Prevalence of Strongyloidiasis in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review

Received 7 June 2018 Accepted 30 August 2018 Introduction Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal helminth that infects humans through contact with soil containing the larvae. Methods A systematic search was performed for relevant titles, abstract and keywords in database from Cochrane Library, PLOS One, PubMed and several other sources in October 2017 based on PICO strategy. Out of 511 papers that were evaluated for possible inclusion, final assessment for eligibility has yielded a total of 17 papers to be included which were found suitable for analysis covering period from 2012 till 2016. Results A major challenge of giving an overview of prevalence data for S. stercoralis lies in the low sensitivity of diagnostic method used which resulted in very low prevalence in certain countries. Cambodia and Laos presented with high prevalence ranging from 17.4% to 45.9% by using high sensitivity of diagnostic methods. The current prevalence situation of S. stercoralis in Southeast Asia still have wide gaps remains due to several reasons. Conclusions The information we have today only scratches the surface which cannot truly reflect the true burden of S. stercoralis in Southeast Asia The main risk factor is personal hygiene practices especially amongst males

Nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes incorporated with zeolite and carbon nanotubes for enhanced water separation

The objective of this work is to develop a new class of nanocomposite ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with excellent solute rejection rate and superior water flux using zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The effect of ZIF-8 and MWCNTs loadings on the properties of polyvinyldifluoride (PVDF)-based membrane were investigated by introducing respective nanomaterial into the polymer dope solution. Prior to filtration tests, all the membranes were characterized using several important analytical instruments, i.e., SEM-EDX and contact angle analyzer. The addition of the nanoparticles into the membrane matrix has found to increase the membrane pore size and improve its hydrophilicity compared to the pristine membrane. The separation performance of membranes was determined with respect to pure water flux and rejections against bovine serum albumin (BSA) and humic acid (HA).The experimental findings indicated that the nanocomposite membranes in general demonstrated higher permeation flux and solute rejection compared to the pristine membrane and the use of ZIF-8 was reported to be better than that of MWCNTs in preparing nanocomposite UF membranes owing to its better flux and high percentage of solute rejection

Ecological Analysis of Five Years Dengue Cases and Outbreaks in Keningau, Sabah, Malaysia

Introduction: Dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus that is transmitted via Aedes mosquitoes. The lifecycle of Aedes mosquitoes is affected by the local climate (rainfall) which influences dengue transmission. Sabah is one of the states that is laden with a high incidence rate of dengue in Malaysia and the condition seems to have worsened with sudden, multiple outbreaks occurring in the year 2016. Methods: An ecological analysis was conducted in Keningau, Sabah to analyse dengue case patterns and distribution over a 5-year period and to exhibit the correlation between rainfall, larval indices, dengue incidences, and outbreaks. Results: Significant cross-correlation analysis (CCF) was discovered between rainfall and Aedes index at lag number 5 with a correlation coefficient of 0.151 (±0.063) as well as between rainfall and Breteau Index at lag number 5 with a correlation coefficient of 0.143 (±0.063). However, no significant cross-correlation analysis was found between Aedes index and dengue incidences. Associations were also seen between larval indices and outbreak cases. Conclusion: This study showed an increase of Aedes and Breteau Indices to susceptibility level five weeks after rainfall which increases the risk of dengue transmission

Prevalence of strongyloidiasis in Southeast Asia: a systematic review

Introduction Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal helminth that infects humans through contact with soil containing the larvae. Methods A systematic search was performed for relevant titles, abstract and keywords in database from Cochrane Library, PLOS One, PubMed and several other sources in October 2017 based on PICO strategy. Out of 511 papers that were evaluated for possible inclusion, final assessment for eligibility has yielded a total of 17 papers to be included which were found suitable for analysis covering period from 2012 till 2016. Results A major challenge of giving an overview of prevalence data for S. stercoralis lies in the low sensitivity of diagnostic method used which resulted in very low prevalence in certain countries. Cambodia and Laos presented with high prevalence ranging from 17.4% to 45.9% by using high sensitivity of diagnostic methods. The current prevalence situation of S. stercoralis in Southeast Asia still have wide gaps remains due to several reasons. Conclusions The information we have today only scratches the surface which cannot truly reflect the true burden of S. stercoralis in Southeast Asia The main risk factor is personal hygiene practices especially amongst males

Prevalence of Strongyloidiasis in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal helminth that infects humans through contact with soil containing the larvae. Methods: A systematic search was performed for relevant titles, abstract and keywords in database from Cochrane Library, PLOS One, PubMed and several other sources in October 2017 based on PICO strategy. Out of 511 papers that were evaluated for possible inclusion, final assessment for eligibility has yielded a total of 17 papers to be included which were found suitable for analysis covering period from 2012 till 2016. Results: A major challenge of giving an overview of prevalence data for S. stercoralis lies in the low sensitivity of diagnostic method used which resulted in very low prevalence in certain countries. Cambodia and Laos presented with high prevalence ranging from 17.4% to 45.9% by using high sensitivity of diagnostic methods. The current prevalence situation of S. stercoralis in Southeast Asia still have wide gaps remains due to several reasons. Conclusions: The information we have today only scratches the surface which cannot truly reflect the true burden of S. stercoralis in Southeast Asia The main risk factor is personal hygiene practices especially amongst males

Fabrication of nanocomposite membrane via combined electrospinning and casting technique for direct methanol fuel cell

Emergence of nanotechnology has resulted in the introduction of the electrospinning process in fabricating and characterising the polymer electrolyte membrane from the sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) nanocomposite membrane comprised of electrospun Cloisite15A® (e-spun CL) for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). Poly (ether ether ketone) polymer is sulfonated up to 63% by sulfuric acid. SPEEK63/e-spun CL nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning in which SPEEK63 was used as carrier polymer while the SPEEK63/e-spun CL nanocomposite membrane was obtained by the casting method. Characterizations on physical, morphological and thermal properties of SPEEK63/e-spun CL were conducted and compared to the SPEEK membrane fabricated by casting simple mixing 2.5wt.% Cloisite15A® and 5.0wt.% triaminopyrimidine solution (SPEEK63/2.5CL/5.0TAP). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed well electrospun Cloisite15A® with an average diameter nanofiber around 187.4 nm. Moreover, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed that Cloisite15A® particles at a nanometer range were uniformly distributed and 66% smaller than those in SPEEK63/2.5CL/5.0TAP. Furthermore, x-ray diffraction proved that the dispersion state of Cloisite15A® fell into an intercalated phase. A very small amount of Cloisite15A® (0.05wt.%) in SPEEK63/e-spun CL successfully enhanced the proton conductivity up to 50%, whereas, unfortunately the methanol permeability value was 27 times higher than SPEEK63/2.5CL/5.0TAP. Proton conductivity and methanol permeability of SPEEK63/e-spun CL were 24.49 x 10-3 Scm-1 and 3.74 x 10-7 cms-1, respectively. Even though this study contributed to 95% selectivity lower than SPEEK63/2.5CL/5.0TAP, electrospinning showed a promising technique to further reduce original sized Cloisite15A® particles from mixed size (μm and nm) to nanometer sized. In addition, by fine tuning, the dispersion of Cloisite15A® enhances the SPEEK63/e-spun CL performance in DMFC

Safety of dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV) in Asia: A systematic review

Application Dengue fever vaccine (CYD-TDV) in Asia currently remains quite limited and controversial due to safety issues not yet adequately evaluated. Therefore, the purpose of our review was to assess the safety of the CYD-TDV vaccine based on an analysis of data on its effectiveness in Asia. A search for relevant keywords in electronic databases found 309 scientific articles, of which only four publications were included in the review. The baseline serotype prevalence among study participants was 50-80%. With regard to the safety of the CYD-TDV vaccine, it was shown that reactions at the injection site (pain, edema, erythema) were noted with a relative risk (RR) of 95% CI (0.46-1.76), and systemic reactions (fever, headache, myalgia) were also RR 95% CI (0.89-1.81). Of the four papers included in the review, three contain data on a number of severe adverse effects at RR 95% CI (0.92-2.11). With regard to immunity, it was shown that for DENV-2 there was a high geometric mean titer of 67.8 (95% CI 64.8-70.8), DENV-3 - in 73.1 (95% CI 69.9-76.3), and for DENV-4 - in 65 ( 95% CI 62-67.9), when even lower values ​​are found, this is consistent with other published work on the immunogenicity of the CYD-TDV vaccine against DENV serotypes. Our review shows that the CYD-TDV vaccine may be considered for use in Asia, but subject to a number of conditions and following these safety guidelines. 3), and for DENV-4 - in 65 (95% CI 62-67.9), when, when even smaller values ​​are found, this is consistent with other published works on the immunogenicity of the CYD-TDV vaccine against DENV serotypes. Our review shows that the CYD-TDV vaccine may be considered for use in Asia, but subject to a number of conditions and following these safety guidelines. 3), and for DENV-4 - in 65 (95% CI 62-67.9), when, when even smaller values ​​are found, this is consistent with other published works on the immunogenicity of the CYD-TDV vaccine against DENV serotypes. Our review shows that the CYD-TDV vaccine may be considered for use in Asia, but subject to a number of conditions and following these safety guidelines

Senario pendidikan Islam dan hala tujunya dalam sistem pendidikan Malaysia

Peningkatan permintaan masyarakat Muslim untuk menempatkan anak mereka di sekolah agama telah menyebabkan Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia memperkenalkan program pendaftaran Sekolah Agama Negeri (SAN) dan Sekolah Agama Bantuan Kerajaan (SABK) serta mewujudkan Kelas Aliran Agama (KAA) di sekolah menengah kebangsaan. Masyarakat Muslim menyakini Pendidikan Islam mempunyai keupayaan untuk membangun anak-anak secara menyeluruh, merangkumi dimensi intelek, rohani, emosi dan jasmani. Bagaimanapun, hingga kini, setiap sekolah dikehendaki melaporkan bilangan pelajar yang terlibat dalam kes salah laku yang merangkumi kes ringan seperti kelewatan hadir ke sekolah hingga kes serius seperti jenayah. Oleh itu, makalah ini merupakan kajian konsep yang bertujuan untuk mengkaji hala tuju Pendidikan Islam dalam sistem pendidikan Malaysia. Kajian ini meninjau literatur berkaitan sejarah Pendidikan Islam dalam sistem pendidikan Malaysia dan hala tujunya dalam tempoh 2013- 2025. Data yang diperoleh dalam kajian ini dianalisis menggunakan pendekatan tematik. Hasil kajian menunjukkan hala tuju Pendidikan Islam dalam sistem pendidikan Malaysia adalah untuk membangunkan generasi yang berpegang kuat nilai-nilai dan kepercayaan agama walaupun mereka berada dalam masyarakat pelbagai budaya. Untuk mencapai hala tuju Pendidikan Islam, guru-guru dan ibu bapa perlu memainkan peranan utama sebagai pendidik di sekolah dan di rumah

Project management: should lawyers learn it?

The majority of the project management literature focusing on the manufacturing, civil and industrial management process but very few have analyzed the important of the project management for lawyers. The aim of this paper is to shed some light on the project management course to the lawyers. We try to open the 'black box' by combining the manufacturing principles into the legal services industry that will help sustaining the legal profession in the future. This paper highlights the practicality of project management courses for the lawyer as the mechanism for managing their business and handling case from their client. However, the literature on project management for lawyers is incoherent, even inchoate and lacks theoretical models that reflect upon particular context of the legal industry. This paper suggests that there is still needs more research done to get a deep understanding about this issue

Nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes incorporated with Zeolite and Carbon Nanotubes for enhanced water separation

The objective of this work is to develop a new class of nanocomposite ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with excellent solute rejection rate and superior water flux using zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF8) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The effect of ZIF-8 and MWCNTs loadings on the properties of polyvinyldifluoride (PVDF)-based membrane were investigated by introducing respective nanomaterial into the polymer dope solution. Prior to filtration tests, all the membranes were characterized using several important analytical instruments, i.e., SEM-EDX and contact angle analyzer. The addition of the nanoparticles into the membrane matrix has found to increase the membrane pore size and improve its hydrophilicity compared to the pristine membrane. The separation performance of membranes was determined with respect to pure water flux and rejections against bovine serum albumin (BSA) and humic acid (HA).The experimental findings indicated that the nanocomposite membranes in general demonstrated higher permeation flux and solute rejection compared to the pristine membrane and the use of ZIF-8 was reported to be better than that of MWCNTs in preparing nanocomposite UF membranes owing to its better flux and high percentage of solute rejection