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Fulltext Influence of technology adoption on farmers' well-being: Systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis

Abdul-Majid M, Zahari SA, Othman N, Nadzri S

Heliyon, 2024 Jan 30;10(2):e24316.
PMID: 38312653 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24316

This study aimed at determining the effects of technology adoption on farmers' well-being. Specifically, we analysed and extended the current understanding of the topic by focusing on the concepts of technology adoption and well-being. The data were sourced from 30 papers that were selected based on specific criteria from the WoS and Scopus databases. They were acquired through a systematic search and quality appraisal process. The adopted technology can be grouped into sustainable agricultural practices and innovations, digital agriculture and information technology, precision farming and resource management, financial inclusion and agricultural transactions, remote sensing and satellite technology, and agricultural programs and initiatives. Most papers indicated that technology adoption improved farmers' well-being which was basically measured using productivity and income. The measure however lacked farmers' value judgments, such as happiness. Agricultural technology could have a mixed effect on farmers' well-being, depending on the type of technology adopted and the compatibility of farmers with technology in their agricultural practices. This study will assist researchers in developing an appropriate framework and strategy to improve farmers' welfare, which can alleviate poverty. These may further help policymakers identify the best technological innovations that can improve farmers' economic and social welfare, thereby facilitating the development of plans to meet farmers' needs and interests. Finally, the study suggested future research directions for researchers and academics.
Fulltext Comparative putative metabolites profiling of Tachypleus gigas and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda hemocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide

Jasni N, Wee CL, Ismail N, Yaacob NS, Othman N

Sci Rep, 2024 Feb 17;14(1):3968.
PMID: 38368470 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54279-3

Horseshoe crabs are among the most studied invertebrates due to their unique, innate immune system and biological processes. The metabolomics study was conducted on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated and non-stimulated hemocytes isolated from the Malaysian Tachypleus gigas and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda. LC-TOF-MS, multivariate analyses, principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were included in this study to profile the metabolites. A total of 37 metabolites were identified to be differentially abundant and were selected based on VIP > 1. However, of the 37 putative metabolites, only 23 were found to be significant with ANOVA at p
Fulltext Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child malnutrition in Selangor, Malaysia: A pilot study

Rahman A, Othman N, Kuddus MA, Hasan MZ

J Infect Public Health, 2024 May;17(5):833-842.
PMID: 38547630 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.02.019

BACKGROUND: Child malnutrition risk factors are globally recognized, but the specific impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of child malnutrition, considering socioeconomic burdens and changes in family lifestyles, remains underexplored. This study aims to identify the significance of COVID-19-related factors in relation to the prevalence of child malnutrition in Selangor, Malaysia.
METHODS: Purposive sampling was employed in this pilot study to select the households with under-5 children and, a structured questionnaire was developed to gather data. Chi-squared tests, logistic regression modelling and World Health Organisation AnthroPlus software-based visualization were used for analyses.
RESULTS: The present study's findings indicate that demographic and social factors, including 'Citizenship,' 'Type of House,' 'Number of Earning Members,' 'Father's Highest Educational Level,' and 'Number of Children in a Family,' have a statistically significant association with Wasting. Additionally, the mother's 'Highest Educational Level' is found to be linked to underweight prevalence. Within COVID-19 factors, "COVID-19 Impact on Employment/Business" demonstrated significance for both stunting and wasting. Multivariate analysis revealed disparities in childhood malnutrition by gender, age, and factors such as "COVID-19 impact on children's physical activity" and "COVID-19 impact on children's decrease in health over the last two weeks."
CONCLUSIONS: This study identified COVID-19 factors alongside sociodemographic variables with statistically significant relationships impacting childhood malnutrition in Selangor, Malaysia. The results underscored the substantial influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on child malnutrition prevalence. Decision-makers at family and community levels can benefit by considering these factors in their actions. However, the study's limitation lay in its dataset, urging larger-scale analyses to explore further sub-categories of the examined variables.
Whole exome sequencing enables the correct diagnosis of Frank-Ter Haar syndrome in a Saudi family

Khan YN, Mahmud MIAM, Othman N, Radzuan HM, Basit S

Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii, 2024 Jun;28(3):326-331.
PMID: 38952703 DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-24-37

Frank-Ter Haar syndrome (FTHS) is a rare genetic hereditary autosomal recessive disorder characterized by defective malformation of cardiovascular, craniofacial, and skeletal system. Mutations in the SH3PXD2B gene are a common cause in the development of FTHS. We recruited a family with two affected individuals (3-year-old female and 2-month-old male infant) having bilateral clubfoot. Family pedigree shows an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. DNA was extracted from the blood samples of six members of the family. Whole exome sequencing was done for the two affected individuals and the variant was validated in the whole family by using Sanger sequencing approach. Whole exome sequencing (WES) data analysis identified a rare homozygous variant (c.280C>G; p.R94G) in the SH3PXD2B gene, and Sanger sequencing showed that the same variant perfectly segregates with the phenotype in the pedigree. Moreover, the variant is predicted to be damaging and deleterious by several computation tools. Revisiting the family members for detailed clinical analysis, we diagnosed the patients as having the typical phenotype of FTHS. This study enabled us to correctly diagnose the cases of FTHS in a family initially recruited for having bilateral clubfoot by using WES. Moreover, this study identified a novel homozygous missense variant (c.280C>G; p.R94G) in (NM_001308175.2) the SH3PXD2B gene as a causative variant for autosomal recessive FTHS. This finding supports the evidence that homozygous mutations in the SH3PXD2B gene are the main cause in the development of FTHS.
Electrochemical biosensors for the detection of protozoan parasite: a scoping review

Sa'adon SA, Jasni NH, Hamzah HH, Othman N

Pathog Glob Health, 2024 Jul 20.
PMID: 39030702 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2024.2381402

The development of rapid, accurate, and efficient detection methods for protozoan parasites can substantially control the outbreak of protozoan parasites infection, which poses a threat to global public health. Idealistically, electrochemical biosensors would be able to overcome the limitations of current detection methods due to their simplified detection procedure, on-site quantitative analysis, rapid detection time, high sensitivity, and portability. The objective of this scoping review is to evaluate the current state of electrochemical biosensors for detecting protozoan parasites. This review followed the most recent Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) recommendations. Using electrochemical biosensor and protozoan parasite keywords, a literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect on journals published between January 2014 and January 2022. Of the 52 studies, 19 were evaluated for eligibility, and 11 met the review's inclusion criteria to evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of the developed electrochemical biosensor platforms for detecting protozoan parasite including information about the samples, biomarkers, bioreceptors, detection system platform, nanomaterials used in fabrication, and limit of detection (LoD). Most electrochemical biosensors were fabricated using conventional electrodes rather than screen-printed electrodes (SPE). The range of the linear calibration curves for the developed electrochemical biosensors was between 200 ng/ml and 0.77 pM. The encouraging detection performance of the electrochemical biosensors demonstrate their potential as a superior alternative to existing detection techniques. On the other hand, more study is needed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the electrochemical sensing platform for protozoan parasite detection.
Unilateral exophthalmos caused by an extramedullary plasmacytoma: a case report

Ashraf M, Abdullah J, Ariff A, Biswal BM, Mokhtar I, Othman N

Malays J Med Sci, 2003 Jan;10(1):95-9.
PMID: 23365508

Solitary plasmacytoma of the head and neck is a rare disease entity. Its description in the literature consist of some case reports. Solitary plasmacytoma presenting with exophthalmos are rare. We report a case of intracranial solitary plasmacytoma in an elderly lady with involvement of the right orbitocranial region presenting with severe exophthalmos. The tumour was debulked and radiotherapy was given.
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 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 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 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 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.
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.
Fulltext First detected human bocavirus in a Malaysian child with pneumonia and pre-existing asthma: a case report

Etemadi MR, Jalilian FA, Abd Wahab N, Jahanshiri F, Amini R, Othman N, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2012 Aug;67(4):433-4.
PMID: 23082460 MyJurnal

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a newly discovered parvovirus associated with respiratory disease in children. There are many reports worldwide on the endemicity of this virus. Since it is relatively new, detection in clinical laboratories is not routinely performed. We describe the first detection of HBoV in Malaysia in a 13-month-old boy with pneumonia and underlying asthma. The infective agent was confirmed by molecular methods.
Fulltext Prevalence of Clostridium difficile toxin in diarhoeal stool samples of patients from a tertiary hospital in North Eastern Penisular Malaysia

Hassan SA, Othman N, Idris FM, Abdul Rahman Z, Maning N, Abdul Rahman R, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2012 Aug;67(4):402-5.
PMID: 23082450 MyJurnal

This study describes the prevalence of Clostridium difficile toxin (CDT) in loose stool samples from inpatients aged more than two years of a tertiary hospital. A total of 175 samples that had been examined were from stool samples that were sent to the Medical Microbiology & Parasitology Laboratory for various clinical indications. The toxin was detected by a commercial immunochromatograhic test, and the patients' demography, clinical features, treatment and outcomes were analyzed from their medical records. Clostridium difficile toxin was positive in 24 (13.7%) of the stool samples. Male and female were 11 (45.8%) and 13 (54.2%) respectively, with the majority of them aged more than 50 years. Most were from medical wards (n = 21, 87.5%), with the rest from surgical wards (n = 2, 8.3%) and intensive care units (n = 1, 3.4%). All the CDT positive patients had history of prior antibiotic usage within 6 weeks before the detection of the toxin. The mean duration of antibiotics usage was 17.75 (+/- 13.75) days, while the mean duration of diarrhea was 5.21((+/- 5.85) days. Eighteen patients had underlying medical illnesses that were diabetes mellitus, chronic renal disease, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and malignancy; with seven of them being CDT positive while on chemotherapy. Stool occult blood test was positive in 15 patients whereas presence of pus cells in the CD positive stool samples were detected in 21 patients. The duration of hospitalization among the patients was 27.96 (+/- 23.22) days.
Fulltext Quantity and configuration of available elephant habitat and related conservation concerns in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain of Sabah, Malaysia

Estes JG, Othman N, Ismail S, Ancrenaz M, Goossens B, Ambu LN, et al.

PLoS One, 2012;7(10):e44601.
PMID: 23071499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044601

The approximately 300 (298, 95% CI: 152-581) elephants in the Lower Kinabatangan Managed Elephant Range in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo are a priority sub-population for Borneo's total elephant population (2,040, 95% CI: 1,184-3,652). Habitat loss and human-elephant conflict are recognized as the major threats to Bornean elephant survival. In the Kinabatangan region, human settlements and agricultural development for oil palm drive an intense fragmentation process. Electric fences guard against elephant crop raiding but also remove access to suitable habitat patches. We conducted expert opinion-based least-cost analyses, to model the quantity and configuration of available suitable elephant habitat in the Lower Kinabatangan, and called this the Elephant Habitat Linkage. At 184 km(2), our estimate of available habitat is 54% smaller than the estimate used in the State's Elephant Action Plan for the Lower Kinabatangan Managed Elephant Range (400 km(2)). During high flood levels, available habitat is reduced to only 61 km(2). As a consequence, short-term elephant densities are likely to surge during floods to 4.83 km(-2) (95% CI: 2.46-9.41), among the highest estimated for forest-dwelling elephants in Asia or Africa. During severe floods, the configuration of remaining elephant habitat and the surge in elephant density may put two villages at elevated risk of human-elephant conflict. Lower Kinabatangan elephants are vulnerable to the natural disturbance regime of the river due to their limited dispersal options. Twenty bottlenecks less than one km wide throughout the Elephant Habitat Linkage, have the potential to further reduce access to suitable habitat. Rebuilding landscape connectivity to isolated habitat patches and to the North Kinabatangan Managed Elephant Range (less than 35 km inland) are conservation priorities that would increase the quantity of available habitat, and may work as a mechanism to allow population release, lower elephant density, reduce human-elephant conflict, and enable genetic mixing.
Fulltext Combined assessment of TGF-beta-1 and alpha-fetoprotein values improves specificity in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and other chronic liver diseases in Malaysia

Yasmin Anum MY, Looi ML, Nor Aini AH, Merican I, Wahidah A, Mohd Radzi AH, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2009 Sep;64(3):223-7.
PMID: 20527273 MyJurnal

Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta-1) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in the regulation of growth and differentiation of both normal and transformed cells. The main aim of this study was to determine whether TGF-beta-1 or alpha fetoprotein (AFP) or the combination of the two is a better indicator for hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC). Serum TGF-beta-1 and AFP were measured by ELISA in 40 healthy subjects, 23 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 70 patients with hepatitis B, 26 patients with hepatitis C and 16 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). Patients with liver diseases showed significantly higher serum TGF-beta-1 values (> 3 fold) compared to control subjects. As for serum AFP, significant elevation was only observed for HCC cases. Serum TGF-beta-1 exhibited higher percent sensitivity compared to serum AFP in all liver diseases. Combination of serum TGF-beta-1 and AFP increased specificities in all cases studied. In conclusion, serum TGF-beta-1 is a more sensitive marker for HCC when compared to serum AFP and its specificity is increased when combined with serum AFP.
Fulltext Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia

Othman N, Vitry AI, Roughead EE, Ismail SB, Omar K

BMC Public Health, 2010;10:743.
PMID: 21118551 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-743

BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical representatives provide medicines information on their promoted products to doctors. However, studies have shown that the quality of this information is often low. No study has assessed the medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Malaysia and no recent evidence in Australia is present. We aimed to compare the provision of medicines information by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Australia and Malaysia.
METHODS: Following a pharmaceutical representative's visit, general practitioners in Australia and Malaysia who had agreed to participate, were asked to fill out a questionnaire on the main product and claims discussed during the encounter. The questionnaire focused on provision of product information including indications, adverse effects, precautions, contraindications and the provision of information on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) listings and restrictions (in Australia only). Descriptive statistics were produced. Chi-square analysis and clustered linear regression were used to assess differences in Australia and Malaysia.
RESULTS: Significantly more approved product information sheets were provided in Malaysia (78%) than in Australia (53%) (P < 0.001). In both countries, general practitioners reported that indications (Australia, 90%, Malaysia, 93%) and dosages (Australia, 76%, Malaysia, 82%) were frequently provided by pharmaceutical representatives. Contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects were often omitted in the presentations (range 25% - 41%). General practitioners in Australia and Malaysia indicated that in more than 90% of presentations, pharmaceutical representatives partly or fully answered their questions on contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects. More general practitioners in Malaysia (85%) than in Australia (60%) reported that pharmaceutical representatives should have mentioned contraindications, precautions for use, drug interaction or adverse effects spontaneously (P < 0.001). In 48% of the Australian presentations, general practitioners reported the pharmaceutical representatives failed to mention information on PBS listings to general practitioners.
CONCLUSIONS: Information on indications and dosages were usually provided by pharmaceutical representatives in Australia and Malaysia. However, risk and harmful effects of medicines were often missing in their presentations. Effective control of medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives is needed.
Application of real-time polymerase chain reaction in detection of Entamoeba histolytica in pus aspirates of liver abscess patients

Othman N, Mohamed Z, Verweij JJ, Huat LB, Olivos-García A, Yeng C, et al.

Foodborne Pathog Dis, 2010 Jun;7(6):637-41.
PMID: 20132028 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2009.0427

Entamoeba histolytica is the second major cause of liver abscess disease in humans, particularly in developing countries. Recently, DNA molecular-based methods have been employed to enhance the detection of E. histolytica in either pus or stool specimens. In this study, the results of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect E. histolytica DNA in pus from liver abscess cases were compared with those of indirect hemagglutination assay on the corresponding serum samples. Bacterial cultures were also performed on the pus samples for the diagnosis of pyogenic liver abscess. The real-time PCR detected E. histolytica DNA in 23 of 30 (76.7%) pus samples, when compared with 14 of 30 (46.7%) serum samples in which anti-Entamoeba antibodies were detected by indirect hemagglutination assay and 4 of 30 (13.3%) pus samples that showed bacterial infection by culture. The use of real-time PCR is a promising detection method for diagnosis and epidemiology assessment of amoebic liver abscess.
Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among healthy adults

Choi CS, Yin CS, Bakar AA, Sakewi Z, Naing NN, Jamal F, et al.

J Microbiol Immunol Infect, 2006 Dec;39(6):458-64.
PMID: 17164947

Data on the carriage rate and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Staphylococcus aureus strains prevalent in the community are not available for many developing countries including Malaysia. To estimate the extent of community S. aureus transmission, in particular methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), the prevalence of S. aureus nasal colonization in a population of healthy adults was determined. Factors associated with S. aureus nasal carriage and antibiotic sensitivity patterns of the isolates were also analyzed.
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.

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