Browse publications by year: 2021

  1. Fulltext Recurrent cavernous sinus thrombosis: a rare complication of Cushing disease
    Tong CV, Tee CK
    BMJ Case Rep, 2021 Jun 22;14(6).
    PMID: 34158336 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2021-243786
    A 14-year-old girl who presented in 2017 with headache, unilateral right eye ptosis and secondary amenorrhoea had an initial workup consistent with non-functioning pituitary macroadenoma. She underwent debulking of pituitary tumour in October 2017. Postoperatively, she developed recurrent cavernous sinus thrombosis. In view of recurrent thrombosis, she was reinvestigated and was found to have adrenocorticotropic hormone-dependent Cushing. Follow-up MRI 1 year after initial presentation showed that there was structural recurrence of pituitary macroadenoma. She subsequently underwent a petrosal craniotomy for debulking of tumour. Postsurgery she remained biochemically Cushingnoid. MRI 5 months after second surgery showed an enlarging pituitary mass which was deemed inoperable. A multidisciplinary meeting discussion consensus for treatment included radiotherapy and somatostatin analogue, pasireotide. She completed 30 cycles of radiotherapy and MRI post radiotherapy showed reduction in the size of the macroadenoma. Currently, she is waiting for pasereotide initiation.
    MeSH terms: Adenoma*; Adolescent; Female; Humans; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/complications; Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis*
  2. Absence of the Musculocutaneous Nerve and Associated Compensation by the Median Nerve
    Moore K, Prasad AM, Satheesha Nayak B
    Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ), 2021 6 24;18(71):313-315.
    PMID: 34158443
    The musculocutaneous and median nerves frequently show variations from their normal course. The purpose of this paper is to report a rare variation, in which the right musculocutaneous nerve was absent. Consequently, the median nerve supplied motor innervation to the flexor compartment of the arm and sensory innervation to the lateral aspect of the forearm. The primary targets of this paper are orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists and radiologists. In cases of injuries to the upper limb, knowledge of these variations can assist them in avoiding misdiagnoses.
    MeSH terms: Cadaver; Humans; Upper Extremity
  3. Fulltext Asymptomatic complete distal abdominal aortic occlusion with initial presentation of ruptured intracranial aneurysm
    Nadarajan C, Wahid AA, Ng CY, Haron J, Peter JS, Mohd Yusof MF
    Radiol Case Rep, 2021 Aug;16(8):1993-1998.
    PMID: 34158880 DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2021.05.016
    Aortoilliac occlusive disease is occlusive atherosclerosis disease involving the distal aorta and bifurcation of iliac arteries and it is a subtype of peripheral arterial disease. Total occlusion of the abdominal aorta is a rare occurrence with an incidence of 3% -8.5% among the aortoiliac occlusive disease patients. We present a case of a 53 years old patient with a background history of hypertension and ex intravenous drug abuser with negative retroviral screening status, with no previous complaints who was brought to the Emergency Department with sudden onset of altered sensorium and 1 episode of seizure. Computed tomography angiogram of the brain showed a ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm. Diagnostic conventional angiogram of the brain was planned; however, difficulty was encountered during bilateral femoral artery cannulation with the abrupt termination of bilateral common iliac arteries. Computed tomography angiogram of the abdomen showed incidental finding of total occlusion of the abdominal aorta. As a conclusion, total occlusion of abdominal aorta secondary to aortoiliac occlusive disease with an associated intracranial aneurysm is never reported in the literature to date. This case highlights the possibility of association in between these two conditions which may benefit from further research.
  4. Fulltext Gastrocnemius acrometastasis from muscle-invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma: A case report
    Roslly MZ, Mustapha AWMM, Zainal IA
    Radiol Case Rep, 2021 Aug;16(8):2099-2102.
    PMID: 34158902 DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2021.04.069
    Urinary bladder carcinoma is a common malignancy worldwide. The metastatic disease to distant organs including lung, liver, and bone is well established. However, metastasis to below-knee-level; also known as acrometastasis is a rare occurrence and occurs approximately 0.1% of all bone metastases. It is standard of care to obtain a contrast enhanced computed tomography scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis for pretreatment planning, primary staging, and post treatment disease surveillance. This makes the occurrence of acrometastasis harder to detect and may only manifest clinically in advance disease. We report a case of 55 years old gentleman treated as muscle-invasive bladder urothelial carcinoma, presented with chronic left knee pain, and imaging demonstrating tumor in the left knee region. Histopathologic study shows features of metastatic disease from urinary bladder carcinoma to the left gastrocnemius muscle. The attending physician should raise the suspicion of metastatic disease if the patient with known malignancy presented with new soft tissue lesion elsewhere in the body.
  5. Fulltext Comparison of simple and rapid extracting methods of free-tags Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein 64 Recombinant Protein from polyacrylamide gel: Electroelution and the optimized passive elution
    Kusuma SAF, Parwati I, Subroto T, Rukayadi Y, Fadhlillah M, Rizaludin A
    J Adv Pharm Technol Res, 2021;12(2):180-184.
    PMID: 34159151 DOI: 10.4103/japtr.JAPTR_318_20
    In this study, the Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein 64 (MPT64) protein was constructed without any tags to facilitate the purification using column affinity chromatography, but the MPT64 must be obtained as a pure protein. This study was purpose to ensure the efficient extracting method to purify protein MPT64 directly from the polyacrylamide gel. The crude extract of extracellular protein containing MPT64 protein was separated into single protein band and the targeted protein which is located in the size of 24 kDa was excised. Each of the six bands was collected in a sterile microtube to be eluted using electroelution and the optimized of the passive-elution method. Both the elution methods demonstrated the purity level of the MPT64 protein by detecting a solely band on the gel at the 24 kDa. Among the variety of passive-elution time, the highest MPT64 protein concentration was 0.549 mg/ml after elution for 72 h. However, the electroelution result provided higher MPT64 protein concentration, i.e., 0.683 mg/mL. However, based on the recognition of the purified MPT64 protein on commercial detection kit of MPT64 protein, it showed that the positive result was only showed by the passive-elution extracting protein. Therefore, for purifying the protein MPT64 from the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels, the efficient method was passive elution.
  6. Fulltext Silicon Improves Yield Performance by Enhancement in Physiological Responses, Crop Imagery, and Leaf and Culm Sheath Morphology in New Rice Line, PadiU Putra
    Berahim Z, Omar MH, Zakaria NI, Ismail MR, Rosle R, Roslin NA, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2021;2021:6679787.
    PMID: 34159198 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6679787
    The PadiU Putra rice line is a blast-resistant and high-yield rice line with high potential. The application of topdressing and the foliar applied method of silicon (Si) treatments could strengthen the culm to resist breakage and ultimately increase yield production. Treatments which consisted of a control, a Si topdressing, and a Si foliar applied were arranged in a randomised complete block design. At 55 days after transplanting (DAT), the foliar applied Si treatments had 59% higher dry matter partitioning to the roots. Meanwhile, at 75 DAT, both Si foliar applied and topdressing method showed increased assimilate partitioning into the culm sheath by 29% and 49%, respectively. Dark green and light yellowish colours were obtained in both Si treatments using UAV, indicating similar results to physiological responses. Remarkably, Si foliar applied treatments enhanced the diameter and width of the outer and inner layers of the diameter of vascular bundles at 75 DAT by 58, 181, and 80%, respectively. The yield production of rice increased by 53% in the Si foliar applied, compared to the control, and produced a 1.63 benefit-cost ratio.
  7. Application of artificial intelligence methods for monsoonal river classification in Selangor river basin, Malaysia
    Wong YJ, Shimizu Y, Kamiya A, Maneechot L, Bharambe KP, Fong CS, et al.
    Environ Monit Assess, 2021 Jun 22;193(7):438.
    PMID: 34159431 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09202-y
    Rivers in Malaysia are classified based on water quality index (WQI) that comprises of six parameters, namely, ammoniacal nitrogen (AN), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and suspended solids (SS). Due to its tropical climate, the impact of seasonal monsoons on river quality is significant, with the increased occurrence of extreme precipitation events; however, there has been little discussion on the application of artificial intelligence models for monsoonal river classification. In light of these, this study had applied artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) models for monsoonal (dry and wet seasons) river classification using three of the water quality parameters to minimise the cost of river monitoring and associated errors in WQI computation. A structured trial-and-error approach was applied on input parameter selection and hyperparameter optimisation for both models. Accuracy, sensitivity, and precision were selected as the performance criteria. For dry season, BOD-DO-pH was selected as the optimum input combination by both ANN and SVM models, with testing accuracy of 88.7% and 82.1%, respectively. As for wet season, the optimum input combinations of ANN and SVM models were BOD-pH-SS and BOD-DO-pH with testing accuracy of 89.5% and 88.0%, respectively. As a result, both optimised ANN and SVM models have proven their prediction capacities for river classification, which may be deployed as effective and reliable tools in tropical regions. Notably, better learning and higher capacity of the ANN model for dataset characteristics extraction generated better predictability and generalisability than SVM model under imbalanced dataset.
    MeSH terms: Artificial Intelligence; Environmental Monitoring; Malaysia; Rivers*; Water Quality
  8. Socioeconomic inequality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    Salari N, Kazeminia M, Shohaimi S, Mohammadi M
    Clin Rheumatol, 2021 Jun 22.
    PMID: 34159490 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-021-05829-x
    BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory and systemic autoimmune disease associated with synovial fluid inflammatory lesions and articular changes. The aim of the present study was to determine socioeconomic inequality in RA patients using a meta-analysis approach.

    METHODS: A systematic search of national and international databases of SID, MagIran, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (WoS) was conducted to find articles published from 1988 to March 2020. Random effects model was used for analysis and heterogeneity of studies was investigated using I2 index. Data analysis was then carried out using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (Ver. 2).

    RESULTS: A total of 51 articles with a total sample size of 48,195 individuals were included in the meta-analysis in all the components. The results showed that 18.9% (95% CI: 4.9-13.25%) of patients were single patients, 70.6% (95% CI: 63.5-76.8%) were married, 31.6% (95% CI: 24.5-39.7%) had low economic status, 52.1% (95% CI: 5.8-44.53%) had moderate economic status, level of education was below diploma in 33% (95% CI: 27.1-39.5%) of cases, 36.2% (95% CI: 27.3-46.1%) were smokers, and 8.8% (95% CI: 2.8-24.1%) of patients were unemployed.

    CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate high socioeconomic inequality in RA patients in the main components of the study. Hence, to improve the aforementioned status and find causes and do the monitoring at all levels, appropriate solutions must be adopted by providing feedback to policy-makers.

    KEY POINTS: • The results showed that 18.9% (95% CI: 4.9-13.25%) of patients were single patients. • 70.6% (95% CI: 63.5-76.8%) were married and 31.6% (95% CI: 24.5-39.7%) had low economic status. • 52.1% (95% CI: 5.8-44.53%) had moderate economic status; 36.2% (95% CI: 27.3-46.1%) were smokers.

  9. Fulltext Computational Lock and Key and Dynamic Trajectory Analysis of Natural Biophors Against COVID-19 Spike Protein to Identify Effective Lead Molecules
    Navabshan I, Sakthivel B, Pandiyan R, Antoniraj MG, Dharmaraj S, Ashokkumar V, et al.
    Mol Biotechnol, 2021 Oct;63(10):898-908.
    PMID: 34159564 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-021-00358-z
    New pandemic infection of coronaviridae family virus spread to more than 210 countries with total infection of 1,136,851 and 62,955 (4.6%) deaths until 5th April 2020. Which stopped the regular cycle of humankind but the nature is consistently running. There is no micro molecule remedy found yet to restore the regular life of people. Hence, we decided to work on natural biophores against the COVID proteins. As a first step, major phytoconstituents of antiviral herbs like Leucas aspera, Morinda citrifolia, Azadirachta indica, Curcuma longa, Piper nigrum, Ocimum tenuiflorum, and Corallium rubrum collected and performed the lock and key analysis with major spike protein of COVID-19 to find the best fitting lead biophore using computational drug design platform. The results of protocol run showed, phytoconstituents of Morinda citrifolia and Leucas aspera were found lower binding energy range of - 55.18 to - 25.34 kcal/mol, respectively and compared with Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) (- 24.29 kcal/mol) and Remdesivir (- 25.38 kcal/mol). The results conclude that, core skeletons chromen, anthracene 9, 11 dione and long-chain alkyl acids/ester-containing biophores showen high stable antagonistic affinity with S-protein. Which leads the breakdown of spike protein and ACE2 receptor complex formation and host mechanism of corono virus. In addition, the dynamic trajectory analysis confirmed the complete denaturation of spike protein by the molecule 4-(24-hydroxy-1-oxo-5-n-propyltetracosanyl)-phenol from Leucas aspera and stability of spike-ligand complex. These biophores will aid the researcher to fabricate new promising analogue and being recommended to assess its COVID-19 treatment.
    MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/pharmacology; Antiviral Agents/chemistry*; Humans; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry; Protein Binding/drug effects; Drug Design; Molecular Structure; Catalytic Domain; Molecular Docking Simulation; Phytochemicals/chemistry*; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/antagonists & inhibitors; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/chemistry*
  10. Cryptic species and grey zone speciation of the Barbodes binotatus complex (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) in Sundaland
    Ng CK, Tan J
    J Fish Biol, 2021 Oct;99(4):1256-1273.
    PMID: 34159593 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14829
    Morphology-based taxonomy of freshwater fish is effective when there are representative specimens covering large regions. However, in Sundaland, where the presence of cryptic species is high, the technique has its limitations. This is compounded by uncritical descriptions of holotypes in old literature. We demonstrate the problem using Barbodes binotatus first described from an ink drawing. Several species in the Barbodes genus of Sundaland exhibit morphological similarity to B. binotatus. We applied new DNA sequences of 16S, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), cytochrome b (Cytb) and recombination-activating gene 1 (RAG1), and pigmentation markers to clarify species complex boundaries in the Malay Peninsula, namely B. aff. binotatus "Malay Peninsula", Barbodes cf. banksi and Barbodes rhombeus. Results suggest B. binotatus-like specimens in the Malay Peninsula are B. rhombeus based on a threshold of 3% COI genetic divergence. B. aff. binotatus recorded in Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines are likely valid but undescribed species. However, if the 2% COI threshold is applied, some populations in the northern Malay Peninsula would qualify as new and undescribed species. The implications of the 2% threshold and the likelihood of "grey zone" incipient populations are discussed. We further found a rapid visual method, not reported previously, to delineate B. aff. binotatus and B. cf. banksi, but it requires further validation. Additionally, we offer fresh perspectives by discussing the roles of biological species concept, morphological species concept, genetic species concept and mate recognition concept in the B. binotatus complex. Our findings reinforce the standpoint that species delineation is not entirely a binary process, but there is a spectrum to consider, especially in biogeography intersection regions.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Fresh Water; Indonesia; Phylogeny; Cytochromes b/genetics; Genetic Speciation*
  11. Methodological quality of guidelines for the management of opioid use disorder: A systematic review
    Watan Pal A, Aziz Z, Kamarulzaman A
    J Clin Pharm Ther, 2021 Dec;46(6):1531-1548.
    PMID: 34159618 DOI: 10.1111/jcpt.13449
    WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) has a high mortality rate and affects millions of people worldwide. Many organizations and societies develop Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) to serve as a framework for healthcare providers to decide and support best practice to manage and treat OUD. However, not all CPGs sufficiently address all the important aspects of optimal care for managing OUD. This study aims to review current CPGs for management of OUD, evaluate their methodological quality and summarize their recommendations.

    METHODS: We conducted this systematic review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). Various databases were searched for CPGs and Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE-II) instrument was used to assess the methodological quality. We also summarized the treatments plans of CPGs across continuum of care (diagnosis and assessment, treatment initiation, pharmacotherapy and psychosocial).

    RESULTS: This review included 28 CPGs of varying qualities. CPGs from high-income countries and international organizations rated high for their methodological quality. Most CPGs scored high for the scope and purpose domain and scored low for applicability domain. Recommendations for the continuum of care for OUD varied across CPGs. Buprenorphine was recommended in most of the CPGs, followed by methadone. Recommendations for psychosocial interventions also varied, with cognitive behaviour therapies and counselling or education being the common recommendations in many CPGs WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: We found most CPGs have scope and purpose and clarity of presentation. However, the methodological rigour and applicability scored low. CPGs need to frame health questions in a comprehensible manner and provide an update as evidence grows. It is important for CPG developers to consider methodological quality as a factor when developing CPG recommendations.

    MeSH terms: Continuity of Patient Care/standards; Humans; Opioid-Related Disorders/diagnosis; Opioid-Related Disorders/therapy*; Patient Education as Topic/standards; Cognitive Therapy/standards; Practice Guidelines as Topic/standards*; Opiate Substitution Treatment/methods; Opiate Substitution Treatment/standards
  12. The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on gastroenterologists in Southeast Asia: A mixed-methods study
    Ong J, Ong AML, Ong S, Xin X, Lee YY, Pausawasdi N, et al.
    J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2021 Nov;36(11):3056-3068.
    PMID: 34159640 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.15594
    BACKGROUND AND AIM: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has impacted gastroenterology practices worldwide; however, its protracted effects within Southeast Asia were unknown. The primary aim of the study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on clinical demands including burnout among gastroenterologists within the region. The secondary aim was to identify risk factors for burnout and determine regional stressors.

    METHODS: This was a mixed-methods study. Gastroenterologists were surveyed electronically between September 1 and December 7, 2020, via gastroenterology and endoscopy societies of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) was used to detect burnout. Quantitative data were non-parametric; non-parametric methods were used for statistical comparisons. Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for burnout. Content analysis method was used to analyze qualitative data. Ethical approval was obtained.

    RESULTS: A total of 73.0% reported that they were still significantly affected by the pandemic. Of these, 40.5% reported increased workload and 59.5% decreased workload. Statistically significant differences in weekly working hours, endoscopy, and inpatient volumes were present. No differences were observed in outpatient volumes, likely because of telemedicine. Burnout was common; however, 50.1% of gastroenterologists were unaware of or did not have access to mental health support. This, as well as depression, being a trainee, and public sector work, increased burnout risk significantly.

    CONCLUSION: The effects of the pandemic are multifaceted, and burnout is common among Southeast Asian gastroenterologists. Safeguards for mental health are suboptimal, and improvements are urgently needed.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Asia, Southeastern/epidemiology; Burnout, Professional/epidemiology; Burnout, Professional/psychology*; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Pandemics; Gastroenterologists/psychology*
  13. Fulltext The Cox model of predicting mortality among melioidosis patients in Northern Malaysia: A retrospective study
    Mardhiah K, Wan-Arfah N, Naing NN, Hassan MRA, Chan HK
    Medicine (Baltimore), 2021 Jun 25;100(25):e26160.
    PMID: 34160382 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000026160
    Melioidosis is an infectious disease that is initiated by a bacteria recognized as Burkholderia pseudomallei. Despite the high fatality rate from melioidosis, there is a minimal published study about the disease in Malaysia.This study aimed to identify the prognostic factors of mortality among melioidosis patients in northern Malaysia.All inpatient patients who were admitted to Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Kedah and Hospital Tuanku Fauziah, Perlis with culture-confirmed melioidosis during the period 2014 to 2017 were included in the study. The study retrospectively collected 510 melioidosis patients from the Melioidosis Registry. Hazard ratio (HR) used in advanced multiple Cox regression was used to obtain the final model of prognostic factors of melioidosis. The analysis was performed using STATA/SE 14.0 for Windows software.From the results, among the admitted patients, 50.1% died at the hospital. The mean age for those who died was 55 years old, and they were mostly male. The most common underlying disease was diabetes mellitus (69.8%), followed by hypertension (32.7%). The majority of cases (86.8%) were bacteremic. The final Cox model identified 5 prognostic factors of mortality among melioidosis patients. The factors were diabetes mellitus, type of melioidosis, platelet count, white blood cell count, and urea value. The results showed that bacteremic melioidosis increased the risk of dying by 3.47 (HR: 3.47, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.67-7.23, P = .001) compared to non-bacteremic melioidosis. Based on the blood investigations, the adjusted HRs from the final model showed that all 3 blood investigations were included as the prognostic factors for the disease (low platelet: HR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.22-2.54, P = .003; high white blood cell: HR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.06-2.11, P = .023; high urea: HR = 2.92, 95% CI: 1.76-4.85, P 
    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use*; Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology*; Female; Humans; Hypertension/epidemiology*; Leukocyte Count; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Melioidosis/blood; Melioidosis/drug therapy; Melioidosis/microbiology; Melioidosis/mortality*; Middle Aged; Platelet Count; Prognosis; Registries/statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Urea/blood; Proportional Hazards Models; Burkholderia pseudomallei/isolation & purification*; Hospital Mortality; Risk Assessment/methods; Protective Factors
  14. Correction to: Epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and immediate outcome of Kawasaki disease: a population-based study from a tropical country
    Mat Bah MN, Alias EY, Razak H, Sapian MH, Foo FH, Abdullah N
    Eur J Pediatr, 2021 Aug;180(8):2607.
    PMID: 34160651 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-021-04160-6
  15. Genetic diversity and gene flow amongst admixed populations of Ganoderma boninense, causal agent of basal stem rot in African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Sarawak (Malaysia), Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra (Indonesia)
    Wong WC, Tung HJ, Fadhilah MN, Midot F, Lau SYL, Melling L, et al.
    Mycologia, 2021 06 23;113(5):902-917.
    PMID: 34161196 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2021.1884815
    In 1911 and 1917, the first commercial plantings of African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) were made in Indonesia and Malaysia in Southeast Asia. In less than 15 years, basal stem rot (BSR) was reported in Malaysia. It took nearly another seven decades to identify the main causal agent of BSR as the fungus, Ganoderma boninense. Since then, research efforts have focused on understanding G. boninense disease epidemiology, biology, and etiology, but limited progress was made to characterize pathogen genetic diversity, spatial structure, pathogenicity, and virulence. This study describes pathogen variability, gene flow, population differentiation, and genetic structure of G. boninense in Sarawak (Malaysia), Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra (Indonesia) inferred by 16 highly polymorphic cDNA-SSR (simple sequence repeat) markers. Marker-inferred genotypic diversity indicated a high level of pathogen variability among individuals within a population and among different populations. This genetic variability is clearly the result of outcrossing between basidiospores to produce recombinant genotypes. Although our results indicated high gene flow among the populations, there was no significant genetic differentiation among G. boninense populations on a regional scale. It suggested that G. boninense genetic makeup is similar across a wide region. Furthermore, our results revealed the existence of three admixed genetic clusters of G. boninense associated with BSR-diseased oil palms sampled throughout Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra. We postulate that the population structure is likely a reflection of the high genetic variability of G. boninense populations. This, in turn, could be explained by highly successful outcrossing between basidiospores of G. boninense from Southeast Asia and introduced genetic sources from various regions of the world, as well as regional adaptation of various pathogen genotypes to different palm hosts. Pathogen variability and population structure could be employed to deduce the epidemiology of G. boninense, as well as the implications of plantation cultural practices on BSR disease control in different regions.
  16. Fulltext Prodigiosin inhibits bacterial growth and virulence factors as a potential physiological response to interspecies competition
    Yip CH, Mahalingam S, Wan KL, Nathan S
    PLoS One, 2021;16(6):e0253445.
    PMID: 34161391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253445
    Prodigiosin, a red linear tripyrrole pigment, has long been recognised for its antimicrobial property. However, the physiological contribution of prodigiosin to the survival of its producing hosts still remains undefined. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the biological role of prodigiosin from Serratia marcescens, particularly in microbial competition through its antimicrobial activity, towards the growth and secreted virulence factors of four clinical pathogenic bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) as well as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Prodigiosin was first extracted from S. marcescens and its purity confirmed by absorption spectrum, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS/MS). The extracted prodigiosin was antagonistic towards all the tested bacteria. A disc-diffusion assay showed that prodigiosin is more selective towards Gram-positive bacteria and inhibited the growth of MRSA, S. aureus and E. faecalis and Gram-negative E. coli. A minimum inhibitory concentration of 10 μg/μL of prodigiosin was required to inhibit the growth of S. aureus, E. coli and E. faecalis whereas > 10 μg/μL was required to inhibit MRSA growth. We further assessed the effect of prodigiosin towards bacterial virulence factors such as haemolysin and production of protease as well as on biofilm formation. Prodigiosin did not inhibit haemolysis activity of clinically associated bacteria but was able to reduce protease activity for MRSA, E. coli and E. faecalis as well as decrease E. faecalis, Salmonella Typhimurium and E. coli biofilm formation. Results of this study show that in addition to its role in inhibiting bacterial growth, prodigiosin also inhibits the bacterial virulence factor protease production and biofilm formation, two strategies employed by bacteria in response to microbial competition. As clinical pathogens were more resistant to prodigiosin, we propose that prodigiosin is physiologically important for S. marcescens to compete against other bacteria in its natural soil and surface water environments.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology*; Prodigiosin/pharmacology*; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/drug effects; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/growth & development; Salmonella typhi/drug effects; Salmonella typhi/growth & development; Enterococcus faecalis/drug effects; Enterococcus faecalis/growth & development; Biofilms/drug effects*; Biofilms/growth & development; Virulence Factors*; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/growth & development
  17. Two new black fly species of the Simulium (Gomphostilbia) asakoae species-group (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Taiwan
    Takaoka H, Low VL, Huang YT, Fukuda M, Ya'cob Z
    Acta Trop, 2021 Oct;222:106023.
    PMID: 34161814 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106023
    Two new black fly species, Simulium (Gomphostilbia) kaohsiungense and S. (G.) shoufengense, are described from females, males and pupae in Taiwan. These new species are placed in the S. asakoae species-group. Simulium (G.) kaohsiungense sp. nov. is characterized by a combination of the elongate female sensory vesicle, male upper-eye (large) facets in 15 vertical columns and 15 or 16 horizontal rows, male hind basitarsus 1.02-1.15 times the width of the hind femur, and widened pupal terminal hooks. These characteristics distinguish this new species from most species of the S. asakoae species-group. Simulium (G.) shoufengense sp. nov. is similar in the female and male to S. (G.) asakoae Takaoka & Davies originally described from Peninsular Malaysia but is distinguished from the latter species in the pupa by the combined length of the primary and secondary stalks of the dorsal triplet of gill filaments as long as or longer than the common basal stalk of the gill, and dorsum of abdominal segments 1 and 2 not darkened. The species previously regarded in Taiwan as S. (G.) metatarsale Brunetti, originally described from India, is morphologically and molecularly identified as S. (G.) asakoae.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Female; Larva; Male; Pupa; Taiwan
  18. Fulltext Postcolonial criticism in Sabah: A review
    Jenna Desiree Robert
    Borneo Akademika, 2021;5(1):3440-0.
    MyJurnal
    Sabah, formerly known as North Borneo during the period of British colonisation from 1888-1963 produced many texts about the British presence and their activities on the island. This review highlights that the post-war studies especially Sabah’s colonial literature is the missing link to its alternative history. Colonial literature has left its legacy in the form of history, anthropology and art but also in the textual and literary representations of Sabah through a western lens. The critique of colonial fiction and non-fiction texts in former colonies in Malaya and Sarawak have paved the way for critical examination and commentary on the modes of representation of the indigenous and immigrants. This review discusses the highlights of postcolonial criticism in Malaysia. It briefly introduces some of the issues about postcolonial criticism in Sabah and its potential.
  19. Fulltext My PHD Formula P + H + D PHD
    Julenah Ag Nuddin
    Borneo Akademika, 2021;5(1):25-33.
    MyJurnal
    The highest formal academic qualification is the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Currently, in US alone, 1.77% of its population has doctorates or its equivalent degree holders. It differs in every country depending on the quality of education system that it has. As it is the highest recognition for academic performance, a lot have dreamt to hold the revered scroll. However, quite a number have failed trying. There are a lot of descriptions for the acronym PhD; the most frightening one, Permanent Head Damage. Upon reflection, one description fits well. The formula of success for obtaining PhD consists of the elements known as strategical Plan (P), the rich health (H) and the awesome determination (D). This paper is elaborating these three elements and more, required for a person who is attempting to acquire the degree based on a review of literature and my personal experiences. Hopefully, it will be able to help those who are still fighting their way through their journey.
  20. Fulltext Malaysian ESL students’ attitude, perceptions and preferences of teacher written feedback in writing
    Wong, Suzie Rahman
    Borneo Akademika, 2021;5(1):13-24.
    MyJurnal
    Students’ perception and preferences on teacher-written feedback (TWF) tend to vary in different learning contexts. This study explores the perceptions and preferences of TWF among 78 Malaysian ESL students in a public pre-university college in Malaysia. Quantitative data were obtained from a questionnaire to examine the students’ general attitude and perceptions of TWF, and their preferences of the types and amount of written feedback received on their written work. This study reveals that the ESL students had a positive attitude and perception of the teacher-written feedback practice based on the perceived usefulness of the feedback, and the integrative-feedback type that combines both the content and language feedback was mostly favoured. The result also shows that the students had a high preference for indirect coded corrective feedback strategy in highlighting language errors, and preferred a large amount of feedback that highlighted all errors on their written work. These findings potentially help teachers to make a more informed decision when using teacher-written feedback so as to cater to students’ varying needs and perceptions in order to improve its use in writing.
External Links