MyMedR

Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 149 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

Fulltext Vitamin D status in Malaysian men and its associated factors

Chin KY, Ima-Nirwana S, Ibrahim S, Mohamed IN, Wan Ngah WZ

Nutrients, 2014 Nov 26;6(12):5419-33.
PMID: 25431881 DOI: 10.3390/nu6125419

Vitamin D insufficiency is a global health problem. The data on vitamin D status in Malaysian men is insufficient. This study aimed to investigate vitamin D status among Chinese and Malay men in Malaysia and its associating factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 383 men aged 20 years and above, residing in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Their age, ethnicity, body anthropometry and calcaneal speed of sound (SOS) were recorded. Their fasting blood was collected for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), intact parathyroid (PTH), total calcium and inorganic phosphate assays. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum 25(OH)D level <30 nmol/L and insufficiency as a serum 25(OH)D level between 30 and 50 nmol/L. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 0.5%, and insufficiency was 22.7%. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were more prevalent in the Malays compared to the Chinese. Being Chinese, older in age, having lower body mass index (BMI) and a high physical activity status were associated significantly with a higher serum 25(OH)D level (p < 0.05). The serum PTH level was inversely associated with the serum 25(OH)D level (p < 0.05). As a conclusion, a significant proportion of Malaysian men have vitamin D insufficiency, although deficiency is uncommon. Steps should be taken to correct the vitamin D status of these men.
Fulltext Valorisation of medical waste through pyrolysis for a cleaner environment: Progress and challenges

Su G, Ong HC, Ibrahim S, Fattah IMR, Mofijur M, Chong CT

Environ Pollut, 2021 Jun 15;279:116934.
PMID: 33744627 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116934

The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted great shocks and challenges to the environment, society and economy. Simultaneously, an intractable issue appeared: a considerable number of hazardous medical wastes have been generated from the hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities, constituting a serious threat to public health and environmental sustainability without proper management. Traditional disposal methods like incineration, landfill and autoclaving are unable to reduce environmental burden due to the issues such as toxic gas release, large land occupation, and unsustainability. While the application of clean and safe pyrolysis technology on the medical wastes treatment to produce high-grade bioproducts has the potential to alleviate the situation. Besides, medical wastes are excellent and ideal raw materials, which possess high hydrogen, carbon content and heating value. Consequently, pyrolysis of medical wastes can deal with wastes and generate valuable products like bio-oil and biochar. Consequently, this paper presents a critical and comprehensive review of the pyrolysis of medical wastes. It demonstrates the feasibility of pyrolysis, which mainly includes pyrolysis characteristics, product properties, related problems, the prospects and future challenges of pyrolysis of medical wastes.
Validity and reliability of a Malay version of the Lawton instrumental activities of daily living scale among the Malay speaking elderly in Malaysia

Kadar M, Ibrahim S, Razaob NA, Chai SC, Harun D

Aust Occup Ther J, 2018 02;65(1):63-68.
PMID: 29315609 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12441

BACKGROUND/AIM: The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale is a tool often used to assess independence among elderly at home. Its suitability to be used with the elderly population in Malaysia has not been validated. This current study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale - Malay Version to Malay speaking elderly in Malaysia.
METHODS: This study was divided into three phases: (1) translation and linguistic validity involving both forward and backward translations; (2) establishment of face validity and content validity; and (3) establishment of reliability involving inter-rater, test-retest and internal consistency analyses. Data used for these analyses were obtained by interviewing 65 elderly respondents.
RESULTS: Percentages of Content Validity Index for 4 criteria were from 88.89 to 100.0. The Cronbach α coefficient for internal consistency was 0.838. Intra-class Correlation Coefficient of inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability was 0.957 and 0.950 respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The result shows that the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale - Malay Version has excellent reliability and validity for use with the Malay speaking elderly people in Malaysia. This scale could be used by professionals to assess functional ability of elderly who live independently in community.
Fulltext UltiMatch-NL: a Web service matchmaker based on multiple semantic filters

Mohebbi K, Ibrahim S, Zamani M, Khezrian M

PLoS One, 2014;9(8):e104735.
PMID: 25157872 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104735

In this paper, a Semantic Web service matchmaker called UltiMatch-NL is presented. UltiMatch-NL applies two filters namely Signature-based and Description-based on different abstraction levels of a service profile to achieve more accurate results. More specifically, the proposed filters rely on semantic knowledge to extract the similarity between a given pair of service descriptions. Thus it is a further step towards fully automated Web service discovery via making this process more semantic-aware. In addition, a new technique is proposed to weight and combine the results of different filters of UltiMatch-NL, automatically. Moreover, an innovative approach is introduced to predict the relevance of requests and Web services and eliminate the need for setting a threshold value of similarity. In order to evaluate UltiMatch-NL, the repository of OWLS-TC is used. The performance evaluation based on standard measures from the information retrieval field shows that semantic matching of OWL-S services can be significantly improved by incorporating designed matching filters.
Fulltext Tuberculosis of the distal end of the radius mimicking a giant-cell tumour

Pan KL, Ibrahim S

Med J Malaysia, 2000 Sep;55 Suppl C:105-6.
PMID: 11200036

We report a case of a lady presenting with a lesion in the distal radius with classical radiological features of a giant-cell tumour. These tumours are often resected without preliminary histological confirmation. A biopsy done in this patient showed it to be tuberculosis.
Titanium dioxide-based sonophotocatalytic mineralization of bisphenol A and its intermediates

Sunasee S, Wong KT, Lee G, Pichiah S, Ibrahim S, Park C, et al.

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2017 Jun;24(18):15488-15499.
PMID: 28512708 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9124-0

In this study, bisphenol A (BPA) removal by sonophotocatalysis coupled with commercially available titanium dioxide (TiO2, P25) was assessed in batch tests using energy-based advanced oxidation combining ultrasound (US) and ultraviolet (UV). The kinetics of BPA removal were systematically evaluated by changing operational parameters, such as US frequency and power, mechanical stirring speed, and temperature, but also comparison of single and coupled systems under the optimum US conditions (35 kHz, 50 W, 300 rpm stirring speed, and 20 °C). The combination of US/UV/P25 exhibited the highest BPA removal rate (28.0 × 10-3 min-1). In terms of the synergy index, the synergistic effect of sonophotocatalysis was found to be 2.2. This indicated that sonophotocatalysis has a considerably higher removal efficiency than sonocatalysis or photocatalysis. The removal of BPA was further investigated to identify BPA byproducts and intermediates using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Five main intermediates were formed during sonophotocatalytic degradation, and complete removal of BPA and its intermediates was obtained after 3 h of operation. The degradation pathway of BPA by sonophotocatalysis was also elucidated.
Tincture of Benzoin to Prevent Cast Slippage in Clubfoot

Ibrahim S

Malays Orthop J, 2016 Nov;10(3):62-63.
PMID: 28553455
Tibia vara and slipped upper femoral epiphysis: is there an association?

Jamil K, Abdul Rashid AH, Ibrahim S

J Pediatr Orthop B, 2015 Jan;24(1):46-9.
PMID: 25192368 DOI: 10.1097/BPB.0000000000000101

Tibia vara and slipped upper femoral epiphysis (SUFE) share a common risk factor, but their relationship is unclear. In both conditions, the patients are usually obese. To the best of our knowledge, there have been only two previous reports in the literature that have described the occurrence of tibia vara and SUFE in three patients. We report a child who was treated for bilateral tibia vara at the age of 3 years and subsequently developed a SUFE at the age of 13 years.
Through-knee amputation for a patient with proximal femur focal deficiency and tibial hemimelia: surgical anatomy and clinical implications

Lloyd S, Rashid AH, Das S, Ibrahim S

Anat Sci Int, 2014 Mar;89(2):122-5.
PMID: 24158808 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-013-0211-0

Tibial hemimelia is a rare anomaly of unknown etiology. This condition can occur sporadically or may have a familial inheritance. It is characterized by deficiency of the tibia with a relatively intact fibula. The anomaly may be unilateral or bilateral. We report a case of a 2-year-old girl who presented with right lower limb deformity since birth. She was diagnosed with proximal femur focal deficiency with absence of the ipsilateral tibia. She presented with a shorter right lower limb and a deformed foot. She was treated with a through-knee amputation. Anatomical dissection of the amputated limb was carried out to verify the anomalies. The dissection showed that the distal phalanx of the great toe was trifid. The anatomical and clinical significance of this interesting case is discussed.
The state-of-the-art system dynamics application in integrated water resources modeling

Zomorodian M, Lai SH, Homayounfar M, Ibrahim S, Fatemi SE, El-Shafie A

J Environ Manage, 2018 Dec 01;227:294-304.
PMID: 30199725 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.08.097

In recent years, water resources management has become more complicated and controversial due to the impacts of various factors affecting hydrological systems. System Dynamics (SD) has in turn become increasingly popular due to its advantages as a tool for dealing with such complex systems. However, SD also has some limitations. This review contains a comprehensive survey of the existing literature on SD as a potential method to deal with the complexity of system integrated modeling, with a particular focus on the application of SD to the integrated modeling of water resources systems. It discusses the limitations of SD in these contexts, and highlights a number of studies which have applied a combination of SD and other methods to overcome these limitations. Finally, our study makes a number of recommendations for future modifications in the application of SD methods in order to enhance their performance.
The sources and ecological risk assessment of elemental pollution in sediment of Linggi estuary, Malaysia

Elias MS, Ibrahim S, Samuding K, Rahman SA, Hashim A

Mar Pollut Bull, 2018 Dec;137:646-655.
PMID: 30503479 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.11.006

In this study, concentrations of heavy metals, rare earth elements (REEs), Uranium (U) and Thorium (Th) of the actinide group were determined from Linggi estuary sediment samples by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductive coupled plasma - mass spectrometry techniques. The geo-accumulation (Igeo) and ecological risk index (Ri) values were calculated to identify the quality status of Linggi estuary sediments. Results indicated Linggi estuary was polluted by arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and antimony (Sb). REEs, U and Th showed significant increase of concentration in Linggi estuary sediments. Ri of Linggi estuary was categorised as low to considerable ecological risk, which indicates no significant to moderate effect on the majority of the sediment-dwelling organisms. Correlation matrix and principal component analysis assessed pollution sources to be both natural and anthropogenic.
The effects of age, physical activity level, and body anthropometry on calcaneal speed of sound value in men

Chin KY, Soelaiman IN, Mohamed IN, Ibrahim S, Wan Ngah WZ

Arch Osteoporos, 2012;7:135-45.
PMID: 23225291 DOI: 10.1007/s11657-012-0091-2

The influences of age, physical activity, and body anthropometry on calcaneal speed of sound are different among young adults, middle-aged, and elderly men.
Fulltext The advantages of using drones over space-borne imagery in the mapping of mangrove forests

Ruwaimana M, Satyanarayana B, Otero V, M Muslim A, Syafiq A M, Ibrahim S, et al.

PLoS One, 2018;13(7):e0200288.
PMID: 30020959 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200288

Satellite data and aerial photos have proved to be useful in efficient conservation and management of mangrove ecosystems. However, there have been only very few attempts to demonstrate the ability of drone images, and none so far to observe vegetation (species-level) mapping. The present study compares the utility of drone images (DJI-Phantom-2 with SJ4000 RGB and IR cameras, spatial resolution: 5cm) and satellite images (Pleiades-1B, spatial resolution: 50cm) for mangrove mapping-specifically in terms of image quality, efficiency and classification accuracy, at the Setiu Wetland in Malaysia. Both object- and pixel-based classification approaches were tested (QGIS v.2.12.3 with Orfeo Toolbox). The object-based classification (using a manual rule-set algorithm) of drone imagery with dominant land-cover features (i.e. water, land, Avicennia alba, Nypa fruticans, Rhizophora apiculata and Casuarina equisetifolia) provided the highest accuracy (overall accuracy (OA): 94.0±0.5% and specific producer accuracy (SPA): 97.0±9.3%) as compared to the Pleiades imagery (OA: 72.2±2.7% and SPA: 51.9±22.7%). In addition, the pixel-based classification (using a maximum likelihood algorithm) of drone imagery provided better accuracy (OA: 90.0±1.9% and SPA: 87.2±5.1%) compared to the Pleiades (OA: 82.8±3.5% and SPA: 80.4±14.3%). Nevertheless, the drone provided higher temporal resolution images, even on cloudy days, an exceptional benefit when working in a humid tropical climate. In terms of the user-costs, drone costs are much higher, but this becomes advantageous over satellite data for long-term monitoring of a small area. Due to the large data size of the drone imagery, its processing time was about ten times greater than that of the satellite image, and varied according to the various image processing techniques employed (in pixel-based classification, drone >50 hours, Pleiades <5 hours), constituting the main disadvantage of UAV remote sensing. However, the mangrove mapping based on the drone aerial photos provided unprecedented results for Setiu, and was proven to be a viable alternative to satellite-based monitoring/management of these ecosystems. The improvements of drone technology will help to make drone use even more competitive in the future.
The Rubber Stopper: A Simple and Inexpensive Technique to Prevent Pin Tract Infection following Kirschner Wiring of Supracondylar Fractures of Humerus in Children

Santy JE, Kamal J, Abdul-Rashid AH, Ibrahim S

Malays Orthop J, 2015 Jul;9(2):13-16.
PMID: 28435603 MyJurnal DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.1507.006

Percutaneous pinning after closed reduction is commonly used to treat supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children. Minor pin tract infections frequently occur. The aim of this study was to prevent pin tract infections using a rubber stopper to reduce irritation of the skin against the Kirschner (K) wire following percutaneous pinning. Between July 2011 and June 2012, seventeen children with closed supracondylar fracture of the humerus of Gartland types 2 and 3 were treated with this technique. All patients were treated with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning and followed up prospectively. Only one patient, who was a hyperactive child, developed pin tract infection due to softening of the plaster slab. We found using the rubber stopper to be a simple and inexpensive method to reduce pin tract infections following percutaneous pinning.
Fulltext The Perils of Predatory Journals and Conferences

Ibrahim S, Saw A

Malays Orthop J, 2020 Jul;14(2):1-6.
PMID: 32983372 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2007.003

Predatory journals and conferences have little or no peer review. Their raison d'être is for making money through the article processing charges and the conference registration fees. Without a critical evaluation, predatory journals publishing flawed results and conclusions would cloud the existing scientific literature. Predatory conferences are the offshoots of predatory publishing. The conferences are not organised by learned societies, but by profit-making event organisers. There is a need for awareness among researchers and clinicians regarding predatory publishing. The scourge of predatory publishing and conferencing should be more often highlighted during scientific meetings and publication courses.
Fulltext The Osseous Pathology of Purpura Fulminans in a Two-Year-Old Child: A Case Report

Mohd-Razali S, Ahmad-Affandi K, Ibrahim S, Abdul-Rashid AH, Abdul-Shukor N

Malays Orthop J, 2023 Mar;17(1):180-183.
PMID: 37064633 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2303.021

Purpura fulminans (PF) is a severe clinical manifestation of Neisseria meningitides infection that is associated with high mortality rates in children. Survivors are frequently left with debilitating musculoskeletal sequelae. There is a paucity of reports on the musculoskeletal pathology of purpura fulminans. We report on a 2-year-old boy with purpura fulminans due to meningococcemia. The child developed distal gangrene in both the upper and lower limbs. Amputations were done for both lower limbs. Histological examination of the amputated specimens showed an inflammatory process and features of osteonecrosis. The latest follow-up at the age of 6 years showed a right knee valgus due to asymmetrical growth arrest of the proximal tibia. PF and its complications are challenging to treat and may require a multidisciplinary approach to improve patient's functional ability.
Fulltext Teaching and learning in workplace: contemporary perspectives

Bhardwaj A, Nagandla K, Das Gupta E, Ibrahim S

Education in Medicine Journal, 2015;7(3):67-72.
MyJurnal

Workplace learning is essentially informal that is unstructured, unintended and opportunistic from educational view point. Recall of factual knowledge and applying skills is central in workplace so learning becomes meaningful and evidence based. To maximise their learning, the learners must take active participation in their own learning, set goals and march towards achieving these goals. The objective of the teacher at this juncture is obliging to the needs of the learners and of the patients. This review aims to address the teaching and learning theories that impact the workplace learning, factors influencing workplace based learning, identifying opportunities for learning to occur parallel with work and strategies that maximise successful workplace learning.
Fulltext Synthesis Mechanism and Thermal Optimization of an Economical Mesoporous Material Using Silica: Implications for the Effective Removal or Delivery of Ibuprofen

Kittappa S, Cui M, Ramalingam M, Ibrahim S, Khim J, Yoon Y, et al.

PLoS One, 2015;10(7):e0130253.
PMID: 26161510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130253

Mesoporous silica materials (MSMs) were synthesized economically using silica (SiO2) as a precursor via a modified alkaline fusion method. The MSM prepared at 500°C (MSM-500) had the highest surface area, pore size, and volume, and the results of isotherms and the kinetics of ibuprofen (IBP) removal indicated that MSM-500 had the highest sorption capacity and fastest removal speed vs. SBA-15 and zeolite. Compared with commercial granular activated carbon (GAC), MSM-500 had a ~100 times higher sorption rate at neutral pH. IBP uptake by MSM-500 was thermodynamically favorable at room temperature, which was interpreted as indicating relatively weak bonding because the entropy (∆adsS, -0.07 J mol(-1) K(-1)) was much smaller. Five times recycling tests revealed that MSM-500 had 83-87% recovery efficiencies and slower uptake speeds due to slight deformation of the outer pore structure. In the IBP delivery test, MSM-500 drug loading was 41%, higher than the reported value of SBA-15 (31%). The in vitro release of IBP was faster, almost 100%, reaching equilibrium within a few hours, indicating its effective loading and unloading characteristics. A cost analysis study revealed that the MSM was ~10-70 times cheaper than any other mesoporous silica material for the removal or delivery of IBP.
Synergetic effect of conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) with different structural configuration of anode for microbial fuel cell application

Kang YL, Ibrahim S, Pichiah S

Bioresour Technol, 2015;189:364-369.
PMID: 25913883 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.04.044

PEDOT was synthesized by chemical polymerisation and characterised for its electrochemical insights. Three different anode configuration, namely graphite plate (GP), carbon cloth (CC) and graphite felt (GF) were then loaded with a fixed amount of PEDOT (2.5 mg/m(2)) denoted as GP-P, CC-P and GF-P respectively. The PEDOT coating improved the electrochemical characteristics and electron transfer capabilities of the anodes. They also contributed for enhanced MFC performances with maximum energy generation along with coulombic efficiency than the unmodified anodes. The morphological characteristics like higher surface area and open structure of felt material promoted both microbial formation and electrochemical active area. A maximum current density of 3.5A/m(2) was achieved for GF-P with CE and COD of 51% and 86% respectively. Thus, the GF-P anode excelled among the studied anodes with synergetic effect of PEDOT coating and structural configuration, making it as a potential optimum anode for MFC application.
Successful treatment of very large congenital infantile fibrosarcoma

Hamidah A, Reena M, Halim ARA, Ibrahim S, Eguchi M, Zarina AL, et al.

Pediatr Int, 2011 Oct;53(5):768-770.
PMID: 21955012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-200X.2011.03358.x

Filters

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

External Links