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Fulltext Backcare awareness among nurses in Hospital Kota Kinabalu

Ayiesah, R., Ismail, D.

Malaysian Journal of Community Health, 2007;13(1):11-15.
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Low back pain (LBP) is a major medical and social problem associated with disability and work absenteeism. Since the effect on unawareness on back care among hospital staff may affect the smooth running of the services to the public and patients, it is the objective of this study to identified the awareness of back care among nurses so that preventive measures can be taken. About 80 nurses working in the outpatient clinic was survey using self addressed questionnaires which were adapted from Zutphen Physical Activity Questionnaire at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu. Demographic analysis demonstrated that among the eighty nurses that responded, 37.5% (n=30) are Malays, 25% (n=25) Chinese and 37.5% (n=30) ( to include other Sabahan tribes). Their age group varies between 23 to 55 years of age. A total of 72 nurses, both agreed (45%,n=36) and strongly agreed (45%,n=36) that understanding good postures is important to prevent LBP. They felt strongly (55%, n=44) about the importance of correct lifting techniques, and having a well-designed workplace (50%,n=40). Regarding factors that cause LBP, 55% (n=44) of them strongly agreed that good lifting technique can prevent LBP while 56 (70%) agreed that prolong sitting doing computer work can cause LBP. About 60% (n=48) also agreed that LBP can cause stress and that 45% (n=36) of them strongly agreed that being overweight than average can worsen LBP. However, 40% (n=32) provide a neutral answer to whether height have any influence on LBP while 50% (n=40) agreed that weak back muscles can worsen the backache further. However, 45% (n=36) agreed that games that involved back movement have high risks and 55% (n=44) agreed that swimming helps to strengthen back muscle. The environmental factors addresses issues of footwear and soft mattress where 60%(n=48) agreed while 15%(n=12) strongly agreed that good footware and appropriate use of soft mattresses 60% (n=48) can prevent LBP. This study have demonstrated that the nurses that participated had a clear understanding and knowledge on back care even though a wider study need to be carried out to ensure validity of study finding.

Study site:outpatient clinic, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu
Browsing preference and ecological carrying capacity of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor brookei) on secondary vegetation in forest plantation

Ismail D, Jiwan D

Anim Sci J, 2015 Feb;86(2):225-37.
PMID: 25163638 DOI: 10.1111/asj.12271

The browsing preference and ecological carrying capacity (ECC) of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor brookei) in acacia plantations for management and conservation of the ecosystem were investigated at Sabal Forest Reserve in Sarawak, Malaysia. The identification of the species browsed by the sambar deer was based on an observation of the plant parts consumed. ECC estimation was based on body weight (BW) and the physiological stages of animals browsed in six fenced 4-ha paddocks. Sambar deer were found foraging on only 29 out of 42 species of secondary vegetation in the acacia plantation. The remaining species are too high for the deer to reach. Planted species, Shorea macrophylla are not palatable to the deer. This augurs well for the integration of sambar deer into shorea plantations. The most frequently exploited plants were Ficus spp. Sambar deer preferred woody species more than non-woody species and they are browser animals. By producing metabolizable energy of 19,000 to 27,000 MJ/ha, the ECC was five head/ha to 5.25 head/ha. Given its contribution to the conservation of wildlife and its capacity to sustain the ecosystem, the sambar deer integrated farming system offers a promising strategy for the future of tropical forestry management.
Introducing SNOMED CT to cardiology, from Malaysia

Sulaiman IM, Sheikh Ahmad MK, Bouzekri K, Ismail D

Eur Heart J, 2015 Jul 7;36(26):1636-9.
PMID: 26366446
Source Determination of Red Gel Pen Inks using Raman Spectroscopy and Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy combined with Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficients and Principal Component Analysis

Mohamad Asri MN, Mat Desa WNS, Ismail D

J Forensic Sci, 2018 Jan;63(1):285-291.
PMID: 28480527 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13522

The potential combination of two nondestructive techniques, that is, Raman spectroscopy (RS) and attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy with Pearson's product moment correlation (PPMC) coefficient (r) and principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the actual source of red gel pen ink used to write a simulated threatening note, was examined. Eighteen (18) red gel pens purchased from Japan and Malaysia from November to December 2014 where one of the pens was used to write a simulated threatening note were analyzed using RS and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, respectively. The spectra of all the red gel pen inks including the ink deposited on the simulated threatening note gathered from the RS and ATR-FTIR analyses were subjected to PPMC coefficient (r) calculation and principal component analysis (PCA). The coefficients r = 0.9985 and r = 0.9912 for pairwise combination of RS and ATR-FTIR spectra respectively and similarities in terms of PC1 and PC2 scores of one of the inks to the ink deposited on the simulated threatening note substantiated the feasibility of combining RS and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy with PPMC coefficient (r) and PCA for successful source determination of red gel pen inks. The development of pigment spectral library had allowed the ink deposited on the threatening note to be identified as XSL Poppy Red (CI Pigment Red 112).
Provenance Establishment of Stingless Bee Honey Using Multi-element Analysis in Combination with Chemometrics Techniques

Shadan AF, Mahat NA, Wan Ibrahim WA, Ariffin Z, Ismail D

J Forensic Sci, 2018 Jan;63(1):80-85.
PMID: 28383137 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13512

As consumption of stingless bee honey has been gaining popularity in many countries including Malaysia, ability to identify accurately its geographical origin proves pertinent for investigating fraudulent activities for consumer protection. Because a chemical signature can be location-specific, multi-element distribution patterns may prove useful for provenancing such product. Using the inductively coupled-plasma optical emission spectrometer as well as principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), the distributions of multi-elements in stingless bee honey collected at four different geographical locations (North, West, East, and South) in Johor, Malaysia, were investigated. While cross-validation using PCA demonstrated 87.0% correct classification rate, the same was improved (96.2%) with the use of LDA, indicating that discrimination was possible for the different geographical regions. Therefore, utilization of multi-element analysis coupled with chemometrics techniques for assigning the provenance of stingless bee honeys for forensic applications is supported.
Fulltext Generic atorvastatin is as effective as the brand-name drug (LIPITOR®) in lowering cholesterol levels: a cross-sectional retrospective cohort study

Loch A, Bewersdorf JP, Kofink D, Ismail D, Abidin IZ, Veriah RS

BMC Res Notes, 2017 Jul 17;10(1):291.
PMID: 28716156 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-017-2617-6

BACKGROUND: In a world of ever increasing health care costs, generic drugs represent a major opportunity to ensure access to essential medicines for people who otherwise would be unable to afford them. However, some clinicians and patients are still questioning the safety and effectiveness of generic formulations compared to the proprietary drugs necessitating further systematic research analyzing the generic drugs' efficacy. Our objective was to compare the lipid lowering effects of generic and branded atorvastatin.
METHODS: This cross-sectional, retrospective cohort study was conducted at the University of Malaya Medical Centre from 1 May 2013 until 30 May 2013. We analyzed the lipid profiles (total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides) of 629 patients before and at least 3 months after switching them from proprietary atorvastatin (Lipitor®) to generic atorvastatin (atorvastatin calcium from Ranbaxy Laboratories, Inc.). We also investigated if there was any difference in the effectiveness of both atorvastatin formulations in various ethnic groups.
RESULTS: 266 patients were included in this study. When comparing the median values we found no statistically significant differences (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; p
Development patterns of necrophagous flies infesting rabbit carcasses decomposing in Mount Kapur Cave and its surrounding primary forest in Kuching, Sarawak

Nordin NH, Ahmad UK, Abdul Rahim NA, Kamaluddin MR, Ismail D, Muda NW, et al.

Trop Biomed, 2020 Jun 01;37(2):333-356.
PMID: 33612803

In addition to the scarcity of forensic entomology baseline data on oviposition of necrophagous insects and completion of their life cycles in the Borneo region, similar data derived from caves remain unreported. Since entomological baseline data can differ from one biogeoclimatic region to another, the lack of such data would limit the practical values of applying entomological evidence in estimating minimum postmortem interval (mPMI). Therefore, this present research that investigated oviposition and completion of life cycles of necrophagous flies infesting rabbit carcasses decomposing in Mount Kapur Cave and its surrounding forest habitat in Kuching, Sarawak merits forensic consideration. In general, 13 taxa of necrophagous flies were identified viz. Hypopygiopsis violacea, Hypopygiopsis fumipennis, Hemipyrellia ligurriens, Hemipyrellia tagaliana, Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya villeneuvi, Chrysomya rufifacies, Chrysomya chani, Chrysomya pinguis, Chrysomya nigripes, Ophyra spinigera and Ophyra chalcogaster, as well as unidentified Sarcophagidae. In addition, Hyp. violacea and Hyp. fumipennis were the two earlier necrophagous flies that oviposited in all rabbit carcasses decomposing in both habitats. While all these necrophagous flies were observed infesting carcasses in Mount Kapur Cave, Hem. ligurriens and Hem. tagaliana were not found infesting carcasses in the surrounding forest habitat. Complete life cycles for six and five different necrophagous fly species were successfully observed in Mount Kapur Cave and its surrounding forest habitat, respectively. Significant delay in oviposition, as well as longer durations for completing the life cycles in several necrophagous fly species were observed in Mount Kapur Cave when compared with those of surrounding forest habitat (p < 0.05). These findings deserve consideration as the first ever forensic empirical baseline data on oviposition and completion of life cycles for necrophagous flies in Sarawak as well as in a cave habitat, in view of its practical values for estimating mPMI for forensic practical caseworks.
On the discrimination between facial creams of different brands using Raman Spectroscopy and partial least squares discriminant analysis for forensic application

Asri MNM, Verma R, Ibrahim MH, Nor NAM, Sharma V, Ismail D

Sci Justice, 2021 Nov;61(6):687-696.
PMID: 34802642 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2021.08.006

Determining the origin of cosmetic traces is an important aspect of forensic investigations, that helps linking a suspect to a crime. Such type of evidence can help further narrow down the undergoing investigations. This paper reports the first use of Raman Spectroscopy (RS) coupled with the exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) and supervised partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) in facial creams. 40 facial cream samples of 8 different brands were studied in this work. Preliminary assessments through visual inspection of their Raman spectra revealed the presence of oxides, titanium dioxide, castor seed oil, and beeswax. Also, the peaks of alkyne groups were indicative of the presence of talc or mica compounds. The exploratory PCA correctly segregated the samples into 8 clusters and the supervised PLS-DA model correctly classified them into 8 classes. Further evaluation of the performance of the trained PLS-DA model resulted in perfect classification shown by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The PLS-DA model also resulted in 100% accuracy of correctly assigning the brand on the face wipes on each of the five substrates viz. cotton, dry and wet tissue paper, nylon substrate, and polyester. This validation was done treating these samples as unknowns. The study has a potential for use under actual forensic casework conditions.
Estimation of stature from hand and handprint measurements in Iban population in Sarawak, Malaysia and its applications in forensic investigation

Zulkifly NR, Wahab RA, Layang E, Ismail D, Desa WNSM, Hisham S, et al.

J Forensic Leg Med, 2018 Jan;53:35-45.
PMID: 29149652 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2017.10.011

Handprints and dismembered hands are commonly found during crime scene investigations and disaster victim identifications, respectively. It has been indicated that the accuracy of handprint and hand measurements for estimating stature maybe population specific. Since Iban is the largest ethnic population in Sarawak, Malaysia and because the application of anthropometry of hand and handprint within this population as well as other populations within the Southeast Asian countries remain unreported, this present study that investigated the reliability and accuracy of these two anthropometric aspects acquires forensic significance. Upon measuring the height, 21 measurements were recorded on each hand and the corresponding handprint of 50 male and 52 female consented adult Iban subjects. Using univariate statistics as well as simple and multiple regression analyses, interpretation of the measurements examined here was attempted. Results revealed that lengths of hand and handprint are the more reliable traits for estimating stature in both the male and female Iban subjects (p
Rapid and nondestructive analysis of lipstick on different substrates using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

Ka Khei L, Verma R, Tan ELY, Low KH, Ismail D, Mohamad Asri MN

J Forensic Sci, 2023 Feb 15.
PMID: 36789805 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15223

Lipstick can be an important piece of evidence in crimes like murders, rapes, and suicides. Due to its prevalence, it can be an important corroborative evidence in crime reconstruction. The analysis of such evidence can provide an evidentiary link between the suspect, the victim, object, or the crime scene. We report the use of nondestructive ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics for the classification of 10 brands of lipsticks with nine samples each. Chemometric method of partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) has been employed to interpret the data and classify the samples into their respective classes. The PLS-DA model provides an AUC figure above 0.99 in all brands except one; for which it is slightly less at 0.94. We have also tested the traces of these lipstick samples on different substrates treating them as unknowns in the already trained PLS-DA model. 100% of the samples on nine substrates viz. a cotton, nylon, plastic, dry tissue, denim (blue jeans), wet tissue, nitrile gloves, white paper, and polyester were correctly attributed to their source brand. In conclusion, the results suggest that ATR-FTIR combined with the chemometrics is a rapid, nondestructive, and accurate method for the discrimination and source attribution of lipstick. This study has potential for use in actual forensic casework conditions.
Fulltext A TRIZ Approach for Designing a Smart Lighting and Control System for Classrooms Based on Counter Application with Dual PIR Sensors

Chong PL, Ismail D, Ng PK, Kong FY, Basir Khan MR, Thirugnanam S

Sensors (Basel), 2024 Feb 10;24(4).
PMID: 38400335 DOI: 10.3390/s24041177

Electrical energy is often wasted through human negligence when people do not switch off electrical appliances such as lighting after leaving a place. Such a scenario often happens in a classroom when the last person leaves the class and forgets to switch off the electrical appliances. Such wastage may not be able to be afforded by schools that are limited financially. Therefore, this research proposed a simple and cost-effective system that can analyze whether there is or is not a human presence in the classroom by applying a counter to count the total number of people entering and leaving the classroom based on the sensing signals of a set of dual PIR sensors only and then correlating this to automatically turn on or off the electrical appliances mentioned. The total number of people identified in the classroom is also displayed on an LCD screen. A TRIZ approach is used to support the ideation of the system. The system can switch on several electrical output loads simultaneously when the presence of people is detected and switch them off when there are no people in the classroom. The proposed system can be expanded to be used in homes, offices, and buildings to prevent the high cost of electricity consumption caused by the negligence of people. This enables smarter control of electricity consumption.
Fulltext Preliminary forensic assessment of the visualised fingerprints on nonporous substrates immersed in water using the green and optimised novel nanobio-based reagent

Azman AR, Mahat NA, Abdul Wahab R, Ahmad WA, Ismail D

Sci Rep, 2022 Aug 30;12(1):14780.
PMID: 36042359 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18929-8

The discovery of forensic evidence (e.g. weapons) during forensic underwater investigations has seen an increasing trend. To date, small particle reagent (SPR) has been one of the routinely used methods for visualising fingerprints on wet, non-porous substrates. However, the long term use of SPR is detrimental to humans and environment due to the use of toxic chemicals. Although previously we have successfully developed and optimised a greener nanobio-based reagent (NBR), its suitable practical use in a more realistic scene (e.g. outdoor pond) was not evaluated. Therefore, this present research is aimed at (1) investigating the performance of NBR against the benchmark SPR in visualising fingerprints immersed in a natural outdoor pond and (2) evaluating the greenness of NBR against the analytical Eco-Scale. Results showed that the performance of the optimised NBR was mostly comparable (University of Canberra (UC) comparative scale: 0) with SPR at visualising fingerprints on three different non-porous substrates immersed in a natural outdoor pond. Observably, the NBR had higher preference towards aged fingerprints (up to 4 weeks of immersion). In addition, its greenness assessment revealed 76 points, indicating 'excellent green analysis'. The findings gathered here further supported the practical use of the NBR in forensic investigations.
Population data of 21 autosomal STR loci in Malaysian populations for human identification

Rashid MNA, Mahat NA, Khan HO, Wahab RA, Maarof H, Ismail D, et al.

Int J Legal Med, 2020 Sep;134(5):1675-1678.
PMID: 32222814 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-020-02279-z

The use of 21 autosomal STR loci for human identification has been gaining popularity throughout the world. It has been indicated that the forensic statistical parameters for supporting the use of 21 STR loci varied among different populations. Hitherto, such data for the diverse Malaysian populations remain unreported, rendering doubts in the court of law about its real ability for human identification in Malaysian population. Using the GlobalFiler™ Express PCR Amplification Kit, complete DNA profiles of 21 STR loci from buccal swabs of convicted Malaysian criminal (n = 570; 190 each for Malays, Chinese, and Indians) (by the year 2016-2017) were analyzed for their allele frequencies, exact test of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, observed and expected heterozygosity, power of discrimination, power of exclusion, match probability, and polymorphism information content. Most of the loci were found to be in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after the Bonferroni correction. Being the most informative locus, SE33 demonstrated the highest power of discrimination and power of exclusion, indicating its usefulness to discriminate individuals. In contrast, TPOX had the lowest power of discrimination and power of exclusion, as well as being the less informative genetic locus for all Malaysian population studied here. The probabilities that two individuals would share the same DNA profiles among the Malaysian Malays, Chinese, and Indians, as well as in general Malaysian population, were 1.3713 × 10-25, 2.8822 × 10-25, 7.5668 × 10-26, and 1.0385 × 10-26, respectively. The results obtained here were found comparable with similar studies reported in other populations. Hence, its robustness for forensic human identification among the Malaysian populations is, therefore, statistically supported.
Box-Behnken design optimisation of a green novel nanobio-based reagent for rapid visualisation of latent fingerprints on wet, non-porous substrates

Azman AR, Mahat NA, Wahab RA, Ahmad WA, Puspanadan JK, Huri MAM, et al.

Biotechnol Lett, 2021 Apr;43(4):881-898.
PMID: 33389272 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-03052-3

OBJECTIVE: Optimisation of the green novel nanobio-based reagent (NBR) for rapid visualisation of groomed fingerprints on wet non-porous substrates using response surface methodology and assessment of its stability and sensitivity were attempted for forensic applications.
RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated successful attachments of NBR onto the constituents of fingerprints on the substrates. The highest average quality of visualised fingerprints was attained at the optimum condition (100 mg of CRL; 75 mg of acid-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes; 5 h of immobilisation). The NBR produced comparable average quality of fingerprints with the commercially available small particle reagent, even after 4 weeks of storage (without any preservatives) in both chilled and sultry conditions. The NBR was sensitive enough to visualise the increasingly weaker fingerprints, particularly on glass slides.
CONCLUSION: The optimised novel NBR could be the relatively greener option for visualising latent fingerprints on wet, non-porous substrates for forensic applications.
Fulltext Detection of microplastics in human colectomy specimens

Ibrahim YS, Tuan Anuar S, Azmi AA, Wan Mohd Khalik WMA, Lehata S, Hamzah SR, et al.

JGH Open, 2021 Jan;5(1):116-121.
PMID: 33490620 DOI: 10.1002/jgh3.12457

Background and Aim: While dietary exposure to microplastics is increasingly recognized, it is unknown if ingested plastics remain within the digestive tract. We aimed to examine human colectomy specimens for microplastics and to report the characteristics as well as polymer composition of the particles.
Methods: Colectomy samples were obtained from 11 adults (mean age 45.7, six males) who were residents of Northeastern Peninsular Malaysia. Microplastics were identified following chemical digestion of specimens and subsequent filtration. The samples were then examined for characteristics (abundance, length, shape, and color) and composition of three common polymer types using stereo- and Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) microscopes.
Results: Microplastics were detected in all 11 specimens with an average of 331 particles/individual specimen or 28.1 ± 15.4 particles/g tissue. Filaments or fibers accounted for 96.1% of particles, and 73.1% of all filaments were transparent. Out of 40 random filaments from 10 specimens (one had indeterminate spectra patterns), 90% were polycarbonate, 50% were polyamide, and 40% were polypropylene.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that microplastics are ubiquitously present in the human colon.

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