MyMedR

Fulltext Draft Genome Sequence of Aeromonas caviae Strain L12, a Quorum-Sensing Strain Isolated from a Freshwater Lake in Malaysia

Chan KG, Chin PS, Tee KK, Chang CY, Yin WF, Sheng KY

Genome Announc, 2015;3(2).

PMID: 25745006 DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00079-15

Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Aeromonas caviae strain L12, which shows quorum-sensing activity. The availability of this genome sequence is important to the research of the quorum-sensing regulatory system in this isolate.

Fulltext Acute dengue in a neonate secondary to perinatal transmission

Chin PS, Khoo AP, Asmah Hani AW, Chem YK, Norizah I, Chua KB

Med J Malaysia, 2008 Aug;63(3):265-6.

PMID: 19248708 MyJurnal

We report a newborn baby girl with acute dengue due to vertical transmission. A 31 year old factory worker of 38+ week gestation, gravida 5 para 3+1, developed acute dengue fever two days prior to delivery. She delivered a normal term baby girl by spontaneous vaginal delivery and recovered uneventfully without peripartum haemorrhage despite the presence of thrombocytopenia. The baby girl developed low grade fever on day four of post-natal life and except for the transient thrombocytopenia, also recovered uneventfully following three days of mild illness. The clinical diagnosis of acute dengue virus infection was confirmed by laboratory tests.

Characterisation and confirmation of rare beta-thalassaemia mutations in the Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups in Malaysia

Tan JA, Chin PS, Wong YC, Tan KL, Chan LL, George E

Pathology, 2006 Oct;38(5):437-41.

PMID: 17008283

In Malaysia, about 4.5% of the Malay and Chinese populations are heterozygous carriers of beta-thalassaemia. The initial identification of rare beta-globin gene mutations by genomic sequencing will allow the development of simpler and cost-effective PCR-based techniques to complement the existing amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and gap-PCR used for the identification of beta-thalassaemia mutations.

Emergence of mcr-1-mediated colistin resistance in Escherichia coli in Malaysia

Yu CY, Ang GY, Chin PS, Ngeow YF, Yin WF, Chan KG

Int J Antimicrob Agents, 2016 Jun;47(6):504-5.

PMID: 27208898 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2016.04.004

Complete genome sequencing revealed novel genetic contexts of the mcr-1 gene in Escherichia coli strains

Yu CY, Ang GY, Chong TM, Chin PS, Ngeow YF, Yin WF, et al.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2017 04 01;72(4):1253-1255.

PMID: 28031273 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkw541

Draft genome sequence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Brancaster strain PS01 isolated from chicken meat, Malaysia

Chin PS, Yu CY, Ang GY, Yin WF, Chan KG

J Glob Antimicrob Resist, 2017 06;9:41-42.

PMID: 28300643 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2016.12.017

OBJECTIVES: Salmonella spp. represent one of the main diarrhoeal pathogens that are transmitted via the food supply chain. Here we report the draft genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Brancaster (PS01) that was isolated from poultry meat in Malaysia.

METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from Salmonella strain PS01 and was sequenced using an Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. The generated reads were de novo assembled using CLC Genomics Workbench. The draft genome was annotated and the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes was identified.

RESULTS: The 5 036 442bp genome contains various antimicrobial resistance genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, fosfomycin, macrolides, phenicols, sulphonamides, tetracyclines and trimethoprim. The β-lactamase gene blaTEM-176 encoding TEM-176 was also found in this strain.

CONCLUSIONS: The genome sequence will aid in the understanding of drug resistance mechanisms in foodborne Salmonella Brancaster and highlights the need to ensure the judicious use of antibiotics in animal husbandry as well as the importance of implementing proper food handling and preparation practices.

Prevalence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Genetic Diversity of Listeria spp. Isolated from Raw Chicken Meat and Chicken-Related Products in Malaysia

Chin PS, Ang GY, Yu CY, Tan EL, Tee KK, Yin WF, et al.

J Food Prot, 2018 Feb;81(2):284-289.

PMID: 29360399 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-186

Listeria spp. are ubiquitous in nature and can be found in various environmental niches such as soil, sewage, river water, plants, and foods, but the most frequently isolated species are Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua. In this study, the presence of Listeria spp. in raw chicken meat and chicken-related products sold in local markets in Klang Valley, Malaysia was investigated. A total of 44 Listeria strains (42 L. innocua and 2 L. welshimeri) were isolated from 106 samples. Antibiotic susceptibility tests of the L. innocua strains revealed a high prevalence of resistance to clindamycin (92.9%), ceftriaxone (76.2%), ampicillin (73.8%), tetracycline (69%), and penicillin G (66.7%). Overall, 31 L. innocua and 1 L. welshimeri strain were multidrug resistant, i.e., nonsusceptible to at least one antimicrobial agent in three or more antibiotic classes. The majority of the L. innocua strains were placed into five AscI pulsogroups, and overall 26 distinct AscI pulsotypes were identified. The detection of multidrug-resistant Listeria strains from different food sources and locations warrants attention because these strains could serve as reservoirs for antimicrobial resistance genes and may facilitate the spread and emergence of other drug-resistant strains.

Fulltext Visualizing hyperactivation in neurodegeneration based on prefrontal oxygenation: a comparative study of mild alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and healthy controls

Yap KH, Ung WC, Ebenezer EGM, Nordin N, Chin PS, Sugathan S, et al.

Front Aging Neurosci, 2017;9:287.

PMID: 28919856 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00287

Background: Cognitive performance is relatively well preserved during early cognitive impairment owing to compensatory mechanisms. Methods: We explored functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) alongside a semantic verbal fluency task (SVFT) to investigate any compensation exhibited by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, a group of healthy controls (HC) was studied. A total of 61 volunteers (31 HC, 12 patients with MCI and 18 patients with mild AD) took part in the present study. Results: Although not statistically significant, MCI exhibited a greater mean activation of both the right and left PFC, followed by HC and mild AD. Analysis showed that in the left PFC, the time taken for HC to achieve the activation level was shorter than MCI and mild AD (p = 0.0047 and 0.0498, respectively); in the right PFC, mild AD took a longer time to achieve the activation level than HC and MCI (p = 0.0469 and 0.0335, respectively); in the right PFC, HC, and MCI demonstrated a steeper slope compared to mild AD (p = 0.0432 and 0. 0107, respectively). The results were, however, not significant when corrected by the Bonferroni-Holm method. There was also found to be a moderately positive correlation (R = 0.5886) between the oxygenation levels in the left PFC and a clinical measure [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score] in MCI subjects uniquely. Discussion: The hyperactivation in MCI coupled with a better SVFT performance may suggest neural compensation, although it is not known to what degree hyperactivation manifests as a potential indicator of compensatory mechanisms. However, hypoactivation plus a poorer SVFT performance in mild AD might indicate an inability to compensate due to the degree of structural impairment. Conclusion: Consistent with the scaffolding theory of aging and cognition, the task-elicited hyperactivation in MCI might reflect the presence of compensatory mechanisms and hypoactivation in mild AD could reflect an inability to compensate. Future studies will investigate the fNIRS parameters with a larger sample size, and their validity as prognostic biomarkers of neurodegeneration.

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