Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 433 in total

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  1. Borhanuddin B, Mohd Nawi A, Shah SA, Abdullah N, Syed Zakaria SZ, Kamaruddin MA, et al.
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2018;2018:2979206.
    PMID: 30111990 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2979206
    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) leads to high morbidity and mortality rate worldwide. Therefore, it is important to determine the risk of CVD across the sociodemographic factors to strategize preventive measures. The current study consisted of 53,122 adults between the ages of 35 and 65 years from The Malaysian Cohort project during recruitment phase from year 2006 to year 2012. Sociodemographic profile and physical activity level were assessed via self-reported questionnaire, whereas relevant CVD-related biomarkers and biophysical variables were measured to determine the Framingham Risk Score (FRS). The main outcome was the 10-year risk of CVD via FRS calculated based on lipid profile and body mass index (BMI) associated formulae. The BMI-based formula yielded a higher estimation of 10-year CVD risk than the lipid profile-based formula in the study for both males (median = 13.2% and 12.7%, respectively) and females (median = 4.3% and 4.2%, respectively). The subgroup with the highest risk for 10-year CVD events (based on both FRS formulae) was the Malay males who have lower education level and low physical activity level. Future strategies for the reduction of CVD risk should focus on screening via BMI-based FRS in this at-risk subpopulation to increase the cost-effectiveness of the prevention initiatives.
    Study name: The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) project
  2. Abdullah N, Lo KM, Tajuddin HA, Tee JT, Ng SW
    PMID: 21581455 DOI: 10.1107/S1600536808039858
    In the title Schiff base compound, C(23)H(30)N(2)O(2), the complete mol-ecule is generated by crystallographic twofold symmetry, with one C atom lying on the rotation axis. The nonane chain adopts a linear conformation and the hydr-oxy group forms an intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond to the imine group.
  3. Tee JT, Abdullah N, Khaledi H
    PMID: 22219980 DOI: 10.1107/S1600536811041614
    The title compound, C(34)H(52)N(2)O(2), is centrosymmetric, the mid-point of the central C-C bond being located on an inversion centre. Intra-molecular O-H⋯N and weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds are observed, but no significant inter-molecular inter-actions occur in the crystal structure.
  4. Chan XH, Sabaratnam V, Abdullah N, Phan CW
    Int J Med Mushrooms, 2020;22(6):521-534.
    PMID: 32865894 DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2020035031
    The research field of culinary and medicinal mushrooms has been well developed since the first relevant publication in 1966. However, to date, there has been no bibliometric analysis published specifically for this field. This study aimed to assess the most influential publications as well as the research trends and important drivers in the field of culinary and medicinal mushrooms. Scopus was used to identify relevant publications and the 1000 most-cited publications were identified and analyzed. Bradford's law of scattering shows one-third of the papers were published in 14 core journals, with a total of 102 papers published in International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. There is an insignificant negative correlation (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = -0.355) between the journal impact factor and publication count. VOSviewer was used to generate a country network. China represents Asia's research center in this field, having contributed 20% of the 1000 most-cited publications. A term map was also created to visualize the co-occurrence of key terms in the domain. Different biological activities such as antioxidant and antitumor properties of mushrooms appeared to be a recurring topic in this field. Wasser (2003) showed the highest citation count (n = 1282), which is almost double the second most-cited publication (n = 611). There is a weak positive correlation (r = +0.237) between the years since publication and total citation count. In conclusion, this bibliometric study will assist researchers to comprehend the current status of the research on culinary and medicinal mushrooms, and to visualize the future impact of such an important field.
  5. Abu Bakar FI, Abu Bakar MF, Abdullah N, Endrini S, Rahmat A
    Adv Pharmacol Sci, 2018;2018:8603602.
    PMID: 30123256 DOI: 10.1155/2018/8603602
    This article aims to provide detailed information on Malaysian plants used for treating inflammation. An extensive search on electronic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ScienceDirect and conference papers was done to find relevant articles on anti-inflammatory activity of Malaysian medicinal plants. The keyword search terms used were "inflammation," "Malaysia," "medicinal plants," "mechanisms," "in vitro," and "in vivo." As a result, 96 articles on anti-inflammatory activity of Malaysian medicinal plants were found and further reviewed. Forty-six (46) plants (in vitro) and 30 plants (in vivo) have been identified to possess anti-inflammatory activity where two plants, Melicope ptelefolia (Tenggek burung) and Portulaca oleracea (Gelang pasir), were reported to have the strongest anti-inflammatory activity of more than 90% at a concentration of 250 µg/ml. It was showed that the activity was mainly due to the occurrence of diverse naturally occurring phytochemicals from diverse groups such as flavonoids, coumarins, alkaloids, steroids, benzophenone, triterpenoids, curcuminoids, and cinnamic acid. Hence, this current review is a detailed discussion on the potential of Malaysian medicinal plants as an anti-inflammatory agent from the previous studies. However, further investigation on the possible underlying mechanisms and isolation of active compounds still remains to be investigated.
  6. Nurazzi NM, Asyraf MRM, Athiyah SF, Shazleen SS, Rafiqah SA, Harussani MM, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Jun 30;13(13).
    PMID: 34209030 DOI: 10.3390/polym13132170
    In the field of hybrid natural fiber polymer composites, there has been a recent surge in research and innovation for structural applications. To expand the strengths and applications of this category of materials, significant effort was put into improving their mechanical properties. Hybridization is a designed technique for fiber-reinforced composite materials that involves combining two or more fibers of different groups within a single matrix to manipulate the desired properties. They may be made from a mix of natural and synthetic fibers, synthetic and synthetic fibers, or natural fiber and carbonaceous materials. Owing to their diverse properties, hybrid natural fiber composite materials are manufactured from a variety of materials, including rubber, elastomer, metal, ceramics, glasses, and plants, which come in composite, sandwich laminate, lattice, and segmented shapes. Hybrid composites have a wide range of uses, including in aerospace interiors, naval, civil building, industrial, and sporting goods. This study intends to provide a summary of the factors that contribute to natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites' mechanical and structural failure as well as overview the details and developments that have been achieved with the composites.
  7. Nurazzi NM, Asyraf MRM, Khalina A, Abdullah N, Aisyah HA, Rafiqah SA, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Feb 22;13(4).
    PMID: 33671599 DOI: 10.3390/polym13040646
    Even though natural fiber reinforced polymer composites (NFRPCs) have been widely used in automotive and building industries, there is still a room to promote them to high-level structural applications such as primary structural component specifically for bullet proof and ballistic applications. The promising performance of Kevlar fabrics and aramid had widely implemented in numerous ballistic and bullet proof applications including for bullet proof helmets, vest, and other armor parts provides an acceptable range of protection to soldiers. However, disposal of used Kevlar products would affect the disruption of the ecosystem and pollutes the environment. Replacing the current Kevlar fabric and aramid in the protective equipment with natural fibers with enhanced kinetic energy absorption and dissipation has been significant effort to upgrade the ballistic performance of the composite structure with green and renewable resources. The vast availability, low cost and ease of manufacturing of natural fibers have grasped the attention of researchers around the globe in order to study them in heavy armory equipment and high durable products. The possibility in enhancement of natural fiber's mechanical properties has led the extension of research studies toward the application of NFRPCs for structural and ballistic applications. Hence, this article established a state-of-the-art review on the influence of utilizing various natural fibers as an alternative material to Kevlar fabric for armor structure system. The article also focuses on the effect of layering and sequencing of natural fiber fabric in the composites to advance the current armor structure system.
  8. Abdullah N, Kueh YC, Kuan G, Yahaya FH, Lee YY
    Malays J Med Sci, 2022 Dec;29(6):77-88.
    PMID: 36818903 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2022.29.6.8
    BACKGROUND: Abdominal bloating (AB) is a common medical complaint known to diminish patients' quality of life. However, lifestyle and behavioural changes could mitigate its expression and severity. This study sought to explore the health beliefs, intentions and health-promoting behaviours among people with AB in Kelantan, Malaysia.

    METHODS: The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was employed to explore the factors that influence the management of adults with AB, namely health beliefs and intentions. An interview guide was developed by adapting the TPB and the findings of prior studies concerning the factors associated with AB management. All eligible participants took part in in-depth interviews.

    RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 32.5 years old (standard deviation [SD] = 14.19 years old) and the majority of participants were female (58.3%). The themes and sub-themes that emerged following the application of the TPB framework represented the qualitative results of this study, which indicated that the health beliefs, intentions and health-promoting behaviours observed among people with AB were closely related.

    CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that the adoption of a healthy lifestyle could be an effective means of improving AB. Thus, it is vital to implement a health education programme that promotes health-related beliefs and intentions in order to trigger health-promoting behaviour among people with AB.

  9. Mustafa AN, Gessner BD, Ismail R, Yusoff AF, Abdullah N, Ishak I, et al.
    Int J Infect Dis, 2003 Sep;7(3):210-4.
    PMID: 14563225
    To determine influenza vaccine effectiveness against clinically defined influenza-like illness among Malaysian pilgrims attending the Haj in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Hadi MA, Kamaruljan HS, Saedah A, Abdullah NM
    Med J Malaysia, 2006 Dec;61(5):570-6.
    PMID: 17623958
    The success of major surgery depends partly on providing effective post-operative pain relief, which can be commonly achieved by morphine administration via patient- controlled analgesic (PCA) system. Alternatively, tramadol which is a weak opioid analgesic, can be used for post operative pain relief. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous PCA tramadol in comparison with PCA morphine in term of analgesic properties, sedation and side effects. A randomized, double-blinded study was conducted on 160 ASA I and II patients who underwent major operations. Eighty of them received a loading dose of intravenous morphine 0.1 mg/kg followed by PCA morphine bolus of 1 mg (1 mg/ml) as required, while the other 80 patients received a loading dose of 2.5 mg/kg of intravenous tramadol followed by PCA infusion of 10 mg (10 mg/ml) as required. Patients were monitored for pain, sedation and side effects as well as respiratory rate, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, blood pressure and pulse rate. Patients were evaluated 30 minutes, 4 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours post operation. There were no differences in the demographic data between the two groups (p > 0.05). The overall mean pain score in tramadol group was 0.70 +/- 0.60 as compared to 0.75 +/- 0.67 for morphine group. The mean pain score for tramadol and morphine groups at 30 minutes, 4 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours post operation were 1.32 +/- 0.79, 104 +/- 0.79, 0.35 +/- 0.48, 0.09 +/- 0.33 and 1.35 +/- 0.99, 1.14 +/- 0.81, 0.40 +/- 0.54, 0.10 +/- 0.34 respectively. The overall mean sedation score in tramadol and morphine group was 0.39 +/- 0.44 as compared to 0.35 +/- 0.43 for morphine group. The mean sedation score for tramadol and morphine group at 30 minutes, 4 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours post operation were 0.90 +/- 0.74, 0.56 +/- 0.59, 0.075 +/- 0.27, 0.025 +/- 0.16 and 0.84 +/- 0.70, 0.46 +/- 0.64, 0.08 +/- 0.27, 0.01 +/- 0.11 respectively. There was no significant difference in the overall mean pain and sedation score between the two groups as well as for each duration assessed (p > 0.05). There were also no significant differences between the two groups with regard to the blood pressure and heart rate. The incidence of nausea, vomiting and pruritus were the same in the two groups. This study indicates that PCA tramadol is as equally effective as PCA morphine control following major surgery. The incidences of sedation, nausea or pruritus were the same in the two groups.
  11. Sharma S, Abdullah N
    Singapore Med J, 2000 Apr;41(4):147-50.
    PMID: 11063177
    Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving one hundred ASA I-II patients undergoing major gynaecological surgery.
  12. Tumin M, Abdul Talib Abdul Mutalib M, Mohd Satar N, Abdullah N, Chong CS, Ng KP, et al.
    Ann. Transplant., 2014;19:112-8.
    PMID: 24584108 DOI: 10.12659/AOT.889490
    Informed consent of prospective donors should include information about the quality of life (QoL) of existing donors, especially those within the relevant country. This study aimed to provide information on Malaysian organ donors' QoL relative to a control group.
  13. Bhuiyan MR, Abdullah J, Hashim N, Al Farid F, Ahsanul Haque M, Uddin J, et al.
    PeerJ Comput Sci, 2022;8:e895.
    PMID: 35494812 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.895
    This research enhances crowd analysis by focusing on excessive crowd analysis and crowd density predictions for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. Crowd analysis usually analyzes the number of objects within an image or a frame in the videos and is regularly solved by estimating the density generated from the object location annotations. However, it suffers from low accuracy when the crowd is far away from the surveillance camera. This research proposes an approach to overcome the problem of estimating crowd density taken by a surveillance camera at a distance. The proposed approach employs a fully convolutional neural network (FCNN)-based method to monitor crowd analysis, especially for the classification of crowd density. This study aims to address the current technological challenges faced in video analysis in a scenario where the movement of large numbers of pilgrims with densities ranging between 7 and 8 per square meter. To address this challenge, this study aims to develop a new dataset based on the Hajj pilgrimage scenario. To validate the proposed method, the proposed model is compared with existing models using existing datasets. The proposed FCNN based method achieved a final accuracy of 100%, 98%, and 98.16% on the proposed dataset, the UCSD dataset, and the JHU-CROWD dataset, respectively. Additionally, The ResNet based method obtained final accuracy of 97%, 89%, and 97% for the proposed dataset, UCSD dataset, and JHU-CROWD dataset, respectively. The proposed Hajj-Crowd-2021 crowd analysis dataset and the model outperformed the other state-of-the-art datasets and models in most cases.
  14. Nami Y, Abdullah N, Haghshenas B, Radiah D, Rosli R, Yari Khosroushahi A
    J Appl Microbiol, 2014 Aug;117(2):498-508.
    PMID: 24775273 DOI: 10.1111/jam.12531
    This study aimed to describe probiotic properties and bio-therapeutic effects of newly isolated Enterococcus faecalis from the human vaginal tract.
  15. Mustapa MA, Yuzir A, Latif AA, Ambran S, Abdullah N
    PMID: 38310743 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.123977
    A rapid, simple, sensitive, and selective point-of-care diagnosis tool kit is vital for detecting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) based on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain. Currently, the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the best technique to detect the disease. Although a good sensitivity has been observed in RT-PCR, the isolation and screening process for high sample volume is limited due to the time-consuming and laborious work. This study introduced a nucleic acid-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor to detect the nucleocapsid gene (N-gene) of SARS-CoV-2. The Raman scattering signal was amplified using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) possessing a rod-like morphology to improve the SERS effect, which was approximately 12-15 nm in diameter and 40-50 nm in length. These nanoparticles were functionalised with the single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) complemented with the N-gene. Furthermore, the study demonstrates method selectivity by strategically testing the same virus genome at different locations. This focused approach showcases the method's capability to discern specific genetic variations, ensuring accuracy in viral detection. A multivariate statistical analysis technique was then applied to analyse the raw SERS spectra data using the principal component analysis (PCA). An acceptable variance amount was demonstrated by the overall variance (82.4 %) for PC1 and PC2, which exceeded the desired value of 80 %. These results successfully revealed the hidden information in the raw SERS spectra data. The outcome suggested a more significant thymine base detection than other nitrogenous bases at wavenumbers 613, 779, 1219, 1345, and 1382 cm-1. Adenine was also less observed at 734 cm-1, and ssDNA-RNA hybridisations were presented in the ketone with amino base SERS bands in 1746, 1815, 1871, and 1971 cm-1 of the fingerprint. Overall, the N-gene could be detected as low as 0.1 nM within 10 mins of incubation time. This approach could be developed as an alternative point-of-care diagnosis tool kit to detect and monitor the COVID-19 disease.
  16. Chen CD, Nazni WA, Lee HL, Hashim R, Abdullah NA, Ramli R, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2014 Jun;31(2):381-6.
    PMID: 25134909 MyJurnal
    This study reported the ant species that were recovered from monkey carcasses in three different ecological habitats in Malaysia. The study was conducted from 9 May - 10 October 2007, 6 May - 6 August 2008 and 26 May - 14 July 2009 in forested area (Gombak, Selangor), coastal area (Tanjong Sepat, Selangor) and highland area (Bukit Cincin, Pahang), respectively. Monkey carcass was used as a model for human decomposition in this study. A total of 4 replicates were used in each of the study sites. Ants were observed to prey on eggs, larvae, pupae and newly emerged flies. This study found that ant species could be found at all stages of decomposition, indicating that ants were not a significant indicator for faunal succession. However, different species of ants were obtained from monkey carcasses placed in different ecological habitats. Cardiocondyla sp. was only found on carcasses placed in the coastal area; while Pheidole longipes, Hypoponera sp. and Pachycondyla sp. were solely found on carcasses placed in the highland area. On the other hand, Pheidologeton diversus and Paratrechina longicornis were found in several ecological habitats. These data suggests that specific ant species can act as geographic indicators for different ecological habitats in forensic entomology cases in Malaysia.
  17. Samsudin NI, Abdullah N
    Mycotoxin Res, 2013 May;29(2):89-96.
    PMID: 23242851 DOI: 10.1007/s12550-012-0154-7
    Red rice is a fermented product of Monascus spp. It is widely consumed by Malaysian Chinese who believe in its pharmacological properties. The traditional method of red rice preparation disregards safety regulation and renders red rice susceptible to fungal infestation and mycotoxin contamination. A preliminary study was undertaken aiming to determine the occurrence of mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins contamination on red rice at consumer level in Selangor, Malaysia. Fifty red rice samples were obtained and subjected to fungal isolation, enumeration, and identification. Citrinin, aflatoxin, and ochratoxin-A were quantitated by ELISA based on the presence of predominant causal fungi. Fungal loads of 1.4 × 10(4) to 2.1 × 10(6) CFU/g exceeded Malaysian limits. Monascus spp. as starter fungi were present in 50 samples (100%), followed by Penicillium chrysogenum (62%), Aspergillus niger (54%), and Aspergillus flavus (44%). Citrinin was present in 100% samples (0.23-20.65 mg/kg), aflatoxin in 92% samples (0.61-77.33 μg/kg) and Ochratoxin-A in 100% samples (0.23-2.48 μg/kg); 100% citrinin and 76.09% aflatoxin exceeded Malaysian limits. The presence of mycotoxigenic fungi served as an indicator of mycotoxins contamination and might imply improper production, handling, transportation, and storage of red rice. Further confirmatory analysis (e.g., HPLC) is required to verify the mycotoxins level in red rice samples and to validate the safety status of red rice.
  18. Dahalan FA, Abdullah N, Yuzir A, Olsson G, Salmiati, Hamdzah M, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2015 Apr;181:291-6.
    PMID: 25661308 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.01.062
    Aerobic granulation is increasingly used in wastewater treatment due to its unique physical properties and microbial functionalities. Granule size defines the physical properties of granules based on biomass accumulation. This study aims to determine the profile of size development under two physicochemical conditions. Two identical bioreactors namely Rnp and Rp were operated under non-phototrophic and phototrophic conditions, respectively. An illustrative scheme was developed to comprehend the mechanism of size development that delineates the granular size throughout the granulation. Observations on granules' size variation have shown that activated sludge revolutionised into the form of aerobic granules through the increase of biomass concentration in bioreactors which also determined the changes of granule size. Both reactors demonstrated that size transformed in a similar trend when tested with and without illumination. Thus, different types of aerobic granules may increase in size in the same way as recommended in the aerobic granule size development scheme.
  19. Nies YH, Ali AM, Abdullah N, Islahudin F, Shah NM
    Patient Prefer Adherence, 2018;12:1955-1964.
    PMID: 30319245 DOI: 10.2147/PPA.S168638
    Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the experiences and side-effects of breast cancer patients on chemotherapy in Malaysia.
    Participants and methods: Purposive sampling of 36 breast cancer patients who have completed chemotherapy and agreed to participate in semi-structured in-depth interviews. A constant comparative method and thematic analysis were used to analyze the interviews.
    Results: Data were categorized into six main themes: know nothing of chemotherapy; fear of chemotherapy; patients' beliefs in alternative treatments; symptom management; staying healthy after chemotherapy; and concerns of patients after chemotherapy.
    Conclusion: Despite complaints about the bad experiences of their chemotherapy-induced side-effects, these patients still managed to complete the entire course of chemotherapy. Moreover, there is a need for a clinical pharmacy service in the oncology clinic setting in Malaysia in order to provide relevant information to help patients understand the chemotherapy received.

    Study site: two tertiary care hospitals in Malaysia as well as the National Cancer Society Malaysia.

  20. Hisham AN, Aina EN
    ANZ J Surg, 2002 Apr;72(4):287-9.
    PMID: 11982518 DOI: 10.1046/j.1445-2197.2002.02372.x
    BACKGROUND: Thyroid surgery is usually performed under general anaesthesia. However, for a selected group of patients, local anaesthesia may be preferable. The aim of this study was to review the authors' experiences with local anaesthesia with regard to the safety and outcome of this approach.
    METHODS: A total of 65 consecutive patients who underwent primary thyroid surgery were accrued prospectively into this study from May to December 1999. A field block with 0.5% bupivacaine and adrenaline in 1:200 000 dilutions was given in all cases. In addition, light sedative and narcotics were given as necessary to achieve patient comfort and cooperation. The pain experienced during surgery was recorded using a visual analogue scoring system on a scale of 1-10.
    RESULTS: Unilateral thyroid resection was performed in 58 patients, isthmectomy in four patients and bilateral thyroid resection in three patients, two of which were in their second trimester of pregnancy diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. There were 55 women and 10 men with an average age of 38.2 years (range: 18-67 years). No conversion to general anaesthetic was needed, and the mean operating time was 80 min. The postoperative recovery was quick with this technique and, of interest, 22 (33.9%) patients were discharged within 6 h following the surgery. Overall 62 (95.4%) patients were discharged in the first 24 h and three (4.6%) patients after 24 h. There were no significant postoperative complications encountered except for wound infection in two (3.1%) patients.
    CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid surgery under local anaesthesia can be performed safely in a selected group of patients. It offers an effective alternative approach to general anaesthesia and is associated with low morbidity and high levels of patient satisfaction.
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