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Displaying publications 101 - 120 of 323 in total

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Secondary triage classification using an ensemble random forest technique

Azeez D, Gan KB, Mohd Ali MA, Ismail MS

Technol Health Care, 2015;23(4):419-28.
PMID: 25791174 DOI: 10.3233/THC-150907

BACKGROUND: Triage of patients in the emergency department is a complex task based on several uncertainties and ambiguous information. Triage must be implemented within two to five minutes to avoid potential fatality and increased waiting time.
OBJECTIVE: An intelligent triage system has been proposed for use in a triage environment to reduce human error.
METHODS: This system was developed based on the objective primary triage scale (OPTS) that is currently used in the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center. Both primary and secondary triage models are required to develop this system. The primary triage model has been reported previously; this work focused on secondary triage modelling using an ensemble random forest technique. The randomized resampling method was proposed to balance the data unbalance prior to model development.
RESULTS: The results showed that the 300% resampling gave a low out-of-bag error of 0.02 compared to 0.37 without pre-processing. This model has a sensitivity and specificity of 0.98 and 0.89, respectively, for the unseen data.
CONCLUSION: With this combination, the random forest reduces the variance, and the randomized resembling reduces the bias, leading to the reduced out-of-bag error.
KEYWORDS: Decision support system; emergency department; random forest; randomized resampling
A modified toxicity testing method using tropical marine microalgae

Ismail M, Phang SM, Tong SL, Brown MT

Environ Monit Assess, 2002 Apr;75(2):145-54.
PMID: 12002283

Toxicity testing of four heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Mn and As) using four species of tropical marine phytoplankton, Chaetoceros calcitrans, Isochrysis galbana, Tetraselmis tetrahele and Tetraselmis sp., was carried out in multiwell plates with test volumes of 2 mL and the results compared to those of standard, large volume, shake-flasks. IC50 values (concentrations of metals estimated to inhibit 50% growth relative to the control) were determined after 96 hours based on automated O.D. readings measured in Elisa microplates by a Multiskan spectrophotometer. Good agreement was achieved between O.D. readings and cell counts indicating that this new method is a simple, economical, practical and rapid technique for toxicity testing, and provides good reproducibility of IC50 values. Results of the toxicity tests indicate that Cu was the most toxic metal (average IC50 values ranging from 0.04 to 0.37 mg L(-1)), followed by Cd (0.06-5.7 mg L(-1)), Mn (7.2-21.4 mg L(-1)) and As (33.9-319.3 mg L(-1)). Test species had different degrees of sensitivity to the metals tested, with I. galbana and C. calcitrans the most sensitive to Cu, Cd and Mn. Based on these findings it is recommended that the existing Malaysian Interim Standards for Marine Water Quality for Cd and Cu be reviewed.
Severe complications induced by experimental bacterial superinfection of orf lesions

Zamri-Saad M, Roshidah I, al-Ajeeli KS, Ismail MS, Kamarzaman A

Trop Anim Health Prod, 1993 May;25(2):85-8.
PMID: 8236484

Twelve goats about 3 months of age were divided into 4 equal groups. Goats in Groups 1 and 2 were infected with orf virus followed by Corynebacterium pyogenes infection of Groups 1 and 3, 3 days after the first appearance of orf lesions. Goats in Group 4 were uninfected controls. Complicated orf lesions which consisted of wet suppurative scabs around the entire lips were observed in goats in Group 1. The lesions persisted for 24 days but were most severe from days 8 to 13. Goats in Group 2 developed lesions typical of orf virus infection that lasted 10 days, while goats in Group 3 developed small nodules of about 1 cm diameter, 48 hours following the introduction of C. pyogenes, which persisted for only 6 days. No lesion was observed in goats in Group 4. Two goats in Group 1 with complicated orf died after 16 and 22 days respectively.
Human dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens in Sri Lanka

Dissanaike AS, Abeyewickreme W, Wijesundera MD, Weerasooriya MV, Ismail MM

Parassitologia, 1997 Dec;39(4):375-82.
PMID: 9802095

Human dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens is a common zoonotic infection in Sri Lanka. Todate 70 cases are on record, and they include 3 expatriates from Russia, England and Korea, who were undoubtedly infected in Sri Lanka. Around 30-60% of dogs are infected with D. repens in various parts of the country and the mosquito vectors are Aedes aegypti, Armigeres subalbatus, Mansonia uniformis and M. annulifera. Unlike in other countries of the old world infection is most common in children under the age of 9 years, the youngest being 4 months old and the scrotum, penis and perianal regions of male children appear to be frequent sites for the worms. Dirofilaria (Dirofilaria) immitis is not present in Sri Lanka though it is present in neighbouring countries like India, and Malaysia.
Fulltext The dataset for antifeedant activity of eugenol derived compounds against red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, Olivier) larvae

Yan TK, Asari A, Abdullah S, Ismail M, Azmi WA

Data Brief, 2019 Aug;25:104227.
PMID: 31367662 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104227

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus or red palm weevil (RPW) is a destructive insect pest of major cultivated palms such as coconut, date and oil palm. One of the control management of RPW is trunk injection using monocrotophos or methamidophos, but these chemicals are found to affect ecosystems and human health. Thus, we aimed to determine a bio-pesticide to replace these synthetic chemicals. We tested the antifeedant activity of three eugenol-based compounds as potential control agent against RPW larvae in vitro condition for two weeks. All these compounds show significant effect as feeding deterrent agent on 4th instar larvae, while WN16 (4-allyl-2-methoxy-1-(4-trifluoromethyl-benzyloxy)-benzene) shows the highest feeding deterrent index (FDI = 64.42%). Here we present the data regarding the biological aspect on treated RPW larvae as well as antifeedant activity index of these eugenol derived compounds.
Toxicology study of vanillin on rats via oral and intra-peritoneal administration

Ho K, Yazan LS, Ismail N, Ismail M

Food Chem Toxicol, 2011 Jan;49(1):25-30.
PMID: 20807560 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2010.08.023

Vanillin is useful as anti-sickle cell anemia, anti-mutagen and anti-bacteria agent. However, vanillin must be administered at high concentration and cannot be oxidized by the upper gastrointestinal track of patients to be medically effective. In this study, we assessed the toxic effect of vanillin when administered in an un-oxidized form at high concentrations (150 and 300 mg/kg) via oral and intra-peritoneal injection. It was found that 300 mg/kg vanillin injection caused the rats to be unconscious without exerting any toxic effect on blood cells, kidney and liver. Besides, it showed blood protective property. Further analysis with GenomeLab GeXP genetic system on brain tissues showed that the expression of most xenobiotic metabolism, cell progression, tumor suppressor, DNA damage and inflammation genes were maintained at normal level. However, the expression of a few xenobiotic metabolism, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis genes were up-regulated by 5% ethanol injection. Nevertheless, when 5% ethanol was injected with the presence of vanillin, the expression was back to normal level. It is postulated that vanillin might have neuro-protective property. In conclusion, vanillin is not toxic at high concentration in both oral and intra-peritoneal injection and could provide blood and brain protective properties.
Orbital Metastasis as The Initial Presentation of Breast Cancer

Muhd H, Zuhaimy H, Ismail MF, Arshad F, Azmi S, Sahak NH

Malays Fam Physician, 2020;15(3):74-78.
PMID: 33329865
Fulltext The effectiveness of nutrition education programme for primary school children

Ruzita AT, Wan Azdie MA, Ismail MN

Malays J Nutr, 2007 Mar;13(1):45-54.
PMID: 22692188 MyJurnal

This study was conducted to determine changes in nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice of 8-year-old school children after receiving a nutrition education package. A total of 418 school children from urban and rural areas participated in this study. The intervention group consisted of 237 children while 181 children who did not receive the nutrition education package acted as controls. The nutrition education programme that was conducted for 3 weeks comprised of a video viewing session and a comic reading session followed by exercise questions as reinforcement for each session, and also classroom activities. Knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaires were distributed to the children before (pre-intervention) and after (postintervention) receiving the nutrition education programme. A follow-up visit was conducted six months after the programme had elapsed. The results obtained indicated that the nutrition knowledge score increased significantly in the intervention group from 48.3±13.2 at pre-test to 54.6±16.2 in post-test and 55.0±14.3 in follow-up test (p<0.05). The nutrition attitude score also increased significantly from 68.7±15.5 at pre-intervention to 72.6±15.0 and 74.7±15.8 during post-test and follow-up test respectively (p<0.05). However, the nutrition practice score had no significant improvement in both groups throughout the study period. There were no significant changes in the control group in knowledge, attitude and practice scores at pre, post and follow-up tests. In conclusion, this study showed that a good nutrition education programme had a positive impact whereby better nutrition knowledge, attitude and healthy eating habits in children were seen. It is hoped that the improvements would be sustained throughout their lives.
Fulltext Modulation of platelet functions by crude rice (Oryza sativa) bran policosanol extract

Wong WT, Ismail M, Imam MU, Zhang YD

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2016 Jul 28;16:252.
PMID: 27465266 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1223-9

Rice bran is bioactive-rich and has proven health benefits for humans. Moreover, its source, the brown rice has antioxidant, hypolipidemic and other functional properties that are increasingly making it a nutritional staple especially in Asian countries. This study investigated the antiplatelet aggregation mechanisms of crude hexane/methanolic rice bran extract, in which policosanol was the targeted bioactive. Platelets play a vital role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, and their increased activities could potentially cause arterial thrombus formation or severe bleeding disorders. Thus, in this study, platelet aggregation and adhesion of platelets to major components of basal lamina were examined in vitro. In addition, cellular protein secretion was quantified as a measurement of platelet activation.
In utero Exposure to Germinated Brown Rice and Its GABA Extract Attenuates High-Fat-Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance in Rat Offspring

Adamu HA, Imam MU, Der-Jiun O, Ismail M

J Nutrigenet Nutrigenomics, 2017;10(1-2):19-31.
PMID: 28399529 DOI: 10.1159/000469663

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have reported on the influence of diet on insulin resistance. Our study provides insight into the effect of germinated brown rice (GBR) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on early environment-driven programming and susceptibility to insulin resistance in rat offspring.
METHODS: Male rat offspring from female Sprague-Dawley rats fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) alone, HFD + GBR, or HFD + GABA extract throughout pregnancy and lactation were weaned 4 weeks after delivery and followed up for 8 weeks. A biochemical analysis and an assessment of the hepatic expression of insulin signaling genes were performed.
RESULTS: The results showed that intrauterine exposure to HFD caused metabolic perturbations in rat offspring which gravitated towards insulin resistance even though the rat offspring did not consume an HFD. GBR and GABA attenuated the HFD-induced changes by underlying regulation of the insulin signaling genes.
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that intake of GBR and GABA during pregnancy and lactation can influence the programming of genes in rat offspring, thereby enhancing insulin sensitivity.
Fulltext Predisposition to insulin resistance and obesity due to staple consumption of rice: Amylose content versus germination status

Abubakar B, Zawawi N, Omar AR, Ismail M

PLoS One, 2017;12(7):e0181309.
PMID: 28727791 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181309

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder with established, well-defined precursors. Obesity and insulin resistance are amongst most important factors in predisposition to diabetes. Rice is a staple for about half the global population and its consumption has been strongly linked with diabetogenesis. We assert that tackling the prevalence of predisposing factors by modifying certain rice cultivars could reduce the global burden of obesity and insulin resistance, and by extension type 2 diabetes. Several rice cultivars with various properties were fed to nulliparous rats (five weeks old at the start of the experiment) for 90 days. They were then returned to a diet of standard pellets and mated with males raised on a standard diet. The resulting pups and dams were investigated for obesity and insulin resistance markers. We found that germination did more to reduce predisposition to obesity and insulin resistance than high amylose content. The combined reducing effect of germination and high amylose content on predisposition to obesity and insulin resistance was greater than the sum of their independent effects. Polished (white) rice with a low amylose content predisposed dams on a high-fat diet to markers of insulin resistance and obesity and this predisposition was inherited (in biochemical terms) by their F1 offspring. Overall, the results suggest that harnessing the beneficial properties of germination and amylose in rice would reduce the burden of obesity and insulin resistance, which are known to be key risk factors for development of type 2 diabetes.
Genome wide allelic imbalance in cervical cancer tissues: an interethnic comparison in Malaysian population

Ankathil R, Tan S, Ismail M, Dasuki D, Othman N

Ann Oncol, 2017 Oct;28 Suppl 9:ix94.
PMID: 32120746 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx697.085
A study of the acceptability and effectiveness of Norplant (R) contraceptive implants in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Arshat H, Rachagan SP, Kwa Siew Kim, Ang Eng Suan, Karim HA, Ismail MT

Malays J Reprod Health, 1990 Jun;8(1):21-9.
PMID: 12316341
Association of annual hormonal profile with gonad maturity of mahseer (Tor tambroides) in captivity

Ismail MF, Siraj SS, Daud SK, Harmin SA

Gen Comp Endocrinol, 2011 Jan 1;170(1):125-30.
PMID: 20888822 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.09.021

Annual gonad hormonal profile of wild, matured mahseer (29 males and 23 female) averaging in weight between 0.95±0.26 and 1.19±0.23 kg for males and females, respectively, were investigated from November 2007 to November 2008 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Blood was collected from caudal vein, monthly and plasma separation by centrifugation was done to measure reproductive hormones: 17β-estradiol (E(2)), testosterone (T), and 11-keto-testosterone (11KT). Gonads were sampled for histology processing to observe their maturity. Highest T level in females and males was recorded at 0.22±0.016 and 0.88±0.014 ng/ml, respectively. The 11KT showed several peaks and the highest value was noted at 0.7±0.018 ng/ml in November 2008. The female E(2) initially was at 1.48±0.16 ng/ml and significantly increased (P<0.05) to 1.53±0.39 ng/ml in November 2008. Ovaries were laden with oocytes in several stages in all the samples while testes gonad showed a high level of spermatids throughout the year. Changes in plasma level of the gonadal hormones were correlated with the ovarian and testes maturities. In conclusion, the study suggests that mahseer can be categorized as asynchronized and multiple spawner. The information gathered is important for appropriate breeding and conservation programs of the Malaysian mahseer.
Fulltext A collaborative approach for research paper recommender system

Haruna K, Akmar Ismail M, Damiasih D, Sutopo J, Herawan T

PLoS One, 2017;12(10):e0184516.
PMID: 28981512 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184516

Research paper recommenders emerged over the last decade to ease finding publications relating to researchers' area of interest. The challenge was not just to provide researchers with very rich publications at any time, any place and in any form but to also offer the right publication to the right researcher in the right way. Several approaches exist in handling paper recommender systems. However, these approaches assumed the availability of the whole contents of the recommending papers to be freely accessible, which is not always true due to factors such as copyright restrictions. This paper presents a collaborative approach for research paper recommender system. By leveraging the advantages of collaborative filtering approach, we utilize the publicly available contextual metadata to infer the hidden associations that exist between research papers in order to personalize recommendations. The novelty of our proposed approach is that it provides personalized recommendations regardless of the research field and regardless of the user's expertise. Using a publicly available dataset, our proposed approach has recorded a significant improvement over other baseline methods in measuring both the overall performance and the ability to return relevant and useful publications at the top of the recommendation list.
Fulltext Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks for Precision Agriculture: A Review

Jawad HM, Nordin R, Gharghan SK, Jawad AM, Ismail M

Sensors (Basel), 2017 Aug 03;17(8).
PMID: 28771214 DOI: 10.3390/s17081781

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) can be used in agriculture to provide farmers with a large amount of information. Precision agriculture (PA) is a management strategy that employs information technology to improve quality and production. Utilizing wireless sensor technologies and management tools can lead to a highly effective, green agriculture. Based on PA management, the same routine to a crop regardless of site environments can be avoided. From several perspectives, field management can improve PA, including the provision of adequate nutrients for crops and the wastage of pesticides for the effective control of weeds, pests, and diseases. This review outlines the recent applications of WSNs in agriculture research as well as classifies and compares various wireless communication protocols, the taxonomy of energy-efficient and energy harvesting techniques for WSNs that can be used in agricultural monitoring systems, and comparison between early research works on agriculture-based WSNs. The challenges and limitations of WSNs in the agricultural domain are explored, and several power reduction and agricultural management techniques for long-term monitoring are highlighted. These approaches may also increase the number of opportunities for processing Internet of Things (IoT) data.
Bilateral Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma Arising in 17 Year Longstanding History of Bilateral Ovarian Endometriosis

Win TT, Nik Mahmood NMZ, Ma SO, Ismail M

Iran J Pathol, 2016;11(5):478-482.
PMID: 28974971

Clear cell carcinoma of ovary is uncommon ovarian tumour that arises from surface epithelium of ovary. It has well-known association with ovarian endometriosis. We report here the first case of bilateral clear cell carcinoma of ovaries in a 40-year-old woman with a 17-year history of bilateral ovarian endometriosis. In addition, during the longstanding duration of the endometriosis, the patient was treated with hormonal therapy, including oestrogen. It represents the first report of such bilateral involvement in the background of ovarian endometriosis. This should prompt clinicians to be aware that prolonged hormonal treatment of endometriosis may precipitate bilateral malignancy of the ovary.
Fulltext Endometriosis of the appendix presenting as acute appendicitis

Khoo JJ, Ismail MS, Tiu CC

Singapore Med J, 2004 Sep;45(9):435-6.
PMID: 15334288

While endometriosis is fairly common, endometriosis of the appendix is a very rare occurrence. Correct pre-operative diagnosis is uncommon and definitive diagnosis is established by histology of the appendix. We present a case of endometriosis of the appendix that manifested as acute appendicitis in a 40-year-old woman.
Fulltext Compositional analyses of white, brown and germinated forms of popular Malaysian rice to offer insight into the growing diet-related diseases

Abubakar B, Yakasai HM, Zawawi N, Ismail M

J Food Drug Anal, 2018 04;26(2):706-715.
PMID: 29567241 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfda.2017.06.010

Diet-related metabolic diseases, and especially obesity, are metabolic disorders with multifactorial aetiologies. Diet has been a cornerstone in both the aetiology and management of this metabolic disorders. Rice, a staple food for over half of the world's population, could be exploited as part of the solution to check this menace which has been skyrocketing in the last decade. The present study investigated nine forms of rice from three widely grown Malaysian rice cultivars for in vitro and in vivo (glycaemic index and load) properties that could translate clinically into a lower predisposition to diet-related diseases. The germinated brown forms of MRQ 74 and MR 84 rice cultivars had high amylose content percentages (25.7% and 25.0%), high relative percentage antioxidant scavenging abilities of 85.0% and 91.7%, relatively low glycaemic indices (67.6 and 64.3) and glycaemic load (32.3 and 30.1) values, and modest glucose uptake capabilities of 33.69% and 31.25%, respectively. The results show that all things being equal, rice cultivars that are germinated and high in amylose content when compared to their white and low amylose counterparts could translate into a lower predisposition to diet-related diseases from the dietary point of view in individuals who consume this cereal as a staple food.
Fulltext Aqueous leaf extract of Clinacanthus nutans improved metabolic indices and sorbitol-related complications in type II diabetic rats (T2D)

Umar Imam M, Ismail M, George A, Chinnappan SM, Yusof A

Food Sci Nutr, 2019 Apr;7(4):1482-1493.
PMID: 31024722 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.988

Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau (C. nutans) has been reported to lower blood glucose level; however, evidence on its efficacy in lowering diabetic complications is limited. The antidiabetic properties of C. nutans aqueous leaf extract on serum metabolic indices, sorbitol production, and aldose reductase enzyme activities in the kidneys, lens, and sciatic nerve of type II diabetic (T2D) rats were evaluated. All rats except normal control rats were fed with a high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce obesity and subsequently injected with 35 mg/kg streptozotocin to induce type II diabetes. Aqueous leaf extract of C. nutans (100 and 200 mg kg-1 day-1) and quercetin (10 mg kg-1 day-1) were fed orally for 4 weeks. Diabetic rats administered with C. nutans at 100, 200 mg kg-1 day-1 and quercetin had significantly (p

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