Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 199 in total

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  1. Jones SU, Chua KH, Chew CH, Yeo CC, Abdullah FH, Othman N, et al.
    PeerJ, 2021;9:e11195.
    PMID: 33889447 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11195
    Background: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the important pathogens causing nosocomial infection. spa typing allows identification of S. aureus clones in hospital isolates and is useful for epidemiological studies and nosocomial infection control. This study aims to investigate the spa types in Malaysian S. aureus isolates obtained from various clinical specimens.

    Method: A total of 89 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) [pus (n = 55), blood (n = 27), respiratory (n = 5), eye (n = 2)] isolates and 109 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) [pus (n = 79), blood (n = 24), respiratory (n = 3), eye (n = 2) and urine (n = 1)] isolates were subjected to spa typing with sequences analysed using BioNumerics version 7.

    Results: The spa sequence was successfully amplified from 77.8% of the strains (154/198) and 47 known spa types were detected. The distribution of known spa types in MRSA (36.2%, 17/47) was less diverse than in MSSA (70.2%, 33/47). The most predominant spa types were t032 (50%) in MRSA, and t127 (19%) and t091 (16.7%) in MSSA, respectively. spa type t091 in MSSA was significantly associated with skin and soft tissue infections (p = 0.0199).

    Conclusion: The previously uncommon spa type t032 was detected in the Malaysian MRSA strains, which also corresponded to the most common spa type in Europe and Australia, and has replaced the dominant spa type t037 which was reported in Malaysia in 2010.

  2. Othman N, Nagoor NH
    Int J Oncol, 2017 Dec;51(6):1757-1764.
    PMID: 29075783 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2017.4174
    Lung cancer remains a major health problem with a low 5-year survival rate of patients. Recent studies have shown that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) are prevalent in lung cancer and these aberrations play a significant role in the progression of tumour progression. In the present study, bioinformatics analyses was employed to predict potential miR-608 targets, which are associated with signaling pathways involved in cancer. Luciferase reporter assay identified AKT2 as a novel target of miR-608, and suppression of its protein levels was validated through western blot analysis. Zebrafish embryos were microinjected with cells transfected with miR-608 to elucidate the role of miR-608 in vivo, and immunostained with antibodies to detect activated caspase-3. We present the first evidence that miR-608 behaves as a tumour suppressor in A549 and SK-LU-1 cells through the regulation of AKT2, suggesting that selective targeting of AKT2 via miR-608 may be developed as a potential therapeutic strategy for miRNA-based non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy.
  3. Mohammad, R., Amin, Z., Abdul Aziz, S., Othman, N.
    MyJurnal
    The aim of this paper is to measure the safety awareness level of workers by means of
    hand related injury accident recorded in Production Department of Metal Fabrication Process
    Company located in southern peninsular Malaysia. Base on the accident data obtained from year
    2008 until 2012, it showed an increasing numbers of accidents involving hand. In year 2008 the rate
    is 36.3%, year 2009 is 30%, year 2010 is 37.5%, year 2011 is 33.3% and year 2012 is 37.5%. Site
    observation has been conducted to assess the hazards involve (safety and ergonomic) to the metal
    fabrication activities being carried out. Survey Questionnaires have been distributed to 80
    respondents from different job trade. The Respondent data was analysed to obtain the safety
    awareness level for each worker’s trade. Copyright © 2015 Penerbit Akademia Baru - All rights
    reserved.
  4. Zakaria Z, Othman N, Ismail A, Kamaluddin NR, Esa E, Abdul Rahman EJ, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2017 04 01;18(4):1169-1175.
    PMID: 28548470
    Background: ETV6/RUNX1 gene fusion is the most frequently seen chromosomal abnormality in childhood acute
    lymphobastic leukamia (ALL). However, additional genetic changes are known to be required for the development of
    this type of leukaemia. Therefore, we here aimed to assess the somatic mutational profile of four ALL cases carrying the
    ETV6/RUNX1 fusion gene using whole-exome sequencing. Methods: DNA was isolated from bone marrow samples
    using a QIAmp DNA Blood Mini kit and subsequently sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq system. Results: We
    identified 12,960 to17,601 mutations in each sample, with a total of 16,466 somatic mutations in total. Some 15,533
    variants were single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 129 were substitutions, 415 were insertions and 389 were
    deletions. When taking into account the coding region and protein impact, 1,875 variants were synonymous and 1,956
    were non-synonymous SNPs. Among non-synonymous SNPs, 1,862 were missense, 13 nonsense, 35 frameshifts, 11
    nonstop, 3 misstart, 15 splices disrupt and 17 in-frame indels. A total of 86 variants were located in leukaemia-related
    genes of which 32 variants were located in the coding regions of GLI2, SP140, GATA2, SMAD5, KMT2C, CDH17,
    CDX2, FLT3, PML and MOV10L1. Conclusions: Detection and identification of secondary genetic alterations are
    important in identifying new therapeutic targets and developing rationally designed treatment regimens with less
    toxicity in ALL patients.
  5. Sha'arani S, Hara H, Araie H, Suzuki I, Mohd Noor MJM, Akhir FNM, et al.
    J Gen Appl Microbiol, 2019 Sep 14;65(4):173-179.
    PMID: 30686798 DOI: 10.2323/jgam.2018.08.003
    This study gives the first picture of whole RNA-Sequencing analysis of a PCB-degrading microbe, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1. Genes that were highly expressed in biphenyl-grown cells, compared with pyruvate-grown cells, were chosen based on the Reads Per Kilobase Million (RPKM) value and were summarized based on the criteria of RPKM ≥100 and fold change ≥2.0. Consequently, 266 total genes were identified as genes expressed particularly for the degradation of biphenyl. After comparison with previous microarray data that identified highly-expressed genes, based on a fold change ≥2.0 and p-value ≤0.05, 62 highly-expressed genes from biphenyl-grown cells were determined from both analytical platforms. As these 62 genes involve known PCB degradation genes, such as bph, etb, and ebd, the genes identified in this study can be considered as essential genes for PCB/biphenyl degradation. In the 62 genes, eleven genes encoding hypothetical proteins were highly expressed in the biphenyl-grown cells. Meanwhile, we identified several highly-expressed unannotated DNA regions on the opposite strand. In order to verify the encoded proteins, two regions were cloned into an expression vector. A protein was successfully obtained from one region at approximately 25 kDa from the unannotated strand. Thus, the genome sequence with transcriptomic analysis gives new insight, considering re-annotation of the genome of R. jostii RHA1, and provides a clearer picture of PCB/biphenyl degradation in this strain.
  6. Hayeemasae N, Masa A, Othman N, Surya I
    Polymers (Basel), 2022 Dec 21;15(1).
    PMID: 36616378 DOI: 10.3390/polym15010029
    Natural rubber (NR) is incompatible with hydrophilic additives like halloysite nanotubes (HNT) due to their different polarity. The silane coupling agent is the ideal component to include in such a compound to solve this problem. Many types of silane are available for polymer composites depending on their functionalities. This work aimed to tune it to the composite based on NR and HNT. Four different silanes, namely Bis[3- (Triethoxysilyl)Propyl]Tetrasulfide (TESPT), 3-Aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES), N-[3-(Trimethoxysilyl)Propyl] Ethylenediamine (AEAPTMS), and Vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) were used. Here, the mechanical properties were used to assess the properties, paying close attention to how their reinforcement influenced their crystallization behavior after stretching. It was revealed that adding silane coupling agents greatly improved the composites' modulus, tensile strength, and tear strength. From the overall findings, AEAPTMS was viable for NR/HNT composites. This was in direct agreement with the interactions between NR and HNT that silanes had encouraged. The findings from stress-strain curves describing the crystallization of the composites are in good agreement with the findings from synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). The corresponding silanes have substantially aided the strain-induced crystallization (SIC) of composites.
  7. Shanmugapriya, Othman N, Sasidharan S
    3 Biotech, 2020 Sep;10(9):399.
    PMID: 32850286 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-02396-x
    The current study was conducted to validate the target proteins of down-regulated miR-221-5p in HeLa cells treated with P. longifolia leaf extract. The validation was done by label-free quantitative proteomics approaches, Gene Ontology (GO) and protein-protein interaction analyses after the cells transfected with miRNA mimics or miRNA inhibitor. The LC-ESI-MS/MS identified a total of 1061, 668, 564 and 940 proteins from untransfected and untreated HeLa cells, untransfected P. longifolia leaf extract-treated HeLa cells, miR-221-5p mimic-transfected P. longifolia leaf extract-treated HeLa cells and anti-miR-221-5p-transfected P. longifolia leaf extract-treated HeLa cells, respectively. The proteomic, GO and protein-protein interaction analyses showed that P. longifolia treatment regulated various protein expressions in HeLa cells, namely tropomyosin, PRKC apoptosis WT1 regulator protein (PAWR), alpha-enolase and beta-enolase, which induced apoptotic cell death after the down-regulation of miR-221-5p. Conclusively, this study showed P. longifolia leaf extract's vital contribution in regulating various protein expressions in HeLa cervical cancer cells to induce apoptotic cell death after downregulation miR-221-5p.
  8. Ng KL, Tan SN, Huan NC, Nasaruddin MZ, Othman N, Rahaman JAA
    Respirol Case Rep, 2024 Mar;12(3):e01333.
    PMID: 38528948 DOI: 10.1002/rcr2.1333
    Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by neoplastic proliferation of monoclonal antibody producing plasma cells. In clinical practice, pleural effusion is seen in up to 6% of MM patients, with many causative factors. Nevertheless, true myelomatous pleural effusion, defined as infiltration of the pleura by myeloma cells, is very rare. In this case report, we present two patients with biopsy proven myelomatous pleural effusion. The first patient developed myelomatous pleural effusion as initial presentation while the second patient's pleural effusion occurred during disease relapse. In both cases, prompt diagnosis via medical thoracoscopy (MT) followed by early commencement of myeloma specific chemotherapy led to clinical, biochemical, and radiological resolution and therefore were crucial steps in the management of myelomatous pleural effusion.
  9. Saidin S, Othman N, Noordin R
    Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 2019 Jan;38(1):15-38.
    PMID: 30255429 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-018-3379-3
    Amoebiasis, an enteric protozoan disease caused by Entamoeba histolytica, is a public health problem in many developing countries, causing up to 100,000 fatal cases annually. Detection of the pathogenic E. histolytica and its differentiation from the non-pathogenic Entamoeba spp. play a crucial role in the clinical management of patients. Laboratory diagnosis of intestinal amoebiasis in developing countries still relies on labour-intensive and insensitive methods involving staining of stool sample and microscopy. Newer and more sensitive methods include a variety of antigen detection ELISAs and rapid tests; however, their diagnostic sensitivity and specificity seem to vary between studies, and some tests do not distinguish among the Entamoeba species. Molecular detection techniques are highly sensitive and specific and isothermal amplification approaches may be developed into field-applicable tests; however, cost is still a barrier for their use as a routine laboratory test method in most endemic areas. Laboratory diagnosis of extraintestinal amoebiasis faces challenges of lack of definitive detection of current infection and commercially available point-of-care tests. For both types of amoebiasis, there is still a need for highly sensitive and specific tests that are rapid and cost-effective for use in developing countries where the disease is prevalent. In recent years, new molecules of diagnostic value are being discovered and new tests developed. The advances in 'omics' technologies are enabling discoveries of new biomarkers that may help distinguish between different infection stages.
  10. Ashraf M, Abdullah J, Ariff A, Biswal BM, Mokhtar I, Othman N
    Malays J Med Sci, 2003 Jan;10(1):95-9.
    PMID: 23365508
    Solitary plasmacytoma of the head and neck is a rare disease entity. Its description in the literature consist of some case reports. Solitary plasmacytoma presenting with exophthalmos are rare. We report a case of intracranial solitary plasmacytoma in an elderly lady with involvement of the right orbitocranial region presenting with severe exophthalmos. The tumour was debulked and radiotherapy was given.
  11. Chandrasekaran S, Baba AA, Othman N, Jayakumar CR
    Chemotherapy, 1994 Sep-Oct;40(5):357-61.
    PMID: 7956460
    The frustration and disappointment in managing advanced cancers of the nose and paranasal sinuses are well known. We report a case of a successful treatment of such a tumour in a 37-year-old soldier, using a combination of therapy including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Each mode of treatment is discussed.
  12. Arumugam N, Chelliapan S, Kamyab H, Thirugnana S, Othman N, Nasri NS
    PMID: 30551682 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15122851
    Inadequately treated or untreated wastewater greatly contribute to the release of unwanted toxic contaminants into water bodies. Some of these contaminants are persistent and bioaccumulative, becoming a great concern as they are released into the environment. Despite the abundance of wastewater treatment technologies, the adsorption method overall has proven to be an excellent way to treat wastewater from multiple industry sources. Because of its significant benefits, i.e., easy availability, handling, and higher efficiency with a low cost relative to other treatments, adsorption is opted as the best method to be used. However, biosorption using naturally found seaweeds has been proven to have promising results in removing pollutants, such as dyes from textile, paper, and the printing industry, nitrogen, and phosphorous and phenolic compounds, as well as heavy metals from various sources. Due to its ecofriendly nature together with the availability and inexpensiveness of raw materials, biosorption via seaweed has become an alternative to the existing technologies in removing these pollutants from wastewater effectively. In this article, the use of low-cost adsorbent (seaweed) for the removal of pollutants from wastewater has been reviewed. An extensive table summarises the applicability of seaweed in treating wastewater. Literature reported that the majority of research used simulated wastewater and minor attention has been given to biosorption using seaweed in the treatment of real wastewater.
  13. Mohd Yusof SA, Mohd Noor N, Othman N
    J Infect Public Health, 2021 Jan;14(1):1-5.
    PMID: 33341478 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2020.11.004
    BACKGROUND: This study will explore and understand the experience of doctors volunteering online in managing the boundaries between work and family in health virtual communities (HVC).

    METHODOLOGY: A qualitative case study approach was used to explore and understand how doctors volunteering online balances between work and family in a Health Virtual Community called DoktorBudak.com (DB). A total of seventeen (17) doctors were interviewed using either face-to-face, Skype, phone interview or through email.

    RESULTS: The results of this study suggested that doctors perceived the physical border at their workplace as less permeable though the ICT has freed them from the restriction to perform other non-related work (such as online volunteering (OV) works) during working hours. In addition, doctors OV use ICTs to perform work at home or during working hours, they perceive their work and family borders as flexible. Furthermore, the doctors used different strategies when it came to blending, whether to segment or integrate their work and family domains.

    CONCLUSION: This study has defined issues on work-family balance and OV. Most importantly this study had discussed the conceptual framework of work-family balance focusing on doctors volunteering online and how they have incorporated ICTs such as Internet technology to negotiate the work-family boundaries, which are permeable, flexible and blending.

  14. Che Hamzah AM, Yeo CC, Puah SM, Chua KH, A Rahman NI, Abdullah FH, et al.
    J Med Microbiol, 2019 Sep;68(9):1299-1305.
    PMID: 31140965 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000993
    The spread of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a public health concern. The inducible macrolide-lincosamide-streptogrammin B (iMLSB ) phenotype (or inducible clindamycin resistance) is associated with false clindamycin susceptibility in routine laboratory testing and may lead to treatment failure. Tigecycline resistance remains rare in S. aureus worldwide. This study aims to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of clinical isolates of S. aureus obtained from the main tertiary hospital in Terengganu state, Malaysia, from July 2016 to June 2017. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of 90 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and 109 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates were determined by disc diffusion with the iMLSB phenotype determined by D-test. Multidrug resistance (MDR) and the iMLSB phenotype were more prevalent in MRSA (84.4 and 46.7  %, respectively) compared to MSSA isolates. All five tigecycline-resistant isolates were MRSA. The high incidence of MDR and the iMLSB phenotype and the emergence of tigecycline resistance in the Terengganu S. aureus isolates warrants continuous vigilance.
  15. Mamat CF, Jamshed SQ, El Syed T, Khan TM, Othman N, Al-Shami AK, et al.
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2015 Jul-Sep;7(3):181-7.
    PMID: 26229351 DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.160011
    This detailed review analyzed the previously published studies related to the prevalence of psychotropic substances use, associated factors, and the misuse of the psychotropics among students. A comprehensive literature search covering six databases was performed. References from published articles and reports were extracted. This helped in identifying the available information on the use of psychotropic drugs. A total of 16 articles were included in this review. There is an upsurge of using psychotropics with the preceding years. More students are exposed to the risk of using psychotropic substances due to the multiple factors like stress, increased academic workload, etc. The misuse is found to be common with prescribed psychotropic substances. Students need to be aware of the bad outcomes of using psychotropic substances. Participation of every stakeholder to curb this menace needs to be emphasized. More extensive studies are required to know about the increasing prevalence, factors, and misuse of psychotropics.
  16. Wahab MSA, Zaini MH, Ali AA, Sahudin S, Mehat MZ, Hamid HA, et al.
    BMC Complement Med Ther, 2021 Apr 01;21(1):110.
    PMID: 33794868 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-021-03287-1
    BACKGROUND: The use of herbal and dietary supplement (HDS) in health and disease management has gained global attention. HDS are generally accepted by the public and are associated with positive health behaviours. However, several reports have been documented with regards to their potential adverse effects and interaction with conventional medicines. Limited data is currently available on the use of HDS among elderly population in Malaysia. This present study aims to investigate the prevalence of and pattern of HDS use among a sample of community-dwelling elderly in a suburban town in Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and May 2019 among the elderly aged ≥60 years old. The participants with the following criteria were included in the study: aged ≥60 years, residing in Puncak Alam and able to understand Malay or English language. Data were collected using a pre-validated questionnaire. All statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS ver. 23.

    RESULTS: Overall, 336 out of 400 elderly responded to the survey, achieving a response rate of 84%. This study observed that almost 50% of the respondents were using at least one type of HDS in the past one month of the survey. Among HDS non-users, most of them preferred to use modern medicines (62.6%, 114/182). Among the HDS users, 75.3% (116/154) were using at least one type of modern medicine (prescription or over-the-counter medicine). Multivariate analysis showed that having good to excellent perceived health (adjusted OR = 2.666, 95% CI = 1.592-4.464), having felt sick at least once in the past one month (adjusted OR = 2.500, 95% CI = 1.426-4.383), and lower body mass index (adjusted OR = 0.937, 95% CI = 0.887-0.990) were associated with HDS use. It was noted that only a small percentage of HDS users (16.2%, 25/154) had informed healthcare providers on their HDS use.

    CONCLUSION: The use of HDS is common among the elderly sampled. Hence, healthcare providers should be more vigilant in seeking information of HDS use for disease management in their elderly patients. Campaigns that provide accurate information regarding the appropriate use of HDS among the elderly are pertinent to prevent misinformation of the products.

  17. Othman N, Nagoor NH
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:318030.
    PMID: 24999473 DOI: 10.1155/2014/318030
    Lung cancer remains to be one of the most common and serious types of cancer worldwide. While treatment is available, the survival rate of this cancer is still critically low due to late stage diagnosis and high frequency of drug resistance, thus highlighting the pressing need for a greater understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in lung carcinogenesis. Studies in the past years have evidenced that microRNAs (miRNAs) are critical players in the regulation of various biological functions, including apoptosis, which is a process frequently evaded in cancer progression. Recently, miRNAs were demonstrated to possess proapoptotic or antiapoptotic abilities through the targeting of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. This review examines the involvement of miRNAs in the apoptotic process of lung cancer and will also touch on the promising evidence supporting the role of miRNAs in regulating sensitivity to anticancer treatment.
  18. Jones SU, Chew CH, Yeo CC, Abdullah FH, Othman N, Kee BP, et al.
    Int Microbiol, 2023 Nov;26(4):841-849.
    PMID: 36805382 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-023-00335-3
    Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) is an important nosocomial pathogen worldwide. This study aims to investigate the in vitro biofilm-forming ability of clinical MSSA isolated from various sources in the main public tertiary referral hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia and to detect the presence of biofilm-associated and regulatory genes among these isolates. A total of 104 MSSA isolates [pus (n = 75), blood (n = 24), respiratory secretions (n = 2), eye (n = 2), and urine (n = 1)] were investigated for slime production and biofilm formation using Congo red agar and crystal violet microtitre plate, respectively. Fifteen MSSA isolates with varying degrees of biofilm formation were selected for validation via a real-time cell analyser. All isolates were screened for microbial surface components recognising adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMM) and accessory gene regulator (agr) using polymerase chain reaction assay. A total of 76.0% (79/104) isolates produced slime layer, while all isolates developed biofilm as follows: 52.8% (55/104) strong biofilm producers, 40.4% (42/104) intermediate biofilm producers, and 6.7% (7/104) weak biofilm producers. A total of 98.1% (102/104) isolates carried at least one of the screened MSCRAMM gene(s) with the eno gene detected at the highest rate (87.5%, 91/104), while the sasG gene was significantly associated with strong biofilm production (p = 0.015). Three agr groups, 1, 2, and 3, were detected among the MSSA isolates with a predominance of agr-3 (32.7%, 34/104). In conclusion, biofilm formation varied greatly among clinical MSSA isolates, and the presence of sasG gene and agr-1 may play important role in initiating MSSA infections via biofilm formation.
  19. Ch'ng ES, Othman NH
    Malays J Pathol, 2021 Apr;43(1):19-23.
    PMID: 33903301
    International Academy of Pathology, Malaysian Division has initiated and run the external quality assurance program for general diagnostic histopathology since the year 2017. This article introduces the educational philosophy of this external quality assurance program and the technicalities in running such a national program. Challenges in ensuring the successful running of this program to gain wide acceptance by histopathology laboratories in Malaysia as well as experience in overcoming these challenges are detailed. This article charts the future direction of this external quality assurance program.
  20. Teddy, T., Irwan, J.M., Othman, N.
    MyJurnal
    Strength and durability are important characteristics of concrete and desired engineering properties. Exposure to aggressive environment threatens durability of concrete. Previous studies on bio-concrete using several types of bacteria, including sulphate reduction bacteria (SRB), had to increase durability of concrete have shown promising results. This study used mixtures designed according to concrete requirement for sea water condition with SRB composition of 3%, 5% and 7% respectively. The curing time were 28, 56 and 90 days respectively. The mechanical properties, namely compressive strength and water permeability, were tested using cube samples. The results showed compressive strength had higher increase than the control at 53.9 Mpa. The SRB with 3%composition had maximum water permeability. Thus, adding SRB in concrete specimens improves compressive strength and water permeability. This is particularly suitable for applications using chloride ion penetration (sea water condition) where corrosion tends to affect durability of concrete constructions.
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