x
    BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil in the induction therapy of proliferative lupus nephritis.
    METHODS: Forty-four patients from eight centres with newly diagnosed lupus nephritis World Health Organization class III or IV were randomly assigned to either mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) 2 g/day for 6 months or intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVC) 0.75-1 g/m(2) monthly for 6 months in addition to corticosteroids.
    RESULTS: Remission occurred in 13 out of 25 patients (52%) in the IVC group and 11 out of 19 patients (58%) in the MMF group (P = 0.70). There were 12% in the IVC group and 26% in the MMF group that achieved complete remission (P = 0.22). Improvements in haemoglobin, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum albumin, serum complement, proteinuria, urinary activity, renal function and the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index score were similar in both groups. Twenty-four follow-up renal biopsies at the end of therapy showed a significant reduction in the activity score in both groups. The chronicity index increased in both groups but was only significant in the IVC group. Adverse events were similar. Major infections occurred in three patients in each group. There was no difference in gastrointestinal side-effects.
    CONCLUSIONS: MMF in combination with corticosteroids is an effective induction therapy for moderately severe proliferative lupus nephritis.
    MeSH terms: Adrenal Cortex Hormones/administration & dosage; Adult; Biopsy; Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage*; Cyclophosphamide/adverse effects; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents/administration & dosage*; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects; Injections, Intravenous; Lupus Nephritis/drug therapy*; Lupus Nephritis/pathology; Malaysia; Male; Mycophenolic Acid/administration & dosage; Mycophenolic Acid/adverse effects; Mycophenolic Acid/analogs & derivatives*; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Outcome; Pulse Therapy, Drug
  10. Seng WK, Hwang SJ, Han DC, Teong CC, Chan J, Burke TA, et al.
    Nephrology (Carlton), 2005 Oct;10(5):520-4.
    PMID: 16221106
    To evaluate losartan and conventional antihypertensive therapy (CT) compared with CT alone on the cost associated with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.
    MeSH terms: Antihypertensive Agents/economics; Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications; Diabetic Nephropathies/drug therapy*; Diabetic Nephropathies/economics*; Hong Kong; Humans; Hypertension, Renal/drug therapy; Hypertension, Renal/economics; Kidney Failure, Chronic/drug therapy; Kidney Failure, Chronic/economics; Kidney Failure, Chronic/prevention & control; Korea; Malaysia; Singapore; Taiwan; Drug Costs; Health Care Costs; Losartan/economics*; Losartan/therapeutic use*; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers/economics*; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers/therapeutic use*
  11. Tong NK, Beran J, Kee SA, Miguel JL, Sánchez C, Bayas JM, et al.
    Kidney Int, 2005 Nov;68(5):2298-303.
    PMID: 16221232
    Due to their impaired immune system, patients with renal insufficiency have a suboptimal response to hepatitis B (HB) vaccination and frequent boosters are needed to maintain protection. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals has developed a HB vaccine containing a new adjuvant system AS04 for use in this immunocompromised patient population.
    MeSH terms: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Aged; Female; Renal Dialysis*; Hepatitis B/immunology; Hepatitis B/prevention & control*; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic/immunology*; Male; Middle Aged; Immunocompromised Host; Hepatitis B Vaccines/administration & dosage*; Hepatitis B Vaccines/adverse effects; Hepatitis B Vaccines/immunology*
  12. Teck TC, Kook SC, Badruddin N, Panneerchelvam S, Norazmi MN
    J Forensic Sci, 2005 Sep;50(5):1223-4.
    PMID: 16225236 DOI: 10.1520/JFS2005156
    MeSH terms: Ethnic Groups/genetics; Gene Frequency*; Genetics, Population*; Humans; Malaysia; Polymorphism, Genetic*; Polymerase Chain Reaction; DNA Fingerprinting; Tandem Repeat Sequences*
  13. Izuan M, Seah LH, Panneerchelvam S, Nor NM
    J Forensic Sci, 2005 Sep;50(5):1225-8.
    PMID: 16225237
    MeSH terms: China/ethnology; Ethnic Groups/genetics*; Gene Frequency*; Genetics, Population*; Humans; India/ethnology; Malaysia/epidemiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; DNA Fingerprinting; Tandem Repeat Sequences*
  14. Goh KL, Quek KF, Yeo GT, Hilmi IN, Lee CK, Hasnida N, et al.
    Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 2005 Nov 1;22(9):859-64.
    PMID: 16225496
    Colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of gastrointestinal cancer in the world today. In the Asia-Pacific area, it is the fastest emerging gastrointestinal cancer.
    MeSH terms: Aged; Cecal Neoplasms/ethnology; Cecal Neoplasms/epidemiology; Cecal Neoplasms/therapy; China/ethnology; Colonic Neoplasms/ethnology; Colonic Neoplasms/epidemiology; Colonic Neoplasms/therapy; Colonic Polyps/complications; Colonic Polyps/epidemiology; Colonoscopy/methods; Family Health; Female; Humans; India/ethnology; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/ethnology; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/epidemiology; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/therapy; Population Surveillance/methods; Rectal Neoplasms/ethnology; Rectal Neoplasms/epidemiology; Rectal Neoplasms/therapy; Sigmoid Neoplasms/ethnology; Sigmoid Neoplasms/epidemiology; Sigmoid Neoplasms/therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms/ethnology; Colorectal Neoplasms/epidemiology*; Colorectal Neoplasms/therapy; Sex Distribution
  15. Boo NY, Foong KW, Mahdy ZA, Yong SC, Jaafar R
    BJOG, 2005 Nov;112(11):1516-21.
    PMID: 16225572
    To determine obstetric and neonatal risk factors associated with subaponeurotic haemorrhage (SAH) in infants exposed to vacuum extraction.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Apgar Score; Birth Injuries/etiology*; Hypoxia, Brain/etiology; Female; Craniocerebral Trauma/etiology*; Hemorrhage/etiology*; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Scalp/injuries*; Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical/adverse effects*
  16. Ang HH, Cheang HS, Mak JW
    Chemotherapy, 2005 Oct;51(6):377-80.
    PMID: 16227695
    Exposure of Plasmodium falciparum to increasing sublethal drug concentrations followed by drug treatment led to the development of many resistant parasites. Therefore, the susceptibility of these clones to the type II antifolate drugs, cycloguanil and pyrimethamine, before and after subculturing them in vitro for a period of 3 years, was studied.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antimalarials/pharmacology*; Proguanil; Clone Cells; Drug Resistance*; Folic Acid Antagonists/pharmacology*; Malaysia; Plasmodium falciparum/drug effects*; Pyrimethamine/pharmacology*; Triazines/pharmacology*; In Vitro Techniques
  17. Chua KB, Chua IL, Chua IE, Chua KH
    Singapore Med J, 2005 Nov;46(11):639-44.
    PMID: 16228097
    Dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever are common and serious arboviral diseases endemic in a number of countries situated in both the tropical and subtropical belts.
    MeSH terms: Aedes/growth & development*; Aedes/virology; Age Factors; Animals; Dengue/prevention & control*; Dengue/virology; Female; Humans; Insect Vectors/growth & development*; Insect Vectors/virology; Insecticides*; Malaysia; Mosquito Control/methods*; Oviposition*; Prospective Studies; Severe Dengue/prevention & control; Permethrin*
  18. Ang CW, Mazlin NM, Heng LY, Ismail BS, Salmijah S
    Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 2005 Jul;75(1):170-4.
    PMID: 16228889
    MeSH terms: Animals; Food Contamination/analysis*; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated/analysis*; Malaysia; Pesticides/analysis*; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis*; Seafood*; Aquaculture; Bivalvia/chemistry*
  19. David P, Subramaniam K
    PMID: 16228975
    Extensive research on prenatal alcohol exposure has proven the potent teratogenicity of this substance of abuse. Children born to alcoholic mothers are often diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Those afflicted with FAS often have muscle weakness, muscle wasting, and atrophy. This study assessed the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing rat neuromuscular system.
    MeSH terms: Ethanol/administration & dosage; Ethanol/toxicity*; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Central Nervous System Depressants/toxicity*; Child; Child, Preschool; Cholinesterases/metabolism*; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Motor Endplate/enzymology*; Motor Endplate/pathology; Myelin Sheath/enzymology; Myelin Sheath/pathology; Pregnancy; Sciatic Nerve/enzymology; Sciatic Nerve/growth & development; Sciatic Nerve/pathology; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Muscle, Skeletal/enzymology; Muscle, Skeletal/growth & development; Muscle, Skeletal/pathology; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/enzymology; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/pathology; Rats; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders/enzymology*; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders/pathology
  20. Talib N
    Med Law, 2005 Sep;24(3):605-13.
    PMID: 16229394
    In western societies where the principle of autonomy is jealously guarded, perhaps active euthanasia is more often the focus of public concern and debates rather than any other forms of euthanasia. However due to the advance in technology and its corresponding ability in prolonging life, in Malaysia passive euthanasia presents more of a dilemma. For those concerned and involved with end of life decision-making, it is generally agreed that this is an area fraught with not only medical but legal and ethical issues. In Malaysia where the society is not homogenous but is multi-cultural and multi-religious, in addition to medical, legal and ethical issues, religious principles and cultural norms further impact and play significant roles in end of life decision-making. This paper seeks to identify the issues surrounding the practice of passive euthanasia in Malaysia. It will be shown that despite applicable legal provisions, current practice of the medical profession combined with religious and cultural values together affect decision-making which involves the withholding and/or withdrawing of life-saving treatment.
    MeSH terms: Euthanasia, Passive/legislation & jurisprudence*; Euthanasia, Passive/ethics; Humans; Malaysia
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