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Dietary pattern and oral cancer risk--a factor analysis study

Helen-Ng LC, Razak IA, Ghani WM, Marhazlinda J, Norain AT, Raja Jallaludin RL, et al.

Community Dent Oral Epidemiol, 2012 Dec;40(6):560-6.
PMID: 22679921 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0528.2012.00704.x

The role of diet in cancer risk has mainly been investigated based on intake of individual food items. However, food consumption is made up of a combination of various food items. This study aims to determine the association of dietary patterns with oral cancer risk.
Fulltext Factors affecting commencement and cessation of betel quid chewing behaviour in Malaysian adults

Ghani WM, Razak IA, Yang YH, Talib NA, Ikeda N, Axell T, et al.

BMC Public Health, 2011;11:82.
PMID: 21294919 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-82

Betel quid chewing is a common habit widely practiced in Southern Asian populations. However, variations are seen in the content of a betel quid across the different countries. Factors associated with commencement and cessation of this habit has been numerously studied. Unfortunately, data on Malaysian population is non-existent. This study aims to determine the factors associated with the inception and also cessation of betel quid chewing behaviour among Malaysian adults.
The Effectiveness of Tuberculosis Education Programme in Kelantan, Malaysia on Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Stigma Towards Tuberculosis among Adolescents

Idris NA, Zakaria R, Muhamad R, Nik Husain NR, Ishak A, Wan Mohammad WMZ

Malays J Med Sci, 2020 Dec;27(6):102-114.
PMID: 33447138 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2020.27.6.10

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is contagious and the transmission risk is high in congregate settings like school. Incidence of TB among adolescents is significantly high hence an education programme was developed to improve knowledge, attitude, practice and stigma (KAPS) among them.
Methods: This school-based, non-randomised controlled study was conducted among secondary school students with a total of 236 respondents. The KAPS score were assessed before and 1 month after using self-administered validated KAPS questionnaire on TB. Analysis was done using repeated measures ANOVA.
Results: The mean percentage score (SD) for baseline knowledge, attitude, practice and stigma score for the respondents were 54.0 (4.48), 65.6 (1.74), 70.0 (1.43) and 66.0 (6.88), respectively. There was a significant difference (P < 0.001) in the knowledge and stigma score for intervention group compared to control group, adjusted for gender, ethnicity and smoking status 4 weeks post-TB educational programme. However, with regards to attitude and practice score, there was no significant difference (P = 0.210 and P = 0.243, respectively).
Conclusion: TB education programme was effective in improving knowledge and stigma related to TB. This health education programme can be used as one of the strategies for the prevention and control of TB in schools.
Fulltext Yaws: The forgotten tropical skin disease

Md Alwi N, Muhamad R, Ishak A, Wan Abdullah WNH

Malays Fam Physician, 2021 Nov 30;16(3):104-107.
PMID: 34938399 DOI: 10.51866/cr1275

Yaws is a rare skin disease endemic to tropical countries caused by Treponema pertenue. It is highly infectious and spreads through physical contact. In Malaysia, it was presumably eradicated during the 1960s, with the last reported case published in 1985. Due to its rarity, the disease often goes unrecognised and misdiagnosed. Here, we report the case of a 5-year-old aboriginal boy diagnosed with secondary yaws who presented with fever and an incidental finding of chronic painless ulcerated nodules and plaques on his lower limbs and gluteal region. His diagnosis was confirmed serologically with a venereal disease research laboratory lab test and he was successfully treated with a single dose of intramuscular benzathine penicillin G. Primary care physicians should not ignore this disease since its early recognition and appropriate treatment is vital to its eradication, especially in high-risk communities.
Fulltext Young Lady with Bilateral Yellowish Lesions on Her Eyelids

Ishak A, Mohd Yusoff SS, Wan Abdullah W

Malays Fam Physician, 2018;13(3):44-46.
PMID: 30800235 MyJurnal

A 26-year-old woman with an unknown medical illness presented with yellowish skin lesions around both eyes, visible for the past 4 years. The lesions were neither itchy nor tender and had increased gradually in size. She had neither constitutional nor hyperthyroidism symptoms. She is the youngest out of four siblings, and none of her family members have cardiovascular disease or similar problems. Upon examination, there were bilateral yellowish plaques over the periorbital region. Her body mass index (BMI) was 23.8 kg/m2. Her vital signs were all normal at every visit.
Phytochemical quantification and HPLC analysis of Parkia speciosa pod extract

Cheong NDH, Mohamed E, Haron N, Camalxaman SN, Abdullah A, Mohamad Yusof MI, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2024 Mar;79(Suppl 1):34-39.
PMID: 38555883

INTRODUCTION: Parkia speciosa Hassk., commonly known as bitter bean or twisted cluster bean, is a tropical leguminous plant species native to Southeast Asia. The plant's edible pods have been traditionally used in various cuisines, particularly in Malaysian, Thai, and Indonesian cooking. Apart from being used as a food ingredient, the pods of P. speciosa also have a range of potential applications in other fields, including medicine, agriculture, and industry. The pods are said to have several phytochemicals that hold great therapeutic values such as reducing inflammation, improving digestion, and lowering blood sugar levels. However, there is limited information on the specific phytochemical contents of the pods in the literature. Thus, the aim of this study is to quantify the total phenolic and flavonoid compounds and to determine the concentrations of four selected phytochemical compounds in the P. speciosa pod extract (PSPE).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantification of the total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) in PSPE were done via colourimetric methods; and the determination of the concentrations of four specific phytochemicals (gallic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, and quercetin) were done via High- Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
RESULTS: Colourimetric determination of PSPE showed TPC and TFC values of 84.53±9.40 mg GAE/g and 11.96±4.51 mg QE/g, respectively. Additional analysis of the phytochemicals using HPLC revealed that there were 6.45±3.36 g/kg, 5.91±1.07 g/kg, 0.39±0.84 g/kg, and 0.19±0.47 g/kg of caffeic acid, gallic acid, rutin, and quercetin, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The findings show that PSPE contains substantial amounts of caffeic acid, gallic acid, rutin, and quercetin, which may indicate its potential as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-lipid, and antiviral medicines.
Needlestick injuries among Malaysian healthcare workers

Ishak AS, Haque MS, Sadhra SS

Occup Med (Lond), 2019 Apr 13;69(2):99-105.
PMID: 30295884 DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqy129

BACKGROUND: Needlestick injury (NSI) is a significant occupational health issue among healthcare workers (HCWs).
AIMS: To determine the national self-reported incidence and risk factors for NSI among Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) HCWs.
METHODS: Using data from the MOH national sharps injury surveillance programme, information on reported NSIs over a 1-year period (2016) for different HCW subgroups were extracted and analysed.
RESULTS: A total of 1234 NSI cases were reported in 2016, giving an overall incidence of 6 injuries per 1000 HCWs. Medical doctors recorded the highest incidence (21.1 per 1000 HCWs) followed by dental staff (7.5), pharmacy staff (4.2), nurses (3.7), medical assistants (3.4) and allied and auxiliary staff (1.0). Doctors had significantly increased risk of NSI compared with allied and auxiliary staff (relative risk [RR] = 20.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.5-27.5), medical assistants (RR = 6.1, 95% CI 4.5-8.2), nurses (RR = 5.7, 95% CI 5.0-6.6), pharmacy staff (RR = 5.0, 95% CI 3.7-6.6) and dental staff (RR = 2.8, 95% CI 2.2-3.5). Significant differences were found in age and sharps- handling experience between occupational subgroups (P < 0.001 for both variables). Male employees had higher risk than females (RR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.18-1.50), with a significant difference seen in their sharps-handling experience (P < 0.01). Important risk factors included unsafe practices such as recapping of needles and their improper disposal.
CONCLUSIONS: The national incidence of NSI amongst Malaysian HCWs was lower compared with other countries, but unsafe practices remain an important concern. There is a need to formulate, implement and monitor safe and consistent practices for the different healthcare professionals.
Malaysian dental graduates' competence in holistic care: what do graduates and employers think?

Yusof ZY, Jaafar N, Jallaludin RL, Abu-Hassan MI, Razak IA

J Dent Educ, 2010 Dec;74(12):1380-7.
PMID: 21123505

The purpose of this study was to explore the University of Malaya (UM) dental graduates' competence in holistic care in real settings from the employers' and graduates' perspectives. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of ten domains was sent to thirty senior dental officers of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and 164 UM graduates. In this article, nineteen major competencies that best represent the graduates' competence in the provision of holistic care are discussed. Each competency was rated on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 4 (very good) and was categorized as "poor and of major concern" (if less than 60 percent of respondents scored good or very good), "satisfactory and of minor concern" (60-69 percent), or "excellent" (70 percent and above). One hundred and six out of 164 graduates (64.6 percent) and twenty-nine out of thirty employers (96.7 percent) responded. Overall, the employers rated the graduates lower than what the graduates rated themselves on all items. While the graduates felt they were excellent and satisfactory in sixteen out of nineteen items (84.2 percent), the employers felt they were poor in fourteen out of nineteen (73.7 percent). Both groups agreed that the graduates were excellent in communication, but poor in life-saving skills, obtaining patient's family and psychosocial histories, and recognizing signs and symptoms (not intraoral) indicating the presence of a systemic disease. In conclusion, although the graduates felt competent in the majority of the holistic care competencies, the employers had some reservations over such claims. Outcomes of the study led to recommendations to incorporate longer community-based learning hours, an improved behavioral science component, a module for special care patients, and multidepartmental collaborative teachings in the new integrated program aimed for implementation in 2011.
Fulltext Percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting among patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Jaiswal V, Ang SP, Shrestha AB, Joshi A, Ishak A, Chia JE, et al.

Ann Med Surg (Lond), 2023 Jun;85(6):2849-2857.
PMID: 37363575 DOI: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000000634

Current guidelines have shown the superiority of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) over medical therapy. However, there is a paucity of data evaluating the optimal revascularization strategy in patients with ischemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD).
OBJECTIVE: The authors aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of postpercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and CABG among patients with LVSD.
METHODS: The authors performed a systematic literature search using the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Libraries for relevant articles from inception until 30 November 2022. Outcomes were reported as pooled odds ratio (OR), and their corresponding 95% CI using STATA (version 17.0, StataCorp).
RESULTS: A total of 10 studies with 13 324 patients were included in the analysis. The mean age of patients in PCI was 65.3 years, and 64.1 years in the CABG group. The most common comorbidities included: HTN (80 vs. 78%) and DM (49.2 vs. 49%). The mean follow-up duration was 3.75 years. Compared with CABG, the PCI group had higher odds of all-cause mortality (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.31, P=0.03), repeat revascularization (OR 3.57, 95% CI 2.56-4.97, P<0.001), MI (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.01-3.86, P=0.048) while the incidence of cardiovascular mortality (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.98-1.55, P=0.07), stroke (OR 0.73 95% CI: 0.51-1.04, P=0.08), major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (OR 1.36, 95% CI 0.99-1.87, P=0.06), and ventricular tachycardia (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.22-2.86, P=0.72) was comparable between both the procedures.
CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that CABG is superior to PCI for patients with LVSD. CABG was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, repeat revascularization, and incidence of myocardial infarction compared with PCI in patients with LVSD.
Fulltext Identification of psychosocial factors of noncompliance in hypertensive patients

Hassan NB, Hasanah CI, Foong K, Naing L, Awang R, Ismail SB, et al.

J Hum Hypertens, 2006 Jan;20(1):23-9.
PMID: 16177812 DOI: 10.1038/sj.jhh.1001930

This cross-sectional study was aimed to identify the predictors of medication noncompliance in hypertensive patients. The study was conducted at the Family Medicine Clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia, which is a university-based teaching hospital. All hypertensive patients aged 40 or over-registered from January to June 2004, who had been on treatment for at least 3 months, were screened. Previously validated self-administered questionnaires were used to assess the compliance and psychosocial factors. A total of 240 hypertensive patients were recruited in the study. Of these, 55.8% were noncompliant to medication. Logistic regression showed that age (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 0.96; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92-0.997; P: 0.035), patient satisfaction (adjusted OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.93-0.998; P: 0.036) and medication barrier (adjusted OR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.91-0.987; P: 0.009) were significant predictors of medication noncompliance. Therefore, younger age, poor patient satisfaction and medication barrier were identified as independent psychosocial predictors of medication noncompliant in hypertensive patients.
A case study on the source apportionment of indoor air quality at a kindergarten in eastern Peninsular Malaysia using cluster analysis

Sidek SS, Yatim SRM, Abdullah S, Shafie FA, Ishak AR, Dom NC, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2024 Mar;79(Suppl 1):104-109.
PMID: 38555893

BACKGROUND: Indoor air quality is an important concern for kindergartener because young children are more vulnerable to the effects of poor air quality. Poor indoor air quality can cause respiratory problems and other health issues, which can negatively affect a child's ability to learn and grow. Aim of this study is to determine the trend and status of indoor air pollutants in study areas by using descriptive statistics and cluster analysis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Air temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), air movement (AM), carbon dioxide (CO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), and particulate matter (PM) are the monitored parameters. Monitoring was carried out in the kindergarten for three consecutive days starting from 8.00am to 12.00pm.
RESULTS: Indoor carbon dioxide readings were higher at 0800 when parents drove to kindergarten to drop off their children without turning off the engine. In addition to this, the PM10 reading at 1000 was high but still within the standard range according to ICOP-IAQ 2010.
CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the importance of indoor air quality improvement measures for kindergarten buildings which can be used to improve indoor air quality in kindergarten environments.
Fulltext MHD Stagnation-Point Flow and Heat Transfer with Effects of Viscous Dissipation, Joule Heating and Partial Velocity Slip

Yasin MH, Ishak A, Pop I

Sci Rep, 2015;5:17848.
PMID: 26647651 DOI: 10.1038/srep17848

The steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow and heat transfer past a permeable stretching/shrinking sheet with effects of viscous dissipation, Joule heating and partial velocity slip in the presence of a magnetic field is investigated. The partial differential equations are reduced to nonlinear ordinary differential equations by using a similarity transformation, before being solved numerically by shooting technique. Results indicate that the skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number increase as magnetic parameter increases. It is found that for the stretching sheet the solution is unique while for the shrinking sheet there exist nonunique solutions (dual solutions) in certain range of parameters. The stability analysis shows that the upper branch solution is stable while the lower branch solution is unstable.
Fulltext Flow past a permeable stretching/shrinking sheet in a nanofluid using two-phase model

Zaimi K, Ishak A, Pop I

PLoS One, 2014;9(11):e111743.
PMID: 25365118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111743

The steady two-dimensional flow and heat transfer over a stretching/shrinking sheet in a nanofluid is investigated using Buongiorno's nanofluid model. Different from the previously published papers, in the present study we consider the case when the nanofluid particle fraction on the boundary is passively rather than actively controlled, which make the model more physically realistic. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into nonlinear ordinary differential equations by a similarity transformation, before being solved numerically by a shooting method. The effects of some governing parameters on the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics are graphically presented and discussed. Dual solutions are found to exist in a certain range of the suction and stretching/shrinking parameters. Results also indicate that both the skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number increase with increasing values of the suction parameter.
Fulltext The magnetohydrodynamic stagnation point flow of a nanofluid over a stretching/shrinking sheet with suction

Mansur S, Ishak A, Pop I

PLoS One, 2015;10(3):e0117733.
PMID: 25760733 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117733

The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stagnation point flow of a nanofluid over a permeable stretching/shrinking sheet is studied. Numerical results are obtained using boundary value problem solver bvp4c in MATLAB for several values of parameters. The numerical results show that dual solutions exist for the shrinking case, while for the stretching case, the solution is unique. A stability analysis is performed to determine the stability of the dual solutions. For the stable solution, the skin friction is higher in the presence of magnetic field and increases when the suction effect is increased. It is also found that increasing the Brownian motion parameter and the thermophoresis parameter reduces the heat transfer rate at the surface.
Fulltext Mixed convection boundary layer flow over a moving vertical flat plate in an external fluid flow with viscous dissipation effect

Bachok N, Ishak A, Pop I

PLoS One, 2013;8(4):e60766.
PMID: 23577156 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060766

The steady boundary layer flow of a viscous and incompressible fluid over a moving vertical flat plate in an external moving fluid with viscous dissipation is theoretically investigated. Using appropriate similarity variables, the governing system of partial differential equations is transformed into a system of ordinary (similarity) differential equations, which is then solved numerically using a Maple software. Results for the skin friction or shear stress coefficient, local Nusselt number, velocity and temperature profiles are presented for different values of the governing parameters. It is found that the set of the similarity equations has unique solutions, dual solutions or no solutions, depending on the values of the mixed convection parameter, the velocity ratio parameter and the Eckert number. The Eckert number significantly affects the surface shear stress as well as the heat transfer rate at the surface.
Fulltext Stagnation-point flow over a stretching/shrinking sheet in a nanofluid

Bachok N, Ishak A, Pop I

Nanoscale Res Lett, 2011;6:623.
PMID: 22151965 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-6-623

An analysis is carried out to study the steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow of a nanofluid over a stretching/shrinking sheet in its own plane. The stretching/shrinking velocity and the ambient fluid velocity are assumed to vary linearly with the distance from the stagnation point. The similarity equations are solved numerically for three types of nanoparticles, namely copper, alumina, and titania in the water-based fluid with Prandtl number Pr = 6.2. The skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number, and the velocity and temperature profiles are presented graphically and discussed. Effects of the solid volume fraction φ on the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics are thoroughly examined. Different from a stretching sheet, it is found that the solutions for a shrinking sheet are non-unique.
Fulltext Hybrid nanofluid flow towards a stagnation point on a stretching/shrinking cylinder

Waini I, Ishak A, Pop I

Sci Rep, 2020 Jun 09;10(1):9296.
PMID: 32518305 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66126-2

This paper examines the stagnation point flow towards a stretching/shrinking cylinder in a hybrid nanofluid. Here, copper (Cu) and alumina (Al2O3) are considered as the hybrid nanoparticles while water as the base fluid. The governing equations are reduced to the similarity equations using a similarity transformation. The resulting equations are solved numerically using the boundary value problem solver, bvp4c, available in the Matlab software. It is found that the heat transfer rate is greater for the hybrid nanofluid compared to the regular nanofluid as well as the regular fluid. Besides, the non-uniqueness of the solutions is observed for certain physical parameters. It is also noticed that the bifurcation of the solutions occurs in the shrinking regions. In addition, the heat transfer rate and the skin friction coefficients increase in the presence of nanoparticles and for larger Reynolds number. It is found that between the two solutions, only one of them is stable as time evolves.
Fulltext On the Stability of MHD Boundary Layer Flow over a Stretching/Shrinking Wedge

Awaludin IS, Ishak A, Pop I

Sci Rep, 2018 Sep 11;8(1):13622.
PMID: 30206256 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31777-9

The steady two dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) boundary layer flow and heat transfer over a stretching/shrinking permeable wedge is numerically investigated. The partial differential equations governing the flow and heat transfer are transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using a similarity transformation. These equations are then solved numerically using the boundary value problem solver, bvp4c in Matlab software. It is found that dual solutions exist for a certain range of the shrinking strength. A stability analysis is performed to identify which solution is stable and physically reliable.
Fulltext Boundary layer flow and heat transfer over a nonlinearly permeable stretching/shrinking sheet in a nanofluid

Zaimi K, Ishak A, Pop I

Sci Rep, 2014 Mar 18;4:4404.
PMID: 24638147 DOI: 10.1038/srep04404

The steady boundary layer flow and heat transfer of a nanofluid past a nonlinearly permeable stretching/shrinking sheet is numerically studied. The governing partial differential equations are reduced into a system of ordinary differential equations using a similarity transformation, which are then solved numerically using a shooting method. The local Nusselt number and the local Sherwood number and some samples of velocity, temperature and nanoparticle concentration profiles are graphically presented and discussed. Effects of the suction parameter, thermophoresis parameter, Brownian motion parameter and the stretching/shrinking parameter on the flow, concentration and heat transfer characteristics are thoroughly investigated. Dual solutions are found to exist in a certain range of the stretching/shrinking parameter for both shrinking and stretching cases. Results indicate that suction widens the range of the stretching/shrinking parameter for which the solution exists.
Viscous dissipation effects on hybrid nanofluid flow over a non-linearly shrinking sheet with power-law velocity

Waini I, Alabdulhady S, Ishak A, Pop I

Heliyon, 2023 Oct;9(10):e20910.
PMID: 37867886 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20910

This research intends to investigate the effect of the nonlinearity of the surface velocity on the hybrid nanofluid flow behavior. Here, the total composition of Al2O3 (alumina) as well as Cu (copper) volume fractions, are implemented in a one-to-one ratio and then dispersed in water. The similarity equations are gained employing a similarity transformation, which is programmed in MATLAB software. The dual solutions are attainable for certain ranges with respect to the mass flux parameter S and the power-law index n. Also, the turning point occurs in the region of S<0 and n>1. Besides, the rise of n led to reduce the skin friction as well as the heat transfer coefficients with 39.44 % and 11.71 % reduction, respectively. Moreover, 14.39 % reduction of the heat transfer rate is observed in the presence of viscous dissipation (Eckert number). It is found that only the first solution is stable as time progresses. Generally, this study gives scientists and engineers a starting point for predicting how to control the parameters to achieve the best results for relevant practical applications.

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