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- PublicationAssessment of nursing informatics competency level among bedside nurses in Prince Mohammed bin Abdul-Aziz Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia(2025-01)Advanced clinical technology is widely used by nurses in today's healthcare settings, requiring the possession of sufficient informatics knowledge and skills. Nursing competency in this field is now essential, considering the increasing focus on patient safety and care quality through informatics. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the level of Nursing Informatics (NI) competency and determine the factors influencing this competency among bedside nurses in Prince Mohammed bin Abdul-Aziz Hospital (PMAH). The study adopts a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional approach involving 196 nurses at PMAH. Utilizing the Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment Tool (NICAT), developed by Alphonsa Rahman in 2015, the research assesses bedside nurses' informatics competency. Additionally, the questionnaire gathers demographic data. The data was entered into SPSS 25 software, and correlation analysis was carried out. The average level of competency across all categories was significantly tilted toward 'Competent, Very Competent, and Expert' (74%), with a substantially lower percent in 'Novice or Advanced Beginner' (26%). Educational level was identified as significantly correlated with the level of nursing informatics competency (NIC) (P = 0.047). However, age, gender, years of nursing experience, and use of the health information system showed no significant correlation with NIC level. These findings underscore the significance of nursing informatics competency within healthcare organizations, as it determines nurses’ ability to effectively utilize available health information systems, thereby enhancing healthcare quality and improve patient safety.
- Publicationhe effects of scorodocarpus borneensis against drug-induced nephrotoxicity(2025-02)Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterised by insufficient insulin production or impaired insulin utilisation, leading to persistent hyperglycaemia. If left unmanaged, it can result in severe complications, including diabetic nephropathy, a progressive kidney disorder commonly associated with long-term diabetes. While metformin is a standard treatment for controlling blood glucose levels, its side effects, such as diarrhoea, vomiting, and lactic acidosis, have raised concerns, emphasizing the need for safer alternatives. Therefore, the aim of the study the effects of Kulim fruit aqueous extracts against diabetic nephropathy-induced Sprague-Dawley rats. The effect of Kulim fruit extract was studied on Vero cells and the diabetic nephropathy- induced Sprague -Dawley rats. The proliferation assay result of Kulim fruit extract obtained shown not significant percentage of cell viability when compared to metformin (p>0.05), might be due to lab technical settings. In this study, the induction of the type 2 diabetes was carried out using high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks followed by injection of 55mg/kg of STZ for one week. The animals were divided into 4 groups with sample size of n=3, which were normal control, diabetic control, metformin-treated (150mg/kg) and Kulim fruit extract- treated (1000mg/kg) group. The effects of the Kulim fruit extract on serum creatine level shown significant different between treated and untreated group (p<0.05). The effects of Kulim fruit extract on blood urea nitrogen (BUN) shown significant different between treated and untreated group (p<0.05). The histopathological study shows promising effects in treating diabetic nephropathy when compared to untreated diabetic nephropathy by assessing the morphology of the glomerulus, Bowman’s space and tubules in kidney organ. The findings may provide valuable insights into Kulim fruit extract as a natural therapeutic alternative for diabetic nephropathy, offering a safer complementary approach to conventional treatments. Hence, the long term-impact of Kulim fruit extract in diabetic nephropathy model must be studied over a longer period
- PublicationTargeting monocarboxylate transporter 1 in statin-related anti-cancer effects on mda-mb-231 cell line: in vitro and in silico studies(2025-01)Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a challenging subtype of breast cancer due to its poor prognosis and limited targeted therapeutic options, necessitating the exploration of novel treatment strategies. This study investigates the anti-cancer effects of statins on the MDA-MB-231 cell line by targeting the functional inhibition of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1). Drug treatments with lipophilic statin (simvastatin, lactone form), hydrophilic statin (pravastatin, lactone form), AZD3965 (specific MCT1 inhibitor) and tamoxifen were tested through various assays; MTT assay was for IC50 determination, wound healing/scratch assay for cell migratory capacity assessment, and LDH activity assay for metabolic activity. In addition, molecular docking analysis was carried out to compare the binding affinities of simvastatin lactone versus simvastatin acid and simvastatin lactone versus pravastatin lactone to human MCT1. The drug treatment (24 hours) in the MDA-MB-231 cells revealed the following IC50 values: simvastatin (66.5 μM, 95% CI: 51.8 - 87.9 μM), AZD3965 (69.1 μM, 95% CI: 59.6 - 79.0 μM) and tamoxifen (28.8 μM, 95% CI: 26.1 - 32.4 μM). Compared to untreated cells, simvastatin significantly inhibited migratory capacity (P < 0.05) within the concentration range of 12.5 μM to 66 μM and increased LDH activity (P < 0.05) at 50 μM. Remarkably, simvastatin demonstrated comparable effects to AZD3965 on cell viability, migratory capacity, and LDH activity (P > 0.05), highlighting its potential as an anticancer agent Molecular docking simulations revealed that simvastatin lactone (-7.1 kcal/mol) had stronger binding affinity to MCT1 than pravastatin lactone (-6.9 kcal/mol), reflecting that lipophilicity influences affinity to MCT1. However, simvastatin acid (-6.9 kcal/mol) showed lower binding affinity than simvastatin lactone, likely due to lower lipophilicity and permeability. Overall, these findings highlight the potential significance of simvastatin-targeting MCT1 in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for TNBC
- PublicationImpact of under-filled k2edta coated blood collection tube on test results of complete blood count, reticulocyte count and white blood cell differential count(2025-01)High blood sample rejection rate is a prominent issue faced by hematology laboratories these days due to insufficient sample collection especially in pediatric, geriatric and oncology patients where venous access is difficult. Under-filled blood collection tubes affect the blood-to-anticoagulant ratio negatively leading to inaccurate results. This study evaluated the accuracy and reliability of complete blood count, reticulocyte count and white blood cell differential count parameters from under-filled blood collection tubes compared to standard volumes tubes. In this study, the aim is to compare hematological parameters across different collection volumes; 0.5 ml, 1.0 ml, 1.5 ml, and 2.0 ml in 2.0 ml standard lavender top K2EDTA tubes. The results have shown that most parameters remain consistent and were within clinically acceptable ranges in volumes as low as 1.5 ml. Some parameters, such as red blood cell (x1012/l), hematocrit (%) and lymphocyte (x109/l) remain stable even at 1.0 ml. This excludes hemoglobin, which has significant differences to all lower volumes. Therefore, under-filled tubes may be used as an alternative, reducing sample rejections and reducing overall healthcare costs. Future studies should include diverse populations and different analysers to support the findings
- PublicationEffects of individual and combination treatment of azithromycin and doxycycline on U87 malignant glioma cell line(2024-10)Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent malignant primary brain tumour in adults. Conventional treatment, which includes concurrent temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy and radiotherapy, provides only marginal survival benefits. Resistance to these therapies is both common and anticipated. Given the compelling evidence that azithromycin (AZI) and doxycycline (DOXY) induce apoptosis-related cytotoxicity in various cancer models in vitro and in vivo, these drugs were chosen for the present study. Their anticancer potential, both alone and in combination, was evaluated using the U87 malignant glioma cell line, specifically GBM. This in vitro study assessed cell viability, colony numbers, cytotoxic interactions, cell cycle distributions, nuclear morphology, cell death fractions, cytochrome C levels, and gene expression related to cytotoxicity and apoptosis. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay showed that AZI (IC50: 92.0 µg/ml) exhibited greater potency compared to TMZ (IC50: 151.0 µg/ml) and DOXY (IC50:147.0 µg/ml) in U87 cells. Compared to single-drug treatments, AZI+DOXY (92.0+147.0 µg/ml) did not show increased cytotoxicity across various concentrations and time points, and evidence indicated an antagonistic interaction. Based on the cell survival assay, AZI exhibited a statistically significant antiproliferative effect compared to the negative control (NC) and DOXY, but only to NC under TMZ. Flow cytometric analysis using propidium iodide (PI) labelling revealed that AZI did not interfere with the cell cycle, whereas TMZ and DOXY or AZI+DOXY arrested cells in the S/G2/M and G0/G1 phases, respectively. Hoechst 33342 staining revealed apoptotic features in cell nuclei across all treatment groups; however, a larger nuclear area was observed than that of NC. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis using Annexin V/PI labelling indicated that apoptosis was the predominant form of cell death induced by TMZ and AZI. In contrast, DOXY and AZI+DOXY induced both apoptosis and necrosis. Spectrophotometric analysis of cytochrome C protein levels exhibited an increase across all treatment groups. At the transcriptional level, all treatments enhanced TP53 and NFκβ1 mRNA expression levels, with AZI+DOXY significantly inducing both genes. PRKDC levels markedly increased with TMZ, DOXY, and AZI+DOXY. In contrast, γH2AX levels were higher in the AZI group than in any of the other treatments. DRP1 and MFN2 mRNA expression levels were elevated across all treatment groups, with AZI+DOXY substantially induced MFN2. Moreover, only AZI enhanced both BAX and BAK levels, whilst BCL2 significantly increased in the AZI and AZI+DOXY groups, and AZI+ DOXY showed the lowest BCLXL levels among the treatment groups. Additionally, AZI increased the ratios of BAX/BCL2, BAK/BCL2, and BAX/BCLXL, whereas AZI+ DOXY exhibited the highest ratio of BAK/BCLXL. In short, AZI shows anticancer activity by inhibiting cell proliferation, in part through the induction of apoptosis. On the other hand, DOXY and AZI+DOXY induce cell cycle arrest and both apoptosis and necrosis as part of their anticancer mechanisms. However, the experimental drugs appear to yield optimal anticancer effects when given alone rather than concurrently.
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- PublicationDesign of a retrofit inferarm cruthes(2008-04-01)The walking stick is a great aid when the person had an accident and his walking is impaired. It provides steadiness and stability, allowing the user to get around pretty well. By the way, for a person that unable to walk, the easiest way to help them to get around is using a wheelchair. It would help them hanging around easily with no burden to walk. But, wheelchair is not able to use in all aspect. For example, the user can't use the wheelchair to go up the staircase. Furthermore, if a person always sits on the wheelchair s without exercise, the bones of legs will get weaker. The main objective of this project is to design a crutch that can assist the disable or leg's injury person to climb up the staircase. It would help to prevent further damage or accidents when the user climbs up the staircase. Besides, the user is able to maintain proper posture, relieves damaging. stress, and reduces the overall chance of injury when climbing staircase. The project has completed with 3D solid modeling of the designed crutches with SolidWork 2007. Furthermore. COSMOS analysis was done on the critical parts of the designed crutches to make sure the factor of safety required was achieved.
- ItemMST 564 - Statistical Reliability - Oktober 2004(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2004-10)
- ItemEffects Of Repetitive Uncontrolled Temperature Exposure On The Quality Of Packed Red Blood Cells(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2019)Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBC) must be transfused within 30 minutes upon removal from blood refrigerator and the PRBC should not be hold in the ward where the storage temperature is not controlled. Untransfused blood which returned to the blood bank shall be discarded unless it is kept in an appropriate condition and temperature. Intermittent storage outside allowable temperature range often leads to destruction of the PRBC unit. This was a cross sectional study performed to determine the PRBC warming rates and the quality of PRBC upon repetitive exposure to uncontrolled temperature after 30 minutes and 4 hours. In this study four PRBC units (228 mL ± 37mL) collected from eligible volunteer subjects were equivalently split into two units, producing eight smaller units PRBC (±130mL) which then assigned into two groups; control and experimental group. Eight units of PRBC from both control and experimental group were tested on day 1, day 7, day 14 and day 35 of storage for haemoglobin level, haematocrit, haemolysis rate, potassium, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), pH and sterility. The PRBC warming rate upon exposure to uncontrolled temperature were monitored and recorded. All PRBCs achieved desired quality requirement from national guideline from day 1 to day 35 for haematocrit, haemolysis rate, and sterility. However, none of the PRBC units met the standard requirement (>45g/unit) for haemoglobin starting day 14 to day 35. No significant changes observed for all PRBC’s quality over repetitive exposure to uncontrolled temperature in 35 days in experimental group (P<0.05). There was also no evidence of bacterial contamination in PRBC at the end of their shelf life.
- ItemSynthesis And Characterization Of Black Silicon By Silver-Assisted Chemical Etching For Solar Cell(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2021-03)Crystalline silicon (c-Si) suffers from poor light absorption due to its indirect band gap and high reflection from its surface (about 35% in the visible region). This problem can be solved by texturing the surface of c-Si wafer to reduce its broadband reflection. Black silicon (b-Si) or nanotextured c-Si, has a huge potential for applications in solar cell due to its superior broadband light absorption within 300-1100 nm wavelength region. In this work, two-step metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) is used to synthesize b-Si by combining low-annealing temperature of silver (Ag) film and short duration of etching of the c-Si wafer. For the b-Si fabrication, p-type (100) c-Si wafers are deposited with 15 nm Ag film using radio frequency (RF) sputtering process. Subsequently, the Ag film is annealed at low temperatures (200-230ᵒC) for 40 min in nitrogen (N2) ambient, producing Ag nanoparticles (NPs). Then, the c-Si wafers with the Ag NPs are etched in a solution containing hydrofluoric acid:hydrogen peroxide:deionized water (HF:H2O2:DI H2O) for a short duration (35-180 s). Effects of etching time, etchant volume ratio and annealing temperature towards surface morphological and optical properties by using atomic force microscope (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and UV-Vis-NIR (within 300-1100 nm wavelength region) of b-Si are then investigated. From the investigation, the b-Si with the lowest broadband reflection is produced by annealing at 230ᵒC for 40 min and etched for 70 s using HF:H2O2:DI H2O (1:5:10 by volume). The lowest reflection of the b-Si wafer is 3% at wavelength of 600 nm, with weighted average reflection (WAR) of 8%. The b-Si demonstrates average width and height of about 50-100 nm and 300-400 nm respectively for the nanotextures. For solar cell fabrication, the b-Si is diffused with phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and 2-butanol using temperatures between 850 to 950oC for 20 min to form front n+ emitter. The emitter is characterized using Hall effect measurement. Ag and aluminium (Al) are thermally evaporated on the front and rear surfaces respectively to form electrical contacts. From current-voltage measurement, the b-Si solar cells demonstrate short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 20 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 423 mV and fill factor (FF) of 25.4%. This corresponds to conversion efficiency (η) of 5.2%. On the other hand, the planar c-Si reference solar cells exhibit Jsc of 7 mA/cm2, Voc of 390 mV and FF of 21.7%. The low conversion efficiency of the solar cells is contributed by high shading loss due to the front metal fingers and poor quality of p-n junction formation.
- ItemMAT 122 - Persamaan Pembezaan - Mac 2005(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2005-03)