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Psychological impacts of dental fluorosis among malaysian school children

Mohd Nor, M., Sheiham, A., Tsakos, G.

Malaysian Dental Journal, 2008;29(1):20-24.
MyJurnal

The objectives were to assess the prevalence, severity, the psychological and social impacts of fluorosis among school children and their parents in the Kuala Pilah area, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Methods: A convenience sample of 431 students aged 16-17 years old from 3 secondary schools in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan were selected. The students were assessed for presence of dental fluorosis using Dean’s Index and to assess impacts. Questionnaires were administered to all the dental fluorosis students and selected matched students with no fluorosis. They constituted a control group for the case control study. Questionnaires were sent to the parents of dental fluorosis and control non fluorosis cases. Results: The prevalence of dental fluorosis was 27.8%; 82% of the fluorosis cases were questionable to mild and 18% moderate to severe fluorosis. 16.1% of students with dental fluorosis and 8.5% of non-fluorosis students had psychological impacts. 12.8% of the parents of children with fluorosis reported that their child had an impact. More girls with fluorosis (35.7%) had psychological impacts compared than boys (25.0%). In the 16.1% of fluorosis cases who had psychological impacts, difficulty smiling and showing teeth, affected 35.7% of girls and 25 % of boys. The percentage of students with dental fluorosis who had psychological impacts on carrying out school work was 2.7%, and 3.6% had impacts related to going out with friends. Conclusions: There were considerable psychological impacts on smiling and showing teeth among Malaysian teenagers with dental fluorosis and some of their parents were concerned about the fluorosis. But the impacts were mild and do not have a major impact on students’ lives. Dental fluorosis is not aesthetically displeasing to most subjects but does have psychological and social impacts on a small percentage with fluorosis.
Fulltext Application of membrane-based technology for purification of bromelain

Nor, M. Z. M., Ramchandran, L., Duke, M., Vasiljevic, T.

International Food Research Journal, 2017;24(4):1685-1696.
MyJurnal

About 60% of world’s commercial enzyme products are proteases, giving promising opportunity
to derive such enzymes sustainably from waste sources. Bromelain is a crude protease occurring
naturally in pineapple, and it possesses properties of benefit for pharmaceutical, medical and food products. The production of bromelain involves a purification stage, normally performed by small-scale conventional operations which lead to high operating cost and low product recovery, while being difficult to scale up and produce polluting by-products. Membrane-based technology offers an alternative to produce high quality purified bromelain in a more efficient and sustainable process. This review identified the current state and future needs for utilising membrane processes for sustainable bromelain production at larger scales. It was found that declining membrane flux due to fouling have been reported, but may be effectively overcome with more appropriate (and advanced) membrane types and/or processing conditions. For example, interactions between macromolecules present in the pineapple derived bromelain mixture (particularly polysaccharides) and the membrane may cause performance limiting fouling, but can be overcome by enzymatic pre-treatment. Membrane fouling can be further reduced by the employment of ceramic membrane filters operating at optimised trans-membrane pressure, cross-flow velocity, feed pH and temperature. Two-stage ultrafiltration together with diafiltration or gas sparging was suggested as a means to reduce fouling and improve enzyme purity. Despite these promising technical findings, the review identified the need for a valid economic assessment to properly guide further work towards purifying bromelain from pineapple waste for sustainable production of commercial proteases.
Fulltext Congenital rudimentary medial meniscus--report of a case of development arrest of medial meniscus

Aranha A, Nor M

Singapore Med J, 1990 Apr;31(2):189-90.
PMID: 2371587

We present an unusual case, where the medial meniscus does not coincide with the embryological development of the formation of a discoid cartilage. A fairly, careful perusal of English literature since 1945 to date makes us feel that the following case merits recording. The meniscus had a normal anterior horn attached to the intercondylar area, in front of the anterior cruciate ligament. Medially, it was attached to the capsule and the condylar surface of the medial tibial plateau. The posterior horn was rounded, smooth, and floating free of any attachments. It was approximately 2 cms in length, semilunar in shape, and extended posteriorly up to the anterior margin of the medial collateral ligament. The rest of the medial tibial plateau had no other protective covering.
Phage displayed Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ba4 toxin is toxic to Plutella xylostella

Nathan S, Aziz DH, Mahadi NM

Curr Microbiol, 2006 Nov;53(5):412-5.
PMID: 17036210

We constructed recombinant phage particles displaying the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ba4 active toxin using the pfUSE5 and pComb3X phagemid vectors. The recombinant phage particles were screened and evaluated for displayed biologically active Cry1Ba4 toxin against the target insect larvae. Concurrent expression of Cry1Ba4 protoxin was carried out using the pETBlue -2 plasmid expression vector in Escherichia coli Tuner (DE3)pLacI and the protoxin was successfully expressed at a size of 129 kDa. In the bioassay, 3.30 mg crude extract of Cry1Ba4 protoxin, 9.35 x 10(9) TU and 7.70 x 10(9) TU of induced recombinant phage particles carrying Cry1Ba4 active toxin displayed on pComb3X and pFUSE5, respectively, demonstrated mortality of greater than 85% against Plutella xylostella (third-instar) within 48 hours. Thus, we have successfully displayed the Cry1Ba4 activated toxin on the surface of a phage and demonstrated toxicity towards larvae.
Tinea faciei mimicking lupus erythematosus

Singh R, Bharu K, Ghazali W, Bharu K, Nor M, Kerian K

Cutis, 1994 Jun;53(6):297-8.
PMID: 8070283

The authors describe a case of tinea faciei occurring in a sixteen-year-old boy. The rash was localized to the face and upper chest and resembled a typical photosensitive disorder, resulting in inappropriate treatment for six months. Results of a potassium hydroxide preparation and culture from the surface scale confirmed the clinical diagnosis.
Fulltext Porokeratosis: a report of three clinical variants

Singh R, Ghazali W, Nor M

Med J Malaysia, 1991 Mar;46(1):99-103.
PMID: 1836046

Three patients presenting with distinct clinical variants of porokeratosis are reported. This article discusses the etiology, classification and response to different modalities of treatment.
Fulltext Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis -- a rarity in Malaysia?

Laidin AZ, Proehoeman R, Mohd Nor M

Med J Malaysia, 1982 Dec;37(4):349-53.
PMID: 7167088

Sixty seven infants were admitted over a 10-year period from 1972 to 1981: 50 males and 17 females. A higher incidence of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis exists in West Malaysia than was previously recognised. However, it remains at less than one tenth of the Western figures. Among the three major races, the condition was commonest in Indians and least in Malays. Most cases presented between the ages of 3 to 8 weeks. Prolonged history of vomiting of more than 3 weeks occurred in 43.3 percent cases, usually among Malay and Indian patients. All patients were treated surgically with 1 death (1.5 percent). The usual postoperative complication was vomiting which occurred in 22.4 percent. Early presentation, adequate preoperative resuscitation and improved anaesthetic techniques can further reduce this mortality and morbidity.
Fulltext Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome--a case report

Yusof Z, Pratap RC, Nor M, Reddy TN

Med J Malaysia, 1990 Mar;45(1):70-3.
PMID: 2152072

A 30 year old Malay male developed bilateral choroiditis followed by vitiligo, poliosis and canities. CT scan showed nodular thickening of the optic nerves. Characteristic abnormalities were seen in visual and brainstem auditory evoked potentials and fluorescein angiography. These findings were in keeping with the diagnosis of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. Treatment with dexamethasone resulted in complete recovery of vision and partial improvement in skin and hair lesions.
Fulltext Evaluation of limb load asymmetry using two new mathematical models

Kumar SN, Omar B, Joseph LH, Htwe O, Jagannathan K, Hamdan NM, et al.

Glob J Health Sci, 2015;7(2):1-7.
PMID: 25716372 DOI: 10.5539/gjhs.v7n2p1

Quantitative measurement of limb loading is important in orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation. In current practice, mathematical models such as Symmetry index (SI), Symmetry ratio (SR), and Symmetry angle (SA) are used to quantify limb loading asymmetry. Literatures have identified certain limitations with the above mathematical models. Hence this study presents two new mathematical models Modified symmetry index (MSI) and Limb loading error (LLE) that would address these limitations. Furthermore, the current mathematical models were compared against the new model with the goal of achieving a better model. This study uses hypothetical data to simulate an algorithmic preliminary computational measure to perform with all numerical possibilities of even and uneven limb loading that can occur in human legs. Descriptive statistics are used to interpret the limb loading patterns: symmetry, asymmetry and maximum asymmetry. The five mathematical models were similar in analyzing symmetry between limbs. However, for asymmetry and maximum asymmetry data, the SA and SR values do not give any meaningful interpretation, and SI gives an inflated value. The MSI and LLE are direct, easy to interpret and identify the loading patterns with the side of asymmetry. The new models are notable as they quantify the amount and side of asymmetry under different loading patterns.
Carbohydrate mouth rinse is no more effective than placebo on running endurance of dehydrated and heat acclimated athletes

Kamaruddin HK, Farah NMF, Aziz AR, Mündel T, Che Muhamed AM

Eur J Appl Physiol, 2023 Jul;123(7):1507-1518.
PMID: 36920510 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-023-05170-y

PURPOSE: To determine whether carbohydrate mouth rinsing would improve endurance running performance of tropical natives in a warm-humid (30 °C and 70% relative humidity) environment.
METHOD: Twelve endurance male runners [age 25 ± 3 years; peak aerobic capacity ([Formula: see text]O2peak) 57.6 ± 3.6 mL.kg-1.min-1] completed three time-to-exhaustion (TTE) trials at ~ 70% [Formula: see text]O2peak while swilling 25 ml of a 6% carbohydrate (CHO) or taste-matched placebo (PLA) as well as no mouth rinse performed in the control (CON) trial.
RESULTS: TTE performance was significantly longer in both CHO and PLA trials when compared with the CON trial (54.7 ± 5.4 and 53.6 ± 5.1 vs. 48.4 ± 3.6 min, respectively; p 0.05). Similarly, plasma lactate and glucose as well as exercise heart rate were not influenced by the trials.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that mouth rinsing, whether carbohydrate or placebo, provides an ergogenic benefit to running endurance when compared to CON in a heat stress environment. Nevertheless, the results do not support the notion that rinsing a carbohydrate solution provides a greater advantage as previously described among non-heat acclimated individuals within a temperate condition.
Fulltext Relationship of screen time with anxiety, depression, and sleep quality among adolescents: a cross-sectional study

Mohd Saat NZ, Hanawi SA, Hanafiah H, Ahmad M, Farah NMF, Abdul Rahman NAA

Front Public Health, 2024;12:1459952.
PMID: 39678241 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1459952

INTRODUCTION: In the current digital age, people's use of electronic devices has significantly increased screen time, which may have an impact on different aspects of their lives. Adolescents today are exposed to excessive screen time, which may affect their sleep and contribute to anxiety and depression. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between screen time with sleep quality, anxiety and depression, among adolescents in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study information was gathered from among 353 secondary school students in the Klang Valley using a questionnaire. The instrument that was used in this study was Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Malay version, screen-based media usage (SCREENS-Q) and Hopkins Symptom Check List-25 (HSCL-25) Malay version. The sampling method was stratified and convenience sampling method. The analysis study used the Smart Partial least squares (PLS) method to analyze the data.
RESULTS: Using the Smart PLS technique, we examined the relationship between these variables and identified revealed that screen time has a direct, positive, and significant impact on anxiety level (Mean = 0.134, β = 0.123, p 0.05) and depression (Mean = 0.044, β = 0.043, p
Fulltext Breathing exercise for hypertensive patients: A scoping review

Herawati I, Mat Ludin AF, M M, Ishak I, Farah NMF

Front Physiol, 2023;14:1048338.
PMID: 36760529 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1048338

Background: Non-pharmacological management of hypertension includes weight loss, alcohol and sodium restriction, regular exercise, and relaxation. In people with overweight hypertension, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) can be decreased via exercise and weight loss together. Breathing exercises are one method of relaxing. Objectives: The aim of this scoping review is to map the information that is currently available about the advantages of breathing exercises in decreasing blood pressure in hypertension patients. Methods: This scoping review adheres to Arksey and O'Malley's framework, which entails identifying review questions, seeking pertinent evidence, choosing pertinent studies, mapping data, and discussing, concluding, and reporting the findings. The PRISMA flowchart is used to show how the evidence search process works. Results: As a result, 339 articles in total were retrieved from the three databases. 20 papers total were included in this review after screening. In 14 of the 20 investigations, participants with stage 1 and stage 2 essential hypertension, two with pre-hypertension, and four with Isolated Systolic Hypertension (ISH) were studied. The respondents' ages ranged from 18 to 75. The systolic blood pressure declined by 4-54.22 mmHg, while the diastolic blood pressure dropped by 3-17 mmHg. Conclusion: Slow breathing can be used as an alternate, non-pharmacological therapy for hypertension individuals to reduce blood pressure. Systematic Review Registration: (https://osf.io/ta9u6/).
Impact of combined high-intensity bodyweight interval training and breathing exercise on cardiometabolic health in normal-weight middle-aged adults with hypertension

Herawati I, Mat Ludin AF, Ishak I, Mutalazimah M, Farah NMF

BMC Public Health, 2025 Mar 11;25(1):962.
PMID: 40069690 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-22139-y

BACKGROUND: High-intensity interval training and breathing exercises alone have well-documented health benefits in people with hypertension. This study aimed to investigated the effects of combining the two methods on physical health among adults with hypertension.
METHODS: Ninety-six adults (59.4 ± 9.1 years; 84% female; BMI 22.7 ± 1.6 kg/m2) with hypertension were randomized into one of four groups: Breathing Exercise (BE), High-Intensity Bodyweight Interval Training (HIBIT), Combined Exercise (CE), or a Non-Exercise Control (CON) group. The intervention lasted 10 weeks, with all exercise groups having the same total training time of 3 days per week (BE: 30 min/day; HIBIT: 60 min/day; CE: BE 30 min/day plus HIBIT 60 min/day). Resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, hand grip strength, cardiorespiratory fitness assessed using 6-Minute Walking Test (6MWT) and blood lipids were measured pre- and post-intervention.
RESULTS: The BE group showed the greatest reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared to CON, although differences among the exercise groups were not statistically significant. The increase in 6MWT values in the combined exercise group differed significantly compared to the other three groups (p = 0.000 and effect size = 0.296). The combined exercise group showed significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride levels compared to the control group. The average reduction in total cholesterol levels was 20.8 mg/dL (95% C: -41.9 - 0.4) with an effect size of 0.103. Meanwhile, the decrease in LDL and triglyceride levels was 20.1 mg/dL (95% CI: -37.6--2.5; p = 0.014) and -40.4 mg/dL (95% CI: -82.1-1.3; p = 0.04) with effect sizes of 0.118 and 0.101.
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion combined exercise for 10 weeks could lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, increase CRF, and improved lipid profile. As a clinical implication, the results of this study can be an alternative or complementary approach to treatment for hypertension, potentially reducing the need for medications and their associated side effects.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: TCTR20230707003 ( http://www.
CLINICALTRIALS: in.th/ ) registered on 28 January 2023.
Fault diagnosis of the polypropylene production process (UNIPOL PP) using ANFIS

Lau CK, Heng YS, Hussain MA, Mohamad Nor MI

ISA Trans, 2010 Oct;49(4):559-66.
PMID: 20667537 DOI: 10.1016/j.isatra.2010.06.007

The performance of a chemical process plant can gradually degrade due to deterioration of the process equipment and unpermitted deviation of the characteristic variables of the system. Hence, advanced supervision is required for early detection, isolation and correction of abnormal conditions. This work presents the use of an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for online fault diagnosis of a gas-phase polypropylene production process with emphasis on fast and accurate diagnosis, multiple fault identification and adaptability. The most influential inputs are selected from the raw measured data sets and fed to multiple ANFIS classifiers to identify faults occurring in the process, eliminating the requirement of a detailed process model. Simulation results illustrated that the proposed method effectively diagnosed different fault types and severities, and that it has a better performance compared to a conventional multivariate statistical approach based on principal component analysis (PCA). The proposed method is shown to be simple to apply, robust to measurement noise and able to rapidly discriminate between multiple faults occurring simultaneously. This method is applicable for plant-wide monitoring and can serve as an early warning system to identify process upsets that could threaten the process operation ahead of time.
Incidental radiological findings of susuk in the orofacial region

Nor MM, Yushar A, Razali M, Rahman RA, Ramli R

Dentomaxillofac Radiol, 2006 Nov;35(6):473-4.
PMID: 17082343

Susuk, or charm needles, are inserted and worn subcutaneously in the face and other parts of the body, as they are believed to enhance beauty and youth, and for many other reasons such as treatment of headache, aches and pains in the joints, back or abdomen. The practice of inserting susuk is a traditional belief, genuinely cultural and superstitious, and common in the south-east Asian region. We present 13 cases of susuk, which was found incidentally on the radiographs as the patients came for various types of treatment at our centre.
Nipah virus infection of pigs in peninsular Malaysia

Mohd Nor MN, Gan CH, Ong BL

Rev. - Off. Int. Epizoot., 2000 Apr;19(1):160-5.
PMID: 11189713

Between late 1998 and 1999, the spread of a new disease of pigs, characterized by a pronounced respiratory and neurological syndrome, sometimes accompanied by the sudden death of sows and boars, was recorded in pig farms in peninsular Malaysia. The disease appeared to have a close association with an epidemic of viral encephalitis among workers on pig farms. A previously unrecognised paramyxovirus was later identified from this outbreak; this virus was related to, but distinct from, the Hendra virus discovered in Australia in 1994. The new virus was named 'Nipah' and was confirmed by molecular characterization to be the agent responsible for the disease in both humans and pigs. The name proposed for the new pig disease was 'porcine respiratory and neurological syndrome' (also known as 'porcine respiratory and encephalitis syndrome'), or, in peninsular Malaysia, 'barking pig syndrome'. The authors describe the new disease and provide the epidemiological findings recorded among infected pigs. In addition, the control programmes which were instituted to contain the virus in the national swine herd are outlined.
Fulltext Neonatal alimentary obstruction in Malaysia

Laidin AZ, Mohd Nor M, Abdul Wahab Y, Mahamooth Z

Med J Malaysia, 1982 Sep;37(3):281-9.
PMID: 7177013

Over the six-veer periodfrom. 1976 to 1981, there were 241 neonates referred to the U.K.M. Paediatric Surgical Unit, General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur for alimentary tract obstruction and 207 were operated on. The three commonest conditions were anorectal anomalies (91 cases), Hirschsprung's disease (31 cases) and oesophageal atresia (30 cases). Overall operatioe mortality was 28.0 percent. This was high when preoperative complications lihe gut perforation (88.9 percent) or pneumonia (61.9 percent) and associated severe anomalies (90.9 percent) or chromosomal abnormalities (66.7 percent) were present. Emphasis is placed on the establishment of early diagnosis and the significance of the green vomit and maternal hydramnios is highlighted, The need is felt for more specialised nurses and the creation of a separate neonatal ICU in this hospital.
Fulltext Congenital (Bochdalek) diaphragmatic hernia: problems in diagnosis and management

Laidin AZ, Al Rashid Z, Mohd Nor M

Med J Malaysia, 1984 Sep;39(3):185-91.
PMID: 6544919

A review of 24 children with posterolateral (Bochdalek) diaphragmatic hernia over a five-year period was carried out to highlight the problems of diagnosis and' management. Nine children were delivered in the Maternity Hospital Kuala Lumpur, giving an incidence of 1:10,000 live births which is half the expected incidence. Difficulty in diagnosis is apparent from the large number of initially misdiagnosed cases (29%) and those not detected
soon after birth (71% diagnosed after 24 hours). Less than half the babies had associated anomalies, commonest being malrotation and ipsilateral lung hypoplasia. Mortality (20.8%) appears to be related to the degree of lung hypoplasia and shunting, and the birthweight of the babies. Current evidence indicates that pulmonary hypertension is the main factor in the chain of events beginning with lung hypoplasia, which ultimately leads to their demise. Various methods to overcome this complication have been evolved which appear to give some hope for these high-risk infants.
Dental care access among individuals with Down syndrome: a Malaysian scenario

Abdul Rahim FS, Mohamed AM, Marizan Nor M, Saub R

Acta Odontol Scand, 2014 Nov;72(8):999-1004.
PMID: 25029211 DOI: 10.3109/00016357.2014.936036

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the legal representatives' perceptions on dental care access of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) compared to their non-DS siblings in Peninsular Malaysia.
The Heritability of Palatal Rugae Morphology Among Siblings*, †

Chong JA, Syed Mohamed AMF, Marizan Nor M, Pau A

J Forensic Sci, 2020 Nov;65(6):2000-2007.
PMID: 32692413 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14507

Although there is clinical applicability of the palatal rugae as an identification tool in forensic odontology, controversy exists whether the palatal rugae patterns are stable or variable. The greater the genetic component, the higher the probability that palatal rugae patterns are stable. The aim of this study was to compare the palatal rugae morphology between full siblings and the proportion of variability due to genetic component. This cross-sectional study was conducted on digital models of 162 siblings aged 15-30 years old. The palatal rugae patterns were assessed with Thomas and Kotze (1983) classification using Geomagic Studio software (3D Systems, Rock Hill, SC). The palatal rugae morphology between siblings showed significantly similar characteristics for total number of left rugae (p = 0.001), left primary rugae (p = 0.017), secondary rugae for right (p = 0.024) and left sides (p = 0.001), right straight rugae (p = 0.010), and right convergent rugae (p = 0.005) accounting for at least 6.25%-12.8% of the variability due to heredity. Despite the similarities found, the palatal rugae patterns showed significant differences between siblings of at least 46.9% (p = 0.001). Zero heritability was found in 9 of the 14 rugae patterns. Meanwhile, total number of rugae, primary, backward, and convergent rugae showed moderate heritability (h2 > 0.3) and total number of secondary rugae showed high heritability (h2 > 0.6). In conclusion, despite the individuality characteristics, an appreciable hereditary component is observed with significant similarities found between sibling pairs and the palatal rugae patterns were both environmentally and genetically influenced.

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