Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 128 in total

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  1. Spatial patterns of colorectal cancer survival rates in Malaysia, 2013-2018
    Ramli SR, Azhar ZI, Raman S, Yusof SN, Mohamad M
    Cancer Causes Control, 2024 Dec 09.
    PMID: 39652251 DOI: 10.1007/s10552-024-01945-6
    BACKGROUND: Large geographical variations in colorectal cancer (CRC) survival rates have been reported across regions. Poorer survival rates were mainly found in socioeconomically deprived areas, highly dense areas, and areas lacking healthcare accessibility. The objective of this study was to identify, compare, and contrast the spatial patterns of 5-year CRC-specific survival rates and identify high-priority areas by districts in Malaysia.

    METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilized secondary data from the National Cancer Registry. CRC patients (ICD10 C18-21) diagnosed between 2013 and 2018 were selected. Patient addresses were geocoded into districts and states via geospatial data from the National Geospatial Centre, whereas district population density data were gathered from the Population Census of Malaysia. Kaplan‒Meier survival analysis and log-rank test were conducted to determine and compare the 5-year CRC-specific survival rates, and the spatial distribution of CRC survival by district was determined via ArcGIS software.

    RESULTS: A total of 18,513 CRC patients were registered from 143 districts, with 10,819 deaths occurring during follow-up. The national 5-year CRC-specific survival rate was 42%, with median survival time of 36 months (95% CI: 34.46, 37.54). The eastern region (Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang) had the lowest survival (38.0%). Among the 143 districts, eighty-one (56.6%) reported survival rates below the national average while thirty-six (25.2%) were identified as high-priority districts.

    CONCLUSION: The differences in CRC survival rates were evident according to geographical location. Area-based targeted interventions to improve CRC detection, management, and access to healthcare are imperative to address cancer survival disparities and help effectively allocate resources.

  2. Fulltext Effect of nutritional intervention on nutritional status among children with disorders of amino acid and nitrogen metabolism (AANMDs): A scoping review
    Lim JY, Amit N, Ali NM, Leong HY, Mohamad M, Rajikan R
    Intractable Rare Dis Res, 2021 Nov;10(4):246-256.
    PMID: 34877236 DOI: 10.5582/irdr.2021.01124
    Disorders of amino acid and nitrogen metabolism (AANMDs) occur due to an enzyme deficiency in a normal biochemical pathway. Nutritional intervention is recognized as the mainstay of treatment for children diagnosed with AANMD. Hence, this scoping review aimed to identify the nutritional interventions available in managing AANMD disorders and their effects on nutritional status. A systematic search using PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) method was conducted across 4 databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect (Elsevier), EBSCOhost and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Inclusion criteria for the study to be selected are: subjects aged less than 18-year-old, article published in English, utilized an experimental design and published within the past 20 years. A total of 22 articles were included in this review. The majority of the subjects are boys (55.6%) and employed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study design (45.4%). Nutritional interventions were categorized into 4 categories which are: "protein substitute" (n = 5), "protein substitute with modified composition" (n = 6), "nutrient supplementation (n=8)", and "distribution and dosage of protein substitute (n = 3)". The most frequently assessed outcomes were biochemical parameters that gauge the effectiveness of metabolic control (68.2%). Overall, "protein substitute enriched with inhibitive amino acids", "long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation", and "evenly distributed protein substitute" demonstrated beneficial effects towards the nutritional status, especially in terms of biochemical parameters. In summary, nutritional intervention plays a significant role in improving the nutritional status of AANMD patients. Further investigations of nutritional intervention among AANMD children using a meta-analysis approach are necessary for better comprehension of their impact in management of AANMD disorders.
  3. Fulltext Use of Combination of Oral Levothyroxine and Liothyronine in Severe Hypothyroidism With Massive Pericardial Effusion
    Wong PS, Lim SW, Tong CV, Mohamad M, Hussein Z
    J ASEAN Fed Endocr Soc, 2022;37(2):106-112.
    PMID: 36578894 DOI: 10.15605/jafes.037.02.17
    Thyroid hormone plays an important role in cardiovascular function. Pericardial effusions are commonly seen in cases of severe hypothyroidism. However, large to massive pericardial effusions with cardiac tamponade are exceptionally rare. Herein, we present two cases of severe hypothyroidism with massive pericardial effusion. Our first case demonstrates that a patient with large pericardial effusion can be managed conservatively with aggressive thyroid hormone replacement therapy. In our second case, pericardiocentesis was performed in addition to thyroid hormone replacement therapy as the underlying aetiology of effusion could not be reasonably limited to hypothyroidism. These two cases served to highlight and demonstrate rapid normalisation of thyroid function test by using aggressive oral thyroid hormone replacement therapy using liothyronine, in combination with levothyroxine, which led to resolution of pericardial effusion and prevent its re-accumulation.
  4. Survival rate of colorectal cancer and its relation to the individual and geographical variations in Malaysia, 2013-2018
    Ramli SR, Azhar ZI, Raman S, Yusof SN, Mohamad M
    Cancer Epidemiol, 2025 Feb 11;95:102756.
    PMID: 39938130 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2025.102756
    BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the second most deadly cancer globally, accounting for nearly 10 % of all cancer-related deaths in 2021. Despite advancements in CRC management, significant disparities in survival rates persist, even in highly developed countries. These lower survival rates are particularly evident in socioeconomically deprived areas and regions with limited healthcare accessibility. Our objective was to assess the impact of individual and geographical variations on CRC survival outcomes.

    METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilised secondary data from the National Cancer Registry. Adult CRC patients diagnosed between 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2018 (6 years), with documented cause of deaths were included. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to determine the 5-year survival rate and median survival time, while multilevel Cox proportional hazard analysis was carried out to identify factors that contribute to the overall CRC survival.

    RESULTS: A total of 18,513 CRC patients were diagnosed between 2013 and 2018, with 10,819 deaths occurred during follow-up. The 5-year CRC survival rate was 42 % with median survival time of 36 months (95 %CI: 34.46-37.54). After adjusting for covariates in multilevel Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, the study found that older age, male gender, Malay and other ethnicities, living in Peninsular Malaysia, rectal, rectosigmoid and anal cancers, advanced disease stage, receiving other, none or delayed treatments, and living in less densely populated areas were significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality (p 

  5. Fulltext Brain Activation during Addition and Subtraction Tasks In-Noise and In-Quiet
    Abd Hamid AI, Yusoff AN, Mukari SZ, Mohamad M
    Malays J Med Sci, 2011 Apr;18(2):3-15.
    PMID: 22135581 MyJurnal
    In spite of extensive research conducted to study how human brain works, little is known about a special function of the brain that stores and manipulates information-the working memory-and how noise influences this special ability. In this study, Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate brain responses to arithmetic problems solved in noisy and quiet backgrounds.
  6. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and Psychological Distress Among Urban-Living Older Malaysians
    Apalasamy YD, Awang H, Hairi NN, Tan CL, Mohamad M, Zainal Abidin AF
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2024 Nov;36(8):797-800.
    PMID: 39543957 DOI: 10.1177/10105395241283131
  7. Fulltext Trauma Informed Interventions to Reduce Seclusion, Restraint and Restrictive Practices Amongst Staff Caring for Children and Adolescents with Challenging Behaviours: A Systematic Review
    Kelly P, Saab MM, Hurley EJ, Heffernan S, Goodwin J, Mulud ZA, et al.
    J Child Adolesc Trauma, 2023 Sep;16(3):629-647.
    PMID: 37593061 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-023-00524-2
    Engaging with children and adolescents in mental health settings who are exhibiting behaviours that challenge can often result in the use of seclusion, restraint and coercive practices. It is recognised that more therapeutic ways to engage this population are needed, adopting trauma informed interventions may provide a solution. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the evidence in relation to the effect of trauma-informed interventions on coercive practices in child and adolescent residential settings. The review is guided by elements of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Results were synthesized and reported narratively. Nine studies met the eligibility criteria for this review. There was a lack of homogeneity amongst the studies. The trauma-informed interventions used were typically multi-faceted, underpinned by a variety of approaches and sought to bring about changes to clinical practice. Most studies (n = 8) reported significant reductions in the use of restrictive practices following the implementation of a trauma informed approach. The use of a trauma-informed approach, underpinned by an organisational change or implementation strategy, have the potential to reduce coercive practices with children and adolescents. However, the included interventions were insufficiently described to draw strong conclusions.
  8. Fulltext The effect of calcium with or without calcitriol supplementation on renal function in patients with hypovitaminosis d and chronic kidney disease
    Mustafar R, Mohd R, Ahmad Miswan N, Cader R, Gafor HA, Mohamad M, et al.
    Nephrourol Mon, 2014 Jan;6(1):e13381.
    PMID: 24719814 DOI: 10.5812/numonthly.13381
    Hypovitaminosis D (serum 25-OHD < 30 ng/mL) is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Vitamin D is believed to involve in the regulation of renin-angiotensin system and may be renoprotective.
  9. Serum IL-6 and IL-1-ra with sequential organ failure assessment scores in septic patients receiving high-volume haemofiltration and continuous venovenous haemofiltration
    Ghani RA, Zainudin S, Ctkong N, Rahman AF, Wafa SR, Mohamad M, et al.
    Nephrology (Carlton), 2006 Oct;11(5):386-93.
    PMID: 17014550
    Sepsis is characterized by an uncontrolled release of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators leading to immunoparalysis, cellular and humoral dysfunction, multiorgan dysfunction and death. This study evaluated the efficacy of high-volume haemofiltration (HVHF) compared with continuous venovenous haemofiltration (CVVH) in removing these inflammatory mediators. Clinical responses were assessed with the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score.
  10. Higher dietary energy density is associated with stunting but not overweight and obesity in a sample of urban Malaysian children
    Shariff ZM, Lin KG, Sariman S, Siew CY, Yusof BN, Mun CY, et al.
    Ecol Food Nutr, 2016 Jul-Aug;55(4):378-89.
    PMID: 27231732 DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2016.1181065
    Although diets with high energy density are associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity, it is not known whether such diets are associated with undernutrition. This study assessed the relationship between dietary energy density (ED) and nutritional status of 745 urban 1- to 10-year-old children. Dietary intakes were obtained using food recall and record for two days. Dietary energy density was based on food and caloric beverages. Higher dietary ED was associated with lower intakes of carbohydrate, sugar, vitamins C and D, and calcium but higher fat, fiber, iron, and folate intakes. While intakes of fruits and milk/dairy products decreased, meat, fish, and legume intakes increased with higher dietary ED. Stunting, but not other growth problems, was associated with higher dietary ED. Future studies should confirm the cause-and-effect relationship between higher dietary ED and stunting.
  11. Fulltext Effects of 12 Weeks Cosmos caudatus Supplement among Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized, Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Trial
    You YX, Shahar S, Rajab NF, Haron H, Yahya HM, Mohamad M, et al.
    Nutrients, 2021 Jan 29;13(2).
    PMID: 33572715 DOI: 10.3390/nu13020434
    Cosmos caudatus (CC) contains high flavonoids and might be beneficial in neuroprotection. It has the potential to prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of 12 weeks of Cosmos caudatus supplement on cognitive function, mood status, blood biochemical profiles and biomarkers among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The subjects were randomized into CC supplement (n = 24) and placebo group (n = 24). Each of them consumed one capsule of CC supplement (250 mg of CC/capsule) or placebo (500 mg maltodextrin/capsule) twice daily for 12 weeks. Cognitive function and mood status were assessed at baseline, 6th week, and 12th week using validated neuropsychological tests. Blood biochemical profiles and biomarkers were measured at baseline and 12th week. Two-way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis showed significant improvements in mini mental state examination (MMSE) (partial η2 = 0.150, p = 0.049), tension (partial η2 = 0.191, p = 0.018), total mood disturbance (partial η2 = 0.171, p = 0.028) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (partial η2 = 0.097, p = 0.047) following CC supplementation. In conclusion, 12 weeks CC supplementation potentially improved global cognition, tension, total mood disturbance, and oxidative stress among older adults with MCI. Larger sample size and longer period of intervention with incorporation of metabolomic approach should be conducted to further investigate the underlying mechanism of CC supplementation in neuroprotection.
  12. Stabilization of heavy metals loaded sewage sludge: Reviewing conventional to state-of-the-art thermal treatments in achieving energy sustainability
    Liew CS, Kiatkittipong W, Lim JW, Lam MK, Ho YC, Ho CD, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2021 Aug;277:130310.
    PMID: 33774241 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130310
    Sewage sludge has long been regarded as a hazardous waste by virtue of the loaded heavy metals and pathogens. Recently, more advanced technologies are introduced to make use of the nutrients from this hazardous sludge. Successful recovery of sludge's carbon content could significantly convert waste to energy and promote energy sustainability. Meanwhile, the recovery of nitrogen and trace minerals allows the production of fertilizers. This review is elucidating the performances of modern thermal treatment technologies in recovering resources from sewage sludge while reducing its environmental impacts. Exhaustive investigations show that most modern technologies are capable of recovering sludge's carbon content for energy generation. Concurrently, the technologies could as well stabilize heavy metals, destroy harmful pathogens, and reduce the volume of sludge to minimize the environmental impacts. Nevertheless, the high initial investment cost still poses a huge hurdle for many developing countries. Since the initial investment cost is inevitable, the future works should focus on improving the profit margin of thermal technologies; so that it would be more financially attractive. This can be done through process optimization, improved process design as well as the use of suitable co-substrates, additives, and catalyst as propounded in the review.
  13. Fulltext Experimental and numerical evaluations of composite concrete-to-concrete interfacial shear strength under horizontal and normal stresses
    Al-Fasih MY, Mohamad ME, Ibrahim IS, Ahmad Y, Ariffin MAM, Sarbini NN, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(5):e0252050.
    PMID: 34015027 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252050
    Effects of different surface textures on the interface shear strength, interface slip, and failure modes of the concrete-to-concrete bond are examined through finite element numerical model and experimental methods in the presence of the horizontal load with 'push-off' technique under different normal stresses. Three different surface textures are considered; smooth, indented, and transversely roughened to finish the top surfaces of the concrete bases. In the three-dimensional modeling via the ABAQUS solver, the Cohesive Zone Model (CZM) is used to simulate the interface shear failure. It is observed that the interface shear strength increases with the applied normal stress. The transversely roughened surface achieves the highest interface shear strength compared with those finished with the indented and smooth approaches. The smooth and indented surfaces are controlled by the adhesive failure mode while the transversely roughened surface is dominated by the cohesive failure mode. Also, it is observed that the CZM approach can accurately model the interface shear failure with 3-29% differences between the modeled and the experimental test findings.
  14. Fulltext Anaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Hospital Putrajaya
    Thambiah CS, Samsudin IN, George E, Ranjit LK, Saat NS, Hussein Z, et al.
    Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2015;11(1):49-62.
    MyJurnal
    Patients with diabetes have an earlier onset and increased severity of anaemia compared to those with similar degree of renal impairment from other causes. Anaemia is associated with an increased risk of vascular complications. In this study, we determined the prevalence of anaemia in T2DM patients and its association with sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory parameters in an endocrine tertiary hospital in Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional study using retrospective electronic data from January 2011 to December 2013 of 165 T2DM patients in Hospital Putrajaya. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.0 for Windows. The prevalence of anaemia was 39.4% and majority had normocytic normochromic (80%), mild (58.5%) anaemia. Majority were Malays (73.9%), aged below 60 with comparable gender percentage and long-standing, poorly-controlled DM [median fasting blood sugar (FBS) 8mmol/L; glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 7.9%]. Using the KDIGO chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging system, 86% of these patients were in stages 3-5. Anaemic patients had a significantly higher serum urea, creatinine and a lower FBS, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) compared to non-anaemic patients. Anaemic patients with diabetic nephropathy had a significantly lower haemoglobin (Hb) compared to those without this complication (p=0.022). The sensitivity and specificity at a cut-off eGFR value of 38.3 ml/min/1.73 m2 (maximum Youden index = 0.462) was 66.7% and 79.5%, respectively to discriminate mild from moderate anaemia. This study shows that anaemia is already present in T2DM patients in Hospital Putrajaya at initial presentation to the specialist outpatient clinic and is significantly associated with CKD. Hence, it emphasises the obligatory need for routine and follow-up full blood count monitoring in T2DM patients in primary care as well as tertiary settings in Malaysia to enable early detection and aggressive correction of anaemia in preventing further complications.

    Study site: endocrine clinic, Hospital Putrajaya
  15. Hydrolysis kinetics for solubilizing waste activated sludge at low temperature thermal treatment derived from multivariate non-linear model
    Liew CS, Raksasat R, Rawindran H, Kiatkittipong W, Lim JW, Leong WH, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2022 Apr;292:133478.
    PMID: 34979202 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133478
    Low temperature thermal pre-treatment is a low-cost method to break down the structure of extracellular polymeric substances in waste activated sludge (WAS) while improving the sludge biodegradability. However, previous models on low temperature thermal pre-treatment did not adequately elucidate the behaviour of sludge hydrolysis process for the duration ranging from 5 to 9 h. Therefore, this work had developed an inclusive functional model to describe the kinetics of sludge hydrolysis for a wide range of treatment conditions (30 °C-90 °C within 0 and 16 h). As compared with treatment duration, the treatment temperature played a greater impact in solubilizing WAS. Accordingly, the 90 °C treatment had consistently produced WAS with the highest degree of solubility. Nonetheless, the mediocre discrepancies between 90 °C and 75 °C may challenge the practicality of increasing the treatment temperatures beyond 75 °C. The effects of treatment duration on soluble chemical oxygen demand, soluble carbohydrate and soluble protein were only significant during the first 4 h, except for humic substances release that continued to increase with treatment duration. Finally, a good fit with R2 > 0.95 was achieved using an inclusive multivariate non-linear model, substantiating the functionality to predict the kinetics of sludge hydrolysis at arbitrary treatment conditions.
  16. Fulltext Development of Antibacterial, Degradable and pH-Responsive Chitosan/Guar Gum/Polyvinyl Alcohol Blended Hydrogels for Wound Dressing
    Khan MUA, Iqbal I, Ansari MNM, Razak SIA, Raza MA, Sajjad A, et al.
    Molecules, 2021 Sep 30;26(19).
    PMID: 34641480 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26195937
    The present research is based on the fabrication preparation of CS/PVA/GG blended hydrogel with nontoxic tetra orthosilicate (TEOS) for sustained paracetamol release. Different TEOS percentages were used because of their nontoxic behavior to study newly designed hydrogels' crosslinking and physicochemical properties. These hydrogels were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and wetting to determine the functional, surface morphology, hydrophilic, or hydrophobic properties. The swelling analysis in different media, degradation in PBS, and drug release kinetics were conducted to observe their response against corresponding media. The FTIR analysis confirmed the components added and crosslinking between them, and surface morphology confirmed different surface and wetting behavior due to different crosslinking. In various solvents, including water, buffer, and electrolyte solutions, the swelling behaviour of hydrogel was investigated and observed that TEOS amount caused less hydrogel swelling. In acidic pH, hydrogels swell the most, while they swell the least at pH 7 or higher. These hydrogels are pH-sensitive and appropriate for controlled drug release. These hydrogels demonstrated that, as the ionic concentration was increased, swelling decreased due to decreased osmotic pressure in various electrolyte solutions. The antimicrobial analysis revealed that these hydrogels are highly antibacterial against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and Gram negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) bacterial strains. The drug release mechanism was 98% in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) media at pH 7.4 in 140 min. To analyze drug release behaviour, the drug release kinetics was assessed against different mathematical models (such as zero and first order, Higuchi, Baker-Lonsdale, Hixson, and Peppas). It was found that hydrogel (CPG2) follows the Peppas model with the highest value of regression (R2 = 0.98509). Hence, from the results, these hydrogels could be a potential biomaterial for wound dressing in biomedical applications.
  17. Fulltext Relationship between dyslipidaemia and glycaemic status in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus
    Thambiah SC, Samsudin IN, George E, Zahari Sham SY, Lee HM, Muhamad MA, et al.
    Malays J Pathol, 2016 Aug;38(2):123-30.
    PMID: 27568669 MyJurnal
    The risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is dramatically increased in diabetic patients due to their atherogenic lipid profile. The severity of CHD in diabetic patients has been found to be directly associated with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). According to the Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines on diabetes mellitus (DM), HbA1c level less than 6.5% reduces the risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications. Hence, this study aimed to determine the relationship between dyslipidaemia and glycaemic status in patients with type 2 DM (T2DM) patients in Hospital Putrajaya, a tertiary endocrine centre in Malaysia. This was a cross sectional, retrospective study of 214 T2DM patients with dyslipidaemia who had visited the endocrine clinic between January 2009 and December 2012. Significant correlations were found between fasting blood glucose (FBG) and HbA1c with total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL), LDL/HDL ratio and TC/HDL ratio; greater correlation being with HbA1c than FBG. In patients with HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, TC, TG, non-HDL and TC/HDL ratio were significantly higher than in patients with HbA1c < 6.5%. Non-HDL, LDL/HDL ratio, TC/HDL ratio and HbA1c were significantly lower in patients on statin treatment than nontreated patients (p<0.05). This significant association between glycaemic status and dyslipidaemia emphasises the additional possible use of HbA1c as a biomarker for dyslipidaemia as well as a potential indirect predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in T2DM patients.
  18. Antimicrobial activities of graphene oxide against biofilm and intracellular Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis
    Saeed SI, Vivian L, Zalati CWSCW, Sani NIM, Aklilu E, Mohamad M, et al.
    BMC Vet Res, 2023 Jan 14;19(1):10.
    PMID: 36641476 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-022-03560-6
    BACKGROUND: S. aureus is one of the causative agents of bovine mastitis. The treatment using conventional antimicrobials has been hampered due to the development of antimicrobial resistance and the ability of the bacteria to form biofilms and localize inside the host cells.

    OBJECTIVES: Here, the efficacy of graphene oxide (GO), a carbon-based nanomaterial, was tested against the biofilms and intracellular S. aureus invitro. Following that, the mechanism for the intracellular antimicrobial activities and GO toxicities was elucidated.

    METHODS: GO antibiofilm properties were evaluated based on the disruption of biofilm structure, and the intracellular antimicrobial activities were determined by the survival of S. aureus in infected bovine mammary cells following GO exposure. The mechanism for GO intracellular antimicrobial activities was investigated using endocytosis inhibitors. GO toxicity towards the host cells was assessed using a resazurin assay.

    RESULTS: At 100 ug/mL, GO reduced between 30 and 70% of S. aureus biofilm mass, suggesting GO's ability to disrupt the biofilm structure. At 200 ug/mL, GO killed almost 80% of intracellular S. aureus, and the antimicrobial activities were inhibited when cells were pre-treated with cytochalasin D, suggesting GO intracellular antimicrobial activities were dependent on the actin-polymerization of the cell membrane. At

  19. Fulltext Community phylogeny and spatial scale affect phylogenetic diversity metrics in a species-rich rainforest in Borneo
    Okuno S, Yin T, Nanami S, Matsuyama S, Kamiya K, Tan S, et al.
    Ecol Evol, 2022 Nov;12(11):e9536.
    PMID: 36440315 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9536
    Community phylogenetic analysis is an effective approach to understanding the process of community formation. The phylogenetic tree of the species pool is reconstructed in the first step, and the phylogenetic tree obtained in the second step is used to analyze phylogenetic diversity. Sythetic trees have often been used in the construction of phylogenentic trees; however, in tropical rainforests with many closely related species, synthetic trees contain many unresolved nodes, which may affect the results of phylogenetic structure analysis. Here, we constructed a phylogenetic tree using DNA barcode sequences (rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA) for 737 tree species from the rainforests of Borneo, which have a high-species diversity and many closely related species. The phylogenetic tree had fewer polytomies and more branch length variations than the Phylocom synthetic trees. Comparison of community phylogenetic analyses indicated that values of the standardized effect size of mean pairwise distance (SES-MPD) were highly correlated between Phylocom and DNA barcode trees, but less so for the standardized effect size of mean nearest taxon distance (SES-MNTD), suggesting that caution is needed when using synthetic trees for communities containing many congeneric species, especially when using SES-MNTD. Simulation analysis suggested that spatial dependence on phylogenetic diversity is related to the phylogenetic signal of the species' habitat niche and the spatial structure of habitat, indicating the importance of detailed phylogeny in understanding community assembly processes.
  20. INFLUENZA VACCINATION UPTAKE AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS AT A MALAYSIAN TEACHING HOSPITAL
    Rashid ZZ, Jasme H, Liang HJ, Yusof MM, Sharani ZZ, Mohamad M, et al.
    Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2015 Mar;46(2):215-25.
    PMID: 26513924
    Annual influenza vaccination is the most important preventive strategy against influenza illness in healthcare workers (HCWs), who could acquire influenza from and transmit influenza to patients and other HCWs. Despite the well established benefits and strong recommendations for influenza vaccination for all HCWs, influenza vaccination uptake at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) for the past 3 years has been low and is decreasing. We aimed to determine the factors associated with influenza vaccination uptake among HCWs at UKMMC. We conducted a cross sectional study via questionnaire among 211 randomly selected HCWs, consisting of 106 HCWs who were vaccinated in 2011 and 105 HCWs who were not vaccinated in 2010 or 2011. We had a 100% response rate. Influenza vaccination uptake was significantly associated with age and previous vaccination history, with older HCWs being more likely to be vaccinated (adjusted OR = 12.494; 95% CI:6.278-24.863; p < 0.001) and HCWs with previous vaccination history being more likely to be vaccinated (adjusted OR = 1.038; 95% CI:1.001-1.077; p = 0.045). Influenza vaccination uptake was not associated with gender (p = 0.926) or job category (p = 0.220). Publicity at the workplace was the main source of information about the vaccine (51.2% of respondents), followed by colleagues (29.9%). Despite the low uptake, 85.3% of respondents believed influenza vaccination was important for disease prevention. The most common reason given for vaccination was protection against influenza infection (73.6%). The most common reason for not having the vaccine was time constraints (56.2%). An evidenced-based strategy needs to be developed to improve vaccine uptake or having mandatory vaccination.
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