Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 109 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext The influence of operational parameters and feed preparation in a convective batch ribbon powder mixer
    Yeow ST, Shahar A, Abdul Aziz N, Anuar MS, Yusof YA, Taip FS
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2011;5:465-9.
    PMID: 22162640 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S25047
    To investigate the effect of feed preparation characteristics and operational parameters on mixing homogeneity in a convective batch ribbon mixer.
  2. Efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine versus morphine in post-operative cardiac surgery patients
    Abd Aziz N, Chue MC, Yong CY, Hassan Y, Awaisu A, Hassan J, et al.
    Int J Clin Pharm, 2011 Apr;33(2):150-4.
    PMID: 21744187 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-011-9480-7
    OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of dexmedetomidine versus morphine as a sedative/analgesic among post-operative cardiac surgery patients.

    METHOD: A randomized controlled open-label study was performed at the cardiothoracic intensive care unit of Penang Hospital, Malaysia. A total of 28 patients who underwent cardiac surgeries were randomly assigned to receive either dexmedetomidine or morphine. Both groups were similar in terms of preoperative baseline characteristics. Efficacy measures included sedation scores and pain intensity and requirements for additional sedative/analgesic. Mean heart rate and arterial blood pressure were used as safety measures. Other measures were additional inotropes, extubation time and other concurrent medications.

    RESULTS: The mean dose of dexmedetomidine infused was 0.12 [SD 0.03] μg kg⁻¹ h⁻¹, while that of morphine was 13.2 [SD 5.84] μg kg⁻¹ h⁻¹. Dexmedetomidine group showed more benefits in sedation and pain levels, additional sedative/analgesic requirements, and extubation time. No significant differences between the two groups for the outcome measures, except heart rate, which was significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group.

    CONCLUSION: This preliminary study suggests that dexmedetomidine was at least comparable to morphine in terms of efficacy and safety among cardiac surgery patients. Further studies with larger samples are recommended in order to determine the significant effects of the outcome measures.

  3. Incidence of risk factors for developing hyperkalemia when using ACE inhibitors in cardiovascular diseases
    Amir O, Hassan Y, Sarriff A, Awaisu A, Abd Aziz N, Ismail O
    Pharm World Sci, 2009 Jun;31(3):387-93.
    PMID: 19255869 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-009-9288-x
    STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of and the risk factors associated with hyperkalemia, induced by ACEI-drug interactions among cardiac patients.

    SETTING: Five medical and cardiology wards of a tertiary care center in Malaysia.

    SUBJECTS: Five hundred cardiac inpatients, who received ACEIs concomitantly with other interacting drugs.

    METHOD: This was a prospective cohort study of 500 patients with cardiovascular diseases admitted to Penang Hospital between January to August 2006, who received ACEIs concomitantly with other interacting drugs. ACEI-drug interactions of clinical significance were identified using available drug information resources. Drug Interaction Probability Scale (DIPS) was used to assess the causality of association between ACEI-drug interactions and the adverse outcome (hyperkalemia).

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Hyperkalemia as an adverse clinical outcome of the interaction was identified from laboratory investigations.

    RESULTS: Of the 489 patients included in the analysis, 48 (9.8%) had hyperkalemia thought to be associated with ACEI-drug interactions. Univariate analysis using binary logistic regression revealed that advanced age (60 years or more), and taking more than 15 medications were independent risk factors significantly associated with hyperkalemia. However, current and previous smoking history appeared to be a protective factor. Risk factors identified as predictors of hyperkalemia secondary to ACEI-drug interactions by multi-logistic regression were: advanced age (adjusted OR 2.3, CI 1.07-5.01); renal disease (adjusted OR 4.7, CI 2.37-9.39); hepatic disease (adjusted OR 5.2, CI 1.08-25.03); taking 15-20 medications (adjusted OR 4.4, CI 2.08-9.19); and taking 21-26 medications (adjusted OR 9.0, CI 1.64-49.74).

    CONCLUSION: Cardiac patients receiving ACEIs concomitantly with potentially interacting drugs are at high risk of experiencing hyperkalemia. Old age, renal disease, hepatic disease, and receiving large number of medications are factors that may significantly increase their vulnerability towards this adverse outcome; thus, frequent monitoring is advocated.

  4. Clinical features and risk factors for HIV encephalopathy in children
    Hamid MZ, Aziz NA, Zulkifli ZS, Norlijah O, Azhar RK
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2008 Mar;39(2):266-72.
    PMID: 18564712
    A prospective cohort study was conducted to determine the incidence of progressive encephalopathy (PE) and its associated clinical manifestations amongst a cohort of HIV infected children attending the HIV/AIDS clinic of the Pediatric Institute, Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Malaysia. Neurological and neurobehavioral assessments were performed in 55 children with HIV over a 24-month study period. Parameters assessed were physical and neurological assessments, CD4 counts, CD4 percentages, RNA viral loads and an IQ assessment at four monthly intervals. PE was diagnosed when patient developed at least one of the definitive criteria for PE based on the Consensus of Pediatric Neurology/Psychology Working Group, AIDS Clinical Trial 1996. The incidence of encephalopathy was 18.2% (n = 10) in 2002. All the patients had hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, abnormal deep tendon reflexes and five had impairment in brain growth. The CD4 counts and CD4 percentages were more likely to be associated with PE compared to the non-PE group.
  5. Fulltext Factors affecting Japanese retirees' healthcare service utilisation in Malaysia: a qualitative study
    Kohno A, Nik Farid ND, Musa G, Abdul Aziz N, Nakayama T, Dahlui M
    BMJ Open, 2016;6(3):e010668.
    PMID: 27006344 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010668
    While living overseas in another culture, retirees need to adapt to a new environment but often this causes difficulties, particularly among those elderly who require healthcare services. This study examines factors affecting healthcare service utilisation among Japanese retirees in Malaysia.
  6. Fulltext Issues in healthcare services in Malaysia as experienced by Japanese retirees
    Kohno A, Musa G, Nik Farid ND, Abdul Aziz N, Nakayama T, Dahlui M
    BMC Health Serv Res, 2016 May 05;16:167.
    PMID: 27151089 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-016-1417-3
    BACKGROUND: Worldwide, international retirement migration is growing in its popularity and Japanese retirees choose Malaysia as their most preferred destination. This study examines the pertinent issues related to healthcare services as experienced by Japanese retirees in this country.

    METHODS AND RESULTS: From January to March 2015, we conducted focus group discussions with 30 Japanese retirees who live in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh. Guided by the social-ecological model, we discovered seven pertinent themes: 'language barriers','healthcare decisions', 'medical check-ups','healthcare insurance', 'nursing and palliative care', 'trust and distrust of healthcare services', and 'word-of-mouth information'.

    DISCUSSION: We identified seven pertinent issues related to healthcare services among Japanese retirees in Malaysia, of which four are especially important. These issues are explained as integrated themes within the social-ecological model. Language barriers prohibit them from having difficulty accessing to healthcare in Malaysia, but lack of will to improve their language skills exist among them. For that reason, they rely heavily on word-of-mouth information when seeking for healthcare. As a consequence, some develop feelings of trust and distrust of healthcare services. In addition, we have identified the needs for provide nursing and palliative care among Japanese retirees in Malaysia.

    CONCLUSION: Based on the magnitude of the discussion, we concluded that there are four crucial healthcare issues among Japanese retirees; 'language barriers', 'trust and distrust of healthcare services', 'word-of-mouth information' and 'nursing and palliative care'. We propose that further dialogue by healthcare stakeholders should be carried out to improve further the healthcare service provisions for Japanese retirees in Malaysia.

  7. Human renal carcinoma cells respond to Newcastle disease virus infection through activation of the p38 MAPK/NF-κB/IκBα pathway
    Ch'ng WC, Abd-Aziz N, Ong MH, Stanbridge EJ, Shafee N
    Cell Oncol (Dordr), 2015 Aug;38(4):279-88.
    PMID: 25930675 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-015-0229-5
    Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an oncolytic virus that is known to have a higher preference to cancer cells than to normal cells. It has been proposed that this higher preference may be due to defects in the interferon (IFN) responses of cancer cells. The exact mechanism underlying this process, however, remains to be resolved. In the present study, we examined the antiviral response towards NDV infection of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cells. ccRCC is associated with mutations of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene VHL, whose protein product is important for eliciting cellular responses to changes in oxygen levels. The most common first line treatment strategy of ccRCC includes IFN. Unfortunately, most ccRCC cases are diagnosed at a late stage and often are resistant to IFN-based therapies. Alternative treatment approaches, including virotherapy using oncolytic viruses, are currently being investigated. The present study was designed to investigate the mechanistic pathways underlying the response of ccRCC cells to oncolytic NDV infection.
  8. Gentamicin ototoxicity in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
    Gendeh BS, Said H, Gibb AG, Aziz NS, Kong N, Zahir ZM
    J Laryngol Otol, 1993 Aug;107(8):681-5.
    PMID: 8409715 DOI: 10.1017/s0022215100124132
    A prospective study was undertaken of 10 chronic renal failure patients on Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) complicated by repeated bouts of peritonitis treated with gentamicin. Each 10-day treatment course consisted of a 120 mg loading dose, followed by 16 mg in 21 of peritoneal dialysate, given four times a day. Serum gentamicin analysed by enzyme immunoassay showed a mean level of 5.2 micrograms/ml, (range 3.7 to 6.6 mg/ml) four hours after the loading dose. Similar levels, well within the therapeutic range, were maintained on the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th days of intraperitoneal gentamicin therapy, suggesting no accumulation of gentamicin in the serum. Pure tone audiometry, electronystagmography and clinical assessment were performed during each course of treatment. Although no evidence of ototoxicity was found during the first two courses of gentamicin, but disequilibrium and bobbing oscillopsia were present during the third and fourth courses of gentamicin. These findings could be explained by cumulative injury to the vestibular apparatus caused by repeated therapeutic insults.
  9. Impacts of Thermal Treatments on Major and Minor Allergens of Sea Snail, Cerithidea obtusa (Obtuse Horn Shell)
    Misnan R, Salahudin Abd Aziz N, Mohamad Yadzir ZH, Bakhtiar F, Abdullah N, Murad S
    Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol, 2016 Aug;15(4):309-316.
    PMID: 27921412
    Snail is one of the worst causes of food allergy. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the major and minor allergens of the local marine snail (Cerithidea obtusa) and subsequently to investigate the impacts of heat treatment on the IgE-binding activity of snail allergens. Proteins from raw and heat-treated snails (boiled, roasted and fried) were extracted and then resolved by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Immunoblotting of all extracts were then performed using sera from patients with snail allergy. The results showed that the raw extract contains numerous protein bands between 12 to>250 kDa. Some thermostable proteins, predominantly the 33 and 42 kDa bands, remained detected in all cooked extracts with decreasing intensities from boiled to roasted to fried extracts, while the majority of thermolabile bands denatured after heating. Boiled snail had more protein bands compared to roasted and fried snails. Immunoblotting of raw extract demostrated 19 IgE-binding bands ranging from 15 to 240 kDa. The thermostable bands of 33 and 42 kDa and a thermolabile of 30 kDa band were identified as the major allergens of this snail. The cooked extracts yielded less allergenic bands. The boiled extract yielded approximately 14 IgE-binding bands with some smeared bands at high molecular weight regions. The roasted extract had lesser IgE-binding bands and the majority appeared as smears, while the IgE-reactivity in the fried extract was less visible and appeared as weak smears. This study indicated that both raw and cooked snails played a crucial role in snail allergenicity, as this species of snail contains both thermostable and thermolabile major allergens. The degree of snail allergenicity was revealed in the order: raw> boiled > roasted> fried. Thus, the results would facilitate in the development of effective diagnosis and management strategies of snail allergy in this country.
  10. Recombinant Enterovirus 71 Viral Protein 1 Fused to a Truncated Newcastle Disease Virus NP (NPt) Carrier Protein
    Mustafa S, Abd-Aziz N, Saw WT, Liew SY, Yusoff K, Shafee N
    Vaccines (Basel), 2020 Dec 07;8(4).
    PMID: 33297428 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040742
    Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the major causative agent in hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), and it mainly infects children worldwide. Despite the risk, there is no effective vaccine available for this disease. Hence, a recombinant protein construct of truncated nucleocapsid protein viral protein 1 (NPt-VP1198-297), which is capable of inducing neutralizing antibody against EV71, was evaluated in a mouse model. Truncated nucleocapsid protein Newcastle disease virus that was used as immunological carrier fused to VP1 of EV71 as antigen. The recombinant plasmid carrying corresponding genes was constructed by recombinant DNA technology and the corresponding protein was produced in Escherichia coli expression system. The recombinant NPt-VP1198-297 protein had elicited neutralizing antibodies against EV71 with the titer of 1:16, and this result is higher than the titer that is elicited by VP1 protein alone (1:8). It was shown that NPt containing immunogenic epitope(s) of VP1 was capable of inducing a greater functional immune response when compared to full-length VP1 protein alone. It was capable to carry larger polypeptide compared to full-length NP protein. The current study also proved that NPt-VP1198-297 protein can be abundantly produced in recombinant protein form by E. coli expression system. The findings from this study support the importance of neutralizing antibodies in EV71 infection and highlight the potential of the recombinant NPt-VP1198-297 protein as EV71 vaccine.
  11. Fulltext Domiciliary cockroaches found in restaurants in five zones of Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, peninsular Malaysia
    Jeffery J, Sulaiman S, Oothuman P, Vellayan S, Zainol-Ariffin P, Paramaswaran S, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2012 Mar;29(1):180-6.
    PMID: 22543619 MyJurnal
    The following domiciliary cockroaches were collected from restaurants in five zones of Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Malaysia using 1L glass beaker traps baited with ground mouse-pellets: Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus) (n = 820), Periplaneta brunnea Burmeister (n = 46), Blattella germanica (Linnaeus) (n = 12504), Supella longipalpa (Fabricius) (n = 321), Symploce pallens Stephens (n = 29) and Neostylopyga rhombifolia (Stoll) (n = 5). The following bacteria were isolated from 10 cockroach specimens: Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae ssp. pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae ssp. rhinoscleromatis and Serratia liquefaciens from 5 B. germanica; Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, Citrobacter diversus/amalonaticus, Escherichia vulneris and K.p. pneumoniae from 3 P. brunnea; and Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter agglomerans 4, Escherichia adecarboxylate, E. vulneris, K. p. pneumonia, K. p. rhinoscleromatis and Proteus vulgeris from 2 P. americana.
  12. A rapid MCM-41 dispersive micro-solid phase extraction coupled with LC/MS/MS for quantification of ketoconazole and voriconazole in biological fluids
    Yahaya N, Sanagi MM, Abd Aziz N, Wan Ibrahim WA, Nur H, Loh SH, et al.
    Biomed Chromatogr, 2017 Feb;31(2).
    PMID: 27474795 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.3803
    A rapid dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (D-μ-SPE) combined with LC/MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of ketoconazole and voriconazole in human urine and plasma samples. Synthesized mesoporous silica MCM-41 was used as sorbent in d-μ-SPE of the azole compounds from biological fluids. Important D-μ-SPE parameters, namely type desorption solvent, extraction time, sample pH, salt addition, desorption time, amount of sorbent and sample volume were optimized. Liquid chromatographic separations were carried out on a Zorbax SB-C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 3.5 μm), using a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.05% formic acid in 5 mm ammonium acetate buffer (70:30, v/v). A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with positive ionization mode was used for the determination of target analytes. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration curves showed good linearity in the range of 0.1-10,000 μg/L with satisfactory limit of detection (≤0.06 μg/L) and limit of quantitation (≤0.3 μg/L). The proposed method also showed acceptable intra- and inter-day precisions for ketoconazole and voriconazole from urine and human plasma with RSD ≤16.5% and good relative recoveries in the range 84.3-114.8%. The MCM-41-D-μ-SPE method proved to be rapid and simple and requires a small volume of organic solvent (200 μL); thus it is advantageous for routine drug analysis.
  13. Fulltext Drug Utilization on Neonatal Wards: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies
    Rosli R, Dali AF, Abd Aziz N, Abdullah AH, Ming LC, Manan MM
    Front Pharmacol, 2017;8:27.
    PMID: 28228724 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00027
    Despite limited evidence on safety and efficacy of drug use in neonates, drugs are extensively used in this age group. However, the availability of information on drug consumption in neonates, especially inpatient neonates, is limited. This paper systematically reviews published studies on drug utilization in hospitalized neonates. A systematic literature review was carried out to identify observational studies published from inception of databases used till August 2016. Four search engines, namely Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and PubMed, were used. Publications written in English that described drug utilization in neonatal wards were selected. Assessment of the data was based on the category of the study design, the objective of study and the method used in reporting drug consumption. A total of 20 drug utilization studies were identified, 12 of which focused on all drug classes, while the other eight evaluated antimicrobials. Studies were reported in Europe (n = 7), the United States (n = 6), India (n = 5), Brazil (n = 1), and Iran (n = 1). Substantial variance with regard to study types (study design and methods), data source, and sample size were found among the selected studies. Of the studies included, 45% were cross-sectional or retrospective, 40% were prospective studies, and the remaining 15% were point prevalence surveys. More than 70% of the studies were descriptive studies, describing drug consumption patterns. Fifteen per cent of the descriptive studies evaluated changes in drug utilization patterns in neonates. Volume of units was the most prevalent method used for reporting all drug categories. The ATC/DDD system for reporting drug use was only seen in studies evaluating antimicrobials. The most commonly reported drugs across all studies are anti-infectives for systemic use, followed by drugs for the cardiovascular system, the nervous system and the respiratory system. Ampicillin and gentamicin were the most prescribed antimicrobials in hospitalized neonates. The present review reveals that neonates are exposed to a high number of drugs and various methods are used to report drug consumption in this age group. The best measure of drug consumption to quantify prevalence of drug use in neonates remains to be identified and additional research in this area is warranted.
  14. Feeding behavior of Mimomyia (Etorleptiomyia) luzonensis (Ludlow, 1905) (Diptera, Culicidae) in Peninsular Malaysia
    Braima KA, Muslimin M, M Ghazali AR, Wan-Nor F, Wilson JJ, Jeffery J, et al.
    Acta Trop, 2017 Jul;171:138-140.
    PMID: 28359829 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.03.025
    Mosquitoes are vectors of various human diseases in the tropics including yellow fever, dengue, malaria and West Nile virus. Mosquitoes can act as vectors between wildlife and humans, which is particularly important for diseases where wild animals serve as reservoirs of parasites in the absence of human infections. Research has mainly focused on the medical impacts of Anopheles, Aedes, Mansonia and Culex, however, very little attention has been directed towards other mosquito genera, especially those which act as vectors of diseases of wildlife. We have observed adults of Mimomyia (Etorleptiomyia) luzonensis (Ludlow, 1905) feeding on a toad, Ingerophrynus parvus, near an oil palm plantation settlement in Setia Alam, Selangor state, Peninsular Malaysia. Mimomyia is known to feed on reptiles and amphibians, and is a documented vector of several arboviruses, including West Nile virus. The observation of Mimomyia feeding on a common toad near a human settlement highlights a need to understand the relationships between mosquitoes, toads and humans from an ecological perspective. We report on-site observations of the feeding habit of Mimomyia; the first records from Malaysia.
  15. Differential expression of heat shock and floral regulatory genes in pseudocarpel initials of mantled female inflorescences from Elaeis guineensis Jacq
    Ooi SE, Sarpan N, Abdul Aziz N, Nuraziyan A, Ong-Abdullah M
    Plant Reprod, 2019 06;32(2):167-179.
    PMID: 30467592 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-018-0350-5
    KEY MESSAGE: Transcriptomes generated by laser capture microdissected abnormal staminodes revealed adoption of carpel programming during organ initiation with decreased expression of numerousHSPs,EgDEF1, EgGLO1but increasedLEAFYexpression. The abnormal mantled phenotype in oil palm involves a feminization of the male staminodes into pseudocarpels in pistillate inflorescences. Previous studies on oil palm flowering utilized entire inflorescences or spikelets, which comprised not only the male and female floral organs, but the surrounding tissues as well. Laser capture microdissection coupled with RNA sequencing was conducted to investigate the specific transcriptomes of male and female floral organs from normal and mantled female inflorescences. A higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in abnormal versus normal male organs compared with abnormal versus normal female organs. In addition, the abnormal male organ transcriptome closely mimics the transcriptome of abnormal female organ. While the transcriptome of abnormal female organ was relatively similar to the normal female organ, a substantial amount of female DEGs encode HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN genes (HSPs). A similar high amount (20%) of male DEGs encode HSPs as well. As these genes exhibited decreased expression in abnormal floral organs, mantled floral organ development may be associated with lower stress indicators. Stamen identity genes EgDEF1 and EgGLO1 were the main floral regulatory genes with decreased expression in abnormal male organs or pseudocarpel initials. Expression of several floral transcription factors was elevated in pseudocarpel initials, notably LEAFY, FIL and DL orthologs, substantiating the carpel specification programming of abnormal staminodes. Specific transcriptomes thus obtained through this approach revealed a host of differentially regulated genes in pseudocarpel initials compared to normal male staminodes.
  16. A New Plant Expression System for Producing Pharmaceutical Proteins
    Abd-Aziz N, Tan BC, Rejab NA, Othman RY, Khalid N
    Mol Biotechnol, 2020 Apr;62(4):240-251.
    PMID: 32108286 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-020-00242-2
    In the past decade, interest in the production of recombinant pharmaceutical proteins in plants has tremendously progressed because plants do not harbor mammalian viruses, are economically competitive, easily scalable, and capable of carrying out complex post-translational modifications required for recombinant pharmaceutical proteins. Mucuna bracteata is an essential perennial cover crop species widely planted as an underground cover in oil palm and rubber plantations. As a legume, they have high biomass, thrive in its habitat, and can fix nitrogen. Thus, M. bracteata is a cost-efficient crop that shows ideal characteristics as a platform for mass production of recombinant protein. In this study, we established a new platform for the transient production of a recombinant protein in M. bracteata via vacuum-assisted agro-infiltration. Five-week-old M. bracteata plants were vacuum infiltrated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring a plasmid that encodes for an anti-toxoplasma immunoglobulin (IgG) under different parameters, including trifoliate leaf positional effects, days to harvest post-infiltration, and the Agrobacterium strain used. Our results showed that vacuum infiltration of M. bracteata plant with A. tumefaciens strain GV3101 produced the highest concentration of heterologous protein in its bottom trifoliate leaf at 2 days post-infiltration. The purified anti-toxoplasma IgG was then analyzed using Western blot and ELISA. It was demonstrated that, while structural heterogeneity existed in the purified anti-toxoplasma IgG from M. bracteata, its transient expression level was two-fold higher than the model platform, Nicotiana benthamiana. This study has laid the foundation towards establishing M. bracteata as a potential platform for the production of recombinant pharmaceutical protein.
  17. Fulltext Socio-epidemiological and land cover risk factors for melioidosis in Kedah, Northern Malaysia
    Abu Hassan MR, Aziz N, Ismail N, Shafie Z, Mayala B, Donohue RE, et al.
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2019 03;13(3):e0007243.
    PMID: 30883550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007243
    BACKGROUND: Melioidosis, a fatal infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is increasingly diagnosed in tropical regions. However, data on risk factors and the geographic epidemiology of the disease are still limited. Previous studies have also largely been based on the analysis of case series data. Here, we undertook a more definitive hospital-based matched case-control study coupled with spatial analysis to identify demographic, socioeconomic and landscape risk factors for bacteremic melioidosis in the Kedah region of northern Malaysia.

    METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We obtained patient demographic and residential information and clinical presentation and medical history data from 254 confirmed melioidosis cases and 384 matched controls attending Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah (HSB), the main tertiary hospital of Alor Setar, the capital city of Kedah, during the period between 2005 and 2011. Crude and adjusted odds ratios employing conditional logistic regression analysis were used to assess if melioidosis in this region is related to risk factors connected with socio-demographics, various behavioural characteristics, and co-occurring diseases. Spatial clusters of cases were determined using a continuous Poisson model as deployed in SaTScan. A land cover map in conjunction with mapped case data was used to determine disease-land type associations using the Fisher's exact test deploying simulated p-values. Crude and adjusted odds ratios indicate that melioidosis in this region is related to gender (males), race, occupation (farming) and co-occurring chronic diseases, particularly diabetes. Spatial analyses of disease incidence, however, showed that disease risk and geographic clustering of cases are related strongly to land cover types, with risk of disease increasing non-linearly with the degree of human modification of the natural ecosystem.

    CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings indicate that melioidosis represents a complex socio-ecological public health problem in Kedah, and that its control requires an understanding and modification of the coupled human and natural variables that govern disease transmission in endemic communities.

  18. Fulltext Risk determinants of peripheral neuropathy in patients with type II diabetes mellitus attending follow-up clinics at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center (UKMMC): a cross-sectional study
    Fatimah AB, Aziz N A, Amaramalar SN, Aznida FAA, Hamid MZA, Norlaila M
    Medicine & Health, 2010;5(1):34-40.
    MyJurnal
    Peripheral neuropathy is highly associated with foot complications among diabetics. This
    study aimed to identify risk factors associated with the development of peripheral neuropathy in diabetic patients and their association with degree of severity of peripheral neuropathy. A cross-sectional study was conducted in follow-up clinics at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), Malaysia involving 72 diabetic patients and 19 controls. Exclusion criteria were those with amputated limbs, gross foot deformity and existing peripheral neuropathy. Controls were non diabetics who walked normally, had no history of foot problem and attended the clinic as subjects’ companion. Quantitative assessment of neuropathy was done using Semmes-Weinstein monofilament. Neuropathy Disability Score (NDS) were used to quantify severity of diabetic neuropathy. Spearman’s Rank test and Mann-Whitney test were used to determine correlation between variables and their differences. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine risk factors associated with peripheral neuropathy. The mean HbA1c among diabetics was 8.6% + 4.1, and mean NDS was 7.0 + 6.0. A total of 79.1% demonstrated various level of neuropathy with presence of callus was associated with higher NDS scores. Older age (P=0.02), body weight (P=0.03), HbA1c (P=0.005) and duration of diabetes (P <0.005) showed positive correlation with NDS. Proper foot care program for diabetics should include recognition of the callus, with special emphasis given to those with heavier weight and increasing age.
    Key words: diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, Neuropathy Disability Score
    (NDS), Semmes Weinstein monofilament (SWMF), callus

    Study site: follow-up clinics at the Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM)
  19. Bite envenomation by Latrodectus geometricus (Araneae: Theridiidae) spiders in Malaysia
    Mokhtar AS, Muslimin M, Mat-Saat AY, Ghazali AM, Ismail AK, Abdul-Aziz NM
    Trop Biomed, 2021 Dec 01;38(4):568-577.
    PMID: 35001923 DOI: 10.47665/tb.38.4.100
    We report two confirmed human bite cases by Lactrodectus geometricus , also known as the brown widow spider. These are the first reported bite envenomation incidents by L. geometricus in Malaysia. The incidents occurred in Tawau, Sabah and Paka, Terengganu. Both men were bitten on their ear while putting on motorcycle helmets. The spiders appeared to have nested in the helmets. The dead specimens were collected and sent to the Invertebrate and Vertebrate Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Universiti Malaya for identification. The species identity was confirmed by DNA barcoding.
  20. Fulltext Mechanical property and quality aspects of rice dried in industrial dryers
    Sarker MSH, Hasan SMK, Ibrahim MN, Aziz NA, Punan MS
    J Food Sci Technol, 2017 Nov;54(12):4129-4134.
    PMID: 29085156 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-017-2856-5
    The influence of drying methods on selected mechanical properties and qualities of MR219 rice variety has been investigated. The results showed significant effects of drying methods on bending strength and head rice yields while the average bending strength of paddy were 28.6-31.8 MPa. The effect of drying methods on apparent modulus of elasticity of rice was not significant (204.5-222.4 MPa). The fracture energy of rice varied significantly under control drying but not with industrial drying methods. Higher temperature in drying by IBD contributed in making the grains tougher, where the effect of FBD temperature was positive toward the development of fracture energy inside rice kernel. IBD at temperature above 40 °C resulted in lower bending strength in rice kernels which affected head rice yield. Two stage paddy drying practices with FBD using temperature of 115-125 °C as first stage is still acceptable, and inclined bed dryer either as single stage or as second stage after FBD should be operated at temperature of <40 °C to maintain head rice yield. The whiteness and milling recovery of rice achieved from different drying methods were comparable.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links