A new species of black fly, Simulium (Gomphostilbia) paserense sp. nov., is
described based on a pharate pupa and mature larvae from East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Simulium (G.) paserense sp. nov. is placed in the Simulium epistum species-group of the
subgenus Gomphostilbia and is characterized by the pupal gill with 13 short, slender filaments
arising at the same level from a short common basal stalk and three dorsomedial trichomes
(plus three ventrolateral trichomes) on each side of the pupal thorax closely arising from one
another, both characters rarely occurring in Gomphostilbia species. Taxonomic notes are
given to separate this new species from its close allies, S. (G.) barioense Takaoka and S. (G.)
fulgidum Takaoka, both described from Sarawak. Seven known species, S. (G.) cheongi
Takaoka & Davies, S. (G.) lehi Takaoka, S. (G.) sarawakense Takaoka, S. (G.) tahanense
Takaoka & Davies, S. (Simulium) mirum Takaoka, Sofian-Azirun & Low, S. (S.) keningauense
Takaoka and S. (S.) sabahense Smart & Clifford, are newly recorded from Kalimantan. The
male and larva of S. (G.) sarawakense are described for the first time.
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a disease characterised
by late-term reproductive failure in sows and gilts, and respiratory problems in piglets and
growing pigs. In this study, 240 sera were collected from four farms that had been practicing
different PRRS vaccination regime for more than a year and vaccinations were done at 2
months before sampling. Fifteen sera samples from four age groups: sows, growers, weaners
and piglets were collected from each farm and analysed using IDEXX PRRS X3 ELISA for
PRRSV antibodies. Pooled serum samples were tested by using nested-PCR that enable the
differentiation of Type I and Type II PRRSV. Out of 80 pooled serum samples, none were
positive for PRRSV indicating all age groups were not viraemic after vaccination. Results by
ELISA test showed all the farms were seropositive for PRRS. ELISA testing showed no
significant difference between the farms except for Farm B which practised whole herd US
MLV vaccination. Farm B showed significantly lower (p
Elaeis oleifera serves as a source of genetic foundation in oil palm improvement programme, as it possess several interesting agronomic traits such as slow growth, higher oil unsaturation and disease resistance. Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has developed a collection of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) from Elaeis oleifera genome (E. oleifera-gSSRs). A total of 21 polymoprhic SSR markers were evaluated in the attempt to assess the population structure of E. oleifera populations. The appropriate common ancestry (K) value was determined to be seven from the likelihood scores. The profile from STRUCTURE analysis indicates considerable sharing of genetic components among E. oleifera population with an exception for Population 01 from Columbia and Population 02 from Costa Rica. The present study provides information on population structure of MPOB E. oleifera collection via model-based method for germplasm conservation and utilisation in breeding programmes.
This study focused on the identification of pathogenic bacteria in raw water intake and after sand filtration for drinking water treatment plant during flood event in 2014. The samples was collected from the Lubok Buntar Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and processed through bacterial isolation using chocolate agar as a media. The isolation process conducted based on serial samples dilution and streaking method prior to DNA extraction. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction kit was used to get selected bacteria DNA and further analysis using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test and electrophoresis to get DNA sequences. The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis was employed to identify the species of the isolated bacteria. As a result, Pantoeaagglomerans and Enterobacter sp. were found in raw and filtered water sample and indicating the same family types. It was concluded that bacteria of the same species were found before and after sand filtration and need to be removed by disinfectant process. The findings also indicated that all the physicochemical parameters measured were within the values prescribed by the Interim National Water Quality Standard (INWQS).
MeSH terms: Agar; Base Sequence; Disinfectants; DNA; Drinking; Electrophoresis; Enterobacter; Filtration; Sterilization; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Water Purification; Floods; Water Quality; Chocolate
A series of Schiff base ligand, SALMPD, and its mono- and trinuclear Zn(II) metal complexes were synthesised from m-phenylenediamine and salicylaldehyde in alcoholic solution. The synthesis of ligand and mononuclear complex were synthesised using conventional condensation method, while the trinuclear complex was done using microwave-assisted synthesis method. The structure of each compound was elucidated by elemental analysis, infrared and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The infrared spectrum of SALMPD shows a strong azomethine (C=N) band at 1621.62c m⁻¹, indicates the formation of the ligand. Upon complexation of the mononuclear complex, the C=N infrared band shifted and the disappearing of the phenolic hydrogen signal in ¹H NMR suggesting the chelation between Zinc(II) metal ion and ligand took place when azomethine and phenolic hydrogen deprotonated. The trinuclear complex, Zn3(SALMPD) obtained was consist of two moieties of mononuclear Zn₃(SALMPD), which act as ligands that chelating to the third Zn(II) metal ion through oxygen atom due to the shifting of M-O infrared band from 575.12-540.53cm⁻¹, which serves as a coordination site for the metal ion.
Heavy metal ions contamination has become more serious which is caused
by the releasing of toxic waterfrom industrial area and landfill that are very
harmful to all living organism especially human and can even cause death
if contaminated in small amount of heavy metal concentration. Currently,
peoples are using classic method namely electrochemical treatment,
chemical oxidation/reduction, chemical precipitation and reverse osmosis
to eliminate the metal ions from toxic water. Unfortunately, these methods
are costly and not environmentally friendly as compared to bioadsorption
method, where agricultural waste is used as biosorbent to remove heavy
metals. Two types of agricultural waste used in this research namely oil
palm mesocarp fiber (Elaesis guineensis sp.) (OPMF) and mangrove bark
(Rhizophora apiculate sp.) (MB) biomass. Through chemical treatment,
the removal efficiency was found to improve. The removal efficiency is
examined based on four specification namely dosage, of biosorbent to
adsorb fourtypes of metalsion explicitly nickel, lead, copper, and chromium.
The research has found that the removal efficiency of MB was lower than
OPMF; whereas, the multiple metals ions removal efficiency decreased in
the order of Pb2+ > Cu2+ > Ni2+ > Cr2+.
The new complexes [CuL2
(H2
O)2
] and [FeL2
(CH3
O)2
] in which L =
β-mangostin were synthesised and characterised. The structure of the
ligand, β-mangostin was confirmed using NMR and the purity of ligand
was determined using HPLC. Both Cu(II) and Fe(II) complexes were
prepared by reaction between the ligand and the acetate of the metals in
one-step reaction. The synthesised compounds have been characterised
using UV-Visible, FTIR and CHNS analyser. Ligand and metal complexes
were tested against bacteria to assess on their antimicrobial properties using
Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) and Minimum Bactericidal
Concentrations (MBCs) method. The elemental analysis and spectra data
suggested octahedral geometry for both Cu(II) and Fe(II) complexes. The
IR spectroscopy revealed that the chelation of Cu2+ and Fe2+ ion occurred
with hydroxyl and carbonyl group at C9
and C1 respectively of β-mangostin.
Both Cu(II) and Fe(II) complexes showed stronger inhibition against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae and
Salmonella pneumonia at concentration 900 mg/mL and Escherichia coli
at 450 mg/mL compared to the ligand itself
Introduction: Congenital malformations (CM) comprise a wide range of abnormalities of body structure or function that are present at birth and are of prenatal origin. It has contributed to a significant proportion of infant morbidity and mortality. The aims of this study were to determine the extent and investigate the relationship between CM and its associated demographic variables.
Methods: Data was extracted from Ministry of Health (MOH) database compiled from the reports on Stillbirth & Under 5 Mortality from year 2013 to 2014.
Results Out of 9,827 child death, 2,840 (28.9%) were classified under CM as defined under ICD-10 classification. Majority of those with CMs died at neonatal stage (62.7%) and among mothers aged between 20 to 35 years old (67.3%). The mean age of mothers among CM children was 30.8±6.5 years old. Approximately 5.8%, 6.7% and 3.3 % of total CM were neural tube defects, heart defects and hydrops fetalis respectively. The prevalence of CM in males was 15% higher than females. The difference were evident between CM and age of death of children under 5 years old (p<0.001) as well as between CM and maternal age groups (p<0.001).
Conclusions: CM is responsible for 28.9% of total causes of child death with higher occurrence of malformation in males. A significantly higher risk of CMs among mother aged between 20 to 35 years old was observed. This emphasises the importance of raising awareness and the need to strengthen appropriate response for surveillance and prevention program of common CM in Malaysia.
Keywords: Congenital malformations - Child death - Neonatal - Neural tube defects - ICD-10.
Introduction The most effective and affordable public health strategy to prevent
hypertension, stroke and renal disease is by reducing daily salt consumption.
Therefore, this study aims to determine the association of knowledge, attitude
and practice on salt diet intake and to identify foods contributing to high
sodium intake.
Methods Secondary data analysis was performed on MySalt 2016 data. It was
conducted from November 2015 until January 2016 which involving Ministry
of Health Staff worked at 16 study sites in Malaysia. Salt intake was
measured using 24 hours urinary sodium excretion. Food frequency
questionnaire was used to determine the sodium sources. Knowledge, attitude
and practice of salt intake were assessed using a validated questionnaire
adapted from WHO. Demographic data and anthropometric measures also
were collected. Sodium levels of more than 2400mg/day was categorised as
high sodium intake. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 21.
Results The mean sodium intake estimated by 24 hours urinary sodium excretion was
2853.23 + 1275.8 mg/day. Food groups namely rice/noodles (33.8%),
sauces/seasoning (20.6%), meat and poultry (12.6%) and fish/seafoods
(9.3%) were the major contributors of dietary sodium. In multiple logistic
regression analysis, being a male (aOR=2.83, 95% CI 2.02 – 3.96) and obese
(aOR=6.78, 95% CI 1.98 – 23.18) were significantly associated with high
urinary sodium excretions. In addition, those who were unsure that high salt
intake can cause hypertension (aOR=1.24, 95% CI 0.65 – 2.36), those who
think that they consumed too much salt (aOR=2.10, 95% CI 1.13 – 3.87) and
those who only use salt rather than other spices for cooking (aOR=2.07, 95%
CI 1.29 – 3.30) were significantly associated with high urinary sodium
excretion.
Conclusions This study showed that the main sources of sodium among Malay healthcare
staff is cooked food. Poor knowledge and practice towards reducing salt
consumption among them contributes to the high sodium consumption. The
practice of healthy eating among them together with continuous awareness
campaign is essential in order to educate them to minimize sodium
consumption and to practice healthy eating.
Introduction The quality of education is one of the controversial topics and vital issues that
requires more emphases from researchers due to the current challenges in
education at the university level. Involvement and participation from the
studentis essential to implement quality assurance and to reach for academic
accreditation. The aim of this study is to assess knowledge, attitudes, and
practices (KAP) of students towards TQM in education and its influencing
factorsatHigh Institute of Health Sciences (HIHS) in Sana'a, Yemen.
Methods A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was
conducted in 2016. A total of 208 students from second and third study levels
in HIHS had participated from 268 students were observed (study
population). Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and one-way ANOVA were
used to determine the association between students’ KAP towards TQM in
education with its influencing factors.
Results Mean age of the students were 22.44(SD±2.027) year old. Majority of HIHS
students were male 135 (64.9%) and 108 (51.9%) were from the third
studying level. The highest students' KAP scores were 53.4%, 65.4%, and
41.3% for good knowledge, good attitudes, and moderate practices
respectively. Education Department was found to be significantly associated
with students' knowledge and practices with p
Introduction A study was conducted to determine the level of mothers' perception on children with cleft deformity and its associated factors
Methods This was a cross sectional study involving 110 mothers with children attending the Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery Clinic. Data was gathered from a face to face interview based on a questionnaire that assesses the level of perception and its associated factors. The level of perception was evaluated from a scoring method and divided into four domains namely psychosocial, care management, treatment and education.
Results The level of perception was high in all four domains ranged from 62% for treatment and 80% for education. Factors that were significantly associated with the level of perception were ethnicity, religion, type of cleft deformity and level of information.
Conclusions Information regarding cleft deformity must be tailored toward mothers’ personal characteristics and type of cleft deformity to improve mothers' perception on this problem.
Study site: Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery Clinic, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Emotional and behavioural problems among children have been increasing in many western as
well as the eastern countries. Although the problem has been given attention and priority in
terms of early detection, many children with early symptoms of emotional and behavioural
problems has still not been detected at the early stages. This phenomenon is worrying as mental
health problems were shown to be stable in the long run and if left undetected it may manifest
into various problems in adulthood. This paper explores the issues on emotional and
behavioural problems in terms of its definition, prevalence, aetiology, long term consequences
and treatment. It also explores on mental health problems in a non-western country, i.e.
Malaysia including its prevalence and intervention strategies which has been carried out in
overcoming this worrying issue. Finally this review paper stresses the importance of providing
a well-designed epidemiological study in Malaysia in assessing the current prevalence of
emotional and behavioural problems in young children and adolescent
Introduction: Most health advisories related to outdoor physical activity during haze are general in nature. The advisories normally advise everyone to reduce or limit prolonged exertion or heavy exertion without mentioning the acceptable duration for performing outdoor physical activity causing difficulty for public to decide to stop or cancel a particular outdoor or sport event. The aim of this paper is to determine the acceptable duration for performing outdoor physical activity pattern during haze based on API level.
Methods: Health risk assessment approach that comprises of hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response, and risk characterization steps was used to determine the potential inhaled dose and risk associated with performing the physical activity during haze. We have considered many factors that include time spent for physical activity patterns for Malaysian adult, age and physical intensity-specific inhalation rate (m3/min), and the indoor/outdoor ratio of PM10. A hypothetical exposure scenario of PM10 was created using the breakpoints of PM10 concentration for the calculation of respective API levels during haze.
Results: The association between physical activity pattern, API level and risk quotient were presented in the form of risk radar diagram. Based on the 50th percentile inhalation rate, all prolonged exertion and heavy exertion should be avoided when API reach >201 (very unhealthy) and >175 (unhealthy) respectively. Below the said API, the duration for performing prolonged exertion and heavy exertion should be reduced according to the API level. When API reaches 140, high intensity physical activity should be limited to < 90 minutes. A football match which requires 90 minutes, should be postponed of cancelled if API > 140. Whereas, for the same API level, prolonged exertion (moderate intensity physical activity) should be limited to 4 hours.
Conclusions: Reducing the physical activity is an effective strategy to lower the dose of inhaled pollutants and reduce the health risk during poor air quality. Based on the assessment, taking into account the uncertainty of risk assessment methodology, we proposed all prolonged exertion should be avoided when API reach very unhealthy status (>201). Below the said API level, outdoor physical activity should be reduced according to the level of API respectively. The recommendation is not applicable for the sensitive groups. The computed risk radar provide a valuable guide for the public to organize or considering postponing an outdoor event during haze.
Introduction Tong Nibong is a Bidayuh village located at Sarawak Kalimantan border.
Since the year 2004 to 2009, a total of 537 cases of malaria were recorded in
Serian District of which 14 cases were reported from Kampung Tong
Nibong. Community empowerment programme for malaria infection
prevention showed tremendous improvement in implementation. This
intervention study aims to gauge the effectiveness of community
empowerment approach in malaria elimination programme in Kampung Tong
Nibong Serian.
Methods An intervention study was conducted with pre and post data collection. Data
was collected using validated questionnaire by face to face interview.
Universal sampling method was used to select respondents from head of
household and post data was collected after intervention activities were
carried out within a year of study period.
Results The study showed significant difference on level of knowledge of
respondents on vector of malaria between pre and post data with a P < 0.05.
There was significant difference between pre and post data on practices on
control and prevention of malaria with a P < 0.05. The same goes to level of
positive attitude of respondents towards malaria control.
Conclusions In conclusion, the study can be considered successful because there is
significant difference in knowledge, attitude and practice among the
respondents between pre and post data. This indicates that community
empowerment (voluntary participation) measures can be implemented in high
risk or endemic areas where malaria is a persistent problem to the community
and health institutions faces many limiting factors.
MeSH terms: Animals; Disease Vectors; Family Characteristics; Malaria; Malaysia; Surveys and Questionnaires
Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) is a group of parasitic nematodes, including
Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus,
which can cause gastrointestinal disorders in humans. STH is prevalent among neglected
communities in both developing and developed countries. This present study aims to determine
the current prevalence of STH infections in Aboriginal population after mass delivering of
antihelminthic drugs was proposed by WHO in 2005 and a health education learning package
(HELP) was initiated in Malaysia in 2012. A total of 235 human fecal samples were collected
and a pre-tested questionnaire was given to gather information about the socio-demographic
of the Aborigine communities living in Kedah and Selangor, Malaysia. The samples were
screened by a direct-fecal smear and confirmed by formalin-ether sedimentation methods.
From human faeces, 81.7% was found to be infected with one or more STH species. T.
trichiura was the most commonly detected (76.6%), followed by hookworms (26.4%) and A.
lumbricoides (19.1%). Triple infections were found in 6.4% of the studied population. Univariate
analysis showed that individuals with age group, male, presence of indoor toilet, family size
with
MeSH terms: Ancylostoma; Ancylostomatoidea; Animals; Anthelmintics; Ether; Feces; Formaldehyde; Health Education; Helminthiasis; Helminths; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Surveys and Questionnaires; Soil; Trichuris; World Health Organization; Prevalence; Ascaris lumbricoides; Necator americanus; Developed Countries
A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of helminthiasis among cattle
in seven districts of Terengganu, namely: Kuala Terengganu, Hulu Terengganu, Setiu, Dungun,
Kemaman, Marang and Besut. The periods of samplings were from March 2015 to January
2016 conducted between 0800-1400h. A total of 219 faecal samples and 214 blood samples
were collected from the animals. The faecal samples were analyzed by faecal sedimentation
method, modified McMaster method, culture techniques and identification of third stage
larvae morphologically. The blood samples were centrifuged for sera that were used for
serological test. Results showed that the overall helminthiasis was made of 55.0% trematodes
and 14.0% nematode infection. Out of 55.0% of trematode infection, 41.0% was liver fluke
infection, 8.0% was rumen fluke infection and 52.0% was co-infection of liver fluke and rumen
fluke. A significant difference in the distribution of trematode eggs was recorded among the
animals, χ2(2, N=120) = 41, p
Dengue virus infection has been posing alarming economic and social burden on
affected nations. It is estimated that 50-100 million dengue infections occur annually with
over 2.5 billion people at risk for endemic transmission. In the effort to develop effective
antiviral agents, we previously reported potential antiviral activities from selected array of
natural products and compounds against dengue virus serotype 2 (DV2). In this study, we
report the synthesis of two efficacious novel compounds, YK51 and YK73, and their activities
against DV2 replication. Both compounds were chemically synthesised from nicotinic acid
using a modified method for the synthesis of dihydropyridine. The products were tested with
cell-based assays against DV2 followed by a serine protease assay. As a result, both YK51 and
YK73 exhibited intriguing antiviral properties with EC50 of 3.2 and 2.4 μM, respectively. In
addition, YK51 and YK73 were found to attenuate the synthesis of intracellular viral RNA and
protect the switching of non-classic mechanism of protein translation. These compounds
demonstrated inhibitory properties toward the activity of DV2 serine protease in a dose
dependent manner. These findings demonstrate that both YK51 and YK73 serve as DV2 serine
protease inhibitors that abrogate viral RNA synthesis and translation. Further investigation
on these compounds to corroborate its therapeutic properties towards dengue is warranted.
Blastocystis infection is widely reported in wildlife, livestocks and in non-human
primates however, occurrence in Malaysian wildlife is scarce. A wildlife survey on Tioman
Island captured six water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator), four mouse-deer (Tragulus sp.)
and one Malayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura) based on convenience sampling. Intestinal
contents from each animal were subjected to in vitro cultivation method using Jones medium
supplemented with 10% horse serum. Low prevalence of infections was detected with only
1/6 (16.7%) water monitor lizard and 1/4 (25%) mouse-deer infected. The vacuolated form was
the most common cell form found in both cultures with similar morphology to B. hominis.
However, the monitor lizard isolate propagated well in the laboratory for several months
using Jones medium while mouse-deer isolate could not be maintained for more than a week.
The reptilian isolates grew optimally at a lower temperature of 24ºC compared to 37ºC for the
mouse-deer isolate. Using the DNA barcoding method, both isolates were confirmed to be
Blastocystis sp. Sequence obtained from a monitor lizard isolate has 94% sequence identity to
B. lapemi, an isolate recovered from a reptile sea-snake whereas a mouse-deer isolate has
99% sequence identitical to B. hominis HJ01-7. The phylogenetic tree revealed that the
monitor lizard isolate were positioned within the herptiles clade (clade VIII) while the mouse
deer isolate located at the homoithermal clade (clade IV). The present paper is the first report
on the presence as well as genetic characteristics of Blastocystis in wildlife captured from
Tioman Island, Pahang.
Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a childhood illness, commonly caused by
enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16). In recent years, unusual HFMD
outbreaks caused by coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6) have been reported. From May 2012 to
September 2013, enteroviruses were detected in 25 HFMD patients in University Malaya
Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The predominant serotypes were EV-A71 (48%) and
CV-A6 (48%), followed by CV-A16 (4%). CV-A6 patients (mean age, 2.1) were significantly
younger than EV-A71 patients (mean age, 3.3). There were no significant differences observed
in clinical features between EV-A71 and CV-A6 patients. Since enteroviruses are difficult to
differentiate clinically, the conserved 5’ untranslated region (5’ UTR) was used to identify
enterovirus serotypes. Phylogenetic analysis of 5’ UTR showed distinct clustering of viruses
as EV-A71, CV-A16 and CV-A6. Further genotyping with capsid genes showed that all the EVA71
sequences belonged to subgenotype B5, while the CV-A16 sequence belonged to
subgenotype B2b. CV-A6 sequences were clustered into genotypes D1 and D2, with recent
isolates from Seri Kembangan, Malaysia and China. In summary, 59.5% of HFMD cases in our
centre in 2012-2013 were caused by EV-A71, CV-A16 and the newly emerging CV-A6. This
study also demonstrated that 5’ UTR is suitable for preliminary identification of enteroviruses
during HFMD outbreaks, but specific capsid genes such as VP1 and VP4/VP2 are required for
further genotyping. Apart from measures to control the spread of the virus during an outbreak
of HFMD, identification of EV-A71 as the etiological agent is important as EV-A71 is a major
cause of severe neurological complications and potentially fatal.
Rove beetle (Paederus spp.) is of medical interest because it causes nasty skin
lesion in humans known as Paederus dermatitis. In addition, Paederus is gaining notoriety as
urban pests in human-populated areas. This study aimed to determine some factors and
conditions controlling the beetle’s abundance, distribution and dispersal time along with the
rice field towards human setting. Flight dispersion of P. fuscipes towards a light trap was
studied for two cycles of the rice cultivation phase; main rice season (October 2013 – March
2014) and off rice season (March 2014 – October 2014) at an infestation-prone area in
Mainland Penang, Malaysia. The effects of rice cultivation phases and variable environmental
conditions were considered to further understand the abundance, distribution and dispersal
time of P. fuscipes. As shown in the present work, the number of beetles was higher in warmer
and humid months, especially during the off season of the rice cultivation phase. The greatest
abundance of the beetle towards residential premises was primarily seen during the rice
harvesting stage. Peak time of P. fuscipes flight was observed starting at 20:45 hours, with
threshold temperature 25–27°C and relative humidity 84–94% RH. P. fuscipes were capable of
flying under marginally windy conditions. However, windless night favour most P. fuscipes
flights.