1.Impact of Rating Scale Categories on Reliability and Fit Statistics of the Malay Spiritual Well-Being Scale using Rasch Analysis
Aqil Mohammad Daher ; Syed Hassan Ahmad ; Than Winn ; Mohd Ikhsan Selamat
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2015;22(3):48-55
Background: Few studies have employed the item response theory in examining reliability. We conducted this study to examine the effect of Rating Scale Categories (RSCs) on the reliability and fit statistics of the Malay Spiritual Well-Being Scale, employing the Rasch model.
Methods: The Malay Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) with the original six; three and four newly structured RSCs was distributed randomly among three different samples of 50 participants each.
Results: The mean age of respondents in the three samples ranged between 36 and 39 years old. The majority was female in all samples, and Islam was the most prevalent religion among the respondents. The predominating race was Malay, followed by Chinese and Indian. The original six RSCs indicated better targeting of 0.99 and smallest model error of 0.24. The Infit Mnsq (mean square) and Zstd (Z standard) of the six RSCs were “1.1”and “-0.1”respectively. The six RSCs achieved the highest person and item reliabilities of 0.86 and 0.85 respectively. These reliabilities yielded the highest person (2.46) and item (2.38) separation indices compared to other the RSCs.
Conclusion: The person and item reliability and, to a lesser extent, the fit statistics, were better with the six RSCs compared to the four and three RSCs.
2.Seropositivity and Serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies and DNA among Patients with Schizophrenia.
Ainsah OMAR ; Osman Che BAKAR ; Nor Fatini ADAM ; Hakim OSMAN ; Arina OSMAN ; Ahmad Hatim SULEIMAN ; Mohd Rizal Abdul MANAF ; Mohd Ikhsan SELAMAT
The Korean Journal of Parasitology 2015;53(1):29-34
The aim of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) IgG, IgM, and DNA among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) were included in this study. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The presence of Tg infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring Tg IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. The serofrequency of Tg IgG antibodies (51.5%, 52/101) and DNA (32.67%, 33/101) among patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than IgG (18.2%, 10/55) and DNA (3.64%, 2/55) of the controls (IgG, P=0.000, OD=4.8, CI=2.2-10.5; DNA, P=0.000, OD=12.9, CI=2.17-10.51). However, the Tg IgM antibody between patients with schizophrenia and controls was not significant (P>0.005). There was no significant difference (P>0.005) in both serointensity of Tg IgG and DNA between patients with schizophrenia and controls. These findings have further demonstrated the strong association between the active Tg infection and schizophrenia.
Adolescent
;
Adult
;
Aged
;
Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood
;
Case-Control Studies
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
DNA, Protozoan/*blood
;
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Immunoglobulin G/blood
;
Immunoglobulin M/blood
;
Malaysia
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
;
Schizophrenia/*complications
;
Seroepidemiologic Studies
;
Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification
;
Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology/immunology/*parasitology
;
Young Adult
3.Seropositivity and Serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies and DNA among Patients with Schizophrenia.
Ainsah OMAR ; Osman Che BAKAR ; Nor Fatini ADAM ; Hakim OSMAN ; Arina OSMAN ; Ahmad Hatim SULEIMAN ; Mohd Rizal Abdul MANAF ; Mohd Ikhsan SELAMAT
The Korean Journal of Parasitology 2015;53(1):29-34
The aim of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) IgG, IgM, and DNA among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) were included in this study. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The presence of Tg infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring Tg IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. The serofrequency of Tg IgG antibodies (51.5%, 52/101) and DNA (32.67%, 33/101) among patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than IgG (18.2%, 10/55) and DNA (3.64%, 2/55) of the controls (IgG, P=0.000, OD=4.8, CI=2.2-10.5; DNA, P=0.000, OD=12.9, CI=2.17-10.51). However, the Tg IgM antibody between patients with schizophrenia and controls was not significant (P>0.005). There was no significant difference (P>0.005) in both serointensity of Tg IgG and DNA between patients with schizophrenia and controls. These findings have further demonstrated the strong association between the active Tg infection and schizophrenia.
Adolescent
;
Adult
;
Aged
;
Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood
;
Case-Control Studies
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
DNA, Protozoan/*blood
;
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Immunoglobulin G/blood
;
Immunoglobulin M/blood
;
Malaysia
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
;
Schizophrenia/*complications
;
Seroepidemiologic Studies
;
Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification
;
Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology/immunology/*parasitology
;
Young Adult
4.Bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance patterns in children with urinary tract infection in a Malaysian tertiary hospital
Noor Shafina Mohd Nor ; Nor Azizah Abu ; Mohammad Abdur Rashid ; Faisal Mohd Fadzli ; Mohamad Ikhsan Selamat ; Hafizah Zainuddin ; Anis Siham Zainal Abidin ; Wan Jazilah Wan Ismail ; Raja Khuzaiah Raja Abdul Razak
The Medical Journal of Malaysia 2015;70(3):153-157
SUMMARY
Introduction: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common
bacterial infection affecting children and therefore, prompt
recognition and accurate antimicrobial management are
vital to prevent kidney damage. This study aims to
determine the bacterial pathogens and their patterns of
antimicrobial resistance in children presenting with UTI.
Methods: A retrospective study of 721 cases, involving
children between the ages of 1-day old to 13 years old with
culture-proven UTI in Selayang Hospital, Malaysia between
January 2007 and December 2011. The bacterial pathogens
and antibiotic resistance patterns in the total population,
prophylaxis and no prophylaxis groups were studied.
Results: The 3 most common organisms isolated in the total
population were E.Coli (41.6%), Klebsiella spp. (21.2%) and
Enterococcus spp. (11.0%). With regards to the antibiotic
resistance, E.Coli resistance rates to ampicillin, cefuroxime
and gentamicin were 67.7%, 15.3% and 7.3% respectively.
Ampicillin-resistance was also highest in Klebsiella spp.
(84.3%), Enterococcus spp. (15.5%) and Proteus spp.
(55.5%).
Conclusion: E.coli remains to be the leading bacterial
pathogen causing UTI in children, with ampicillin-resistance
occurring in more than half of these cases. Therefore,
accurate choice of antibiotics is important to ensure optimal
outcome. In our study, cefuroxime and gentamicin have
lower antibiotic resistance rates and can be used in the
treatment of UTI in children.
Urinary Tract Infections