Zaini Mohd-Zain

Enhancing learning using music to achieve a balanced brain

Past research has shown that a balanced brain induces healthier living. Balanced brainwaves helps to enhance critical learning (left brain) and creativity (right brain) therefore, it is assumed that productivity is maximized by those who use both sides of their brains. This paper presents the outcome of a preliminary research that explores the potential of using music to enhance learning by inducing human subjects to use both sides of their brains. An earlier preliminary research in comparing brainwave activity had shown that the left side of the brainwaves is more dominant in engineering students. This research aims to explore if music will help enhance the learning abilities of engineering students by balancing their left and right brainwaves. Live violin music was exposed to an engineering student. The students brainwave activities during exposure to the music were recorded using an Electroencephalogram (EEG) machine. Preliminary results indicated that the subjects left and right brain, especially in Alpha band, was balanced while listening to the music. Future studies will look in detail as to on how violin music, in terms of power and frequency of sound waves, can induce and enhance learning.

Pentaplex PCR Assay for Detection of Hemorrhagic Bacteria from Stool Samples

ABSTRACT Diarrheal diseases cause illness and death among children younger than 10 years in developing countries. Conventional testing for the detection of hemorrhagic bacteria takes 2 to 5 days to yield complete information on the organism and its antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Hence, in the present study, we developed a molecular-based diagnostic assay that identifies common hemorrhagic bacteria in stool samples. A set of specific primers were designed for the detection of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), and Campylobacter spp., suitable for use in a one-tube PCR assay. The assay in the present study simultaneously detected five genes, namely, ompC for the Salmonella genus, virA for the Shigella genus, eaeA for EHEC, 16S rRNA for the Campylobacter genus, and hemA for an internal control. Specific primer pairs were successfully designed and simultaneously amplified the targeted genes. Validation with 20 Gram-negative and 17 Gram-positive strains yielded 100% specificity. The limit of detection of the multiplex PCR assay was 1 × 103 CFU at the bacterial cell level and 100 pg at the genomic DNA level. Further evaluation of the multiplex PCR with 223 bacterium-spiked stool specimens revealed 100% sensitivity and specificity. We conclude that the developed multiplex PCR assay was rapid, giving results within 4 h, which is essential for the identification of hemorrhagic bacteria, and it might be useful as an additional diagnostic tool whenever time is important in the diagnosis of hemorrhagic bacteria that cause diarrhea. In addition, the presence of an internal control in the multiplex PCR assay is important for excluding false-negative cases.

Violinists Playing with and without Music Notation: Investigating Hemispheric Brainwave Activity

Music has been known to improve learning and cognition. The ways in which musicians think and perform have increasingly become subjects of interest to scientists particularly in light of advances in neuroscience research. This study examines the brainwave activity of a group of violinists as they perform. Using electroencephalography (EEG), the left and right brainwaves of the musicians were recorded when they played a piece of music by first reading the score and then without reading the score. The results indicated that playing with music notation enhances left brain activity while playing without music notation enhances right brain activity. In addition, alpha brainwaves increased significantly on the right side of the brain when the violinist plays with and without score.

Phylogenetic relationship of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae isolated in Malaysia

The epidemiology of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) remains poorly understood. We therefore sought to determine the genetic relationship of 25 NTHi isolated from various states in Malaysia using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The majority of isolates were obtained from sputum. There were 24 novel sequence types (STs). Eight isolates were single-locus variants, the remainder being singletons. Clustering was not based on clinical site of isolation or geographical origin. Despite the limited number of isolates examined in this study, we demonstrate that NTHi isolates in Malaysia are diverse and warrant further investigation.

The Effects of Mobile Phone Electromagneticradiation on Staphylococcus aureus: A Preliminary Investigation

Due to the concern of the negative effects on human health caused by excessive use of mobile phones, numerous research have been undertaken in this area. The effect of mobile phone generated electromagnetic fields (EMF) and Radio Frequency (RF) radiation is a popular research area. A brief overview of mobile phone generated EMF and its effect on humans is presented in this paper. Subsequently, a result of a preliminary experiment that investigates the effects of EMF generated by mobile phones on bacteria that exist in human ears is discussed. The bacterium is Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a normal flora that exists in the external auditory canal (EAC). The preliminary study presented herewith investigates the growth of S. aureus when exposed to EMF produced by a GSM 900 MHz mobile phone (LG KG285 model) with peak power in the range of 0.1 to 2.0 watts. The exposure period was varied and the amount of growth was monitored by observing the number of colony forming units on solid agar medium. The preliminary results indicate that the growth of S. aureus was inhibited when it was exposed to the mobile phone generated electromagnetic fields.