MyMedR

Displaying all 11 publications

Abstract:

Sort:

Validity and Reliability Analysis of the 'SayangKU' (MyLove) in Intervention for Addressing Adolescents Involved in Free Sex

Ghani FA, Latif AA, Aziz AA, Khan A

J Relig Health, 2015 Aug;54(4):1375-86.
PMID: 25189148 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-014-9935-y

A module entitled 'SayangKU' (MyLove), based on the Islamic perspective, was developed as an instrument to assist adolescents that involved in premarital sexual activity. The module comprises four phases: Love of God (Allah), Love of the Prophet, Love of Oneself, and Love of the Ummah (world). From analysis of Rasch, the value of item reliability was .80 and an individual reliability was .95. Dimensionality value was more than 40 % variance explained by measures, and level of agreement among experts was 86.88 %. The posttest shows the better result from pretest and proves the effectiveness of the module.
Fulltext Perturbation of cellular immune functions in cigarette smokers and protection by palm oil vitamin E supplementation

Jubri Z, Latif AA, Top AG, Ngah WZ

Nutr J, 2013;12:2.
PMID: 23286246 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2891-12-2

BACKGROUND:
Cigarette smoke contains free radicals and an have adverse effect to the immune system. Supplementation of palm oil vitamin E (palmvitee), is known has antioxidant properties is thought to be beneficial for system immune protection against free radicals activity. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of palmvitee supplementation on immune response in smokers.

METHODS:
This study involved a group of smokers and nonsmokers who received 200 mg/day palmvitee and placebo for the control group. Blood samples were taken at 0, 12 and 24 weeks of supplementation. Plasma tocopherol and tocotrienol were determined by HPLC, lymphocyte proliferation by lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) and enumeration of lymphocytes T and B cells by flow cytometry. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney U-test for non-parametric data distribution and correlation among the variables was examined by Spearman.

RESULTS:
Plasma tocopherol and tocotrienol were increased in vitamin E supplemented group as compared to placebo group. Urine cotinine levels and serum α1-antitrypsin were significantly higher in smokers compared to nonsmokers. Lymphocyte proliferation induced by PHA showed an increasing trend with palmvitee supplementation in both smokers and nonsmokers. Natural killer cells were decreased; CD4+ cells and B cells were increased in smokers compared to nonsmokers but were unaffected with vitamin E supplementation except in the percentage of B cells which were increased in nonsmokers supplemented palmvitee compared to placebo. CD4+/CD8+ ratio was increased in smokers compared to nonsmokers. The high TWBC count observed in smokers correlated with the increased CD4+ and B cells.

CONCLUSIONS:
Smoking caused alterations in certain immune parameters and palmvitee supplementation tended to cause an increase in lymphocytes transformation test but had no effect on CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, NK cells and B cells except B cells percentage in nonsmokers.
Fulltext Cross-cultural adaptation of the Spence children's anxiety scale in Malaysia

Ahmadi A, Mustaffa MS, Haghdoost A, Khan A, Latif AA

Trends Psychiatry Psychother, 2015 4 11;37(1):37-41.
PMID: 25860565 DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2014-0038

INTRODUCTION: Anxiety among children has increased in recent years. Culturally adapted questionnaires developed to measure the level of anxiety are the best screening instruments for the general population. This study describes the scientific translation and adaptation of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) into the Malay language.
METHOD: The process of scientific translation of this selfreport instrument followed the guidelines of the Task Force for Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR).
RESULTS: The Malay version and its adaptation for a new cultural context are described.
CONCLUSION: The Malay version achieved the aims of the original version and its conceptual and operational equivalence. It may be used as the first Malay instrument to measure anxiety among children in research and in clinical and community settings.
Fulltext Multicomponent Spiral Wound Membrane Separation Model for CO2 Removal from Natural Gas

Abdul Latif AA, Lau KK, Low SC, Azeem B

Membranes (Basel), 2021 Aug 26;11(9).
PMID: 34564471 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11090654

A spiral wound membrane (SWM) is employed to separate acid gases (mainly CO2) from natural gas due to its robustness, lower manufacturing cost, and moderate packing density compared to hollow fiber membranes. Various mathematical models are available to describe the separation performance of SWMs under different operating conditions. Nevertheless, most of the mathematical models deal with only binary gas mixtures (CO2 and CH4) that may lead to an inaccurate assessment of separation performance of multicomponent natural gas mixtures. This work is aimed to develop an SWM separation model for multicomponent natural gas mixtures. The succession stage method is employed to discretize the separation process within the multicomponent SWM module for evaluating the product purity, hydrocarbon loss, stage cut, and permeate acid gas composition. Our results suggest that multicomponent systems tend to generate higher product purity, lower hydrocarbon loss, and augmented permeate acid gas composition compared to the binary system. Furthermore, different multicomponent systems yield varied separation performances depending on the component of the acid gas. The developed multicomponent SWM separation model has the potential to design and optimize the spiral wound membrane system for industrial application.
Family Functioning and Attachment Among Young Adults in Western and Non-Western Societies

Alavi M, Latif AA, Ninggal MT, Mustaffa MS, Amini M

J Psychol, 2020;154(5):346-366.
PMID: 32394798 DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2020.1754153

Family functioning (FF) is associated with patterns of adults' close relationship attachment, which works differently in western and non-western societies. In this study, the relationship between FF and attachment (A), as well as the difference in relationship between FF and A across western and non-western societies were examined. A total of 600 young adults (294 males, 306 females) were recruited from western and non-western societies through the SurveyCircle and social media and communication applications. The data was analyzed using PLS-SEM and multigroup analysis, and the results showed that in western and non-western societies, family adaptability and cohesion were significantly associated with anxiety, close, and depend attachments. Unexpectedly, higher family adaptability was associated with higher anxiety attachment. The associations among family adaptability and cohesion with anxiety, close, and depend attachments showed that the strengths of the relationships are significantly different in western and non-western societies, except for the association between family cohesion and anxiety. Based on these results, the cultural differences in terms of FF and young adults' close relationship attachment were presented for future research, family therapy, and the society.
A nucleic acid-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering of gold nanorods in N-gene integrated principal component analysis for COVID-19 detection

Mustapa MA, Yuzir A, Latif AA, Ambran S, Abdullah N

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc, 2024 Apr 15;311:123977.
PMID: 38310743 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.123977

A rapid, simple, sensitive, and selective point-of-care diagnosis tool kit is vital for detecting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) based on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain. Currently, the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the best technique to detect the disease. Although a good sensitivity has been observed in RT-PCR, the isolation and screening process for high sample volume is limited due to the time-consuming and laborious work. This study introduced a nucleic acid-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor to detect the nucleocapsid gene (N-gene) of SARS-CoV-2. The Raman scattering signal was amplified using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) possessing a rod-like morphology to improve the SERS effect, which was approximately 12-15 nm in diameter and 40-50 nm in length. These nanoparticles were functionalised with the single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) complemented with the N-gene. Furthermore, the study demonstrates method selectivity by strategically testing the same virus genome at different locations. This focused approach showcases the method's capability to discern specific genetic variations, ensuring accuracy in viral detection. A multivariate statistical analysis technique was then applied to analyse the raw SERS spectra data using the principal component analysis (PCA). An acceptable variance amount was demonstrated by the overall variance (82.4 %) for PC1 and PC2, which exceeded the desired value of 80 %. These results successfully revealed the hidden information in the raw SERS spectra data. The outcome suggested a more significant thymine base detection than other nitrogenous bases at wavenumbers 613, 779, 1219, 1345, and 1382 cm-1. Adenine was also less observed at 734 cm-1, and ssDNA-RNA hybridisations were presented in the ketone with amino base SERS bands in 1746, 1815, 1871, and 1971 cm-1 of the fingerprint. Overall, the N-gene could be detected as low as 0.1 nM within 10 mins of incubation time. This approach could be developed as an alternative point-of-care diagnosis tool kit to detect and monitor the COVID-19 disease.
Highly stable graphene-assisted tunable dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser

Ahmad H, Latif AA, Abdul Khudus MI, Zulkifli AZ, Zulkifli MZ, Thambiratnam K, et al.

Appl Opt, 2013 Feb 1;52(4):818-23.
PMID: 23385923 DOI: 10.1364/AO.52.000818

A highly stable tunable dual-wavelength fiber laser (TDWFL) using graphene as a means to generate a highly stable output is proposed and generated. The TDWFL comprises a 1 m long, highly doped erbium-doped fiber (EDF) acting as the linear gain medium, with a 24-channel arrayed waveguide grating acting as a wavelength slicer as well as a tuning mechanism to generate different wavelength pairs. The tuned wavelength pairs can range from 0.8 to 18.2 nm. A few layers of graphene are incorporated into the laser cavity to induce the four-wave-mixing effect, which stabilizes the dual-wavelength output by suppressing the mode competition that arises as a result of homogenous broadening in the EDF.
Comparative study of trait emotional intelligence and executive functioning among youth

Alavi M, Mehrinezhad SA, Amini D, Ninggal MT, Latif AA

J Gen Psychol, 2019 01 07;146(1):50-67.
PMID: 30612531 DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2018.1535484

This study investigated the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (TEI) and executive skills (ESs), and the differences between TEI and ESs among Malaysian and Iranian youths. In this study, 226 Malaysians and 248 Iranians completed the TEIQue-SF and Executive Skills Questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested with Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings indicated that TEI had significant predictions on ESs, depending on cultural contexts. Significant differences were found in the effects of TEI on ESs, including emotional control, metacognition, goal-directed persistence, response inhibition, planning/prioritization, sustained attention, stress tolerance, task initiation, and working memory among Malaysian and Iranian youth. No significant difference was found in the effects of TEI on ESs, including flexibility, organization, and time management across both groups. This study makes a unique contribution to emotional intelligence and executive functioning research literature by considering several ESs at the same time for personal development and promoting healthier lives. Comparison of the effect of TEI on ESs in the Malaysian and Iranian contexts using advanced analysis methods is one of the most important methodological contributions of the study.
Attention, Impulsiveness, and Gender in Academic Achievement Among Typically Developing Children

Alavi M, Seng JH, Mustaffa MS, Ninggal MT, Amini M, Latif AA

Percept Mot Skills, 2018 Nov 14.
PMID: 30426868 DOI: 10.1177/0031512518809163

Although several studies have examined the relationships among attention, impulse control, gender, and academic achievement, most have focused on clinical samples and have considered only one or two academic subjects. This study investigated these relationships among typically developing children using general achievement measures (academic scores and grades). Our participants were 270 typically developing primary school students (142 boys and 128 girls) of different nationalities living in Malaysia, recruited with purposive sampling with a mean age of 9.75 years. We found that both attention and impulse control significantly predicted academic achievement. Girls had a higher level of attention and impulse control than boys, but gender was not a significant moderator between either attention or impulse control and academic achievement. We discuss the implications of these findings and the need for further research.
Fulltext The resin-embedded cornea prepared via rapid processing protocol : a good histomorphometric target for clinical investigation in ophthalmology and optometry

Cheah PS, Mohidin N, Mohd Ali B, Maung M, Latif AA

Malays J Med Sci, 2008 Jul;15(3):49-54.
PMID: 22570589

This study illustrates and quantifies the changes on corneal tissue between the paraffin-embedded and resin-embedded blocks and thus, selects a better target in investigational ophthalmology and optometry via light microscopy. Corneas of two cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were used in this study. The formalin-fixed cornea was prepared in paraffin block via the conventional tissue processing protocol (4-day protocol) and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The glutaraldehyde-fixed cornea was prepared in resin block via the rapid and modified tissue processing procedure (1.2-day protocol) and stained with toluidine blue. The paraffin-embedded sample exhibits various undesired tissue damage and artifact such as thinner epithelium (due to the substantial volumic extraction from the tissue), thicker stroma layer (due to the separation of lamellae and the presence of voids) and the distorted endothelium. In contrast, the resin-embedded corneal tissue has demonstrated satisfactory corneal ultrastructural preservation. The rapid and modified tissue processing method for preparing the resin-embedded is particularly beneficial to accelerate the microscopic evaluation in ophthalmology and optometry.
Fulltext Patient-related factors associated with medication adherence behavior in patients with end-stage renal disease: A systematic review

Latif AA, Lee KW, Phang K, Rashid AA, Chan NN, Peh SC, et al.

Tzu Chi Med J, 2022;34(4):473-484.
PMID: 36578649 DOI: 10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_212_21

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aims to identify influencing factors of medication adherence behavior in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), with a special interest in patient-related factors based on the World Health Organization adherence model.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Primary electronic databases comprising PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library, as well as ProQuest (Health and Medical), ProQuest (Psychology), and EBSCOHost (APA PsychARTICLES) were used to search for literature on patient-related factors in medication adherence, from inception till August 31, 2021.
RESULTS: 479 articles were identified and six articles meeting eligibility criteria were reviewed and remained in this systematic review. The present review found that despite different tools being used to measure ESRD's perception of medication's necessity and beliefs, there was a profound association between perception and beliefs with medication adherence behavior. There is a positive relationship between knowledge, belief, educational level, ethnicity, female, and medication adherence behavior. Mixed finding was reported between perception, age, and medication adherence behavior. However, there were no studies on patients' attitudes and medication adherence behavior as suggested in the WHO adherence model.
CONCLUSION: Only a limited number of patient-related factors were available for evaluation in the current systematic review. Additional research is needed to advance the understanding of medication adherence behavior affected by patient-related factors on the medication and illness. However, the findings must be taken with caution because of the limited studies included in this review.

Filters

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

External Links