Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 89 in total

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  1. Ahmad AL, Tan LS, Abd Shukor SR
    J Hazard Mater, 2008 Jun 15;154(1-3):633-8.
    PMID: 18055106
    This study examined the performance of nanofiltration membranes to retain atrazine and dimethoate in aqueous solution under different pH conditions. Four nanofiltration membranes, NF90, NF200, NF270 and DK are selected to be examined. The operating pressure, feed pesticide and stirring rate were kept constant at 6x10(5) Pa, 10 mg/L and 1000 rpm. It was found that increasing the solution's pH increased atrazine and dimethoate rejection but reduced the permeate flux performance for NF200, NF270 and DK. However, NF90 showed somewhat consistent performance in both rejection and permeate flux regardless of the solution's pH. NF90 maintained above 90% of atrazine rejection and approximately 80% of dimethoate rejection regardless of the changes in solution's pH. Thus, NF90 is deemed the more suitable nanofiltration membrane for atrazine and dimethoate retention from aqueous solution compared to NF200, NF270 and DK.
  2. Ganapathy SS, Tan L, Sooryanarayana R, Hashim MH, Saminathan TA, Ahmad FH, et al.
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2019 11;31(8_suppl):38S-47S.
    PMID: 31617372 DOI: 10.1177/1010539519879339
    Body weight is a factor, with body weight perception a mediator, toward being a victim of bullying. This study aimed to explore the association between body weight, body weight perception, and bullying among students 13 to 17 years of age in Malaysia. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A 2-stage stratified cluster sampling design was used, and 212 schools across Malaysia were selected for this survey. Body weight was measured and body weight perception was the student's reflection of their body weight. The prevalence of being bullied among adolescents in Malaysia was 16.2%. Being too thin or being obese increased the probability of being bullied. Students with a normal body mass index, but with a misperception of their body weight, also had increased odds of being bullied. Obesity prevention, together with instilling positive body weight perception, should be part of all programs directed toward tackling the problem of bullying.
  3. Loh KB, Ramli N, Tan LK, Roziah M, Rahmat K, Ariffin H
    Eur Radiol, 2012 Jul;22(7):1413-26.
    PMID: 22434420 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-012-2396-3
    OBJECTIVES: The degree and status of white matter myelination can be sensitively monitored using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). This study looks at the measurement of fractional anistropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) using an automated ROI with an existing DTI atlas.

    METHODS: Anatomical MRI and structural DTI were performed cross-sectionally on 26 normal children (newborn to 48 months old), using 1.5-T MRI. The automated processing pipeline was implemented to convert diffusion-weighted images into the NIfTI format. DTI-TK software was used to register the processed images to the ICBM DTI-81 atlas, while AFNI software was used for automated atlas-based volumes of interest (VOIs) and statistical value extraction.

    RESULTS: DTI exhibited consistent grey-white matter contrast. Triphasic temporal variation of the FA and MD values was noted, with FA increasing and MD decreasing rapidly early in the first 12 months. The second phase lasted 12-24 months during which the rate of FA and MD changes was reduced. After 24 months, the FA and MD values plateaued.

    CONCLUSION: DTI is a superior technique to conventional MR imaging in depicting WM maturation. The use of the automated processing pipeline provides a reliable environment for quantitative analysis of high-throughput DTI data.

    KEY POINTS: Diffusion tensor imaging outperforms conventional MRI in depicting white matter maturation. • DTI will become an important clinical tool for diagnosing paediatric neurological diseases. • DTI appears especially helpful for developmental abnormalities, tumours and white matter disease. • An automated processing pipeline assists quantitative analysis of high throughput DTI data.

  4. Vaani VV, Tang MM, Tan LL, Asmah J
    Med J Malaysia, 2018 06;73(3):125-130.
    PMID: 29962494 MyJurnal
    INTRODUCTION: Ultraviolet phototherapies are important treatment modalities for a wide range of dermatological conditions. We aim to describe the utilization of phototherapy in the Department of Dermatology Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

    METHODS: This is a 5-year retrospective audit on patients who underwent phototherapy between 2011 and 2015.

    RESULTS: There were 892 patients, M:F=1.08:1, aged from 4- 88 years, with a median age of 38.8 years who underwent phototherapy. Majority (58.9%) had skin phototype IV, followed by type III (37.7%) and type II (0.7%). There were 697(78.1%) who underwent NBUVB, 136 (15.2%) had topical PUVA, 22(2.5%) had oral PUVA, 12(1.4%) had UVA1 and 23(2.6%) had NBUVB with topical or oral PUVA/UVA1 at different time periods. The indications were psoriasis (46.6%), vitiligo (26.7%), atopic eczema (9.8%), pityriasis lichenoides chronica (5.3%), mycosis fungoides (3.9%), lichen planus (2.5%), nodular prurigo (2.2%), scleroderma (1.2%), alopecia areata (0.7%) and others. The median number of session received were 27 (range 1-252) for NBUVB, 30 (range 1-330) for topical PUVA, 30 (range 3-190) for oral PUVA and 24.5 (range 2-161) for UVA1. The acute adverse effects experienced by patients were erythema (18%), pruritus (16.3%), warmth (3.3%), blister formation (3.1%), cutaneous pain (2.4%), and xerosis (0.8%), skin swelling (0.7%) and phototoxicity (0.2%).

    CONCLUSION: Narrow-band UVB was the most frequently prescribed phototherapy modality in our center. The most common indication for phototherapy in our setting was psoriasis. Acute adverse events occurred in a third of patients, although these side effects were mild.

  5. Tan, L., Awang, C.F.
    Malaysian Dental Journal, 2007;28(1):59-62.
    MyJurnal
    An audit of broken/lost removable appliances was carried out. This study aimed to measure the occurrence of broken/lost appliances over a period of 6 months. It also assessed whether there was any difference in the occurrence rate between patients who paid for treatment and those who received it free of charge. The results indicated that the total number of broken/lost removable appliances was 183, from a total of 472 appliances issued. For paying patients, 59 of 177 patients had at least one broken/lost appliance, giving an occurrence rate of 33.3%. For nonpaying patients, 60 of 112 patients had at least one broken/lost appliance, giving an occurrence rate of 53.6%.
  6. Zainal Abidin I, Syed Tamin S, Huat Tan L, Chong WP, Azman W
    Pacing Clin Electrophysiol, 2007 Nov;30(11):1420-2.
    PMID: 17976112
    Infection is a relatively rare but devastating complication of intracardiac device implantation. Burkholderia pseudomallei is the organism which causes melioidosis, an endemic and lethal infection in the tropics. We describe a case of pacemaker infection secondary to Burkholderia pseudomallei, which was treated by explantation of the device and appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
  7. Ang CW, Tan L, Qu Z, West NP, Cooper MA, Popat A, et al.
    ACS Biomater Sci Eng, 2022 Oct 10;8(10):4196-4206.
    PMID: 34464089 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00807
    Pretomanid and MCC7433, a novel nitroimidazopyrazinone analog, are promising antitubercular agents that belong to the bicyclic nitroimidazole family. Despite possessing high cell permeability, they suffer from poor aqueous solubility and require specialized formulations in order to be orally bioavailable. To address this limitation, we investigated the use of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41) as drug carriers. MCM-41 nanoparticles were synthesized using a sol-gel method, and their surface was further modified with amine and phosphonate groups. A simple rotary evaporation method was used to incorporate the compounds of interest into the nanoparticles, leading to a high encapsulation efficiency of ≥86% with ∼10% loading (w/w). An overall significant improvement of solubility was also observed, and the pharmacological activity of pretomanid and MCC7433 was fully retained when tested in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis using these nanocarriers. Amino-functionalized MCM-41 nanoparticles were found to enhance the systemic exposure of MCC7433 in mice (1.3-fold higher Cmax) compared to MCC7433 alone. The current work highlights the potential of using nanoparticles such as mesoporous silica as a carrier for oral delivery of poorly soluble antibacterial agents against tuberculosis.
  8. Chong HY, Mohamed Z, Tan LL, Wu DBC, Shabaruddin FH, Dahlui M, et al.
    Br J Dermatol, 2017 Oct;177(4):1102-1112.
    PMID: 28346659 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.15498
    BACKGROUND: A strong association has been documented between HLA-B*15:02 and carbamazepine-induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) in Asians. Human leucocyte antigen testing is potentially valuable in many countries to facilitate early recognition of patient susceptibility to SCARs.

    OBJECTIVES: To determine the cost-effectiveness of universal HLA-B*15:02 screening in preventing carbamazepine-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis in an ethnically diverse Malaysian population.

    METHODS: A hybrid model of a decision tree and Markov model was developed to evaluate three strategies for treating newly diagnosed epilepsy among adults: (i) carbamazepine initiation without HLA-B*15:02 screening (current practice); (ii) universal HLA-B*15:02 screening prior to carbamazepine initiation; and (iii) alternative treatment [sodium valproate (VPA)] prescribing without HLA-B*15:02 screening. Base-case analysis and sensitivity analyses were performed over a lifetime time horizon. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated.

    RESULTS: Both universal HLA-B*15:02 screening and VPA prescribing were dominated by current practice. Compared with current practice, universal HLA-B*15:02 screening resulted in a loss of 0·0255 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at an additional cost of 707 U.S. dollars (USD); VPA prescribing resulted in a loss of 0·2622 QALYs at an additional cost of USD 4127, owing to estimated differences in antiepileptic treatment efficacy.

    CONCLUSIONS: Universal HLA-B*15:02 screening is unlikely to be a cost-effective intervention in Malaysia. However, with the emergence of an ethnically diverse population in many other countries, this may render HLA-B*15:02 screening a viable intervention when an increasing proportion of the population is at risk and an equally effective yet safer antiepileptic drug is available.

  9. Sumitro K, Yong CS, Tan LT, Choo S, Lim CY, Shariman H, et al.
    Malays Fam Physician, 2020;15(2):50-52.
    PMID: 32843946
    The djenkol bean (Archidendron pauciflorum) is a native delicacy in Southeast Asia, though consumption can sometimes lead to djenkolism. Clinical features of djenkolism include acute abdominal pain, hematuria, urinary retention, and acute kidney injury (AKI). The pain can be severe, which often leads to a misdiagnosis of acute abdomen. In this paper, we report the case of an Indonesian migrant with djenkolism. Due to the short history and severity of the abdominal pain, medical professionals suspected acute abdomen and proceeded with a negative exploratory laparotomy. However, djenkolism was suspected once relatives informed the professionals that the patient had consumed djenkol beans hours earlier. The patient recovered through aggressive hydration and urine alkalinization with bicarbonate infusion. We highlight the importance of being aware of this rare cause of AKI, especially in Southeast Asia, in order to provide early diagnoses and prompt treatments.
  10. Chai HC, Phipps ME, Othman I, Tan LP, Chua KH
    Lupus, 2013 Feb;22(2):198-204.
    PMID: 23257407 DOI: 10.1177/0961203312470183
    BACKGROUND: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antigens and genes have long been reported associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility in many populations. With the advance in technologies such as genome-wide association studies, many newly discovered SLE-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been reported in recent years. These include HLA-DRB1/HLA-DQA1 rs9271366 and HLA-DQB1/HLA-DQA2 rs9275328. Our aim was to investigate these SNPs in a Malaysian SLE cohort.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: SNPs rs9271366 and rs9275328 were screened across 790 Malaysian citizens from three ethnic groups (360 patients and 430 healthy volunteers) by Taqman SNP genotyping assays. Allele and genotyping frequencies, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, Fisher's exact test and odds ratio were calculated for each SNP and ethnic group. Linkage disequilibrium and interaction between the two SNPs were also evaluated.
    RESULTS: The minor allele G and its homozygous genotype GG of HLA-DRB1/HLA-DQA1 rs9271366 significantly increased the SLE susceptibility in Malaysian patients, including those of Malay and Chinese ethnicity (odds ratio (OR) > 1, p 
  11. Khaw WF, Chan YM, Nasaruddin NH, Alias N, Tan L, Ganapathy SS
    BMC Public Health, 2023 Jul 18;23(1):1383.
    PMID: 37464344 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16309-z
    BACKGROUND: In Malaysia, the previous mortality burden has been a significant concern, particularly due to the high prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as the leading cause of death. Estimates of mortality are key indicators for monitoring population health and determining priorities in health policies and health planning. The aim of this study was to estimate the disease burden attributed to 113 major diseases and injuries in Malaysia in 2018 using years of life lost (YLL) method.

    METHODS: This study included all deaths that occurred in Malaysia in 2018. The YLL was derived by adding the number of deaths from 113 specific diseases and multiplying it by the remaining life expectancy for that age and sex group. Data on life expectancy and mortality were collected from the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

    RESULTS: In 2018, there were 3.5 million YLL in Malaysia. Group II (NCDs) caused 72.2% of total YLL. Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of premature mortality among Malaysians (17.7%), followed by lower respiratory infections (9.7%), road traffic injuries (8.7%), cerebrovascular disease (stroke) (8.0%), and diabetes mellitus (3.9%).

    CONCLUSIONS: NCDs are a significant health concern in Malaysia and are the primary contributor to the overall burden of disease. These results are important in guiding the national health systems on how to design and implement effective interventions for NCDs, as well as how to prioritise and allocate healthcare resources. Key strategies to consider include implementing health promotion campaigns, adopting integrated care models, and implementing policy and regulatory measures. These approaches aim to enhance health outcomes and the managements of NCDs in Malaysia.

  12. Tan LL, Ahmad K, Kareem BA, Harwant S
    Med J Malaysia, 2001 Jun;56 Suppl C:52-6.
    PMID: 11814250 MyJurnal
    An epidemiological study of 101 consecutive musculoskeletal sarcomas seen at the Institute of Radiotherapy and Oncology between 1995 and 1999 inclusive was carried out. The commonest sarcomas seen were osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing's Sarcoma, liposarcoma, leimyosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and chondrosarcoma; which collectively accounted for 84.2% of the group. Thirty patients (29.7%) presented with metastases. The commonest site of occurrence was lower extremity with 47.5%, followed by 34.7% in the trunk and peritoneum/axial skeleton, 9.9% in the head and neck region; and 7.90 in the upper extremity. We found no apparent relationship between race and incidence osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma, as was reported by previous workers.
  13. Tan L, Lai SM, Geres N, Innes NPT, Radford JR, Revie G, et al.
    Community Dent Health, 2021 Jul 26.
    PMID: 34351712 DOI: 10.1922/CDH_00091Tan05
    BACKGROUND: The Wikipedia Collaboration of Dental Schools (WCODS) is a student-led initiative that aims to publish high quality scientific, evidence-based dental content on the Wikipedia online encyclopaedia by equipping its members to use research, critical appraisal and writing skills to create accurate content. In 2019, the Collaboration launched a standardised training programme developed by Wikimedia-trained committee members, academic dental school staff and the Cochrane Oral Health global community.

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of this training programme in ensuring WCODS editors follow the processes underpinning Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD).

    METHOD: A cohort of dental students and staff (n=136) from six dental schools in the UK and Malaysia took part in a standardised and structured training programme at the annual WCODS training meeting. Participants' abilities and their perceived levels of confidence in carrying out critical analysis of the literature were measured using pre- and post-training surveys, and competency assessments.

    RESULTS: Participants' skills in conducting literature searches, critical appraisal of the findings and creating and editing a Wikipedia page improved after training.

    CONCLUSION: The training programme provided participants with the skill set and confidence to apply best practice to create and edit Wikipedia entries. This Collaboration intends to recruit more contributors to improve global oral health literacy using the free online Wikipedia encyclopaedia.

  14. Tan SY, Tan LH, Teo SM, Thiruventhiran T, Kamarulzaman A, Hoh HB
    Transplant Proc, 2000 Nov;32(7):1965-6.
    PMID: 11120022
  15. See KC, Liew SM, Ng DCE, Chew EL, Khoo EM, Sam CH, et al.
    Int J Infect Dis, 2020 May;94:125-127.
    PMID: 32304822 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.03.049
    OBJECTIVE: This is a brief report of 4 paediatric cases of COVID-19 infection in Malaysia BACKGROUND: COVID-19, a coronavirus, first detected in Wuhan, China has now spread rapidly to over 60 countries and territories around the world, infecting more than 85000 individuals. As the case count amongst children is low, there is need to report COVID-19 in children to better understand the virus and the disease.

    CASES: In Malaysia, until end of February 2020, there were four COVID-19 paediatric cases with ages ranging from 20 months to 11 years. All four cases were likely to have contracted the virus in China. The children had no symptoms or mild flu-like illness. The cases were managed symptomatically. None required antiviral therapy.

    DISCUSSION: There were 2 major issues regarding the care of infected children. Firstly, the quarantine of an infected child with a parent who tested negative was an ethical dilemma. Secondly, oropharyngeal and nasal swabs in children were at risk of false negative results. These issues have implications for infection control. Consequently, there is a need for clearer guidelines for child quarantine and testing methods in the management of COVID-19 in children.

  16. Foong B, Ho S, Tan L, Lee KT, Jegathesan T
    Malays Orthop J, 2023 Jul;17(2):43-48.
    PMID: 37583521 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2307.007
    INTRODUCTION: Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) is a group of pathologies defined by pain and stiffness after intramuscular administration of vaccine to the upper arm and has been reported after COVID-19 vaccination. We aim to discuss its pathophysiology, clinical presentation, treatment and outcomes.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients presenting with adhesive capsulitis within four weeks of administration of COVID-19 vaccine to the affected arm at our tertiary institution from March 2021 to December 2022.

    RESULT: Based on the above criteria, we identified seven cases of adhesive capsulitis, comprising one male and six female patients, with average age of 60 years. We present initial symptoms, signs and the duration from when the vaccine was administered. We have highlighted our treatment strategies as well as the clinical and functional outcomes reported by these patients after treatment. We have reported improvement in both Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and range of motion (ROM) in all our patients after non-surgical management which included physiotherapy and, in some cases, hydrodilatation.

    CONCLUSION: SIRVA related adhesive capsulitis is rare and under-reported with limited information in current literature. This study highlights that adhesive capsulitis is a potential complication arising from improper COVID-19 vaccine administration and reinforces traditional wisdom of administering vaccinations on the non-dominant arm. Conservative treatment strategies appear to be effective, particularly hydrodilatation combined with physiotherapy, and patients are expected to have a good return of function.

  17. Hu L, Xu Z, Wang M, Fan R, Yuan D, Wu B, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2019 10 16;10(1):4702.
    PMID: 31619678 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12607-6
    Black pepper (Piper nigrum), dubbed the 'King of Spices' and 'Black Gold', is one of the most widely used spices. Here, we present its reference genome assembly by integrating PacBio, 10x Chromium, BioNano DLS optical mapping, and Hi-C mapping technologies. The 761.2 Mb sequences (45 scaffolds with an N50 of 29.8 Mb) are assembled into 26 pseudochromosomes. A phylogenomic analysis of representative plant genomes places magnoliids as sister to the monocots-eudicots clade and indicates that black pepper has diverged from the shared Laurales-Magnoliales lineage approximately 180 million years ago. Comparative genomic analyses reveal specific gene expansions in the glycosyltransferase, cytochrome P450, shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase, lysine decarboxylase, and acyltransferase gene families. Comparative transcriptomic analyses disclose berry-specific upregulated expression in representative genes in each of these gene families. These data provide an evolutionary perspective and shed light on the metabolic processes relevant to the molecular basis of species-specific piperine biosynthesis.
  18. Gilbert M, Mohamed M, Choong SS, Baqi A, Kumaran JV, Sani I, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2023 Sep 01;40(3):273-280.
    PMID: 37897158 DOI: 10.47665/tb.40.3.001
    Most of the public health importance coronaviruses, such as Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2 are likely originated from bats and spread to humans through intermediate hosts; civet cats, dromedary camel and Malayan pangolin, respectively. SARS-CoV-2-like coronaviruses were detected in Thailand, which is neighbouring with Kelantan in East Coast Malaysia. To date, there is no report on the presence of public health concerns (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV) coronaviruses in bats from Malaysia. This study was aimed to elucidate the presence of these coronaviruses in bat samples from East Coast, Malaysia. A total of hundred seventy oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from three states of East Coast Malaysia. Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted based on partial 3' Untranslated region (3'UTR) or ORF10 gene and the products were sequenced. The sequences were compared with all coronavirus sequences from the National Center for Biotechnology Information-GenBank (NCBI-GenBank) using NCBI-Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (NCBI-BLAST) software. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to determine the genetic relationship among the detected coronaviruses with the reference coronaviruses from the NCBI-GenBank. Our results showed that SARSCoV-2-like viruses were present in 3% (5/170) of the bats from East Coast Malaysia that have 98-99% sequence identities and are genetically related to SARS-CoV-2 from humans. This finding indicates the presence of SARS-CoV-2-like viruses in bats from East Coast Malaysia that may become a public health concern in the future.
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