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Fulltext Bayesian network classification of gastrointestinal bleeding

Nazziwa Aisha, Mohd Bakri Adam, Shamarina Shohaimi, Aida Mustapha

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2014;22(2):567-575.
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The source of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) remains uncertain in patients presenting without hematemesis. This paper aims at studying the accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of the Naive Bayesian Classifier (NBC) in identifying the source of GIB in the absence of hematemesis. Data of 325 patients admitted via the emergency department (ED) for GIB without hematemesis and who underwent confirmatory testing were analysed. Six attributes related to demography and their presenting signs were chosen. NBC was used to calculate the conditional probability of an individual being assigned to Upper Gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) or Lower Gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB). High classification accuracy (87.3 %), specificity (0.85) and sensitivity (0.88) were achieved. NBC is a useful tool to support the identification of the source of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients without hematemesis.
Water quality influences fish occurrence in peat swamp forest and its converted areas in north Selangor, Malaysia

Hussein Aliu Sule, Ahmad Ismail, Mohammad Noor Azmai Amal, Syaizwan Zahmir Zulkifli, Mohd Fauzul Aidil Mohd Roseli, Shamarina Shohaimi

Sains Malaysiana, 2018;47:2589-2600.

Tropical peat swamp forest (PSF) is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. However, the impacts of
anthropogenic activities in PSF and its conversion area towards fish biodiversity are less understood. This study
investigates the influences of water physico-chemical parameters on fish occurrences in peat swamp, paddy field and
oil palm plantation in the North Selangor peat swamp forest (NSPSF), Selangor, Malaysia. Fish and water samples were
collected from four sites located in the peat swamps, while two sites were located in the paddy field and oil palm plantation
areas. Multivariate analyses were used to determine the associations between water qualities and fish occurrences in
the three habitats. A total of 1,382 individual fish, belonging to 10 families, 15 genera and 20 species were collected.
The family Cyprinidae had the highest representatives, followed by Bagridae and Osphronemidae. The most abundant
species was Barbonymus schwanefeldii (Bleeker 1854), while the least abundant was Wallago leerii Bleeker, 1851. The
paddy field and oil palm plantation area recorded significantly higher fish diversity and richness relative to peat swamp
(p<0.05). The water physico-chemical parameters, such as pH, DO, NH3
-N, PO4, SO4
, and Cl2 showed no significant
difference between paddy field and oil palm plantation (p>0.05), but was significantly different from the peat swamp
(p<0.05). However, no water quality parameter was consistently observed to be associated with fish occurrences in all
of the three habitats, but water temperature, NH3
-N, Cl2, SO4
, and EC were at least associated with fish occurrences in
two habitats studied. This study confirmed that each habitat possess different water quality parameters associated with
fish occurrences. Understanding all these ecological aspects could help future management and conservation of NSPSF.
Fulltext Effects of xanthorrhizol on 3T3-L1 adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy [Abstract]

Seok Fang Oon, Meenakshii Nallappan, Mohd Shazrul Fazry Sa’ariwijaya, Nur Kartinee Kassim, Shamarina Shohaimi, Thiam Tsui Tee, et al.

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(102):41-41.
MyJurnal

ABSTRACTS FOR INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES CONFERENCE 2019 (IHMSC 2019). Accelerating Innovations in Translational and Precision Medicine. Held at Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. 8-9th March, 2019
Introduction: According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2015, 47.7% of the Malaysian population are either obese or overweight. The increased obesity prevalence has caused major health problems including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Although several anti-obesity drugs have been developed, they are limited due to adverse side effects. Previous studies demonstrated that xanthorrhizol (XNT) reduced the levels of serum free fatty acid and triglyceride in vivo, but the detailed anti-obesity activities and its related mechanisms are yet to be reported. Thus, this study aims to evaluate its abilities to inhibit adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy employing 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Methods: Statistical significance was established by one-way ANOVA, where p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: In this study, the IC50 value of XNT (98.3% purity) from Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was 35 ± 0.24 μg/mL. The loss of cell viability was due to 20.01 ± 2.77% of early apoptosis and 24.13 ± 2.03% of late apoptosis. XNT elicited apoptosis via up-regulation of caspase-3 and cleaved PARP-1 protein expression for 4.09-fold and 3.12-fold, respectively. Moreover, XNT decreased adipocyte differentiation for 36.13 ± 3.64% and reduced GPDH activity to 52.26 ± 4.36%. The underlying mechanism was due to impaired expression of PPARγ to 0.36-fold and FAS to 0.38-fold, respectively. On the other hand, XNT increased glycerol release by 45.37 ± 6.08% compared to control. During lipolysis, XNT up-regulated the leptin protein for 2.08-fold but down-regulated the protein level of insulin to 0.36-fold. These results indicated that XNT reduced the volume of adipocytes through modulation of leptin and insulin.
Conclusion: To conclude, XNT exerted its anti-obesity mechanisms by suppression of adipocyte hyperplasia through induction of apoptosis and inhibition of adipogenesis whilst reduction of adipocyte hypertrophy through stimulation of lipolysis. Thus, XNT could be developed as a potential anti-obesity agent in the future.
PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION IN LAFIA METROPOLIS, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abel AG, Shamarina S, Hisham MNMN, Hafiz ARA

Afr J Infect Dis, 2025;19(1):45-56.
PMID: 39618539 DOI: 10.21010/Ajidv19i1.6

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B (HB), caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), remains a critical public health challenge in Nigeria. Globally, the HBV infects approximately 296 million people, significantly contributing to morbidity and mortality, with liver cirrhosis and liver cancer ranking as the 11th and 24th leading causes of death, respectively. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HBV infection and the associated risk factors within the Lafia Metropolis, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to November 2023, utilizing a validated questionnaire to assess 461 randomly selected participants from four communities (Azuba, Bukan Sidi, Danka Sarki, and Doka), representing diverse sociodemographic profiles and varying degrees of exposure to risk factors associated with HBV infection. Data were analyzed using chi-square (χ2) tests with IBM SPSS statistical software version 28.0 at a significance level of p < 0.05.
RESULTS: The findings showed that the overall prevalence of HBV infection was 7.8%. A significant association was observed between the prevalence of HBV infection and monthly income (p < 0.01). However, no associations were found with age, gender, educational level, marital status, occupation, or religion. Regarding risk factors, a significant association was found between HBV infection and awareness of one's HBV status (p < 0.03).
CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the need for targeted public health interventions and policies aimed at reducing HBV transmission among high-risk sociodemographic groups in Lafia Metropolis. This approach could potentially reduce the burden of HBV and improve health outcomes in affected communities.