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Kaur H

J Grad Med Educ, 2021 Dec;13(6):879-880.
PMID: 35070103 DOI: 10.4300/JGME-D-21-00839.1
Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx with sarcoma like stroma

Ahluwalia HS, Kandiah S, Kaur H

Med J Malaysia, 1977 Dec;32(2):172-4.
PMID: 614488
Fulltext Acute pancreatitis in a multi-ethnic population

Kandasami P, Harunarashid H, Kaur H

Singapore Med J, 2002 Jun;43(6):284-8.
PMID: 12380724

There is very little information in literature describing ethnic variations in etiologic and clinical outcome of acute pancreatitis in the Asian population. This study describes the demographic, etiologic and clinical course of acute pancreatitis among the three main races in Malaysia namely, the Malays, Chinese and Indians. One hundred and thirty-three consecutive patients were admitted for acute pancreatitis for the period January 1994 to July 1999 and they consisted of 77 males and 56 females with a mean age of 43.5 years (SD+/- 14.7). The racial breakdown of acute pancreatitis was: Malays 38 (28.6%), Chinese 19 (14.3%), Indians 75 (56.4%) and 1 (0.8%) patient was an orang asli. The incidence of alcohol association with acute pancreatitis was significantly increased in the males, while gallstone pancreatitis was principally a disease of the female. Alcohol was identified as the predominant factor associated with acute pancreatitis among the Indians (73.3%) and in contrast, gallstone was the commonest associated etiologic factor for the Malays and Chinese. No etiologic factor could be identified in a substantial proportion of the Malay patients (60.5%) when compared to the Chinese (36.8%) and Indians (35%). Severe disease developed in 25% of the cases reviewed but there was no difference in of the rate of severe pancreatitis in terms of ethnic groupings or etiologic factors. The overall mortality rate was 7.5% and the commonest cause of death was multi-organ failure. The study recognises that there are differences in the characteristics of acute pancreatitis among the three major races in the country and this divergence is primarily due to sociocultural habits.
Computational Analysis and In silico Predictive Modeling for Inhibitors of PhoP Regulon in S. typhi on High-Throughput Screening Bioassay Dataset

Kaur H, Ahmad M, Scaria V

Interdiscip Sci, 2016 Mar;8(1):95-101.
PMID: 26298582 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-015-0273-x

There is emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype typhi in pandemic proportions throughout the world, and therefore, there is a necessity to speed up the discovery of novel molecules having different modes of action and also less influenced by the resistance formation that would be used as drug for the treatment of salmonellosis particularly typhoid fever. The PhoP regulon is well studied and has now been shown to be a critical regulator of number of gene expressions which are required for intracellular survival of S. enterica and pathophysiology of disease like typhoid. The evident roles of two-component PhoP-/PhoQ-regulated products in salmonella virulence have motivated attempts to target them therapeutically. Although the discovery process of biologically active compounds for the treatment of typhoid relies on hit-finding procedure, using high-throughput screening technology alone is very expensive, as well as time consuming when performed on large scales. With the recent advancement in combinatorial chemistry and contemporary technique for compounds synthesis, there are more and more compounds available which give ample growth of diverse compound library, but the time and endeavor required to screen these unfocused massive and diverse library have been slightly reduced in the past years. Hence, there is demand to improve the high-quality hits and success rate for high-throughput screening that required focused and biased compound library toward the particular target. Therefore, we still need an advantageous and expedient method to prioritize the molecules that will be utilized for biological screens, which saves time and is also inexpensive. In this concept, in silico methods like machine learning are widely applicable technique used to build computational model for high-throughput virtual screens to prioritize molecules for advance study. Furthermore, in computational analysis, we extended our study to identify the common enriched structural entities among the biologically active compound toward finding out the privileged scaffold.
An in vitro study comparing two different film-screen combinations in the detection of impacted fish bones

Abdullah BJ, Kaur H, Ng KH

Br J Radiol, 1998 Sep;71(849):930-3.
PMID: 10195007

Dried fish bones from eight species of Malaysian fish were placed in an animal cadaver at four sites (tonsil, valleculae, larynx and oesophagus) and radiographed using a double and a single film-screen combination. The use of the single film-screen combination resulted in visibility of all fish bones placed in the larynx, two of which were not visible on the double film-screen combination. There was a 50% increase of the visibility of the fish bones in the oesophagus using the single film-screen combination. The difference in dose and cost between the two different film-screen combinations was not significant.
Sleep disturbances and their association with behaviour in children with autism spectrum disorder: A cross-sectional study

Kaur H, Chinna K, Sivanesom R

Singapore Med J, 2023 Apr 14.
PMID: 37077060 DOI: 10.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2021-425

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of sleep disturbances among children aged 2-5 years with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their association with behaviour in these children.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hospital Tunku Azizah, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from June 2020 to December 2020. Children between 2 and 5 years old, diagnosed with ASD based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria, were recruited. Two parent-reported questionnaires, the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL/1.5-5), were used to assess sleep and behaviour, respectively. Children were classified as good sleepers (CSHQ score <41) and poor sleepers (CSHQ score ≥41). Poor sleepers were further categorised into those with mild or moderate to severe sleep problems (based on the 75th percentile CSHQ score). The CBCL/1.5-5 raw scores were converted to standardise T-scores, yielding scores of three summary scales (internalising, externalising and total problems).
RESULTS: A total of 134 children participated in this study. Their mean age was 42.23 ± 9.95 months, and 81.3% were males. Mean CSHQ score was 49.77 ± 6.90, and 93.3% were poor sleepers. Internalising, externalising and total problems scores were significantly higher in poor sleepers (62, 59 and 62, respectively) compared to good sleepers (56, 47 and 51, respectively). Children with moderate to severe sleep problems had clinical scores of internalising (median 65) and externalising (median 65) problems, as compared to mild sleep problems (median internalising score 61, median externalising score 57).
CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbances are prevalent among children with ASD. Poor sleep quality is associated with more behavioural problems.
Fulltext Identification of Mycobacterium species following growth detection with the BACTEC MGIT 960 system by DNA line probe assay

Ng KP, Rukumani DV, Chong J, Kaur H

Int J Mycobacteriol, 2014 Jun;3(2):82-7.
PMID: 26786328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmyco.2014.03.005

The tuberculosis and infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species are increasing in patients presented with respiratory illness, and it is crucial to document the epidemiology of these infections.
Acute respiratory tract infection: a community-based intervention study in Malaysia

Lye MS, Nair RC, Choo KE, Kaur H, Lai KP

J Trop Pediatr, 1996 06;42(3):138-43.
PMID: 8699578 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/42.3.138

A community-based intervention trial was conducted in Kelantan, Malaysia with the aim of reducing severe acute respiratory tract (ARI) infection in children. Interventions included health education of mothers on childhood pneumonia and training of health staff on case management. In a house-to-house survey 1382 and 1107 children less than 5 years of age in the intervention and control areas, respectively, were followed up every 2 weeks over a 62-week period. The reduction in the incidence of severe ARI cases in the intervention area was significantly greater than in the control area (P < 0.05). The ARI mortality rates were low in both the intervention and control areas ( < 0.1%). Our results indicate that with relatively inexpensive methods and simple interventions, reduction of severe ARI may be effectively achieved. This has important implications for an ARI control programme in Malaysia and other developing countries.
Parapharyngeal space lipoma causing sleep apnoea

Abdullah BJ, Liam CK, Kaur H, Mathew KM

Br J Radiol, 1997 Oct;70(838):1063-5.
PMID: 9404213

Lipoma of the parapharyngeal space is very rare, only three cases having been reported in the literature. A parapharyngeal space lipoma causing obstructive sleep apnoea has not been reported before. A 60-year-old man presented at the ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinic with a history of loud snoring associated with sleep apnoea secondary to a right parapharyngeal space lipoma. The causes of sleep apnoea and the radiological features of a parapharyngeal space lipoma are discussed.
Study site: ENT clinic, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Fulltext Ascaris and Trichuris do not contribute to growth retardation in primary school children

Lai KP, Kaur H, Mathias RG, Ow-Yang CK

Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 1995 Jun;26(2):322-8.
PMID: 8629068

To access the effectiveness of the treatment of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) on the growth of primary school children, 353 children were block stratified to receive either mebendazole plus pyrantel oxantel pamoate every three months or a placebo. The children were followed for two years with 89% completing the trial. Follow-up stools indicated that the treatment was efficacious for ascariasis and trichuriasis. There was virtually no hookworm infection. The children were malnourished as measured by the number below -2 SD of height and weight standards. There was no difference in height or weight between the treatment and control groups by sex initially or at the end of two years of follow-up. The treatment of Ascaris and Trichuris had no effect on growth parameters. The effect of STH on growth may be mediated through hookworm infections.
Aptamers as the chaperones (Aptachaperones) of drugs-from siRNAs to DNA nanorobots

Citartan M, Kaur H, Presela R, Tang TH

Int J Pharm, 2019 Aug 15;567:118483.
PMID: 31260780 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.118483

Aptamers, nucleic acid ligands that are specific against their corresponding targets are increasingly employed in a variety of applications including diagnostics and therapeutics. The specificity of the aptamers against their targets is also used as the basis for the formulation of the aptamer-based drug delivery system. In this review, we aim to provide an overview on the chaperoning roles of aptamers in acting as the cargo or load carriers, delivering contents to the targeted sites via cell surface receptors. Internalization of the aptamer-biomolecule conjugates via receptor-mediated endocytosis and the strategies to augment the rate of endocytosis are underscored. The cargos chaperoned by aptamers, ranging from siRNAs to DNA origami are illuminated. Possible impediments to the aptamer-based drug deliveries such as susceptibility to nuclease resistance, potentiality for immunogenicity activation, tumor heterogeneity are speculated and the corresponding amendment strategies to address these shortcomings are discussed. We prophesy that the future of the aptamer-based drug delivery will take a trajectory towards DNA nanorobot-based assay.
Fulltext Factors related to alcohol drinking among the adolescents in federal territory, Kuala Lumpur

Wan Rozita WM, Kaur H, Amal NM, Lim KH

Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2005;5(1):23-26.
MyJurnal

Misuse of alcohol among adolescents, particularly schoolchildren has become one of the public health concerns in Malaysia due to its serious effects and an increased risk of alcohol related injuries, especially motor vehicle injuries. This is the most common type of youthful fatal injury in Malaysia. However the availability of data on the extent of alcohol abuse particularly among school children in this country is limited. Therefore, we conducted this study with the objectives of identifying the prevalence of alcohol drinking among school children in Kuala Lumpur, factors rekited to alcohol drinking among the adolescents and to assess health status of their parents through the presence of any related alcohol diseases and the habits of alcohol drinking among their parents.
In this baseline study a two stage stratified sampling design was used to recruit 8532 eligible students from the selected secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur. The prevalence of alcohol drinking was 9.0% (771 / 8532) . Significant factors identihed related to alcohol consumption were akoholic father (OR=1.29), akoholic mother (1 .55) ; elder siblings consume alcohol (2 .49) and the Chinese ethnic group (1 .55) . The study revealed that factors which signihcantly contributed to the habit of alcohol drinking were related to whether their parents consumed alcohol or not or either their eMer siblings were ako taking alcohol. Therefore, the, results from this study could be used as a baseline data to describe the level of alcohol consumption among adolescents particularly school children. Ehfective public health interventions that focus on the familial context of adolescents' drinking habits may be developed.
Genotype 3 is the predominant hepatitis C genotype in a multi-ethnic Asian population in Malaysia

Ho SH, Ng KP, Kaur H, Goh KL

Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int, 2015 Jun;14(3):281-6.
PMID: 26063029

BACKGROUND: Genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) are distributed differently across the world. There is a paucity of such data in a multi-ethnic Asian population like Malaysia. The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution of HCV genotypes between major ethnic groups and to ascertain their association with basic demographic variables like age and gender.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional prospective study conducted from September 2007 to September 2013. Consecutive patients who were detected to have anti-HCV antibodies in the University of Malaya Medical Centre were included and tested for the presence of HCV RNA using Roche Cobas Amplicor Analyzer and HCV genotype using Roche single Linear Array HCV Genotyping strip.
RESULTS: Five hundred and ninety-six subjects were found to have positive anti-HCV antibodies during this period of time. However, only 396 (66.4%) were HCV RNA positive and included in the final analysis. Our results showed that HCV genotype 3 was the predominant genotype with overall frequency of 61.9% followed by genotypes 1 (35.9%), 2 (1.8%) and 6 (0.5%). There was a slightly higher prevalence of HCV genotype 3 among the Malays when compared to the Chinese (P=0.043). No other statistical significant differences were observed in the distribution of HCV genotypes among the major ethnic groups. There was also no association between the predominant genotypes and basic demographic variables.
CONCLUSIONS: In a multi-ethnic Asian society in Malaysia, genotype 3 is the predominant genotype among all the major ethnic groups with genotype 1 as the second commonest genotype. Both genotypes 2 and 6 are uncommon. Neither genotype 4 nor 5 was detected. There is no identification of HCV genotype according to ethnic origin, age and gender.
Acute respiratory infection in Malaysian children

Lye MS, Deavi U, Lai KP, Kaur H, Nair RC, Choo KE

J Trop Pediatr, 1994 Dec;40(6):334-40.
PMID: 7853437

A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of acute respiratory infection (ARI) in children below 7 years of age and to obtain baseline information for an intervention programme. A total of 6190 households comprising 38,632 persons with 12,273 children (32 per cent) below 7 years of age were surveyed. Information on socio-demographic variables, environmental sanitation, occurrence of ARI and diarrhoea, treatment seeking behaviour during episodes of those illnesses and immunizations among children were obtained. Thirty per cent of children had experienced ARI in the 2-week period prior to the interview, and 94 per cent had mild ARI, 1 per cent had moderate and 5 per cent had severe ARI. There was lack of concurrence between mother's perception of severity and that of the investigators' (Kappa coefficient = 0.083 (95 per cent CI = 0.017-0.149). Twenty-four and 39 per cent of severe and moderate ARI, respectively, were reported by mothers to be mild. There is cause for concern as these children may not receive timely and appropriate treatment. The findings from this study contribute to identification of target populations and priority areas for health education of the population. The survey has provided useful baseline data for the implementation of an intervention programme for the control of ARI in children.
Candida species epidemiology 2000-2013: a laboratory-based report

Ng KP, Kuan CS, Kaur H, Na SL, Atiya N, Velayuthan RD

Trop Med Int Health, 2015 Nov;20(11):1447-1453.
PMID: 26216479 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12577

To describe a prospective laboratory-based surveillance of Candida species that were collected from different anatomical sites of patients admitted to the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, from the year 2000 to 2013.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Persian Version of Religious Orientation Scale in Iranian Patients with Cancer

Sharif Nia H, She L, Fomani FK, Kaur H, Sánchez-Teruel D, Froelicher ES, et al.

J Relig Health, 2021 Oct;60(5):3658-3674.
PMID: 34423379 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01384-6

This paper reports on the psychometric properties of the Religious Orientation Scale (ROS) with a sample of 311 Iranian patients who were suffering from cancer between September and December 2020. A cross-sectional study design was used, and convenience sampling was employed. Reliability was evaluated by internal consistency Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and average inter-item correlation. The exploratory factor analysis showed that the ROS had 15 items and two factors (religious identity and personal identity) that explained 43.2% of the total variance of religious orientation in Iranian patients with cancer. Construct validity was assessed by means of confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency and composite reliability were acceptable. The results indicate that the ROS can produce reliable and valid data on religious orientation in a sample of Iranian patient with cancer.
Fulltext Psychometric evaluation of Persian version of the balanced measure of psychological needs scale among university students

Sharif Nia H, Rahmatpour P, Khoshnavay Fomani F, Arslan G, Kaveh O, Pahlevan Sharif S, et al.

Nurs Open, 2021 09;8(5):2784-2793.
PMID: 33797864 DOI: 10.1002/nop2.854

AIM: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the reliability, validity and factor structure of the Persian version of the BMPN in Iranian university students.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional.
METHODS: Study was conducted among Iranian medical sciences students from April to May 2020. A total of 660 students participated in the online self-administrated questionnaire. Construct validity, convergent and divergent validity, and reliability of P-BMPN were evaluated.
RESULTS: The Exploratory factor analysis showed that the Persian version of the BMPN has 17 items with four factors: dissatisfaction, autonomy Satisfaction, relatedness satisfaction and competence satisfaction that explained 40.17% of the total variance. Based on confirmatory factor analysis, all goodness-of-fit indices confirmed the model fit.
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the Persian version of the BMPN is a reliable and valid measure to assess satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the psychological needs in Iranian university students.
Effects of two different water sources used for irrigation on the soil geochemical properties and the quality of the Lohan guava (Psidium guajava L. Lohan)

George DS, Anthony KK, Santhirasegaram V, Saruan NM, Kaur H, Razali Z, et al.

Water Sci Technol, 2017 May;75(10):2465-2474.
PMID: 28541954 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2017.080

The effect of two different water sources (treated waste water and lake water) used for irrigation on the soil geochemical properties and the fruit quality parameters of the Lohan guava were studied. The fruits' physical attributes, physicochemical attributes, nutritional attributes, mineral content as well as consumers' acceptance were evaluated. The properties of the different water sources and their effect, on both the soil and the quality of the fruits, were evaluated. Analysis of the irrigation water revealed that treated waste water was of acceptable quality with reference to irrigation water quality guidelines, while the lake water used for irrigation fell short in several aspects. The different water sources used for irrigation in the farms affected the soil geochemical properties significantly. The quality of guavas harvested from the farms that were irrigated with different water sources was significantly different. Irrigation water qualities were observed to have positive effects on the quality of the fruits and consumers' acceptance as observed from the results of quality analysis and the consumers' acceptance test.
Comparison of accuracy and reliability of CBCT and 3D laser scanner in the volumetric assessment of the root canal space

Thomas AR, Soe HHK, Silva CS, Kaur H, Ganendrah LD, Gomez LM

Am J Dent, 2023 Oct;36(5):246-250.
PMID: 37865812

PURPOSE: To compare the accuracy and reliability of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and laser scanner in measuring minor volume changes such as the root canal space.
METHODS: 35 maxillary incisors were endodontically prepared. A dimensionally stable silicone material was injected into the root canal space and scanned with CBCT. The root canal volume was measured using Romexis 3.0.1 R software. Replicas were carefully removed from the teeth and scanned using an extraoral laser scanner. These images were exported to the Rhinoceros software for volume measurement. The volume of each replica was also assessed using the gravimetric method. To determine the accuracy, the volume obtained from both devices was compared with the gravimetric method. Statistical analysis was done using a paired t-test. The reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient.
RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the mean volume of CBCT 27.04 ± 7.25 mm³ and the mean volume of the gravimetric method 27.87 ± 7.17 mm³ (P< 0.05). A statistically significant difference was seen with the laser scanner at 25.31 ± 6.89 mm³ and the gravimetric method at 27.87 ± 7.17 mm³ (P< 0.05). CBCT showed a good degree of agreement (ICC 0.899), while the laser scanner showed a moderate degree of agreement (ICC 0.644) with the gravimetric method. CBCT proved accurate and reliable in measuring minor volumes like the root canal space, ideally in the range of 20-25 mm³. The laser scanner presented acceptable reliability.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The laboratory data showed satisfactory outcomes, providing an evidence-based approach and potentially motivating clinicians to integrate cone-beam computed tomography for volume analysis into clinical practice. The accuracy and reliability of laser scanners for small-volume analysis have not previously been evaluated. Consequently, the findings from this study warrant further clinical investigations.
Fulltext Psychometric Properties of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) Among General Iranian Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sharif Nia H, Kaur H, Fomani FK, Rahmatpour P, Kaveh O, Pahlevan Sharif S, et al.

Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:692498.
PMID: 34408679 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.692498

Objective: The aim of this study was to translate and evaluate the validity and reliability of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) among the Iranian general population during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Method: This study was methodological cross-sectional. It was conducted on an Iranian public population from April to July 2020 which was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Construct validity was determined through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with a total of 500 adults recruited via online data gathering. Reliability was checked through the average inter-item correlation (AIC), Cronbach's alpha, and McDonald's omega. Convergent and divergent validity was determined using Fornell and Larcker's approach. Results: The results showed that the Persian version of IES-R had three factors, including intrusion (six items), avoidance (seven items), and hyperarousal (five items), that explained 59.22% of the total variance of the IES-R. The CFA findings indicated that all goodness-of-fit indices confirmed the model fit. The Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, composite reliability (CR), and maximal reliability were excellent, and the three factors have good convergent validity. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that the Persian version of the IES-R scale is efficient and useful to assess post-traumatic stress disorder among Iran general population in the COVID-19 outbreak.

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