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Interaction of isothermal phase inversion and membrane formulation for pathogens detection in water

Low SC, Ahmad AL, Ideris N, Ng QH

Bioresour Technol, 2012 Jun;113:219-24.
PMID: 22153291 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.11.048

The aim of this study was to explore the utilization of polymeric membrane for bio-sensing application in most efficient and rapid way. Customization of membrane formulation via phase separation study to modify its morphologies and properties enable the detection of different pathogens in a specific manner. Experimental findings (FESEM, through-pore distribution, porosity, capillary flow test and protein binding test) verified the predictions of faster capillary flow time and higher membrane's protein binding by the addition of cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose to the membrane casting dope, respectively. Throughout the phase separation study, the potential phase behavior was investigated, which was correlating various membrane structures to its performances for potential pathogens detection in water.
Interocular optical biometry differences as predictors of postoperative cataract surgery refractive outcomes: A retrospective cohort study

Wai YZ, Ng QX, Adnan TH, Chong YY, Mohamad AS, Goh PP

Med J Malaysia, 2021 Nov;76(6):884-892.
PMID: 34806678

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have reported the impact of preoperative interocular discrepancy in optical biometry (axial length, corneal power, white-to-white, central corneal thickness) on postoperative refractive outcomes. This study aims to investigate any predictive value of preoperative optical biometry differences between eyes on postoperative refractive outcomes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients who have undergone optical biometry measurement before unilateral phacoemulsification in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Sabah, Malaysia from 2018 to 2020. Biometry data of interest includes axial length (AL), keratometry(K), white-to-white (WTW) and central corneal thickness (CCT). The postoperative outcomes of interest were the patient's preoperative refractive target, postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), postoperative refractive outcomes, and optical biometry prediction error.
RESULTS: The interocular biometry discrepancies which were associated with higher odds of prediction error >0.5D from the refractive target were Interocular Corneal Power Difference (IKD)-average≥0.8 D (Odds Ratio, OR=1.97; 95% Confidence Intervals, 95%CI: 1.06, 3.67) and Interocular WTW Difference ≥1.5 mm (OR=2.77; 95%CI: 1.11, 6.92). In cases with prediction error >1.0D, the measurements were Interocular AL Difference ≥0.4 mm (OR=2.99; 95%CI: 1.11, 8.06), IKD flat≥0.4D (OR=2.76; 95%CI: 1.31, 5.82) and Interocular CCT Difference ≥15μm (OR=3.53; 95%CI: 1.29, 9.64).
CONCLUSION: Interocular axial length difference ≥0.4mm and interocular central corneal thickness difference ≥15μm are associated with refractive error >1.0D from the pre-operative target. Interocular average corneal power difference ≥0.8D and interocular white-to-white difference ≥1.5mm have higher odds of refractive drift >0.5D from the refractive aim. The above cutoff values help clinicians to identify which patients have a higher risk of refractive shift post-cataract surgery and counsel the patient before cataract operation.
Navigating an unexpected diagnosis - experience of a tertiary referral centre with two cases of intraplacental choriocarcinoma

Lim CCW, Punjabi LS, Bhatia A, Ng QJ, Jevon GP, Aggarwal IM

Malays J Pathol, 2024 Apr;46(1):91-94.
PMID: 38682848

Intraplacental choriocarcinoma is a rare tumour, with approximately 62 reported cases. It may manifest as a spectrum of disease ranging from an incidental lesion diagnosed on routine placental examination to disseminated maternal and/or neonatal disease. In this case series, we presented two rare cases of intraplacental choriocarcinoma with extremely varied clinical presentations. The extremely varied clinical presentations of both patients described in the case series complicated the process of arriving at the diagnosis. In both cases, subsequent investigations showed no maternal or neonatal metastasis, and maternal serum beta-hCG levels downtrended with conservative management. We aim to highlight the importance of performing a detailed physical examination and evaluation of the patient and multidisciplinary management with oncology opinion. A detailed examination of the placenta should also be considered when faced with obstetric complications so that early diagnosis and the required management can be executed in a prompt fashion.
EV71:TLLcho virus murine model of enterovirus A71 neurological disease does not exhibit neurogenic pulmonary oedema

Luena Victorio CB, Chua IL, Xu Y, Ng Q, Chua BH, Chow VTK, et al.

Malays J Pathol, 2024 Apr;46(1):51-62.
PMID: 38682844

Small animal models play an important role in investigating and revealing the molecular determinants and mechanisms underlying neuro-virulence of enterovirus A71 (EV-A71). In our previous study, we successfully developed two mouse cell-line replication competent EV-A71 strains (EV71:TLLm and EV71:TLLmv) which were capable of inducing neuro-invasion in BALB/c mice. The more virulent EV71:TLLmv exhibited ability to induce acute encephalomyelitis accompanied by neurogenic pulmonary oedema. EV71:TLLcho virus strain was generated from EV71:TLLm by a series of passages in CHO-K1 cells. EV71:TLLcho demonstrated a broader range of infectivity across various mammalian cell lines and exhibited complete cytopathic effects (CPE) within 48 hours post-inoculation in comparison to EV71:TLLm or EV71:TLLmv. EV71:TLLcho consistently yielded higher levels of viral replication at all time points examined. In comparison to EV71:TLLm, EV71:TLLcho consistently induced more severe disease and increased mortality in one-week old BALB/c mice. However, unlike mice challenged with EV71:TLLmv, none of the mice challenged with EV71:TLLcho progressed to severe acute encephalomyelitis and developed neurogenic pulmonary oedema.
Fulltext Plant-based calcium silicate from rice husk ash: A green adsorbent for free fatty acid recovery from waste frying oil

Zainal ZS, Hoo P, Ahmad AL, Abdullah AZ, Ng Q, Shuit S, et al.

Heliyon, 2024 Feb 29;10(4):e26591.
PMID: 38404855 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26591

Driven by the urgent need for a solution to tackle the surge of rice husk (RH) and waste frying oil (WFO) waste accumulation at a global scale, this report highlights the use of calcium silicates (CS) extracted from acid-pre-treated rice husk ash (RHA) for free fatty acid (FFA) removal from WFO as conventional RHA shows limited FFA adsorption performance. A novel alkaline earth silicate extraction method from acid-pre-treated RHA was outlined. The structural and behavioural attributes of the synthesised CS were identified through BET, SEM-EDS, and XRD analyses and compared to those of RHA. Notable morphology and structural modification were determined, including reducing specific surface areas, mitigating from amorphous to crystalline structure with regular geometric forms, and detecting Si-O-Ca functional groups exclusive to CS adsorbents. A comparison study showed superior lauric acid (LA) adsorption performance by CS absorbents over acid-pre-treated RHA, with a significant increase from 0.0831 ± 0.0004 mmol LA/g to 2.5808 ± 0.0011 mmol LA/g after 60 min. Recognised as the best-performing CS adsorbent, CS-1.0 was used for further investigations on the effect of dosage, LA concentration, and temperature for efficient LA adsorption, with up to 100% LA removal and 5.6712 ± 0.0016 mmol LA/g adsorption capacity. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies showed LA adsorption onto CS-1.0 followed Freundlich isotherm with KF = 0.0598 mmol(1-1/n) L(1/n) g-1 & Qe,cal = 3.1696 mmol g-1 and intraparticle diffusion model with kid = 0.1250 mmol g-1 min0.5 & Ci = 0.9625 mmol g-1, indicating rapid initial adsorption and involvement of carboxylate end of LA and the calcium ions on the CS-1.0 in the rate-limiting step. The high equilibrium adsorption capacity and LA adsorption rate indicated that the proposed CS-1.0 adsorbent has excellent potential to recover FFA from WFO effectively.
Fulltext CAREDAQ: Data acquisition device for mechanical ventilation waveform monitoring

Arn Ng Q, Yew Shuen Ang C, Shiong Chiew Y, Wang X, Pin Tan C, Basri Mat Nor M, et al.

HardwareX, 2022 Oct;12:e00358.
PMID: 36117541 DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2022.e00358

Mechanical ventilation (MV) provides respiratory support for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Waveform data output by the ventilator provides valuable physiological and diagnostic information. However, existing systems do not provide full access to this information nor allow for real-time, non-invasive data collection. Therefore, large amounts of data are lost and analysis is limited to short samples of breathing cycles. This study presents a data acquisition device for acquiring and monitoring patient ventilation waveform data. Acquired data can be exported to other systems, allowing users to further analyse data and develop further clinically useful parameters. These parameters, together with other ventilatory information, can help personalise and guide MV treatment. The device is designed to be easily replicable, low-cost, and scalable according to the number of patient beds. Validation was carried out by assessing system performance and stability over prolonged periods of 7 days of continuous use. The device provides a platform for future integration of machine-learning or model-based modules, potentially allowing real-time, proactive, patient-specific MV guidance and decision support to improve the quality and productivity of care and outcomes.
Fulltext Pan-Asian adapted ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with renal cell carcinoma

Kanesvaran R, Porta C, Wong A, Powles T, Ng QS, Schmidinger M, et al.

ESMO Open, 2021 Dec;6(6):100304.
PMID: 34864348 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100304

The most recent version of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of renal cell carcinoma was published in 2019 with an update planned for 2021. It was therefore decided by both the ESMO and the Singapore Society of Oncology (SSO) to convene a special, virtual guidelines meeting in May 2021 to adapt the ESMO 2019 guidelines to take into account the ethnic differences associated with the treatment of renal cell carcinomas in Asian patients. These guidelines represent the consensus opinions reached by experts in the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma representing the oncological societies of China (CSCO), India (ISMPO), Japan (JSMO), Korea (KSMO), Malaysia (MOS), Singapore (SSO) and Taiwan (TOS). The voting was based on scientific evidence and was independent of the current treatment practices and drug access restrictions in the different Asian countries. The latter were discussed when appropriate.
Fulltext Pan-Asian adaptation of the EHNS-ESMO-ESTRO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Keam B, Machiels JP, Kim HR, Licitra L, Golusinski W, Gregoire V, et al.

ESMO Open, 2021 Dec;6(6):100309.
PMID: 34844180 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100309

The most recent version of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity, larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx was published in 2020. It was therefore decided by both the ESMO and the Korean Society of Medical Oncology (KSMO) to convene a special, virtual guidelines meeting in July 2021 to adapt the ESMO 2020 guidelines to consider the potential ethnic differences associated with the treatment of SCCs of the head and neck (SCCHN) in Asian patients. These guidelines represent the consensus opinions reached by experts in the treatment of patients with SCCHN (excluding nasopharyngeal carcinomas) representing the oncological societies of Korea (KSMO), China (CSCO), India (ISMPO), Japan (JSMO), Malaysia (MOS), Singapore (SSO) and Taiwan (TOS). The voting was based on scientific evidence and was independent of the current treatment practices and drug access restrictions in the different Asian countries. The latter was discussed when appropriate. This manuscript provides a series of expert recommendations (Clinical Practice Guidelines) which can be used to provide guidance to health care providers and clinicians for the optimisation of the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients with SCC of the oral cavity, larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx across Asia.
Pembrolizumab monotherapy versus chemotherapy in platinum-pretreated, recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer (KEYNOTE-122): an open-label, randomized, phase III trial

Chan ATC, Lee VHF, Hong RL, Ahn MJ, Chong WQ, Kim SB, et al.

Ann Oncol, 2023 Mar;34(3):251-261.
PMID: 36535566 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2022.12.007

BACKGROUND: Pembrolizumab previously demonstrated robust antitumor activity and manageable safety in a phase Ib study of patients with heavily pretreated, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive, recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The phase III KEYNOTE-122 study was conducted to further evaluate pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy in patients with platinum-pretreated, recurrent and/or metastatic NPC. Final analysis results are presented.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: KEYNOTE-122 was an open-label, randomized study conducted at 29 sites, globally. Participants with platinum-pretreated recurrent and/or metastatic NPC were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to pembrolizumab or chemotherapy with capecitabine, gemcitabine, or docetaxel. Randomization was stratified by liver metastasis (present versus absent). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), analyzed in the intention-to-treat population using the stratified log-rank test (superiority threshold, one-sided P = 0.0187). Safety was assessed in the as-treated population.
RESULTS: Between 5 May 2016 and 28 May 2018, 233 participants were randomly assigned to treatment (pembrolizumab, n = 117; chemotherapy, n = 116); Most participants (86.7%) received study treatment in the second-line or later setting. Median time from randomization to data cut-off (30 November 2020) was 45.1 months (interquartile range, 39.0-48.8 months). Median OS was 17.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 11.7-22.9 months] with pembrolizumab and 15.3 months (95% CI 10.9-18.1 months) with chemotherapy [hazard ratio, 0.90 (95% CI 0.67-1.19; P = 0.2262)]. Grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 12 of 116 participants (10.3%) with pembrolizumab and 49 of 112 participants (43.8%) with chemotherapy. Three treatment-related deaths occurred: 1 participant (0.9%) with pembrolizumab (pneumonitis) and 2 (1.8%) with chemotherapy (pneumonia, intracranial hemorrhage).
CONCLUSION: Pembrolizumab did not significantly improve OS compared with chemotherapy in participants with platinum-pretreated recurrent and/or metastatic NPC but did have manageable safety and a lower incidence of treatment-related adverse events.