Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 459 in total

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  1. Comparison of E-test with agar dilution methods in testing susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae to azithromycin
    Yasin RM, Suan KA, Meng CY
    Sex Transm Dis, 1997 May;24(5):257-60.
    PMID: 9153733
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Neisseria gonorrhoeae varies from one country to another and may also change with time. To monitor these variations and changes, it is desirable to have a method that is simple and reproducible. This study was undertaken to determine the in vitro susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae to azithromycin and to assess the reliability of results obtained using E-test methodology for determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of azithromycin.

    STUDY DESIGN: The MICs for 135 clinical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae were determined by a modified Kirby-Bauer method recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards against penicillin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, norfloxacin, tetracycline, kanamycin, spectinomycin, and azithromycin. The MIC of azithromycin was determined by both the E-test and agar dilution method. All tests were done simultaneously.

    RESULTS: The MIC of azithromycin to all 135 isolates ranged from 0.078 to 0.25 microgram/ml with the agar dilution method and from 0.016 to 0.50 microgram/ml with the E-test. The MIC50 and MIC90 of azithromycin were 0.064 microgram/ml and 0.125 microgram/ml, respectively, by the agar dilution method, whereas they are slightly higher by the E-test method. Seventy-six of the isolates were beta-lactamase producers and 69 were high-level tetracycline-resistant N. gonorrhoeae. There was no difference in the MIC50 and MIC90 of azithromycin in these groups of isolates. The percentage agreement within the acceptable +/-1 log2 dilution difference between MICs obtained by E-test and those obtained by the agar dilution method was 97.8%.

    CONCLUSIONS: Azithromycin has a very good in vitro antigonococcal activity, and the E-test is a reliable method to determine the MIC of azithromycin against N. gonorrhoeae.

  2. Evaluation of variable parameters in neutrophil function test using chemiluminescence assay
    Noah RM, Jais MR, Noh LM
    Malays J Pathol, 1994 Dec;16(2):157-60.
    PMID: 9053565
    Variable parameters in chemiluminescence assay, one of the methods used to assess the functional capacity of neutrophils, were evaluated for suitable adaptation locally. The use of pooled normal human serum as compared to single normal human serum in opsonizing particles for phagocytosis was found to exhibit lower chemiluminescence activity (reduction range of 30%-50%). A similar degree of depression was observed when the particles were opsonized using normal human serum in comparison to that using autologous serum. Different intensity of chemiluminescence was also noted when the opsonized particle used was the Oxford strain of Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 6571) in contrast to a strain of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a patient. The results obtained warrant clinicians to deliver appropriate samples as best they can when the chemiluminescence assay is requested.
  3. New wild Tetrahymena from Southeast Asia, China, and North America, including T. malaccensis, T. asiatica, T. nanneyi, T. caudata, and T. silvana n. spp
    Simon EM, Meyer EB, Preparata RM
    J. Protozool., 1985 Feb;32(1):183-9.
    PMID: 3989748
    Tetrahymena of the T. pyriformis complex collected from varied habitats in Malaysia, Thailand, and The People's Republic of China include strains of the micronucleate species T. americanis and T. canadensis and the amicronucleate T. pyriformis and T. elliotti. Two new breeding species are described-T. malaccensis from Malaysia and T. asiatica from China and Thailand. Two wild selfers from China and some of the amicronucleate strains from all three countries fall into isozymic groups similar to named micronucleate and amicronucleate species. The T. patula complex is represented by two groups of clones from Malaysia that fit the morphological description of T. vorax. They, however, have radically different isozymic electrophoretic patterns and both groups differ from those of previously described T. vorax. As their molecules indicate relationships to other "T. vorax" strains as distant as that between T. vorax and T. leucophrys, they are considered to be new species, T. caudata and T. silvana. A third new breeding species, T. nanneyi, was identified among strains previously collected in North America. Viable immature progeny were obtained from the new strains of the five breeding species. Maximum temperature tolerances were determined for the new strains of four of the breeding species.
  4. Are plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) useful markers of prostate cancer?
    Lopez JB, Sahabudin RM, Chin LP
    Int. J. Biol. Markers, 2004 Apr-Jun;19(2):164-7.
    PMID: 15255551
    Increased concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and decreased insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) in serum have been proposed as markers of prostate cancer (CaP). The evidence for this, however, is contradictory. We assayed serum for IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in patients with CaP and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and in healthy controls (HC). The mean +/- SD concentration of IGF-I in CaP (98.3 +/- 39.3 ng/mL; n = 15) was lower than in BPH (119 +/- 31.1 ng/mL; n=24) and HC (119 +/- 36.1 ng/mL; n=46), but the differences between the three groups were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The mean IGFBP-3 concentrations in CaP (2691 +/- 1105 ng/mL; n = 16; p = 0.029) and BPH (2618 +/- 816 ng/mL; n = 26; p = 0.006) patients were significantly lower than that of the HC (3119 +/- 618 ng/mL; n=59), but the difference between the two groups of patients was not significant (p > 0.05). PSA concentrations in CaP (median = 80.8 ng/mL; n = 25) were significantly higher than those in BPH (median = 8.6 ng/mL; n = 39) (p < 0.001). Ninety-six percent of CaP and 72% of BPH patients had PSA concentrations >4.0 ng/mL; the proportions of patients with concentrations exceeding 20 ng/mL were 76% and 10%, respectively. We conclude that IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are inferior to PSA for CaP detection.
  5. The past, present, and prospective on UV-VIS-NIR skin photonics and spectroscopy-a wavelength guide
    Poh AH, Adikan FRM, Moghavvemi M
    Med Biol Eng Comput, 2020 Jun;58(6):1159-1175.
    PMID: 32319030 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-019-02077-9
    The study and applications of in vivo skin optics have been openly documented as early as the year 1954, or possibly earlier. To date, challenges in analyzing the complexities of this field remain, with wide scopes requiring more scrutiny. Recent advances in spectroscopic research and multivariate analytics allow a closer look into applications potentially for detecting or monitoring diseases. One of the challenges in this field is in establishing a reference for applications which correspond to certain bandwidths. This article reviews the scope on past research on skin spectroscopy, and the clinical aspects which have or may have applications on disease detection or enhancing diagnostics. A summary is supplied on the technicalities surrounding the measurements reported in literature, focused towards the wavelength-dependent applications in themes central to the respective research. Analytics on the topology of the papers' data cited in this work is also provided for a statistical perspective. In short, this paper strives to immediately inform the reader with possible applications via the spectroscopic devices at hand. Graphical Abstract .
  6. Fulltext Erratum to: Complete chloroplast genome sequence of MD-2 pineapple and its comparative analysis among nine other plants from the subclass Commelinidae
    Redwan RM, Saidin A, Kumar SV
    BMC Plant Biol, 2015;15:294.
    PMID: 26683477 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-015-0619-x
  7. Fatty liver in a two days old neonate
    Arivalagan P, Husain MS, Subramaniam K, Kaslan MRM
    Med J Malaysia, 2019 Oct;74(5):454-455.
    PMID: 31649231
    Neonatal death due to inborn error of metabolism (IEM) is rare in Malaysia. We report a sudden neonate death just a few hours after being discharged from the hospital. The deceased was a two-day-old baby boy and was asymptomatic until his demise. He was fed with expressed breast milk and formula milk. Autopsy revealed fatty changes of the liver and an enlarged heart. Laboratory investigation confirmed very long chain Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency which resulted in his death. Autopsy of sudden unexpected death in neonate should include investigation for inborn error of metabolism. Fatty liver and enlarged heart could give a clue for the diagnosis.
  8. Fulltext Zika Virus as Oncolytic Therapy for Brain Cancer: Myth or Reality?
    Su KY, Balasubramaniam VRMT
    Front Microbiol, 2019;10:2715.
    PMID: 31824472 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02715
    The ability of self-replicating oncolytic viruses (OVs) to preferentially infect and lyse cancer cells while stimulating anti-tumor immunity of the host strongly indicates its value as a new field of cancer therapeutics to be further explored. The emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) as a global health threat due to its recent outbreak in Brazil has caught the attention of the scientific community and led to the discovery of its oncolytic potential for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and fatal brain tumor with poor prognosis. Herein, we evaluate the neurotropism of ZIKV relative to the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL and its ligand Gas6 in viral entry and the RNA-binding protein Musashi-1 (MSI1) in replication which are also overexpressed in GBM, suggesting its potential for specific targeting of the tumor. Additionally, this review discusses genetic modifications performed to enhance safety and efficacy of ZIKV as well as speculates future directions for the OV therapy.
  9. Fulltext Energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate intakes of underweight, normal weight and obese government office workers in an urban area
    Arshad F, Nor IM, Ali RM, Hamzah F
    Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 1996 Jun;5(2):88-91.
    PMID: 24394516
    Diet is one of the major factors contributing to the development of obesity, apart from heredity and energy balance. The objective of this cross-sectional study is to assess energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes in relation to bodyweight status among government office workers in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 185 Malay men and 196 Malay women aged 18 and above were randomly selected as the study sample. Height and weight were taken to determine body mass index (BMI). The dietary profile was obtained by using 24-hour dietary recalls and food frequency methods. This was analysed to determine average nutrient intake per day. Other information was ascertained from tested and coded questionnaires. The subjects were categorised into three groups of bodyweight status namely underweight (BMI < 20 kg/m2), normal weight (BMI 20-25 kg/m2) and obese (BMI > 25 kg/m2). The prevalence of obesity was 37.8%. The study showed that the mean energy intake of the respondents was 1709 ± 637 kcal/day. The energy composition comprised of 55.7 ± 7.6% carbohydrates, 29.7 ± 21.7 % fat and 15.6 ± 3.8% protein. There was no significant difference in diet composition among the three groups. The findings indicate that normal weight and overweight individuals had a lower intake of calories and carbohydrates than the underweight individuals (p<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in fat intakes.
  10. Fulltext Lingual thyroid--a lesson to learn
    Ramzisham ARM, Somasundaram S, Nasir ZM
    Med J Malaysia, 2004 Oct;59(4):533-4.
    PMID: 15779588
    We present a case of a middle-aged woman with a mass in the posterior third of the tongue which was diagnosed as a tongue haemangioma. The tumour was successfully excised via a midline mandibular osteotomy and tongue splitting approach. The histopathology examination, however, revealed the 5x4 cms mass to be a lingual thyroid. The salient features of this unusual presentation of a thyroid enlargement will be discussed.
    Comment in: Ng CS, Mohd MS. Lingual thyroid--a lesson to learn. Med J Malaysia. 2005
    Mar;60(1):115
  11. Fulltext In vitro and in vivo models for the study of EV-D68 infection
    Hooi YT, Balasubramaniam VRMT
    Pathology, 2023 Dec;55(7):907-916.
    PMID: 37852802 DOI: 10.1016/j.pathol.2023.08.007
    Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is one of hundreds of non-polio enteroviruses that typically cause cold-like respiratory illness. The first EV-D68 outbreak in the United States in 2014 aroused widespread concern among the public and health authorities. The infection was found to be associated with increased surveillance of acute flaccid myelitis, a neurological condition that causes limb paralysis in conjunction with spinal cord inflammation. In vitro studies utilising two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) culture systems have been employed to elucidate the pathogenic mechanism of EV-D68. Various animal models have also been developed to investigate viral tropism and distribution, pathogenesis, and immune responses during EV-D68 infection. EV-D68 infections have primarily been investigated in respiratory, intestinal and neural cell lines/tissues, as well as in small-size immunocompetent rodent models that were limited to a young age. Some studies have implemented strategies to overcome the barriers by using immunodeficient mice or virus adaptation. Although the existing models may not fully recapitulate both respiratory and neurological disease observed in human EV-D68 infection, they have been valuable for studying pathogenesis and evaluating potential vaccine or therapeutic candidates. In this review, we summarise the methodologies and findings from each experimental model and discuss their applications and limitations.
  12. Fulltext Complete chloroplast genome sequence of MD-2 pineapple and its comparative analysis among nine other plants from the subclass Commelinidae
    Redwan RM, Saidin A, Kumar SV
    BMC Plant Biol, 2015;15:196.
    PMID: 26264372 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-015-0587-1
    Pineapple (Ananas comosus var. comosus) is known as the king of fruits for its crown and is the third most important tropical fruit after banana and citrus. The plant, which is indigenous to South America, is the most important species in the Bromeliaceae family and is largely traded for fresh fruit consumption. Here, we report the complete chloroplast sequence of the MD-2 pineapple that was sequenced using the PacBio sequencing technology.
  13. Antifungal susceptibility of molecularly confirmed Aspergillus species from clinical samples
    Tzar MN, Mustakim S, Yusoff H, Tap RM
    Malays J Pathol, 2024 Apr;46(1):71-78.
    PMID: 38682846
    Invasive aspergillosis is the second most common invasive human mycosis but susceptibility data of Aspergillus species is limited. Antifungal treatment of aspergillosis is often done empirically without knowing the true susceptibility. Therefore, we aimed to determine antifungal susceptibility of Aspergillus species isolated from various clinical specimens over a 1-year period. We identified 28 Aspergillus isolates by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and β-tubulin genes and performed antifungal susceptibility testing on these isolates using Sensititre YeastOne. The isolates were identified as Aspergillus niger (60.7%), A. fumigatus (21.4%), A. flavus (10.7%), A. chevalieri (3.6%) and A. tubingensis (3.6%). Based on the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) Antifungal Clinical Breakpoint for Aspergillus spp., 16/17 (94.1%) A. niger isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B, all six isolates (100%) of A. fumigatus were susceptible to amphotericin B, itraconazole and voriconazole, but only 5/6 (83.3%) A. fumigatus were susceptible to posaconazole. Meanwhile, all three (100%) A. flavus isolates were susceptible to itraconazole. There are no other breakpoints established by the EUCAST for other antifungal-species combinations. In conclusions, Aspergillus niger remains the most commonly isolated species from clinical specimens and Aspergillus isolates at our centre are still largely susceptible to amphotericin B, echinocandins and most azoles. This information is valuable in guiding antifungal therapy in the treatment of aspergillosis.
  14. Fulltext Dataset of the lab-scale 3-axis winding machine integrated with the portable real-time winding angle measurement system
    Ma Q, Rejab MRM, Idris MS
    Data Brief, 2022 Dec;45:108731.
    PMID: 36426027 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108731
    This article presents three datasets related to the laboratory scale 3-axis filament winding machine. The winding experimental tests are described on the range of winding angle, winding accuracy of programmed G-codes, and linear and rotation speeds in raw data. The real-time winding angle measurement system is developed to monitor and measure the winding angle of filament-wound carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) tubes. Two winding patterns are provided as dry and wet winding processes. Moreover, an experimental test of a real-time winding angle measurement system is captured and analyzed. The i-winder app controls the winding machine through a Bluetooth module, which is programmed by MIT App Inventor. The data presented in this article can have a benchmark for developing a multi-axis filament winding machine. It is provided an inexpensive and open-source control system and is embedded in a real-time winding angle measurement system. The experimental assessment data can be found in this article [1]. The data is available in the cloud-based Mendeley Data repository [2].
  15. Forced convective of micropolar fluid on a stretching surface of another quiescent fluid
    N. A. Majid, N. F. Mohammad, A. R. M. Kasim, S. Shafie
    MATEMATIKA, 2019;35(3):397-413.
    MyJurnal
    In this paper, the problem of forced convection flow of micropolar fluid of
    lighter density impinging orthogonally on another heavier density of micropolar fluid
    on a stretching surface is investigated. The boundary layer governing equations are
    transformed from partial differential equations into a system of nonlinear ordinary
    differential equations using similarity transformation and solved numerically using dsolve
    function in maple software version 2016. The velocity, microrotation and temperature of
    micropolar fluid are analyzed. It is found that both upper fluid and lower fluid display
    opposite behaviour when micropolar parameter k various with strong concentration
    n = 0, pr = 7 and stretching parameter = 0.5. The results also show that stretching
    surface exert the force that increasing the velocity of micropolar fluid.
  16. Fulltext The immunomodulatory effects of Tualang and Kelulut honey on microglial cell activities
    Ooi, Yin Yin, Soyza, R. M., Low, Z. X., Tan, K. L.
    Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(102):35-35.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) have become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Microglia, the resident myeloid cells of the Central Nervous System (CNS) are primarily responsible for the production of inflammatory mediators that accumulate and become toxic during a chronic inflammatory response. The accumulation of inflammatory mediators over time inadvertently contributes to the functional impairment of surrounding neurons. Hence, suppressing microglial cell activation can be a solution to control the progress of neurodegenerative disorders. Symptomatic treatments are available, but no curative treatment is currently available, and some are linked to several side effects associated with their use. Honey is a natural product derived from the nectar harvested and modified by honeybees. Its therapeutic effects are widely documented, have been tested and verified extensively in literature. Honey is recognized in modern medicine for its varied pharmacological activities. While the medicinal properties of honeys such as Manuka honey are well established, further investigation is required to elucidate the medicinal properties of locally sourced honeys, namely Tualang (TH) and Kelulut (KH) honeys. In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of local TH and KH honey on microglial cell activities. Methods: BV2 cells, an immortalized microglial cell line was used in this in vitro study to assess the cell survival when treated with the TH and KH honey. Expression of CD40, CD11b and CD86 were measured using flowcytometry. Results: BV2 cells incubated with TH at concentrations of 0.1% and 0.5%, and KH at concentrations of 0.1% and 0.25% for 24 and 48 hours showed cell survivability above 75%. Both TH and KH decreased ROS production significantly on LPS-induced BV2 cells, but increased ROS production on unstimulated BV2 cells. Additionally, the expression levels of CD40, CD11b and CD86 were also reduced on honey- treated LPS-induced BV2 cells. Conclusion: These results have demonstrated that both TH and KH are capable of suppressing microglial activation. Therefore, we propose the idea of utilizing these honeys as a complementary treatment to suppress the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
  17. Fulltext Influence of different pre-processing methods in predicting sugarcane quality from near-infrared (NIR) spectral data
    Lazim, S. S. R. M., Nawi, N. M., Rasli, A. M. M., Chen, G., Jensen, T.
    International Food Research Journal, 2016;23(101):231-236.
    MyJurnal
    The influence of different data pre-processing methods (smoothing by moving average (MA),
    multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), Savitzky-Golay (SG), standard normal variate (SNV)
    and mean normalization (MN) on the prediction of sugar content from sugarcane samples was
    investigated. The performance of these pre-processing methods was evaluated using spectral
    data collected from 292 sugarcane internode samples using a visible-shortwave near infrared
    spectroradiometer (VNIRS). Partial least square (PLS) method was applied to develop both
    calibration and prediction models for the samples. If no pre-processing method was applied,
    the coefficient of determination (R2) values for both reflectance and absorbance data were 0.81
    and 0.86 respectively. The highest prediction accuracy values were obtained when the data was
    treated with MSC method, where the R2 values for reflectance and absorbance being 0.85 and
    0.87, respectively. From this study, it was concluded that pre-processing can improve the model
    performances where MSC method was found to give the highest prediction accuracy value.
  18. Fulltext Awareness, knowledge and attitude toward informed consent among doctors in two different cultures in Asia: a cross-sectional comparative study in Malaysia and Kashmir, India
    Yousuf RM, Fauzi AR, How SH, Rasool AG, Rehana K
    Singapore Med J, 2007 Jun;48(6):559-65.
    PMID: 17538757
    Informed consent is now accepted as the cornerstone of medical practice, with reasonable patient standards typically considered to be appropriate in the developed countries; however it is still challenged in many developing countries. The objective of this descriptive study was to evaluate the perceptions and practices among attending medical professionals in matters relating to informed consent in selected hospitals.
  19. Tocotrienol preserves ovarian function in cyclophosphamide therapy
    Saleh HS, Omar E, Froemming GR, Said RM
    Hum Exp Toxicol, 2015 Oct;34(10):946-52.
    PMID: 25585998 DOI: 10.1177/0960327114564793
    Cyclophosphamide (CPA) chemotherapy leads to ovarian failure and infertility. Tocotrienol (T3) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. The role of T3 in ovarian protection throughout chemotherapy remains unclear.
  20. Rapid detection of Ganoderma-infected oil palms by microwave ergosterol extraction with HPLC and TLC
    Muniroh MS, Sariah M, Zainal Abidin MA, Lima N, Paterson RR
    J Microbiol Methods, 2014 May;100:143-7.
    PMID: 24681306 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2014.03.005
    Detection of basal stem rot (BSR) by Ganoderma of oil palms was based on foliar symptoms and production of basidiomata. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays-Polyclonal Antibody (ELISA-PAB) and PCR have been proposed as early detection methods for the disease. These techniques are complex, time consuming and have accuracy limitations. An ergosterol method was developed which correlated well with the degree of infection in oil palms, including samples growing in plantations. However, the method was capable of being optimised. This current study was designed to develop a simpler, more rapid and efficient ergosterol method with utility in the field that involved the use of microwave extraction. The optimised procedure involved extracting a small amount of Ganoderma, or Ganoderma-infected oil palm suspended in low volumes of solvent followed by irradiation in a conventional microwave oven at 70°C and medium high power for 30s, resulting in simultaneous extraction and saponification. Ergosterol was detected by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The TLC method was novel and provided a simple, inexpensive method with utility in the field. The new method was particularly effective at extracting high yields of ergosterol from infected oil palm and enables rapid analysis of field samples on site, allowing infected oil palms to be treated or culled very rapidly. Some limitations of the method are discussed herein. The procedures lend themselves to controlling the disease more effectively and allowing more effective use of land currently employed to grow oil palms, thereby reducing pressure to develop new plantations.
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