Browse publications by year: 2007

Fulltext Leukoaraiosis as a predictor for mortality and morbidity after an acute ischaemic stroke

Thein SS, Hamidon BB, Teh HS, Raymond AA

Singapore Med J, 2007 May;48(5):396-9.
PMID: 17453096

Leukoaraiosis (LA) is a term that defines an abnormal appearance of the subcortical white matter of the brain on neuroimaging. This study was done to evaluate the predictive value of LA in terms of mortality, disability and cognitive decline at three months post-stroke and also to identify the risk factors that are independently associated with LA in a stroke population.

MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Brain/radiography*; Cognition Disorders/etiology; Dementia/etiology; Disability Evaluation; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Risk Factors; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Stroke/complications*; Stroke/radiography; Leukoaraiosis/etiology*; Leukoaraiosis/radiography
The association between HLA genes and radiological erosions in Malaysian patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Yeap SS, Mohd A, Kumar G, Kong KF, Chow SK, Goh EM, et al.

Autoimmunity, 2007 May;40(3):187-90.
PMID: 17453717 DOI: 10.1080/08916930701233755

OBJECTIVE:
To assess the relationship between the HLA-DRB1 genes with disease severity as assessed by radiological erosions in Malaysian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS:
In this cross-sectional study, we studied 61 RA patients who fulfilled the ACR criteria for the diagnosis of RA. HLA-DRB1 genotyping was performed by sequence specific primer (SSP) - PCR. Radiological grading and erosive score of the hands and wrists was calculated according to the Larsen-Dale method. Demographic data and treatment given to the patients were obtained from their case records.

RESULTS:
Fifty-six females and five males were studied from three ethnic groups. In 57 patients with erosions, rheumatoid factor was detected in 80%, HLA-DR4 in 40%, HLA-DRB1*0405 in 24% and shared epitope (SE) in 31%. The median delay in starting DMARDs was 24 months. The presence of rheumatoid factor, HLA-DR4 and HLA-DRB1*0405 were not significantly associated with a worse erosive score. Patients who possessed the SE had a higher erosive scores, compared to those who did not (p = 0.05). Concurrently, a delay in starting DMARD was associated with a high erosive score (p = 0.023, r = 0.348). However, after adjustment for the delay in starting DMARD, SE was no longer significantly associated with the erosive score.

CONCLUSIONS:
In these patients, the delay in starting DMARDs had a greater influence on the erosive score than SE alone. Whilst we cannot discount the contribution of the SE presence, we would advocate early usage of DMARDs in every RA patient to reduce joint erosions and future disability.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/genetics*; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/pathology*; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/radiography; China/ethnology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; HLA-DR Antigens/genetics*; Humans; India/ethnology; Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology; Male; Middle Aged; HLA-DRB1 Chains
Generating neuron-like cells from BM-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in vitro

Choong PF, Mok PL, Cheong SK, Leong CF, Then KY

Cytotherapy, 2007;9(2):170-83.
PMID: 17453969

The multipotency of stromal cells has been studied extensively. It has been reported that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are capable of differentiating into cells of multilineage. Different methods and reagents have been used to induce the differentiation of MSC. We investigated the efficacy of different growth factors in inducing MSC differentiation into neurons.

MeSH terms: Alkaline Phosphatase/analysis; Alkaline Phosphatase/genetics; Bone Marrow Cells/cytology*; Bone Marrow Cells/drug effects; Bone Marrow Cells/metabolism; Cell Differentiation/drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Epidermal Growth Factor/pharmacology; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Nerve Growth Factors/pharmacology; Nerve Tissue Proteins/analysis; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics; Neurons/cytology*; Neurons/metabolism; Osteoblasts/cytology; Osteoblasts/metabolism; Osteocalcin/analysis; Osteocalcin/genetics; Immunophenotyping; Neurofilament Proteins/analysis; Neurofilament Proteins/genetics; Adipocytes/cytology; Adipocytes/metabolism; Cell Culture Techniques/methods; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/pharmacology; Chondrocytes/cytology; Chondrocytes/metabolism; GAP-43 Protein/analysis; GAP-43 Protein/genetics; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Antigens, Nuclear/analysis; Antigens, Nuclear/genetics; Osteopontin/analysis; Osteopontin/genetics; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/cytology*; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/drug effects; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/metabolism
No difference in the occurrence of mismatch repair defects and APC and CTNNB1 genes mutation in a multi-racial colorectal carcinoma patient cohort

Tan LP, Ng BK, Balraj P, Lim PK, Peh SC

Pathology, 2007 Apr;39(2):228-34.
PMID: 17454753

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Colorectal cancers of different subtypes involve different pathogenic pathways like the Wnt and the mutator pathways. In this study, we screened 73 colorectal cancer cases from a multi-racial group for genetic and expression profile defects with the aim of correlating these with patients' clinicopathological characteristics.
METHODS: Mutation screening of the entire coding region of APC and exon 3 of CTNNB1, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of APC, and microsatellite instability (MSI) status were assessed for 44 patients with available paired frozen normal and tumour tissues. In addition, 29 cases with available paraffin embedded tumour blocks were screened for mutation in exon 3 of CTNNB1, the APC mutation cluster region (codon 1286-1513), and hMLH1, hMSH2, hMSH6 protein expressions by immunohistochemistry method.
RESULTS: In our study, 15/73 cases showed APC mutations (20.5%), 1/73 cases had CTNNB1 mutation (1.4%), 5/32 cases had APC LOH (15.6%), and 16/70 (22.9%) cases revealed at least some form of mismatch repair (MMR) defect. Tumour grade (poor differentiation) was found to correlate significantly with right-sided tumour and mucinous histology (p = 0.01879 and 0.00320, respectively). Patients of younger age (below 45 years) more often had tumours of mucinous histology (p = 0.00014), while patients of older age (above 75 years) more often had tumours on the right side of the colon (p = 0.02448). Tumours of the mucinous histology subtype often had MMR defects (p = 0.02686). There was no difference in the occurrence of APC and CTNNB1 mutations and MMR defects found within our multi-racial colorectal cancer patient cohort.
CONCLUSION: Our findings support the notion that racial factor may not be related to the occurrence of MMR defects and APC and CTNNB1 mutations in our multi-racial patient cohort.

MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; DNA Mutational Analysis; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Colorectal Neoplasms/ethnology*; Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics*; Gene Expression; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Genes, APC*; Loss of Heterozygosity; Gene Expression Profiling; beta Catenin/genetics*; Microsatellite Instability; DNA Mismatch Repair*
Fulltext Bacteremia in patients with febrile neutropenia after chemotherapy at a university medical center in Malaysia

Baskaran ND, Gan GG, Kamarulzaman A, Sam IC

Int J Infect Dis, 2007 Nov;11(6):513-7.
PMID: 17459753

OBJECTIVES: This study was initiated to determine the local profile of blood culture isolates and antibiotic sensitivities in febrile neutropenic patients following chemotherapy, and to establish if any modifications to treatment guidelines are necessary.
DESIGN: A total of 116 episodes of febrile neutropenia admitted to the adult hematology ward at a university medical center in Malaysia were studied retrospectively from January 2004 to January 2005.
RESULTS: The study showed 43.1% of febrile neutropenic episodes had established bacteremia. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 60.3% of isolates. Sensitivities of Gram-negative bacteria to the antibiotics recommended in the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines were 86.1-97.2%. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common Gram-positive organisms isolated (23.3%). The majority of these were methicillin-resistant.
CONCLUSIONS: Carbapenem monotherapy, as recommended in the 2002 IDSA guidelines, is effective treatment for the infections most often encountered at our center. Combination therapy with an aminoglycoside should be considered when using ceftazidime, cefepime or piperacillin-tazobactam, particularly in high-risk patients. Vancomycin should be used if a Gram-positive organism is suspected or isolated.

MeSH terms: Academic Medical Centers; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects*; Bacteria/drug effects; Fever/etiology*; Hospitals, University; Humans; Malaysia; Neutropenia/chemically induced*; Retrospective Studies; Bacteremia*; Bacteremia/microbiology*; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
Genetic relationship between Coptotermes gestroi and Coptotermes vastator (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Yeap BK, Othman AS, Lee VS, Lee CY

J Econ Entomol, 2007 Apr;100(2):467-74.
PMID: 17461072

The phylogenetic relationship of Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) and Coptotermes vastator Light (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) was determined using DNA sequence comparisons of mitochondrial genes. Partial sequences of the ribosomal RNA small subunit 12S, ribosomal RNA large subunit 16S, and mitochondrial COII were obtained from nine populations of C. gestroi from South East Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia) and four populations of C. vastator from the Philippines and Hawaii. In addition, four populations of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Globitermes sulphureus (Haviland) were used as the outgroups. Consensus sequences were obtained and aligned. C. vastator and C. gestroi are synonymous, based on high sequence homology across the 12S, 16S, and COII genes. The interspecific pairwise sequence divergence, based on Kimura 2-parameter model between C. gestroi and C. vastator, varied only up to 0.80%. Morphometric measurements of 16 characteristics revealed numerous overlaps between the examined individuals of both species. Based on the molecular phylogenetics and morphometric data, it is proposed that C. vastator is a junior synonym of C. gestroi.

MeSH terms: Animals; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics; Electron Transport Complex IV/chemistry; DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry; Insect Control; Phylogeny*; RNA, Ribosomal/chemistry; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Isoptera/anatomy & histology; Isoptera/classification; Isoptera/genetics*
Mesenchymal stromal cell-like characteristics of corneal keratocytes

Choong PF, Mok PL, Cheong SK, Then KY

Cytotherapy, 2007;9(3):252-8.
PMID: 17464757

The unique potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) has generated much research interest recently, particularly in exploring the regenerative nature of these cells. Previously, MSC were thought to be found only in the BM. However, further studies have shown that MSC can also be isolated from umbilical cord blood, adipose tissue and amniotic fluid. In this study, we explored the possibility of MSC residing in the cornea.

MeSH terms: Cell Differentiation; Cells, Cultured; Cornea/cytology*; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Keratinocytes/cytology*; Keratinocytes/immunology; Immunophenotyping; Stromal Cells*; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells*
Coronary artery calcium and you - do you know where you stand?

Chin SP, Ng CK, Sim KH

Indian Heart J, 2007 May-Jun;59(3):211-3.
PMID: 19124927
MeSH terms: Calcinosis/radiography*; Coronary Artery Disease/radiography*; Humans; Severity of Illness Index*; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
In vitro cytotoxicology model of oligo-chitosan and n, o-carboxymethyl chitosan using primary normal human epidermal keratinocyte cultures

Lim CK, Halim AS, Lau HY, Ujang Z, Hazri A

J Appl Biomater Biomech, 2007 May-Aug;5(2):82-7.
PMID: 20799177

Chitosan (beta-1, 4-D-glucosamine) is a deacetylated form of chitin with excellent biological properties in wound management. The natural properties of chitosan have the physical and chemical limitations to be widely used in biomedical fields. The improvement of the physical and chemical properties of chitosan with some additional chemicals will alter its biocompatibility. Therefore, the biological attribute of the modified chitosan must be evaluated. In this study, the cytotoxicity of oligo-chitosan (OC) and N, O- carboxymethyl-chitosan (NO-CMC) derivatives (O-C 1%, O-C 5%, NO-CMC 1% and NO-CMC 5%) was evaluated using primary normal human epidermal keratinocyte (pNHEK) cultures as an in vitro toxicology model at standardized cell passages (fourth passages). 3-[4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) was used as a cell viability assay. The O-C 1% is one of the most compatible chitosan derivatives because it steadily sustained >70% of viable cells until 72 hr post-treatment. This was followed by O-C 5%, NO-CMC 5% and NO-CMC 1%. Therefore, oligo-chitosan had the ideal properties of a biocompatible material compared to N, O- carboxymethyl-chitosan in this study.

MeSH terms: Biocompatible Materials; Biphenyl Compounds; Bromides; Cell Survival; Chitin; Epidermis; Glucosamine; Humans; Reference Standards; Tetrazolium Salts; Keratinocytes; Chitosan
Fulltext Serum selenium level and other risk factors for breast cancer among patients in a Malaysian hospital

Rejali L, Jaafar MH, Ismail NH

Environ Health Prev Med, 2007 May;12(3):105-10.
PMID: 21432063 DOI: 10.1007/BF02898024

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between breast cancer and serum selenium level as well as other risk factors for breast cancer.
METHODS: A matched case-control study was conducted in a hospital in Malaysia from July 2000 to January 2001 and from May 2001 to June 2001. Sixty-two newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were selected as the cases. Each control, selected from the same hospital population was matched to each case according to age, ethnic group, and menopausal status.
RESULTS: The mean selenium concentration among the cases was significantly lower than that among the control. There was a significant association (p<0.05) between breast cancer and low selenium serum level, nulliparity (OR=5.5,95% CI=1.22 to 24.81), exposure to cigarette smoke (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.04 to 4.65) and use of oral contraceptives (OR=3.0, 95% CI=1.09 to 8.25) as determined by the McNemar test. Multivariate analysis showed that nulliparity (OR=10.08, 95% CI=1.48 to 68.52) and use of oral contraceptives (OR=3.66, 95% CI=1.36 to 9.87) were associated with increased breast cancer risk. An increased selenium concentration contributes to a reduced risk of breast cancer (OR=0.89, 95% CI=0.84 to 0.94).
CONCLUSION: The results suggest that use of oral contraceptive pills, being nulliparous, and a low serum selenium level are associated with breast cancer.
Regulation of p53-, Bcl-2- and caspase-dependent signaling pathway in xanthorrhizol-induced apoptosis of HepG2 hepatoma cells

Handayani T, Sakinah S, Nallappan M, Pihie AH

Anticancer Res, 2007 Mar-Apr;27(2):965-71.
PMID: 17465228

Xanthorrhizol is a sesquiterpenoid compound extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma xanthorrhiza. This study investigated the antiproliferative effect and the mechanism of action of xanthorrhizol on human hepatoma cells, HepG2, and the mode of cell death. An antiproliferative assay using methylene blue staining revealed that xanthorrhizol inhibited the proliferation of the HepG2 cells with a 50% inhibition of cell growth (IC50) value of 4.17 +/- 0.053 microg/ml. The antiproliferative activity of xanthorrhizol was due to apoptosis induced in the HepG2 cells and not necrosis, which was confirmed by the Tdt-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The xanthorrhizol-treated HepG2 cells showed typical apoptotic morphology such as DNA fragmentation, cell shrinkage and elongated lamellipodia. The apoptosis mediated by xanthorrhizol in the HepG2 cells was associated with the activation of tumor suppressor p53 and down-regulation of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein expression, but not Bax. The levels of Bcl-2 protein expression decreased 24-h after treatment with xanthorrhizol and remained lower than controls throughout the experiment, resulting in a shift in the Bax to Bcl-2 ratio thus favouring apoptosis. The processing of the initiator procaspase-9 was detected. Caspase-3 was also found to be activated, but not caspase-7. Xanthorrhizol exerts antiproliferative effects on HepG2 cells by inducing apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway.

MeSH terms: Animals; Cell Survival/drug effects; Cercopithecus aethiops; Enzyme Activation/drug effects; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy*; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology; Humans; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy*; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism; Liver Neoplasms/pathology; Phenols/pharmacology*; Vero Cells; Signal Transduction/drug effects; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism*; Apoptosis/drug effects*; Apoptosis/physiology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism*; Caspases/metabolism; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Growth Processes/drug effects; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism*
Polymorphism studies of four miniSTR loci for three ethnic populations in Singapore

Yong RY, Gan LS, Coble MD, Yap EP

Leg Med (Tokyo), 2007 Sep;9(5):278-81.
PMID: 17467323

MiniSTR loci has demonstrated to be an effective approach to recover genetic information from degraded sample, due to the improved PCR efficiency of their reduced PCR amplicon sizes. This study constructed a partial miniSGM panel and investigated the performance of four miniSTR loci, D2S1338, D16S539, D18S51 and FGA, in three ethnic populations residing in Singapore. The suitability of the miniSTR primers for Singapore populations was assessed for loci D16S539, D18S51 and FGA.

MeSH terms: China/ethnology; Ethnic Groups/genetics*; Gene Frequency; Genetics, Population*; Humans; India/ethnology; Malaysia/ethnology; Polymorphism, Genetic*; Singapore; Polymerase Chain Reaction; DNA Fingerprinting; Tandem Repeat Sequences*
Fulltext Red cell folate and predicted neural tube defect rate in three Asian cities

Green TJ, Skeaff CM, Venn BJ, Rockell JE, Todd JM, Khor GL, et al.

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2007;16(2):269-73.
PMID: 17468082

Periconceptional folic acid reduces neural tube defect (NTD) risk. Red blood cell folate concentration is inversely associated with NTD risk. In many countries there is a lack of information on NTD rates. Red cell folate status in women of childbearing age may be a surrogate for NTD rates and may be helpful in identifying countries or regions most likely to benefit from improved folate status.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; China/epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Erythrocytes/chemistry*; Female; Folic Acid/administration & dosage*; Folic Acid/analysis*; Food, Fortified; Humans; Indonesia/epidemiology; Malaysia/epidemiology; Neural Tube Defects/blood; Neural Tube Defects/ethnology; Neural Tube Defects/epidemiology*; Neural Tube Defects/prevention & control; Nutritional Status; Preconception Care*
Fulltext A multidimensional assessment of nutritional and health status of rural elderly Malays

Shahar S, Ibrahim Z, Fatah AR, Rahman SA, Yusoff NA, Arshad F, et al.

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2007;16(2):346-53.
PMID: 17468093

A multidimensional assessment of nutritional and health status comprised of subjective global assessment (SGA), anthropometry function, biochemistry, dietary intake, social and health aspects was carried out on 820 older people (52.8% men and 47.2% women) from four rural areas of Peninsular Malaysia. A proportion of the subjects had been classified as either overweight (25.7%) or chronic energy deficient (20.3%). Although 49% of subjects had normal body weight, 68.4% have been classified as having mild to moderate malnutrition according to the SGA. Only 1.1% and 2.3% had low serum albumin and ferritin, respectively. Almost 80% of subjects, especially men, were at high risk of cardiovascular diseases on the basis of the assessment of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. The majority of the subjects (87.2%) were fully independent in performing daily tasks, with men having a significantly higher score compared to women (p<0.001). However, men were less likely to be able to perform a flexibility test (50.7%) than were women (27.0%) (p<0.05). The mean energy intake for men (1412 +/- 461 kcal/d) and women (1201 +/- 392 kcal/d) were below the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for Malaysia, although this is a difficult assertion to make in an age-group which generally experiences declining energy expenditure. Moreover, 52.5% of men and 47.5% of women might have underreported their food intake. Dietary micronutrients most likely to be deficient were thiamin, riboflavin and calcium. It is concluded that a substantial proportion of rural elderly Malays had problems related to both undernutrition and overnutrition. An appropriate nutrition intervention program is needed to improve the nutritional status of rural elderly Malays.

MeSH terms: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Energy Intake/physiology*; Female; Health Status*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Nutritional Status*; Obesity/epidemiology; Rural Health; Sex Factors; Thinness/epidemiology; Geriatric Assessment/methods*; Nutrition Assessment*; Malnutrition/epidemiology*
Improving OSCE examiner skills in a Malaysian setting

Tan CP, Azila NM

Med Educ, 2007 May;41(5):517.
PMID: 17470099
MeSH terms: Education, Medical, Undergraduate/standards*; Educational Measurement/standards*; Malaysia; Teaching/standards*
Molecular characteristics of the Nipah virus glycoproteins

Diederich S, Maisner A

Ann N Y Acad Sci, 2007 Apr;1102:39-50.
PMID: 17470910

Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic paramyxovirus, which emerged in 1998 from fruit bats in Malaysia and caused an outbreak of severe respiratory disease in pigs and fatal encephalitis in humans with high mortality rates. In contrast to most paramyxoviruses, NiV can infect a large variety of mammalian species. Due to this broad host range, its zoonotic potential, its high pathogenicity for humans, and the lack of effective vaccines or therapeutics, NiV was classified as a biosafety level 4 pathogen. This article provides an overview of the molecular characteristics of NiV focusing on the structure, functions, and unique biological properties of the two NiV surface glycoproteins, the receptor-binding G protein, and the fusion protein F. Since viral glycoproteins are major determinants for cell tropism and virus spread, a detailed knowledge of these proteins can help to understand the molecular basis of viral pathogenicity.

MeSH terms: Animals; Chiroptera/virology; Glycoproteins/genetics; Glycoproteins/physiology*; Glycoproteins/chemistry*; Humans; Swine; Viral Envelope Proteins/genetics; Viral Envelope Proteins/physiology*; Viral Envelope Proteins/chemistry*; Virus Replication; Nipah Virus/genetics; Nipah Virus/physiology; Nipah Virus/chemistry*; Henipavirus Infections/epidemiology; Henipavirus Infections/veterinary; Henipavirus Infections/virology
Blastobotrys americana sp. nov., Blastobotrys illinoisensis sp. nov., Blastobotrys malaysiensis sp. nov., Blastobotrys muscicola sp. nov., Blastobotrys peoriensis sp. nov. and Blastobotrys raffinosifermentans sp. nov., novel anamorphic yeast species

Kurtzman CP

Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2007 May;57(Pt 5):1154-1162.
PMID: 17473275 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.64847-0

The genus Blastobotrys, which now includes species previously assigned to the synonymous genera Arxula and Sympodiomyces, represents the anamorph of the ascosporogenous genus Trichomonascus. Six novel species are proposed for assignment to Blastobotrys. They were detected from their unique nucleotide sequences in large-subunit rDNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA, mitochondrial small-subunit rDNA and the cytochrome oxidase II gene. The proposed novel species are Blastobotrys americana sp. nov. (type strain NRRL Y-6844(T)=CBS 10337(T); substrate unknown; Kansas, USA), Blastobotrys illinoisensis sp. nov. (type strain NRRL YB-1343(T)=CBS 10339(T); from forest debris; Illinois, USA), Blastobotrys malaysiensis sp. nov. (type strain NRRL Y-6417(T)=CBS 10336(T); from soil; Malaysia), Blastobotrys muscicola sp. nov. (type strain NRRL Y-7993(T)=CBS 10338(T); from moss; Louisiana, USA), Blastobotrys peoriensis sp. nov. (type strain NRRL YB-2290(T)=CBS 10340(T); from a fungus; Peoria, IL, USA) and Blastobotrys raffinosifermentans sp. nov. (type strain NRRL Y-27150(T)=CBS 6800(T); substrate unknown).

MeSH terms: Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics; DNA, Fungal/genetics; DNA, Fungal/chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry; Saccharomycetales/classification*; Saccharomycetales/cytology; Saccharomycetales/genetics; Environmental Microbiology*; Fungal Proteins/genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; RNA/genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S/genetics; United States; Mycological Typing Techniques; Sequence Homology; Sequence Analysis, DNA; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/chemistry
Use of fungi for the bioconversion of rice straw into cellulase enzyme

Khan MH, Ali S, Fakhru'l-Razi A, Alam Z

J Environ Sci Health B, 2007 May;42(4):381-6.
PMID: 17474017

Cellulase production was carried out by solid state bioconversion (SSB) method using rice straw, a lignocellulosic material and agricultural waste, as the substrate of three Trichoderma spp. and Phanerochaete chrysosporium in lab-scale experiments. The results were compared to select the best fungi among them for the production of cellulase. Phanerochaete chrysosporium was found to be the best among these species of fungi, which produced the highest cellulase enzyme of 1.43 IU/mL of filter paper activity (FPase) and 2.40 IU/mL of carboxymethylcellulose activity (CMCase). The "glucosamine" and "reducing sugar" parameters were observed to evaluate the growth and substrate utilization in the experiments. In the case of Phanerochaete Chrysosporium, the highest glucosamine concentration was 1.60 g/L and a high concentration of the release of reducing sugar was measured as 2.58 g/L obtained on the 4th day of fermentation. The pH values were also recorded. The range of the pH was about 5.15 to 5.56 in the case of Phanerochaete Chrysosporium.

MeSH terms: Ethanol; Biodegradation, Environmental*; Biotransformation; Fermentation; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Industrial Waste; Oryza/microbiology*; Trichoderma/enzymology*; Trichoderma/growth & development; Biomass; Phanerochaete/enzymology*; Phanerochaete/growth & development; Cellulases/biosynthesis*; Cellulases/metabolism
Liver abscess caused by tuberculosis and melioidosis

Azali HY, Norly S, Wong LM, Tan KS, Safian NM

Asian J Surg, 2007 Apr;30(2):138-40.
PMID: 17475585

We report an unusual co-existence of Burkholderia pseudomallei and acid fast bacilli in a young Malay gentleman with liver abscess. He was treated with antibiotics and surgical drainage. This phenomenon has not been reported in previous literature and the dilemma of its management is discussed.

MeSH terms: Humans; Liver Abscess/microbiology*; Male; Melioidosis/complications*; Middle Aged; Tuberculosis/complications*
Swordfish attack--death by penetrating head injury

Gooi BH, Khamizar W, Suhani MN

Asian J Surg, 2007 Apr;30(2):158-9.
PMID: 17475591

There have been very few reports of swordfish attacks on humans and none have resulted in death. Although there are no reports of unprovoked attacks on humans, swordfish can be very dangerous when provoked and they can jump and use their swords to pierce their target. We describe here an unusual case of death that resulted from intracranial penetrating injury caused by a swordfish.

MeSH terms: Adult; Animals; Brain Injuries/etiology*; Fishes*; Humans; Male; Wounds, Stab/etiology*; Fatal Outcome

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