Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 152 in total

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  1. Fulltext 2 μm passively mode-locked thulium-doped fiber lasers with Ta2AlC-deposited tapered and side-polished fibers
    Ahmad H, Azri MFM, Ramli R, Samion MZ, Yusoff N, Lim KS
    Sci Rep, 2021 Oct 28;11(1):21278.
    PMID: 34711908 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99928-z
    In this work, mode-locked thulium-doped fiber lasers operating in the 2 µm wavelength region were demonstrated using tantalum aluminum carbide (Ta2AlC)-based saturable absorbers (SAs) utilizing the evanescent wave interaction. The Ta2AlC MAX Phase was prepared by dissolving the Ta2AlC powder in isopropyl alcohol and then deposited onto three different evanescent field-based devices, which were the tapered fiber, side-polished fiber, and arc-shaped fiber. Flame-brushing and wheel-polishing techniques were used to fabricate the tapered and arc-shaped fibers, respectively, while the side-polished fiber was purchased commercially. All three SA devices generated stable mode-locked pulses at center wavelengths of 1937, 1931, and 1929 nm for the tapered, side-polished, and arc-shaped fibers. The frequency of the mode-locked pulses was 10.73 MHz for the tapered fiber, 9.58 MHz for the side-polished fiber, and 10.16 MHz for the arc-shaped fiber. The measured pulse widths were 1.678, 1.734, and 1.817 ps for each of the three SA devices. The long-term stability of the mode-locked lasers was tested for each configuration over a 2-h duration. The lasers also showed little to no fluctuations in the center wavelengths and the peak optical intensities, demonstrating a reliable, ultrafast laser system.
  2. Fulltext A Rare Intraorbital Mass: An Isolated Mucocele
    Che Mat CMH, Mustapha F, Noor RM, Ramli R, Mohamad I
    Medeni Med J, 2020;35(4):344-348.
    PMID: 33717628 DOI: 10.5222/MMJ.2020.01057
    Mucocele is a mucous filled benign cystic lesion. It develops due to obstruction of any natural os-tium of the paranasal sinus. Even though being benign, it has capability to erode and cause thinning the adjacent bony structures. Isolated intraorbital mucocele without paranasal sinus disease is a rare condition. We present a 39-year-old female patient with right medial canthal swelling without any nasal symptoms, and normal nasoendoscopic finding. Imaging revealed the lesion as a right ethmoidal mucocele with normal paranasal sinuses. However intraoperatively, it was an isolated intraorbital lesion, lateral to lamina papyracea with thick-yellowish mucin discharge.
  3. Fulltext A checklist of the bats of Peninsular Malaysia and progress towards a DNA barcode reference library
    Lim VC, Ramli R, Bhassu S, Wilson JJ
    PLoS One, 2017;12(7):e0179555.
    PMID: 28742835 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179555
    Several published checklists of bat species have covered Peninsular Malaysia as part of a broader region and/or in combination with other mammal groups. Other researchers have produced comprehensive checklists for specific localities within the peninsula. To our knowledge, a comprehensive checklist of bats specifically for the entire geopolitical region of Peninsular Malaysia has never been published, yet knowing which species are present in Peninsular Malaysia and their distributions across the region are crucial in developing suitable conservation plans. Our literature search revealed that 110 bat species have been documented in Peninsular Malaysia; 105 species have precise locality records while five species lack recent and/or precise locality records. We retrieved 18 species from records dated before the year 2000 and seven species have only ever been recorded once. Our search of Barcode of Life Datasystems (BOLD) found that 86 (of the 110) species have public records of which 48 species have public DNA barcodes available from bats sampled in Peninsular Malaysia. Based on Neighbour-Joining tree analyses and the allocation of DNA barcodes to Barcode Index Number system (BINs) by BOLD, several DNA barcodes recorded under the same species name are likely to represent distinct taxa. We discuss these cases in detail and highlight the importance of further surveys to determine the occurences and resolve the taxonomy of particular bat species in Peninsular Malaysia, with implications for conservation priorities.
  4. Fulltext A child with coated tonsils
    Appannan VR, Mohamad I, Ramli RR, Johan KB
    Malays Fam Physician, 2018;13(1):55-56.
    PMID: 29796214 MyJurnal
    A 5-year-old girl presented with a history of
    fever for four days associated with odynophagia.
    She was treated with amoxycillin prescribed
    by a general practitioner for 3 days prior to
    presentation. However, the symptoms were
    worsening and associated with drooling of
    saliva and poor oral intake. There was history
    of recurrent acute tonsillitis in the past two
    years, with 5 to 6 episodes per year. The child
    had completed regular immunizations up to her
    current age. There was no similar presentation
    amongst family members and friends. (Copied from article).
  5. A cluster randomized trial on improving nurses' detection and management of elder abuse and neglect (I-NEED): study protocol
    Loh DA, Choo WY, Hairi NN, Othman S, Mohd Hairi F, Mohd Mydin FH, et al.
    J Adv Nurs, 2015 Nov;71(11):2661-72.
    PMID: 26031344 DOI: 10.1111/jan.12699
    The aim of this study was to describe a trial protocol of an educational intervention for nurses to improve their awareness and practice in detecting and managing elder abuse and neglect.
  6. Fulltext A multicentre study to determine the in vitro efficacy of flomoxef against extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in Malaysia
    Yap PSX, Chong CW, Ponnampalavanar S, Ramli R, Harun A, Tengku Jamaluddin TZM, et al.
    PeerJ, 2023;11:e16393.
    PMID: 38047021 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16393
    BACKGROUND: The high burden of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales worldwide, especially in the densely populated South East Asia poses a significant threat to the global transmission of antibiotic resistance. Molecular surveillance of ESBL-producing pathogens in this region is vital for understanding the local epidemiology, informing treatment choices, and addressing the regional and global implications of antibiotic resistance.

    METHODS: Therefore, an inventory surveillance of the ESBL-Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) isolates responsible for infections in Malaysian hospitals was conducted. Additionally, the in vitro efficacy of flomoxef and other established antibiotics against ESBL-EC was evaluated.

    RESULTS: A total of 127 non-repetitive ESBL-EC strains isolated from clinical samples were collected during a multicentre study performed in five representative Malaysian hospitals. Of all the isolates, 33.9% were isolated from surgical site infections and 85.8% were hospital-acquired infections. High rates of resistance to cefotaxime (100%), cefepime (100%), aztreonam (100%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (100%) were observed based on the broth microdilution test. Carbapenems remained the most effective antibiotics against the ESBL-EC, followed by flomoxef. Antibiotic resistance genes were identified by PCR. The blaCTX-M-1 was the most prevalent ESBL gene, with 28 isolates (22%) harbouring blaCTX-M-1 only, 27 isolates (21.3%) co-harbouring blaCTX-M-1 and blaTEM, and ten isolates (7.9%) co-harbouring blaCTX-M-1, blaTEM and blaSHV. A generalised linear model showed significant antibacterial activity of imipenem against different types of infection. Besides carbapenems, this study also demonstrated a satisfactory antibacterial activity of flomoxef (81.9%) on ESBL-EC, regardless of the types of ESBL genes.

  7. A new case of zoonotic onchocercosis in northern Kyushu, Japan
    Fukuda M, Uni S, Otsuka Y, Eshita Y, Nakatani J, Ihara K, et al.
    Parasitol Int, 2015 Dec;64(6):519-21.
    PMID: 26209456 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.07.006
    A case of zoonotic onchocercosis has been found in a resident who lived in Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan for some time. A 24-year-old male developed a painful nodule on the middle finger of his right hand. The nodule was surgically removed from the vagina fibrosa tendinis of the finger at Beppu Medical Center, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture in 2012. The causative agent was identified as a female Onchocerca dewittei japonica based on its histopathological characteristics. The identity of the filarioid has been confirmed by sequencing the cox1 gene. The present study indicates that the zoonotic onchocercosis caused by O. dewittei japonica has been concentrated in northeast Kyushu.
  8. Fulltext A preliminary report on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) recovered from forensic entomological studies conducted in different ecological habitats in Malaysia
    Chen CD, Nazni WA, Lee HL, Hashim R, Abdullah NA, Ramli R, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2014 Jun;31(2):381-6.
    PMID: 25134909 MyJurnal
    This study reported the ant species that were recovered from monkey carcasses in three different ecological habitats in Malaysia. The study was conducted from 9 May - 10 October 2007, 6 May - 6 August 2008 and 26 May - 14 July 2009 in forested area (Gombak, Selangor), coastal area (Tanjong Sepat, Selangor) and highland area (Bukit Cincin, Pahang), respectively. Monkey carcass was used as a model for human decomposition in this study. A total of 4 replicates were used in each of the study sites. Ants were observed to prey on eggs, larvae, pupae and newly emerged flies. This study found that ant species could be found at all stages of decomposition, indicating that ants were not a significant indicator for faunal succession. However, different species of ants were obtained from monkey carcasses placed in different ecological habitats. Cardiocondyla sp. was only found on carcasses placed in the coastal area; while Pheidole longipes, Hypoponera sp. and Pachycondyla sp. were solely found on carcasses placed in the highland area. On the other hand, Pheidologeton diversus and Paratrechina longicornis were found in several ecological habitats. These data suggests that specific ant species can act as geographic indicators for different ecological habitats in forensic entomology cases in Malaysia.
  9. A preliminary study of the psychological differences in infertile couples and their relation to the coping styles
    Musa R, Ramli R, Yazmie AW, Khadijah MB, Hayati MY, Midin M, et al.
    Compr Psychiatry, 2014 Jan;55 Suppl 1:S65-9.
    PMID: 23433218 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.01.001
    Studies from Western countries have observed that couples undergoing infertility treatment suffer various physical and psychological difficulties at a higher frequency than the comparable general population. These relate to treatment challenges and other psychosocial stressors, often influenced by coping style, personality factors and available support systems. There is paucity of studies in non-Western populations.
  10. A retrospective analysis of the relationship between facial injury and mild traumatic brain injury
    Abdul Razak N, Nordin R, Abd Rahman N, Ramli R
    Dent Traumatol, 2017 Oct;33(5):400-405.
    PMID: 28649703 DOI: 10.1111/edt.12355
    BACKGROUND/AIMS: The association between facial injury characteristics and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the association between facial injury characteristics and mTBI.

    METHODS: A retrospective review utilizing patients' medical records at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was performed. Records of subjects with a history of facial trauma from 1 April 2012 to 31 December 2012 were selected. Various levels and surgical speciality records were reviewed to ascertain the diagnoses of facial injuries and mTBI.

    RESULTS: A total of 348 medical records with the diagnosis of facial injuries were included. The prevalence of mTBI among these patients was 41.4% (95% CI 36.2-46.6). The majority of the patients with mTBI were in the age group of 18-25 years old. Patients with or without facial lacerations that were located on the lower face had a significant association with mTBI, P=.001, compared to other types of soft tissue injury. In addition, a statistically significant association was observed between facial fractures occurring to the middle face and mTBI, P=.018. Pearson chi-square test also showed statistically significant association between the severity of facial injuries and mTBI, P=.018.

    CONCLUSIONS: Mild traumatic brain injury should be suspected in patients with facial injuries and particularly those with lower face lacerations, midface fractures, moderate to severe facial injury and presence of multiple injuries.

  11. A retrospective study of oral and maxillofacial injuries in Seremban Hospital, Malaysia
    Ramli R, Rahman NA, Rahman RA, Hussaini HM, Hamid AL
    Dent Traumatol, 2011 Apr;27(2):122-6.
    PMID: 21281443 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-9657.2010.00968.x
    Aetiology of oral and maxillofacial injuries in this country includes motorvehicle accident (MVA), fall, industrial accidents and others. Among these causes, MVA accident is the predominant cause of injury in Malaysia.
  12. Fulltext A retrospective study of ranula in two centres in Malaysia
    Ghani NA, Ahmad R, Rahman RA, Yunus MR, Putra SP, Ramli R
    J Maxillofac Oral Surg, 2009 Dec;8(4):316-9.
    PMID: 23139535 DOI: 10.1007/s12663-009-0077-9
    Ranula is a mucous extravasation cyst which occurs as a result of trauma or obstruction of the sublingual or minor salivary gland or the duct itself.
  13. A survey of perceived stress among undergraduate dental students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
    Rosli TI, Abdul Rahman R, Abdul Rahman SR, Ramli R
    Singapore Dent J, 2005 Dec;27(1):17-22.
    PMID: 16438264
    The objectives of this study were to determine the sources of stress among undergraduate dental students, and to compare the sources of stress among the 5 years of undergraduate study, between gender, and with other studies done elsewhere. A total of 325 students across the 5 academic years (88.8% response rate) of the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, completed the modified Dental Environment Stress questionnaire. All respondents reported that they experienced some form of stress. The preclinical students reported that examinations and fear of failure caused the most stress. The main stressor for clinical students was clinical training, particularly factors relating to meeting clinical requirements. Female students perceived more stress generally than male students. However, male students were more stressed when faced with factors related to clinical training.
  14. Fulltext Acne analysis, grading and computational assessment methods: an overview
    Ramli R, Malik AS, Hani AF, Jamil A
    Skin Res Technol, 2012 Feb;18(1):1-14.
    PMID: 21605170 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0846.2011.00542.x
    INTRODUCTION: This paper presents a comprehensive review of acne grading and measurement. Acne is a chronic disorder of the pilosebaceous units, with excess sebum production, follicular epidermal hyperproliferation, inflammation and Propionibacterium acnes activity. Most patients are affected with acne vulgaris, which is the prevalent type of acne. Acne vulgaris consists of comedones (whitehead and blackhead), papules, pustules, nodules and cysts.
    OBJECTIVES: To review and identify the issues for acne vulgaris grading and computational assessment methods. To determine the future direction for addressing the identified issues.
    METHODS: There are two main methods of assessment for acne severity grading, namely, lesion counting and comparison of patient with a photographic standard. For the computational assessment method, the emphasis is on computational imaging techniques.
    RESULTS: Current acne grading methods are very time consuming and tedious. Generally, they rely on approximation for counting lesions and hence the assessment is quite subjective, with both inter and intra-observer variability. It is important to accurately assess acne grade to evaluate its severity as this influences treatment selection and assessment of response to therapy. This will further help in better disease management and more efficacious treatment.
    CONCLUSION: Semi-automated or automated methods based on computational imaging techniques should be devised for acne grade assessment.
  15. Fulltext Actuators and transmission mechanisms in rehabilitation lower limb exoskeletons: a review
    Aliman N, Ramli R, Amiri MS
    Biomed Tech (Berl), 2024 Jan 31.
    PMID: 38295350 DOI: 10.1515/bmt-2022-0262
    Research has shown that rehabilitation lower limb exoskeletons (RLLEs) are effective tools for improving recovery or regaining lower limb function. This device interacts with the limbs of patients. Thus, actuators and power transmission mechanisms are the key factors in determining smooth human‒machine interaction and comfort in physical therapy activities. A multitude of distinct technologies have been proposed. However, we questioned which consideration point in actuator selection and power transmission mechanisms are used for RLLE. A review of the technical characteristics and status of advanced RLLE designs is discussed. We review actuator selection for RLLE devices. Furthermore, the power transmission mechanisms over the years within each of the RLLE devices are presented. The development issues and possible research directions related to actuators and power transmission mechanisms are provided. Most RLLEs are still in the research phase, and only a few have been commercialized. The aim of this paper is to provide researchers with useful information for investigating technological progress and highlight the latest technological choices in RLLE development.
  16. Acute lower limb ischaemia secondary to aortic compression from uterine fibroid
    Nawawi SH, Wan Ibrahim WZ, Yahya MM, Ramli R
    BMJ Case Rep, 2023 Aug 17;16(8).
    PMID: 37591622 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2022-253129
    A woman in her early 50s with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and a huge uterine fibroid presented to the emergency department with diabetic ketoacidosis and bilateral acute lower limb ischaemia. Vascular and advanced imaging studies confirmed distal aortic compression by a huge uterine fibroid, resulting in extensive lower limb arterial thrombosis. After resuscitation, the patient underwent emergency hysterectomy, thromboembolectomy and amputation of the right leg. She remained critically ill and died of fulminant sepsis and multiorgan failure 10 days later. This case reports the effects of external vascular compression by a large pelvic mass.
  17. Advocating Electrically Conductive Scaffolds with Low Immunogenicity for Biomedical Applications: A Review
    Ahmad Ruzaidi DA, Mahat MM, Shafiee SA, Mohamed Sofian Z, Mohmad Sabere AS, Ramli R, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Oct 02;13(19).
    PMID: 34641210 DOI: 10.3390/polym13193395
    Scaffolds support and promote the formation of new functional tissues through cellular interactions with living cells. Various types of scaffolds have found their way into biomedical science, particularly in tissue engineering. Scaffolds with a superior tissue regenerative capacity must be biocompatible and biodegradable, and must possess excellent functionality and bioactivity. The different polymers that are used in fabricating scaffolds can influence these parameters. Polysaccharide-based polymers, such as collagen and chitosan, exhibit exceptional biocompatibility and biodegradability, while the degradability of synthetic polymers can be improved using chemical modifications. However, these modifications require multiple steps of chemical reactions to be carried out, which could potentially compromise the end product's biosafety. At present, conducting polymers, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS), polyaniline, and polypyrrole, are often incorporated into matrix scaffolds to produce electrically conductive scaffold composites. However, this will reduce the biodegradability rate of scaffolds and, therefore, agitate their biocompatibility. This article discusses the current trends in fabricating electrically conductive scaffolds, and provides some insight regarding how their immunogenicity performance can be interlinked with their physical and biodegradability properties.
  18. Fulltext Allergic rhinitis in oman and malaysia: the similarities and differences
    Mohamad I, Ramli R
    Oman Med J, 2015 Jan;30(1):72.
    PMID: 25830007 DOI: 10.5001/omj.2015.15
  19. Alpha-amyrin as an anti-biofilm agent against methicillin-resistant and vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus
    Chung PY, Loh PLN, Neoh HM, Ramli R
    Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e17892.
    PMID: 37456062 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17892
    Staphylococcus aureus has caused life-threatening infections and developed resistance against conventional antimicrobials, posing a significant threat to human health worldwide. Biofilms that surround the bacteria cells act as a protective layer, allowing cells inside the biofilm to be resistant to external stresses such as antimicrobials. Therefore, biofilms further complicate treatment available for infections caused by multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A previous study on alpha-amyrin (AM), derived from ursane, was reported to significantly reduce the biomass and inhibit the metabolic activity of reference strain methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA, respectively). In this study, the antibiofilm activity of AM was extended to include clinical isolates of MSSA and MRSA, and laboratory-generated vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) collected from University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center (PPUKM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI). Pre-formed biofilms of biofilm-forming isolates identified from the Congo Red Agar (CRA) assay were then exposed to AM, vancomycin and oxacillin, and evaluated using the crystal violet and resazurin assays. The results showed that AM reduced the biofilm biomass of three isolates of MSSA, eight isolates of MRSA and four isolates of VISA but increased the metabolic activity in certain MSSA, MRSA and VISA isolates, indicating AM may possess biofilm reduction effects but not bactericidal effects. Based on these findings, AM could be further studied and developed as a potential therapeutic agent for chronic S. aureus infections.
  20. Fulltext Ameliorative Effects of Aquilaria malaccensis Leaves Aqueous Extract on Reproductive Toxicity Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Male Rats
    Razak RNHA, Ismail F, Isa MLM, Wahab AYA, Muhammad H, Ramli R, et al.
    Malays J Med Sci, 2019 Jan;26(1):44-57.
    PMID: 30914892 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2019.26.1.4
    Background: Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a widely used anti-neoplastic and immunosuppressive agent that is associated with adverse side effects including reproductive toxicity. Aquilaria malaccensis (AM) is a traditional medicinal plant which was reported to exhibit high anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging properties. The present study was aimed to evaluate the protective effects of AM leaves extract on sperm quality following toxic exposure to CP.

    Methods: Forty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were allocated into eight groups of six rats (n = 6): control, CP only (200 mg kg-1), AM only (100 mg kg-1, 300 mg kg-1 and 500 mg kg-1) and CP + AM (100 mg kg-1, 300 mg kg-1 and 500 mg kg-1). Animals were sacrificed after 63 days of treatment and the sperm from the caudal epididymis was taken for sperm analysis.

    Results: The body and the reproductive organs weight, sperm count and motility did not differ between CP and other groups (P > 0.05). A significant increase (P < 0.05) in percentage of the dead and abnormal sperm were seen in the CP alone treated group compared to the control group. Co-administration of AM to the CP exposed rats significantly reduced the (P < 0.05) percentage of abnormal sperm as compared to the CP only group.

    Conclusion: Overall, the present results represent the potential of AM to protect against CP induced reproductive toxicity.

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