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  1. Fulltext Optical parameters in food and agricultural processing
    Mohd Ali, M., Hashim, N., Bejo, S. K., Shamsudin, R.
    International Food Research Journal, 2017;24(3):908-914.
    MyJurnal
    The non-destructive feature of optical techniques has gained interests for quality assessment
    of various agricultural produce as well as in food processing technology. The principle and
    interaction of light with food and agricultural produce provide essential information for quality
    assessment which promotes non-destructive inspection methods. This review encompasses the
    determination of optical properties associated with the evaluation of the quality of agricultural
    produce. The understanding of how light interacts with turbid agricultural produce is also
    presented, including light characteristics such as absorption and scattering. A brief overview of
    the estimation and application of the optical parameters in food and agricultural processing are
    discussed. The problems and implementation of optical parameters as well as its future trend
    are also included.
  2. Fulltext Comparison of habitual visual acuity and stereoacuity between children attending kemas and urban private preschools
    Naufal, N., Narayanasamy S., Ahmad, M., Hairol, M.I., Sharanjeet K., Kadar, M., et al.
    Medicine & Health, 2020;15(1):225-236.
    MyJurnal
    Penilaian status visual kanak-kanak prasekolah adalah penting kerana ia adalah salah satu faktor yang menentukan ketersediaan mereka untuk bersekolah. Walau bagaimanapun, tidak semua kanak-kanak prasekolah mendapat peluang untuk mengikuti program saringan penglihatan. Dalam kajian ini, akuiti visual jauh dan dekat serta tahap stereoakuiti diukur di kalangan kanak-kanak berumur enam tahun (n=385). Parameter tersebut kemudiannya dibandingkan di antara kanak-kanak prasekolah swasta bandar dan prasekolah KEMAS daripada keluarga berpendapatan rendah di luar bandar. Tujuh peratus kanak-kanak prasekolah KEMAS adalah gagal dalam ujian saringan penglihatan jauh berbanding dengan 6% kanak-kanak prasekolah swasta. Untuk ujian penglihatan dekat, kadar kegagalan adalah masing-masing 8.7% dan 4.9% bagi kanak-kanak prasekolah swasta dan KEMAS masing-masing. Untuk ujian stereoakuiti, seramai 3.3% kanak-kanak prasekolah swasta dan 2.5% kanak-kanak prasekolah KEMAS dikategorikan sebagai lemah stereopsis. Semua perbezaan tersebut adalah tidak signifikan secara statistik (semua p>0.05). Peratusan kanak-kanak yang gagal ujian saringan penglihatan adalah serupa untuk kedua-dua jenis prasekolah. Oleh itu, program saringan penglihatan perlu dijalankan di semua jenis prasekolah untuk memastikan sebarang masalah penglihatan dapat dikesan, didiagnos, dirawat dan dicegah.


  3. Prevalens Goiter dan Performans Mental di Kalangan Orang Asli di Sinderut, Pahang (Goitre Prevalence and Mental Performance Amongst the Aborigines in Sinderut, Pahang)
    Zaleha M.I., Osman A., Iskandar Z.A., Zainuddin B., Mohd. Ali M., Khalid B.A.K.
    Sains Malaysiana, 1996;25(2):51-58.
    Goitre prevalence and mental performance were determined amongst the Aborigines in Sinderut, a remote rural area in Pahang. A total of 196 subjects aged 4 to 60 years old were selected for study. Goitre status was determined by an experienced endocrinologist using classification suggested by World Health Organization; while mental performance was measured using Raven's test (Oxford Psychologists Press). Blood specimen was also taken for thyroxine (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) measurement. It was found that goitre prevalence was 26.5% (52/196); with visible goitre prevalence of 42.3% (22152). The overall mean of goitre volume was 21.4 ± 19.1 ml (range: 3.0 - 90.8 ml), while the prevalence of mental performance for the percentile value of more than 5.0 was 26.5% (range: 5.0 - 50.0). Mean thyroxine levels was 75.4 ± 19.3 nmol/L (range: 19.9 - 138.1 nmol/ L) while mean levels of thyroid stimulating hormone was 4.9 ± 3.2 mU/L (range: 0.4 - 18.9 mU/L). There was no significant correlation between hormone levels and mental performance score (Pearson Correlation; T4 : r=-0.002, p=0.9736; TSH : r=0.10, p=0.1843). goitre volume and mental performance score (Pearson Correlation; r=-0.02, p=0.8395). Goitre prevalence of more than 20% in this area indicates a moderate endemia, while mental performance showed a low thinking level in the Aborigines particularly those who lived in remote areas.
  4. Parametric differential approach for modeling the upper limb human vasculature
    Zahedi E, Alauddin Mohd Ali M
    Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 2007 2 3;2006:742-5.
    PMID: 17271784
    A parametric approach is proposed for the characterization of the upper vascular tree. The novelty of the approach resides in it being differential: the processed signals are the photoplethysmograms obtained non-invasively from the left and right indexes. The investigated model is an ARX (auto-regressive with exogenous input) where the order has been estimated utilizing standard techniques. The model coefficients show a relatively high degree of stability.
  5. The application of empirical mode decomposition for the enhancement of cardiotocograph signals
    Krupa BN, Mohd Ali MA, Zahedi E
    Physiol Meas, 2009 Aug;30(8):729-43.
    PMID: 19550027 DOI: 10.1088/0967-3334/30/8/001
    Cardiotocograph (CTG) is widely used in everyday clinical practice for fetal surveillance, where it is used to record fetal heart rate (FHR) and uterine activity (UA). These two biosignals can be used for antepartum and intrapartum fetal monitoring and are, in fact, nonlinear and non-stationary. CTG recordings are often corrupted by artifacts such as missing beats in FHR, high-frequency noise in FHR and UA signals. In this paper, an empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method is applied on CTG signals. A recursive algorithm is first utilized to eliminate missing beats. High-frequency noise is reduced using EMD followed by the partial reconstruction (PAR) method, where the noise order is identified by a statistical method. The obtained signal enhancement from the proposed method is validated by comparing the resulting traces with the output obtained by applying classical signal processing methods such as Butterworth low-pass filtering, linear interpolation and a moving average filter on 12 CTG signals. Three obstetricians evaluated all 12 sets of traces and rated the proposed method, on average, 3.8 out of 5 on a scale of 1(lowest) to 5 (highest).
  6. Brain activity elicited by reward and reward omission in individuals with psychopathic traits: An ERP study
    Salim MA, van der Veen FM, van Dongen JD, Franken IH
    Biol Psychol, 2015 Sep;110:50-8.
    PMID: 26188154 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.07.001
    Psychopathy has been associated with behavioral adaptation deficits, which might be associated with problems in feedback and reward processing. In the present study, we examined the relation between psychopathic traits and reward processing in a passive gambling task. A total of 39 male participants who scored high (HP) and 39 male participants who scored low (LP) on the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM), total score were tested. Feedback-related Event-Related Potentials (ERPs; i.e., P2, FRN, and P3) on predicted and unpredicted rewards and reward omissions were compared between both groups. It was found that in HP individuals, the P2 was enhanced for predicted rewards and reward omissions, but not for unpredicted stimuli. Moreover, HP individuals as compared to the LP individuals demonstrated a generally reduced P3 amplitude. The FRN amplitude, however, did not differ between the two groups. In addition, HP individuals showed enhanced reward sensitivity on the self-report level. Taken together, these findings suggest that HP individuals show enhanced sensitivity to early and reduced sensitivity to later markers of processing reinforcement learning signals, which points in the direction of compromised behavioral adaptation.
  7. Secondary triage classification using an ensemble random forest technique
    Azeez D, Gan KB, Mohd Ali MA, Ismail MS
    Technol Health Care, 2015;23(4):419-28.
    PMID: 25791174 DOI: 10.3233/THC-150907
    BACKGROUND: Triage of patients in the emergency department is a complex task based on several uncertainties and ambiguous information. Triage must be implemented within two to five minutes to avoid potential fatality and increased waiting time.
    OBJECTIVE: An intelligent triage system has been proposed for use in a triage environment to reduce human error.
    METHODS: This system was developed based on the objective primary triage scale (OPTS) that is currently used in the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center. Both primary and secondary triage models are required to develop this system. The primary triage model has been reported previously; this work focused on secondary triage modelling using an ensemble random forest technique. The randomized resampling method was proposed to balance the data unbalance prior to model development.
    RESULTS: The results showed that the 300% resampling gave a low out-of-bag error of 0.02 compared to 0.37 without pre-processing. This model has a sensitivity and specificity of 0.98 and 0.89, respectively, for the unseen data.
    CONCLUSION: With this combination, the random forest reduces the variance, and the randomized resembling reduces the bias, leading to the reduced out-of-bag error.
    KEYWORDS: Decision support system; emergency department; random forest; randomized resampling
  8. Real-time signal processing for fetal heart rate monitoring
    Ibrahimy MI, Ahmed F, Mohd Ali MA, Zahedi E
    IEEE Trans Biomed Eng, 2003 Feb;50(2):258-62.
    PMID: 12665042
    An algorithm based on digital filtering, adaptive thresholding, statistical properties in the time domain, and differencing of local maxima and minima has been developed for the simultaneous measurement of the fetal and maternal heart rates from the maternal abdominal electrocardiogram during pregnancy and labor for ambulatory monitoring. A microcontroller-based system has been used to implement the algorithm in real-time. A Doppler ultrasound fetal monitor was used for statistical comparison on five volunteers with low risk pregnancies, between 35 and 40 weeks of gestation. Results showed an average percent root mean square difference of 5.32% and linear correlation coefficient from 0.84 to 0.93. The fetal heart rate curves remained inside a +/- 5-beats-per-minute limit relative to the reference ultrasound method for 84.1% of the time.
  9. Non-syndromic craniosynostosis treated by frontal orbital advancement: A case report
    Khoo KW, Arman Zaharil MS, Mohd Ali MZ
    Med J Malaysia, 2018 12;73(6):423-424.
    PMID: 30647221
    Craniosynostosis is a premature pathologic fusion of one or more cranial vault sutures leading to abnormally-shaped skull. It can occur in isolated event (non-syndromic), or it can occur in conjunction with other anomalies in welldefined patterns (syndromic). The diagnosis rests on clinical examination and confirmation is generally on the computed tomography scan. The need for surgery is both for cosmetic and functional reasons. Here we describe a case of nonsyndromic craniosynostosis that was treated with frontal orbital advancement (FOA). The potential benefits of FOA need to be carefully weighed against the potential complications when deciding for any surgical intervention.
  10. Pineapple (Ananas comosus): A comprehensive review of nutritional values, volatile compounds, health benefits, and potential food products
    Mohd Ali M, Hashim N, Abd Aziz S, Lasekan O
    Food Res Int, 2020 11;137:109675.
    PMID: 33233252 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109675
    Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit that is highly relished for its unique aroma and sweet taste. It is renowned as a flavourful fruit since it contains a number of volatile compounds in small amounts and complex mixtures. Pineapple is also a rich source of minerals and vitamins that offer a number of health benefits. Ranked third behind banana and citrus, the demand for pineapple has greatly increased within the international market. The growth of the pineapple industry in the utilisation of pineapple food-based processing products as well as waste processing has progressed rapidly worldwide. This review discusses the nutritional values, physicochemical composition and volatile compounds, as well as health benefits of pineapples. Pineapple contains considerable amounts of bioactive compounds, dietary fiber, minerals, and nutrients. In addition, pineapple has been proven to have various health benefits including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity, monitoring nervous system function, and healing bowel movement. The potential of food products and waste processing of pineapples are also highlighted. The future perspectives and challenges with regard to the potential uses of pineapple are critically addressed. From the review, it is proven that pineapples have various health benefits and are a potential breakthrough in the agricultural and food industries.
  11. Fulltext Determination of the difference on color changes of watermelons by laser light backscattering imaging
    Mohd Ali M, Hashim N, Bejo SK, Shamsudin R
    J Food Sci Technol, 2017 Oct;54(11):3650-3657.
    PMID: 29051660 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-017-2826-y
    The potential of laser light backscattering imaging was investigated for monitoring color parameters of seeded and seedless watermelons during storage. Two watermelon cultivars were harvested and stored for 3 weeks with seven measuring storage days (0, 4, 8, 12, 15, 18, and 21). The color parameters of watermelons were monitored using the conventional colorimetric methods (L*, a*, b*, C*, H*, and ∆E*) and laser light backscattering imaging system. A laser diode emitting at 658 nm and 30 mW power was used as a light source to obtain the backscattering image. The backscattering images were evaluated by the extraction of backscattering parameters based on the mean pixel values. The results showed that a good color prediction was achieved by the seedless watermelon with the R2 are all above 0.900. Thus, the application of the laser light backscattering imaging can be used for evaluating the color parameters of watermelons during the storage period.
  12. Fulltext Association between reduced visual-motor integration performance and socioeconomic factors among preschool children in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study
    Hairol MI, Nordin N, P'ng J, Sharanjeet-Kaur S, Narayanasamy S, Mohd-Ali M, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(3):e0246846.
    PMID: 33657109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246846
    Visual-motor integration (VMI) is related to children's academic performance and school readiness. VMI scores measured using the Beery-Bucktenicka Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery-VMI) can differ due to differences in cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. This study compared the VMI scores of Malaysian preschoolers with the corresponding US norms and determined the association between their VMI scores and socioeconomic factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 435 preschoolers (mean age: 5.95±0.47 years; age range: 5.08-6.83 years) from randomly selected public and private preschools. VMI scores were measured using Beery-VMI in the preschools' classrooms. Information on the socioeconomic characteristics of the preschoolers was obtained using a parent-report questionnaire. One sample t-test was used to compare their VMI scores with the corresponding US norms. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the influence of socioeconomic factors on the preschoolers' VMI scores. Overall, Malaysian preschoolers' VMI performance was similar to the US standardized norms (p>0.05). Children from low-income families were twice likely to obtain lower than average VMI scores than those from higher-income families (OR = 2.47, 95%CI 1.05, 5.86). Children enrolled at public preschools were more likely to obtain a lower than average VMI score than those who enrolled at private preschools (OR = 2.60, 95%CI 1.12, 6.06). Children who started preschool at the age of six were more likely to obtain lower than average VMI scores than those who started at an earlier age (OR = 4.66, 95%CI 1.97, 11.04). Low maternal education level was also associated with lower than average VMI score (OR = 2.60, 95%CI 1.12, 6.06). Malaysian preschoolers' Beery-VMI performance compared well to their US counterparts. Some socioeconomic factors were associated with reduced VMI scores. Those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to have reduced VMI performance, potentially adversely affecting their school readiness, cognitive performance, and future academic achievements.
  13. Fulltext Effect of Temperature and Growth Time on Vertically Aligned ZnO Nanorods by Simplified Hydrothermal Technique for Photoelectrochemical Cells
    Mohd Fudzi L, Zainal Z, Lim HN, Chang SK, Holi AM, Sarif Mohd Ali M
    Materials (Basel), 2018 Apr 29;11(5).
    PMID: 29710822 DOI: 10.3390/ma11050704
    Despite its large band gap, ZnO has wide applicability in many fields ranging from gas sensors to solar cells. ZnO was chosen over other materials because of its large exciton binding energy (60 meV) and its stability to high-energy radiation. In this study, ZnO nanorods were deposited on ITO glass via a simple dip coating followed by a hydrothermal growth. The morphological, structural and compositional characteristics of the prepared films were analyzed using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Photoelectrochemical conversion efficiencies were evaluated via photocurrent measurements under calibrated halogen lamp illumination. Thin film prepared at 120 °C for 4 h of hydrothermal treatment possessed a hexagonal wurtzite structure with the crystallite size of 19.2 nm. The average diameter of the ZnO nanorods was 37.7 nm and the thickness was found to be 2680.2 nm. According to FESEM images, as the hydrothermal growth temperature increases, the nanorod diameter become smaller. Moreover, the thickness of the nanorods increase with the growth time. Therefore, the sample prepared at 120 °C for 4 h displayed an impressive photoresponse by achieving high current density of 0.1944 mA/cm².
  14. Psychometric properties of the Malay-version beck anxiety inventory among adolescent students in Malaysia
    Ismail NH, Nik Jaafar NR, Woon LS, Mohd Ali M, Dahlan R, Baharuddin ANAP
    Front Psychiatry, 2022;13:989079.
    PMID: 36762292 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.989079
    BACKGROUND: The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) is a common tool for screening anxiety symptoms. In Malaysia, the Malay-version 21-item BAI has been previously validated in the Malaysian adult population. However, information regarding its reliability and validity among adolescents below 18 years old is still lacking. The objective of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of the Malay-version BAI in this population.

    METHODS: The Malay versions of the BAI and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) were administered among a sample of lower secondary school students (n = 329, age range: 13-14 years) in Selangor, Malaysia. Cronbach's alpha value for the internal consistency of the Malay-version BAI was determined. The correlation coefficient between the BAI score and DASS anxiety subscale score was calculated to examine convergent validity. The factor structure of the Malay-version BAI was identified by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal axis factoring.

    RESULTS: The study included 329 respondents, who were predominantly female (58.7%) and Malay (79.9%). The mean Malay-version BAI score was 14.46 (SD = 12.39). The Malay-version BAI showed a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.948) and convergent validity with the DASS anxiety subscale score (r = 0.80, p < 0.001). The EFA suggested a one-factor solution, with the factor loading of all items on the single factor ranging between 0.48 and 0.81.

    CONCLUSION: The Malay-version BAI demonstrated good psychometric properties. It can be a valid and reliable screening instrument for anxiety among Malaysian adolescents.

  15. Fulltext High proportion of knowlesi malaria in recent malaria cases in Malaysia
    Yusof R, Lau YL, Mahmud R, Fong MY, Jelip J, Ngian HU, et al.
    Malar J, 2014;13:168.
    PMID: 24886266 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-168
    Plasmodium knowlesi is a simian parasite that has been recognized as the fifth species causing human malaria. Naturally-acquired P. knowlesi infection is widespread among human populations in Southeast Asia. The aim of this epidemiological study was to determine the incidence and distribution of malaria parasites, with a particular focus on human P. knowlesi infection in Malaysia.
  16. Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Chlamydia trachomatis Respiratory Colonization in Malaysian Preterm Infants
    Ng KF, Kee Tan K, Chok MC, Zamil Mohd Muzzamil N, Choo P, Paramasivam U, et al.
    J Trop Pediatr, 2017 Dec 01;63(6):447-453.
    PMID: 28334949 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fmx011
    This prospective observational study aims to determine the incidence, predictors and clinical features of Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) respiratory colonization in infants <37 weeks of gestation. A total of 200 preterm newborns admitted to a tertiary center in Malaysia between 2013 and 2015 for increased breathing effort had their respiratory secretions tested for these bacteria by polymerase chain reaction. Fifteen of the 200 (7.5%) infants were detected to have these organisms in their respiratory tracts. Preterm prelabor rupture of membrane was associated with positive detection (odds ratio: 3.7; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-11.3). Seventy-three of the 200 (36.5%) infants were given macrolide for presumed infection but only 4.1% (3 of 73) were positive for these organisms. The incidence of UU respiratory colonization among preterm infants in our center is lower than other published reports, while the frequency of MH and CT isolation is comparable with many studies. There should be judicious use of empirical antibiotics for presumed UU, MH and CT infection in preterm infants.
  17. Fulltext Translation and Validation of the Malay Version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA)
    Mohd Ali M, Mohd Hoesni S, Rosharudin NA, Yusoff SR, Razman MOI, Khairuddin KF, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Sep 10;19(18).
    PMID: 36141671 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811399
    The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA) has been translated and adapted globally. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Malay version of the ERQ-CA. The ERQ-CA underwent forward and back translation twice and was tested in two separate studies, Study 1 and Study 2, with 296 and 359 students aged between 13 and 14 years old, respectively. Cronbach's alpha values were calculated, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. The results from Study 1 demonstrate good internal consistency for cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. The results indicate a good factor loading for most of the items, but only one value of the goodness-of-fit met the criteria for a good fit. The results from Study 2 show improvements in the values of the goodness-of-fit that are comparable to previous studies, but there was a decrease in the factor loading scores. Overall, the Malay version of the ERQ-CA possesses acceptable reliability and validity. Further studies are required in the near future to develop a Malay version of the ERQ-CA that reasonably represents Malaysian adolescents.
  18. Fulltext Psychometric properties of the Malay version of the difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-18 in Malaysian adolescents
    Rosharudin NA, Muhammad NA, Mohd Daud TI, Hoesni SM, Yusoff SR, Razman MOI, et al.
    PLoS One, 2023;18(8):e0289551.
    PMID: 37639447 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289551
    OBJECTIVE: The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-18 (DERS-18) is an instrument used to measure deficits in emotion regulation. However, the instrument has not been adapted to Malaysians and has never been validated in the Malay language. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Malay version of DERS-18.

    METHOD: The DERS-18 underwent forward-backward translation and assessment of face and content validity. Both Malay version of the DERS-18 and DASS-21 were completed by 701 adolescents (44.4% boys) aged 13 and 14 years old. To assess its dependability, a floor and ceiling effect evaluation and Cronbach's analysis were both performed. A series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), bivariate correlation, and regression were performed to evaluate the construct and criterion validity, respectively.

    RESULTS: The Malay version of DERS-18, after excluding "Awareness", indicated excellent reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.93), and acceptable internal consistency for each subscale (range of α from 0.63 to 0.82). Floor or ceiling effects were observed at item level and subscale level, but not at total level. CFA results revealed that the Malay version of the DERS-18 bifactor model (excluding "Awareness") portrayed the best construct validity (χ2/df = 2.673, RMSEA = 0.049, CFI = 0.977, TLI = 0.968) compared to a single factor, a correlated factor, and a higher-order factor model. The DERS-18 subscales (except "Awareness") and DERS-18 total scores were significantly correlated with stress, anxiety, and depression in a positive direction (r ranged from 0.62 to 0.64, p < 0.01). The general factor of the DERS-18 and its specific factors ("Clarity", "Goals", and "Non-Acceptance") significantly predicted the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression (R2 ranged from 0.44 to 0.46, p < 0.001).

    CONCLUSION: The Malay version of the DERS-18, excluding "Awareness", possessed good reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity to assess emotion dysregulation among Malaysian adolescents.

  19. Fulltext Predominance of SCCmec type IV in community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in multi-centre Malaysian hospitals
    Nor Amdan NA, Zamri HF, Mohd Ali MR, Dahalan NA, Anak Maling DR, Wan Hamdan WAF, et al.
    J Hosp Infect, 2024 Jan;143:113-114.
    PMID: 37979625 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.10.023
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