Oil palm workers are exposed to ergonomics problems in their routine works. Although many technological advances have been developed, a large number of workers are still using manual handling tools in their daily work. A study was done to identify and solve the problems or issues of material handling effect on oil palm collectors and loaders during their daily work activities. A cross sectional study was done in an oil palm plantation in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Twenty five workers were selected randomly to participate in this study. Musculoskeletal symptoms were recorded using Modified Nordic Questionnaires and awkward postures of the workers were assessed using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). Result showed that 61% of workers were exposed to high risk level and 39% to very high risk level of working posture problems. In conclusion, majority of oil palm collectors and loaders need to correct their working posture as soon as possible. The manual handling activities need to be improved with respect to correct procedure for health and safety concerns.
The purpose of this article is to illustrate the links between the three factors of parental attachment (i.e., communication, trust, and alienation) and cyberbullying experiences among school- going children. A total of 375 students aged 9 to 16 years old were selected using stratified sampling method from 8 schools in Selangor. The authors adapted a 10-item instrument from the previous studies of Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS) and EUkidsonline scales to assess the cyberbullying prevalence based on two sub-dimensions (online harassment and sex-based bullying). The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to analyse the construct validity of the scales. Structural equation modelling (SEM) then was used to test the study hypotheses. The final model has an estimated that 10% (R2=.95) of the variance in cyberbullying is explained by parental attachment, indicating only the alienation factor predicted the children’s cyberbullying experiences. The findings, however, supported a differentiated approach to positive parenting.
Kajian ini dilakukan untuk menentukan ciri fiziko-kimia, kandungan nutrien dan logam berat dalam tanih di tapak Pusat Penyelidikan UKM Tasik Chini. Sampel tanih-atas diambil dari tiga transek pensampelan iaitu T1, T2 dan T3. Dua profil tanih telah dicerap di transek 1 (T1S1 & T1S3) dan sampel tanih telah diambil daripada profil dan juga tanih atas untuk penentuan ciri fiziko-kimia, kandungan nutrien dan logam berat. Bagi sampel tanih-atas, sebanyak empat stesen pensampelan (S1, S2, S3, S4) telah dipilih di transek 1 (T1), dua stesen pensampelan (S1, S2) di transek 2 (T2) dan tiga stesen pensampelan (S1, S2, S3) di transek 3 (T3) telah dipilih. Ciri fiziko-kimia yang ditentukan adalah pH, kekonduksian elektrik (KE), kapasiti pertukatan kation (KPK), fosforus, kalium dan magnesium tersedia dan nutrien terlarut, dan logam berat terpilih. Semua penentuan fiziko-kimia tanih, nutrien tersedia dan terlarut serta logam berat dilakukan mengikut kaedah penentuan yang piawai. Hasil uji kaji menunjukkan tekstur tanih didominasi oleh zarahan bersaiz lempung. Kandungan bahan organik tinggi pada tanih-atas dan berkurangan mengikut kedalaman. Purata nilai pH tanih di dalam profil dan tanih-atas adalah di antara 3.66 hingga 4.73 dan ia adalah sangat berasid. Sela purata bagi kekonduksian elektrik dalam profil dan tanih-atas adalah antara 2412 μScm-1 dan 2742 μScm-1. Purata nilai KPK adalah rendah iaitu antara 4.86 dan 12.58 meq/100g tanih. Kepekatan fosforus, magnesium dan kalium tersedia masing-masing mempunyai sela antara 1.76 – 3.32 μg/g, 16.80 – 122.23 μg/g dan 20.09 – 30.50 μg/g. Kepekatan nutrien terlarut bagi sulfat, nitrat-nitrogen, ammonium-nitrogen dan fosforus masing-masing adalah 37.50 – 1350 μg/g, 12.17 dan 90.00 μg/g, 12.17 to 53.17 μg/g dan 0.05 dan 0.62 μg/g. Kepekatan ferum dan Pb sangat tinggi di T1S1 dan di horizon bawah profil T1S3. Secara amnya tanih di tapak PPTC adalah sangat berasid dan mempunyai kandungan nutrien yang rendah. Terdapat bukti menunjukkan berlaku pengayaan Pb dalam tanih yang menerima pengaruh pasang surut jasad air tasik.
Gallium nitride with wurtzite crystal structure is a chemically stable semiconductor with high internal spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization, which make it highly suitable materials to create very sensitive and robust sensors for the detection of ions, gases and liquids. Sensing characteristics of an open-gate liquid-phase sensor fabricated on undoped-AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility-transistor (HEMT) structure in aqueous solution was investigated. In ambient atmosphere, the open-gate undoped AlGaN/GaN HEMT clearly showed only the presence of linear region of currents while Si-doped AlGaN/GaN showed the linear and saturation regions of currents, very similar to those of gated devices. This seems to show that very low Fermi level pinning by surface states exists in undoped AlGaN/GaN sample. In aqueous solution, the typical current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of HEMTs with good gate controllability were observed. The potential of the AlGaN surface at the open-gate area is effectively controlled via aqueous solution by Ag/AgCl reference gate electrode. The open-gate undoped AlGaN/GaN HEMT structure is capable of stable operation in aqueous electrolytes and exhibit linear sensitivity, and high sensitivity of 1.9 mA/pH or 3.88 mA/mm/pH at drain-source voltage, VDS = 5 V was obtained. Due to large leakage current where it increases with the negative reference gate voltage, the Nernstian’s like sensitivity cannot be determined. Suppression of current leakage is likely to improve the device performance. The open-gate undoped-AlGaN/GaN structure is expected to be suitable for pH sensing application.
It is normally agreed that medicinal plants and their products are safer than their artificial counterparts; nevertheless, some plant products may show efficacious but have low therapeutic index or safety margin. Carica papaya fruits, leaves, seed and latex are used medicinally for various types of ailments. The Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs nowadays are not useful in all cases because of their side effects which is associated with gastric irritation, bleeding, and ulcers. This study was considered to assess the effectiveness of methanol extract of Carica papaya seeds as compared to the treatment alternative of the Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs which is indomethacin 50mg/kg. Objective: The main objective is to know the effectiveness of the anti-inflammatory effect of the methanolic extract of Carica papaya seeds as compared to the treatment alternative of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory activity-Indomethacin 50mg/kg. Method: The maceration method was used to extract the Carica papaya seeds by using Methanol, two different doses of extract of 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg were administered orally after inducing the paw edema using the 1% of carrageenan. Then, the length of the paw edema was measured by using veneer caliper. Results: In the rat paw edema model, 500mg/kg of Carica papaya seeds shows 71.43%, 250mg/kg shows 63.91% and standard Indomethacin 50mg/kg treatment showed 88.72% of percentage inhibition. The results are statistically analyzed using One Way ANNOVA test. Conclusion: Post hoc analysis using Effect Scheffe test shows significant difference between group 1 and group 2, 3 and 4 (p ˂ 0.001) respectively at all time. The results showed it is significant value (p< 0.001) for the Methanolic extract of Carica papaya seeds regardless of its doses.
Fungaemia due to Paecilomyces lilacinus is generally not considered in AIDS patients because this condition is not categorised as an AIDS-indicator illness. We report a case of a 25-year-old lady who presented to our hospital with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, with the subsequent development of refractory fungaemia, multi-organ failure and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Amphotericin B was given as empirical antifungal therapy. HIV screening was reactive and Paecilomyces lilacinus was isolated from her blood. The fungaemia did not resolve after one week of amphotericin B treatment. The addition of itraconazole was also unsuccessful in clearing the fungaemia. Accurate mycological diagnosis is important in the care of AIDS patients with fungaemia because of the risk of treatment failure with empirical therapy.
Solid variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a rare, poorly characterised variant and predominantly reported in children with a history of radiation exposure. This variant has a high propensity for extra-thyroidal extension and cervical lymph node metastases. A 14-year-old Malay girl who had no history of radiation exposure, presented with multiple cervical lymphadenopathy and it was clinically suspicious for tuberculosis or lymphoma. An incisional biopsy revealed a metastatic PTC. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy with bilateral lateral neck dissection and histopathology report was solid variant of PTC. Whole-body I(131) scan was performed which revealed an intense tracer uptake in the neck. She was planned for radioactive iodine ablation and now on regular follow-up for monitoring of possible tumour metastasis.
A total of 32 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from 13 honey samples commercially marketed in Malaysia, 6 strains identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus by API CHL50. The isolates had antibacterial activities against multiple antibiotic resistant's Staphylococcus aureus (25 to 32 mm), Staphylococcus epidermis (14 to 22 mm) and Bacillus subtilis (12 to 19 mm) in the agar overlay method after 24 h incubation at 30 °C. The crude supernatant was heat stable at 90 °C and 121 °C for 1 h. Treatment with proteinase K and RNase II maintained the antimicrobial activity of all the supernatants except sample H006-A and H010-G. All the supernatants showed antimicrobial activities against target bacteria at pH 3 and pH 5 but not at pH 6 within 72 h incubation at 30 °C. S. aureus was not inhibited by sample H006-A isolated from Libyan honey and sample H008-D isolated from Malaysian honey at pH 5, compared to supernatants from other L. acidophilus isolates. The presence of different strains of L. acidophilus in honey obtained from different sources may contribute to the differences in the antimicrobial properties of honey.
The present study served to gain further insight into the bactericidal effects of ellagitannins from Acalypha wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. against pathogenic bacteria. Ellagitannins from the aerial parts of A. wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. (EAW) inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus (ATCC 11778), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 11632) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical strain with inhibition zones equal to 11.01 ± 1.53 mm, 16.63 ± 0.11 mm, 11.40 ± 1.10 mm and 8.22 ± 0.19 mm, respectively. The minimal inhibition concentration and the minimal bactericidal concentration of ellagitannins from A. wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. (EAW) against MRSA were 750 µg/mL and 3000 µg/mL, respectively. We then examined the synergistic effect of EAW with three antibiotics, i.e. ampicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline, via the checkerboard assay and time-kill assay and observed that EAW is synergistic with ampicillin against S. aureus (ATCC 11632). Environmental electron scanning microscopy analysis showed cell lysis against S. aureus (ATCC 11632) upon treatment with the ellagitannin fraction. The ellagitannin fraction from A. wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. is bactericidal against gram-positive bacteria tested and works synergistically with ampicillin against S. aureus. Morphology analysis of the cell suggests that the bactericidal property of the ellagitannin fraction mechanism involves lysis of the cell wall. In summary, our studies demonstrate that A. wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. produces bactericidal ellagitannins of clinical and/or cosmetological value.
In the present study, we investigate the effects of three different Mitragyna speciosa extracts, namely methanolic, aqueous and total alkaloid extracts, on glutathione transferase-specific activity in male Sprague Dawley rat liver cytosol in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro study, the effect of Mitragyna speciosa extracts (0.01 to 750 microg/mL) against the specific activity of glutathione transferases was examined in rat liver cytosolic fraction from untreated rats. Our data show concentration dependent inhibition of cytosolic GSTs when Mitragyna speciosa extract was added into the reaction mixture. At the highest concentration used, the methanolic extract showed the highest GSTs specific activity inhibition (61%), followed by aqueous (50%) and total alkaloid extract (43%), respectively. In in vivo study, three different dosages; 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg for methanolic and aqueous extracts and 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg for total alkaloid extract were given orally for 14 days. An increase in GST specific activity was generally observed. However, only Mitragyna speciosa aqueous extract with a dosage of 100 mg/kg showed significant results: 129% compared to control.
The pattern of allelic loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and PTEN mutations appear to be associated with the progression of gliomas leading to a decrement in the survival rate of patients. This present study was carried out to determine the LOH and PTEN mutational status in glioma patients and its association with patients' survival.
We report a case of Cryptococcus humicolus meningitis complicated by communicating hydrocephalus in an apparently immunocompetent 49-year-old psychiatric patient from a nursing home. He presented with a history of poor oral intake, weight loss, headache, vomiting, blurred vision, frequent falls and unsteady gait for the previous three months. He had a history of chronic cough, productive of whitish sputum for the previous month but no hemoptysis. Cerebrospinal fluid culture was positive for Cryptococcus humicolus. He was treated with intravenous amphotericin B and oral fluconazole and had clinical and microbiological improvement after three weeks of treatment. Unfortunately, the patient acquired nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection and died due to overwhelming sepsis.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an X-linked red blood cell enzymopathy common in malaria endemic areas. Individuals affected by this disease show a wide variety of clinical signs of acute hemolytic anemia. Mutations of the G6PD gene in the Malay population with G6PD deficiency in Kelantan, a state in North East Malaysia were studied. Ninety-three individuals with G6PD deficiency were subjected to mutation analysis of the G6PD gene using polymerase chain reaction based techniques of multiplex PCR. Of the ninety-three DNA samples studied, molecular defects were identified in 80 cases (86%). Variants were heterogeneous - 28.7% were found to have a G to A nucleotide change at nucleotide 871 of the G6PD gene (G871A), corresponding to G6PD Viangchan. The other major mutations were G6PD Mediterranean, G6PD Vanua Lava, G6PD Coimbra, G6PD Kaiping, G6PD Orissa, G6PD Mahidol, G6PD Canton and G6PD Chatham. These results showed that there are heterogeneous mutations of the G6PD gene associated with G6PD deficiency and that G6PD Viangchan and G6PD Mediterranean account for the main variants in G6PD deficiency among the Malay population in Malaysia.
Various 6-methoxytetrahydro-β-carboline derivatives, namely BEN (6-methoxy-1-phenyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole), ANI (6-methoxy-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole), ACE (6-methoxy-1-methyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) and VAN (2-methoxy-4-(6-methoxy-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indol-1-l)phenol), were prepared via the Maillard reaction using food flavours and 5-methoxytryptamine in aqueous medium and were investigated for their in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxicity properties. These derivatives were found to exhibit moderate antioxidant properties, based on a combination of DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. The results suggested that the Maillard reaction could be used to generate β-carboline antioxidants. It was beneficial that VAN showed the highest antioxidant activity but the least cytotoxic activities on non-tumourous cell lines of NIH/3T3, CCD18-Co and B98-5 using MTT assay. ACE, ANI and BEN showed mild toxicity at effective antioxidative concentrations derived from DPPH and ABTS assays. Furthermore, they are safer compared to 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin and betulinic acid on NIH/3T3, CCD18-Co and B98-5 cells. In conclusion, the antioxidant and cytotoxicity properties of 6-methoxytetrahydro-β-carbolines were demonstrated for the first time.
Telomerase, the enzyme that stabilizes telomere length is reactivated with almost all cancer types, and may be a useful diagnostic marker for malignancy. Telomerase activity has been detected in germ line cells and most cancer cells, whereas most normal somatic cells have no clearly detectable telomerase activity. In our study, we aim to detect telomerase activity in 20 human central nervous system tumors from Malaysian patients. Telomerase activity was detected based on a highly sensitive procedure consisting of a CHAPS detergent-based extraction from frozen tissues and a PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) using a TRAPEZE Telomerase Detection Kit (Intergen, Co). Telomerase activity was considered positive when a ladder of products was observed starting at 50bp, with 6bp increments. The activity was detected in 30% of the samples analysed, included glioblastoma multiforme, meduloblastoma, paraganglioma and oligodendroglioma. The result of Fisher's exact test indicated that there was a significant association between telomerase activity status with tumor grade (p=0.003). These results suggest that telomerase activity may be an important marker for tumor malignancy.
Empyema thoracis (ET) is defined as pus in the pleural space, either localized or involving the entire pleural cavity, due to diverse etiologies. In severe form, it may infiltrate the extrapulmonary region. Clinical guideline describes 3 stages of parapneumonic effusion before developing into an ET, namely the exudative stage, the fibrinopurulent stage, and the organizing/late stage. We highlight a 59-year-old gentleman who presented a back swelling masquerading as a deep-seated abscess, in which the diagnosis of ET had not been established early. The principles of treatment are treating the underlying condition such as pneumonia, pleural drainage and debridement, full re-expansion of the collapsed lung by performing chest physiotherapy, and improving nutrition. ET is a condition with a dynamic process due to diverse etiologies, either localized or involving the entire pleural cavity. The gold standard in diagnosing ET is the pleural aspiration of fluid from the pleural space, whereas the management of ET may include non-surgical and/or surgical treatments based on the basic principles of ET treatment.
To investigate the protein expression profile of mismatch repair (MMR) genes in suspected cases of Lynch syndrome and to characterize the associated germline mutations.