1.Characterization of collagen/chitosan films for skin regenerating scaffold.
Ismarul IN ; Ishak Y ; Ismail Z ; Mohd Shalihuddin WM
The Medical Journal of Malaysia 2004;59 Suppl B():57-58
Various proportions of chitosan/collagen films (70/30% to 95/05%) w/w were prepared and evaluated for its suitability as skin regenerating scaffold. Interactions between chitosan and collagen were studied using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Colorimetry (DSC). Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to investigate the morphology of the blend. Mechanical properties were evaluated using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The chitosan/collagen films were found to swell proportionally with time until it reaches equilibrium. FTIR spectroscopy indicated no chemical interaction between the components of the blends. DSC data indicated only one peak proving that these two materials are compatible at all proportions investigated. SEM micrographs also indicated good homogeneity between these two materials.
Biocompatible Materials/*analysis
;
Burns/physiopathology
;
Burns/*therapy
;
Chitosan/*analysis
;
Collagen Type I/*analysis
;
*Materials Testing
;
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
;
*Occlusive Dressings
;
Regeneration/*physiology
;
Skin/*physiopathology
;
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
;
Tensile Strength
2.Breakfast Skipping and Its Associated Factors among Undergraduates in a Public University in Kuala Lumpur
Moy FM ; Johari S ; Ismail Y ; Mahad R ; Tie FH ; Wan Ismail WMA
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 2009;15(2):165-174
An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in a public university in Kuala
Lumpur among a random sample of 2665 undergraduates. The objective was to
study the prevalence of breakfast skipping and its associated factors. Data
collection was conducted via a self-administered pre-tested questionnaire. There
were 43.5% male respondents, with Malays being the majority (58.3%). The
prevalence of breakfast skipping was 29.2 (95% CI: 27.3 – 30.3) %. The factors
significantly associated with breakfast skipping (p<0.05) were age, race,
accommodation, faculty and skipping dinner. As the respondents’ age increased,
their risk of breakfast skipping was lower (OR: 0.95; 0.89 – 0.99). Malays (OR:
1.94; 1.48 – 2.54), Indians (OR: 1.70; 1.08 – 2.66), and students from the Sabah and
Sarawak indigenous communities (OR: 2.13; 1.37 – 3.33) were more likely to skip
breakfast compared to their Chinese counterparts. Respondents who stayed in
their own houses were also less likely to skip breakfast compared to those
staying in hostel with meals catered (OR: 2.32; 1.39 – 3.84), hostel with cafeteria
(OR: 2.92; 1.74 – 4.91) or in rented houses (OR: 2.08; 1.25 – 3.46). Respondents
majoring in Arts & Economics had 1.40 (1.07 – 1.82) times risk of breakfast
skipping compared to those majoring in Life Sciences. Those who skipped dinner
too had twice the odds (1.47 – 2.77) of breakfast skipping. In conclusion the
prevalence of breakfast skipping among the undergraduates of this university
was moderately high. Health awareness campaigns or introduction of healthy
eating guidelines should be initiated for the undergraduates as well as food
caterers in campus. The policy and pricing of catered food in campus should also
be reviewed.
3.Paramedics’ Perception on Video Assisted Learning Method in Learning Emergency Skills
Bala Krishnian M ; Ahmad Khaldun I ; Hamidah Y ; Johar MJ ; Ismail MS
Medicine and Health 2016;11(1):47-55
Information technology use in healthcare education has become a popular
medium of instruction. One of the medium of instruction is video assisted learning
(VAL). The use of VAL as an instructional method in the teaching and learning of emergency skills is not new. However, there are lack of studies on the perception of
using this method in learning emergency skills. This qualitative study involved four
focused discussion groups following a VAL instruction on emergency skills. A total
of 20 paramedics were divided into four groups. They were involved in a focussed
discussion after a VAL instruction session. Findings reveal that the paramedics
perceived three major themes which were categorized as : i) advantages of video
as teaching tool, ii) barrier in using video as a teaching tool; and iii) suggestions on
using video as teaching tool. The findings indicate that the paramedics perceived
VAL as a potential tool for learning emergency skills. However, they suggested the
language of instruction should be in their mother tongue for better understanding.
This implies that using English language has disadvantage in technology enhanced
learning for better understanding.
Computer-Assisted Instruction
4.An External Independent Validation of APACHE IV in a Malaysian Intensive Care Unit.
Rowena S Y WONG ; Noor Azina ISMAIL ; Cheng Cheng TAN
Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 2015;44(4):127-132
INTRODUCTIONIntensive care unit (ICU) prognostic models are predominantly used in more developed nations such as the United States, Europe and Australia. These are not that popular in Southeast Asian countries due to costs and technology considerations. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the suitability of the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) IV model in a single centre Malaysian ICU.
MATERIALS AND METHODSA prospective study was conducted at the single centre ICU in Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) Malaysia. External validation of APACHE IV involved a cohort of 916 patients who were admitted in 2009. Model performance was assessed through its calibration and discrimination abilities. A first-level customisation using logistic regression approach was also applied to improve model calibration.
RESULTSAPACHE IV exhibited good discrimination, with an area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.78. However, the model's overall fit was observed to be poor, as indicated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test (Ĉ = 113, P <0.001). Predicted in-ICU mortality rate (28.1%) was significantly higher than the actual in-ICU mortality rate (18.8%). Model calibration was improved after applying first-level customisation (Ĉ = 6.39, P = 0.78) although discrimination was not affected.
CONCLUSIONAPACHE IV is not suitable for application in HSA ICU, without further customisation. The model's lack of fit in the Malaysian study is attributed to differences in the baseline characteristics between HSA ICU and APACHE IV datasets. Other possible factors could be due to differences in clinical practice, quality and services of health care systems between Malaysia and the United States.
APACHE ; Adult ; Female ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Malaysia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Theoretical ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Severity of Illness Index ; Tertiary Care Centers
6.Cervical screening in foreign domestic workers in Singapore.
Julia C L ENG ; Joyce B T ER ; Carrie S Y WAN ; Y K LIM ; Ida ISMAIL-PRATT ; Joseph S Y NG
Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 2021;50(2):135-140
INTRODUCTION:
Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with about 85% occurring in low-middle income countries (LMIC) and an age-standardised incidence rate of more than 15 per 100,000. It is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening. In Singapore, 18% of the foreign domestic workforce hail from Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and India. However, there is no data on preinvasive cervical disease and cervical cancer in foreign domestic workers (FDWs) and the aim of this pilot programme is to determine the baseline screen positive rate of high-grade intraepithelial in this population.
METHODS:
A total of 322 FDWs were offered HPV screening through the Helping Our Helper (HOH) pilot programme. Data from this pilot programme were analysed and reported using simple descriptive statistics.
RESULTS:
Out of the 322 FDWs who registered for HPV screening, 68.6% participated. There was a 22.2% screen-positive rate; 10% of those who screened positive for high-risk HPV had histologically confirmed high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. This result is similar to other data on cervical cancer screening in Singaporeans. This pilot project screened less than 1% of the eligible FDWs in Singapore.
DISCUSSION
The findings of this pilot programme suggest that there is public health value in providing cervical cancer screening to FDWs. Improving cervical cancer screening by increasing awareness and including routine cervical cancer screening as part of the employment medical examination should be studied.
7.Hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic study of Gynura procumbens leaf extracts.
Khalid ALGARIRI ; Kuong Y MENG ; Item J ATANGWHO ; Mohd Z ASMAWI ; Amirin SADIKUN ; Vikneswaran MURUGAIYAH ; Norhyati ISMAIL
Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine 2013;3(5):358-366
OBJECTIVETo study the antidiabetic activity of Gynura procumbens (G. procumbens) used in the traditional management of diabetes in Southern Asia.
METHODSG. procumbens leaves were extracted sequentially with graded percentage of ethanol in water (95%, 75%, 50%, 25% and 0%), and the extracts were tested for antidiabetic activity using acute (7 h), subcutaneous glucose tolerance test and sub-chronic (14 d) test in non-diabetic and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The extracts were further subjected to phytochemical studies.
RESULTSIn acute dose (1 g/kg), the extracts significantly lowered fasting blood glucose (FBG) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (P<0.05). However, the FBG-lowering effect of the 25% extract compared to the other extracts, was rapid (47% after 2 h) and the highest: 53%, 53% and 60% in the 3rd, 5th, and 7th h, respectively (P<0.05), comparable only to the effect of metformin. Furthermore, the extracts suppressed peak FBG in subcutaneous glucose tolerance test, but only the 0% and 25% extracts, and metformin sustained the decrease until the 90th min (P<0.05). Moreover, in the 14 days study, the 25% extract exerted the highest FBG-lowering effect, namely 49.38% and 65.43% on days 7 and 14, respectively (P<0.05), similar to the effect of metformin (46.26% and 65.42%). Total flavanoid and phenolic contents in the extracts were found to decrease with increase in polarity of extraction solvents. The composition of reference compounds (chlorogenic acid, rutin, astragalin and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside) followed a similar trend.
CONCLUSIONSG. procumbens contains antidiabetic principles, most extracted in 25% ethanol. Interaction among active components appears to determine the antidiabetic efficacy, achieved likely by a metformin-like mechanism.
Animals ; Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Blood Glucose ; drug effects ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Metformin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Phenols ; chemistry ; Phytochemicals ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Rats
8.Shift in parasitic infections during the Corona pandemic: a hospital-based retrospective study
Hawash, Y. ; Ismail, K.H. ; Abdel-Wahab, M.
Tropical Biomedicine 2021;38(No.2):94-101
The Corona pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-
2) calls on the Saudi government to take action to control the infection. The government
closed borders, prohibited travel, limited outdoor movements, and told primary and secondary
care facilities to reduce all regular non-urgent health services. It is not known whether
these measures have impacted the prevalence of parasitic intestinal infections. This study
has therefore been carried out to investigate this issue. Dataset of 217 stool samples
submitted to the King Faisal Medical Complex (KFMC) Microbiology Laboratory in Taif, Saudi
Arabia for parasitological examination during the pandemic (January-June 2020) and 649
samples submitted during the corresponding months of the previous year (January-June
2019) were extracted and analyzed. Overall, 24.1% (209/866) of samples were parasitespositives;
26.6% (173/649) before and 16.5% (36/217) during the pandemic, with 79% reduction.
There was a significant difference in gender-parasitism between the two periods where the
majority of parasitism were for males (p<0.001). Infections were frequent in patients aged 5-
14 years both before (84/649; 12.9%) and during (12/217; 5.5%) the pandemic, with significant
difference observed between the two cohorts (p<0.002). Moreover, the majority of infected
patients were non-Saudi (67.9%; 142/209), with a significant difference in nationality reported,
(p=0.024). Protozoa were identified in 21.8% (189) of all samples investigated, of which,
Blastocystis hominis, Entamoeba coli, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar and
Cryptosporidium species were identified in 6.1% (53), 5.4% (47), 5.0% (44), 2.8% (25), and 2.3%
(20), respectively. Helminths were diagnosed in 2.3% (20/866) of samples. Eggs of hookworm,
Ascaris, Taenia spp, and Hymenolepis nana were detected in 0.9% (8), 0.5% (5), 0.3% (3) and 0.4%
(4), respectively. In parallel with our research hypothesis, a substantial decrease in the
burden of intestinal parasitic infections was recorded with the lock-down measures taken
during the Corona pandemic.