Displaying publications 241 - 260 of 460 in total

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  1. Halib H, Ismail A, Mohd Yusof BN, Osakabe N, Mat Daud ZA
    Nutrients, 2020 Nov 30;12(12).
    PMID: 33266002 DOI: 10.3390/nu12123695
    Obesity remains a major public health problem due to its increasing prevalence. Natural products have become common as adjunct therapeutic agents for treating obesity and preventing metabolic diseases. Cocoa and its products are commonly consumed worldwide. Dark chocolate, a rich source of polyphenols, has received attention lately for its beneficial role in the management of obesity; however, conflicting results are still being reported. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the existing literature on the relationship and effects of cocoa and dark chocolate intake among obese adults. We searched multiple databases for research investigating the consumption of cocoa and/or dark chocolate in managing obesity among adults. This review includes epidemiological and human studies that were published in English over the last 10 years. Our review of the current literature indicates that epidemiological and human trials with obese adults have shown inconsistent results, which may be due to the different populations of subjects, and different types of cocoa products and doses used for intervention. Studies among obese adults are mainly focusing on obese individuals with comorbidities, as such more studies are needed to elucidate the role of cocoa polyphenols in weight control and preventing the risk of chronic diseases among obese individuals without comorbidities as well as healthy individuals. Careful adjustment of confounding factors would be required. The effects of cocoa and dark chocolate intake on obese adults were discussed, and further research is warranted to identify the gaps.
  2. Akhtar MT, Bin Mohd Sarib MS, Ismail IS, Abas F, Ismail A, Lajis NH, et al.
    Molecules, 2016 Aug 09;21(8).
    PMID: 27517894 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21081026
    Andrographis paniculata is an annual herb and widely cultivated in Southeast Asian countries for its medicinal use. In recent investigations, A. paniculata was found to be effective against Type 1 diabetes mellitus (Type 1 DM). Here, we used a non-genetic out-bred Sprague-Dawley rat model to test the antidiabetic activity of A. paniculata against Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM). Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy in combination with multivariate data analyses was used to evaluate the A. paniculata and metformin induced metabolic effects on the obese and obese-diabetic (obdb) rat models. Compared to the normal rats, high levels of creatinine, lactate, and allantoin were found in the urine of obese rats, whereas, obese-diabetic rats were marked by high glucose, choline and taurine levels, and low lactate, formate, creatinine, citrate, 2-oxoglutarate, succinate, dimethylamine, acetoacetate, acetate, allantoin and hippurate levels. Treatment of A. paniculata leaf water extract was found to be quite effective in restoring the disturbed metabolic profile of obdb rats back towards normal conditions. Thisstudy shows the anti-diabetic potential of A. paniculata plant extract and strengthens the idea of using this plant against the diabetes. Further classical genetic methods and state of the art molecular techniques could provide insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and anti-diabetic effects of A. paniculata water extract.
  3. Mahayidin H, Yahya NK, Wan Ghazali WS, Mohd Ismail A, Wan Ab Hamid WZ
    Malays J Med Sci, 2016 May;23(3):22-31.
    PMID: 27418866
    BACKGROUND: Detecting the active state of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is important but challenging. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of serum endothelial cell adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and anti-C1q antibody in discriminating between active and non-active SLE.
    METHODS: Using SELENA-SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), 95 SLE patients (45 active and 50 non-active) were assessed. A score above five was considered indicative of active SLE. The blood samples were tested for serum ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and anti-C1q antibody using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
    RESULTS: The levels of serum VCAM-1 and anti-C1q antibody were significantly higher in active SLE patients. Both VCAM-1 and anti-C1q were able to discriminate between active and non-active SLE (p-value < 0.001 and 0.005, respectively). From the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) constructed, the optimal cut-off values for VCAM-1 and anti-C1q antibody in discriminating between active and non-active SLE were 30.5 ng/mL (69.0% sensitivity, 60.0% specificity, PPV 58.5%, NPV 66.7%) and 7.86 U/mL (75.6% sensitivity, 80% specificity, PPV 77.3%, NPV 78.4%), respectively. However, serum ICAM-1 level was unable to discriminate between the two groups (p-value = 0.193).
    CONCLUSION: Anti-C1q antibody demonstrated the best diagnostic accuracy in discriminating between active and non-active SLE patients.
    KEYWORDS: anti-C1q antibody; cell adhesion molecules; intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1); systemic lupus erythematosus; vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1)
  4. Bidsorkhi HC, Riazi H, Emadzadeh D, Ghanbari M, Matsuura T, Lau WJ, et al.
    Nanotechnology, 2016 Oct 14;27(41):415706.
    PMID: 27607307 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/27/41/415706
    In this research, novel ultrafiltration nanocomposite membranes were prepared by incorporating self-synthesized nanoporous titanium dioxide (NTiO2) nanoparticles into polysulfone. The surface of the nanoparticle was treated with a silane-based modifier to improve its distribution in the host polymer. Atomic-force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, porosity and contact angle tests were conducted to characterize the properties of the particles as well as the fabricated nanocomposite membranes. The effects of the nanoparticle incorporation were evaluated by conducting ultrafiltration experiments. It was reported that the membrane pure water flux was increased with increasing NTiO2 loading owing to the high porosity of the nanoparticles embedded and/or formation of enlarged pores upon addition of them. The antifouling capacity of the membranes was also tested by ultrafiltration of bovine serum albumin fouling solution. It was found that both water flux and antifouling capacity tended to reach desired level if the NTiO2 added was at optimized loading.
  5. Ismail A, Suddin LS, Sulong S, Ahmed Z, Kamaruddin NA, Sukor N
    Indian J Community Med, 2016 7 8;41(3):208-12.
    PMID: 27385874 DOI: 10.4103/0970-0218.183590
    CONTEXT: Diabetes mellitus is a growing health problem in most countries. In Malaysia, there was an increase in prevalence over the years. This makes diabetes also a growing concern in Malaysia, which warrants strengthening of the prevention and control programme.

    AIMS: This paper aims to describe the profiles of diabetes mellitus type 2 in tertiary setting and to identify the risk factors for high level of HbA1c among the study population. The findings will give a glimpse on current status of diabetes in our country and may reflect the achievement of the country in combating this disease.

    SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted in UKM Medical Centre.

    METHODS AND MATERIAL: Medical records of patient with E11 ICD-10 code were collected using Case Report Form.

    STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Descriptive analysis done of mean and median while test of association were done using Spearman correlation and logistic regression.

    RESULTS: The results showed that majority of inpatients of DMT2 showed mean age of 58.8 + 12.6 years and most were males (56.7%) with secondary level of education (41.7%). Median duration of disease was 12.0 + 11.0 years with median HbA1c level of 8.9 ± 4.4%. Only small proportion of patients achieved the desired level of HbA1c <6.5% (21.3%) and significant association was found with tertiary level of education [AOR = 0.10, 95%CI = 0.01-0.96] and with type of anti-diabetic therapy [AOR = 15.90, 95%CI=1;2.03-124.30].

    CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, diabetes mellitus type 2 inpatients still showed unsatisfactory glycemic control and holistic approach using health education should be advocated continuously in the future in view of education being one of the predictors for the good HbA1c outcome.

  6. Mahayidin H, Yahya NK, Wan Ghazali WS, Mohd Ismail A, Wan Ab Hamid WZ
    Int Sch Res Notices, 2014;2014:275194.
    PMID: 27355017 DOI: 10.1155/2014/275194
    Objectives. The study was conducted to determine the correlation of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and anti-C1q antibody levels with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and standard SLE disease activity immunological markers (anti-dsDNA and sera C3 and C4). Study Design. This was a cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods. Blood samples were obtained from 95 SLE patients (45 active SLE and 50 nonactive SLE) and 50 controls. The subjects were assessed using SLEDAI and score of more than five is determined as having active SLE. The sera were tested for serum ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and anti-C1q (ELISA), anti-dsDNA (CLIFT), serum C3, and serum C4 (immunonephelometry). Results. Anti-dsDNA and anti-C1q antibody showed good positive correlations with SLEDAI (r = 0.529, P < 0.001 and r = 0.559, P < 0.001, resp.). VCAM-1 and sera C3 and C4 showed fair correlation with SLEDAI (r = 0.294, P = 0.004; r = -0.312, P = 0.002; and r = -0.382, P < 0.001, resp.). ICAM-1 level showed no significant correlation with SLEDAI (P = 0.062). There were significant correlations of VCAM-1 and anti-C1q antibody with anti-dsDNA (r = 0.226, P = 0.006 and r = 0.511, P < 0.001, resp.). VCAM-1 showed poor inverse correlation with serum C3 (r = -0.183, P = 0.028) and fair inverse correlation with serum C4 (r = -0.251, P = 0.002). Anti-C1q antibody demonstrated fair inverse correlation with both sera C3 and C4 (r = -0.420, P ≤ 0.001 and r = -0.398, P < 0.001, resp.). However, ICAM-1 showed no significant correlation with anti-dsDNA and sera C3 and C4 (P = 0.259, P = 0.626 and P = 0.338, resp.). Conclusions. The serum levels of anti-C1q antibody in SLE patients showed the best correlation with the SLEDAI and standard immunological tests for SLE disease activity. These data support that anti-C1q antibody is a useful marker for monitoring SLE global disease activity. The potential of VCAM-1 needs further confirmation.
    Study site: Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Kubang Kerian, and Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZ II), Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
  7. Janaydeh M, Ismail A, Zulkifli SZ, Bejo MH, Aziz NA, Taneenah A
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2016 Nov;23(21):22059-22071.
    PMID: 27541152
    The Klang area of Peninsular Malaysia has experienced rapid industrial growth with intense activities, which can increase the concentration of pollutants in the environment that significantly impact on habitats and the human health. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of selected heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Fe, and Pb) in the heart, lung, brain, liver, kidney, muscle tissues, and feathers of house crow, Corvus splendens, in Klang, Peninsular Malaysia. House crow samples were collected from the Klang area through the Department of Public Health at Majlis Perbandaran Klang. Quantitative determination of heavy metals was carried out using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The result shows the presence of heavy metals in all biological samples of house crows. For heavy metals in all the house crow tissues analyzed, Fe concentrations were the highest, followed by those of Zn, Cu, Pb, and Ni. The feathers and kidney accumulated high concentrations of Pb, whereas the liver accumulated high concentrations of essential heavy metals (Fe > Zn > Cu > Ni). Significant variations were also detected in the concentrations of Pb among adult and juvenile and male and female bird samples. The results also revealed significant positive correlations between Pb metal concentration in the breast feathers and all internal organs. Accumulation of toxic heavy metals in feathers reflected storing and elimination processes, while the accumulation of toxic heavy metals in the kidney can be consequential to chronic exposure. The present study clearly shows the usefulness of house crow breast feather as a suitable indicator for heavy metal accumulation in the internal organs of house crows in the Klang area.
  8. Samiei V, Wan Puteh SE, Abdul Manaf MR, Abdul Latip K, Ismail A
    Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):44-52.
    PMID: 27547114 MyJurnal
    BACKGROUND: The idea of launching an internet-based self-management program for patients with diabetes led us to do a cross-sectional study to find out about the willingness, interest, equipment, and level of usage of computer and internet in a medium- to low-social class area and to find the feasibility of using e-telemonitoring systems for these patients.

    METHODS: A total of 180 patients with type 2 diabetes participated in this study and fulfilled the self-administered questionnaire in Diabetes Clinic of Primary Medical Center of University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre; the response rate was 84%. We used the universal sampling method and assessed three groups of factors including sociodemographic, information and communication technology (ICT), willingness and interest, and disease factors.

    RESULTS: Our results showed that 56% of the patients with diabetes were interested to use such programs; majority of the patients were Malay, and patients in the age group of 51-60 years formed the largest group. Majority of these patients studied up to secondary level of education. Age, education, income, and money spent for checkup were significantly associated with the interest of patients with diabetes to the internet-based programs. ICT-related factors such as computer ownership, computer knowledge, access to the internet, frequency of using the internet and reasons of internet usage had a positive effect on patients' interest.

    CONCLUSION: Our results show that among low to intermediate social class of Malaysian patients with type 2 diabetes, more than 50% of them can and wanted to use the internet-based self-management programs. Furthermore, we also show that patients equipped with more ICT-related factors had more interest toward these programs. Therefore, we propose making ICT more affordable and integrating it into the health care system at primary care level and then extending it nationwide.

  9. Rahman HA, Sahib NG, Saari N, Abas F, Ismail A, Mumtaz MW, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2017 Feb 22;17(1):122.
    PMID: 28228098 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1640-4
    BACKGROUND: Obesity is a major health concern both in developed and developing countries. The use of herbal medicines became the subject of interest for the management of obesity due to its natural origin, cost effectiveness and minimal side effects. The present study aimed at investigating anti-obesity potential of ethanolic extract from Cosmos caudatus Kunth leaf (EECCL).

    METHODS: In this study, the rats were randomly divided into six groups i.e., (1) Normal Diet (ND); (2) Normal Diet and 175 mg/kgBW of EECCL (ND + 175 mg/kgBW); (3) Normal Diet and 350 mg/kgBW of EECCL (ND + 350 mg/kgBW); (4) High Fat Diet (HFD); (5) High Fat Diet and 175 mg/kgBW of EECCL (HFD + 175 mg/kgBW); (6) High Fat Diet and 350 mg/kgBW of EECCL (HFD + 350 mg/kgBW). The anti-obesity potential was evaluated through analyses of changes in body weight, visceral fat weight, and blood biochemicals including total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), leptin, insulin, adiponectin, ghrelin and fecal fat content. In addition, metabolite profiling of EECCL was carried out using NMR spectroscopy.

    RESULTS: Rats receiving EECCL together with HFD showed significant (p  0.05) different with those of ND rats. Other related obesity biomarkers including plasma lipid profiles, insulin, leptin, ghrelin and adiponectin levels also showed significant improvement (p 

  10. Wan Ismail WS, Nik Jaafar NR, Mohd Daud TI, Shah SA, Ismail A, Shafiee Z
    ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2010;11(1):79-86.
    MyJurnal
    Objective: School bullying in Malaysia is on the rise. While efforts are put together to combat the problem, the psychiatric aspect has been neglected. This is a cross-sectional study aimed to determine the association between the symptoms of ADHD and bully/victim problems among Malaysian sixthgraders attending primary schools in Kuala Lumpur.
    Methods: A total of 410 sixth-graders from seven randomly selected schools were assessed with regards to bully/victim problems and ADHD symptoms using self-reported questionnaires. Malaysian Bullying Questionnaire was used to rate bully/victim problems while ADHD symptoms were assessed using ConnersWells’ Adolescent Self-report Scale (CASS). Teachers and parents also assessed students’ ADHD symptoms using Conner’s Teachers Rating Scale (CTRS) and Conner’s Parents Rating Scale (CPRS), respectively.
    Results: Self-reported questionnaires showed that 61.2% of the children were involved in bully/victim problems. The ADHD symptoms were found significant in relation to bully/victim problems as tested by multiple logistic regression. Only students and parents reported significant ADHD symptoms among the bully/victim groups. The ADHD symptoms reported by students were significant among bullies(OR=0.59,CI=0.42-0.83, p
  11. Emadzadeh D, Ghanbari M, Lau WJ, Rahbari-Sisakht M, Rana D, Matsuura T, et al.
    Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl, 2017 Jun 01;75:463-470.
    PMID: 28415486 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2017.02.079
    In this study, nanoporous titanate (NT) nanoparticle synthesized by the solvothermal method was used to modify polyamide layer of thin film composite membranes with the aim of improving membrane resistances against organic and inorganic fouling. Thin film nanocomposite membranes (NMs) were synthesized by adding mNTs (modified nanoparticles) into polyamide selective layer followed by characterization using different analytical instruments. The results of XPS and XRD confirmed the presence of mNTs in the polyamide layer of NMs, while FESEM, AFM, zeta potential and contact angle measurement further supported the changes in physical and chemical properties of the membrane surface upon mNTs incorporation. Results of fouling showed that NM1 (the membrane incorporated with 0.01w/v% mNTs) always demonstrated lower degree of flux decline compared to the control membrane when membranes were tested with organic, inorganic and multicomponent synthesized water, brackish water or seawater. Besides showing greater antifouling resistance, the NM also displayed significantly higher water flux compared to the control M membrane. The findings of this work confirmed the positive impact of mNTs in improving the properties of NM with respect to fouling mitigation and flux improvement.
  12. Choo KE, Davis TM, Ismail A, Tuan Ibrahim TA, Ghazali WN
    Acta Trop, 1999 Mar 15;72(2):175-83.
    PMID: 10206117
    The Typhidot test, which detects IgM and IgG antibodies to a Salmonella typhi-specific outer membrane protein, is as sensitive as, and more specific than, the Widal test in the diagnosis of enteric fever in Malaysian children. It is easier and quicker to perform. In order to increase diagnostic accuracy in an area of high endemicity, the Typhidot-M test has been developed in which IgG is first removed. This theoretically allows improved detection of IgM, and thus would differentiate new from recent infections. We evaluated both tests in 134 unselected febrile children admitted to the General Hospital Kota Bharu, Malaysia. The children were divided into two groups: (i) those who were blood and/or stool culture positive for S. typhi and/or who had clinical features strongly suggestive of enteric fever (n = 62); and (ii) those who were both culture-negative and had clinical evidence of another diagnosis (n = 72). The sensitivity and specificity of the Typhidot and Typhidot-M tests were identical at 90.3 and 93.1%, respectively. Both tests had comparable sensitivity but greater specificity than those of the Widal test (91.9 and 80.6%, respectively). When used together, a positive result for Typhidot and/or Typhidot-M was more specific than either test alone (95.2%) but specificity was lower (87.5%). We conclude that the Typhidot and Typhidot-M tests have comparatively high diagnostic accuracy, suggesting that IgM can be detected in children who may have a predominant IgG response to S. typhi. Using these tests in combination increases the negative predictive value but at the cost of a lower positive predictive value.
  13. Chin CF, Lai JY, Choong YS, Anthony AA, Ismail A, Lim TS
    Sci Rep, 2017 05 19;7(1):2176.
    PMID: 28526816 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01987-8
    Hemolysin E (HlyE) is an immunogenic novel pore-forming toxin involved in the pathogenesis of typhoid fever. Thus, mapping of B-cell epitopes of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) is critical to identify key immunogenic regions of HlyE. A random 20-mer peptide library was used for biopanning with enriched anti-HlyE polyclonal antibodies from typhoid patient sera. Bioinformatic tools were used to refine, analyze and map the enriched peptide sequences against the protein to identify the epitopes. The analysis identified both linear and conformational epitopes on the HlyE protein. The predicted linear GAAAGIVAG and conformational epitope PYSQESVLSADSQNQK were further validated against the pooled sera. The identified epitopes were then used to isolate epitope specific monoclonal antibodies by antibody phage display. Monoclonal scFv antibodies were enriched for both linear and conformational epitopes. Molecular docking was performed to elucidate the antigen-antibody interaction of the monoclonal antibodies against the epitopes on the HlyE monomer and oligomer structure. An in-depth view of the mechanistic and positional characteristics of the antibodies and epitope for HlyE was successfully accomplished by a combination of phage display and bioinformatic analysis. The predicted function and structure of the antibodies highlights the possibility of utilizing the antibodies as neutralizing agents for typhoid fever.
  14. Azam AA, Pariyani R, Ismail IS, Ismail A, Khatib A, Abas F, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2017 May 25;17(1):278.
    PMID: 28545435 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1777-1
    BACKGROUND: Orthosiphon stamineus (OS) is a herb known in ethnomedicine for treating diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, a (1)H NMR based urine metabolomics tool has been used for the first time to identify the metabolic protective mechanism of OS in DM using Streptozotocin (STZ) induced experimental model in rats.

    METHODS: Four different solvent extracts of OS, namely aqueous, ethanolic, 50% aqueous ethanolic and methanolic, at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight (bw) were orally administered for 14 days to diabetic rats induced via intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg bw STZ. NMR metabolomics approach using pattern recognition combined with multivariate statistical analysis was applied in the rat urine to study the resulted metabolic perturbations.

    RESULTS: OS aqueous extract (OSAE) caused a reversal of DM comparable to that of 10 mg/kg bw glibenclamide. A total of 15 urinary metabolites, which levels changed significantly upon treatment were identified as the biomarkers of OSAE in diabetes. A systematic metabolic pathways analysis identified that OSAE contributed to the antidiabetic activity mainly through regulating the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, lipid and amino acid metabolism.

    CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study validated the ethnopharmacological use of OS in diabetes and unveiled the biochemical and metabolic mechanisms involved.

  15. Arifin NFT, Yusof N, Nordin NAHM, Jaafar J, Ismail AF, Aziz F, et al.
    Mater Today Proc, 2021;46:1959-1962.
    PMID: 33680866 DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.02.379
    Since the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, intense research has been carried out to find the effective vaccine. However, this issue remains as a global challenge. Graphene has captured various attention due to promising antimicrobial and antiviral applications, hydrophobic characteristic and superior electrical conductivity. Recently, biomass derived graphene also promises great opportunity to combat the spread COVID-19. In this paper, we demonstrated the ability and role of biomass derived graphene as superhydrophobic coating, biosensors and disinfectant in the fight against COVID-19.
  16. Hasbullah FY, Fong KY, Ismail A, Mitri J, Mohd Yusof BN
    Malays J Med Sci, 2021 Feb;28(1):75-86.
    PMID: 33679223 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2021.28.1.10
    BACKGROUND: Genetic factors increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Thus, family history status may be a useful public health tool for disease prevention. This study compared the nutritional status, knowledge level, and T2DM risk among young adults with and without a family history of diabetes in Malaysia.

    METHODS: A total of 288 university students aged 18 to 29 years participated in this comparative cross-sectional study. We assessed dietary intake, level of physical activity, knowledge of diabetes and T2DM risk.

    RESULTS: Respondents with a family history of diabetes had significantly higher weight (P = 0.003), body mass index (P < 0.001), waist circumference (P < 0.001), diabetes knowledge level (P < 0.005) and T2DM risk (P < 0.001). Ethnicity, fibre intake, T2DM risk score and knowledge about diabetes were significant contributors toward family history of diabetes (P = 0.025, 0.034, < 0.001 and 0.004, respectively).

    CONCLUSION: Young adults with a family history of diabetes had suboptimal nutritional status. Despite being more knowledgeable about diabetes, they did not practice a healthy lifestyle. Family history status can be used to screen young adults at the risk of developing T2DM for primary disease prevention.

  17. Selimin DS, Ismail A, Ahmad N, Ismail R, Mohd Azman NF, Azman A
    J Trop Med, 2021;2021:9923378.
    PMID: 34194511 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9923378
    Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious health threat to people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study aimed to identify the characteristics, unsuccessful TB treatment rate, and determinants of unsuccessful TB treatment outcome among patients with TB-HIV coinfection in Kuala Lumpur.

    Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The data of all patients with TB-HIV in the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur from 2013 to 2017 were collected and reviewed. The data were retrieved from the national database (TB Information System) at the Kuala Lumpur Health Department from 1 March 2018 to 31 May 2018.

    Results: Out of 235 randomly selected patients with TB-HIV, TB treatment outcome was successful in 57.9% (cured and completed treatment) and unsuccessful in 42.1% (died, failed, or lost to follow-up). Patients who did not receive DOTS (directly observed treatment, short course) (adjusted odds ratio: 21.71; 95% confidence interval: 5.36-87.94) and those who received shorter treatment duration of <6 months (aOR: 34.54; 95% CI: 5.97-199.93) had higher odds for unsuccessful TB treatment outcome.

    Conclusions: Nearly half of the patients with TB-HIV had unsuccessful TB treatment outcome. Therefore, it is important to ensure that such patients receive DOTS and continuous TB treatment of >6 months. It is crucial to strengthen and widen the coverage of DOTS, especially among high-risk groups, in healthcare settings. Strict follow-up by healthcare providers is needed for patients with TB-HIV to gain treatment adherence and for better rates of successful TB treatment.

  18. Puri IY, Mohd Yusof BN, Abu Zaid Z, Ismail A, Haron H, Lipoeto NI
    Nutrients, 2021 Jun 08;13(6).
    PMID: 34201355 DOI: 10.3390/nu13061975
    (1) Background: The interest in nutrition practices and education is slowly gaining traction among Indonesian nutritionists. However, there is a lack of local studies that evaluate nutritional practices, especially in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the nutritional practices among nutritionists and the adequacy of the current practices in the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients at the Public Health Clinic in Padang (PHC), Indonesia. (2) Methods: An online survey form was distributed to all the nutritionists (n = 50) involved in the management of T2DM patients in their daily practices at the PHC. Socio-demographic characteristics, the current practice of T2DM, the need for DM nutrition education, and an evaluation questionnaire on the Indonesian Non-Communicable Diseases guideline and the Public Health Centre guideline were captured in the survey. (3) Result: A total of 48 completed survey forms were received, providing a response rate of 96% from the recruited nutritionists. One-third (37.5%) of the respondents counselled between one and ten patients per day. Nearly half (41.7%) conducted a monthly follow-up session for the patients at their respective PHC in the previous three months. Each nutritionist educated five to ten T2DM patients. The most common nutrition education topics delivered included appropriate menus (89.6%) as well as the etiology and symptoms of T2DM (85.5%). Almost all the nutritionists (93.8%) used leaflets and about 35.4% used poster education. Around 70.8% of counseling sessions lasted 30 min and two-thirds (66.7%) of the sessions included nutrition education. Based on the results, about half (52.1%) of them claimed that T2DM patients were reluctant to attend individual nutrition education. One-fifth of them (20.8%) claimed that it was because the T2DM patients were not interested in the tool kits and materials used. (4) Conclusions: T2DM patients are reluctant to attend individual nutrition education due to uninteresting tool kits and materials.
  19. Al-Baiaty FDR, Ismail A, Abdul Latiff Z, Muhammad Nawawi KN, Raja Ali RA, Mokhtar NM
    Front Pediatr, 2021;9:667247.
    PMID: 34307250 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.667247
    Obesity has become a worldwide health concern among the pediatric population. The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is growing rapidly, alongside the high prevalence of obesity. NAFLD refers to a multifactorial disorder that includes simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with or devoid of fibrosis. NAFLD is regarded as a systemic disorder that influences glucose, lipid, and energy metabolism with hepatic manifestations. A sedentary lifestyle and poor choice of food remain the major contributors to the disease. Prompt and timely diagnosis of NAFLD among overweight children is crucial to prevent the progression of the condition. Yet, there has been no approved pharmacological treatment for NAFLD in adults or children. As indicated by clinical evidence, lifestyle modification plays a vital role as a primary form of therapy for managing and treating NAFLD. Emphasis is on the significance of caloric restriction, particularly macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins) in altering the disease consequences. A growing number of studies are now focusing on establishing a link between vitamins and NAFLD. Different types of vitamin supplements have been shown to be effective in treating NAFLD. In this review, we elaborate on the potential role of vitamin E with a high content of tocotrienol as a therapeutic alternative in treating NAFLD in obese children.
  20. Abdullah SNF, Ismail A, Juahir H, Lananan F, Hashim NM, Ariffin N, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021 Jul;28(27):35613-35627.
    PMID: 33666850 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12772-6
    Rainwater harvesting is an effective alternative practice, particularly within urban regions, during periods of water scarcity and dry weather. The collected water is mostly utilized for non-potable household purposes and irrigation. However, due to the increase in atmospheric pollutants, the quality of rainwater has gradually decreased. This atmospheric pollution can damage the climate, natural resources, biodiversity, and human health. In this study, the characteristics and physicochemical properties of rainfall were assessed using a qualitative approach. The three-year (2017-2019) data on rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia were analysed via multivariate techniques. The physicochemical properties of the rainfall yielded six significant factors, which encompassed 61.39% of the total variance as a result of industrialization, agriculture, transportation, and marine factors. The purity of rainfall index (PRI) was developed based on subjective factor scores of the six factors within three categories: good, moderate, and bad. Of the 23 variables measured, 17 were found to be the most significant, based on the classification matrix of 98.04%. Overall, three different groups of similarities that reflected the physicochemical characteristics were discovered among the rain gauge stations: cluster 1 (good PRI), cluster 2 (moderate PRI), and cluster 3 (bad PRI). These findings indicate that rainwater in Peninsular Malaysia was suitable for non-potable purposes.
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