MyMedR

Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 414 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

Solid waste collection and recycling in Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia: a case study

Isa MH, Asaari FA, Ramli NA, Ahmad S, Siew TS

Waste Manag Res, 2005 Dec;23(6):565-70.
PMID: 16379126

The implementation of a suitable solid waste management programme with appropriate methods of recycling as an inherent element is vital to the alleviation of the problems associated with solid waste generation, handling and disposal, environmental conservation, public hygiene, etc. The present work is a case study on solid waste collection and recycling practices in Nibong Tebal town, Penang, Malaysia. The amount and types of domestic waste generated, household participation in recycling, identification of existing problems related to the implementation of the recycling programme, etc. formed the basis of this study. Surveys (interviews/questionnaires) and on-site observations were conducted to gather information on the solid waste collection and recycling practice of the residents. A focus group of 60 individuals was selected and their response to a questionnaire, prepared according to a Likert scale, was obtained and analysed. The majority of the respondents expressed concerns about recycling and wanted more to be done in this regard. Illegal collection, aesthetically displeasing sites and a lack of public awareness were problems of major concern. Issues related to inadequate funding and manpower as well as end market are also addressed and suggestions made.
Fulltext The effects of different velogenic NDV infections on the chicken bursa of Fabricius

Kristeen-Teo YW, Yeap SK, Tan SW, Omar AR, Ideris A, Tan SG, et al.

BMC Vet Res, 2017 May 31;13(1):151.
PMID: 28569155 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1071-y

BACKGROUND: Virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was reported to cause rapid depletion of chicken bursa of Fabricius. Severe pathological condition of the organ is commonly associated with high levels of virus replication, intense inflammatory response and also the degree of apoptosis. In this study, the responses of chicken bursa of Fabricius infected with two different strains of velogenic NDV, namely AF2240 and IBS002, were investigated by observing cell population changes, oxidative stress, viral replication and cytokine expression in the organ. Subsequently, apoptosis of enriched bursal IgM+ cells was determined to help us elucidate possible host pathogen relationships between the chicken bursa of Fabricius and NDV infection.
RESULTS: The depletion of IgM+ cells and infiltration of macrophages were observed to be higher in bursa infected with AF2240 as compared to IBS002. In line with the increment of the macrophage population, higher nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents which indicated higher oxidative stress were also detected in bursa infected with NDV AF2240. In addition, higher pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokine gene expression such as chicken CXCLi2, IL-18 and IFN-γ were observed in AF2240 infected bursa. Depletion of IgM+ cells was further confirmed with increased cell death and apoptosis of the cells in AF2240 infected bursa as compared to IBS002. However, it was found that the viral load for NDV strain IBS002 was comparatively higher than AF2240 although the magnitude of the pro- inflammatory cytokines expression and cell apoptosis was lower than AF2240.
CONCLUSION: The results of our study demonstrated that infection of NDV strains AF2240 and IBS002 caused apoptosis in bursa IgM+ cells and its severity was associated with increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokine, macrophage infiltration and oxidative stress as the infection duration was prolonged. However, of the two viruses, we observed that NDV AF2240 induced a greater magnitude of apoptosis in chicken bursa IgM+ cells in comparison to IBS002. This might be due to the high level of oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines/chemokine as well as lower IL10 expression which subsequently led to a high rate of apoptosis in the chicken bursa of Fabricius although the detected viral load of AF2240 was lower than IBS002.
Fulltext Emergency stenting of vertical vein in a neonate with obstructed supracardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage

Lim WK, Wong MN, Tan SK

Med J Malaysia, 2014 Jun;69(3):138-9.
PMID: 25326356 MyJurnal

A late preterm newborn baby presented with respiratory distress and increasing cyanosis within 2 hours of birth. Bedside transthroracic echocardiography showed a critically obstructed vertical vein in a supracardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (TAPVd). Emergency stenting of the vertical vein was successfully performed at 24 hours of life.
Fulltext Large volume osteosarcomas of the femur treated with total femoral replacement

Pan K, Chan W, Shanmugam P, Ong G, Kamaruddin F, Tan S

Malays Orthop J, 2014 Mar;8(1):32-6.
PMID: 25347294 MyJurnal DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.1403.015

Patients with extensive malignancies involving the femur often require total femoral replacement when their limbs can be salvaged. Reported series are small and involve heterogeneity of tumours. We present nine patients with osteosarcomas of the femur treated at our institution between 2003 and 2010 with a mean follow-up of 27 (6 to 56) months. Their ages ranged from 9 to 17 (mean 14 years). They had large volume tumours (mean 911 cm3) and presented late with a mean of 5.5 months from the onset of symptoms to definitive treatment. All patients underwent resection and total femur replacement. Six patients have died and two are alive with good function at the time of this report. One was lost to follow-up. These patients require a high level of treatment care and have a guarded prognosis.
Responsibility attribution of HIV infection and coping among injection drug users in Malaysia

Chou CC, Chronister J, Chou CH, Tan S, Macewicz T

AIDS Care, 2013;25(12):1551-8.
PMID: 23713718 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2013.793267

This study explored responsibility attribution (RA) of HIV/AIDS infection (i.e., how an individual perceives the cause of their HIV/AIDS infection) and its relationship to coping styles among injection drug users (IDUs) with HIV/AIDS. In addition, this study investigated whether self-esteem, social support, and religiosity mediate the relationship between RA and coping styles of IDUs with HIV/AIDS. Participants were 201 adult IDUs with HIV/AIDS participating in the National Drug Rehabilitation Center in Malaysia. Five measures were used to assess the above constructs. Cluster analysis, analysis of variance, and mediation analyses were conducted. Results of this study indicated that IDUs with HIV/AIDS in Malaysia can be classified into four homogenous attribution groups: external, fatalistic, internal, and indeterminate. Mediator analyses revealed that combination of self-esteem, social support, and religiosity mediate the relationship between RA and coping behaviors. Clinicians working with IDUs with HIV/AIDS need to address the role of RA, self-esteem, religiosity, and social support as these psychosocial constructs are linked to coping with HIV/AIDS. Future researchers should investigate whether enhancing self-esteem, social support, and religiosity can promote active problem-solving coping and reduce the use of avoidance coping behaviors.
An investigation of arsenic contamination in Peninsular Malaysia based on Centella asiatica and soil samples

Ong GH, Yap CK, Maziah M, Suhaimi H, Tan SG

Environ Monit Assess, 2013 Apr;185(4):3243-54.
PMID: 22821327 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-012-2787-6

The first objective of this study was to provide data of arsenic (As) levels in Peninsular Malaysia based on soil samples and accumulation of As in Centella asiatica collected from 12 sampling sites in Peninsular Malaysia. The second objective was to assess the accumulation of As in transplanted C. asiatica between control and semi-polluted or polluted sites. Four sites were selected which were UPM (clean site), Balakong (semi-polluted site), Seri Kembangan (semi-polluted site) and Juru (polluted site). The As concentrations of plant and soil samples were determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. The As levels ranged from 9.38 to 57.05 μg/g dw in soils, 0.21 to 4.33 μg/g dw in leaves, 0.18 to 1.83 μg/g dw in stems and 1.32-20.76 μg/g dw in roots. All sampling sites had As levels exceeding the CCME guideline (12 μg/g dw) except for Kelantan, P. Pauh, and Senawang with P. Klang having the highest As in soil (57.05 μg/g dw). In C. asiatica, As accumulation was highest in roots followed by leaves and stems. When the As level in soils were higher, the uptake of As in plants would also be increased. After the transplantation of plants to semi-polluted and polluted sites for 3 weeks, all concentration factors were greater than 50 % of the initial As level. The elimination factor was around 39 % when the plants were transplanted back to the clean sites for 3 weeks. The findings of the present study indicated that the leaves, stems and roots of C. asiatica are ideal biomonitors of As contamination. The present data results the most comprehensive data obtained on As levels in Malaysia.
Development of single-locus DNA microsatellite markers using 5'anchored ISSR-PCR method for the mangrove horseshoe crab, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda (Latreille, 1802) in Peninsular Malaysia

Adibah AB, Ling LP, Tan SG, Faridah QZ, Christianus A

Mol Biol Rep, 2012 Apr;39(4):3815-20.
PMID: 21744263 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-011-1159-6

Horseshoe crabs are said to be declining worldwide. However, there is still no published report on the status of horseshoe crabs in Malaysia. Thus, we report here eight informative microsatellite markers that were developed using the 5'-anchored ISSR-PCR enrichment procedure to diagnose the population genetic structure of the mangrove horseshoe crab, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda from Peninsular Malaysia. This set of markers was tested on 127 samples and showed polymorphism in this species. Hence they should be useful in future essential population genetic studies of these living fossils in the Southeast Asian region.
Fulltext Interleukin-6 promoter polymorphisms (-174 G/C) in Malaysian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Chua KH, Kee BP, Tan SY, Lian LH

Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res., 2009 Jun;42(6):551-5.
PMID: 19448905 DOI: 10.1590/s0100-879x2009000600012

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that involves the inflammation of various organs upon deposition of immune complexes and is characterized by uncontrolled B cell hyperactivity. Despite intensive research on the etiology of the disease, the exact cause of the onset of SLE is unknown. The pathogenesis of the disease has been proposed to be associated with the imbalance of T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th2 cytokine activities. Elevated serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a Th2 cytokine with various functions in the regulation of human biological systems, are observed in SLE patients. In the present study, 100 Malaysian SLE patients and 100 controls were evaluated in order to determine the association of polymorphisms existing in the promoter region of the IL-6 gene with the onset of SLE. The homozygous G genotype was found to be significant in SLE patients (chi(2) = 33.754; P = 0.00000000625), whereas the heterozygous G/C genotype was significant in the controls (chi(2)= 25.087; P = 0.000000548). We suggest that the C allele might have a masking effect on the G allele when both alleles are present in heterozygous individuals. However, we did not observe any significant association of the homozygous C allele with the onset of SLE or with protection from the disease (chi(2) = 1.684; P = 0.194366).
Arterial thrombosis and critical limb ischaemia in a case of nephrotic syndrome

Koh KH, Tan C, Tan S, Ngu L

Nephrology (Carlton), 2009 Sep;14(6):622.
PMID: 19712262 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1797.2008.01001.x
Eleven novel polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers from the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis

Ong CC, Teh CH, Tan SG, Yusoff K, Yap CK

Genetika, 2008 Apr;44(4):574-6.
PMID: 18666563

We report on the characterization of 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci in P. viridis, the first set of such markers developed and characterized for this species. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 7, whereas the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.0447 to 0.4837. These markers should prove useful as powerful genetic markers for this species.
Isolation of trinucleotide microsatellite markers for Mystus nemurus

Hoh BP, Siraj SS, Tan SG, Yusoff K

Genetika, 2008 Mar;44(3):427-9.
PMID: 18664151

Twelve single locus trinucleotide microsatellite markers were developed to characterize the Asian river catfish, Mystus nemurus, an important food fish in South East Asia. They were obtained by using a rapid method namely the 5' anchored PCR enrichment protocol. The specific primers were designed to flank the repeat sequences and these were subsequently used to characterize 90 unrelated fish from Malaysia. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 (MnVj2-281) to 12 (MnBp8-4-43b) while the levels of heterozygosity ranged from 0.0444 (MnVj2-1-19) to 0.7458 (MnVj2-291).
Metachronous inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour in the temporal bone: case report

Goh BS, Tan SP, Husain S, Rose IM, Saim L

J Laryngol Otol, 2009 Oct;123(10):1184-7.
PMID: 19192318 DOI: 10.1017/S0022215109004642

We report an extremely rare case of metachronous inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour in the temporal bone.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the Malaysian giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Bhassu S, See LM, Hassan R, Siraj SS, Tan SG

Mol Ecol Resour, 2008 Sep;8(5):983-5.
PMID: 21585948 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2008.02127.x

Eight single locus microsatellite markers were developed to characterize the Malaysian giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. These microsatellites were isolated from an enriched genomic library contained by using a 5'-anchored polymerase chain reaction technique. Primers were designed to flank the repeat sequences and subsequently used to characterize 30 unrelated individuals of the giant freshwater prawn. The polymerase chain reaction amplification products of these eight microsatellite loci were polymorphic with the number of alleles ranging from two to 10 alleles per locus while the levels of heterozygosity ranged from 0.6333 to 0.8667.
Growing wealth and growing pains: child and adolescent psychiatry in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore

Tan S, Fung D, Hung SF, Rey J

Australas Psychiatry, 2008 Jun;16(3):204-9.
PMID: 18568628 DOI: 10.1080/10398560701874283

Several Asian regions have undergone a dramatic transformation, some becoming very affluent. This paper aims to ascertain how countries that are becoming wealthy have dealt with child and adolescent mental health issues.
Development of a simultaneous liquid-liquid extraction and chiral derivatization method for stereospecific GC-MS analysis of amphetamine-type stimulants in human urine using fractional factorial design

Aasim WR, Gan SH, Tan SC

Biomed Chromatogr, 2008 Sep;22(9):1035-42.
PMID: 18655218 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.1073

A stereospecific gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis method for amphetamine-type stimulants in human urine was recently developed. For maximum efficiency, liquid-liquid extraction and chiral derivatization of the analytes using (R)-(-)-alpha-methoxy-alpha-(trifluoromethyl)phenylacetyl chloride were performed simultaneously. The effects of (1) use of saturated sodium chloride in 2.0 M sodium hydroxide, (2) extraction solvent volume, (3) percentage of triethylamine, (4) derivatization reagent volume, (5) sample mixing time, (6) incubation temperature and (7) incubation time on method sensitivity and variability were assessed using a two-level, eight-run Plackett-Burman design followed by a fold-over design. The use of saturated sodium chloride solution and the derivatization reagent volume were significant factors (ANOVA, p<0.01). The saturated sodium chloride solution decreased sensitivity whereas an increased volume of derivatization reagent increased sensitivity. Calibration curves for all analytes were linear between 5 and 500 microg/L, with correlation coefficients of >0.99. Detection limits were
Patterns of rapd markers and heavy metal concentrations in Perna viridis (L.), collected from metal-contaminated and uncontaminated coastal waters: are they correlated with each other?

Yap CK, Chua BH, Teh CH, Tan SG, Ismail A

Genetika, 2007 May;43(5):668-74.
PMID: 17633561

Genetic variation due to heavy metal contamination has always been an interesting topic of study. Because of the numerous contaminants being found in coastal and intertidal waters, there is always much discussion and argument as to which contaminant(s) caused the variations in the genetic structures of biomonitors. This study used a Single Primer Amplification Reaction (SPAR) technique namely Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) to determine the genetic diversity of the populations of the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis collected from a metal-contaminated site at Kg. Pasir Puteh and those from four relatively' uncontaminated sites (reference sites). Heavy metal levels (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) were also measured in the soft tissues and byssus of the mussels from all the sites. Cluster analyses employing UPGMA done based on the RAPD makers grouped the populations into two major clusters; the Bagan Tiang, Pantai Lido, Pontian and Kg. Pasir Puteh populations were in one cluster, while the Sg. Belungkor population clustered by itself. This indicated that the genetic diversity based on bands resulting from the use of all four RAPD primers on P. viridis did not indicate its potential use as a biomarker of heavy metal pollution in coastal waters. However, based on a correlation analysis between a particular metal and a band resulting from a specific RAPD primer revealed some significant (P < 0.01) correlations between the primers and the heavy metal concentrations in the byssus and soft tissues. Thus, the correlation between a particular metal and the bands resulting from the use of a specific RAPD primer on P. viridis could be used as biomonitoring tool of heavy metal pollution.
Diabetes mellitus exacerbates advanced glycation end product accumulation in the veins of end-stage renal failure patients

Nazratun N, Mahmood AA, Kuppusamy UR, Ahmad TS, Tan SY

Vasc Med, 2006 Nov;11(4):245-50.
PMID: 17390548

The excess accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) contributes to the chronic complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and renal failure. Biopsy specimens (n = 184) of arterial (n = 92) and venous (n = 92) tissues were obtained (radial artery and cephalic vein) from end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with or without DM and normal healthy subjects (n = 12) requiring surgery (trauma patients). Immunohistochemical assessment of the blood vessels revealed the presence of pentosidine (AGE marker) in both veins and arteries in 72% of the ESRD patients. The percentage of arteries and veins that showed positive pentosidine staining in ESRD patients with type 2 DM alone was 100% and 92% respectively, in the non-diabetic ESRD patients it was < 70% (for arteries and veins), and in the ESRD patients with hypertension as an additional co-morbidity to type 2 DM it was 70% and 82%, respectively. The veins of ESRD patients with DM showed a strong (+++) positive staining and very strong (++++) positive staining was observed in the patients with DM and hypertension. Only mild (+) or moderate (++) pentosidine staining intensity was observed in the arteries of ESRD patients without or with comorbidities, respectively. The accumulation of AGE in the vein rather than the artery may be a better reflection of the extent of complications of ESRD.
CYP2A6 polymorphisms in Malays, Chinese and Indians

Nurfadhlina M, Foong K, Teh LK, Tan SC, Mohd Zaki S, Ismail R

Xenobiotica, 2006 Aug;36(8):684-92.
PMID: 16891249

The genetically polymorphic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2A6 is the major nicotine-oxidase in humans that may contribute to nicotine dependence and cancer susceptibility. The authors investigated the types and frequencies of CYP2A6 alleles in the three major ethnic groups in Malaysia and CYP2A6*1A, CYP2A6*1B, CYP2A6*1x2, CYP2A6*2, CYP2A6*3, CYP2A6*4, CYP2A6*5, CYP2A6*7, CYP2A6*8 and CYP2A6*10 were determined by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 270 Malays, 172 Chinese and 174 Indians. Except for CYP2A6*2 and *3 that were not detected in the Malays and Chinese, all the other alleles were detected. Frequencies for the CYP2A6*4 allele were 7, 5 and 2%, respectively, in Malays, Chinese and Indians. A statistically significant high frequency of the duplicated CYP2A6*1x2 allele occurred among Chinese. Among Malays and Chinese, the most common allele was CYP2A6*1B, but it was CYP2A6*1A among Indians. These ethnic difference in frequencies suggested that further studies are required to investigate the implications on diseases such as cancer and smoking behaviour among these major ethnic groups in Malaysia.
Morphological and allozyme studies of small terrestrial snails (Opeas sp., Subulina sp. and Huttonella bicolor) collected from Peninsular Malaysia

Choh MS, Yap CK, Tan SG, Jambari HA

Genetika, 2006 Jan;42(1):49-57.
PMID: 16523665

Shell morphological characters and allozyme electrophoresis were used to study the relationships among six geographical populations of land snails collected from Peninsular Malaysia. Allozyme electrophoresis was used to study the genetic variations to complement the morphological features studied that included shell lengths, numbers of whorls and shell colour. Ten loci coding for six enzymes (MDH, LAP, ALP, PGM, G6PDH and EST) could be reliably scored in samples from the six populations studied. The dendrogram showed two major clusters with one cluster comprising Subulinidae populations from Perak, Selangor, Johor, Terengganu and Pahang while the other cluster included only the Streptaxidae Huttonella bicolor (red) population. The Subulinidae populations were grouped into two subclusters: one subcluster included the Subulina sp. populations from Perak, Selangor an Johor while the other subcluster included the Opeas sp. populations from Terengganu and Pahang. Morphological features can identify the different families and therefore they can complement the allozyme genetic studies on the land snail populations. Like other reports in the literature, our results also underline the importance of a genetic approach in conjunction with a morphological approach, for discriminating land snail species. The present results suggest that small land snails, which were similar in colour but different in sizes, were not of the same family/genus.
Crystalline style and tissue redistribution in Perna viridis as indicators of Cu and Pb bioavailabilities and contamination in coastal waters

Yap CK, Ismail A, Cheng WH, Tan SG

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2006 Mar;63(3):413-23.
PMID: 16406592

The concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn in the crystalline style (CS) and in the remaining soft tissues (ST) of the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis from 10 geographical sites along the coastal waters off peninsular Malaysia were determined. The CS, compared with the remaining ST, accumulated higher levels of Cu in both contaminated and uncontaminated samples, indicating that the style has a higher affinity for the essential Cu to bind with metallothioneins. The similar pattern of Cu accumulation in the different ST of mussels collected from clean and Cu-contaminated sites indicated that the detoxification capacity of the metallothioneins had not been overloaded. For Pb, higher levels of the metal in the CS than in the remaining ST were found only in mussels collected from a contaminated site at Kg. Pasir Puteh. This indicated a tissue redistribution of Pb due to its binding to metallothioneins for Pb detoxification and the potential of the CS as an indicator organ of Pb bioavailability and contamination. For Zn, the above two phenomena were not found since no obvious patterns were observed (lower levels of Zn in the CS than in the remaining ST) in contaminated and uncontaminated samples due to the mechanism of partial regulation. Generally, all the different STs studied (foot, mantle, gonad, CS, gill, muscle, and byssus) are good biomonitoring tissues for Cu and Pb bioavailabilities and contamination. Among these organs, the CS was found to be the best organ for biomonitoring Cu. The present data also suggest the use of the tissue redistribution of Pb in P. viridis as an indicator of Pb bioavailability and contamination in coastal waters.

Filters

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

External Links