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Fulltext Relationship between isokinetic leg strength and knee frontal plane projection angle during single leg squat among male junior athletes

Mail, M.S.Z., Mohd Azhar, N., Affandi, N.F., Shaharudin, S., Agrawal, S., Chee, L.M.

JUMMEC, 2019;22(2):43-48.
MyJurnal

Background: Those with increased dynamic knee valgus are vulnerable to increased risk of non-contact knee
injuries. However, studies on the top down kinetic chain of lower limb mechanics during dynamic motions
such as single leg squat (SLS) among trained males were scarce.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between isokinetic hip and knee strength
and frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) of the knee joint during SLS.

Methods: Thirty-two male junior athletes (twelve cyclists, ten runners and ten squash players) were screened
for excessive dynamic knee valgus (DKV) prior to participation. Only those within the normal value of DKV were
included. Their hip and knee isokinetic strength in sagittal plane were evaluated at 60º/s of angular velocity
for both legs using dynamometer. Two dimensional knee FPPA was evaluated during SLS at 60º of knee flexion.
Pearson correlation was evaluated between knee FPPA during SLS and isokinetic leg strength.

Results: Correlations between knee FPPA and hip and knee isokinetic strength were not statistically significant
except between knee flexion peak torque/body weight (r = -0.35, p = 0.05) and hamstring to quadriceps ratio
(r = -0.39, p = 0.03) of non-dominant leg.

Conclusions: Isokinetic hip and knee strength and knee FPPA during SLS was correlated only for non-dominant
leg during SLS among male junior athletes. DKV during SLS may be reduced through strengthening the muscles
around hip and knee joints.
Health-Seeking Behaviour and Delayed Presentation of Oral Cancer Patients in a Developing Country: A Qualitative Study based on the Self-Regulatory Model

Azhar N, Doss JG

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2018 Oct 26;19(10):2935-2941.
PMID: 30362327

Background: The aim of this study was to explore reasons for delayed health-seeking for late stage oral cancer patients. Methods: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 35 oral cancer patients with TNM stage III to IV disease, who were treated at six tertiary regional centres managing oral cancer throughout Malaysia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded using NVivo (version 10.0) qualitative software and analysed using framework analysis. Results: Participants interpreted their early symptoms as a minor condition and did not consider it as requiring immediate attention. Four types of coping strategies causing delayed help-seeking emerged: 1) self-remedy 2) self-medication 3) seeking traditional healers and 4) consulting general medical practitioners (GPs) instead of dentists. Socio-economic factors, cultural beliefs and religious practices have some influence on diagnostic delay. Conclusion: Low levels of public knowledge and awareness regarding early signs and symptoms of oral cancer as well as GPs’ misdiagnosis of early lesions results in delayed diagnosis.
Fulltext T1 and T2 Characteristics of Agarose Gel Phantom with different Gadolinium Oxide Concentration as Relaxation Modifier

Azhar, N. A. A., Tee, H. S., Yee, Y. Y., Awang, M. N. A., Abdul Manan, H., Yusoff, A. N.

Physics and Technology in Medicine, 2020;1(1):27-37.
MyJurnal

Many studies have been carried out to produce magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phantoms as alternative to water phantom. Among the important properties of a phantom are the T1 and T2 relaxation times. The objective of this study is to investigate the T1 and T2 characteristics of the agarose gel phantoms with different relaxation modifier (gadolinium (III) oxide, Gd2O3) concentrations or [Gd2O3]. Six agarose gel phantoms were prepared with different [Gd2O3]. The T1 (fixed echo time (TE) and different repetition time (TR)) and T2 (fixed TR and different TE) measurements on all phantoms were conducted using the 3-T MRI system via spin echo (SE) and turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences, respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of all phantoms was calculated using Image-J software by implementing the region of interest (ROI) analysis. The SNR against TR and SNR against TE curves were fitted to the exponential equations for saturation, T1 and T2 determination. For every phantom, T1 curve demonstrated that the SNR increased exponentially with increasing TR, while T2 curves showed that the SNR decreased exponentially with increasing TE. Gd2O3 was found to successfully act as the relaxation modifier for the T1 but not the T2 curves. The T1 curve started to show saturated SNR (SNRo) and increasing SNRo for TR > 1000 ms and [Gd2O3] = 0.005 g/ml or higher. These behaviours are explained based on the dipole-dipole interaction that increases in phantoms with higher [Gd2O3], thus shortening the T1 relaxation. However, a systematic change in the T2 parameters with increasing [Gd2O3] was not observed. While Gd2O3 has significant effects on T1 relaxation parameters, the T2 relaxation parameters were minimally affected. With a shorter T1, the Gd2O3 added agarose gel can potentially be used as test phantom in fast imaging sequence, e.g. gradient echo pulse sequences.
Fulltext Common type of turbines in power plant: a review

Khattak, M. A., Mohd Ali, N. S., Zainal Abidin, N. H., Azhar, N. S., Omar, M. H.

Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, 2016;3(1):77-100.
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Most conventional power plants require a turbine as conversion system from various
working fluid like water, gas, steam and wind into mechanical energy that will be used to generate
electricity. In future, the forecast energy usage is higher and thus, to compensate this, the power plant
needs high efficiency of turbine to extract maximum quantity of energy from the working fluid.
Therefore, various improvements on turbine technology has been done and studied. There are four
common type of turbine which is hydraulic turbine, gas turbine, wind turbine and steam turbine that
will reviewed in this paper. Each turbine was differentiating based on their working fluid and different
type of turbine has their own efficiency. There is some parameter that affects the turbine efficiency like
the turbine component, the characteristic of working fluid, materials used, cooling invention and many
more. There is also some future development in progress to enhance the turbine efficiency and thus
increase the amount of electricity produce. The aims for this review paper is to find out the common
type of turbine used in power plant as different power plant needs different type of turbine. About 46
published studies (1939-2016) are reviewed in this paper. By reviewing others research studies
worldwide, this review paper can be taken as a guideline in future regarding to common type of turbines
used in power plant. Copyright © 2016 Penerbit Akademia Baru - All rights reserved.
Fulltext The effects of foot position on lower extremity kinematics during single leg squat among adolescent male athletes

Mohd Azhar N, Affandi NF, Mail MSZ, Shaharudin S

J Taibah Univ Med Sci, 2019 Aug;14(4):343-349.
PMID: 31488966 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2019.06.007

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of transverse plane foot position on lower limb kinematics during a single leg squat.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among highly-trained male athletes. Only participants who showed normal knee valgus during a drop landing screening test were recruited. Twelve junior athletes performed single leg squats while maintaining a knee flexion angle of 60°. The squats were executed in three foot positions: neutral (0°), adduction (-10°), and abduction (+10°). Three-dimensional motion analysis was used to capture the lower extremity kinematics of the participants' preferred limb. The hip and knee kinematics in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes during squatting were compared across the three foot positions using one-way ANOVA.
Results: The participants showed a normal range of dynamic knee valgus (5.3°±1.6). No statistically significant differences were observed in hip flexion (p = 0.322), adduction (p = 0.834), or internal rotation (p = 0.967) across different foot positions. Similarly, no statistically significant differences were observed in knee flexion (p = 0.489), adduction (p = 0.822), or internal rotation (p = 0.971) across different foot positions.
Conclusion: Small changes in transverse plane foot position do not affect lower extremity kinematics during single leg squat in highly trained adolescent males with normal dynamic knee valgus. Our findings may provide guidance on safer techniques for landing, pivoting, and cutting during training and game situations.
Parasitic coinfections among selected smallholder goat flocks in Malaysia

Paul BT, Jesse FAA, Kamaludeen J, Chung ELT, Mat Isa K, Azhar NA, et al.

Trop Biomed, 2023 Dec 01;40(4):444-452.
PMID: 38308832 DOI: 10.47665/tb.40.4.010

This paper describes the occurrence of multiple parasitic infection with special reference to emerging haemotropic Mycoplasma ovis. A cross-sectional survey of four selected goat flocks was conducted to collect samples and management information. Blood samples were processed using microhaematocrit centrifugation to determine the packed cell volume (PCV). Detection and morphological identification of blood protozoa and haemotropic Mycoplasma ovis from Giemsa-stained smears were done microscopically. M. ovis infection was classified mild (1-29% infected cells), moderate (30-59% infected cells), or severe (above 60% infected cells). Faecal floatation and McMaster faecal egg count were used to detect and classify strongyle infections as negative (no eggs/oocysts), light (< 500 epg), Moderate (500 - 1000 epg), or severe (>1000 epg) and coccidia infection as light (<1800 opg), moderate (1800 - 6000 opg), or severe (>6000 opg). There were 149 goats with blood protozoa (57.98%; 95% CI: 51.87 - 63.85) and 204 goats with GI parasites (79.38%; 95% CI: 74.02 - 83.87) involved in single (15.8%; 95% CI: 11.7 - 21.0) or multiple (84.2%; 95% CI: 79.0 - 88.3) infections. The risk of Strongyles increases by 2.49 (95% CI: 1.24 - 4.99) in females versus males and 6.79 (95% CI: 3.25 - 14.18, p =0.000) in adults versus young. The risk of Eimeria species increases by 7.32 (95% CI: 3.45 - 15.50, p =0.000) in adults versus young, while M. ovis coinfection risk increases by 4.51 (95% CI: 1.40 - 14.50, p =0.000) in female versus males. Thin animals had a significantly higher (p<0.05) mean burden of Strongyle (1370.37 ± 345.49) and Eimeria (1594.12 ± 695.26) than the moderate and fat goats. The PCV was negatively associated with mean faecal egg count (FEC) (p<0.05) such that a lower PCV was recorded in animals with a higher Strongyle epg output. A severe burden of M. ovis was accompanied by an increased nematode FEC and decreased haematocrit (p<0.05). Coinfections of Strongyles, or Eimeria species involving M. ovis were associated with a higher parasitaemia compared with single infections (p<0.05). This study highlights the importance of M. ovis and Strongyle or Eimeria species coinfections among goat flocks and provides valuable data for developing and implementing an integrated herd health management program for parasite control among low-input smallholder flocks.