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Susceptibility patterns of anaerobes isolated from clinical specimens in tertiary Hospital, Malaysia

Ishak N, Abdul Wahab Z, Amin Nordin S, Ibrahim R

Malays J Pathol, 2020 Aug;42(2):245-252.
PMID: 32860377

INTRODUCTION: The susceptibility patterns of anaerobes are becoming less predictable due to the emergence of anaerobic resistance trends to antibiotics; hence increasing the importance of the isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of anaerobes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study investigated the isolation of anaerobes from the clinical specimens of Hospital Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, from January 2015 to December 2015. All isolates were identified using the API 20A system (bioMérieux, France). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the E-test (bioMérieux, France).
RESULTS: The proportion of obligate anaerobes isolated from the clinical specimens was 0.83%. The Gram-positive anaerobes were most susceptible to vancomycin and imipenem, showing 100% sensitivity to these antimicrobials, followed by clindamycin (86.3%), penicillin (76.7%), and metronidazole (48.9%). Meanwhile, Gram-negative anaerobes were most susceptible to metronidazole (96%) followed by imipenem (89%), clindamycin (79%), and ampicillin (32%). The present study also showed that 3 out of 12 Bacteroides fragilis isolates were resistant to imipenem.
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the differences in the susceptibility patterns of anaerobes towards commonly used antimicrobials for the treatment of anaerobic infections. In summary, continuous monitoring of antimicrobial resistance trends among anaerobes is needed to ensure the appropriateness of treatment.
Fulltext Cohort comparisons: emotional well-being among adolescents and older adults

Momtaz YA, Hamid TA, Ibrahim R

Clin Interv Aging, 2014;9:813-9.
PMID: 24872683 DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S61636

There are several negative stereotypes about older adults that have negatively influenced people's attitude about aging. The present study compared emotional well-being between older adults and adolescents.
Fulltext Correlate of self-care and self-neglect among community-dwelling older adults

Mardan H, Hamid T, Redzuan M, Ibrahim R

Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res, 2014 Feb;19(7 Suppl 1):S71-6.
PMID: 25949256

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of self-neglect among the elderly is expected to rise with a rapid increase in the growth of the older population. However, self-neglect in the elderly and the factors related to it are not fully understood due to the limited research in the area, lack of consensus in the definition of the concept, and limited instrumentation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between selected socio-demographic factors on self-care and self-neglect among older persons living in the community.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design with cluster sampling was adopted for the study. Data were gathered from 201 older persons aged 60 years and over in the state of Selangor, Malaysia, through face-to-face interviews in their homes with a team of trained enumerators. A new instrument was developed to measure self-neglect.
RESULTS: The internal consistency of the new instrument showed a reliability of 0.90. A significant bivariate relationship was noted between self-care and self-neglect. The socio-demographic factors were also reported between self-care and self-neglect.
CONCLUSIONS: The new instrument of elder self-neglect (ESN) could be used to measure self-neglect in a community dwelling. The need to increase the self-care skills and the capacity of self-care among older adults is crucial in order to reduce self-neglect and enhance their well-being.
KEYWORDS: Cross-sectional survey; Malaysia; elder self-neglect; self-care agency
Fulltext The impact of giving support to others on older adults' perceived health status

Abolfathi Momtaz Y, Ibrahim R, Hamid TA

Psychogeriatrics, 2014 Mar;14(1):31-7.
PMID: 24299124 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12036

Social support that may contribute to the physical and mental health of older adults is widely studied. However, much of the existing research has focused on the impact of receiving support; the effects of giving support have largely been neglected. Using the biopsychosocial perspective, this study aimed to examine the independent impact of giving support to others on older adults' perceived health status.
Fulltext Theories and measures of elder abuse

Abolfathi Momtaz Y, Hamid TA, Ibrahim R

Psychogeriatrics, 2013 Sep;13(3):182-8.
PMID: 25913768 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12009

Elder abuse is a pervasive phenomenon around the world with devastating effects on the victims. Although it is not a new phenomenon, interest in examining elder abuse is relatively new. This paper aims to provide an overview of the aetiological theories and measures of elder abuse. The paper briefly reviews theories to explain causes of elder abuse and then discusses the most commonly used measures of elder abuse. Based on the reviewed theories, it can be concluded that elder abuse is a multifactorial problem that may affect elderly people from different backgrounds and involve a wide variety of potential perpetrators, including caregivers, adult children, and partners. The review of existing measurement instruments notes that many different screening and assessment instruments have been developed to identify elders who are at risk for or are victims of abuse. However, there is a real need for more measurements of elder abuse, as the current instruments are limited in scope.
Fulltext Social isolation in older Malaysians: prevalence and risk factors

Ibrahim R, Abolfathi Momtaz Y, Hamid TA

Psychogeriatrics, 2013 Jun;13(2):71-9.
PMID: 23909963 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12000

Social isolation is one of the most important emerging issues among ageing populations, as it reduces well-being, health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to identify prevalence and risk factors of social isolation in older Malaysians.
Unmet needs among disabled elderly Malaysians

Momtaz YA, Hamid TA, Ibrahim R

Soc Sci Med, 2012 Sep;75(5):859-63.
PMID: 22632847 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.047

Unmet need as a significant factor affecting quality of life in later life has recently received considerable attention in gerontological research. The main aim of this study was to identify the prevalence, predicting factors, and negative consequence of unmet need among older Malaysians. The findings may be useful to reduce unmet need and the burden of its adverse consequence. The sample for this study consists of 400 functionally disabled elderly people aged 60 and over was obtained from a large national survey. Unmet need was operationally defined based on Manton's (1989) criteria. The findings from the present study showed about 18.0% of functionally disabled older Malaysians suffer from unmet need. Logistic regression revealed that gender (being male) and chronic health conditions are statistically associated with increased odds of unmet need after adjusting for other possible risk factors. Further results indicated that unmet need statistically increases odds of fall as a negative consequence of unmet need. The high prevalence rates of unmet need among disabled elderly men and chronically ill older persons suggest that policy makers should pay more attention to this vulnerable group to achieve good quality of life. The implications and limitations of the present study are discussed.
Predictors and prevalence of successful aging among older Malaysians

Hamid TA, Momtaz YA, Ibrahim R

Gerontology, 2012;58(4):366-70.
PMID: 22179496 DOI: 10.1159/000334671

Successful aging is an important and worldwide concept in gerontology. However, until recently, there has been very little known about successful aging in Malaysia. This study was designed to describe the prevalence and correlates of successful aging among older Malaysians.
Fulltext Salmonella meningitis in a paediatric patient caused by Salmonella enterica serotype Houtenae

Nimir AR, Ibrahim R, Ibrahim IA

BMJ Case Rep, 2011;2011.
PMID: 22689601 DOI: 10.1136/bcr.04.2011.4096

The authors report a case of a 6-week-old baby girl who was admitted to the paediatric ward due to a high fever for 2 days. The patient experienced three fits which took place while in the ward. A brain sonogram showed subdural heterogeneous collection consistent with focal empyema; however, no hydrocephalus or infarction was detected. An urgent Burr hole procedure was performed to remove the collected pus. Both blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture grew Salmonella species which remain sensitive to some antibiotics. This strain was sent to the institute of medical research (IMR) for serotyping. The patient was treated with intravenous combination of ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin for 3 weeks. One week later, IMR sent results that identified the strain as Salmonella enterica serotype Houtenae. Following antibiotic treatment, repeat ultrasound illustrated an improvement of the subdural empyema, and the gram stain of the CSF specimen failed to isolate bacteria.
Mediational Role of Self-efficacy between Selected Bio-psychosocial Factors and Elder Self-Neglect among Community-Dwelling Older Malaysian Adults

Hamid TA, Ibrahim R, Haron SA

J Elder Abuse Negl, 2021 01 03;33(1):17-32.
PMID: 33393442 DOI: 10.1080/08946566.2020.1864696

Elder abuse and neglect have been reported as significant public health and societal problem in many different societies across the world. In Malaysia, older adults recorded a high prevalence of neglect compared to other types of elder abuse. There is a dearth of empirical work on elder self-neglect (ESN) among the older population in Malaysia. This paper aims to explore the mediational role of self-efficacy on the relationship between selected biopsychosocial factors and ESN among community-living older adults in Selangor, Malaysia. This study utilized a cross-sectional survey to gather data from a representative sample of 202 older adults from Selangor. A newly developed scale of 16-items of elder self-neglect (ESN) was used in this study. The results showed that self-efficacy partially mediated the association between ADL, IADL, depression, and capacity of self-care on ESN. Self-efficacy also fully mediated the association between neuroticism, life satisfaction, social network, and education on ESN. These findings provided a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of self-neglect among older Malaysian adults. The results will also serve as a useful reference for professionals and policymakers to develop uniform guidelines, protocols, or programs to handle cases of elder self-neglect in the community.
The Efficiency of a Multicomponent Training for Prospective Memory Among Healthy Older Adults: A Single-Blind, Randomized Controlled Within-Participants Cross-Over Trial

Farzin A, Ibrahim R, Madon Z, Basri H

Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 2018 09;97(9):628-635.
PMID: 29595585 DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000000931

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the present trial was to evaluate the efficiency of a preventative multicomponent prospective memory training among healthy older adults.
DESIGN: This study was a two-arm within-participants trial with 4- and 12-wk follow-ups. Allocation ratio was 1:1, and pretraining and posttraining measurements were included. A total number of 25 healthy older adults were enrolled (mean = 63.32, SD = 4.44). Participants were randomly allocated into two conditions: (a) prospective memory training: participants underwent a multicomponent prospective memory training, and (b) control: participants were not contacted during the training phase. After the training phase was finished, participants crossed over to undergo the condition they did not experience before. The differences between pretraining and posttraining measures of prospective memory, activities of daily living, negative mood (depression), and anxiety were assessed. All changes in the measurements were analyzed using general linear method. This trial is registered at https://www.isrctn.com (#ISRCTN57600070).
RESULTS: Multicomponent prospective memory training program was significantly effective on both subjective and objective prospective memory performances among healthy older adults. Moreover, the training had significant positive effects on activities of daily living (independence) among participants. In addition, negative mood and anxiety levels were reduced after the training was finished.
CONCLUSIONS: This multicomponent prospective memory training improved prospective memory performance and activities of daily living and reduce negative mood (depression) and anxiety levels among healthy older adults.
Fulltext Challenges faced and lessons learned A multi-component prospective memory training program for Malaysian older adults

Farzin A, Ibrahim R, Madon Z, Basri H

Dement Neuropsychol, 2018 7 11;12(2):189-195.
PMID: 29988335 DOI: 10.1590/1980-57642018dn12-020012

The surrounding circumstances and environments of Malaysian older adults could make conducting interventions (mainly in terms of clinical or randomized controlled trials) a challenge. Working with older adults and facing cultural issues could be challenging.
Objective: This paper illustrates a significant perspective of some of the challenges faced while conducting a randomized controlled trial exploring the impact of a multi-component intervention that included strategy- and process-based prospective memory (PM) training among Malaysian older adults.
Methods: The current study was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and therefore the challenges were presented in accordance with the CONSORT statement style.
Results: A discussion on how these issues were addressed is provided.
Conclusion: Some suggestions were presented to help researchers plan and create interventions for similar studies and to support a practical method of addressing all related challenges.
Fulltext A complicated urethrovaginal fistula following an inappropriate urethral diverticulum management

Lo TS, Jaili SB, Ibrahim R

Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol, 2017 Aug;56(4):534-537.
PMID: 28805613 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjog.2016.10.004

OBJECTIVE: Urethral diverticulum is uncommon, therefore appropriate evaluation, preoperative planning and counseling must be done in order to make correct diagnosis and prevent complications.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case of anterior vaginal wall mass was treated elsewhere by a gynecologist as periurethral cyst abscess; incision and drainage were done but a symptom of pus discharge was observed after 2 weeks. Therefore, exploration, cyst wall excision and primary closure were done though histopathological examination surprisingly confirmed the presence of urethral tissue suggestive of diverticulum.
RESULTS: Subsequently, she developed persistent urinary leakage along with urethrovaginal fistula for which they again performed pervaginal multilayer closure. Patient was later referred to us with recurrent urethrovaginal fistula. We performed posterior urethral fistulectomy with anterior vaginal wall flap and multilayer closure. Three years follow up reveals complete recovery.
CONCLUSION: Even urethral diverticulum is a rare condition, should be kept in mind as early diagnosis and management.
Fulltext Application of Neural Network in Predicting H2S from an Acid Gas Removal Unit (AGRU) with Different Compositions of Solvents

Hakimi M, Omar MB, Ibrahim R

Sensors (Basel), 2023 Jan 16;23(2).
PMID: 36679816 DOI: 10.3390/s23021020

The gas sweetening process removes hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in an acid gas removal unit (AGRU) to meet the gas sales' specification, known as sweet gas. Monitoring the concentration of H2S in sweet gas is crucial to avoid operational and environmental issues. This study shows the capability of artificial neural networks (ANN) to predict the concentration of H2S in sweet gas. The concentration of N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) and Piperazine (PZ), temperature and pressure as inputs, and the concentration of H2S in sweet gas as outputs have been used to create the ANN network. Two distinct backpropagation techniques with various transfer functions and numbers of neurons were used to train the ANN models. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to compare the outcomes of the ANN models. The models' performance was assessed using the mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and coefficient of determination (R2). The findings demonstrate that ANN trained by the Levenberg-Marquardt technique, equipped with a logistic sigmoid (logsig) transfer function with three neurons achieved the highest R2 (0.966) and the lowest MAE (0.066) and RMSE (0.122) values. The findings suggested that ANN can be a reliable and accurate prediction method in predicting the concentration of H2S in sweet gas.
Fulltext Transformation of Children's Paintings into Public Art to Improve Public Spaces and Enhance People's Happiness

Luo N, Ibrahim R, Abidin SZ

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 14;19(24).
PMID: 36554658 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416780

Characteristics of children's paintings have been suggested considered for application in public art since they are known to positively evoke a sense of well-being when people see them. This study aims to understand the impact of artistic features from children's drawings on people's well-being; then analyzing the adaptive design principles of 3D public art featuring children's paintings on people's happiness; and finally, exploring the influence of 3D public art featuring children's paintings on improving public spaces and enhancing people's well-being. The results lead to proposing a conceptual framework for public artworks in public spaces for improving people's happiness. The proposed conceptual framework recommends that, by applying the visual and thinking features of children's paintings to public art, artists can design high-quality artworks suitable for a city, which could improve people's happiness in public spaces. This study recommends further research into how public art can promote public spaces and shape the urban culture. It contributes to enhancing the quality of public art and public spaces, and inspiring a sense of well-being among citizens through the use of appropriate public art. The results are significant because they will help artists to create more high-quality public artworks for urban public spaces in order to evoke people's happiness.
Fulltext Analysis of web design visual element attention based on user educational background

Qing H, Ibrahim R, Nies HW

Sci Rep, 2024 Feb 26;14(1):4657.
PMID: 38409430 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54444-8

The evolution of Internet technology has led to an increase in online users. This study focuses on the pivotal role of visual elements in web content conveyance and their impact on user browsing behavior. Therefore, the use of visual elements in web design based on big data has aroused widespread concern among web designers, they apply visual elements to their web design works to make the web more attractive. This study examines the composition and distribution characteristics of key visual elements identified through user behavior data in a big data environment and discusses the use of visual elements in web design in the era of network economy. In addition, this paper issued 200 questionnaires to investigate the degree of attention to visual elements in web pages for users of different occupations and different educational backgrounds. Our survey indicated that visual elements captured the attention of 41% of corporate employees, whereas a mere 1% of social welfare workers focused on web content; 36% of undergraduates pay attention to visual elements of web pages, but only 5% and 4% of postgraduates and doctoral degrees and above. Therefore, the visual elements of the designed web page need to conform to the user's cultural background and professional background.
Fulltext Gastritis May Boost Odds of Dementia

Momtaz YA, Hamid TA, Ibrahim R

Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen, 2014 Aug;29(5):452-6.
PMID: 24408749 DOI: 10.1177/1533317513518654

INTRODUCTION: Given the high prevalence of dementia and its devastating consequences, identifying risk factors for dementia is a public health priority. The present study aims to assess whether gastritis increases the odds of dementia.
METHODOLOGY: The data for this study, consisting of 2926 community-dwelling older adults, were obtained from the National survey entitled "Mental Health and Quality of Life of Older Malaysians." Dementia was diagnosed using the Geriatric Mental State-Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer-Assisted Taxonomy.
RESULTS: Prevalence of dementia was considerably higher among older adults with gastritis (29.5%) compared to those without gastritis (13.2%). After adjusting for age, gender, marital status, educational attainment, hypertension, stroke, and diabetes, gastritis was significantly associated with more than twice odds of dementia (adjusted odds ratio = 2.42, P < .001, 95% confidence interval = 1.68-3.49).
CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this population-based observational study showing evidence that gastritis may increase the risk of dementia provide avenue for further inquiries into dementia.
Fulltext The impact of mild cognitive impairment on sexual activity

Momtaz YA, Hamid TA, Ibrahim R

Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen, 2013 Dec;28(8):759-62.
PMID: 24085247 DOI: 10.1177/1533317513504612

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the unique impact of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on sexual activity among older adults.
METHODS: Data for the study were drawn from a national survey entitled the "Determinants of Wellness among Older Malaysians: A Health Promotion Perspective" conducted in 2010.
RESULTS: According to the Mini-Mental State Examination education-adjusted cutoff points, 15.6% of the 1046 respondents were identified as having MCI. Older adults with MCI had a significantly lower level of sexual activity than the healthy cognitive group (chi-square = 50.20, P < .001, 32.5% vs 62.3%). The results of 3-step hierarchical logistic regression model revealed that MCI is significantly associated with decreased sexual activity in community-dwelling older adults, over and beyond demographic factors, and age-related medical conditions affecting sexual activity (odds ratio 0.33, P < .001, 95% confidence interval 0.23-0.49).
CONCLUSION: Findings from the present study support the significant role of cognitive functioning to perform sexual activity in later life.
Production of biomass and bioactive compounds from adventitious roots by optimization of culturing conditions of Eurycoma longifolia in balloon-type bubble bioreactor system

Lulu T, Park SY, Ibrahim R, Paek KY

J Biosci Bioeng, 2015 Jun;119(6):712-7.
PMID: 25511788 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2014.11.010

The present study aimed to optimize the conditions for the production of adventitious roots from Eurycoma longifolia Jack, an important medicinal woody plant, in bioreactor culture. The effects of the type and concentration of auxin on root growth were studied, as well as the effects of the NH4(+):NO3(-) ratio on adventitious root growth and the production of phenolics and flavonoids. Approximately 5 g L(-1) fresh weight of adventitious roots was inoculated into a 3 L balloon-type bubble bioreactor, which contained 2 L 3/4 MS medium supplemented with 30 g L(-1) sucrose and cultures were maintained in the dark for 7 weeks at 24 ± 1°C. Higher concentrations of IBA (7.0 and 9.0 mg L(-1)) and NAA (5.0 mg L(-1)) enhanced the biomass and accumulation of total phenolics and flavonoids. The adventitious roots were thin, numerous, and elongated in 3/4 MS medium supplemented with 5.0 and 7.0 mg L(-1) IBA, whereas the lateral roots were shorter and thicker with 5.0 mg L(-1) NAA compared with IBA treatment. The optimum biomasses of 50.22 g L(-1) fresh weight and 4.60 g L(-1) dry weight were obtained with an NH4(+):NO3(-) ratio of 15:30. High phenolic and flavonoid productions (38.59 and 11.27 mg L(-1) medium, respectively) were also obtained with a ratio of 15:30. Analysis of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-scavenging activity indicated higher antioxidant activity with an NH4(+):NO3(-) ratio of 30:15. These results suggest that balloon-type bubble bioreactor cultures are suitable for the large-scale commercial production of E. longifolia adventitious roots which contain high yield of bioactive compounds.
"Stain in life": The meaning of urinary incontinence in the context of Muslim postmenopausal women through hermeneutic phenomenology

Hamid TA, Pakgohar M, Ibrahim R, Dastjerdi MV

Arch Gerontol Geriatr, 2015 May-Jun;60(3):514-21.
PMID: 25662038 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2015.01.003

UI is a worldwide chronic condition among postmenopausal women. Little is known about the meaning of lived experiences of urinary incontinence of these women's viewpoints in their context.

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