Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 434 in total

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  1. Jasim HA, Misnan R, Yadzir ZHM, Abdullah N, Bakhtiar F, Arip M, et al.
    Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol, 2021 Feb 11;20(1):76-87.
    PMID: 33639634 DOI: 10.18502/ijaai.v20i1.5414
    Crab allergy is reported as a serious form of food allergy in many countries. This study was aimed to identify the major allergens of the local mud crab, Scylla tranquebarica (S. tranquebarica), and subsequently, determine the effect of vinegar treatments on the crab allergens. Crab muscles were treated with synthetic and natural vinegar. Crab proteins were then extracted from the untreated and vinegar-treated crabs. All extracts were then fractionated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and analyzed by immunoblotting; using sera from crab-allergic patients. The crab proteins were then further fractionated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE)and analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS). The untreated crab had 38 protein bands, while that was only a few bands between 18 to 73 kDa for the vinegar-treated crabs. Immunoblotting of untreated crab revealed 20 IgE-binding bands, whereas the vinegar-treated crabs could only retain a few IgE-binding bands. Five major allergens were identified with molecular weightsof38, 42, 49, 63, and 73 kDa in the untreated crab. In contrast, the vinegar-treated crabs had only a few major allergens with molecular weights of 38, 42, and 73 kDa. MS identified the 43 and 49 kDa as arginine kinase, while the 38, 63, and 73 kDa were identified as tropomyosin, actin, and hemocyanin, respectively. Inconclusion, we found three common major allergens for S. tranquebarica including tropomyosin, arginine kinase, and actin, and one novel allergen known as hemocyanin. All the major allergens could retain minimal allergenic capability in vinegar-treated crabs, suggesting that vinegar treatments might be useful to reduce crab allergenicity. These data would assist the clinicians in the management of crab-allergic patients worldwide.
  2. Chew PY, Choy CL, Sidi HB, Abdullah N, Che Roos NA, Salleh Sahimi HM, et al.
    J Sex Med, 2021 01;18(1):99-112.
    PMID: 33303390 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.10.001
    BACKGROUND: The field of study addressing the relationship between FSD and male sexual dysfunction (MSD) represents a pivotal worldwide health issue as interrelationship between FSD and MSD studies are still inconclusive.

    AIM: To review the interrelationship between FSD and MSD and to conclude whether there is a definitive risk of men developing sexual dysfunction when his partner is suffering from FSD.

    METHODS: The investigation was conducted following the standard practice for conducting and reporting the findings of systematic reviews and meta-analyses comprising of 4 electronic databases, that is, Embase, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library and Ovid (Medline) from inception to December 2019. Search strategies were developed based on relevant keywords with appropriate truncation and Boolean operators' approach. The quality of studies was employed using the McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies and were assessed by independent reviewers. The levels of evidence of the included studies were also determined.

    OUTCOMES: MSD who had been exposed to FSD.

    RESULTS: From more than 8,000 studies searched, 26 studies were finally included, and most included studies have reasonable quality. Meta-analysis found a significant sexual dysfunction in men who are partnered with women with FSD. It found a consistent correlation between FDS and sexual dysfunction in men with a significant 3-fold increase in MSD who are partnered with women with FSD (odds ratio = 3.011, 95% confidence interval: 1.856-4.885, P =

  3. Rahimi R, Singh MKC, Noor NM, Omar E, Noor SM, Mahmood MS, et al.
    J Atheroscler Thromb, 2018 May 01;25(5):405-409.
    PMID: 29118310 DOI: 10.5551/jat.39107
    AIMS: The present study aimed to determine the epidemiological aspects of medico-legal autopsies and manifestation of coronary atherosclerosis.

    METHODS: This was a cross sectional study involving 222 cases recruited from National Institute of Forensic Medicine (NIFM) Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and Department of Forensic Medicine Hospital Sungai Buloh (HSgB) for a period of 15 months, from December 2012 to April 2014. Sociodemographic and autopsy findings, including the cause and manner of death were documented.

    RESULTS: Male and female subjects aged 18-70 years were recruited. Males contributed to 86% of the total subjects and comprised 61% of young adults. Road traffic accidents were the primary cause of death, contributing almost 50% of the subjects. One third of the cases comprised of death due to natural causes, wherein almost 75% of the subjects within this category succumbed to sudden cardiac death. Coronary artery disease (CAD) contributed to 60% of the sudden cardiac death (SCD). Single and double-vessel diseases were the most common pattern of atherosclerosis. In almost 80% of CAD cases, atherosclerosis affected the left anterior descending artery (LAD).

    CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular diseases were the most significant natural cause of sudden death with a staggering figure of 75%. CAD was the single most commonly encountered pathology within the SCD. Most cases presented with single and double-vessel diseases, observed in all subjects, as well as the young adult population.

  4. Zawawi NK, Rajput SA, Taha M, Ahmat N, Ismail NH, Abdullah N, et al.
    Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 2015 Oct 15;25(20):4672-6.
    PMID: 26330080 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.08.022
    Apoptotic cell death is the cause of the loss of insulin-producing β-cells in all forms of diabetes mellitus. The identification of small molecules capable of protecting cytokine-induced apoptosis could form the basis of useful therapeutic interventions. Here in, we present the discovery and synthesis of new benzimidazole derivatives, capable of rescuing pancreatic β-cells from cytokine-induced apoptosis. Three hydrazone derivatives of benzimidazole significantly increased the cellular ATP levels, reduced caspase-3 activity, reduced nitrite production and increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in the presence of proinflammatory cytokines. These findings suggest that these compounds may protect β-cells from the harmful effects of cytokines and may serve as candidates for therapeutic intervention for diabetes.
  5. Bamaiyi PH, Hassan L, Khairani-Bejo S, Zainal Abidin M, Ramlan M, Krishnan N, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2012 Dec;29(4):513-8.
    PMID: 23202595
    A study was carried out to isolate Brucella melitensis using established bacteriological and PCR techniques in Brucella seropositive goats in farms in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Pulau Pinang. Brucella melitensis was isolated from 7 of 134 reactors with the highest isolation from the vaginal swabs (57.14%) followed by the spleen (28.57%), uterine fluid (14.29%). No Brucella was isolated from the lymph nodes. PCR confirmed all the seven isolates as B. melitensis and isolates were phylogenetically related to other isolates from India, Iran, and Israel but most closely related to isolates from Singapore.
  6. Saminathan M, Gan HM, Abdullah N, Wong CMVL, Ramiah SK, Tan HY, et al.
    J Appl Microbiol, 2017 Apr 23.
    PMID: 28434189 DOI: 10.1111/jam.13477
    AIMS: To evaluate the effects of condensed tannins (CTs) fractions of differing molecular weights (MWs) from a Leucaena leucocephala hybrid-Rendang on the rumen protozoal community in vitro.

    METHODS AND RESULTS: The effects of unfractionated CTs (F0) and CT fractions of different MWs (F1 > F2 > F3 > F4 > F5) on protozoal population and community were evaluated in vitro using rumen microbes and ground guinea grass as the substrate. Higher-MW CT fractions F1 and F2 significantly (P 

  7. Wan Jamaludin WF, Mohamad Yusoff F, Ismail NA, Mohd Idris MR, Palaniappan S, Ng CKK, et al.
    Malays J Pathol, 2018 Apr;40(1):61-67.
    PMID: 29704386 MyJurnal
    INTRODUCTION: Immunosuppressive state due to haematological malignancies and chemotherapy may cause disruption to wound healing despite optimum conventional treatment and standard wound dressing. Non-healing wounds are predisposed to infection whereas chemotherapy dose reductions or interruptions are associated with poor survival.

    BACKGROUND: Mononuclear cells contain progenitor cells including haematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells and fibroblasts which facilitate wound healing through cytokines, growth factor secretions, cell-cell interactions and provision of extracellular matrix scaffolding. Clinical applications of autologous mononuclear cells therapy in wound healing in non-malignant patients with critical limb ischaemia have been reported with remarkable outcome.

    METHODS: We report three patients with haematological malignancies undergoing chemotherapy, who received autologous mononuclear cells implantation to treat non-healing wound after optimum conventional wound care. The sources of mononuclear cells (MNC) were from bone marrow (BM), peripheral blood (PB) and mobilised PB cells (mPB-MNC) using granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). The cells were directly implanted into wound and below epidermis. Wound sizes and adverse effects from implantation were assessed at regular intervals.

    RESULTS: All patients achieved wound healing within three months following autologous mononuclear cells implantation. No implantation adverse effects were observed.

    CONCLUSIONS: Autologous mononuclear cells therapy is a feasible alternative to conventional wound care to promote complete healing in non-healing wounds compounded by morbid factors such as haematological malignancies, chemotherapy, diabetes mellitus (DM), infections and prolonged immobility.

  8. Candyrine SCL, Jahromi MF, Ebrahimi M, Chen WL, Rezaei S, Goh YM, et al.
    Asian-Australas J Anim Sci, 2019 Apr;32(4):533-540.
    PMID: 30056661 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.18.0059
    OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the growth, digestibility and rumen fermentation between goats and sheep fed a fattening diet fortified with linseed oil.

    METHODS: Twelve 3 to 4 months old male goats and sheep were randomly allocated into two dietary treatment groups in a 2 (species)×2 (oil levels) factorial experiment. The treatments were: i) goats fed basal diet, ii) goats fed oil-supplemented diet, iii) sheep fed basal diet, and iv) sheep fed oil-supplemented diet. Each treatment group consisted of six animals. Animals in the basal diet group were fed with 30% alfalfa hay and 70% concentrates at a rate equivalent to 4% of their body weight. For the oil treatment group, linseed oil was added at 4% level (w:w) to the concentrate portion of the basal diet. Growth performance of the animals was determined fortnightly. Digestibility study was conducted during the final week of the feeding trial before the animals were slaughtered to obtain rumen fluid for rumen fermentation characteristics study.

    RESULTS: Sheep had higher (p<0.01) average daily weight gain (ADG) and better feed conversion ratio (FCR) than goats. Oil supplementation did not affect rumen fermentation in both species and improved ADG by about 29% and FCR by about 18% in both goats and sheep. The above enhancement is consistent with the higher dry matter and energy digestibility (p<0.05), as well as organic matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (p<0.01) in animals fed oil- supplemented diet. Sheep had higher total volatile fatty acid production and acetic acid proportion compared to goat.

    CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggested that sheep performed better than goats when fed a fattening diet and oil supplementation at the inclusion rate of 4% provides a viable option to significantly enhance growth performance and FCR in fattening sheep and goats.

  9. Oladosu Y, Rafii MY, Magaji U, Abdullah N, Miah G, Chukwu SC, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2018;2018:8936767.
    PMID: 30105259 DOI: 10.1155/2018/8936767
    The associations among yield-related traits and the pattern of influence on rice grain yield were investigated. This evaluation is important to determine the direct and indirect effects of various traits on yield to determine selection criteria for higher grain yield. Fifteen rice genotypes were evaluated under tropical condition at five locations in two planting seasons. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications across the locations. Data were collected on vegetative and yield components traits. The pooled data based on the analysis of variance revealed that there were significant differences (p < 0.001) among the fifteen genotypes for all the characters studied except for panicle length and 100-grain weight. Highly significant and positive correlations at phenotypic level were observed in grain weight per hill (0.796), filled grains per panicle (0.702), panicles per hill (0.632), and tillers per hill (0.712) with yield per hectare, while moderate positive correlations were observed in flag leaf length to width ratio (0.348), days to flowering (0.412), and days to maturity (0.544). By contrast, unfilled grains per panicle (-0.225) and plant height (-0.342) had a negative significant association with yield per hectare. Filled grains per panicle (0.491) exhibited the maximum positive direct effect on yield followed by grain weight per hill (0.449), while unfilled grain per panicle (-0.144) had a negative direct effect. The maximum indirect effect on yield per hectare was recorded by the tillers per hill through the panicles per hill. Therefore, tillers per hill, filled grains per panicle, and grain weight per hill could be used as selection criteria for improving grain yield in rice.
  10. Alias A, Ibrahim A, Abu Bakar SN, Swarhib Shafie M, Das S, Abdullah N, et al.
    Clin Ter, 2018 11 6;169(5):e217-e223.
    PMID: 30393808 DOI: 10.7417/CT.2018.2082
    INTRODUCTION: The first step in the forensic identification is sex determination followed by age and stature estimation, as both are sex-dependent. The mandible is the largest, strongest and most durable bone in the face. Mandible is important for sex confirmation in absence of a complete pelvis and skull.

    AIM: The aim of the present study was to determine sex of human mandible from morphology, morphometric measurements as well as discriminant function analysis from the CT scan.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present retrospective study comprised 79 subjects (48 males, 31 females), with age group between 18 and 74 years, and were obtained from the post mortem computed tomography data in the Hospital Kuala Lumpur. The parameters were divided into three morphologic and nine morphometric parameters, which were measured by using Osirix MD Software 3D Volume Rendering.

    RESULTS: The Chi-square test showed that men were significantly association with square-shaped chin (92%), prominent muscle marking (85%) and everted gonial glare, whereas women had pointed chin (84%), less prominent muscle marking (90%) and inverted gonial glare (80%). All parameter measurements showed significantly greater values in males than in females by independent t-test (p< 0.01). By discriminant analysis, the classification accuracy was 78.5%, the sensitivity was 79.2% and the specificity was 77.4%. The discriminant function equation was formulated based on bigonial breath and condylar height, which were the best predictors.

    CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the mandible could be distinguished according to the sex. The results of the study can be used for identification of damaged and/or unknown mandible in the Malaysian population.

  11. Abdullah N, Abd Jalal N, Ismail N, Kamaruddin MA, Abd Mutalib NS, Alias MR, et al.
    Cancer Epidemiol, 2020 04;65:101656.
    PMID: 31923638 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2019.101656
    BACKGROUND: There has been a rapid increase in colorectal cancer (CRC) cases in Asian countries, including Malaysia. CRC is usually diagnosed at a late stage, and early detection of CRC is vital in improving survival. This study was conducted to determine the uptake rate of the immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT), the response rate to colonoscopy, and the CRC detection rate. We also wanted to identify the association between colorectal neoplasia and the Asia Pacific Colorectal Cancer Screening (APCS) scoring system.

    METHODS: We recruited 2264 individuals from The Malaysian Cohort participants aged 35-65 years who consented to colorectal screening using the iFOBT kit from July 2017 until January 2019.

    RESULTS: The response rate and positive iFOBT test rate of this study were 79.6% and 13.1% respectively. Among those with positive results, 125 individuals (52.7%) underwent colonoscopy; CRC was detected in six of them while 45 others (36.0%) had polyps. The overall CRC detection rate was 0.3% while the colorectal neoplasia detection rate (both colorectal cancer and colorectal polyps) was 2.3%. The APCS scoring indicated a significant association with colorectal neoplasia risk, with increasing trend by severity from moderate to high risk (3.46-11.14) compared to low risk. Most of the participants who were positive for iFOBT were those at high risk.

    CONCLUSIONS: The awareness of CRC risk and iFOBT screening are important strategies for early detection of CRC. We showed a CRC detection rate of 0.3 % among those who volunteered to have the iFOBT screening.

  12. Abdullah N, Abdul Murad NA, Attia J, Oldmeadow C, Mohd Haniff EA, Syafruddin SE, et al.
    Diabet Med, 2015 Oct;32(10):1377-84.
    PMID: 25711284 DOI: 10.1111/dme.12735
    AIMS: To characterize the association with Type 2 diabetes of known Type 2 diabetes risk variants in people in Malaysia of Malay, Chinese and Indian ancestry who participated in the Malaysian Cohort project.
    METHODS: We genotyped 1604 people of Malay ancestry (722 cases, 882 controls), 1654 of Chinese ancestry (819 cases, 835 controls) and 1728 of Indian ancestry (851 cases, 877 controls). First, 62 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms previously associated with Type 2 diabetes were assessed for association via logistic regression within ancestral groups and then across ancestral groups using a meta-analysis. Second, estimated odds ratios were assessed for excess directional concordance with previously studied populations. Third, a genetic risk score aggregating allele dosage across the candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms was tested for association within and across ancestral groups.
    RESULTS: After Bonferroni correction, seven individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with Type 2 diabetes in the combined Malaysian sample. We observed a highly significant excess in concordance of effect directions between Malaysian and previously studied populations. The genetic risk score was strongly associated with Type 2 diabetes in all Malaysian groups, explaining from 1.0 to 1.7% of total Type 2 diabetes risk variance.
    CONCLUSION: This study suggests there is substantial overlap of the genetic risk alleles underlying Type 2 diabetes in Malaysian and other populations.
    Study name: The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) project
  13. Abdullah N, Kamaruddin MA, Goh YX, Othman R, Dauni A, Jalal NA, et al.
    PMID: 34299667 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147216
    The attrition rate of longitudinal study participation remains a challenge. To date, the Malaysian Cohort (TMC) study follow-up rate was only 42.7%. This study objective is to identify the cause of attrition among TMC participants and the measures to curb it. A total of 19,343 TMC participants from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor that was due for follow-up were studied. The two most common attrition reasons are undergoing medical treatment at another government or private health center (7.0%) and loss of interest in participating in the TMC project (5.1%). Those who were inclined to drop out were mostly Chinese, aged 50 years and above, unemployed, and had comorbidities during the baseline recruitment. We have also contacted 2183 participants for the home recruitment follow-up, and about 10.9% agreed to join. Home recruitment slightly improved the overall follow-up rate from 42.7% to 43.5% during the three-month study period.
    Study name: The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) project
  14. Shahar S, Shahril MR, Abdullah N, Borhanuddin B, Kamaruddin MA, Yusuf NAM, et al.
    Nutrients, 2021 Apr 01;13(4).
    PMID: 33915922 DOI: 10.3390/nu13041163
    Measuring dietary intakes in a multi-ethnic and multicultural setting, such as Malaysia, remains a challenge due to its diversity. This study aims to develop and evaluate the relative validity of an interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in assessing the habitual dietary exposure of The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) participants. We developed a nutrient database (with 203 items) based on various food consumption tables, and 803 participants were involved in this study. The output of the FFQ was then validated against three-day 24-h dietary recalls (n = 64). We assessed the relative validity and its agreement using various methods, such as Spearman's correlation, weighed Kappa, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland-Altman analysis. Spearman's correlation coefficient ranged from 0.24 (vitamin C) to 0.46 (carbohydrate), and almost all nutrients had correlation coefficients above 0.3, except for vitamin C and sodium. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from -0.01 (calcium) to 0.59 (carbohydrates), and weighted Kappa exceeded 0.4 for 50% of nutrients. In short, TMC's FFQ appears to have good relative validity for the assessment of nutrient intake among its participants, as compared to the three-day 24-h dietary recalls. However, estimates for iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C should be interpreted with caution.
    Study name: The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) project
  15. Abdullah N, Ismail N, Abd Jalal N, Mohd Radin F, Othman R, Kamalul Arifin AS, et al.
    Ann Hematol, 2020 Nov;99(11):2521-2527.
    PMID: 32975589 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-020-04279-w
    This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of anaemia amongst the Malaysian Cohort participants and the associated risk factors. This was a cross-sectional study that involved 102,388 participants from The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) aged between 35 and 70 years old recruited from April 2006 to September 2012. Venous blood was taken for the full blood count. The prevalence of anaemia was 13.8% with majority having the microcytic-hypochromic type (59.7%). Comparison between the ethnic groups showed that Indians have the highest prevalence of anaemia (19.9%), followed by Malays (13.1%), and Chinese (12.0%). The prevalence of anaemia was substantially higher in females (20.1%) compared to males (4.9%). Amongst the female participants, the prevalence of anaemia was highest amongst those who were younger than 49 years old and decreased as the age increased. In contrast, the prevalence of anaemia in males increased with age. Gender, ethnicity, age, marital status, presence of platelet disorders and kidney disease were significant risk factors associated with anaemia and contributed to 14.9% of the risk of developing anaemia in this population. The prevalence of anaemia amongst the Malaysian Cohort participants is 13.8% with the majority having the microcytic and hypochromic type implying iron deficiency as the main cause. It is important that those who have anaemia be further investigated and treated.
    Study name: The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) project
  16. Teng ST, Abdullah N, Hanifah AH, Tan SN, Gao C, Law IK, et al.
    Toxicon, 2021 Sep 30;202:132-141.
    PMID: 34600910 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.09.018
    In March 2018, an algal bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia was detected, for the first time, in a semi-enclosed lagoon in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia Borneo. The plankton samples were collected for cell enumeration and species identification by electron microscopy and molecular characterization. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed to detect and quantify the neurotoxin domoic acid (DA) in both the plankton and shellfish samples. The abundance of Pseudo-nitzschia cells ranged from 5.6 × 105 to 3.5 × 106 cell L-1 during the bloom event. Morphological observation of the cells by transmission electron microscopy showed that the plankton samples comprised a single Pseudo-nitzschia morphotype resembling P. cuspidata. The ITS2 sequence-structure phylogenetic inference further supported the species identity as Pseudo-nitzschia cuspidata. Low levels of DA were detected in the plankton samples, with cellular DA, particulate DA, and dissolved DA of 257-504 fg DA cell-1, 676 ng L-1, and 15 ng L-1, respectively. The amount of DA, 8 μg g-1 tissue, was found present in the shellfish sample (Magallana sp.) which is below the regulatory limit of 20 μg DA g-1 tissue. The study documented, for the first time, DA contamination in shellfish that associated with bloom of P. cuspidata in the Western Pacific region.
  17. Lee SY, Ma J, Khoo TS, Abdullah N, Nik Md Noordin Kahar NNF, Abdul Hamid ZA, et al.
    Front Bioeng Biotechnol, 2021;9:735090.
    PMID: 34733829 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.735090
    Stem cell-based therapy appears as a promising strategy to induce regeneration of damaged and diseased tissues. However, low survival, poor engraftment and a lack of site-specificity are major drawbacks. Polysaccharide hydrogels can address these issues and offer several advantages as cell delivery vehicles. They have become very popular due to their unique properties such as high-water content, biocompatibility, biodegradability and flexibility. Polysaccharide polymers can be physically or chemically crosslinked to construct biomimetic hydrogels. Their resemblance to living tissues mimics the native three-dimensional extracellular matrix and supports stem cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. Given the intricate nature of communication between hydrogels and stem cells, understanding their interaction is crucial. Cells are incorporated with polysaccharide hydrogels using various microencapsulation techniques, allowing generation of more relevant models and further enhancement of stem cell therapies. This paper provides a comprehensive review of human stem cells and polysaccharide hydrogels most used in regenerative medicine. The recent and advanced stem cell microencapsulation techniques, which include extrusion, emulsion, lithography, microfluidics, superhydrophobic surfaces and bioprinting, are described. This review also discusses current progress in clinical translation of stem-cell encapsulated polysaccharide hydrogels for cell delivery and disease modeling (drug testing and discovery) with focuses on musculoskeletal, nervous, cardiac and cancerous tissues.
  18. Abdullah N, Borhanuddin B, Patah AEA, Abdullah MS, Dauni A, Kamaruddin MA, et al.
    J Evid Based Integr Med, 2018 4 14;23:2515690X18765945.
    PMID: 29651870 DOI: 10.1177/2515690X18765945
    BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify the factors of CAM usage for general health and to determine the factors associated with the usage of different types of CAM after the diagnosis of chronic diseases among The Malaysian Cohort participants.
    METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study derived from The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) project, a prospective population-based cohort aged between 35 to 65 years old that recruited from April 2006 to September 2012. Association between the CAM usage and contributing factors were determined via logistic regression.
    RESULTS: The sample were mostly female (58.1%), Malays (43.1%), came from urban (71.9%), aged 44 years and below (26.8%) and had secondary education (45.9%). The prevalence of CAM usage varied across diseases; 62.8% in cancer patients, 53.3% in hypercholesterolemia, 49.4% in hypertensives and 48.6% in diabetics. General CAM usage was greater among female (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.49, 1.59), Chinese (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.19), those with higher education (OR: 3.12, 95% CI: 3.00, 3.25), urban residents (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.50, 1.61) and older people (OR ranging from 1.15 to 1.75) while for post-diagnosis of chronic diseases usage, the odds were higher among those with lower education and living in rural areas.
    CONCLUSION: Health status, educational level, age, living location and types of chronic diseases were significant factors that influence CAM usage for the intent of either health maintenance or disease treatment. Further exploration on CAM safety and benefit are crucial to minimize the adverse effect and to ensure the efficacy of CAM product.
    Study name: The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) project
  19. Mohd Saidi N, Abdullah N, Norizan MN, Janudin N, Mohd Kasim NA, Osman MJ, et al.
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2022 Nov 07;12(21).
    PMID: 36364698 DOI: 10.3390/nano12213922
    The reputation of nanofluids as a convenient heat transfer media has grown in recent years. The synthesis of nanofluids is often challenging, particularly carbon-based nanofluids, due to the rapid agglomeration of the nanoparticles and the instability of the nanofluids. In this regard, surface modification and surfactant addition are potential approaches to improve the physical and thermal properties of carbon-based nanofluids that have been studied and the structural, morphological, and thermal characteristics of surface-oxidised carbon nanofibre (CNF)-based nanofluids has been characterised. Commercial CNF was first subjected to three different acid treatments to introduce surface oxygen functional groups on the CNF surface. Following the physical and thermal characterisation of the three surface-oxidised CNFs (CNF-MA, CNF-MB, and CNF-MC), including Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), the CNF-MB was selected as the best method to synthesise the surface-oxidised CNF-based nanofluid. A total of 40 mL of ultrapure water was used as a pure base fluid and mixed with the surface-oxidised CNF at a concentration range of 0.1-1.0 wt.%, with a fixed of 10 wt.% amount of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The thermal conductivity of CNF-based nanofluid was then characterised at different temperatures (6, 25, and 40 °C). Based on the results, surface oxidation via Method B significantly affected the extent of surface defects and effectively enhanced the group functionality on the CNF surface. Aside from the partially defective and rough surface of CNF-MB surfaces from the FESEM analysis, the presence of surface oxygen functional groups on the CNF wall was confirmed via the Raman analysis, TGA curve, and FTIR analysis. The visual sedimentation observation also showed that the surface-oxidised CNF particles remained dispersed in the nanofluid due to the weakened van der Waals interaction. The dispersion of CNF particles was improved by the presence of PVP, which further stabilised the CNF-based nanofluids. Ultimately, the thermal conductivity of the surface-oxidised CNF-based nanofluid with PVP was significantly improved with the highest enhancement percentage of 18.50, 16.84, and 19.83% at 6, 25, and 40 °C, respectively, at an optimum CNF concentration of 0.7 wt.%.
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