Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 34 in total

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  1. Mohd Rohani MF, Zanial AZ, Suppiah S, Phay Phay K, Mohamed Aslum Khan F, Mohamad Najib FH, et al.
    Nucl Med Commun, 2021 Jan;42(1):9-20.
    PMID: 33165258 DOI: 10.1097/MNM.0000000000001306
    Skeletal whole-body scintigraphy (WBS), although widely used as a sensitive tool for detecting metastatic bone disease in oncology cases, has relatively low specificity. Indeterminate bone lesions (IBLs) detected by WBS cause a diagnostic dilemma, which hampers further management plans. In the advent of hybrid imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) has been gaining popularity as a tool to improve the characterisation of IBLs detected by WBS. As yet, there has not been a systematic review to objectively evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of SPECT/CT in this area. We conducted a systematic review of relevant electronic databases up to 30 August 2020. The outcomes of interest were the reporting of SPECT/CT to identify benign and malignant IBLs and the calculation of the sensitivity and specificity of the index test, based on histopathological examination or clinical and imaging follow-up as the reference standard. After the risk of bias and eligibility assessment, 12 articles were identified and synthesised in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of SPECT/CT for diagnosing IBLs are 93.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91-0.95] and 96.0% (95% CI 0.94-0.97), respectively. There was heterogeneity of the articles due to variable imaging protocols, duration of follow-up and scoring methods for interpreting the SPECT/CT results. The heterogeneity poses a challenge for accurate interpretation of the true diagnostic capability of SPECT/CT. In conclusion, targeted SPECT/CT improves the specificity of diagnosing bone metastases, but efforts need to be made to standardise the thresholds for SPECT/CT, methodology, as well as harmonising the reporting and interpretation criteria. We also make some recommendations for future works.
  2. Vimali E, Senthil Kumar A, Sakthi Vignesh N, Ashokkumar B, Dhakshinamoorthy A, Udayan A, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2022 Jan 07.
    PMID: 35007613 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133477
    Microalgae are the most attractive renewable energy sources for the production of biofuels because of their luxurious growth and lipid accumulation ability in diverse nutritional conditions. In the present study, Desmodesmus sp. VV2, an indigenous microalga, was evaluated for its biodiesel potential using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to improve the lipid accumulation with the combination of nutrients stress NaNO3 starvation, CaCl2 depletion, and supplementation of magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO). Among different stress conditions, 57.6% lipid content was achieved from RSM optimized media. Owing to this, RSM results were also validated by the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with 11 training algorithms and it is found that RSM was more significant. Further, the saturated fatty acid (SFA) content was noticeably increased in RSM optimized media (95.8%) while compared with control and previous reports of other Desmodesmus sp. Further, the highest total FAME content 97.21% was also achieved in cells grown in RSM optimized media. Biodiesel quality parameters were further analyzed and found that they are in accordance with international standards. This study is suggesting that the fatty acid profile of Desmodesmus sp. VV2 attained under optimized media conditions would be suitable for biodiesel production for future energy demand.
  3. Khor GL, Chee WS, Shariff ZM, Poh BK, Arumugam M, Rahman JA, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2011;11:95.
    PMID: 21310082 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-95
    Deficiencies of micronutrients can affect the growth and development of children. There is increasing evidence of vitamin D deficiency world-wide resulting in nutritional rickets in children and osteoporosis in adulthood. Data on the micronutrient status of children in Malaysia is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the anthropometric and micronutrient status of primary school children in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.
  4. Arumugam M, Goh CK, Zainal Z, Triwahyono S, Lee AF, Wilson K, et al.
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2021 Mar 16;11(3).
    PMID: 33809677 DOI: 10.3390/nano11030747
    Solid acid catalyzed cracking of waste oil-derived fatty acids is an attractive route to hydrocarbon fuels. HZSM-5 is an effective acid catalyst for fatty acid cracking; however, its microporous nature is susceptible to rapid deactivation by coking. We report the synthesis and application of hierarchical HZSM-5 (h-HZSM-5) in which silanization of pre-crystallized zeolite seeds is employed to introduce mesoporosity during the aggregation of growing crystallites. The resulting h-HZSM-5 comprises a disordered array of fused 10-20 nm crystallites and mesopores with a mean diameter of 13 nm, which maintain the high surface area and acidity of a conventional HZSM-5. Mesopores increase the yield of diesel range hydrocarbons obtained from oleic acid deoxygenation from ~20% to 65%, attributed to improved acid site accessibility within the hierarchical network.
  5. Abdulmalek E, Arumugam M, Mizan HN, Abdul Rahman MB, Basri M, Salleh AB
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:756418.
    PMID: 24587751 DOI: 10.1155/2014/756418
    Here, we focused on a simple enzymatic epoxidation of alkenes using lipase and phenylacetic acid. The immobilised Candida antarctica lipase B, Novozym 435 was used to catalyse the formation of peroxy acid instantly from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and phenylacetic acid. The peroxy phenylacetic acid generated was then utilised directly for in situ oxidation of alkenes. A variety of alkenes were oxidised with this system, resulting in 75-99% yield of the respective epoxides. On the other hand, the phenylacetic acid was recovered from the reaction media and reused for more epoxidation. Interestingly, the waste phenylacetic acid had the ability to be reused for epoxidation of the 1-nonene to 1-nonene oxide, giving an excellent yield of 90%.
  6. Shaharir SS, Jamil A, Chua SH, Arumugam M, Rosli N
    Dermatol Ther, 2020 11;33(6):e14021.
    PMID: 32677247 DOI: 10.1111/dth.14021
    Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating chronic inflammatory skin disease. Biological therapy has revolutionized it's the treatment. Paradoxical HS occur with various biological and targeted agents. We report a patient with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis who developed HS after 6 months of tofacitinib therapy. A comprehensive literature review identified 43 cases of paradoxical HS among patients on biological and targeted agents. Pooled analysis of the cases showed Crohn's disease 18(41.8%) and RA 9(20.9%) as commonest indications for biological therapy. Adalimumab 20(46.5%) followed by infliximab 9(20.9%) were the commonest offending agents. Duration of biological treatment prior to HS manifestation was 12(1-120) months. Smoking 21(48.8%) and overweight or obese 20(46.5%) were most frequent HS risk factors. Fourteen (32.6%) patients had a second paradoxical event, 11(25.6%) developed psoriasis and 4(9.3%) Crohn's disease. Presence of ≥1 risk factor for HS, continuation of the implicated biological agent and occurrence of more than one paradoxical event were factors associated with poor paradoxical HS outcome.
  7. Arumugam M, Sallehuddin H, Rashdeen FMN
    Indian J Orthop, 2021 Apr;55(2):498.
    PMID: 33939777 DOI: 10.1007/s43465-020-00314-0
    [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s43465-020-00248-7.].
  8. Arumugam M, Sallehuddin H, Rashdeen FMN
    Indian J Orthop, 2021 Apr;55(2):492-497.
    PMID: 33927830 DOI: 10.1007/s43465-020-00248-7
    Background: Trigger wrist is a relatively unusual condition, produced by wrist or finger motion. The various causes of trigger wrist can originate from flexor tendon, extensor tendon, bones, or tumour. A proper clinical approach is required to diagnose and manage patients with trigger wrist.

    Methods: A keyword search was performed across Google Scholar and PubMed. Articles describing trigger wrist conditions were analysed. Based on the information obtain from the articles, the clinical manifestations and approach to diagnosing the cause of trigger wrist is discussed.

    Results: A detailed history alone may lead to a reasonably accurate diagnosis. Patients can present with trigger wrist occurring during movement of the fingers or with wrist movements. Presence of tenderness around A1 pulley suggest trigger finger. Absence of tenderness over the A1 pulley may suggest trigger wrist. The wrist should be examined for any swelling or malunion around the wrist joint. Palpate for any bony prominence, clicking, or crepitus with the movement of the wrist. Examination for the presence of carpal tunnel syndrome should be performed. A simple radiograph of the wrist joint is needed to see any possible bony pathology such as malunion, instability or arthritis of the carpal bone. For soft tissue assessment ultrasound would be a good choice and can be done during finger or wrist movement. MRI is useful for further assessment of space occupying lesion within the carpal tunnel and is useful for surgical planning. Nerve conduction study is indicated for patients with median nerve compression symptoms. During the initial stage, the patient should be advised for activity modification to reduce the wrist and finger movements. Surgical treatment will depend on the causative factor. Surgery done under local anaesthesia has the advantage of reconfirming with the patient, resolution of triggering during surgery by asking the patient to actively move the fingers or wrist.

    Conclusions: Trigger wrist is a relatively rare condition compared with trigger finger, which is the most common disorder of the hand. To avoid inadequate and ineffective treatment of patients with trigger wrist, careful examination and proper diagnosis are vital.

  9. Arumugam M, Manikandan DB, Marimuthu SK, Muthusamy G, Kari ZA, Téllez-Isaías G, et al.
    Antibiotics (Basel), 2023 May 11;12(5).
    PMID: 37237796 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050891
    Aeromonas hydrophila, an opportunistic bacteria, causes several devastating diseases in humans and animals, particularly aquatic species. Antibiotics have been constrained by the rise of antibiotic resistance caused by drug overuse. Therefore, new strategies are required to prevent appropriate antibiotic inability from antibiotic-resistant strains. Aerolysin is essential for A. hydrophila pathogenesis and has been proposed as a potential target for inventing drugs with anti-virulence properties. It is a unique method of disease prevention in fish to block the quorum-sensing mechanism of A. hydrophila. In SEM analysis, the crude solvent extracts of both groundnut shells and black gram pods exhibited a reduction of aerolysin formation and biofilm matrix formation by blocking the QS in A. hydrophila. Morphological changes were identified in the extracts treated bacterial cells. Furthermore, in previous studies, 34 ligands were identified with potential antibacterial metabolites from agricultural wastes, groundnut shells, and black gram pods using a literature survey. Twelve potent metabolites showed interactions between aerolysin and metabolites during molecular docking analysis, in that H-Pyran-4-one-2,3 dihydro-3,5 dihydroxy-6-methyl (-5.3 kcal/mol) and 2-Hexyldecanoic acid (-5.2 kcal/mol) showed promising results with potential hydrogen bond interactions with aerolysin. These metabolites showed a better binding affinity with aerolysin for 100 ns in molecular simulation dynamics. These findings point to a novel strategy for developing drugs using metabolites from agricultural wastes that may be feasible pharmacological solutions for treating A. hydrophila infections for the betterment of aquaculture.
  10. Shariat A, Tamrin SB, Arumugam M, Ramasamy R
    Work, 2016 Mar 09;54(1):171-8.
    PMID: 26967034 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-162269
    BACKGROUND: The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) was developed to assess the level of musculoskeletal discomfort among office workers related to their ergonomic situation.

    OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this initial study is to analyze the validity and dependability of the Malay translation of the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire.

    METHODS: The questionnaire was self-administered two times, with an interval of two weeks in order to evaluate the accuracy of the original findings with a retest. The study involved 115 participants.

    RESULTS: The range of Cronbach Alpha coefficient showed a considerable consistency of the items for each sub-scale (Cronbach's a > 0.95). The range of Kappa coefficients was between (ICC = 0.690-0.949, p M) as the first formal validation of the CMDQ, and confirmed a high reliability and validity for the evaluation of musculoskeletal discomfort among the study population.

  11. Shariat A, Mohd Tamrin SB, Arumugam M, Danaee M, Ramasamy R
    MyJurnal
    Lower back, neck and shoulder pain are the most prevalent musculoskeletal problems affecting office workers worldwide, and they have both personal and socioeconomic consequences as well. Several hypotheses regarding the underlying mechanisms and the maintenance behind office work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been presented. There is some evidence, based on epidemiological studies as well as studies upon smaller groups of subjects, that individuals who sit and work for a long time not only show cognitive impairment at the workplace, but also suffer from poorer and fragmented daytime sleep, in addition to increased risks of developing various psychological, physiological and medical impairments and musculoskeletal disorders. The related physical mechanisms behind musculoskeletal disorders are discussed in the context of new findings. The main causes, as well as varying levels in severity of musculoskeletal disorders,not to mentionthe link between such disorders in the neck, shoulder and lower back regions and physical activity among office workers are also stated. The main objective of this review paper is to conduct a systematic review to identify musculoskeletal disorders and how these disorders are
    correlated with physical activity among office workers. The results of this review indicate that the musculoskeletal disorder is a critical issue among office workers and the main cause is related to the absence of physical activity as well as the subjects’ sedentary lifestyle. As a practical message, regular physical activity can be effective in the prevention and decrease of physical discomfort among office workers who suffer from musculoskeletal pain.
  12. Shariat A, Tamrin SB, Arumugam M, Danaee M, Ramasamy R
    Work, 2016 Jun 8;54(3):753-8.
    PMID: 27286077 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-162313
    The accuracy of instruments such as questionnaires and the goniometer are critical for measuring the severity of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers.
  13. Shariat A, Mohd Tamrin SB, Arumugam M, Danaee M, Ramasamy R
    Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Jul;23(4):54-8.
    PMID: 27660545 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2016.23.4.7
    Pain in specific areas of the body (including the lower back, neck, and shoulders) due to extended periods of sitting and inactivity is the most widespread musculoskeletal disorder worldwide and has consequences that are both socio-economic and personal. This condition is particularly prevalent in industrialised countries, affecting roughly 70% to 80% of adults at some point in their lives; approximately 1% of the U.S. population is chronically disabled by this type of pain disorder. A practical way to reduce the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among office workers would have a significant positive impact. More work is required to develop a package of exercises designed to prevent and treat musculoskeletal pain in office workers. Such a package would be preferable to pharmacological treatments, which can have undesirable side effects. The main objective of this package would be to increase the flexibility and strength of trunk muscles in order to decrease the soreness, pain, and degree of discomfort. In this article, we introduce our proposed package of exercises, which are based on guidelines issued bythe American College of Sports Medicine.
  14. Abdulmalek E, Arumugam M, Basri M, Rahman MB
    Int J Mol Sci, 2012;13(10):13140-9.
    PMID: 23202943 DOI: 10.3390/ijms131013140
    Herein, an efficient epoxidation of 1-nonene is described. In a simple epoxidation system, commercially available Novozym 435, an immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B, and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) were utilized to facilitate the in situ oxidation of phenylacetic acid to the corresponding peroxy acid which then reacted with 1-nonene to give 1-nonene oxide with high yield and selectivity. The aliphatic terminal alkene was epoxidised efficiently in chloroform to give an excellent yield (97%-99%) under the optimum reaction conditions, including temperature (35 °C), initial H(2)O(2) concentration (30%), H(2)O(2) amount (4.4 mmol), H(2)O(2) addition rate (one step), acid amount (8.8 mmol), and stirring speed (250 rpm). Interestingly, the enzyme was stable under the single-step addition of H(2)O(2) with a catalytic activity of 190.0 Ug-1. The entire epoxidation process was carried out within 12 h using a conventional water bath shaker.
  15. Arumugam M, Tahir M, Praserthdam P
    Chemosphere, 2022 Jan;286(Pt 2):131765.
    PMID: 34371351 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131765
    Photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into gaseous hydrocarbon fuels is an auspicious way to produce renewable fuels in addition to greenhouse gas emission mitigation. In this work, non-metals (B, O, P, and S) doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was prepared via solid-state polycondensation of urea for photocatalytic CO2 reduction into highly needed methane (CH4) with water under UV light irradiation. The various physicochemical characterization results reveal the successful incorporation of B, O, P, and S elements in the g-C3N4 matrix. The maximum CH4 yield of 55.10 nmol/(mLH2O.gcat) over S-doped g-C3N4 has been obtained for CO2 reduction after 7 h of irradiation. This amount of CH4 production was 1.9, 1.4, 1.7, and 2.4-folds higher than B, O, P and bare g-C3N4 samples. The doping of S did not enlarge the surface area and photon absorption ability of the g-C3N4 sample, but this significant improvement was evidently due to effective charge separation and migration. The observed results imply that the doping of non-metal elements provides improved charge separation and is an effective way to boost photocatalyst performance. This work offers an auspicious approach to design non-metal doped g-C3N4 photocatalysts for renewable fuel production and would be promising for other energy application.
  16. Santos JS, Fereidooni M, Marquez V, Arumugam M, Tahir M, Praserthdam S, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2022 Feb;289:133170.
    PMID: 34875298 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133170
    This study investigates the facile fabrication of interfacial defects assisted amorphous TiO2 nanotubes arrays (am-TNTA) for promoting gas-phase CO2 photoreduction to methane. The am-TNTA catalyst was fabricated via a one-step synthesis, without heat treatment, by anodization of Titanium in Ethylene glycol-based electrolyte in a shorter anodizing time. The samples presented a TiO2 nanostructured array with a nanotubular diameter of 100 ± 10 nm, a wall thickness of 26 ± 5 nm, and length of 3.7 ± 0.3 μm, resulting in a specific surface of 0.75 m2 g. The am-TNTA presented prolonged chemical stability, a high exposed surface area, and a large number of surface traps that can reduce the recombination of the charge carriers. The am-TNTA showed promising photoactivity when tested in the CO2 reduction reaction with water under UV irradiation with a methane production rate of 14.0 μmol gcat-1 h-1 for a pure TiO2 material without any modification procedure. This enhanced photocatalytic activity can be explained in terms of surface defects of the amorphous structure, mainly OH groups that can act as electron traps for increasing the electron lifetime. The CO2 interacts directly with those traps, forming carbonate species, which favors the catalytic conversion to methane. The am-TNTA also exhibited a high stability during six reaction cycles. The photocatalytic activity, the significantly reduced time for synthesis, and high stability for continuous CH4 production make this nanomaterial a potential candidate for a sustainable CO2 reduction process and can be employed for other energy applications.
  17. Kumar A, Arumugam M, Azuatul N, Noor K
    Rev Bras Ortop (Sao Paulo), 2023 Feb;58(1):164-167.
    PMID: 36969790 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718512
    Congenital knee dislocation (CKD) is a rare malformation characterized by hyperextension deformity of the knee with anterior tibia displacement, present at birth. Rarely reported, CKD might occur as an isolated deformity or commonly associated with musculoskeletal abnormalities, with the most common ones being developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and clubfoot. The etiology is unknown, but CKD has been associated with certain intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Treatment with conservative methods at an early stage is most likely to yield successful results. We report here a rare case of successful spontaneous reduction of CKD in an infant within 24 hours of life.
  18. Booupathy LK, Venkatachalam S, Natarajan N, Thamaraiselvan R, Arumugam M, Maruthaiveeran Periyasamy B
    J Food Drug Anal, 2016 Jan;24(1):206-213.
    PMID: 28911405 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfda.2015.07.003
    Colon cancer remains as a serious health problem around the world despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. Dietary fibers are considered to reduce the risk of colon cancer as they are converted to short chain fatty acids by the presence of anaerobic bacteria in the intestine, but imbalanced diet and high fat consumption may promote tumor formation at different sites, including the large bowel via increased bacterial enzymes activity. The present study was conducted to characterize the inhibitory action of myrtenal on bacterial enzymes and aberrant crypt foci (ACF). Experimental colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine is histologically, morphologically, and anatomically similar to human colonic epithelial neoplasm. Discrete microscopic mucosal lesions such as ACF and malignant tumors function as important biomarkers in the diagnosis of colon cancer. Methylene blue staining was carried out to visualize the impact of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine and myrtenal. Myrtenal-treated animals showed decreased levels of bacterial enzymes such as β-glucuronidase, β-glucosidase, and mucinase. Characteristic changes in the colon were noticed by inhibiting ACF formation in the colon. In conclusion, treatment with myrtenal provided altered pathophysiological condition in colon cancer-bearing animals with evidence of decreased crypt multiplicity and tumor progression.
  19. Foo CN, Arumugam M, Lekhraj R, Lye MS, Mohd-Sidik S, Jamil Osman Z
    PMID: 32858791 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176179
    BACKGROUND: Psychosocial interventions for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee to reduce pain and improve physical and psychological functioning are still lacking in Malaysia.

    METHODS: A parallel-group unblinded randomized controlled trial involving 300 patients was conducted in two hospital orthopedics clinics in Malaysia. Patients were randomly assigned to receive cognitive behavioral-based group therapy (n = 150) or no further intervention (n = 150). The primary outcome was the change from baseline in knee pain as determined by the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at 6 months. The data collected were analyzed by covariate-adjusted mixed design repeated measures analysis of variance. All analyses were performed under the terms of intention-to-treat.

    RESULTS: At 6 months, mean change from baseline in the KOOS knee pain score was 0.6 points (95% CI -1.73 to 2.94) in the control group and 8.9 points (95% CI 6.62 to 11.23) (denoting less knee pain intensity) in the intervention group (significant treatment effect p < 0.0001). Patients treated with such an approach also experienced significant improvement in functional ability when performing activities of daily living and had improved ability to cope with depression, anxiety and pain catastrophizing.

    CONCLUSION: The intervention module delivered by healthcare professionals had a sustained effect on knee OA pain and functionality over 6 months, thereby leading to an overall improvement in psychological well-being, thus benefitting most of the Malaysian knee OA patients.

  20. Arumugam M, Leelavathi M, Harun NL, Jamil A
    Med J Malaysia, 2021 07;76(4):583-584.
    PMID: 34305124
    Cutaneous sporotrichosis (CS) presents as asymptomatic lesions of varied morphology. The most common variant is the lymphocutaneous type which typically progresses from a papule to an ulcer and then forms nodules along the superficial lymphatic channels. Diagnosis CS may be challenging when the lesion presents at an uncommon site where the superficial lymphatic drainage is unfamiliar. We present here a case of sporotrichosis of the abdominal wall which was initially misdiagnosed as an abscess but later confirmed by culture and managed successfully.
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