Prof. Dr. Ahmad Hata - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Prof. Dr. Ahmad Hata
pertanika journal of science and technology, 2017
Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) or clubfoot is a complex deformity of the foot that is char... more Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) or clubfoot is a complex deformity of the foot that is characterised by four main deformities; forefoot cavus and adductus, hindfoot varus and ankle equinus. Currently, the Ponseti method is the most general and recognized treatment with a high success rate of over 90%. The treatment involves gentle manipulation and serial casting. However, the casting method could create complications for the patients such as soft-tissue damage and inconvenience in following the treatment schedule especially for those living far away from hospital. The aim of this research is to develop an adjustable corrective device for clubfoot treatment based on the techniques in the Ponseti method and at the same time attempt to eliminate the side-effects. The prototype consists of six adjustable movements from six different mechanisms to correct the four deformities. The prototype was developed using 3D printing method and the main material used is polylactic acid (PLA), ...
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2021
Prepare for the new norm" is a common saying among Malaysians since the federal government introd... more Prepare for the new norm" is a common saying among Malaysians since the federal government introduced the Movement Control Order on March 18th, 2020. Among the many enforced measures to control the spread of Covid-19 virus are the stay-at-home ruling and the ban on mass gatherings. These measures force Higher Education providers (HEPs) to drastically change the way Teaching and Learning (T&L) activities are conducted at their institutions. Conventional guided face-to-face (f2f) T&L and assessments are no longer tenable; the only workable solution is converting the remaining course plan to full online mode. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak's (UNIMAS) students and academics are relatively familiar with the concept of blended learning. UNIMAS had started using Learning Management System two decades ago and the current system, e-Learning Enrichment and Advancement Platform or eLEAP, is actively used by all UNIMAS students. However, most of the courses were designed with blended learning relegated to supporting act status; existing only to complement the guided f2f T&L activities. The Movement Control Order (MCO) requires blended learning to be delivered in substitution mode, which is to replace the f2f sessions instead of merely complementing them. To assess the status of UNIMAS's academics and students for this scenario, an online survey was conducted from March 22nd till March 31st. A total of 640 academics and 6,871 students had participated in the survey. This paper reports on the survey findings that provide insights on how to mitigate the infrastructure and policy shortcomings as to afford effective blended learning (in substitution mode) delivery in UNIMAS as well as to minimise inequitable education for students from diverse online learning readiness.
Malaysian Orthopaedic Journal, 2019
Congenital humeroradial synostosis can occur as an isolated clinical entity or as part of a syndr... more Congenital humeroradial synostosis can occur as an isolated clinical entity or as part of a syndrome. Bilateral elbow fixed flexion deformity is very incapacitating and challenging to treat. Here we present the case of a boy with fixed flexion deformity of both elbows due bilateral humeroradial synostosis. Other characteristic features of multiple synostoses syndrome were also present in this child, his elder brother and mother. We elected to improve the position of the right elbow by adapting the modified French osteotomy described by Bellemore et al.
The Medical journal of Malaysia, 2006
Trend towards changing the face of management for pediatric femoral fractures tends to advocate o... more Trend towards changing the face of management for pediatric femoral fractures tends to advocate operative treatment. This study was undertaken to review our current practice in the wake of recent progress in the management of pediatric femoral fractures. Fifty patients with femoral diaphyseal fracture treated in Sarawak General Hospital were reviewed retrospectively after an average follow-up of 2.6 years. There were 36 boys and 14 girls, with a mean age of 6.2 years (range five months to 14 years). Children under six years of age constituted the majority of the patients. Half of the fractures were caused by road traffic accident. Nine patients had associated injuries. The most common site of fracture was at the middle third (N=31). The treatment regimens were delayed hip spica (DHS) in 16, immediate hip spica (IHS) in 24, plate osteosynthesis (PO) in five, titanium elastic nailing (TEN) in five, and external fixation (EF) in one. The minimum hospital stay was two days, and the maxi...
The Medical journal of Malaysia, 2003
Improvements in the overall treatment of patients with aggressive, large tumours involving the bo... more Improvements in the overall treatment of patients with aggressive, large tumours involving the bone have made it possible to preserve and salvage limbs instead of amputating them. Each patient is unique in his clinical presentation and social circumstance. The different reconstructive options available allow us to choose the most appropriate method suited to the particular patient and with minimal delay, even when resources are limited. The patient and the relatives actively participate in the choice. The early experience of the different techniques for reconstructing these bone defects at our hospital are presented in this paper.
The Medical journal of Malaysia, 2001
Ewing's sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of the foot in children. We report a case of Ewing&... more Ewing's sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of the foot in children. We report a case of Ewing's sarcoma of the talus in a four-year-old Chinese girl to highlight the initial difficulty in diagnosis and the clinical course of the disease. She was initially diagnosed as osteomyelitis of the talus and died eight months after presentation with pleural and spinal metastases. To the best of our knowledge, Ewing's sarcoma of the talus in a young child has never been reported in Malaysia.
The Medical journal of Malaysia, 2001
This is a retrospective study of 53 patients with spinal tuberculosis treated in Sarawak General ... more This is a retrospective study of 53 patients with spinal tuberculosis treated in Sarawak General Hospital from 1994 until 1998. The study showed that the mean age in patients with spinal tuberculosis was 40.2 years, and was more common in male (70%) and in Iban population (50%). The clinical presentation included backache (94%); abscess (45%); neurological deficit (44%); and gibbus deformity (22%). The percentage of patient without BCG scar was 82% and 18% had evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. The most common vertebra involved was the ninth thoracic vertebra and the least common was the third cervical vertebra. The average number of vertebra affected per patient was three. The most common radiological type of lesion was paradiscal (47%). The percentage of patients diagnosed by histological examination was 44%. All patients were given chemotherapy for 12 months' duration; 57% were treated surgically and 43% were treated conservatively. Twenty-four of patients (40%) had an excel...
Journal of orthopaedic surgery (Hong Kong), 2017
Diplopodia, being a rare congenital disorder, is infrequently discussed in published texts. Most ... more Diplopodia, being a rare congenital disorder, is infrequently discussed in published texts. Most reported cases have accounted the involvement of duplicated preaxial digits with other associated organ system and physical deformities. Here, we present an unusual case of isolated diplopodia involving postaxial toes in a child with no other organ and physical abnormalities. Radiological studies revealed a set of 10-digit-duplicated foot over the lateral aspect of the native foot, complete with phalanges and its corresponding metatarsals as well as tarsals, supplied by an anomalous posterior branch of the popliteal artery. Definitive surgery was performed just before the child was learning to walk.
Malaysian orthopaedic journal, 2012
The recent trend in management of congenital idiopathic clubfoot tends towards conservative treat... more The recent trend in management of congenital idiopathic clubfoot tends towards conservative treatment. This study reviews the outcomes of treatment in our practice using the quantitative clubfoot assessment of the deformity (QCAD). Thirty patients (38 cases of clubfoot) with congenital idiopathic clubfoot treated at Sarawak General Hospital were followed-up for a mean of 3.6 years. The quantitative assessment consists of limb anthropometric measurement and the Pirani deformity severity score. There were 15 boys and 15 girls, with a mean age of 4.4 years (range, 13m - 8y). Most patients were of the Malay race (67%), followed by Chinese (23%) and others (10%). Eight patients suffered from bilateral congenital idiopathic clubfoot (33%), 12 were left unilateral (40%) and 10 were right unilateral (27%). Out of the total of 30 patients, 12 were treated conservatively with serial casting and 18 patients were treated surgically after resistance to serial casting at the age of nine months. A...
Ramlah Zainudin, Elvy Quatrin Deka, Nur Amirah Md Sungif, Marly Agoh, Sharizzaty Mohd Rais, Muham... more Ramlah Zainudin, Elvy Quatrin Deka, Nur Amirah Md Sungif, Marly Agoh, Sharizzaty Mohd Rais, Muhammad Fadzil Amram, Marius Joscha Maiwald, Aida Safreena Ahmad Puad, Ahmad Hata Rasit and Mohd-Azlan Jayasilan
Introduction : The word congenital refers to a condition existing since birth. It is important to... more Introduction : The word congenital refers to a condition existing since birth. It is important to distinguish the concepts of congenital and genetic, the two terms that are often confusing to many people. Congenital abnormality indicates that the feature is present at birth and can be caused by genetic or non-genetic disorder. Hence `congenital deformity', also known as the birth defect, is a condition that exists at or before birth regardless of the causes, while the term `congenital anomalies' specifically indicates the structural deformities and normally involved structural defects in a developing fetus. Congenital deformities occur in approximately 3% of live newborns. The incidence of congenital deformity causing deaths is almost 632,000 cases in 2013. The type of deformities that most contributed to the death tolls is congenital heart defect, followed by neural tube defects (GBD, 2014). Congenital limb deformities occur in approximately 6 per 10,000 live births, with t...
The indigenous groups of Sarawak that are well-known for diverse ethnicity featuring different cu... more The indigenous groups of Sarawak that are well-known for diverse ethnicity featuring different cultures, languages and lifestyles, are among the earliest resident of Malaysian Borneo. The high survivorship of these early inhabitants had triggered an interest on their ability to develop immune or defense mechanisms towards the environment. Beta defensin is one of the well-studied adaptive immune functional gene of human. Beta defensins gene family plays a major role in innate and adaptive immune systems that are located in a cluster of at least seven genes on chromosome 8p23.1 with highly variable copy number. The ability of the indigenous people populating new settlements has been linked to their resistance or susceptibility towards certain disease which is influenced by the effectiveness of beta defensins adaptability. Hence, investigation on the distribution of beta defensins copy number variable gene in ethnics of Sarawak was conducted by investigating two microsatellite regions ...
Sleeve fracture of the inferior pole of the patella is a rare and distinctive fracture in childre... more Sleeve fracture of the inferior pole of the patella is a rare and distinctive fracture in children with few published reports. These fractures are frequently misdiagnosed and neglected. We highlight a case of a neglected and misdiagnosed sleeve fracture of the patella in an eleven-year-old boy. This was initially diagnosed as an avulsion fracture of the tibial tubercle. A good outcome was achieved after open reduction and internal fixation.
Frog skin is reported to have potential in medical application especially the granular gland on t... more Frog skin is reported to have potential in medical application especially the granular gland on the skin producing secretion containing peptide. The objective of this paper was to examine the distribution and average size of granular glands in Odorrana hosii’s skin. The skin histology was stained with Haematoxylin-Eosin to identify granular gland. Results revealed that the distributions of granular glands were statistically significantly different between six regions of the frog skin (F (5,234) =3.47, p=0.005) with dorsal central region of skin has the highest mean number of granular gland (2.22 ± 1.69). The average size of the granular glands was statistically significantly different between six skin regions (F (5,234)=4.04, p=0.012) with dorsal central region contained the biggest granular gland size (11.95 x 103 μm2). This study showed that the granular glands in O. hosii were significantly abundant in dorsal head region and the largest size was in the dorsal central region as co...
Skin is the first protection barrier for the frog species that protect them from high temperature... more Skin is the first protection barrier for the frog species that protect them from high temperature, chemical toxics, and over exposure to sunlight. Thus variation in skin characteristics might reflect their adaptation to environment. Since leaf litter frogs are facing threats of habitat fragmentation, we investigate the skin structure of the Bornean leaf litter horned frog Megophrys nasuta, from different body regions. Histological analysis of the frog skins and slide preparations using Haematoxylin and Eosin staining protocol were employed. Findings indicated that all body regions of M. nasuta skins have similar characteristics of the strata, epidermis and dermis layers. However, thickness of the epidermis layer and glands distribution varies between dorsal and ventral (areas that were first in contact with the environment) thus suggesting their adaptation strategy. The observed distributions of serous and mucous glands on different skin regions might also reflect the habit of this ...
Malaysian Orthopaedic Journal, 2011
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in t... more Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis after 2 weeks of preoperative anti-tuberculosis treatment and to compare PCR to the Löwenstein-Jensen Culture (LJC) and histopathological examination (HPE) methods. Methods: Twenty-five patients were included in this study. Sixteen patients were diagnosed and treated for spinal tuberculosis based on clinical and radiological evidence. Nine patients were controls. The LJC method and HPE of the specimen were performed according to hospital protocol. PCR was performed using primer encoding insertion of sequences IS6110 for mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Clinical findings and radiological features were the gold standard for comparison. Results: PCR results were 15 positive and one negative. The sensitivity and specificity of PCR was 94% and 100% respectively (with 95% confidence interval [CI] 67% to 99% and 63% to 100%, respectively). HPE results showed 13 were positive and 3 negative in the spinal tuberculosis group; for the control group, all were negative. Sensitivity and specificity value of HPE was 82 % and 100% respectively (with 95% confidence interval [CI] 54% to 95% and 63% to 100%, respectively). Use of LJC showed only one was positive and 15 were negative in the spinal tuberculosis group whole all nine in the control group were negative. Sensitivity and specificity value of LJC was 6% and 100% respectively (with 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.3% to 32% and 63% to 100%, respectively). Conclusion: Our findings showed that the PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis is reliable as a method for diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis, even after of 2 weeks of anti-TB treatment, with an overall sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 100%.
pertanika journal of science and technology, 2017
Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) or clubfoot is a complex deformity of the foot that is char... more Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) or clubfoot is a complex deformity of the foot that is characterised by four main deformities; forefoot cavus and adductus, hindfoot varus and ankle equinus. Currently, the Ponseti method is the most general and recognized treatment with a high success rate of over 90%. The treatment involves gentle manipulation and serial casting. However, the casting method could create complications for the patients such as soft-tissue damage and inconvenience in following the treatment schedule especially for those living far away from hospital. The aim of this research is to develop an adjustable corrective device for clubfoot treatment based on the techniques in the Ponseti method and at the same time attempt to eliminate the side-effects. The prototype consists of six adjustable movements from six different mechanisms to correct the four deformities. The prototype was developed using 3D printing method and the main material used is polylactic acid (PLA), ...
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2021
Prepare for the new norm" is a common saying among Malaysians since the federal government introd... more Prepare for the new norm" is a common saying among Malaysians since the federal government introduced the Movement Control Order on March 18th, 2020. Among the many enforced measures to control the spread of Covid-19 virus are the stay-at-home ruling and the ban on mass gatherings. These measures force Higher Education providers (HEPs) to drastically change the way Teaching and Learning (T&L) activities are conducted at their institutions. Conventional guided face-to-face (f2f) T&L and assessments are no longer tenable; the only workable solution is converting the remaining course plan to full online mode. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak's (UNIMAS) students and academics are relatively familiar with the concept of blended learning. UNIMAS had started using Learning Management System two decades ago and the current system, e-Learning Enrichment and Advancement Platform or eLEAP, is actively used by all UNIMAS students. However, most of the courses were designed with blended learning relegated to supporting act status; existing only to complement the guided f2f T&L activities. The Movement Control Order (MCO) requires blended learning to be delivered in substitution mode, which is to replace the f2f sessions instead of merely complementing them. To assess the status of UNIMAS's academics and students for this scenario, an online survey was conducted from March 22nd till March 31st. A total of 640 academics and 6,871 students had participated in the survey. This paper reports on the survey findings that provide insights on how to mitigate the infrastructure and policy shortcomings as to afford effective blended learning (in substitution mode) delivery in UNIMAS as well as to minimise inequitable education for students from diverse online learning readiness.
Malaysian Orthopaedic Journal, 2019
Congenital humeroradial synostosis can occur as an isolated clinical entity or as part of a syndr... more Congenital humeroradial synostosis can occur as an isolated clinical entity or as part of a syndrome. Bilateral elbow fixed flexion deformity is very incapacitating and challenging to treat. Here we present the case of a boy with fixed flexion deformity of both elbows due bilateral humeroradial synostosis. Other characteristic features of multiple synostoses syndrome were also present in this child, his elder brother and mother. We elected to improve the position of the right elbow by adapting the modified French osteotomy described by Bellemore et al.
The Medical journal of Malaysia, 2006
Trend towards changing the face of management for pediatric femoral fractures tends to advocate o... more Trend towards changing the face of management for pediatric femoral fractures tends to advocate operative treatment. This study was undertaken to review our current practice in the wake of recent progress in the management of pediatric femoral fractures. Fifty patients with femoral diaphyseal fracture treated in Sarawak General Hospital were reviewed retrospectively after an average follow-up of 2.6 years. There were 36 boys and 14 girls, with a mean age of 6.2 years (range five months to 14 years). Children under six years of age constituted the majority of the patients. Half of the fractures were caused by road traffic accident. Nine patients had associated injuries. The most common site of fracture was at the middle third (N=31). The treatment regimens were delayed hip spica (DHS) in 16, immediate hip spica (IHS) in 24, plate osteosynthesis (PO) in five, titanium elastic nailing (TEN) in five, and external fixation (EF) in one. The minimum hospital stay was two days, and the maxi...
The Medical journal of Malaysia, 2003
Improvements in the overall treatment of patients with aggressive, large tumours involving the bo... more Improvements in the overall treatment of patients with aggressive, large tumours involving the bone have made it possible to preserve and salvage limbs instead of amputating them. Each patient is unique in his clinical presentation and social circumstance. The different reconstructive options available allow us to choose the most appropriate method suited to the particular patient and with minimal delay, even when resources are limited. The patient and the relatives actively participate in the choice. The early experience of the different techniques for reconstructing these bone defects at our hospital are presented in this paper.
The Medical journal of Malaysia, 2001
Ewing's sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of the foot in children. We report a case of Ewing&... more Ewing's sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of the foot in children. We report a case of Ewing's sarcoma of the talus in a four-year-old Chinese girl to highlight the initial difficulty in diagnosis and the clinical course of the disease. She was initially diagnosed as osteomyelitis of the talus and died eight months after presentation with pleural and spinal metastases. To the best of our knowledge, Ewing's sarcoma of the talus in a young child has never been reported in Malaysia.
The Medical journal of Malaysia, 2001
This is a retrospective study of 53 patients with spinal tuberculosis treated in Sarawak General ... more This is a retrospective study of 53 patients with spinal tuberculosis treated in Sarawak General Hospital from 1994 until 1998. The study showed that the mean age in patients with spinal tuberculosis was 40.2 years, and was more common in male (70%) and in Iban population (50%). The clinical presentation included backache (94%); abscess (45%); neurological deficit (44%); and gibbus deformity (22%). The percentage of patient without BCG scar was 82% and 18% had evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. The most common vertebra involved was the ninth thoracic vertebra and the least common was the third cervical vertebra. The average number of vertebra affected per patient was three. The most common radiological type of lesion was paradiscal (47%). The percentage of patients diagnosed by histological examination was 44%. All patients were given chemotherapy for 12 months' duration; 57% were treated surgically and 43% were treated conservatively. Twenty-four of patients (40%) had an excel...
Journal of orthopaedic surgery (Hong Kong), 2017
Diplopodia, being a rare congenital disorder, is infrequently discussed in published texts. Most ... more Diplopodia, being a rare congenital disorder, is infrequently discussed in published texts. Most reported cases have accounted the involvement of duplicated preaxial digits with other associated organ system and physical deformities. Here, we present an unusual case of isolated diplopodia involving postaxial toes in a child with no other organ and physical abnormalities. Radiological studies revealed a set of 10-digit-duplicated foot over the lateral aspect of the native foot, complete with phalanges and its corresponding metatarsals as well as tarsals, supplied by an anomalous posterior branch of the popliteal artery. Definitive surgery was performed just before the child was learning to walk.
Malaysian orthopaedic journal, 2012
The recent trend in management of congenital idiopathic clubfoot tends towards conservative treat... more The recent trend in management of congenital idiopathic clubfoot tends towards conservative treatment. This study reviews the outcomes of treatment in our practice using the quantitative clubfoot assessment of the deformity (QCAD). Thirty patients (38 cases of clubfoot) with congenital idiopathic clubfoot treated at Sarawak General Hospital were followed-up for a mean of 3.6 years. The quantitative assessment consists of limb anthropometric measurement and the Pirani deformity severity score. There were 15 boys and 15 girls, with a mean age of 4.4 years (range, 13m - 8y). Most patients were of the Malay race (67%), followed by Chinese (23%) and others (10%). Eight patients suffered from bilateral congenital idiopathic clubfoot (33%), 12 were left unilateral (40%) and 10 were right unilateral (27%). Out of the total of 30 patients, 12 were treated conservatively with serial casting and 18 patients were treated surgically after resistance to serial casting at the age of nine months. A...
Ramlah Zainudin, Elvy Quatrin Deka, Nur Amirah Md Sungif, Marly Agoh, Sharizzaty Mohd Rais, Muham... more Ramlah Zainudin, Elvy Quatrin Deka, Nur Amirah Md Sungif, Marly Agoh, Sharizzaty Mohd Rais, Muhammad Fadzil Amram, Marius Joscha Maiwald, Aida Safreena Ahmad Puad, Ahmad Hata Rasit and Mohd-Azlan Jayasilan
Introduction : The word congenital refers to a condition existing since birth. It is important to... more Introduction : The word congenital refers to a condition existing since birth. It is important to distinguish the concepts of congenital and genetic, the two terms that are often confusing to many people. Congenital abnormality indicates that the feature is present at birth and can be caused by genetic or non-genetic disorder. Hence `congenital deformity', also known as the birth defect, is a condition that exists at or before birth regardless of the causes, while the term `congenital anomalies' specifically indicates the structural deformities and normally involved structural defects in a developing fetus. Congenital deformities occur in approximately 3% of live newborns. The incidence of congenital deformity causing deaths is almost 632,000 cases in 2013. The type of deformities that most contributed to the death tolls is congenital heart defect, followed by neural tube defects (GBD, 2014). Congenital limb deformities occur in approximately 6 per 10,000 live births, with t...
The indigenous groups of Sarawak that are well-known for diverse ethnicity featuring different cu... more The indigenous groups of Sarawak that are well-known for diverse ethnicity featuring different cultures, languages and lifestyles, are among the earliest resident of Malaysian Borneo. The high survivorship of these early inhabitants had triggered an interest on their ability to develop immune or defense mechanisms towards the environment. Beta defensin is one of the well-studied adaptive immune functional gene of human. Beta defensins gene family plays a major role in innate and adaptive immune systems that are located in a cluster of at least seven genes on chromosome 8p23.1 with highly variable copy number. The ability of the indigenous people populating new settlements has been linked to their resistance or susceptibility towards certain disease which is influenced by the effectiveness of beta defensins adaptability. Hence, investigation on the distribution of beta defensins copy number variable gene in ethnics of Sarawak was conducted by investigating two microsatellite regions ...
Sleeve fracture of the inferior pole of the patella is a rare and distinctive fracture in childre... more Sleeve fracture of the inferior pole of the patella is a rare and distinctive fracture in children with few published reports. These fractures are frequently misdiagnosed and neglected. We highlight a case of a neglected and misdiagnosed sleeve fracture of the patella in an eleven-year-old boy. This was initially diagnosed as an avulsion fracture of the tibial tubercle. A good outcome was achieved after open reduction and internal fixation.
Frog skin is reported to have potential in medical application especially the granular gland on t... more Frog skin is reported to have potential in medical application especially the granular gland on the skin producing secretion containing peptide. The objective of this paper was to examine the distribution and average size of granular glands in Odorrana hosii’s skin. The skin histology was stained with Haematoxylin-Eosin to identify granular gland. Results revealed that the distributions of granular glands were statistically significantly different between six regions of the frog skin (F (5,234) =3.47, p=0.005) with dorsal central region of skin has the highest mean number of granular gland (2.22 ± 1.69). The average size of the granular glands was statistically significantly different between six skin regions (F (5,234)=4.04, p=0.012) with dorsal central region contained the biggest granular gland size (11.95 x 103 μm2). This study showed that the granular glands in O. hosii were significantly abundant in dorsal head region and the largest size was in the dorsal central region as co...
Skin is the first protection barrier for the frog species that protect them from high temperature... more Skin is the first protection barrier for the frog species that protect them from high temperature, chemical toxics, and over exposure to sunlight. Thus variation in skin characteristics might reflect their adaptation to environment. Since leaf litter frogs are facing threats of habitat fragmentation, we investigate the skin structure of the Bornean leaf litter horned frog Megophrys nasuta, from different body regions. Histological analysis of the frog skins and slide preparations using Haematoxylin and Eosin staining protocol were employed. Findings indicated that all body regions of M. nasuta skins have similar characteristics of the strata, epidermis and dermis layers. However, thickness of the epidermis layer and glands distribution varies between dorsal and ventral (areas that were first in contact with the environment) thus suggesting their adaptation strategy. The observed distributions of serous and mucous glands on different skin regions might also reflect the habit of this ...
Malaysian Orthopaedic Journal, 2011
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in t... more Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis after 2 weeks of preoperative anti-tuberculosis treatment and to compare PCR to the Löwenstein-Jensen Culture (LJC) and histopathological examination (HPE) methods. Methods: Twenty-five patients were included in this study. Sixteen patients were diagnosed and treated for spinal tuberculosis based on clinical and radiological evidence. Nine patients were controls. The LJC method and HPE of the specimen were performed according to hospital protocol. PCR was performed using primer encoding insertion of sequences IS6110 for mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Clinical findings and radiological features were the gold standard for comparison. Results: PCR results were 15 positive and one negative. The sensitivity and specificity of PCR was 94% and 100% respectively (with 95% confidence interval [CI] 67% to 99% and 63% to 100%, respectively). HPE results showed 13 were positive and 3 negative in the spinal tuberculosis group; for the control group, all were negative. Sensitivity and specificity value of HPE was 82 % and 100% respectively (with 95% confidence interval [CI] 54% to 95% and 63% to 100%, respectively). Use of LJC showed only one was positive and 15 were negative in the spinal tuberculosis group whole all nine in the control group were negative. Sensitivity and specificity value of LJC was 6% and 100% respectively (with 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.3% to 32% and 63% to 100%, respectively). Conclusion: Our findings showed that the PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis is reliable as a method for diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis, even after of 2 weeks of anti-TB treatment, with an overall sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 100%.