Browse publications by year: 2019

  1. Ambily R, Mini M, Siju J, Vamshikrishna S, Abhinay G, Gleeja VL, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):654-663.
    PMID: 33597487
    A study was undertaken to evaluate the relevance of detecting IgM and IgG antibodies in diagnosis of canine leptospirosis in Kerala, a southern state of India, which is endemic for the disease. A total of 205 blood (35 from healthy vaccinated, 30 from healthy unvaccinated and 140 from diseased dogs) and 151 urine samples (11 from healthy vaccinated and 140 from diseased dogs) were collected from three districts of Kerala, Thrissur, Palakkad and Kozhikode with high incidence of leptospirosis. Recombinant LipL41 protein was used as antigen and IgG and IgM based ELISAs were standardized. The results were compared with the gold standard test, microscopic agglutination test (MAT). The MAT positive samples (146 samples) were divided into those having titre >1:800 and those between 1:100 and 1:400 in view that the former constituted the acute cases. It was found that IgM ELISA was more specific and sensitive in detecting acute cases (MAT >1:800) whereas IgG ELISA was less specific. In case of seroprevalence studies (MAT titre 1:100 to 1: 400), IgG ELISA was found to be more sensitive and specific than IgM ELISA. Receiver operating characteristic curves when plotted, revealed the accuracy of IgM ELISA in acute leptospirosis. Many samples were positive for both IgG and IgM antibodies. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targeting lipl41 gene was standardized and urine and blood samples from the same dogs were tested. PCR was found to be the specific test for the early detection of leptospires in blood even before seroconversion. However, PCR analysis of the urine samples was found to be insensitive. Hence, it can be concluded that the diagnostic strategies should be modified, and a combination of serological and molecular tests is recommended in endemic areas rather than simple detection of IgM or IgG antibodies, for the early detection of acute clinical cases of leptospirosis.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial/blood; Dog Diseases/diagnosis*; Dog Diseases/microbiology; Dogs; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/veterinary; Immunoglobulin G/blood; Immunoglobulin M/blood; India; Leptospirosis/diagnosis; Leptospirosis/veterinary*; Recombinant Proteins/immunology; Sensitivity and Specificity; Seroepidemiologic Studies
  2. Khan M, Mahmood HZ, Noureen S, Muhmood K, Husnain MIU, Hameed Khaliq I
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):664-676.
    PMID: 33597488
    The extent of the economic burden of malaria and its imposed mechanisms are both relevant to public policy. This paper investigates the economic burden of malaria and household behaviour in relation to the treatment and prevention of the illness in Pakistan. In this regard, data were collected from a randomly selected sample of 360 households using structured questionnaires. The survey results indicate that 23.4% of household members contracted malaria during the three-month reference period. The average per person cost of malaria is estimated at 3116 Pakistani rupees (PKR) (USD 32). The estimated cost of the illness was found to be equivalent to, on average, 6.7% of monthly household income. Although high-income households face a higher financial burden due to better preventive and mitigation measures, the negative consequences hit low-income households harder due to liquidity constraints and poor access to effective treatment. We recommend that malaria control policies be integrated into development and poverty reduction programs.
    MeSH terms: Literacy; Choice Behavior; Family Characteristics; Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Malaria/drug therapy*; Malaria/economics; Malaria/prevention & control*; Pakistan/epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Cost of Illness*
  3. Sarirah M, Wijayanti MA, Murhandarwati EEH
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):677-686.
    PMID: 33597489
    In Soil-Transmitted Helminth (STH) control programs, microscopic examination is applied as a standard method for detecting the presence and the number of STH eggs. The time limitations of fresh specimen processing, especially for an accurate quantitative diagnosis, cause the specimen processing to be delayed or should be performed at a referral laboratory. This deferment requires preservatives to keep the stool integrity without reducing the accuracy. The aims of this study were: 1) to compare the proportion of positive samples and the intensity of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and hookworm infection based on the examination of fresh samples and stool preserved by 10% formalin for >12 months and 2) to determine the most reliably accurate between Kato-Katz and mini-FLOTAC methods in detecting A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and hookworm eggs in preserved stools both qualitatively and quantitatively. Seventy-eight (78) stool samples were examined by mini-FLOTAC, and KatoKatz methods. Proportion of positive samples of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and hookworms in fresh and in >=12 months 10% formalin preserved stools had no significant difference. Helminths density (eggs per gram of stool/EPG) in fresh samples was fewer compared to EPG in preserved samples (p <0.05) which leads to a lower proportion of moderate and high level groups in fresh stools samples compared to those in preserved samples (p <0.05). In preserved samples, as qualitative method, mini-FLOTAC detected more A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura eggs than Kato-Katz, while hookworm eggs were detected more by Kato-Katz than the miniFLOTAC. As a quantitative detection, Kato-Katz showed higher calculation of STH EPG than mini-FLOTAC. Using 10% formalin preservation for stool samples, the STH eggs' morphology could still be well identified. Homogenization process and low number of samples tested, were acknowledged as the limitation of this study.
    MeSH terms: Ancylostomatoidea/isolation & purification*; Animals; Feces/parasitology; Helminths/isolation & purification*; Humans; Parasite Egg Count/methods*; Preservation, Biological; Soil/parasitology; Specimen Handling
  4. Farah Haziqah MT, Nur Hikmah AM, Mat Hasan H, Hamdan A, Nik Him NAII
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):687-693.
    PMID: 33597490
    An investigation was undertaken for screening and isolating nematophagous-fungi from the faecal samples of various grazing animals and soils in Malaysia. Total of 111 faeces and 50 soil samples were collected and the samples were cultured on 2% water agar plates. The growth of nematophagous-fungi was stimulated by sprinkling-baiting technique. The conidia of suspected nematophagous-fungi were inoculated on 2% water agar plates. All isolated were maintained on 2% cornmeal agar plates. Verticillium spp., Fusarium spp. and Arthrobotrys spp. were identified from the faecal and soil samples. 62.5% of the faecal samples and 100% of the soil samples were shown to be positive with nematophagous-fungi. This study highlights the present of nematophagous-fungi population in faecal and soil samples. Much study remains to be done to better understanding some fungi especially their mode of action and their predatory behaviour against parasitic nematodes.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Cattle; Deer; Mitosporic Fungi/classification; Mitosporic Fungi/isolation & purification*; Feces/microbiology*; Goats; Horses; Malaysia; Nematoda; Pest Control, Biological; Soil; Soil Microbiology*
  5. Chemoh W, Nur Farhana MN, Noor Azmi MA, Si Lay K, Sawangjaroen N, Tan TC, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):694-702.
    PMID: 33597491
    Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that is capable of causing a zoonotic disease, known as toxoplasmosis. Vertical transmission of T. gondii from the mother to the fetus, during pregnancy may cause severe complications to the developing fetus. This current study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and investigate the associated risk factors of Toxoplasma infection in pregnant women (n=219) visiting the antenatal clinic at UMMC. While the elevated level of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies indicates the presence of infection, it fails to differentiate between a past and a recent infection. Thus, the study also demonstrates the usefulness of IgG avidity in validating the timing of infection. The serum samples were tested for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies by ELISA test, and the seropositive samples for both anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies were further evaluated by IgG avidity. The results showed that the overall prevalence of T. gondii seropositivity was 34.7%. Of these, 30.6% (67/219) were positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibody only, 2.3% (5/219) were positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgM only, and the remaining 1.8% (4/219) was positive for both anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies. All of the pregnant women who were positive for both anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibody were found to have past infection when evaluated by IgG avidity. In this study, Malay ethnicity and the number of existing previous children were significantly associated with T. gondii seropositivity (p<0.05). Based on these findings, information and education on the transmission and prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis are very crucial as a public health effort towards a healthier society.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin G/blood; Immunoglobulin M/blood; Malaysia/epidemiology; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Toxoplasmosis/epidemiology*; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic/epidemiology*; Prevalence; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Young Adult
  6. Krishnan PB, Abdullah M, Hudu SA, Sekawi Z, Tan SS, Amin-Nordin S
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):703-708.
    PMID: 33597492
    Asian countries account for almost three quarter of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) reported globally and chronic hepatitis B infection is one of the main contributors. Clinical observations show that Malay patients with chronic hepatitis B and HCC tend to have a worse outcome, when compared to other two major races in Malaysia. The objectives of this study was to determine the frequency of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles in chronic hepatitis B patients with HCC among Malays compared to the general population to identify potential associations of HLA alleles with this disease. HLA class II typing was performed in chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (n=12) by -polymerase chain reaction, sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) method. There were higher allelic frequencies of certain HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DRB1 alleles; HLA-DQB1*03 (07) (41.7%), and HLA-DRB1*12 (41.7% vs 28.6%) and compared to controls (41.7% vs 29.7%). However, there was no significant statistical correlation found when compared with the normal healthy general population. This study provides an insight into the HLA Class II association with chronic hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma in Malays. However, findings from this study should be validated with a larger number of samples using a high resolution HLA typing.
    MeSH terms: Female; Gene Frequency; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics*; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/virology; HLA-DQ Antigens/genetics*; Humans; Liver Neoplasms/genetics*; Liver Neoplasms/virology; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; Case-Control Studies; Hepatitis B, Chronic/genetics*; HLA-DRB1 Chains/genetics*
  7. Mohamed NA, Said MH, Mohd Rani MD, Ramli S, Isahak I
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):709-717.
    PMID: 33597493
    Bats are slowly gaining recognition as a potential reservoir for viruses harmful to human (Smith and Wang, 2013). Bats are reservoir to viruses causing Ebola virus diseases (EBV) (Leroy et al., 2005), Nipah Encephalitis (NiV) (Chua et al., 2002), SARS(Li et al., 2005) and MERS-CoV (Yang et al., 2015) being the latest one making headlines. About 18 years ago, a major outbreak of Nipah virus encephalitis occurred in Peninsular Malaysia resulted in the deaths of 105 persons and the slaughter of approximately 1.1 million pigs. In 2006, a novel bat orthoreovirus was found to be associated with acute respiratory syndrome in Malaysia. Following that incidents, many studies have been done on bats, particularly to determine their species, behaviour, and antibody level and there were also studies in human on antibody prevalence to batsrelated viruses e.g. Nipah and Hendra and PRV. Humans may become infected with viruses from bats through intermediate host (swine, horse) or through aerosol or direct contact with bats. Communities living adjacent to bat roosts should aware of possible risk of infection transmission from bats. An earlier study in Guatemala demonstrated that risk of exposure to bats in communities near bats roosts was common, but recognition of the potential for disease transmission from bats was low (Moran et al., 2015). Surprisingly, there is no local published data on public awareness towards bats-related infection despite potential risk of getting the infection. This study aimed to determine knowledge and awareness on bat-related infections, attitudes towards bats and practices related to health-seeking behaviours following exposure to bats.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Animals; Chiroptera/virology*; Disease Outbreaks; Disease Reservoirs/virology; Female; Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Acceptance of Health Care*; Zoonoses*; Islands
  8. Morales-Figueroa GG, Castro-García M, Esparza-Romero J, López-Mata MA, Quihui-Cota L
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):718-725.
    PMID: 33597494
    Caborca is one of the most productive asparagus-growing regions in the state of Sonora in northwest Mexico, an area where some fresh fruits and vegetables are sold at unregulated open-air street markets. This is a cross-sectional study in which fifty bundles of asparagus for exportation, 50 bundles of sub-standard asparagus, and 50 bundles of asparagus from open-air markets were selected randomly and then subjected to Faust, Kinyoun and ELISA testing to detect intestinal parasites. Pearson's chi-square (χ2) and Student-NewmanKeuls tests were used to estimate differences among the sampling site groups (P < 0.05). The pathogens Cryptosporidium spp. (29%) G. intestinalis (5%) and Cyclospora spp. (3%) were found in the asparagus sold in the region. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was higher in both the sub-standard asparagus and the product sampled from the open-air markets than in the samples for exportation (P < 0.05). This is the first study to demonstrate contamination by intestinal parasites in asparagus sold in different markets in northwest Mexico.
    MeSH terms: Cross-Sectional Studies; Cryptosporidium/isolation & purification; Food Contamination/analysis*; Mexico; Vegetables/parasitology*; Cyclospora/isolation & purification; Asparagus Plant/parasitology*
  9. Rajvanshi S, Verma J, Nirupama A
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):726-741.
    PMID: 33597495
    A total of 17 species of the genus Bifurcohaptor Jain, 1958 have been reported from two fish families namely Bagridae Bleeker, 1858 (Mystus vittatus (Bloch, 1794), M. tengara (Hamilton, 1822), M. keletius (Valenciennes, 1840), Hemibagrus nemurus (Valenciennes, 1840), Rita rita (Hamilton, 1822) and Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839)) and Sisoridae Bleeker, 1858 (Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton, 1822)). Out of these, only two species viz. B. indicus and B. giganticus are found valid in India, parasitizing gills of Mystus spp. and Bagarius sp. Taxonomic studies suggest, present specimen of B. indicus and B. giganticus, both are morphologically close to species described by Jain (1958), except morphometric variations and posses 7 pairs of marginal hooks instead of 6 pairs. Present manuscript delves with the characterization of B. indicus and B. giganticus reported from India, using molecular techniques. Partial mt COI nucleotide sequence based insilico protein analysis and partial 28S and ITS-1 rDNA based phylogenetic analysis, estimated by Neighbour-joining (NJ) and Minimum Evolution (ME) methods revealed that the species of the genus Bifurcohaptor are genetically distinct and valid. The grouping of Bifurcohaptor spp. with other representatives of family Dactylogyridae supports morphology based placement into family Dactylogyridae. Present and previous host-parasite information suggests both Bifurcohaptor spp. are species specialist however, the genus Bifurcohaptor is generalist at generic level.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Catfishes/parasitology; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics; Fish Diseases/parasitology*; Gills/parasitology; India; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics; Trematoda/anatomy & histology; Trematoda/classification*; Trematoda/isolation & purification; DNA, Helminth/genetics; Host Specificity
  10. Selmi R, Dhibi M, Ben Said M, Ben Yahia H, Abdelaali H, Ameur H, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):742-757.
    PMID: 33597496
    Livestock constitute habitual hosts and carriers for several infectious pathogens which may represent a serious public health concern affecting the readiness of military forces and lead to wide economic losses. The present report aimed to investigate the prevalence of some haemopathogens infecting military livestock, particularly, dromedaries, sheep and horses using Giemsa-stained blood smears. A total of 300 animals (100 from each species) were selected, clinically examined and sampled. Trypanosoma spp. (22.0%), Anaplasma spp. (17.0%) and Babesia spp. (1.0%) were identified in camels' blood. Six dromedaries were found to be co-infected by Trypanosoma and Anaplasma organisms (6.0%). Camels of female gender, infested by ticks and showing clinical signs were statistically more infected by Trypanosoma spp., compared to those of male gender, free of ticks and apparently healthy (P= 0.027, 0.000 and 0.004, respectively). Babesia spp. infection (1.0%) was identified, for the first time in Tunisia, in one adult female camel that presented abortion and anemia. Anaplasma spp. was the only haemopathogen identified in examined sheep (6.0%) and horses (17.0%). Horses infested by Hippobosca equina flies and sheep infested by Rhipicephalus turanicus ticks were more infected by Anaplasma spp. than other non-infested animals (P=0.046 and 0.042, respectively). Hyalomma dromedarii, H. impeltatum and H. excavatum were the most prevalent diagnosed ticks removed from camels with an intensity of infestation of 1.2 ticks per animal. However, in sheep, only R. turanicus was identified. H. equina and Tabanus spp. were the potential hematophagous flies found in dromedaries and horses herds. This useful data must be taken into consideration during animal treatment and vectors' control programs in Tunisian military farms which help to limit the diffusion of vector-borne diseases, keep our livestock healthy and reduce economic losses.
    MeSH terms: Anaplasmosis/epidemiology*; Animals; Babesiosis/epidemiology*; Camels/parasitology; Diptera/parasitology; Female; Horses/parasitology; Male; Tick Infestations/parasitology; Tick Infestations/veterinary; Trypanosomiasis/epidemiology; Trypanosomiasis/veterinary*; Tunisia/epidemiology; Sheep, Domestic/parasitology; Military Facilities; Livestock/parasitology*
  11. Alajmi RA, Ayaad TH, Al-Harbi HT, Shaurub EH, Al-Musawi ZM
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):758-765.
    PMID: 33597497
    The present work aimed to identify camel ticks Hyalomma dromedarii and Hyalomma marginatum using direct sequence of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene and the detection of their natural infection rate with Rickettsia and Borrelia using the PCR/ hybridization method for amplification of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene. The phylogenetic analysis showed 99% similarity between Hyalomma dromedarii and its reference with accession # L34306.1, as well as between Hyalomma marginatum and its reference with accession # KT391060.1 obtained from GenBank data base. The prevalence of H. dromedarii and H. marginatum was about 99% and 1%, respectively. The intraspecific variation among H. dromedarii ranged between 0.2-6.6%. The interspecific variation between H. dromedarii and H. marginatum was 18.3%. PCR/hybridization of the sampled H. dromedarii detected about 31%, 37% and 18% natural infection with Rickettsia, Borrelia and co-infection with both pathogens, respectively. In contrast, none of Rickettsia or Borrelia was detected in H. marginatum. The present study emphasizes the accuracy of the identification of camel ticks based on molecular techniques. The ability of H. dromedarii to spread more than one disease is an important issue from the epidemiological standpoint. Future epidemiological research should be carried out in Saudi Arabia to monitor the distribution of tick species and suggest effective control strategies.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Borrelia/isolation & purification*; Camels/parasitology*; DNA, Bacterial/genetics; Phylogeny; Rickettsia/isolation & purification*; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics; Saudi Arabia; Tick Infestations/epidemiology; Tick Infestations/veterinary*; Ticks/classification; Ticks/microbiology*
  12. Ashouri Saheli Z, Shenagari M, Harzandi N, Monfared A
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):766-775.
    PMID: 33597498
    The need for an intensive care protocol, sometimes weekly or biweekly, has led to a significant increase in laboratory costs for kidney recipients. In the present study, an inhouse tetraplex nested PCR assay was developed and validated for the specific detection of BKV, JCV, HCMV and EBV in clinical samples. We determined the Limit of Detection (LOD) and analytical specificity. To demonstrate the diagnostic performance of the assay, a total of 102 archival plasma samples were tested and compared with a commercial uniplex real-time PCR kits. The analytical sensitivity of the in-house tetraplex nested PCR assay was 173 copies/ml, when all four viruses were present in the specimens. These values were 79.2, 58.7, 87.6 and 96.1 copies/ml when only, BKV, JCV, HCMV and EBV respectively, were present. The cross-reactivity assays were shown no detectable signal in the tetraplex PCR results. The estimated diagnostic sensitivities were 92.6% for BKV, 92.3% for JCV and 100% for both HCMV and EBV as compared with commercial kits. Regarding the sensitivity and specificity, it seems that the developed Multiplex Nested PCR assay could be used as a reliable virusassociated renal rejection (VRR) panel in post renal transplant surveillance.
    MeSH terms: Graft Rejection/virology*; Humans; Opportunistic Infections/diagnosis; Opportunistic Infections/virology*; Postoperative Complications; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tumor Virus Infections/diagnosis*; Kidney Transplantation*; Limit of Detection; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  13. Hassan WRM, Basir R, Ali AH, Embi N, Sidek HM
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):776-791.
    PMID: 33597499
    Malarial pathogenesis involves among others, uncontrolled or excessive cytokine production arising from dysregulated immune responses mounted by the host to eliminate the plasmodial parasite. The ubiquitous serine/threonine kinase, glycogen synthase kinase3β (GSK3β) is a crucial regulator of the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine productions in the inflammatory response to pathogenic infections. Andrographolide, a bioactive compound in Andrographis paniculata, displays GSK3- inhibitory effects. A previous study elsewhere has shown that this compound has antimalarial activity but the molecular basis of its action is yet to be elucidated. Here we aimed to study the anti-malarial activity of andrographolide in a murine model of malarial infection to investigate whether its mechanism of action involves cytokine modulation and inhibition of GSK3β. Andrographolide showed strong and selective anti-plasmodial activity (IC50 = 13.70±0.71 µM; SI = 30.43) when tested against cultures of P. falciparum 3D7. Intraperitoneal administration of andrographolide (5 mg/kg body weight (bw)) into P. berghei NK65-infected ICR mice resulted in chemo-suppression of 60.17±2.12%, and significantly (P<0.05) improved median survival time of infected mice compared to nontreated control. In addition, andrographolide treatment significantly (P<0.05) decreased the level of serum pro-inflammatory cytokine, IFN-γ (1.4-fold) whilst the anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 and IL-4 were increased 2.3- and 2.6-fold respectively. Western blot analyses revealed that andrographolide treatment of P. berghei NK65-infected mice resulted in an increased level of phosphorylated GSK3β (Ser9) in liver of infected mice. Andrographolide administration also decreased the levels of phosphorylated NF-κB p65 (Ser536) and phosphorylated Akt (Ser473) in liver of malaria- infected animals. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the cytokine-modulating effect of andrographolide in experimental malarial infection involves at least in part inhibition of NF-κB activation as a consequence of GSK3β inhibition. Based on its cytokine-modulating effects, andrographolide is thus a plausible candidate for adjunctive therapy in malaria subject to clinical evaluations.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antimalarials/pharmacology*; Disease Models, Animal; Diterpenes/pharmacology*; Malaria/drug therapy*; Malaria/immunology; Male; Mice, Inbred ICR; Plasmodium berghei/drug effects; Plasmodium falciparum/drug effects; Cytokines/immunology*; Andrographis/chemistry; Mice; Transcription Factor RelA/metabolism; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/antagonists & inhibitors
  14. Sun GG, Lei JJ, Guo KX, Liu RD, Long SR, Zhang X, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):792-802.
    PMID: 33597500
    A putative serine protease of T. spiralis (TsSP) was expressed in Escherichia coli and its potential as a diagnostic antigen was primarily assessed in this study. Anti-Trichinella IgG in serum samples from T. spiralis different animal hosts (mice, rats, pigs and rabbits) were detected on Western blot analysis with rTsSP. Anti-Trichinella antibodies were detected in 100% (30/30) of experimentally infected mice by rTsSP-ELISA. Cross-reactions of rTsSPELISA were not found with sera from mice infected with other parasites (S. erinaceieuropaei, S. japonicum, C. sinensis, A. cantonensis and T. gondii) and sera from normal mice. There was no statistical difference in antibody detection rate among mice infected with the encapsulated Trichinella species (T. spiralis, T. nativa, T. britovi, and T. nelsoni) (P>0.05). The results of rTsSP-ELISA showed that serum specific antibody IgG in mice infected with 100 or 500 T. spiralis muscle larvae (ML) were detectable early at 7-8 dpi, but not detected by ML ES antigen-ELISA prior to 10-12 dpi. Specific anti-Trichinella IgG was detected in 100% (18/18) of infected pigs by rTsSP-ELISA and ES-ELISA, but no specific antibodies was not detected in 20 conventionally raised normal pigs by two antigens. The results showed the rTsSP had the potential for early serodiagnosis of animal Trichinella infection, however it requires to be assayed with early infection sera of swine infected with Trichinella and other parasites.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antibodies, Helminth/blood; Cross Reactions; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Immunoglobulin G/blood; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Rabbits; Serologic Tests; Trichinellosis/diagnosis*; Trichinella spiralis/enzymology*; Rats, Wistar; Sus scrofa; Mice; Rats; Serine Proteases/isolation & purification*
  15. Yazici Z, Gumusova S, Tamer C, Muftuoglu B, Ozan E, Arslan S, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):803-809.
    PMID: 33597501
    Bovine parainfluenza 3 virus (BPI3V)is one of the most important respiratory pathogens and a leading cause of serious respiratory illnesses in cattle, both independent of and in connection with other pathogens involved in the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC). In this study, we aimed to identify the historical circulation of genotype C bovine BPI3V (BPI3Vc) in Turkey using the archival serum samples of domestic ruminants that had been collected from six provinces of northern Anatolia in Turkey between 2009-2010. A total of 896 sera from cattle (n=442), sheep (n=330), and goats (n=124) were randomly selected and screened with a virus neutralization test in order to detect antibodies for BPI3Vc. The overall seropositivity rate was 21.09%, with seropositivity rates for cattle, sheep, and goats of 21.04%, 20.00%, and 24.19%, respectively. Neutralizing antibody titers for selected samples ranged between 1/4 to 1/512. This study represents the first serological study conducted using the first BPI3V isolate of Turkey.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antibodies, Viral/blood; Cattle; Cattle Diseases/epidemiology; Cattle Diseases/virology; Genotype; Goats; Neutralization Tests; Sheep; Sheep Diseases/epidemiology; Sheep Diseases/virology; Turkey; Goat Diseases/epidemiology; Goat Diseases/virology; Paramyxoviridae Infections/epidemiology; Paramyxoviridae Infections/veterinary*; Parainfluenza Virus 3, Bovine/genetics*; Parainfluenza Virus 3, Bovine/isolation & purification
  16. Srinivasan S, Karthikeyan E, Sivaneswari S, Kalpana E, Manogaran E, Karthickeyan K
    Aging Med (Milton), 2019 Dec;2(4):227-229.
    PMID: 34553109 DOI: 10.1002/agm2.12088
  17. Kusmiati M, Hamid NAA, Sanip S, Emilia O
    Med Sci Educ, 2019 Dec;29(4):935-940.
    PMID: 34457569 DOI: 10.1007/s40670-019-00774-6
    Background: A preceptor has a key role in evaluating medical graduate's performance in the clinical setting. This study is conducted to develop an instrument for preceptor evaluation of medical graduates' performance in the clinical setting.

    Method: A mixed-method study design, sequential exploratory approach was chosen to develop the instrument. Initial semi-structured interviews were conducted with 4 preceptors at the teaching hospitals. Five main themes emerged from the interviews. The themes were developed into a 23-item questionnaire. Nineteen Head or Assistant Head of clinical departments were asked to review the relevance of the content. The questionnaire was later sent out to 34 preceptors and 35 paramedic staffs to participate in the construct validity study by conducting exploratory factor analysis (EFA). SPSS version 21 software was used to analyze the data and Varimax rotation method was performed to simplify and describe the data structure.

    Result: Review of the factor structures suggested that the most appropriate fit was 5 factors. Most of the questionnaire items were relevant to assess performance (4.65 + 0.15), except in item 4 of the clinical skill factor. The 23 items of the evaluation instruments showed that five factors were extracted which explained 73.9% of the variance between them. Construct validity was achieved after the instrument was run for an iteration of eight times, with Cronbach's alpha of 0.951.

    Discussion: The instrument has achieved the desired content and construct validity score. It can be used by other institutions to assess their medical graduates' performance in the clinical setting.

  18. Er HM, Nadarajah VD, Hays RB, Yusoff N, Loh KLY
    Med Sci Educ, 2019 Dec;29(4):1103-1108.
    PMID: 34457589 DOI: 10.1007/s40670-019-00802-5
    Challenges in assessment implementation include assessment blueprinting, accuracy and timeliness of result processing, item analysis and personalised feedback. These challenges were addressed by an online assessment system (OAS) that translates the educational framework of outcome-based education (OBE) into an integrated platform applicable across academic programmes. OBE principles of transparency, measurability, relevance, and individualisation was feasibly addressed using technology. The system development required continuous stakeholder engagement and feedback. Its implementation involved change management at institutional level with shifts in procedures, responsibilities, staff competencies and resource allocation. This article describes approaches taken and the lessons learned in developing and implementing OAS to enhance assessment practice for medical science programmes.
  19. Islam KT, Wijewickrema S, Raj RG, O'Leary S
    J Imaging, 2019 Apr 03;5(4).
    PMID: 34460482 DOI: 10.3390/jimaging5040044
    Street sign identification is an important problem in applications such as autonomous vehicle navigation and aids for individuals with vision impairments. It can be especially useful in instances where navigation techniques such as global positioning system (GPS) are not available. In this paper, we present a method of detection and interpretation of Malaysian street signs using image processing and machine learning techniques. First, we eliminate the background from an image to segment the region of interest (i.e., the street sign). Then, we extract the text from the segmented image and classify it. Finally, we present the identified text to the user as a voice notification. We also show through experimental results that the system performs well in real-time with a high level of accuracy. To this end, we use a database of Malaysian street sign images captured through an on-board camera.
  20. Sulaiman A, Omar K, Nasrudin MF
    J Imaging, 2019 Apr 12;5(4).
    PMID: 34460486 DOI: 10.3390/jimaging5040048
    In this era of digitization, most hardcopy documents are being transformed into digital formats. In the process of transformation, large quantities of documents are stored and preserved through electronic scanning. These documents are available from various sources such as ancient documentation, old legal records, medical reports, music scores, palm leaf, and reports on security-related issues. In particular, ancient and historical documents are hard to read due to their degradation in terms of low contrast and existence of corrupted artefacts. In recent times, degraded document binarization has been studied widely and several approaches were developed to deal with issues and challenges in document binarization. In this paper, a comprehensive review is conducted on the issues and challenges faced during the image binarization process, followed by insights on various methods used for image binarization. This paper also discusses the advanced methods used for the enhancement of degraded documents that improves the quality of documents during the binarization process. Further discussions are made on the effectiveness and robustness of existing methods, and there is still a scope to develop a hybrid approach that can deal with degraded document binarization more effectively.
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