Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 22 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Abd Raziff H. H., Wong, Y. H., Lim, K. S., Yeong, Chai Hong
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Cancer has become a major economic and societal burden. The National Cancer Registry of Malaysia (NCR) estimates that one in four Malaysian (1:4) will develop cancer by the age of 75. This project aims to develop a prototype named “Laser ablation needle” for tissue cauterization and percutaneous hyperthermia cancer therapy. Our ultimate goal is to develop a highly flexible, operator-friendly and cost-effective laser ablation needle for tissue cauterization and hyperthermia cancer therapy, hence to improve the overall cancer survival rate and quality of life among the cancer patient population. Methods: The laser ablation needle is a closed loop opto-electronic control system, consists of a 2 mm Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) – optical fiber temperature sensor, a laser driven hot needle and a micro-controller. Based on real-time temperature input from the FBG sensor, the micro-controller can perform a dynamic PID control on laser intensity for a safe hyperthermia treatment. In the fabrication, a medical grade optical fiber with a diameter of 800 μm was used for laser delivery. The optical fiber was embedded inside a biocompatible resin-made needle and connected to a 450 nm high power blue laser diode. The FBG temperature sensor was incorporated in the needle for real-time temperature monitoring and control. Focal hyperthermia produced by the laser-driven hot needle was conducted on ex-vivo bovine liver. Results: The rise in temperature was recorded by increasing laser power. The temperature profile was obtained at each depth. Irreversible thermal denaturation during irradiation was captured. Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest that this technique can be applied safely and effectively for cancer treatment. The developed prototype comprised of the diode laser showed that it can deliver its energy via simple optical fiber. This laser is cheaper and much smaller than the conventional high power lasers used in other studies.
  2. Choong YY, Lim KS
    Med J Malaysia, 2001 Mar;56(1):92-4.
    PMID: 11503304
    Phenothiazines have been associated with various ocular adverse effects, in particular cataract and corneal deposits. Several effects are vision threatening. Awareness of these effects, in particular by Psychiatrists and Ophthalmologist, is essential for prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment. We report two patients presented to us with corneal deposits and lenticular opacities following long term use of Phenothiazines.
  3. Rajahram GS, Nadarajah R, Lim KS, Menon J
    Med J Malaysia, 2015 Dec;70(6):363-4.
    PMID: 26988212 MyJurnal
    Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is an immune mediated condition with characteristic clinical presentation. We report the first case from Borneo, Sabah and the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treating recalcitrant psychiatrist symptoms associated with this condition.
  4. Ramli N, Rahmat K, Lim KS, Tan CT
    Eur J Radiol, 2015 Sep;84(9):1791-800.
    PMID: 26187861 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2015.03.024
    Identification of the epileptogenic zone is of paramount importance in refractory epilepsy as the success of surgical treatment depends on complete resection of the epileptogenic zone. Imaging plays an important role in the locating and defining anatomic epileptogenic abnormalities in patients with medically refractory epilepsy. The aim of this article is to present an overview of the current MRI sequences used in epilepsy imaging with special emphasis of lesion seen in our practices. Optimisation of epilepsy imaging protocols are addressed and current trends in functional MRI sequences including MR spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging and fusion MR with PET and SPECT are discussed.
  5. Lim AK, Ulagantheran V V, Siow YC, Lim KS
    Med J Malaysia, 2008 Aug;63(3):249-50.
    PMID: 19248701 MyJurnal
    To report a case of methylene blue related endophthalmitis. Observational case report. Review of clinical record, photographs. A 60 year old man developed endophthalmitis after methylene blue was accidentally used to stain the anterior capsule during phacoemulsification of cataract. His left visual acuity deteriorated from 6/12 to 6/36 two weeks after the operation. Despite intensive treatment with topical and intravitreal antibiotics, his condition deteriorated. A vitrectomy and silicone oil injection eventually managed to control the progression of the disease and salvage the eye. However the visual outcome remained poor due to corneal decompensation and retinal ischemia. Both vitreous tap and vitreous biopsy were negative for any organism. Methylene blue is extremely toxic to ocular structures and should not be used intraocularly.
  6. Aye SM, Lim KS, Ramli NM, Tan CT
    Lupus, 2013 Apr;22(5):510-4.
    PMID: 23358870 DOI: 10.1177/0961203312474705
    This is a case report on an uncommon correlation between periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs) and white-matter lesions in cerebral lupus, and with a reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A 47-year-old woman with a long-term history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presented with a seizure followed by frontal lobe dysfunction clinically. An electroencephalogram (EEG) showed bilateral independent PLEDs in the frontal region. A magnetic resonance image of the brain showed white-matter changes in the frontal periventricular region. Cerebral angiogram did not reveal any evidence of vasculitis. A cerebral SPECT with tracer injected during the EEG showing PLEDs showed a reduction in CBF in the frontal regions. Clinical recovery was observed with intravenous immunoglobulin. This case shows that PLEDs can be seen with white-matter changes in SLE.
  7. Benedict F, Lim KS, Jambunathan ST, Hashim AH
    East Asian Arch Psychiatry, 2016 Sep;26(3):109-11.
    PMID: 27703099
    We present a patient with topiramate-induced psychosis who developed alternative psychosis following temporal lobectomy. The number of surgical candidates for temporal lobectomy is increasing as is the frequency of psychiatric co-morbidities. Preoperative planning should take account of these psychiatric co-morbidities. In particular, precautions should be taken when antiepileptic drug-induced psychosis occurs, as this could predict the occurrence of alternative psychosis following lobectomy.
  8. Tsai JJ, Wu T, Leung H, Desudchit T, Tiamkao S, Lim KS, et al.
    Acta Neurol. Scand., 2018 Apr;137(4):378-391.
    PMID: 29214650 DOI: 10.1111/ane.12879
    Epileptic seizures are refractory to treatment in approximately one-third of patients despite the recent introduction of many newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Development of novel AEDs therefore remains a high priority. Perampanel is a first-in-class non-competitive selective AMPA receptor antagonist with a unique mechanism of action. Clinical efficacy and safety of perampanel as adjunctive treatment for focal seizures with/without secondary generalization (±SG) and primary generalized tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizures have been established in five phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and a long-term extension study, and perampanel is approved as monotherapy for focal seizures ±SG in the USA. In patients with focal seizures ±SG, add-on perampanel resulted in median percent reduction in seizure frequency 23.3%-34.5% and ≥50% responder rate 28.5%-37.6%; in PGTC seizures, these results were 76.5% and 64.2%, respectively. Efficacy among adolescents (reduction in seizure frequency 34.8%-35.6%; ≥50% responder rate 40.9%-45.0%) and elderly people (reduction in seizure frequency 12.5%-16.9%; ≥50% responder rate 22.2%-42.9%) is similar to those in adults, and results remain comparable between Asian (reduction in seizure frequency 17.3%-38.0%) and global populations. Perampanel has been extensively studied in real-world clinical practice, with similar efficacy and safety results to the RCTs (≥50% responder rate 12.8%-75.0%; adverse events of somnolence/sedation, dizziness, ataxia, and behavioral changes). Real-world observational studies suggest that perampanel tolerability can be improved by slow titration (2 mg every 2-4 weeks), and bedtime administration can mitigate somnolence and dizziness. Counseling about the potential for behavioral changes and close monitoring are recommended.
  9. Ali MM, Lim KS, Yang HZ, Chong WY, Lim WS, Ahmad H
    Appl Opt, 2013 Aug 1;52(22):5393-7.
    PMID: 23913056 DOI: 10.1364/AO.52.005393
    This paper proposes an approach based on an optical imaging technique for the period measurement of fiber Bragg gratings (FBG). The simple, direct technique involves a differential interface contrast (DIC) microscope and a high-resolution CCD camera. Image processing is performed on the microscope images to obtain low-noise grating profiles and then the grating periods. Adopting a large image sample size in the image processing can reduce uncertainty. During the investigation, FBGs of different grating periods are fabricated by prestraining the photosensitive fibers during the UV-writing process. A good linearity between the measured Bragg wavelengths and grating periods is observed and the measured strain-optics coefficient was found to be in agreement with reported literature.
  10. Chong WY, Lim KS, Lim WH, Harun SW, Adikan FR, Ahmad H
    Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys, 2012 Jan;85(1 Pt 2):016314.
    PMID: 22400665
    Spreading of evaporative liquid drops in a thin porous layer has been studied. The entire spreading process can be divided into three distinct phases according to the change of the wetted porous region size. The first phase is characterized by the expansion of the wetted porous region and shrinking of the liquid drop. Contact line pinning is observed in the wetted porous region in the second phase even with the liquid drop totally absorbed into the porous layer. The third phase sees the shrinkage of the wetted porous region until it is not observable. Based on these observations, a model is devised to simulate the spreading of a liquid drop under the studied conditions. Partial differential equations are used to describe the relation between liquid drop volume and other important parameters of a fluid flow, including maximum wetted region diameter achieved, time taken to reach each spreading process phase, and evaporation rate. Calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental data.
  11. Cheong YK, Lim KS, Lim WH, Chong WY, Zakaria R, Ahmad H
    Rev Sci Instrum, 2011 Aug;82(8):086115.
    PMID: 21895293 DOI: 10.1063/1.3627374
    Tapered fibre tips fabricated using mechanical polishing method is studied. The fibre tips are formed by sequential polishing flat-ended single mode fibres with decreasing aluminium oxide polishing film grit size. Based on the proposed technique, tapered fibre tips with cone angle ranging from 30° to 130° are fabricated by controlling the polishing angle. Besides the variety of cone angle, considerable smoothness of the fibre tip surface may assist in good metal coating and hence a well-defined aperture can be obtained. In addition, this paper presents a two-step hybrid fabrication method combining the proposed polishing method with chemical etching method to increase the possible fibre tip cone angles achievable by chemical etching method.
  12. Boo NY, Gan CY, Gian YW, Lim KS, Lim MW, Krishna-Kumar H
    Med J Malaysia, 2011 Aug;66(3):239-43.
    PMID: 22111448
    This study aimed to determine the gaps of knowledge and practices of care of neonatal jaundice among Malaysian mothers. It was a cross sectional study of 400 mothers who attended the obstetric clinics or were admitted to the obstetric wards of a general hospital. They were surveyed with a structured set of questionnaire. The results showed that a majority (93.8%) of them knew about neonatal jaundice, and 71.7% knew that jaundice lasting more than 2 weeks was abnormal. However, only 34.3% of them were aware that jaundice appearing during the first 36 hours of life was abnormal. Less than 20% knew about glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and that fetal-maternal blood group differences could cause jaundice. Although 71.7% and 69.7%, respectively, of the mothers knew that severe jaundice could cause death and brain damage, only 38.4% of them were aware that severe jaundice could result in hearing impairment. A very low proportion (27.1%) of them was aware that putting jaundiced infants under the direct sun could result in dehydration and worsening of jaundice. Out of a maximum score of 15, the mean maternal knowledge score was 7.4 (95% confidence intervals: 7.1, 7.7). Majority (83.1%) of the multiparous mothers with a past history of having children developing neonatal jaundice (n = 154) practiced placing their infants under the direct sun. This study revealed that there was a wide knowledge gap among Malaysian mothers on care of neonatal jaundice. Placing infants under the direct sun was still a common practice.
    Study site: Obstetric clinic, Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
  13. Lim KS, Hew YC, Lau HK, Lim TS, Tan CT
    Can J Neurol Sci, 2009 Jan;36(1):60-4.
    PMID: 19294890
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is lack of published data on bulbar signs among the healthy population. This study aims to determine the range of normality of bulbar signs particularly among the elderly.

    METHODS: Systemic examination of bulbar signs was carried out according to a predetermined protocol on a cohort of young and elderly healthy subjects.

    RESULTS: A total of 206 subjects were recruited in the study, 104 young adults with mean age of 20 years, and 102 elderly with mean age of 73 years. Uvula deviation was seen in 28 (26.9%) young subjects and 22 (21.6%) elderly. Irregular tongue border was seen in 17 subjects, unilateral in 4 subjects. Fourteen (6.8%) subjects had deviation on tongue protrusion. Occasional tremor of tongue on protrusion is common in both young and old. Persistent (severe) tongue tremor on protrusion was seen in 18.6% of the elderly, and 4.8% of the young. None of the subjects had tremor of tongue at rest. In gag reflex, absence of gagging response was common in elderly, seen in two thirds of the subjects on stimulation of the posterior pharyngeal wall. However, all the subjects had uvular movement. Habituation or suppression of gagging response was seen in close to 90% of young males.

    CONCLUSION: There is wide range of normality in bulbar signs in normal population, particularly among the elderly.

  14. Tham LK, Osman NA, Lim KS, Pingguan-Murphy B, Abas WA, Zain NM
    Med Eng Phys, 2011 May;33(4):407-10.
    PMID: 21146440 DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2010.11.002
    The investigation of patellar tendon reflex involves development of a reflex hammer holder, kinematic data collection and analysis of patellar reflex responses using motion analysis techniques. The main aim of this research is to explore alternative means of assessing reflexes as a part of routine clinical diagnosis. The motion analysis system was applied to provide quantitative data which is a more objective measure of the patellar tendon reflex. Kinematic data was collected from 28 males and 22 females whilst subjected to a knee jerk test. Further analysis of kinematic data was performed to predict relationships which might affect the patellar tendon reflex. All subjects were seated on a high stool with their legs hanging freely within the capture volume of the motion analysis system. Knee jerk tests were applied to all subjects, on both sides of the leg, by eliciting hypo, hyper, and normal reflexes. An additional reinforcement technique called the Jendrassik manoeuvre was also performed under the same conditions to elicit a normal patellar tendon reflex. The comparison of reflex response between genders showed that female subjects generally had a greater response compared to males. However, the difference in reflex response between the left leg and the right leg was not significant. Tapping strength to elicit a hyper-reflex produced greater knee-jerk compared to the normal clinical tapping strength. All results were in agreement with clinical findings and results found by some early researchers.
  15. Ahmad H, Azri MFM, Ramli R, Samion MZ, Yusoff N, Lim KS
    Sci Rep, 2021 Oct 28;11(1):21278.
    PMID: 34711908 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99928-z
    In this work, mode-locked thulium-doped fiber lasers operating in the 2 µm wavelength region were demonstrated using tantalum aluminum carbide (Ta2AlC)-based saturable absorbers (SAs) utilizing the evanescent wave interaction. The Ta2AlC MAX Phase was prepared by dissolving the Ta2AlC powder in isopropyl alcohol and then deposited onto three different evanescent field-based devices, which were the tapered fiber, side-polished fiber, and arc-shaped fiber. Flame-brushing and wheel-polishing techniques were used to fabricate the tapered and arc-shaped fibers, respectively, while the side-polished fiber was purchased commercially. All three SA devices generated stable mode-locked pulses at center wavelengths of 1937, 1931, and 1929 nm for the tapered, side-polished, and arc-shaped fibers. The frequency of the mode-locked pulses was 10.73 MHz for the tapered fiber, 9.58 MHz for the side-polished fiber, and 10.16 MHz for the arc-shaped fiber. The measured pulse widths were 1.678, 1.734, and 1.817 ps for each of the three SA devices. The long-term stability of the mode-locked lasers was tested for each configuration over a 2-h duration. The lasers also showed little to no fluctuations in the center wavelengths and the peak optical intensities, demonstrating a reliable, ultrafast laser system.
  16. Haerian BS, Lim KS, Mohamed EH, Tan HJ, Tan CT, Raymond AA, et al.
    Seizure, 2011 Sep;20(7):546-53.
    PMID: 21530324 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2011.04.003
    Approximately one third of newly treated epilepsy patients do not respond to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux transporter has been proposed to have a critical role in causing resistance to AEDs. P-gp is a product of the ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) gene. The purpose of this study was to investigate a possible link between ABCB1 rs3789243 C>T, C1236T, G2677T/A, rs6949448 C>T, and C3435T haplotypes with response to carbamazepine (CBZ) or sodium valproate (VPA) monotherapy in Malaysian epilepsy patients. No ABCB1 haplotype association was found with response to either CBZ or VPA monotherapy in the Chinese, Indian, and Malay patients. C3435 allele carriers of the Indian males with cryptogenic epilepsy were more prone to resistance to either CBZ or VPA than carriers of T allele. Moreover, rs3789243T allele carriers of Malay females with symptomatic epilepsy were more resistant to either CBZ or VPA than C allele carriers. Our findings suggest that the ABCB1 rs3789243 C>T, C1236T, G2677T/A, rs6949448 C>T, and C3435T haplotypes do not contribute to response to AED treatment in epilepsy.
  17. Haerian BS, Roslan H, Raymond AA, Tan CT, Lim KS, Zulkifli SZ, et al.
    Seizure, 2010 Jul;19(6):339-46.
    PMID: 20605481 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2010.05.004
    The C3435T, a major allelic variant of the ABCB1 gene, is proposed to play a crucial role in drug-resistance in epilepsy. The C/C genotype carriers reportedly are at higher risk of pharmacoresistance to AEDs, but only in some studies. The hypothesis of the C-variant associated risk and resistance to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) has been hampered by conflicting results from inadequate power in case-control studies. To assess the role of C3435T polymorphism in drug-resistance in epilepsy, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted.
  18. Haerian BS, Lim KS, Mohamed EH, Tan HJ, Tan CT, Raymond AA, et al.
    Seizure, 2011 Jun;20(5):387-94.
    PMID: 21316268 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2011.01.008
    It is proposed that overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), encoded by the ABC subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) gene, is involved in resistance to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in about 30% of patients with epilepsy. Genetic variation and haplotype patterns are population specific which may cause different phenotypes such as response to AEDs. Although several studies examined the link between the common polymorphisms in the ABCB1 gene with resistance to AEDs, the results have been conflicting. This controversy may be caused by the effect of some confounders such as ethnicity and polytherapy. Moreover, expression of the ABCB1 gene is under the control of pregnane X receptor (PXR). Evidence showed that PXR gene contribute to the response to treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the association of ABCB1 and PXR genetic polymorphisms with response to the carbamazepine (CBZ) or sodium valproate (VPA) monotherapy in epilepsy. Genotypes were assessed in 685 Chinese, Indian, and Malay epilepsy patients for ABCB1 (C1236T, G2677T, C3435T) and PXR (G7635A) polymorphisms. No association between these polymorphisms and their haplotypes, and interaction between them, with response to treatment was observed in the overall group or in the Chinese, Indian, and Malay subgroups. Our data showed that these polymorphisms may not contribute to the response to CBZ or VPA monotherapy treatment in epilepsy.
  19. Chang CC, Ng CC, Too CL, Choon SE, Lee CK, Chung WH, et al.
    Pharmacogenomics J, 2017 03;17(2):170-173.
    PMID: 26927288 DOI: 10.1038/tpj.2016.10
    Phenytoin (PHT) is a common cause of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Although HLA-B*15:02 is associated with PHT-induced SJS/TEN (PHT-SJS/TEN) in Han Chinese and Thais, the genetic basis for susceptibility to PHT-induced SCARs (PHT-SCAR) in other populations remains unclear. We performed a case-control association study by genotyping the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B alleles of 16 Malay PHT-SCAR patients (13 SJS/TEN and 3 DRESS), 32 PHT-tolerant controls and 300 healthy ethnicity-matched controls. A novel genetic biomarker, HLA-B*15:13, showed significant association with PHT-SJS/TEN (53.8%, 7/13 cases) (odds ratio (OR) 11.28, P=0.003) and PHT-DRESS (100%, 3/3 cases) (OR 59.00, P=0.003) when compared with PHT-tolerant controls (9.4%, 3/32 controls). We also confirmed HLA-B*15:02 association with PHT-SJS/TEN (61.5%, 8/13 cases vs 21.9%, 7/32 controls; OR 5.71, P=0.016) when compared with PHT-tolerant controls. These alleles may serve as markers to predict PHT-SCAR in Malays.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

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

External Links