MyMedR

Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 64 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

Ce-Zr-based mixed oxide catalyst for oxidative depolymerization of kenaf stalk (biomass) into vanillin

Rouf H, Ramli A, Anuar NASIK, Yunus NM

Bioresour Bioprocess, 2023 Nov 07;10(1):76.
PMID: 38647992 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-023-00698-5

Since petroleum became depleted, rapid attention has been devoted to renewable energy sources such as lignocellulosic biomass to produce useful chemicals for industry (for instance vanillin). Three primary components of lignocellulose are lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. This paper uses microwave-assisted technology to oxidize the kenaf stalk (lignocellulosic biomass) and extract lignin to produce vanillin. Catalysts with variable acid-base and redox properties are essential for the mentioned effective conversion, for this reason, CeO2-CA, ZrO2-CA, and CeZrO2-CA catalysts were synthesized. The citrate complexation method was used for the catalyst synthesis and the physicochemical characteristics were analyzed by XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, TEM, BET, and TPO. The characterization results demonstrated that CeZrO2-CA shows the smallest sized crystallites with a large specific surface area among the other chosen catalysts. For vanillin production, the effect of reaction temperature, reaction time, and catalyst loading was studied. It was observed that compared to other catalysts, CeZrO2-CA produced the highest vanillin yield of 9.90% for kenaf stalk for 5 wt% of CeZrO2-CA at 160 °C for 30 min. Furthermore, vanillin production using extracted lignin is studied keeping CeZrO2-CA as a catalyst and with the same operating parameters, which yielded 14.3% of vanillin. Afterward, the change in yield with respect to pH is also presented. Finally, the recyclability of catalyst is also studied, which showed that it has a strong metal support and greater stability which may give industrial applications a significant boost.
Environmental 238U and 232Th concentration measurements in an area of high level natural background radiation at Palong, Johor, Malaysia

Ramli AT, Hussein AW, Wood AK

J Environ Radioact, 2005;80(3):287-304.
PMID: 15725504

Concentrations of uranium-238 and thorium-232 in soil, water, grass, moss and oil-palm fruit samples collected from an area of high background radiation were determined using neutron activation analysis (NAA). U-238 concentration in soil ranged from 4.9 mg kg(-1) (58.8 Bq kg(-1)) to 40.4 mg kg(-1) (484.8 Bq kg(-1)), Th-232 concentration ranged from 14.9 mg kg(-1) (59.6 Bq kg(-1)) to 301.0 mg kg(-1) (1204 Bq kg(-1)). The concentration of U-238 in grass samples ranged from below the detection limit to 0.076 mg kg(-1) (912 mBq kg(-1)), and Th-232 ranged from 0.008 mg kg(-1) (32 mBq kg(-1)) to 0.343 mg kg(-1) (1.372 Bq kg(-1)). U-238 content in water samples ranged from 0.33 mg kg(-1) (4.0 Bq L(-1)) to 1.40 mg kg(-1) (16.8 Bq L(-1)), and Th-232 ranged from 0.19 mg kg(-1) (0.76 Bq L(-1)) to 0.66 mg kg(-1) (2.64 Bq L(-1)). It can be said that the concentrations of environmental U-238 and Th-232 in grass and water samples in the study area are insignificant. Mosses were found to be possible bio-radiological indicators due to their high absorption of the heavy radioelements from the environment.
Adaption, translation and validation of the Diabetes Mellitus in the Offspring Questionnaire (DMOQ): The Malay version

Sham SF, Ramli AS, Isa MR, Han YW, Whitford DL

Med J Malaysia, 2018 02;73(1):16-24.
PMID: 29531198 MyJurnal

BACKGROUND: The Diabetes Mellitus in the Offspring Questionnaire (DMOQ) assesses the perceptions of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients on the risk of their offspring developing T2DM and the possibility of intervention to reduce this risk. It has 34 items framed within seven domains. This study aimed to adapt, translate and validate the DMOQ from English into the Malay language.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional validation study among 159 T2DM patients attending a public primary care clinic in Selangor. The DMOQ English version underwent adaptation, translation, face validation and field testing to produce the Malay version. Psychometric analysis was performed using Exploratory Factor Analysis, internal consistency and testretest reliability.
RESULTS: The DMOQ domains were conceptually equivalent between English and Malay language. A total of 13 items and two domains were removed during the validation process (three items during the content validation, three items due to poor factor loadings, five items as they loaded onto two domains which were not interpretable, one item as it did not fit conceptually into the factor it loaded onto and one openended question as it did not fit into the retained domains). Therefore, the final DMOQ Malay version consisted of 21- items within five domains. The Cronbach alpha was 0.714 and the intraclass-correlation coefficient was 0.868.
CONCLUSION: The DMOQ Malay version is a valid and reliable tool which is consistent over time. It can be used to examine the perception of T2DM patients towards the risk of their offspring developing diabetes and possibility of intervention in Malay-speaking patients.
The thermoluminescence response of doped SiO2 optical fibres subjected to fast neutrons

Hashim S, Bradley DA, Saripan MI, Ramli AT, Wagiran H

Appl Radiat Isot, 2010 Apr-May;68(4-5):700-3.
PMID: 19892557 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2009.10.027

This paper describes a preliminary study of the thermoluminescence (TL) response of doped SiO(2) optical fibres subjected to (241)AmBe neutron irradiation. The TL materials, which comprise Al- and Ge-doped silica fibres, were exposed in close contact with the (241)AmBe source to obtain fast neutron interactions through use of measurements obtained with and without a Cd filter (the filter being made to entirely enclose the fibres). The neutron irradiations were performed for exposure times of 1-, 2-, 3-, 5- and 7-days in a neutron tank filled with water. In this study, use was also made of the Monte Carlo N-particle (MCNP) code version 5 (V5) to simulate the neutron irradiations experiment. It was found that the commercially available Ge-doped and Al-doped optical fibres show a linear dose response subjected to fast neutrons from (241)AmBe source up to seven days of irradiations. The simulation performed using MCNP5 also exhibits a similar pattern, albeit differing in sensitivity. The TL response of Ge-doped fibre is markedly greater than that of the Al-doped fibre, the total absorption cross section for Ge in both the fast and thermal neutrons region being some ten times greater than that of Al.
The thermoluminescence response of doped SiO2 optical fibres subjected to photon and electron irradiations

Hashim S, Al-Ahbabi S, Bradley DA, Webb M, Jeynes C, Ramli AT, et al.

Appl Radiat Isot, 2009 Mar;67(3):423-7.
PMID: 18693024 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2008.06.030

Modern linear accelerators, the predominant teletherapy machine in major radiotherapy centres worldwide, provide multiple electron and photon beam energies. To obtain reasonable treatment times, intense electron beam currents are achievable. In association with this capability, there is considerable demand to validate patient dose using systems of dosimetry offering characteristics that include good spatial resolution, high precision and accuracy. Present interest is in the thermoluminescence response and dosimetric utility of commercially available doped optical fibres. The important parameter for obtaining the highest TL yield during this study is to know the dopant concentration of the SiO2 fibre because during the production of the optical fibres, the dopants tend to diffuse. To achieve this aim, proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE), which has no depth resolution but can unambiguously identify elements and analyse for trace elements with detection limits approaching microg/g, was used. For Al-doped fibres, the dopant concentration in the range 0.98-2.93 mol% have been estimated, with equivalent range for Ge-doped fibres being 0.53-0.71 mol%. In making central-axis irradiation measurements a solid water phantom was used. For 6-MV photons and electron energies in the range 6, 9 and 12 MeV, a source to surface distance of 100 cm was used, with a dose rate of 400 cGy/min for photons and electrons. The TL measurements show a linear dose-response over the delivered range of absorbed dose from 1 to 4 Gy. Fading was found to be minimal, less than 10% over five days subsequent to irradiation. The minimum detectable dose for 6-MV photons was found to be 4, 30 and 900 microGy for TLD-100 chips, Ge- and Al-doped fibres, respectively. For 6-, 9- and 12-MeV electron energies, the minimum detectable dose were in the range 3-5, 30-50 and 800-1400 microGy for TLD-100 chip, Ge-doped and Al-doped fibres, respectively.
Fulltext Tailoring the surface area and the acid-base properties of ZrO2 for biodiesel production from Nannochloropsis sp

Rahman NJA, Ramli A, Jumbri K, Uemura Y

Sci Rep, 2019 11 07;9(1):16223.
PMID: 31700157 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52771-9

Bifunctional heterogeneous catalysts have a great potential to overcome the shortcomings of homogeneous and enzymatic catalysts and simplify the biodiesel production processes using low-grade, high-free-fatty-acid feedstock. In this study, we developed ZrO2-based bifunctional heterogeneous catalysts for simultaneous esterification and transesterification of microalgae to biodiesel. To avoid the disadvantage of the low surface area of ZrO2, the catalysts were prepared via a surfactant-assisted sol-gel method, followed by hydrothermal treatments. The response surface methodology central composite design was employed to investigate various factors, like the surfactant/Zr molar ratio, pH, aging time, and temperature on the ZrO2 surface area. The data were statistically analyzed to predict the optimal combination of factors, and further experiments were conducted for verification. Bi2O3 was supported on ZrO2 via the incipient wetness impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by a variety of techniques, which disclosed that the surfactant-assisted ZrO2 nanoparticles possess higher surface area, better acid-base properties, and well-formed pore structures than bare ZrO2. The highest yield of fatty acid methyl esters (73.21%) was achieved using Bi2O3/ZrO2(CTAB), and the catalytic activity of the developed catalysts was linearly correlated with the total densities of the acidic and basic sites. The mechanism of the simultaneous reactions was also discussed.
White coat effect and white coat hypertension: one and the same?

Ramli A, Halmey N, Teng C

Malays Fam Physician, 2008;3(3):158-61.
PMID: 25606143

White coat hypertension (WCHT) and white coat effect (WCE) are often thought to be of the same entity. They are in fact different conditions which carry distinctive definitions and prognostic significance. WCHT is diagnosed when office blood pressure (OBP) is ≥140/90 mmHg on at least 3 occasions, while the average daytime or 24-hour blood pressure is <135/85 mmHg. It is common with 15% prevalence in the general population and may account for over 30% of individuals in whom hypertension is diagnosed. Although individuals with WCHT were reported to have a better cardiovascular (CV) prognosis when compared to those with sustained hypertension and masked hypertension; they were also shown to have a greater prevalence of target organ damage (TOD) and metabolic abnormalities than that of normotensive subjects. In contrast, WCE is defined as the transient elevation of OBP induced by the alerting response to a doctor or a nurse. WCE can occur in both normotensive and hypertensive persons; and is not substantially influenced by reassurance and familiarisation. There is conflicting evidence with regards to prognostic significance of WCE, where most data indicated that it does not predict future TOD, CV morbidity or mortality; with some studies showed otherwise. This case scenario aims to solve the diagnostic perplexity with regards to WCHT and WCE, followed by an evidence-based commentary of how to best manage such conditions.
Fulltext Recognizing life-threatening features of dengue in children and health seeking behavior in dengue emergency amongst parents and carers: A cross-sectional study in Gombak district, Malaysia

Ariffin F, Ramli AS, Naim N, Selamat MI, Syed-Jamal SJ

Med J Malaysia, 2014 Oct;69(5):210-5.
PMID: 25638233

Dengue is life-threatening and the paediatric population is highly susceptible to complications. Deterioration can occur rapidly and ability to recognise early warning signs is crucial. This study aims to determine the knowledge and awareness of parents and carers and to predict their ability in recognising life-threatening symptoms and signs of dengue in children and to assess their health-seeking behaviour in dengue emergency. Methods This is a crosssectional study involving parents and carers of children ≤ 12 years old in schools and kindergartens in the Gombak district. Demographic details, knowledge on life-threatening symptoms and signs of dengue and health-seeking behaviour were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and knowledge scoring was done. The questionnaire was pilot tested with a Cronbach alpha of 0.82. The results were analysed using SPSS version 20.0. Results Total respondents were 866 with 44.8% men and 55.2% women. The mean age was 40.3 years (SD ± 5.7). Knowledge score of dengue life threatening features among respondents were good (30.0%) to average (56.8%). Respondents were able to recognise fever (98.5%), petechial rash (97.1%) and bleeding (65.2%) but were less able to recognise abdominal pain (22.3%) and passing less urine (28.2%) as life threatening dengue features. However, the ability to recognise fever is a poor predictor in recognising life threatening dengue in children compared to all other symptoms which were good predictors. A respondent that recognise stomach pain or neck stiffness were five times more likely to recognise life-threatening dengue. Respondents preferred to bring their children to the clinic (50.8%) or hospital (37.8%) themselves Instead of calling for ambulance. Worryingly, some would give antipyretics (3.6%) or wait for improvements (7.8%). Conclusion Concerted efforts by the schools, healthcare professionals and health authorities are required to educate parents and carers to identify life-threatening features of dengue and to improve their health seeking-behaviour.
Fulltext A Critical Review on Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Composites as Advanced Materials for Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation of Emerging Organic Pollutants from Wastewater

Zango ZU, Jumbri K, Sambudi NS, Ramli A, Abu Bakar NHH, Saad B, et al.

Polymers (Basel), 2020 Nov 10;12(11).
PMID: 33182825 DOI: 10.3390/polym12112648

Water-borne emerging pollutants are among the greatest concern of our modern society. Many of these pollutants are categorized as endocrine disruptors due to their environmental toxicities. They are harmful to humans, aquatic animals, and plants, to the larger extent, destroying the ecosystem. Thus, effective environmental remediations of these pollutants became necessary. Among the various remediation techniques, adsorption and photocatalytic degradation have been single out as the most promising. This review is devoted to the compilations and analysis of the role of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their composites as potential materials for such applications. Emerging organic pollutants, like dyes, herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and perfluorinated alkyl substances, have been extensively studied. Important parameters that affect these processes, such as surface area, bandgap, percentage removal, equilibrium time, adsorption capacity, and recyclability, are documented. Finally, we paint the current scenario and challenges that need to be addressed for MOFs and their composites to be exploited for commercial applications.
Isodose mapping of terrestrial gamma radiation in Sarawak-Borneo: Insights from surface-weathered soil analysis

Idris HN, Sanusi MSM, Ramli AT, Solleh MRM, Yahaya F, Ya'cob MZ, et al.

Appl Radiat Isot, 2024 Apr 16;209:111327.
PMID: 38642443 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2024.111327

Presentation of baseline data on terrestrial gamma radiation (TGR) levels is crucial for assessing the annual effective dose received by the public due to natural radiation exposure. Cumulative doses from various sources can become significant, warranting a spatial understanding of TGR distribution. Few countries have comprehensively mapped TGR on a national scale, often facing challenges due to remote or inaccessible regions. This study investigated the influence of weathered soil groups on TGR dose rates in Sarawak-Borneo, Malaysia, to facilitate insights for TGR projection and isodose mapping. A total of 1044 TGR dose rate measurements were collected using NaI (Tl) scintillation detector survey meters, with a mean of 100 nGy h-1 and a range of 8-375 nGy h-1. Non-parametric statistical analyses of variance using Welch's ANOVA, Brown-Forsythe, and Kruskal-Wallis validated (P-sig.=.000) notable dissimilarities among six categories of superficial-weathered soil. Graphical analysis using Sinclair's cumulative plot revealed deviations at intervals of 50, 80, 100, 120, 175, and 205 nGy h-1. These deviations indicate distinct lithological influences. Skeletal soil (entisols) and podzolic soils had high mean dose rates (148 and 113 nGy h-1, respectively) due to limited development, thus preserving abundant uranium (U) and thorium (Th). Meanwhile, gleysols and thionic soils exhibited compatible means (90 and 82 nGy h-1, respectively), while alluvial (or transported soils) and organic soils displayed lower dose rate ranges (mean of 76 and 47 nGy h-1, respectively), reflecting rapid hydrolysis weathering processes. Simple linear regression analysis revealed a strong relationship between TGR dose rate and mean value of weathered soil groups (y = 0.851x + 0.141 nGy h-1), signifying the significance and magnitude of weathered soil groups' impact on TGR dose rates. The obtained R-value is 0.704, indicating a strong linear correlation among soil group variables, and a Durbin-Watson statistic of 1.41, suggesting positive autocorrelation among residuals, thus positive relationships. An isodose map was successfully developed using the Kriging technique, aligning with lithological features of the study area. Semivariogram analysis reveals spatial dependence within a range of 1.47°, supporting the Kriging technique's suitability for spatial inference. In conclusion, this study has successfully revealed the relationship between TGR dose rates and superficial-weathered soil in Sarawak-Borneo. While the linear relationship is applicable to the Sundaland-Borneo tectonic block, it has potential to be used as a valuable tool for spatial inference of TGR dose rates in isodose development with similar lithologial characteristics, aiding in radiation exposure assessment and environmental monitoring.
Is opportunistic oral cancer screening by dentists feasible? An analysis of the patterns of dental attendance of a nationally representative sample over 10 years

Yusof ZY, Netuveli G, Ramli AS, Sheiham A

Oral Health Prev Dent, 2006;4(3):165-71.
PMID: 16961024

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether or not opportunistic oral cancer screening by dentists to detect pre-malignant or early cancer lesions is feasible. The objective was to analyse the patterns of dental attendance of a national representative sample over a period of 10 years to ascertain whether individuals at high-risk of oral cancer would be accessible for opportunistic oral cancer screening.
METHODS: Secondary analysis of data extracted from the British Household Panel Survey, a national longitudinal survey (n=5547). Analysis to ascertain whether patterns of attendance for dental check-ups for a period of 10 years (1991-2001) were associated with risk factors for oral cancer such as age, sex, education, social class, smoking status and smoking intensity.
RESULTS: Males, aged over 40 years, less educated manual workers and smokers were significantly less likely to attend for dental check-ups compared with females and younger, higher educated, higher socio-economic class non-smokers (p < 0.05). Throughout the 10-year period, young people, more than older people, had progressively lower odds ratios of attending. Those with more education used dental services more. Heavy smokers were infrequent attendees.
CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that opportunistic oral cancer screening by dentists is not feasible to include high-risk groups as they are not regular attendees over 10 years. Those who would be screened would be the low-risk groups. However, dentists should continue screening all patients as oral precancers are also found in regular attendees. More should be done to encourage the high-risk groups to visit their dentists.
Fulltext Effectiveness of a Combined Dance and Relaxation Intervention on Reducing Anxiety and Depression and Improving Quality of Life among the Cognitively Impaired Elderly

Adam D, Ramli A, Shahar S

Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J, 2016 Feb;16(1):e47-53.
PMID: 26909213 DOI: 10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.009

Cognitive impairment is a common problem among the elderly and is believed to be a precursor to dementia. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a combined dance and relaxation intervention as compared to relaxation alone in reducing anxiety and depression levels and improving quality of life (QOL) and cognitive function among the cognitively impaired elderly.
Isodose mapping of terrestrial gamma radiation dose rate of Selangor state, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Malaysia

Sanusi MS, Ramli AT, Gabdo HT, Garba NN, Heryanshah A, Wagiran H, et al.

J Environ Radioact, 2014 Sep;135:67-74.
PMID: 24787672 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.04.004

A terrestrial gamma radiation survey for the state of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya was conducted to obtain baseline data for environmental radiological health practices. Based on soil type, geological background and information from airborne survey maps, 95 survey points statistically representing the study area were determined. The measured doses varied according to geological background and soil types. They ranged from 17 nGy h(-1) to 500 nGy h(-1). The mean terrestrial gamma dose rate in air above the ground was 182 ± 81 nGy h(-1). This is two times higher than the average dose rate of terrestrial gamma radiation in Malaysia which is 92 nGy h(-1) (UNSCEAR 2000). An isodose map was produced to represent exposure rate from natural sources of terrestrial gamma radiation.
Assessment of health hazard due to natural radioactivity in Kluang District, Johor, Malaysia

Aziz Saleh M, Termizi Ramli A, Alajerami Y, Damoom M, Sadiq Aliyu A

Isotopes Environ Health Stud, 2014;50(1):103-13.
PMID: 24279290 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2013.821469

The radiation survey of the ambient environment was conducted using two gamma detectors, and the measurement results were used in the computation of the mean external radiation dose rate, mean-weighted dose rate and annual effective dose, which are 144 nGy h(-1), 0.891 mSv y(-1) and 178 μSv, respectively. A high-purity germanium detector was used to determine the activity concentrations of (232)Th, (226)Ra and (40)K in soil samples. The results of the gamma spectrometry of the soil samples show radioactivity concentration ranges from 19±1 to 405±13 Bq kg(-1) with a mean value of 137±5 Bq kg(-1) for (232)Th, from 21±2 to 268±9 Bq kg(-1)with a mean value of 78±3 Bq kg(-1) for (226)Ra and from 23±9 to 1268±58 Bq kg(-1) with a mean value of 207±13 Bq kg(-1) for (40)K. Radium equivalent activity (Raeq) and external hazard index (Hex) were 290 Bq kg(-1) and 0.784, respectively, which were safe for the population. The mean lifetime dose and lifetime cancer risk for each person living in the area with average lifetime (70 y) were 12.46 mSv and 7.25×10(-4) Sv year, respectively. The results were compared with values given in United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation 2000.
Fulltext Risk of serious adverse events after the BNT162b2, CoronaVac, and ChAdOx1 vaccines in Malaysia: A self-controlled case series study

Ab Rahman N, Lim MT, Lee FY, Lee SC, Ramli A, Saharudin SN, et al.

Vaccine, 2022 Jul 30;40(32):4394-4402.
PMID: 35667917 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.05.075

BACKGROUND: Rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines is challenging for safety surveillance, especially on adverse events of special interest (AESIs) that were not identified during the pre-licensure studies. This study evaluated the risk of hospitalisations for predefined diagnoses among the vaccinated population in Malaysia.
METHODS: Hospital admissions for selected diagnoses between 1 February 2021 and 30 September 2021 were linked to the national COVID-19 immunisation register. We conducted self-controlled case-series study by identifying individuals who received COVID-19 vaccine and diagnosis of thrombocytopenia, venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, myocarditis/pericarditis, arrhythmia, stroke, Bell's Palsy, and convulsion/seizure. The incidence of events was assessed in risk period of 21 days postvaccination relative to the control period. We used conditional Poisson regression to calculate the incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) with adjustment for calendar period.
RESULTS: There was no increase in the risk for myocarditis/pericarditis, Bell's Palsy, stroke, and myocardial infarction in the 21 days following either dose of BNT162b2, CoronaVac, and ChAdOx1 vaccines. A small increased risk of venous thromboembolism (IRR 1.24; 95% CI 1.02, 1.49), arrhythmia (IRR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07, 1.26), and convulsion/seizure (IRR 1.26; 95% CI 1.07, 1.48) was observed among BNT162b2 recipients. No association between CoronaVac vaccine was found with all events except arrhythmia (IRR 1.15; 95% CI 1.01, 1.30). ChAdOx1 vaccine was associated with an increased risk of thrombocytopenia (IRR 2.67; 95% CI 1.21, 5.89) and venous thromboembolism (IRR 2.22; 95% CI 1.17, 4.21).
CONCLUSION: This study shows acceptable safety profiles of COVID-19 vaccines among recipients of BNT162b2, CoronaVac, and ChAdOx1 vaccines. This information can be used together with effectiveness data for risk-benefit analysis of the vaccination program. Further surveillance with more data is required to assess AESIs following COVID-19 vaccination in short- and long-term.
Fulltext Study on physiochemical properties and the halalness of commercially marketed vinegar in Malaysia

Jamaludin, M.A., Amin, A., Fadzlillah, N. A., Kartika, B., Othman, R., Sani, S., et al.

International Food Research Journal, 2017;24(101):0-0.
MyJurnal

Vinegar is very popular as traditional ingredient for cooking, pickling, and preservation. It is made from sugar or starch by an alcoholic and acetous fermentation and produces ethanol as a by-product. Alcohol is prohibited to be consumed for Muslim or used as ingredient if it is exceeding the allowable limit as stated by Islamic Council in Malaysia. According to Fatwa Committee National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia, natural occurrences of ethanol in food products are acceptable if the ethanol contents are less than 1% in beverages and 0.5% for flavoring or coloring substances for the purpose of stabilization. On the other hand, for specific vinegar product, as stated by Malaysian Food Act and Regulation, acetic acid content must be at least 4%. According to FAO/WHO, a product is to be labelled as vinegar if the acetic acid content is 6% and with a maximum residual alcohol content of 0.5%v/v for wine vinegar and 1%v/v for other vinegars. This study investigated the physiochemical properties of the vinegar from different sources of raw materials. Total solubility (TA) by using Brix method, pH, and alcohol and acetic acid content by GC-TOF/MS of 12 commercial vinegars from Malaysia and abroad were studied. The result shown that for pH value of commercial vinegar are ranged from 2.51-3.14°Brix from 2.10-40.73°Brix, acetic acid is ranged from 0.0253-0.1276% and ethanol content from 0-0.5911%. Thus, this study will come out with the clear observation on ethanol content in fermented product which is vinegar in order to categories the halalness of the product that available in Malaysia market especially the ones that are produced internationally. Lastly, as shown by the profiling study, vinegar that are imported internationally may contain some amount of alcohol in contrast with the one that locally produced in Malaysia and has Halal certification.
Tabulation of organ dose conversion factors for terrestrial radioactivity monitoring program

Sanusi MSM, Hassan WMSW, Hashim S, Ramli AT

Appl Radiat Isot, 2021 Aug;174:109791.
PMID: 34062400 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109791

Terrestrial radioactivity monitoring of 238U and 232Th series, and 40K in soil is an essential practice for radioactivity and radiation measurement of a place. In conventional practice, only basic data can be in-situ measured using a survey instrument, for example radioactivity concentration in soil and ambient dose equivalent rate. For other physical quantities, for example organ absorbed dose and organ equivalent dose, the measurement is impossible to be performed and can only be computed using Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations. In the past, most of the works only focused on calculating air-kerma-to-effective dose conversion factors. However, the information on organ dose conversion factors is scarcely documented and reported. This study was conducted to calculate organ absorbed and tissue-weighted equivalent dose conversion factors as a result of exposure from terrestrial gamma radiation. Series of organ dose conversion factors is produced based on computations from Monte Carlo MCNP5 simulations using modelled gamma irradiation geometry and established adult MIRD phantom. The study found out that most of the radiation exposed organs absorb energy at comparable rates, except for dense and superficial tissues i.e., skeleton and skin, which indicated slightly higher values. The good agreement between this work and previous studies demonstrated that our gamma irradiation geometry and modelling of gamma radiation sources are adequate. Therefore, the proposed organ dose conversion factors from this study are reasonably acceptable for dose estimation in environmental radioactivity monitoring practices.
Fulltext Methyl oleate deoxygenation for production of diesel fuel aliphatic hydrocarbons over Pd/SBA-15 catalysts

Lee SP, Ramli A

Chem Cent J, 2013;7(1):149.
PMID: 24011181 DOI: 10.1186/1752-153X-7-149

Catalytic deoxygenation is a prominent process for production of renewable fuels from vegetable oil. In this work, deoxygenation of technical grade methyl oleate to diesel fuel aliphatic hydrocarbons (C15 - C18) is evaluated with several parameters including temperature, hydrogen pressure and reaction time in a stirred batch reactor over Pd/SBA-15 catalysts.
Gasifier selection, design and gasification of oil palm fronds with preheated and unheated gasifying air

Guangul FM, Sulaiman SA, Ramli A

Bioresour Technol, 2012 Dec;126:224-32.
PMID: 23073112 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.09.018

Oil palm frond biomass is abundantly available in Malaysia, but underutilized. In this study, gasifiers were evaluated based on the available literature data and downdraft gasifiers were found to be the best option for the study of oil palm fronds gasification. A downdraft gasifier was constructed with a novel height adjustment mechanism for changing the position of gasifying air and steam inlet. The oil palm fronds gasification results showed that preheating the gasifying air improved the volumetric percentage of H(2) from 8.47% to 10.53%, CO from 22.87% to 24.94%, CH(4) from 2.02% to 2.03%, and higher heating value from 4.66 to 5.31 MJ/Nm(3) of the syngas. In general, the results of the current study demonstrated that oil palm fronds can be used as an alternative energy source in the energy diversification plan of Malaysia through gasification, along with, the resulting syngas quality can be improved by preheating the gasifying air.
Multimodal physiotherapeutic management for stage-IV osteitis pubis in a 15-year old soccer athlete: a case report

Vijayakumar P, Nagarajan M, Ramli A

J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil, 2012;25(4):225-30.
PMID: 23220803 DOI: 10.3233/BMR-2012-0337

Osteitis pubis among soccer athletes is a disabling painful condition and it is difficult to manage without integrating a multimodal treatment approach. There is limited scientific evidence on the effectiveness of exercise in treating Osteitis pubis especially when it progress to a chronic painful condition. The purpose of this case report is to discuss the successful multimodal physiotherapeutic management for a 15-year old soccer athlete diagnosed with stage-IV Osteitis pubis. Land and water based active core muscle strengthening exercises, Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques (PNF) and Manual Therapy are some of the essential components incorporated in multimodal intervention approach with emphasis to water based strength and endurance training exercises. The athlete was able to make progress to a successful recovery from his chronic painful condition and accomplished the clearly established clinical outcomes during each phase of rehabilitation.

Filters

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

External Links