Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 39 in total

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  1. Lim YC, Cheong SK
    Malays J Pathol, 1992 Jun;14(1):13-7.
    PMID: 1469912
    A system for computerising histopathology records developed in-house using dBASE IV on IBM-compatible microcomputers in a local area network is described. The software package uses a horizontal main menu bar with associated pull-down submenus as interface between the machine and the user. It is very easy to use. The package provides options for selecting databases by years, entering/editing records, browsing data, making multi-characteristics searches/retrievals, printing data, and maintaining databases that includes backing-up and repairing corrupted databases.
  2. Cheong SK, Lim YC
    Malays J Pathol, 1990 Jun;12(1):51-6.
    PMID: 1708844
    The routine study of bone marrow trephine biopsies involves fixation, decalcification, paraffin-embedment, sectioning and staining. However, this process creates artifacts, produces shrinkage of tissue, consumes time and can result in sections of unsatisfactory cytological quality. It also renders the tissue unsuitable for enzyme-histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses. Frozen section of bone marrow without decalcification was evaluated as an alternative method for the study of bone marrow. This method was found to give sections with comparable cytological quality to that of paraffin-embedment, yielded sections for interpretation within 24 hours, and allowed enzyme-histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses to be applied successfully.
  3. Lim YC, Phang KS, Cheong SK
    Malays J Pathol, 1992 Dec;14(2):85-9.
    PMID: 1304629
    With the advent of new monoclonal antibodies that are applicable to formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded sections, immunophenotyping is becoming increasingly important in the diagnosis and classification of lymphomas. However, multiple factors such as fixation, trypsinization and even type of antibodies used have certain effects on the final outcome of the staining procedure. In this paper we report our experience and the problems encountered in our laboratory when we first tried to establish a workable immunostaining protocol for formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue sections using the immunoalkaline phosphatase technique.
  4. Liam CK, Wong KT, Lim YC
    Med J Malaysia, 1997 Mar;52(1):84-6.
    PMID: 10968059
    A 24-year-old man who was initially thought to have nocardiosis of his mediastinal lymph node which progressed to involve his right lung, had to undergo a right pneumonectomy when he failed to respond to treatment with sulphadiazine. Histology of the right lung specimen and a subsequent axillary lymph node biopsy revealed that he actually had lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin's disease.
  5. Cheong SK, Lim YC, Mok KL
    Malays J Pathol, 1991 Jun;13(1):51-2.
    PMID: 1795563
    Mixed reagents for the Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency fluorescent screening test were freeze-dried in plastic tubes. The reagents were then reconstituted with distilled water and the test was performed in the usual way. Initial testing with the freeze-dried mixed reagents gave consistent positive reaction to 12 normal blood samples and negative reaction to 9 G6PD deficient blood samples. This will enable a laboratory with freeze-drying facilities to prepare reagent tubes in bulk. As these tubes can be kept at 4 degrees C and do not require to be stored at -20 degrees C, a major laboratory can prepare these tubes and supply small laboratories for screening purposes.
  6. Kanakaraju D, Ravichandar S, Lim YC
    J Environ Sci (China), 2017 May;55:214-223.
    PMID: 28477816 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2016.05.043
    The use of nanosized titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) in the suspension form during treatment makes the recovering and recycling of photocatalysts difficult. Hence, supported photocatalysts are preferred for practical water treatment applications. This study was conducted to investigate the efficiency of calcium alginate (CaAlg) beads that were immobilized with hybrid photocatalysts, TiO2/ZnO to form TiO2/ZnO-CaAlg. These immobilized beads, with three different mass ratios of TiO2:ZnO (1:1, 1:2, and 2:1) were used to remove Cu(II) in aqueous solutions in the presence of ultraviolet light. These beads were subjected to three cycles of photocatalytic treatment with different initial Cu(II) concentrations (10-80ppm). EDX spectra have confirmed the inclusion of Ti and Zn on the surface of the CaAlg beads. Meanwhile, the surface morphology of the beads as determined using SEM, has indicated differences of before and after the photocatalytic treatment of Cu(II). Among all three, the equivalent mass ratio TiO2/ZnO-CaAlg beads have shown the best performance in removing Cu(II) during all three recycling experiments. Those TiO2/ZnO-CaAlg beads have also shown consistent removal of Cu, ranging from 7.14-62.0ppm (first cycle) for initial concentrations of 10-80ppm. In comparison, bare CaAlg was only able to remove 6.9-48ppm of similar initial Cu concentrations. Thus, the potential use of TiO2/ZnO-CaAlg beads as environmentally friendly composite material can be further extended for heavy metal removal from contaminated water.
  7. Lim YC, Abdul Shakor AS, Shaharudin R
    Front Public Health, 2021;9:813058.
    PMID: 35155360 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.813058
    Objective: Facial anthropometric data is important for the design of respirators. Two-dimensional (2D) photogrammetry has replaced direct anthropometric method, but the reliability and accuracy of 2D photogrammetry has not been quantified. This study aimed to assess inter-rater reliability of 2D photogrammetry and to examine the reliability and accuracy of 2D photogrammetry with direct measurement.

    Design: A cross-sectional study.

    Setting: Malaysia.

    Participants: A subset of 96 participants aged 18 and above.

    Primary and secondary outcomes: Ten facial dimensions were measured using direct measurement and 2D photogrammetry. An assessment of inter-rater reliability was performed using intra-class correlation (ICC) of the 2D images. In addition, ICC and Bland-Altman analyses were used to assess the reliability and agreement of 2D photogrammetry with direct measurement.

    Results: Except for head breadth and bigonial breadth, which were also found to have low inter-rater reliability, there was no significant difference in the inter-rater mean value of the 2D photogrammetry. The mean measurements derived from direct measurement and 2D photogrammetry were mostly similar. However, statistical differences were noted for two facial dimensions, i.e., bizygomatic breadth and bigonial breadth, and clinically the magnitude of difference was also significant. There were no statistical differences in respect to the remaining eight facial dimensions, where the smallest mean difference was 0.3 mm and biggest mean difference was 1.0 mm. The ICC showed head breadth had poor reliability, whilst Bland-Altman analyses showed seven out of 10 facial dimensions using 2D photogrammetry were accurate, as compared to direct measurement.

    Conclusion: Only certain facial measurements can be reliably and accurately measured using 2D photogrammetry, thus it is important to conduct a reliability and validation study before the use of any measurement methods in anthropometric studies. The results of this study also suggest that 2D photogrammetry can be used to supplement direct measurement for certain facial dimensions.

  8. Zainalabidin S, Budin SB, Ramalingam A, Lim YC
    Korean J. Physiol. Pharmacol., 2014 Oct;18(5):411-8.
    PMID: 25352761 DOI: 10.4196/kjpp.2014.18.5.411
    Vascular remodelling is an adaptive mechanism, which counteracts pressure changes in blood circulation. Nicotine content in cigarette increases the risk of hypertension. The exact relationship between nicotine and vascular remodelling still remain unknown. Current study was aimed to determine the effect of clinically relevant dosage of nicotine (equivalent to light smoker) on aortic reactivity, oxidative stress markers and histomorphological changes. Twelve age-matched male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups, i.e.: normal saline as control or 0.6 mg/kg nicotine for 28 days (i.p., n=6 per group). On day-29, the rats were sacrificed and the thoracic aorta was dissected immediately for further studies. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP) of nicotine-treated vs. control were significantly increased (p<0.05). Nicotine-treated group showed significant (p<0.05) increase tunica media thickness, and decrease in lumen diameter, suggesting vascular remodelling which lead to prior hypertension state. The phenylephrine (PE)-induced contractile response in nicotine group was significantly higher than control group (ED50=1.44×10(5) M vs. 4.9×10(6) M) (p<0.05~0.001). However, nicotine-treated rat showed significantly lower endothelium-dependent relaxation response to acetylcholine (ACh) than in control group (ED50=6.17×10(7) M vs. 2.82×10(7) M) (p<0.05), indicating loss of primary vascular function. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation marker was significantly higher in nicotine group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymatic activity and glutathione (GSH) were all reduced in nicotine group (p<0.05) vs. control, suggesting nicotine induces oxidative imbalance. In short, chronic nicotine administration impaired aortic reactivity, probably via redox imbalance and vascular remodelling mechanism.
  9. Lim KH, Lim YC, Liam CK, Wong CM
    Chest, 2001 Mar;119(3):955-7.
    PMID: 11243981
  10. Lee YM, Lim YC, Liam CK, Aljafri M
    Med J Malaysia, 1995 Dec;50(4):334-8.
    PMID: 8668053
    Five cases of spontaneous pneumothorax were treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). These included four cases of recurrent pneumothorax and one case of persistent pneumothorax. The mean age was 33 years. The identified bullae were eliminated with either endoloop ligation (in one patient) or stapled excision (in four patients). There were no recurrences reported in a mean follow-up of 9.4 months. In conclusion, VATS offers an equally effective and less morbid alternative to open thoracotomy in the management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
  11. Chin SF, Cheong SK, Lim YC, Ton SH
    Malays J Pathol, 1993 Jun;15(1):49-52.
    PMID: 8277790
    The distribution of immunoregulatory cells in the peripheral blood of an individual has now been established as an important tool in helping the management of several diseases. It is necessary to set the normal ranges of these cells for the laboratory. We have undertaken in this study to establish the reference ranges for normal Malaysian adults. We found that the mean percentages of T cells, B cells, T Helper cells (CD4), T suppressor cells (CD8), NK cells and the ratio of CD4/CD8 were 70.91%, 11.38%, 38.15%, 37.76%, 17.45%, and 1.00 respectively. There was no significant difference between the sexes. In certain parameters, there was significant differences between Malay, Chinese and Indians. The Chinese and Indians were significantly different in the distribution of B cells and in the CD4/CD8 ratio. In the case of CD4 and NK cells, the Indians were different from the other two groups.
  12. Lee YM, Lim YC, Liam CK, Majid A
    Med J Malaysia, 1996 Mar;51(1):109-13.
    PMID: 10967989
    Consecutive 25 patients (M/F:18/7) underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for various chest illnesses. These included nine cases of pneumothorax, three cases of pericardial effusion, three cases of pleural effusion, four cases of lung lesion requiring either incisional or excisional biopsy, two cases of empyema, one case of traumatic haemothorax, and three cases of mediastinal lesion. The mean age was 36.2 years (range 19-78 years). A total of forty-three procedures were performed. The mean durations of intrapleural chest-tube requirement and hospitalisation following VATS alone were 4.5 days (range: 0-13 days) and 8.3 days (range: 2-25 days) respectively. No intraoperative complication and VATS procedure-related mortality reported. Apart from simple analgesics such as paracetamol or tramadolol, no opiate analgesia was given to patients undergoing only VATS. The results support that VATS is a safe and effective procedure in the management of pulmonary, mediastinal, pericardial and pleural diseases and the treatment of persistent and recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax.
  13. Cheong SK, Lim YC, Ainoon O, Hamidah NH
    Malays J Pathol, 1991 Dec;13(2):119-21.
    PMID: 1823093
    Immunophenotyping of acute leukaemias has become an important diagnostic tool in haematology laboratories as it is now well recognised that the presence of certain surface markers has prognostic significance. In 1988, we experimented with the alkaline phosphatase anti-alkaline phosphatase (APAAP) method for immunophenotyping of leukaemic cells in our laboratory. 48 cases of peroxidase-negative acute leukaemias were studied. Our study showed that 2 peroxidase-negative cases carried myeloid surface markers, 44% were negative for the markers studied and 5% were unclassified due to technical problems. We concluded that the APAAP method is a useful technique for demonstrating cell markers in leukaemic cells as the reaction is reddish and usually intense. We failed to demonstrate surface markers in 44% of the cases probably because of the choice of a limited panel of monoclonal antibodies.
  14. Lim YC, Cheong SK, Joyce JA, Ainoon O, Jeyasekeran V, Menaka N
    Malays J Pathol, 1990 Jun;12(1):43-9.
    PMID: 2090889
    The Contraves Autolyzer 801 is a 20 parameter cell counter that operates on the principle of impedance. This evaluation study found that the within-batch precision for 5 of its parameters--WBC, RBC, Hb, Hct and Plt--had coefficients of variation below 5%, while the counts for red cell parameters were reproducible for up to 3 days. The analyser exhibited good linearity for all the parameters. When compared with 2 other counters--the Coulter S-Plus and the Coulter M350, some degree of proportional and constant bias due to unsuitable calibration were detected in the WBC, Hct and Plt parameters. Otherwise it showed generally good correlation in all the parameters and also with the manual PCV method. Carry over was negligible in the red cell parameters. The Contraves Autolyzer 801 is easy to operate and readily accepted by operators.
  15. Lim YC, Budin SB, Othman F, Latip J, Zainalabidin S
    Cardiovasc Toxicol, 2017 Jul;17(3):251-259.
    PMID: 27402292 DOI: 10.1007/s12012-016-9379-6
    Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn.) calyces have demonstrated propitious cardioprotective effects in animal and clinical studies; however, little is known about its action on cardiac mechanical function. This study was undertaken to investigate direct action of roselle polyphenols (RP) on cardiac function in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. We utilized RP extract which consists of 12 flavonoids and seven phenolic acids (as shown by HPLC profiling) and has a safe concentration range between 125 and 500 μg/ml in this study. Direct perfusion of RP in concentration-dependent manner lowered systolic function of the heart as shown by lowered LVDP and dP/dtmax, suggesting a negative inotropic effect. RP also reduced heart rate (negative chronotropic action) while simultaneously increasing maximal velocity of relaxation (positive lusitropic action). Conversely, RP perfusion increased coronary pressure, an indicator for improvement in coronary blood flow. Inotropic responses elicited by pharmacological agonists for L-type Ca2+channel [(±)-Bay K 8644], ryanodine receptor (4-chloro-m-cresol), β-adrenergic receptor (isoproterenol) and SERCA blocker (thapsigargin) were all abolished by RP. In conclusion, RP elicits negative inotropic, negative chronotropic and positive lusitropic responses by possibly modulating calcium entry, release and reuptake in the heart. Our findings have shown the potential use of RP as a therapeutic agent to treat conditions like arrhythmia.
  16. Lim YC, Hoe VCW, Darus A, Bhoo-Pathy N
    BMJ Open, 2020 09 06;10(9):e034455.
    PMID: 32895261 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034455
    OBJECTIVES: Night-shift work may adversely affect health. This study aimed to determine the impact of night-shift work on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and to assess whether sleep quality was a mediating factor.

    DESIGN: A cross-sectional study.

    SETTING: 11 manufacturing factories in Malaysia.

    PARTICIPANTS: 177 night-shift workers aged 40-65 years old were compared with 317 non-night-shift workers.

    PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on socio-demographics and lifestyle factors, 12-item Short Form Health Survey V.2 (SF-12v2) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The Baron and Kenny's method, Sobel test and multiple mediation model with bootstrapping were applied to determine whether PSQI score or its components mediated the association between night-shift work and HRQoL.

    RESULTS: Night-shift work was associated with sleep impairment and HRQoL. Night-shift workers had significantly lower mean scores in all the eight SF-12 domains (p<0.001). Compared with non-night-shift workers, night-shift workers were significantly more likely to report poorer sleep quality, longer sleep latency, shorter sleep duration, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction (p<0.001). Mediation analyses showed that PSQI global score mediated the association between night-shift work and HRQoL. 'Subjective sleep quality' (indirect effect=-0.24, SE=0.14 and bias corrected (BC) 95% CI -0.58 to -0.01) and 'sleep disturbances' (indirect effect=-0.79, SE=0.22 and BC 95% CI -1.30 to -0.42) were mediators for the association between night-shift work and physical well-being, whereas 'sleep latency' (indirect effect=-0.51, SE=0.21 and BC 95% CI -1.02 to -0.16) and 'daytime dysfunction' (indirect effect=-1.11, SE=0.32 and BC 95% CI -1.86 to -0.58) were mediators with respect to mental well-being.

    CONCLUSION: Sleep quality partially explains the association between night-shift work and poorer HRQoL. Organisations should treat the sleep quality of night-shift workers as a top priority area for action to improve their employees' overall wellbeing.

  17. Lim YC, Hoe VCW, Darus A, Bhoo-Pathy N
    Occup Environ Med, 2018 10;75(10):716-723.
    PMID: 30032104 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2018-105104
    OBJECTIVES: Occupational factors, particularly night-shift work, are attracting growing interest as a possible determinant of metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study aimed to determine the association between night-shift work and MetS, and assess whether sleep quality is a mediating factor.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Malaysian manufacturing workers, aged 40-65 years old. They completed a self-administered questionnaire on sociodemographics, lifestyle and family history, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein levels were measured. Baron and Kenny's method, Sobel test and multiple mediation models with bootstrapping were used to determine whether the PSQI global score or its components mediated the association between night-shift work and MetS.

    RESULTS: Of the 494 participants, 177 (36%) worked night shift and 51% were men. The prevalence of MetS was 37%. Night-shift work was independently associated with a twofold increase in the risk of MetS (adjusted OR: 1.92, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.97). However, the association between night-shift work and MetS did not appear to be modified by sex. Night-shift workers also reported significantly poorer sleep quality, longer sleep latency, shorter sleep duration, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction. Robust mediation analysis nonetheless showed that neither PSQI global score nor its components mediated the association between night-shift work and MetS.

    CONCLUSION: Early screening and management of MetS and the development of programmes to improve sleep quality should be carried out among night-shift workers. Future research should investigate other modifiable mediators linking night-shift work and MetS.

  18. Yap WB, Ahmad FM, Lim YC, Zainalabidin S
    Korean J. Physiol. Pharmacol., 2016 Nov;20(6):621-628.
    PMID: 27847439
    Hypertension can be caused by various factors while the predominant causes include increase in body fluid volume and resistance in the circulatory system that elevate the blood pressure. Consumption of probiotics has been proven to attenuate hypertension; however, the effect is much strain-dependent. In this study, a newly isolated Lactobacillus casei (Lb. casei) strain C1 was investigated for its antihypertensive properties in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) suspension of 11 log colony-forming unit (CFU) was given to SHR (SHR+LAB, n=8), and phosphate buffer saline (PBS) was given as a control in SHR (SHR, n=8) and in Wistar rats as sham (WIS, n=8). The treatment was given via oral gavage for 8 weeks. The results showed that the weekly systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and aortic reactivity function were remarkably improved after 8 weeks of bacterial administration in SHR+LAB. These effects were mostly attributed by restoration of wall tension and tensile stress following the bacterial treatment. Although not statistically significant, the level of malondialdehye (MDA) in SHR+LAB serum was found declining. Increased levels of glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO) in SHR+LAB serum suggested that the bacterium exerted vascular protection through antioxidative functions and relatively high NO level that induced vasodilation. Collectively, Lb. casei strain C1 is a promising alternative for hypertension improvement.
  19. Putri NK, Melania MKN, Fatmawati SMY, Lim YC
    BMC Health Serv Res, 2023 Jul 05;23(1):730.
    PMID: 37408024 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09677-0
    BACKGROUND: Most studies in advanced care settings reported that the increasing workload increases the work-life imbalance and harms the mental health of health workers. The COVID-19 Pandemic's tracing, testing, treatment, and mass vaccination also have multiplied the primary healthcare workers' workload. Nevertheless, studies on primary care workers are scarce. This study aimed to investigate how the COVID-19-related work-life balance impact stress on primary healthcare workers in the third years of the pandemic.

    METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional, web-based survey conducted on primary healthcare workers in Kediri Regency, Indonesia, with the highest Omicron case surge worldwide. It was conducted right after the surge between July and August 2022, the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic hit Indonesia. Under coordination with the local government health officials, primary healthcare workers were invited to participate in an online survey. The respondents were asked to evaluate their sociodemography, work conditions, personal life, and perceived stress (using the Perceived Stress Scale) during the pandemic. Their work-life balance was evaluated using the Work/Non-work Interference and Enhancement Scale. We used several hierarchical linear regression models to determine which variables contribute to work stress among primary healthcare workers.

    RESULTS: Sociodemographic characteristics, including gender, age, marital status, years of professional experience, and educational level, were not significantly associated with stress levels among our respondents. Separately, work conditions and personal life variables did not associate with stress levels. However, primary healthcare workers' work and personal lives interfere with each other during the pandemic and are associated with their higher stress.

    CONCLUSION: During the pandemic, the work life of primary health workers interferes with their personal life more than the interference of personal life on their work life. At the same time, the work life's enhancement on the personal life and vice versa were lower than its interference. Those conditions are associated with higher perceived stress of primary health workers.

  20. Yap KK, Ismail NH, Supramanian RK, Lim YC
    Cureus, 2023 Oct;15(10):e46965.
    PMID: 38022363 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46965
    Introduction Noise-related hearing disorder (NRHD) is the second most common sensorineural hearing loss, right after age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). It is the highest reported occupational disease and a major compensable occupational hazard in Malaysia. With the increase in dengue cases, the need for vector control workers to control the spread of dengue at the expense of being exposed to noisy fogging machines is critical. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of vector control workers conducted by a local authority in Kuala Lumpur. Participants were categorised as either vector control workers who were directly involved in fogging activities or those who were not. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic, medical and occupational information. NRHD was confirmed by an audiogram test. Results This study found a high prevalence of NRHD among vector control workers exposed to fogging activity (occupational noise hazards), with 51.4% of them experiencing this condition. The predictors of NRHD include fogging status adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.94 (95% CI: 1.19 - 3.17), sex 18.28 (95% CI: 2.33 - 143.16) and age 2.03 (95% CI: 1.27 - 3.25). Conclusion The findings of this study imply that vector control workers are at risk of NRHD. The predictors of NRHD are fogging status, sex and age. These findings emphasise the major impact of occupational noise hazards on NRHD and emphasise the importance of addressing this issue to preserve employees' health; especially among male and older employees with chronic noise exposure.
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