Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 138 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. First study of the F508del mutation in Malaysian children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis
    Nathan AM, Thong MK, deBruyne J, Ariffin H
    J Paediatr Child Health, 2011 Aug;47(8):573-5.
    PMID: 21843195 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2011.02149.x
  2. Recovery and purification of intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoates from recombinant Cupriavidus necator using water and ethanol
    Mohammadi M, Hassan MA, Phang LY, Ariffin H, Shirai Y, Ando Y
    Biotechnol Lett, 2012 Feb;34(2):253-9.
    PMID: 22038551 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-011-0783-5
    A new halogen-free and environmental-friendly method using water and ethanol is developed as an alternative for the recovery of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from recombinant Cupriavidus necator in comparison to the established chloroform extraction method. After optimisation, our results showed that the halogen-free method produced a PHA with 81% purity and 96% recovery yield, in comparison to the chloroform extraction system which resulted in a highly pure PHA with 95% yield. Although the purity of the PHA using the new method is lower, the molecular weight of the extracted PHA is not compromised. This new method can be further developed as an alternative and more environmental-friendly method for industrial application.
  3. Renewable sugars from oil palm frond juice as an alternative novel fermentation feedstock for value-added products
    Zahari MA, Zakaria MR, Ariffin H, Mokhtar MN, Salihon J, Shirai Y, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2012 Apr;110:566-71.
    PMID: 22342083 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.01.119
    In this paper, we report that pressed juice from oil palm frond (OPF) contained renewable sugars such as glucose, sucrose and fructose. By using a simple sugarcane press, 50% (wt/wt) of OPF juice was obtained from fresh OPF. The glucose content in the juice was 53.95±2.86g/l, which accounts for 70% of the total free sugars. We have examined the effect of various OPF juice concentrations on the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB) by Cupriavidus necator CCUG 52238(T). The cell dry mass in shake flask experiment reached 8.42g/l, with 32wt.% of P(3HB) at 30% (v/v) of OPF juice, comparable with using technical grade sugars. The biopolymer had a molecular mass, M(w) of 812kDa, with a low polydispersity index of 1.61. This result indicates that OPF juice can be used as an alternative renewable carbon source for P(3HB) production and has potential as a renewable carbon source.
  4. Mature B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia associated with a rare MLL-FOXO4 fusion gene
    Lim L, Chen KS, Krishnan S, Gole L, Ariffin H
    Br J Haematol, 2012 Jun;157(6):651.
    PMID: 22429121 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2012.09091.x
  5. Quantification of diffusion tensor imaging in normal white matter maturation of early childhood using an automated processing pipeline
    Loh KB, Ramli N, Tan LK, Roziah M, Rahmat K, Ariffin H
    Eur Radiol, 2012 Jul;22(7):1413-26.
    PMID: 22434420 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-012-2396-3
    OBJECTIVES: The degree and status of white matter myelination can be sensitively monitored using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). This study looks at the measurement of fractional anistropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) using an automated ROI with an existing DTI atlas.

    METHODS: Anatomical MRI and structural DTI were performed cross-sectionally on 26 normal children (newborn to 48 months old), using 1.5-T MRI. The automated processing pipeline was implemented to convert diffusion-weighted images into the NIfTI format. DTI-TK software was used to register the processed images to the ICBM DTI-81 atlas, while AFNI software was used for automated atlas-based volumes of interest (VOIs) and statistical value extraction.

    RESULTS: DTI exhibited consistent grey-white matter contrast. Triphasic temporal variation of the FA and MD values was noted, with FA increasing and MD decreasing rapidly early in the first 12 months. The second phase lasted 12-24 months during which the rate of FA and MD changes was reduced. After 24 months, the FA and MD values plateaued.

    CONCLUSION: DTI is a superior technique to conventional MR imaging in depicting WM maturation. The use of the automated processing pipeline provides a reliable environment for quantitative analysis of high-throughput DTI data.

    KEY POINTS: Diffusion tensor imaging outperforms conventional MRI in depicting white matter maturation. • DTI will become an important clinical tool for diagnosing paediatric neurological diseases. • DTI appears especially helpful for developmental abnormalities, tumours and white matter disease. • An automated processing pipeline assists quantitative analysis of high throughput DTI data.

  6. Fulltext Minimal residual disease-guided treatment deintensification for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results from the Malaysia-Singapore acute lymphoblastic leukemia 2003 study
    Yeoh AE, Ariffin H, Chai EL, Kwok CS, Chan YH, Ponnudurai K, et al.
    J Clin Oncol, 2012 Jul 1;30(19):2384-92.
    PMID: 22614971 DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2011.40.5936
    PURPOSE: To improve treatment outcome for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we designed the Malaysia-Singapore ALL 2003 study with treatment stratification based on presenting clinical and genetic features and minimal residual disease (MRD) levels measured by polymerase chain reaction targeting a single antigen-receptor gene rearrangement.
    PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred fifty-six patients received risk-adapted therapy with a modified Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster-ALL treatment. High-risk ALL was defined by MRD ≥ 1 × 10(-3) at week 12 and/or poor prednisolone response, BCR-ABL1, MLL gene rearrangements, hypodiploid less than 45 chromosomes, or induction failure; standard-risk ALL was defined by MRD ≤ 1 × 10(-4) at weeks 5 and 12 and no extramedullary involvement or high-risk features. Intermediate-risk ALL included all remaining patients.
    RESULTS: Patients who lacked high-risk presenting features (85.7%) received remission induction therapy with dexamethasone, vincristine, and asparaginase, without anthracyclines. Six-year event-free survival (EFS) was 80.6% ± 3.5%; overall survival was 88.4% ± 3.1%. Standard-risk patients (n = 172; 31%) received significantly deintensified subsequent therapy without compromising EFS (93.2% ± 4.1%). High-risk patients (n = 101; 18%) had the worst EFS (51.8% ± 10%); EFS was 83.6% ± 4.9% in intermediate-risk patients (n = 283; 51%).
    CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate significant progress over previous trials in the region. Three-drug remission-induction therapy combined with MRD-based risk stratification to identify poor responders is an effective strategy for childhood ALL.
  7. An image processing application for the localization and segmentation of lymphoblast cell using peripheral blood images
    Madhloom HT, Kareem SA, Ariffin H
    J Med Syst, 2012 Aug;36(4):2149-58.
    PMID: 21399912 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-011-9679-0
    An important preliminary step in the diagnosis of leukemia is the visual examination of the patient's peripheral blood smear under the microscope. Morphological changes in the white blood cells can be an indicator of the nature and severity of the disease. Manual techniques are labor intensive, slow, error prone and costly. A computerized system can be used as a supportive tool for the specialist in order to enhance and accelerate the morphological analysis process. This research present a new method that integrates color features with the morphological reconstruction to localize and isolate lymphoblast cells from a microscope image that contains many cells. The localization and segmentation are conducted using a proposed method that consists of an integration of several digital image processing techniques. 180 microscopic blood images were tested, and the proposed framework managed to obtain 100% accuracy for the localization of the lymphoblast cells and separate it from the image scene. The results obtained indicate that the proposed method can be safely used for the purpose of lymphoblast cells localization and segmentation and subsequently, aiding the diagnosis of leukemia.
  8. Childhood adrenocortical carcinoma as a sentinel cancer for detecting families with germline TP53 mutations
    Choong SS, Latiff ZA, Mohamed M, Lim LL, Chen KS, Vengidasan L, et al.
    Clin Genet, 2012 Dec;82(6):564-8.
    PMID: 22233476 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.2012.01841.x
    Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a highly penetrant, autosomal dominant disorder where affected individuals carry a 50% risk of developing cancer before 30 years of age. It is most commonly associated with mutations in the tumour suppressor gene, TP53. Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a very rare paediatric cancer, and up to 80% of affected children are found to carry germline TP53 mutations. Hence, we propose using childhood ACC incidence as selection criteria for referral for TP53 mutation testing, independent of familial cancer history. Under the auspices of the Malaysian Society of Paediatric Haematology-Oncology, four eligible children diagnosed with ACC over a 30-month study period were referred for mutation testing. Three had a germline TP53 mutation. Subsequent TP53 testing in relatives showed two inherited mutations and one de novo mutation. These findings strongly support paediatric ACC as a useful sentinel cancer for initiating a germline TP53/LFS detection programme, particularly in countries where the lack of structured oncogenetic practice precludes the identification of families with LFS features.
  9. Fulltext Comparable frequency of BRCA1, BRCA2 and TP53 germline mutations in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort suggests TP53 screening should be offered together with BRCA1/2 screening to early-onset breast cancer patients
    Lee DS, Yoon SY, Looi LM, Kang P, Kang IN, Sivanandan K, et al.
    Breast Cancer Res, 2012;14(2):R66.
    PMID: 22507745
    Germline TP53 mutations cause an increased risk to early-onset breast cancer in Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) families and the majority of carriers identified through breast cancer cohorts have LFS or Li-Fraumeni-like (LFL) features. However, in Asia and in many low resource settings, it is challenging to obtain accurate family history and we, therefore, sought to determine whether the presence of early-onset breast cancer is an appropriate selection criteria for germline TP53 testing.
  10. Fulltext Factors affecting poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production from oil palm frond juice by Cupriavidus necator (CCUG52238(T))
    Mohd Zahari MA, Ariffin H, Mokhtar MN, Salihon J, Shirai Y, Hassan MA
    J Biomed Biotechnol, 2012;2012:125865.
    PMID: 23133311 DOI: 10.1155/2012/125865
    Factors influencing poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) P(3HB) production by Cupriavidus necator CCUG52238(T) utilizing oil palm frond (OPF) juice were clarified in this study. Effects of initial medium pH, agitation speed, and ammonium sulfate (NH(4))(2)SO(4) concentration on the production of P(3HB) were investigated in shake flasks experiments using OPF juice as the sole carbon source. The highest P(3HB) content was recorded at pH 7.0, agitation speed of 220 rpm, and (NH(4))(2)SO(4) concentration at 0.5 g/L. By culturing the wild-type strain of C. necator under the aforementioned conditions, the cell dry weight (CDW) and P(3HB) content obtained were 9.31 ± 0.13 g/L and 45 ± 1.5 wt.%, respectively. This accounted for 40% increment of P(3HB) content compared to the nonoptimized condition. In the meanwhile, the effect of dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) on P(3HB) production was investigated in a 2-L bioreactor. Highest CDW (11.37 g/L) and P(3HB) content (44 wt.%) were achieved when DOT level was set at 30%. P(3HB) produced from OPF juice had a tensile strength of 40 MPa and elongation at break of 8% demonstrated that P(3HB) produced from renewable and cheap carbon source is comparable to those produced from commercial substrate.
  11. Fulltext Modification of oil palm mesocarp fiber characteristics using superheated steam treatment
    Nordin NI, Ariffin H, Andou Y, Hassan MA, Shirai Y, Nishida H, et al.
    Molecules, 2013 Jul 30;18(8):9132-46.
    PMID: 23903185 DOI: 10.3390/molecules18089132
    In this study, oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) was treated with superheated steam (SHS) in order to modify its characteristics for biocomposite applications. Treatment was conducted at temperatures 190-230 °C for 1, 2 and 3 h. SHS-treated OPMF was evaluated for its chemical composition, thermal stability, morphology and crystallinity. OPMF treated at 230 °C exhibited lower hemicellulose content (9%) compared to the untreated OPMF (33%). Improved thermal stability of OPMF was found after the SHS treatment. Moreover, SEM and ICP analyses of SHS-treated OPMF showed that silica bodies were removed from OPMF after the SHS treatment. XRD results exhibited that OPMF crystallinity increased after SHS treatment, indicating tougher fiber properties. Hemicellulose removal makes the fiber surface more hydrophobic, whereby silica removal increases the surface roughness of the fiber. Overall, the results obtained herewith suggested that SHS is an effective treatment method for surface modification and subsequently improving the characteristics of the natural fiber. Most importantly, the use of novel, eco-friendly SHS may contribute to the green and sustainable treatment for surface modification of natural fiber.
  12. Hypercalcaemia: an unusual presenting feature of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
    Rajagopal R, Lum SH, Jalaludin MY, Krishnan S, Abdullah WA, Ariffin H
    Br J Haematol, 2013 Oct;163(2):147.
    PMID: 23961807 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.12500
  13. Fulltext Malaysian child infected with Plasmodium vivax via blood transfusion: a case report
    Anthony CN, Lau YL, Sum JS, Fong MY, Ariffin H, Zaw WL, et al.
    Malar J, 2013;12:308.
    PMID: 24007496 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-12-308
    Malaria may be a serious complication of blood transfusion due to the asymptomatic persistence of parasites in some donors. This case report highlights the transfusion-transmitted malaria of Plasmodium vivax in a child diagnosed with germ cell tumour. This child had received blood transfusion from three donors and a week later started developing malaria like symptoms. Nested PCR and sequencing confirmed that one of the three donors was infected with P. vivax and this was transmitted to the 12-year-old child. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported transfusion-transmitted malaria case in Malaysia.
  14. Fulltext Improved properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) produced by Comamonas sp. EB172 utilizing volatile fatty acids by regulating the nitrogen source
    Zakaria MR, Ariffin H, Abd-Aziz S, Hassan MA, Shirai Y
    Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:237806.
    PMID: 24106698 DOI: 10.1155/2013/237806
    This study presents the effect of carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) (mol/mol) on the cell growth and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) accumulation by Comamonas sp. EB172 in 2 L fermenters using volatile fatty acids (VFA) as the carbon source. This VFA was supplemented with ammonium sulphate and yeast extract in the feeding solution to achieve C/N (mol/mol) 5, 15, 25, and 34.4, respectively. By extrapolating the C/N and the source of nitrogen, the properties of the polymers can be regulated. The number average molecular weight (M n ) of P(3HB-co-3HV) copolymer reached the highest at 838 × 10(3) Da with polydispersity index (PDI) value of 1.8, when the culture broth was supplemented with yeast extract (C/N 34.4). Tensile strength and Young's modulus of the copolymer containing 6-8 mol% 3HV were in the ranges of 13-14.4 MPa and 0.26-0.34 GPa, respectively, comparable to those of polyethylene (PE). Thus, Comamonas sp. EB172 has shown promising bacterial isolates producing polyhydroxyalkanoates from renewable carbon materials.
  15. Refractory acute monoblastic leukaemia with low hypodiploidy
    Lum SH, Chin TF, Lau KH, Yap TY, Rajagopal R, Ariffin H
    Int J Hematol, 2014 Mar;99(3):215-6.
    PMID: 24470150 DOI: 10.1007/s12185-014-1515-0
  16. Fulltext Host genetic variants of ABCB1 and IL15 influence treatment outcome in paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
    Lu Y, Kham SK, Ariffin H, Oei AM, Lin HP, Tan AM, et al.
    Br. J. Cancer, 2014 Mar 18;110(6):1673-80.
    PMID: 24434428 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2014.7
    Host germline variations and their potential prognostic importance is an emerging area of interest in paediatric ALL.
  17. Fulltext Griscelli syndrome
    Ariffin H, Geikowski A, Chin TF, Chau D, Arshad A, Abu Bakar K, et al.
    Med J Malaysia, 2014 Aug;69(4):193-4.
    PMID: 25500851 MyJurnal
    We report a case of Griscelli Syndrome (GS). Our patient initially presented with a diagnosis of haemophagocytic lymphistiocytosis (HLH). Subsequent microscopic analysis of the patient's hair follicle revealed abnormal distribution of melanosomes in the shaft, which is a hallmark for GS. Analysis of RAB27A gene in this patient revealed a homozygous mutation in exon 6, c.550C>T, p.R184X . This nonsense mutation causes premature truncation of the protein resulting in a dysfunctional RAB27A. Recognition of GS allows appropriate institution of therapy namely chemotherapy for HLH and curative haemotopoeitic stem cell transplantation.
  18. Fulltext Whole-genome sequencing analysis of phenotypic heterogeneity and anticipation in Li-Fraumeni cancer predisposition syndrome
    Ariffin H, Hainaut P, Puzio-Kuter A, Choong SS, Chan AS, Tolkunov D, et al.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2014 Oct 28;111(43):15497-501.
    PMID: 25313051 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1417322111
    The Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) and its variant form (LFL) is a familial predisposition to multiple forms of childhood, adolescent, and adult cancers associated with germ-line mutation in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene. Individual disparities in tumor patterns are compounded by acceleration of cancer onset with successive generations. It has been suggested that this apparent anticipation pattern may result from germ-line genomic instability in TP53 mutation carriers, causing increased DNA copy-number variations (CNVs) with successive generations. To address the genetic basis of phenotypic disparities of LFS/LFL, we performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 13 subjects from two generations of an LFS kindred. Neither de novo CNV nor significant difference in total CNV was detected in relation with successive generations or with age at cancer onset. These observations were consistent with an experimental mouse model system showing that trp53 deficiency in the germ line of father or mother did not increase CNV occurrence in the offspring. On the other hand, individual records on 1,771 TP53 mutation carriers from 294 pedigrees were compiled to assess genetic anticipation patterns (International Agency for Research on Cancer TP53 database). No strictly defined anticipation pattern was observed. Rather, in multigeneration families, cancer onset was delayed in older compared with recent generations. These observations support an alternative model for apparent anticipation in which rare variants from noncarrier parents may attenuate constitutive resistance to tumorigenesis in the offspring of TP53 mutation carriers with late cancer onset.
  19. Fulltext Impact strength and flexural properties enhancement of methacrylate silane treated oil palm mesocarp fiber reinforced biodegradable hybrid composites
    Eng CC, Ibrahim NA, Zainuddin N, Ariffin H, Yunus WM
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:213180.
    PMID: 25254230 DOI: 10.1155/2014/213180
    Natural fiber as reinforcement filler in polymer composites is an attractive approach due to being fully biodegradable and cheap. However, incompatibility between hydrophilic natural fiber and hydrophobic polymer matrix restricts the application. The current studies focus on the effects of incorporation of silane treated OPMF into polylactic acid (PLA)/polycaprolactone (PCL)/nanoclay/OPMF hybrid composites. The composites were prepared by melt blending technique and characterize the composites with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR spectra indicated that peak shifting occurs when silane treated OPMF was incorporated into hybrid composites. Based on mechanical properties results, incorporation of silane treated OPMF enhances the mechanical properties of unmodified OPMF hybrid composites with the enhancement of flexural and impact strength being 17.60% and 48.43%, respectively, at 10% fiber loading. TGA thermogram shows that incorporation of silane treated OPMF did not show increment in thermal properties of hybrid composites. SEM micrographs revealed that silane treated OPMF hybrid composites show good fiber/matrix adhesion as fiber is still embedded in the matrix and no cavity is present on the surface. Water absorption test shows that addition of less hydrophilic silane treated OPMF successfully reduces the water uptake of hybrid composites.
  20. Fulltext The influence of green surface modification of oil palm mesocarp fiber by superheated steam on the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of oil palm mesocarp fiber/poly(butylene succinate) biocomposite
    Then YY, Ibrahim NA, Zainuddin N, Ariffin H, Yunus WM, Chieng BW
    Int J Mol Sci, 2014;15(9):15344-57.
    PMID: 25177865 DOI: 10.3390/ijms150915344
    In this paper, superheated steam (SHS) was used as cost effective and green processing technique to modify oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) for biocomposite applications. The purpose of this modification was to promote the adhesion between fiber and thermoplastic. The modification was carried out in a SHS oven at various temperature (200-230 °C) and time (30-120 min) under normal atmospheric pressure. The biocomposites from SHS-treated OPMFs and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) at a weight ratio of 70:30 were prepared by melt blending technique. The mechanical properties and dimensional stability of the biocomposites were evaluated. This study showed that the SHS treatment increased the roughness of the fiber surface due to the removal of surface impurities and hemicellulose. The tensile, flexural and impact properties, as well as dimensional stability of the biocomposites were markedly enhanced by the presence of SHS-treated OPMF. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed improvement of interfacial adhesion between PBS and SHS-treated OPMF. This work demonstrated that SHS could be used as an eco-friendly and sustainable processing method for modification of OPMF in biocomposite fabrication.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links