MyMedR

Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 200 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

Fulltext Importance of screening for macroprolactin in all hyperprolactinaemic sera

Jamaluddin FA, Sthaneshwar P, Hussein Z, Othman N, Chan SP

Malays J Pathol, 2013 Jun;35(1):59-63.
PMID: 23817395 MyJurnal

Prolactin (PRL) exists in different forms in human serum. The predominant form is monomeric PRL (molecular mass 23 kDa) with smaller amounts of big PRL (molecular mass 50-60 kDa) and at times macroprolactin (molecular mass 150-170 kDa). Macroprolactin, generally considered to be biologically inactive, accounts for the major part of prolactin in some patients. Different immunoassays for prolactin differ in reactivity with this macromolecular complex.
Fulltext Protein expression in sera of patients with amoebic liver abscess (ALA): potential use of haptoglobin as a surrogate disease marker

Othman N, Zainudin NS, Mohamed Z, Yahya MM, Leow VM, Noordin R

Trop Biomed, 2013 Jun;30(2):257-66.
PMID: 23959491 MyJurnal

The protein profile of serum samples from patients with amoebic liver abscess (ALA) was compared to those of normal individuals to determine their expression levels and to identify potential surrogate disease markers. Serum samples were resolved by two dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by image analysis. The up and down-regulated protein spots were excised from the gels and analysed by MS/MS. The concentration of three clusters of proteins i.e. haptoglobin (HP), α1-antitrypsin (AAT) and transferrin in serum samples of ALA patients and healthy controls were compared using competitive ELISA. In addition, serum concentrations of HP and transferrin in samples of patients with ALA and pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) were also compared. The results of the protein 2-DE expression analysis showed that HP cluster, AAT cluster, one spot each from unknown spots no. 1 and 2 were significantly up-regulated and transferrin cluster was significantly down-regulated in ALA patients' sera (p<0.05). The MS/MS analysis identified the unknown protein spot no.1 as human transcript and haptoglobin and spot no. 2 as albumin. Competitive ELISA which compared concentrations of selected proteins in sera of ALA and healthy controls verified the up-regulated expression (p<0.05) of HP and the down-regulated expression (p<0.01) of transferrin in the former, while there was no significant difference in AAT expression (p> 0.05). However, when ALA and PLA samples were compared, competitive ELISA showed significant increased concentration of HP (p<0.05) while transferrin levels were not different. In conclusion, this study showed that HP is a potential surrogate disease marker for ALA.
Entamoeba histolytica antigenic protein detected in pus aspirates from patients with amoebic liver abscess

Othman N, Mohamed Z, Yahya MM, Leow VM, Lim BH, Noordin R

Exp Parasitol, 2013 Aug;134(4):504-10.
PMID: 23680184 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2013.05.001

Entamoeba histolytica is a causative agent of amoebic liver abscess (ALA) and is endemic in many underdeveloped countries. We investigated antigenic E. histolytica proteins in liver abscess aspirates using proteomics approach. Pus samples were first tested by real-time PCR to confirm the presence of E. histolytica DNA and the corresponding serum samples tested for E. histolytica-specific IgG by a commercial ELISA. Proteins were extracted from three and one pool(s) of pus samples from ALA and PLA (pyogenic liver abscess) patients respectively, followed by analysis using isoelectric focussing, SDS-PAGE and Western blot. Unpurified pooled serum samples from infected hamsters and pooled human amoebic-specific IgG were used as primary antibodies. The antigenic protein band was excised from the gel, digested and analysed by MALDI-TOF/TOF and LC-MS/MS. The results using both primary antibodies showed an antigenic protein band of ∼14kDa. Based on the mass spectrum analysis, putative tyrosine kinase is the most probable identification of the antigenic band.
Social support and work engagement: a study of Malaysian nurses

Othman N, Nasurdin AM

J Nurs Manag, 2013 Nov;21(8):1083-90.
PMID: 23409702 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2012.01448.x

This study addressed the question of whether social support (supervisor support and co-worker support) could contribute to the variance in work engagement.
Fulltext Biodiversity and clinico-demographic characteristics of human rhinoviruses from hospitalized children with acute lower respiratory tract infections in Malaysia

Etemadi MR, Othman N, Savolainen-Kopra C, Sekawi Z, Wahab N, Sann LM

J Clin Virol, 2013 Dec;58(4):671-7.
PMID: 23932333 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2013.05.017

BACKGROUND: There is accumulating evidence that human rhinovirus (HRV) causes acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTI). Recently, HRV-C was identified as a new species of HRV, but its spectrum of clinical disease is not well understood.
OBJECTIVES: We investigated the molecular epidemiology, demographic and clinical characteristics of HRVs among hospitalized children with ALRIs.
STUDY DESIGN: One hundred and sixty-five nasopharangeal aspirates taken from children <5 years hospitalized with ALRTIs in Serdang Hospital, Malaysia, were subject to reverse transcriptase-PCR for HRV. Phylogenetic analysis on VP4/VP2 and 5'-NCR regions was used to further characterize HRV. Other respiratory viruses were also investigated using semi-nested multiplex RT-PCR assay. Clinical parameters were analyzed between HRV, RSV and IFV-A mono-infections and between HRV species.
RESULTS: HRV was detected in 54 (33%) patients for both single (36 samples) and multiple (18 samples) infections, 61.1% (22/36) represents HRV-A strains while the remaining 14 HRV-C. Strain P51 was the first reported representative of HRV98. The majority of the single HRV cases were in the second half of infancy; HRV-C occurred among older children compared with HRV-A. HRV children were admitted significantly earlier and less febrile than RSV and IFV-A infection. HRV-C infected children were more likely to have rhonchi and vomiting as compared to HRV-A. Pneumonia was the most common discharge diagnosis followed by bronchiolitis and post-viral wheeze in HRV patients.
CONCLUSION: Our study showed high prevalence of HRVs and detection of HRV-C among hospitalized children with ALRTIs in Malaysia. Analysis of clinical parameters suggested specific features associated with HRVs infections and specific HRV groups.
Fulltext A review on radiation-induced nucleation and growth of colloidal metallic nanoparticles

Abedini A, Daud AR, Abdul Hamid MA, Kamil Othman N, Saion E

Nanoscale Res Lett, 2013;8(1):474.
PMID: 24225302 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-8-474

This review presents an introduction to the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles by radiation-induced method, especially gamma irradiation. This method offers some benefits over the conventional methods because it provides fully reduced and highly pure nanoparticles free from by-products or chemical reducing agents, and is capable of controlling the particle size and structure. The nucleation and growth mechanism of metallic nanoparticles are also discussed. The competition between nucleation and growth process in the formation of nanoparticles can determine the size of nanoparticles which is influenced by certain parameters such as the choice of solvents and stabilizer, the precursor to stabilizer ratio, pH during synthesis, and absorbed dose.
Fulltext Bcl-xL silencing induces alterations in hsa-miR-608 expression and subsequent cell death in A549 and SK-LU1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells

Othman N, In LL, Harikrishna JA, Hasima N

PLoS One, 2013;8(12):e81735.
PMID: 24339958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081735

Bcl-xL is an anti-apoptotic protein that is frequently found to be overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer leading to an inhibition of apoptosis and poor prognosis. Recently, the role of miRNAs in regulating apoptosis and cell survival during tumorigenesis has become evident, with cancer cells showing perturbed expression of various miRNAs. In this study, we utilized miRNA microarrays to determine if miRNA dysregulation in bcl-xL silenced lung adenocarcinoma cells could be involved in regulating cell death. Short interfering RNA-based transfection of A549 and SK-LU1 lung adenocarcinoma cells was successful in inducing a reduction in bcl-xL expression levels, resulting in a decrease in cell viability. A total of 10 miRNAs were found to be significantly differentially expressed when compared between siRNA-transfected and non-transfected cells including hsa-miR-181a, hsa-miR-769-5p, hsa-miR-361-5p, hsa-miR-1304 and hsa-miR-608. When overexpression studies on hsa-miR-608 was performed via transfection of miRNA mimics, cell death was found to be induced in A549 and SK-LU1 cells in comparison to untreated cells. This effect was reversed when knockdown studies involving anti-sense inhibitors were introduced. Combination of siRNA based silencing of bcl-xL (siBcl-xL) followed by anti-sense inhibitor transfection led to a decrease in the apoptotic population of A549 and SK-LU1 cells in comparison to cells only treated with siBcl-xL, illustrating the connection between bcl-xL, hsa-miR-608 and cell death. Gene target prediction analysis implicated the PI3K/AKT, WNT, TGF-β, and ERK signaling pathways as targets of bcl-xL induced miRNA alterations. We have demonstrated that bcl-xL silencing in A549 and SK-LU1 cells leads to the occurrence of cell death through the dysregulation of specific miRNAs. This study also provides a platform for anti-sense gene therapy whereby miRNA expression can be exploited to increase the apoptotic properties in lung adenocarcinoma cells.
Fulltext Circulation of human respiratory syncytial virus strains among hospitalized children with acute lower respiratory infection in malaysia

Etemadi MR, Sekawi Z, Othman N, Lye MS, Moghaddam FY

Evol Bioinform Online, 2013;9:151-61.
PMID: 23641140 DOI: 10.4137/EBO.S10999

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major viral pathogen associated with acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) among hospitalized children. In this study, the genetic diversity of the RSV strains was investigated among nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) taken from children less than 5 years of age hospitalized with ALRTIs in Hospital Serdang, Malaysia. A total of 165 NPA samples were tested for the presence of RSV and other respiratory viruses from June until December 2009. RSV was found positive in 83 (50%) of the samples using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Further classification of 67 RSV strains showed that subgroups A and B comprised 11/67 (16.4%) and 56/67 (83.6%) of the strains, respectively. The second hypervariable region at the carboxyl-terminal of the G gene was amplified and sequenced in order to do phylogenetic study. The phylogenetic relationships of the samples were determined separately for subgroups A and B using neighbor joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), and Bayesian inference (BI). Phylogenetic analysis of the 32 sequenced samples showed that all 9 RSV-A strains were clustered within NA1 genotype while the remaining 23 strains of the RSV-B subgroup could be grouped into a clade consisted of strains with 60-nucleotide duplication region. They were further classified into newly discovered BA10 and BA9 genotypes. The present finding suggests the emergence of RSV genotypes of NA1 and BA. This is the first documentation of the phylogenetic relationship and genetic diversity of RSV strains among hospitalized children diagnosed with ALRTI in Serdang, Malaysia.
Fulltext Somatic copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity and copy number abnormalities in Malaysian sporadic colorectal carcinoma patients

Yam YY, Hoh BP, Othman NH, Hassan S, Yahya MM, Zakaria Z, et al.

Genet. Mol. Res., 2013;12(1):319-27.
PMID: 23420356 DOI: 10.4238/2013.February.7.1

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in many countries, including Malaysia. The accumulation of genomic alterations is an important feature of colorectal carcinogenesis. A better understanding of the molecular events underlying the stages of colorectal carcinogenesis might be helpful in the detection and management of the disease. We used a commercially available single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping array to detect both copy number abnormalities (CNAs) and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in sporadic colorectal carcinomas. Matched tumor and normal tissues of 13 colorectal carcinomas (Dukes' stages A-D) were analyzed using a 250K single nucleotide polymorphism array. An additional assay was performed to determine the microsatellite instability status by using the National Cancer Institute-recommended BAT-26 panel. In general, copy number gain (92.3%) was most common, followed by copy number loss (53.8%) and copy-neutral LOH (46.2%). Frequent CNAs of gains and losses were observed on chromosomes 7p, 8, 13q, 17p, 18q, and 20q, and copy-neutral LOH was observed on chromosomes 2, 6, 12, 13q, 14q, 17, 20p, 19q, and 22q. Even though genomic alterations are associated with colorectal cancer progression, our results showed that DNA CNAs and copy-neutral LOH do not reflect disease progression in at least 50% tumors. Copy-neutral LOH was observed in both early and advanced tumors, which favors the involvement of these genomic alterations in the early stages of tumor development.
Fulltext Screening of optimization parameters for mixing process via CFD

Othman, N., Kamarudin, S.K., Mamat, M.R., Azman, A., Rosli, M.I., Takrif, M.S.

Journal of Nuclear and Related Technologies, 2013;2013(2):21-29.
MyJurnal

In this study, the numerical simulation in a mixing vessel agitated by a six bladed Rushton turbine has
been carried out to investigate the effects of effective parameters to the mixing process. The study is intended to screen the potential parameters which affect the optimization process and to provide the detail insights into the process. Three-dimensional and steady-state flow has been performed using the fully predictive Multiple Reference Frame (MRF) technique for the impeller and tank geometry. Process optimization is always used to ensure the optimum conditions are fulfilled to attain industries’ satisfaction or needs (ie; increase profit, low cost, yields, etc). In this study, the range of recommended speed to accelerate optimization is 100, 150 and 200rpm respectively and the range of recommended clearance is 50, 75 and 100mm respectively for dual Rushton impeller. Thus, the computer fluid dynamics (CFD) was introduced in order to screen the suitable parameters efficiently and to accelerate optimization. In this study,
Fulltext Production of recombinant Entamoeba histolytica pyruvate phosphate dikinase and its application in a lateral flow dipstick test for amoebic liver abscess

Saidin S, Yunus MH, Zakaria ND, Razak KA, Huat LB, Othman N, et al.

BMC Infect Dis, 2014 Apr 04;14:182.
PMID: 24708664 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-182

BACKGROUND: Amoebic liver abscess (ALA) is the most common clinical manifestation of extraintestinal amoebiasis especially in developing countries, causing up to 100 000 fatal cases annually. Accurate and early diagnosis is important to prevent the disease complications, however its diagnosis still poses many challenges due to the limitations of the available detection tools. Pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK), an excretory-secretory protein of E. histolytica, has been reported as a potential diagnostic marker for ALA, hence it may be exploited in the development of a new test for ALA.
METHODS: Recombinant PPDK (rPPDK) was expressed, purified and evaluated by Western blot. In parallel, recombinant galactose-and-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine inhibitable lectin (Gal/GalNAc lectin) was produced and tested similarly. The protein identity was confirmed by analysis using MALDI-TOF/TOF. A lateral flow dipstick (LFD) test using rPPDK was subsequently developed (rPPDK-LFD) and evaluated for serodiagnosis of ALA.
RESULTS: rPPDK was expressed as soluble protein after 4 hours of induction with 1 mM isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) at 30°C. Purification using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) resin yielded 1.5 mg of rPPDK from 1 L of culture with estimated molecular mass of 98 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Western blots using sera from patients with ALA, healthy individuals and other diseases probed with anti-human IgG4-HRP showed the highest sensitivity (93.3%) and specificity (100%); as compared to blots using IgG and IgG1 as secondary antibodies. Moreover, rPPDK showed better specificity when compared to rGal/GalNAc lectin. In the development of the LFD test, the optimum amount of rPPDK was 0.625 μg per dipstick and the optimum working concentration of colloidal gold conjugated anti-human IgG4 was optical density (OD) 5 (1.7 μg of anti-human IgG4). Evaluation of rPPDK-LFD using ALA patients and controls serum samples showed 87% diagnostic sensitivity and 100% specificity.
CONCLUSION: The developed rPPDK-LFD showed good potential for rapid diagnosis of ALA, and merit further multicentre validation using larger number of serum samples.
Fulltext Detection of Strongyloides stercoralis infection among cancer patients in a major hospital in Kelantan, Malaysia

Zueter AM, Mohamed Z, Abdullah AD, Mohamad N, Arifin N, Othman N, et al.

Singapore Med J, 2014 Jul;55(7):367-71.
PMID: 25091885

INTRODUCTION: Strongyloidiasis is one of the most commonly neglected but clinically important parasitic infections worldwide, especially among immunocompromised patients. Evidence of infection among immunocompromised patients in Malaysia is, however, lacking. In this study, microscopy, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to detect Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) infection among cancer patients in a Malaysian hospital.

METHODS: A total of 192 stool and serum samples were collected from cancer patients who were receiving chemotherapy with or without steroid treatment at a hospital in northeastern Malaysia. Stool samples were examined for S. stercoralis using parasitological methods and real-time PCR. Serology by ELISA was performed to detect parasite-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgG4 and immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. For comparison, IgG4- and IgG-ELISAs were also performed on the sera of 150 healthy individuals from the same area.

RESULTS: Of the 192 samples examined, 1 (0.5%) sample was positive for S. stercoralis by microscopy, 3 (1.6%) by real-time PCR, 8 (4.2%) by IgG-ELISA, 6 (3.1%) by IgG4-ELISA, and none was positive by IgE-ELISA. In comparison, healthy blood donors had significantly lower prevalence of parasite-specific IgG (2.67%, p < 0.05) and IgG4 (2.67%, p < 0.05) responses.

CONCLUSION: This study showed that laboratory testing may be considered as a diagnostic investigation for S. stercoralis among immunocompromised cancer patients.
Fulltext Authors' Reply. A different viewpoint on pneumococcal glomerulonephritis in a healthy child

Ismail IH, Zainudin Z, Othman N

Singapore Med J, 2014 Sep;55(9):506.
PMID: 25273938
Testing comparison models of DASS-12 and its reliability among adolescents in Malaysia

Osman ZJ, Mukhtar F, Hashim HA, Abdul Latiff L, Mohd Sidik S, Awang H, et al.

Compr Psychiatry, 2014 Oct;55(7):1720-5.
PMID: 24952938 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2014.04.011

OBJECTIVE: The 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) is frequently used in non-clinical research to measure mental health factors among adults. However, previous studies have concluded that the 21 items are not stable for utilization among the adolescent population. Thus, the aims of this study are to examine the structure of the factors and to report on the reliability of the refined version of the DASS that consists of 12 items.
METHOD: A total of 2850 students (aged 13 to 17 years old) from three major ethnic in Malaysia completed the DASS-21. The study was conducted at 10 randomly selected secondary schools in the northern state of Peninsular Malaysia. The study population comprised secondary school students (Forms 1, 2 and 4) from the selected schools.
RESULTS: Based on the results of the EFA stage, 12 items were included in a final CFA to test the fit of the model. Using maximum likelihood procedures to estimate the model, the selected fit indices indicated a close model fit (χ(2)=132.94, df=57, p=.000; CFI=.96; RMR=.02; RMSEA=.04). Moreover, significant loadings of all the unstandardized regression weights implied an acceptable convergent validity. Besides the convergent validity of the item, a discriminant validity of the subscales was also evident from the moderate latent factor inter-correlations, which ranged from .62 to .75. The subscale reliability was further estimated using Cronbach's alpha and the adequate reliability of the subscales was obtained (Total=76; Depression=.68; Anxiety=.53; Stress=.52).
CONCLUSION: The new version of the 12-item DASS for adolescents in Malaysia (DASS-12) is reliable and has a stable factor structure, and thus it is a useful instrument for distinguishing between depression, anxiety and stress.
Fulltext Otitis externa complicated with chloramphenicol ear drops-induced perichondritis

Mohamad I, Johan K, Hashim H, Nik Othman N

Malays Fam Physician, 2014;9(1):28-9.
PMID: 25606295 MyJurnal

Otitis externa is a common condition of the ear. It is manifested as narrowing of the lumen owing to the edematous swelling of the ear canal lining. Perichondritis may occur independently or as a complication of the otitis externa. We report a case of perichondritis after using a topical ear drop. Changing the medication provides immediate resolution of the condition.
Fulltext Optimization of a continuous hybrid impeller mixer via computational fluid dynamics

Othman N, Kamarudin SK, Takriff MS, Rosli MI, Engku Chik EM, Meor Adnan MA

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:619474.
PMID: 25170524 DOI: 10.1155/2014/619474

This paper presents the preliminary steps required for conducting experiments to obtain the optimal operating conditions of a hybrid impeller mixer and to determine the residence time distribution (RTD) using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In this paper, impeller speed and clearance parameters are examined. The hybrid impeller mixer consists of a single Rushton turbine mounted above a single pitched blade turbine (PBT). Four impeller speeds, 50, 100, 150, and 200 rpm, and four impeller clearances, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mm, were the operation variables used in this study. CFD was utilized to initially screen the parameter ranges to reduce the number of actual experiments needed. Afterward, the residence time distribution (RTD) was determined using the respective parameters. Finally, the Fluent-predicted RTD and the experimentally measured RTD were compared. The CFD investigations revealed that an impeller speed of 50 rpm and an impeller clearance of 25 mm were not viable for experimental investigations and were thus eliminated from further analyses. The determination of RTD using a k-ε turbulence model was performed using CFD techniques. The multiple reference frame (MRF) was implemented and a steady state was initially achieved followed by a transient condition for RTD determination.
Fulltext Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Carbapenem- and Polymyxin-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolated from a Tertiary Hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia

Lean SS, Suhaili Z, Ismail S, Rahman NI, Othman N, Abdullah FH, et al.

ISRN Microbiol, 2014;2014:953417.
PMID: 25006521 DOI: 10.1155/2014/953417

Nosocomial infection caused by Acinetobacter baumannii is of great concern due to its increasing resistance to most antimicrobials. In this study, 54 nonrepeat isolates of A. baumannii from the main tertiary hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia, were analyzed for their antibiograms and genotypes. Out of the 54 isolates, 39 (72.2%) were multidrug resistant (MDR) and resistant to carbapenems whereas 14 (25.9%) were categorized as extensive drug resistant (XDR) with additional resistance to polymyxin B, the drug of "last resort." Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analyses showed that the polymyxin-resistant isolates were genetically diverse while the carbapenem-resistant isolates were clonally related. The 14 XDR isolates were further investigated for mutations in genes known to mediate polymyxin resistance, namely, pmrCAB, and the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis genes, lpxA, lpxC, lpxD, and lpsB. All 14 isolates had a P102H mutation in pmrA with no mutation detected in pmrC and pmrB. No mutation was detected in lpxA but each polymyxin-resistant isolate had 2-4 amino acid substitutions in lpxD and 1-2 substitutions in lpxC. Eight resistant isolates also displayed a unique H181Y mutation in lpsB. The extent of polymyxin resistance is of concern and the novel mutations discovered here warrant further investigations.
Fulltext Optimization of integrated impeller mixer via radiotracer experiments

Othman N, Kamarudin SK, Takriff MS, Rosli MI, Engku Chik EM, Adnan MA

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:242658.
PMID: 24741344 DOI: 10.1155/2014/242658

Radiotracer experiments are carried out in order to determine the mean residence time (MRT) as well as percentage of dead zone, V dead (%), in an integrated mixer consisting of Rushton and pitched blade turbine (PBT). Conventionally, optimization was performed by varying one parameter and others were held constant (OFAT) which lead to enormous number of experiments. Thus, in this study, a 4-factor 3-level Taguchi L9 orthogonal array was introduced to obtain an accurate optimization of mixing efficiency with minimal number of experiments. This paper describes the optimal conditions of four process parameters, namely, impeller speed, impeller clearance, type of impeller, and sampling time, in obtaining MRT and V dead (%) using radiotracer experiments. The optimum conditions for the experiments were 100 rpm impeller speed, 50 mm impeller clearance, Type A mixer, and 900 s sampling time to reach optimization.
Fulltext Radiotracer technology in mixing processes for industrial applications

Othman N, Kamarudin SK

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:768604.
PMID: 24616642 DOI: 10.1155/2014/768604

Many problems associated with the mixing process remain unsolved and result in poor mixing performance. The residence time distribution (RTD) and the mixing time are the most important parameters that determine the homogenisation that is achieved in the mixing vessel and are discussed in detail in this paper. In addition, this paper reviews the current problems associated with conventional tracers, mathematical models, and computational fluid dynamics simulations involved in radiotracer experiments and hybrid of radiotracer.
Detection of human papillomavirus DNA in routine cervical scraping samples: use for a national cervical cancer screening program in a developing nation

Othman N, Othman NH

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(5):2245-9.
PMID: 24716964

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus is a well-established cause of the development of a variety of epithelial lesions in the cervix. However, as yet, incorporation of HPV testing into cervical cancer screening either as an adjunct or stand alone test is limited due to its cost. We therefore here ascertained the presence and type specificity of human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA in routine cervical scrapings.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cervical scrapings were collected from women attending clinics for routine Pap smear screening. HPV-DNA was detected by PCR using MY09/11 and GP5+/GP6+ primer sets and genotyping was accomplished by cycle-sequencing.
RESULTS: A total of 635 women were recruited into the study with mean ± SD age of 43 ± 10.5 years. Of these 92.6% (588/635) were reported as within normal limits (WNL) on cytology. The presence of HPV infection detected by nested MY/GP+-PCR was 4.4% (28/635). The overall prevalence of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) in abnormal Pap smears was 53.8% (7/13). HPVs were also seen in 3.1% (18/588) of smears reported as WNL by cytology and 5.9% (2/34) in smears unsatisfactory for evaluation.
CONCLUSIONS: The overall percentage of HPV positivity in routine cervical screening samples is comparable with abnormal findings in cytology. Conventional Pap smear 'missed' a few samples. Since HPV testing is expensive, our results may provide valuable information for strategising implementation of effective cervical cancer screening in a country with limited resources like Malaysia. If Pap smear coverage could be improved, HPV testing could be used as an adjunct method on cases with ambiguous diagnoses.

Filters

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

External Links