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  1. Synthesis of nano-sized hydroxyapatite
    Tan SA, Ahmad Fauzi MN, Luay BH, Radzali O
    Med J Malaysia, 2004 May;59 Suppl B:162-3.
    PMID: 15468868
    In this work, nanometer HA crystals have been synthesized via wet chemical precipitation and characterized. This research studies how key synthesis parameters affect the size and phase purity of the produced HA. Characterization work was carried out using X-ray powder diffraction method and scanning electron microscopy for phase identification and particle sizing, respectively.
  2. Relationship between Perceived Peer and Adolescents' Sexual Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Gender
    Hor GL, Tan SA, Soh LL, Lim RQ
    J Genet Psychol, 2022 Jan 05.
    PMID: 34984962 DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2021.2023457
    In Malaysia, sexual health risks such as unprotected sex, teenage pregnancies, abandoned babies, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise because adolescents are increasingly engaging in such sexual behaviors. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived peer sexual behaviors and sexual behaviors among adolescents as well as to examine the interacting role of gender in such a relationship. This cross-sectional study recruited a sample of 338 school-going adolescents (Mage = 16.7; SDage = 1.53) using the purposive sampling method. Participants were required to complete questionnaires consisting of the modified Human Sexuality Questionnaire-Orgasmic Experience Scale and the Peer Norms Scale. Results indicated that adolescents who perceived their peers to be actively engaging in sexual behaviors were more prone to being sexually active themselves. The results also showed gender as a significant moderator in the relationship between adolescents' perceived peers' sexual behaviors and sexual behaviors. Besides, the impact of perceived peer sexual behaviors on sexual behaviors was found to be stronger in male than female adolescents. Overall, the findings from this study hinted at the importance of peers and gender differences during the planning and implementation of sexual and health education.
  3. Fulltext Psychometric Qualities of the McMaster Family Assessment Device-General Functioning Subscale for Malaysian Samples
    Cong CW, Tan SA, Nainee S, Tan CS
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Feb 20;19(4).
    PMID: 35206628 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042440
    Family functioning has been associated with psychological well-being and physical health. The 12-item McMaster Family Assessment Device-General Functioning Subscale (FAD-GF) has been widely used to assess individuals' overall level of family functioning. However, it has shown an inconsistent factor structure across various studies. The present study investigated its psychometric qualities in two studies with two different adult samples in Malaysia. In Study 1 (N = 417, 55.3% females, 19 to 26 years old), exploratory factor analyses were conducted, and four models were found: a three-factor model with 11 items, a two-factor model with 12 items, and one-factor models with six negatively worded items and six positively worded items, respectively. Study 2 (N = 358, 65.1% females, 18 to 60 years old) compared models found in past studies and those found in Study 1 through confirmatory factor analyses on another sample of adults. Among the six competing models, the two-factor model with three positively worded and three negatively worded items (i.e., FAD-GF-SF) is preferable because it did not require modification and showed a clear-cut result of goodness of fit. The subscales demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency. In conclusion, the FAD-GF-SF is a useful instrument for measuring family functioning in the Malaysian context.
  4. Association Between Self-Esteem and Happiness Among Adolescents in Malaysia: The Mediating Role of Motivation
    Yap CC, Mohamad Som RB, Sum XY, Tan SA, Yee KW
    Psychol Rep, 2021 Mar 31.
    PMID: 33789536 DOI: 10.1177/00332941211005124
    Adolescence is the developmental process of becoming an adult. This journey of physical and psychological maturation is filled with challenges and hormonal chaos, and teenagers experience unhappiness at times. From a psychological perspective, this study aimed to examine the association between motivation, self-esteem and happiness; and to explore the mediating role of motivation in the association between self-esteem and happiness among adolescents in Malaysia. 480 secondary school students were recruited using a multistage cluster sampling method and answered the Malay versions of the Subjective Happiness, Brief Motivation and Rosenberg Self-esteem scales. Both self-esteem and motivation were found positively correlated to happiness. The hypothetical mediating role of motivation on the association between self-esteem and happiness was also supported, indicating that individuals with higher self-esteem have higher motivation which may result in greater happiness. Since the direct association between self-esteem and happiness remained significant, a partial mediation of adolescents' motivation between self-esteem and happiness is indicated. The results showed that perceived self-esteem plays a role in predicting happiness and the presence of motivation enhances happiness, providing an insight to nurture happier adolescents for parents and educators in Malaysia.
  5. Fulltext Antioxidant-rich Clove Extract, A Strong Antimicrobial Agent against Urinary Tract Infections-causing Bacteria in vitro
    Rosarior VL, Lim PS, Wong WK, Yue CS, Yam HC, Tan SA
    Trop Life Sci Res, 2021 Jun;32(2):45-63.
    PMID: 34367514 DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2021.32.2.4
    Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is an exotic culinary spice that has been used for centuries due to its known antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The main aim of this study is to compare the antimicrobial activity and antioxidant capacity of clove ethanolic extract (CEE) and commercial clove essential oil (CEO) at a standardised eugenol content. Disk diffusion assay showed that CEE (2000 μg) was able to exhibit broad-spectrum inhibition against both Gram negative and Gram positive Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)-causing pathogens: Proteus mirabilis (19.7 ± 0.6 mm) > Staphylococcus epidermidis (18 mm) > Staphylococcus aureus (14.7 ± 0.6 mm) > Escherichia coli (12.7 ± 0.6 mm) > Klebsiella pneumoniae (12.3 ± 0.6 mm) (according to the size of inhibition zone). Interestingly, the comparison between CEE and commercial CEO revealed that the former demonstrated stronger antimicrobial and antioxidative properties at similar eugenol concentration. The EC50 of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and reducing power assay for CEE were determined as 0.037 mg/mL, 0.68 mg/mL and 0.44 mg/mL, respectively. Besides eugenol, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analyses identified the presence of kaempferol, gallic acid and catechin in CEE. As a conclusion, we concluded that there was a possible synergistic effect between eugenol and the others active compounds especially kaempferol which led to the observed bioactivities in CEE.
  6. Chemopreventive effects of standardized papaya leaf fraction on oxidatively stressed human liver cells
    Tan SA, Goya L, Ramanathan S, Sulaiman SF, Alam M, Navaratnam V
    Food Res Int, 2014 Oct;64:387-395.
    PMID: 30011665 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2014.06.040
    Extract from papaya leaves, a waste material from fruit farms in Malaysia was previously reported to possess remarkable antioxidative activities. In this study, papaya leaf extract was separated into fractions of different polarities [petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EA), n-butanol (NB) and water (W) fractions]. The aim of this research was to determine the most active fraction in terms of its chemopreventive effects towards oxidative stress and the chemical constituents involved. The cytoprotective nature of the papaya fractions was observed against t-BOOH-induced oxidative stress on HepG2 liver cell line. ROS assay indicated that only PE and EA effectively reduced the increment of radical due to the pro-oxidant, t-BOOH. Nevertheless, PE was a stronger ROS scavenger by demonstrating ROS reducing activity in a dose-dependent manner to the basal level. This fraction was also found to inhibit cell death caused by t-BOOH toxicity, attenuating lactate dehydrogenase enzyme leakage by more than 90% (p<0.05). In addition, gene expression of phase II antioxidant enzymes (hmox-1 and nqo-1) and their transcription factor (nrf-2) were shown to be upregulated upon PE treatment during a time-course study. A GC-MS fingerprint of the active fraction was subsequently obtained with standardization using the marker compound; α-tocopherol, a well known antioxidant. However, this pure compound was not as effective as its corresponding PE concentrations in ROS reduction. Hence, PE of papaya leaf extract was a strong antioxidant and cytoprotectant with tremendous potential to be harnessed into the next therapeutic remedy against oxidative stress of the liver.
  7. Fulltext Purification, Identification and Characterization of Antioxidant Peptides from Corn Silk Tryptic Hydrolysate: An Integrated In Vitro-In Silico Approach
    Ong JH, Koh JA, Cao H, Tan SA, Abd Manan F, Wong FC, et al.
    Antioxidants (Basel), 2021 Nov 17;10(11).
    PMID: 34829693 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10111822
    Corn silk (CS) is an agro-by-product from corn cultivation. It is used in folk medicines in some countries, besides being commercialized as health-promoting supplements and beverages. Unlike CS-derived natural products, their bioactive peptides, particularly antioxidant peptides, are understudied. This study aimed to purify, identify and characterize antioxidant peptides from trypsin-hydrolyzed CS proteins. Purification was accomplished by membrane ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and strong-cation-exchange solid-phase extraction, guided by 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical cation (ABTS•+) scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and lipid peroxidation inhibition assays. De novo sequencing identified 29 peptides (6-14 residues; 633-1518 Da). The peptides consisted of 33-86% hydrophobic and 10-67% basic residues. Molecular docking found MCFHHHFHK, VHFNKGKKR, and PVVWAAKR having the strongest affinity (-4.7 to -4.8 kcal/mol) to ABTS•+, via hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Potential cellular mechanisms of the peptides were supported by their interactions with modulators of intracellular oxidant status: Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, myeloperoxidase, and xanthine oxidase. NDGPSR (Asn-Asp-Gly-Pro-Ser-Arg), the most promising peptide, showed stable binding to all three cellular targets, besides exhibiting low toxicity, low allergenicity, and cell-penetrating potential. Overall, CS peptides have potential application as natural antioxidant additives and functional food ingredients.
  8. Fulltext Asian "Guan" Parenting and Life Satisfaction Among Adolescents in Malaysia: The Mediating Role of Filial Piety
    Nainee S, Tan SA, Tan CS, Gan SW, Tan JP
    Front Psychol, 2021;12:746540.
    PMID: 34899486 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.746540
    Literature on adolescent development has shown that parenting practices have positive relationships with adolescents' life satisfaction. Adolescents' life satisfaction improves when they have parents low in psychological control who uphold reciprocal self-disclosure in their communication. Guan parenting was found to correlate positively with adolescents' development. Therefore, it is methodologically important to replicate the investigation on the relationship between adolescents' life satisfaction and Guan parenting. Literature suggests that filial piety is shaped by parenting practices and adolescents who perceived intense parental concern, care, and involvement tend to uphold filial piety and express gratitude toward parents which may promote the adolescents' life satisfaction. In this study, mediation analysis was done to elucidate the relationship among parents' guan parenting style, filial piety, and life satisfaction on 606 adolescents (Mage=15.07; SDage=1.03; 52.1% females) in Malaysia. The adolescents were sampled through cluster sampling, and data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. The results showed positive relationship between paternal and maternal guan parenting with filial piety and adolescents' life satisfaction. Greater parents' filial piety was linked to higher life satisfaction among adolescents. Findings from the mediation models indicated the association among guan parenting with filial piety, gratitude toward parents, and higher life satisfaction. The findings also offered empirical evidence to the underlying mechanism of how guan parenting could affect adolescent life satisfaction via the mediating role of filial piety. The findings also supported the importance of culture-infused parenting in inculcating adolescents' filial piety besides establishing its link to life satisfaction in Asian families.
  9. Fulltext Commercially Available Textiles as a Scaffolding Platform for Large-Scale Cell Culture
    Agarwal T, Tan SA, Rathnam Vuppaladadium SS, Sajja T, Maiti TK
    Int J Biomater, 2023;2023:2227509.
    PMID: 36909982 DOI: 10.1155/2023/2227509
    The present study outlines the evaluation of textile materials that are currently in the market for cell culture applications. By using normal LaserJet printing techniques, we created the substrates, which were then characterized physicochemically and biologically. In particular, (i) we found that the weave pattern and (ii) the chemical nature of the textiles significantly influenced the behaviour of the cells. Textiles with closely knitted fibers and cell adhesion motifs, exhibited better cell adhesion and proliferation over a period of 7 days. All the substrates supported good viability of cells (>80%). We believe that these aspects make commercially available textiles as a potential candidate for large-scale culture of adherent cells.
  10. Fulltext The Relationship between Job Insecurity and Psychological Well-Being among Malaysian Precarious Workers: Work-Life Balance as a Mediator
    Abdul Jalil NI, Tan SA, Ibharim NS, Musa AZ, Ang SH, Mangundjaya WL
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2023 Feb 03;20(3).
    PMID: 36768122 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032758
    The emergence of coronavirus disease has impacted human lives, one of which is economic disruption. Many Malaysian organisations have devised various crisis-response techniques, such as downsizing, laying off, retrenching, and combining. As a result, the number of Malaysians working in precarious jobs, which are defined by unpredictable and uncertain situations, has indirectly increased, hence increasing job insecurity. Therefore, maintaining psychological health is essential to safeguarding the mental health of employees. In the current working landscape, job security and work-life balance have commonly been deemed necessary in contributing to well-being among employees. As a result, the purpose of this study was to examine how work-life balance influences the relationship between job insecurity and psychological well-being among Malaysian precarious workers. It also fills a gap in the research by explaining the causal association between job insecurity and psychological well-being among precarious workers, as previous well-being studies have largely focused on employees with secure jobs. There were 442 responders collected using purposive and snowball sampling methods, and they were requested to complete the Job Insecurity Scale (JIS), Work-Life Balance, and Well-Being Index Scale (WHO-5). Job instability was negatively connected with work-life balance and psychological well-being. On the other hand, work-life balance was found to be positively related to psychological well-being. This supports the notion that work-life balance is a significant mediator in the relationship between job insecurity and psychological well-being. These findings emphasise that Malaysian precarious workers with job security could enhance their psychological well-being by achieving work-life balance.
  11. The contributions of grandparents to preadolescent grandchildren's social skills in rural Malaysia
    Tan JP, Gan SW, Cheah CSL, Tan SA, Nainee S, Yap CC, et al.
    J Res Adolesc, 2024 Jun;34(2):410-435.
    PMID: 38797867 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12959
    This study aimed to generate localized knowledge by investigating the perceptions and experiences of preadolescent grandchildren and grandparents regarding grandparenting and intergenerational interactions and how these processes were related to the social skills of preadolescents from three ethnic groups in Malaysia. Using a concurrent quantitative-qualitative mixed method research design, Chinese, Malay, and Indian preadolescents (N = 465; ages 9-12 years old; M = 10.27 years; SD = 1.03) from rural areas in Malaysia completed a self-administered quantitative survey; furthermore, 25 grandparents participated in one-on-one interviews. Survey findings showed that preadolescent grandchildren who reported higher grandparental warmth and support had greater social skills, mediated by positive grandparent-grandchildren (GP-GC) relationships. The GP-GC relationship and preadolescent social skills association was stronger for skipped generation compared to three-generation households. Interview findings revealed that grandparents expressed unconditional love and autonomy support in their grandparenting roles by guiding and encouraging their preadolescent grandchildren to make decisions. The GP-GC interactions served as a dynamic force in promoting preadolescents' social skills. By employing a decolonized approach and drawing on the lived experiences of grandparents from three ethnic backgrounds in rural Malaysia, the study provided an understanding of grandparenting practices and their general implications across the three ethnic groups. The interview responses highlighted both commonalities and specificities in grandparenting practices and relationship dynamics shaped by religious, class, and sociocultural dimensions in rural Malaysia.
  12. Recent advances in bioprinting technologies for engineering different cartilage-based tissues
    Agarwal T, Chiesa I, Presutti D, Irawan V, Vajanthri KY, Costantini M, et al.
    Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl, 2021 Apr;123:112005.
    PMID: 33812625 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2021.112005
    Inadequate self-repair and regenerative efficiency of the cartilage tissues has motivated the researchers to devise advanced and effective strategies to resolve this issue. Introduction of bioprinting to tissue engineering has paved the way for fabricating complex biomimetic engineered constructs. In this context, the current review gears off with the discussion of standard and advanced 3D/4D printing technologies and their implications for the repair of different cartilage tissues, namely, articular, meniscal, nasoseptal, auricular, costal, and tracheal cartilage. The review is then directed towards highlighting the current stem cell opportunities. On a concluding note, associated critical issues and prospects for future developments, particularly in this sphere of personalized medicines have been discussed.
  13. Nanotechnology based approaches for anti-diabetic drugs delivery
    Kesharwani P, Gorain B, Low SY, Tan SA, Ling ECS, Lim YK, et al.
    Diabetes Res Clin Pract, 2018 Feb;136:52-77.
    PMID: 29196152 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2017.11.018
    Nanotechnology science has been diverged its application in several fields with the advantages to operate with nanometric range of objects. Emerging field of nanotechnology has been also being approached and applied in medical biology for improved efficacy and safety. Increased success in therapeutic field has focused several approaches in the treatment of the common metabolic disorder, diabetes. The development of nanocarriers for improved delivery of different oral hypoglycemic agents compared to conventional therapies includes nanoparticles (NPs), liposomes, dendrimer, niosomes and micelles, which produces great control over the increased blood glucose level and thus becoming an eye catching and most promising technology now-a-days. Besides, embellishment of nanocarriers with several ligands makes it more targeted delivery with the protection of entrapped hypoglycaemic agents against degradation, thereby optimizing prolonged blood glucose lowering effect. Thus, nanocarriers of hypoglycemic agents provide the aim towards improved diabetes management with minimized risk of acute and chronic complications. In this review, we provide an overview on distinctive features of each nano-based drug delivery system for diabetic treatment and current NPs applications in diabetes management.
  14. Fulltext The Satisfaction with Life Scale in Adolescent Samples: Measurement Invariance across 24 Countries and Regions, Age, and Gender
    Jovanović V, Rudnev M, Arslan G, Buzea C, Dimitrova R, Góngora V, et al.
    Appl Res Qual Life, 2022 Jan 24.
    PMID: 35096193 DOI: 10.1007/s11482-021-10024-w
    Measurement of adolescent life satisfaction across cultures has not received much attention in previous empirical research. The present study evaluated measurement invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) among adolescents in 24 countries and regions (N = 22,710; age range = 13-19 years; 53% female). A single-factor model with residual covariance between a pair of items tapping past life satisfaction fitted well in 19 countries and regions and showed a partial metric invariance. In a subset of nine countries and regions, partial scalar invariance was supported. Partial metric invariance across all 24 countries and regions was achieved when custom model modifications in five countries and regions were included. Three SWLS items showed evidence of noninvariance across cultures. The measurement model was found to operate similarly across gender and age. Our findings suggest that caution is needed when using the SWLS for measuring life satisfaction among adolescents from different cultures.

    Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11482-021-10024-w.

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