Browse publications by year: 2021

  1. Bherwani H, Kumar S, Musugu K, Nair M, Gautam S, Gupta A, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021 Aug;28(32):44522-44537.
    PMID: 33852112 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13813-w
    A novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to challenge the whole world. The disease has claimed many fatalities as it has transcended from one country to another since it was first discovered in China in late 2019. To prevent further morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19, most of the countries initiated a countrywide lockdown. While physical distancing and lockdowns helped in curbing the spread of this novel coronavirus, it led to massive economic losses for the nations. Positive impacts have been observed due to lockdown in terms of improved air quality of the nations. In the current research, ten tropical and subtropical countries have been analysed from multiple angles, including air pollution, assessment and valuation of health impacts and economic loss of countries during COVID-19 lockdown. Countries include Brazil, India, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Validated Simplified Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm (SARA) binning model is used on data collated from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) for particulate matters with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) for all the countries for the month of January to May 2019 and 2020. The concentration results of PM2.5 show that air pollution has drastically reduced in 2020 post lockdown for all countries. The highest average concentration obtained by converting aerosol optical depth (AOD) for 2020 is observed for Thailand as 121.9 μg/m3 and the lowest for Mexico as 36.27 μg/m3. As air pollution is found to decrease in the April and May months of 2020 for nearly all countries, they are compared with respective previous year values for the same duration to calculate the reduced health burden due to lockdown. The present study estimates that cumulative about 100.9 Billion US$ are saved due to reduced air pollution externalities, which are about 25% of the cumulative economic loss of 435.9 Billion US$.
    MeSH terms: Cities; Communicable Disease Control; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Particulate Matter/analysis
  2. Ullah I, Hassan W, Tahir MJ, Ahmed A
    J Med Virol, 2021 Oct;93(10):5689-5690.
    PMID: 34143897 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27134
    MeSH terms: Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Kenya/epidemiology; HIV Infections/drug therapy; HIV Infections/epidemiology; HIV Infections/prevention & control; HIV Infections/transmission; Anti-Retroviral Agents/supply & distribution*; Anti-Retroviral Agents/therapeutic use
  3. Lee YP, Yoon SE, Song Y, Kim SJ, Yoon DH, Chen TY, et al.
    Int J Hematol, 2021 Sep;114(3):355-362.
    PMID: 34302593 DOI: 10.1007/s12185-021-03179-7
    Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a group of T-cell lymphomas with low incidence. Due to their indolent characteristics, treatment strategies have not yet been established for advanced CTCLs. In this study, relative incidence of CTCLs in Asia was estimated and the therapeutic outcomes presented based on various treatments currently used in clinics for advanced CTCLs. As part of a prospective registry study of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) conducted across Asia, including Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, subgroup analysis was performed for patients with CTCLs. Among 486 patients with PTCL, 37 with CTCL (7.6%) were identified between April 2016 and February 2019. Primary cutaneous ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL, 35.1%) was the most common subtype. With a median follow-up period of 32.1 months, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 53.5 months (95% CI 0.0-122.5), and overall survival was not reached. 14 patients (48.2%) underwent subsequent treatment after the first relapse, but the response rate was 20% with a PFS of 2.2 months (95% CI 0.3-4.0). Six patients received autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT). However, auto-SCT did not result in better outcomes. Additional studies are needed on standard care treatment of advanced or refractory and relapsed CTCLs.
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Asia/epidemiology; Combined Modality Therapy; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Registries; Incidence; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous/diagnosis; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous/etiology; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous/epidemiology*; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous/therapy; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral/diagnosis; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral/etiology; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral/epidemiology; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral/therapy; Disease Management; Young Adult; Public Health Surveillance
  4. Kurniawan SB, Ahmad A, Said NSM, Imron MF, Abdullah SRS, Othman AR, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2021 Oct 10;790:148219.
    PMID: 34380263 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148219
    Macrophytes have been widely used as agents in wastewater treatment. The involvement of plants in wastewater treatment cannot be separated from wetland utilization. As one of the green technologies in wastewater treatment plants, wetland exhibits a great performance, especially in removing nutrients from wastewater before the final discharge. It involves the use of plants and consequently produces plant biomasses as treatment byproducts. The produced plant biomasses can be utilized or converted into several valuable compounds, but related information is still limited and scattered. This review summarizes wastewater's nutrient content (macro and micronutrient) that can support plant growth and the performance of constructed wetland (CW) in performing nutrient uptake by using macrophytes as treatment agents. This paper further discusses the potential of the utilization of the produced plant biomasses as bioenergy production materials, including bioethanol, biohydrogen, biogas, and biodiesel. This paper also highlights the conversion of plant biomasses into animal feed, biochar, adsorbent, and fertilizer, which may support clean production and circular economy efforts. The presented review aims to emphasize and explore the utilization of plant biomasses and their conversion into valuable products, which may solve problems related to plant biomass handling during the adoption of CW in wastewater treatment plants.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Water Purification*; Biomass; Wetlands; Waste Water
  5. Arunachalam S, Sivakumar I, Jayaraman J, Sharan J
    BMC Oral Health, 2021 08 11;21(1):395.
    PMID: 34380483 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-021-01755-1
    BACKGROUND: Arch length preservation strategies utilize leeway space or E-space in the mixed dentition to resolve mild to moderate mandibular incisor crowding. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature was to analyze the effects of arch length preservation strategies in on mandibular second permanent molar eruption.

    METHODS: A search for relevant articles published from inception until May 2020 was performed using PubMed/Medline, Cochrane databases, Clinicaltrials.gov, Google scholar and journal databases. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were adopted for the conduct of the systematic review. Using RevMan 5.3 software, the most pertinent data were extracted and pooled for quantitative analysis with 95% confidence intervals. Heterogeneity was analyzed by using Cochran Q test and I squared statistics.

    RESULTS: A total of 5 studies involving 855 mixed dentition patients with arch length preservation therapy were included in the qualitative analysis. Pooled estimate of the data from two studies revealed 3.14 times higher odds of developing mandibular second molar eruption difficulty due to arch length preservation strategies using lingual holding arch (95% CI; OR 1.10-8.92). There was no heterogeneity found in the analysis. The certainty levels were graded as very low.

    CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review demonstrates that arch length preservation strategies pose a risk for development of mandibular second molar eruption disturbances, but the evidence was of very low quality. Registration number: CRD42019116643.

    MeSH terms: Child; Dental Arch*; Dentition, Mixed*; Humans; Mandible; Molar; Tooth Eruption
  6. Ab Mumin N, Yusof ZYM, Marhazlinda J, Obaidellah U
    BMC Oral Health, 2021 08 11;21(1):394.
    PMID: 34380484 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-021-01741-7
    BACKGROUND: The Malaysian School Dental Service (SDS) was introduced to provide systematic and comprehensive dental care to school students. The service encompasses promotive, preventive, and, curative dental care. This study aimed to undertake a process evaluation of the SDS based on the perspectives of government secondary school students in Selangor, Malaysia.

    METHODS: The study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the opinions of secondary school students on the SDS implementation in their schools. Data from focus group discussions involving Form Two (14-year-olds) and Form Four (16-year-olds) students from the selected schools were transcribed verbatim and coded using the NVivo software before framework method analysis was conducted.

    RESULTS: Among the strengths of the SDS were the convenience for students to undergo annual oral examination and dental treatment without having to visit dental clinics outside the school. The SDS also reduced possible financial burdens resulting from dental treatment costs, especially among students from low-income families. Furthermore, SDS helped to improve oral health awareness. However, the oral health education provided by the SDS personnel was deemed infrequent while the content and method of delivery were perceived to be less interesting. The poor attitude of the SDS personnel was also reported by the students.

    CONCLUSION: The SDS provides effective and affordable dental care to secondary school students. However, the oral health promotion and education activities need to be improved to keep up with the evolving needs of the target audience.

    MeSH terms: Dental Care*; Humans; Malaysia; Oral Health; Schools*; Students
  7. Zainudeen ZT, Abd Hamid IJ, Azizuddin MNA, Abu Bakar FF, Sany S, Zolkepli IA, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2021 08 11;11(8):e050523.
    PMID: 34380732 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050523
    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on Malaysian families.

    DESIGN: A cross-sectional study performed using an anonymous online questionnaire distributed through social media, email and the Department of Social Welfare.

    SETTING: Malaysian families were invited to answer the questionnaires. The sampling was performed between 12 May 2020 and 9 June 2020.

    INTERVENTION: The psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES). The mental health status was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) 21.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: (1) Psychological impact on Malaysian families. (2) Prevalence of mental health status of Malaysian families during COVID-19 pandemic.

    RESULT: A total of 409 Malaysian families have responded (409 parents and 348 children), 154 respondents (38%) reported high psychological impact (score 14) for psychological construct and 189 respondents (46%) reported high psychological impact (score 6) for behavioural construct. A significantly higher proportion of respondents with not permanent employment status of the family lead reported high psychological impact. The prevalence of anxiety reported from family respondents was 23%. Forty-five children answered the DASS-21 questionnaire; 28.5% reported anxiety, 31.4% reported depression and 13.3% reported stress. The job security status of the family lead was found to be the predictive factor for the mean total IES-R score (psychological construct) and ethnicity for mean total CRIES-8 and CRIES-13.

    CONCLUSION: Rates of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic were high. Findings suggest that urgent measures to ensure job security among Malaysian families are important to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial and mental health outcomes.

    MeSH terms: Anxiety/epidemiology; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression/epidemiology; Humans; Mental Health; Surveys and Questionnaires; Stress, Psychological/epidemiology; Pandemics*
  8. Gaig C, Compta Y, Heidbreder A, Marti MJ, Titulaer MJ, Crijnen Y, et al.
    Neurology, 2021 Aug 11.
    PMID: 34380749 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012639
    OBJECTIVE: Anti-IgLON5 disease is a recently described neurological disease that shares features of autoimmunity and neurodegeneration. Abnormal movements appear to be frequent and important but have not been characterized and are under-reported. Here we describe the frequency and types of movement disorders in a series of consecutive patients with this disease.

    METHODS: In this retrospective, observational study, the presence and phenomenology of movement disorders were assessed with a standardized clinical questionnaire. Available videos were centrally reviewed by three experts in movement disorders.

    RESULTS: Seventy two patients were included. In 41 (57%) the main reason for initial consultation was difficulty walking along with one or several concurrent movement disorders. At the time of anti-IgLON5 diagnosis, 63 (87%) patients had at least one movement disorder with a median of three per patient. The most frequent abnormal movements were gait and balance disturbances (52 patients, 72%), chorea (24, 33%), bradykinesia (20, 28%), dystonia (19, 26%), abnormal body postures or rigidity (18, 25%), and tremor (15, 21%). Other hyperkinetic movements (myoclonus, akathisia, myorhythmia, myokymia, or abdominal dyskinesias) occurred in 26 (36%) patients. The craniofacial region was one of the most frequently affected by multiple concurrent movement disorders (23 patients, 32%) including dystonia (13), myorhythmia (6), chorea (4) or myokymia (4). Considering any body region, the most frequent combination of multiple movement disorders consisted of gait instability or ataxia associated with craniofacial dyskinesias or generalized chorea observed in 31(43%) of patients. In addition to abnormal movements, 87% of patients had sleep alterations, 74% bulbar dysfunction, and 53% cognitive impairment. Fifty-five (76%) patients were treated with immunotherapy, resulting in important and sustained improvement of the movement disorders in only seven (13%) cases.

    CONCLUSIONS: Movement disorders are a frequent and leading cause of initial neurological consultation in patients with anti-IgLON5 disease. Although multiple types of abnormal movements can occur, the most prevalent are disorders of gait, generalized chorea, and dystonia and other dyskinesias that frequently affect craniofacial muscles. Overall, anti-IgLON5 disease should be considered in patients with multiple movement disorders, particularly if they occur in association with sleep alterations, bulbar dysfunction, or cognitive impairment.

  9. Endo H, Nguyen TS, Nguyen DD, Sasaki M, Kimura J, Oshida T, et al.
    J Vet Med Sci, 2021 Oct 02;83(10):1534-1544.
    PMID: 34380913 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.21-0322
    Morphological variation of the skull was examined in the northern treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri) from various localities across Southeast Asia. Through a multivariate analysis, the treeshrews from South Vietnam exhibited distinct morphological characteristics compared to other populations from Thailand and Laos, and Malaysia. The plots of the specimens of North Vietnam are not randomly mixed with Thailand plots segregation in the scatteregrams of canonical discriminant analysis. Since the skulls of the population from North Vietnam were morphologically similar to those form central Laos and northern and northeastern Thailand, the zoogeographical barrier effect of Mekong River was not clearly confirmed. The population of the Kanchanaburi in western Thailand is clearly smaller in size compared to the other populations. The southern border of the distribution of this species is determined by the Isthmus of Kra or Kangar-Pattani Line. In the northern treeshrew, which is distributed from southern China to Bangladesh and southern Thailand, we have detected osteometrical geographical variation driven by geography. These results indicate that the skull morphology in the Tupaia glis-belangeri complex distinctively differs in South Vietnam, western Thailand, and southern Thailand. The zoogeographical barrier and factor separating these districts are expected to clarify in the future.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Malaysia; Skull*; Thailand; Tupaia*; Vietnam
  10. Shokrollahi N, Ho CL, Zainudin NAIM, Wahab MABA, Wong MY
    Sci Rep, 2021 Aug 11;11(1):16330.
    PMID: 34381084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95549-8
    Basal stem rot (BSR) of oil palm is a disastrous disease caused by a white-rot fungus Ganoderma boninense Pat. Non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are a group of secondary metabolites that act as fungal virulent factors during pathogenesis in the host. In this study, we aimed to isolate NRPS gene of G. boninense strain UPMGB001 and investigate the role of this gene during G. boninense-oil palm interaction. The isolated NRPS DNA fragment of 8322 bp was used to predict the putative peptide sequence of different domains and showed similarity with G. sinense (85%) at conserved motifs of three main NRPS domains. Phylogenetic analysis of NRPS peptide sequences demonstrated that NRPS of G. boninense belongs to the type VI siderophore family. The roots of 6-month-old oil palm seedlings were artificially inoculated for studying NRPS gene expression and disease severity in the greenhouse. The correlation between high disease severity (50%) and high expression (67-fold) of G. boninense NRPS gene at 4 months after inoculation and above indicated that this gene played a significant role in the advancement of BSR disease. Overall, these findings increase our knowledge on the gene structure of NRPS in G. boninense and its involvement in BSR pathogenesis as an effector gene.
    MeSH terms: Peptide Synthases/genetics*; Peptide Synthases/metabolism*; Phylogeny; Plant Proteins/genetics*; Plant Proteins/metabolism*; Genes, Plant/genetics; Plant Roots/genetics; Plant Roots/metabolism; DNA, Plant/genetics; Ganoderma/genetics*; Ganoderma/metabolism*; Seedlings/genetics; Seedlings/metabolism
  11. Shitu Z, Moe Thwe Aung M, Tuan Kamauzaman TH, Ab Rahman AF
    Hosp Pharm, 2021 Aug;56(4):259-264.
    PMID: 34381259 DOI: 10.1177/0018578719890092
    Background: Medication errors (MEs) continue to pose a significant problem to health care systems across the world, not only causing harm and death in patients but also consuming approximately $42 billion annually in health care expenditure. The emergency department (ED) is considered a high-risk area of having MEs to occur. Little is known about the associated factors of ME in the ED of hospitals in Malaysia. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with ME in an ED of a teaching hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who visited the ED of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia over 9 weeks during normal working hours (ie, 8:00 am-5:00 pm). A total of 547 patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were enrolled for the study. Patient demographic information, clinical characteristics, and medication orders and procedures were observed and recorded. The required number of patient data (n = 311) were selected randomly for analysis. Multiple logistic regression method was employed to determine factors associated with ME. Results: Of the 311 patient data, 95 (30.5%) patients had at least 1 ME. The factors found to be associated with ME were number of medications (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51-2.41), triage (adjusted OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.04-0.27), gender (adjusted OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.26-0.93), and time of patient visit (adjusted OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.52-0.75). Conclusion: Medication error was not uncommon in our ED setting. Patients with a higher number of medications prescribed during visit to the ED were found to be particularly at risk. Identification of such factors may guide intervention measures to prevent MEs in this setting.
  12. Al-Abdulkarim DA, Aljadhey HS, Mahmoud MA, Poff GA, Hassali MA, Ali S
    Hosp Pharm, 2021 Aug;56(4):368-373.
    PMID: 34381276 DOI: 10.1177/0018578720910385
    Background: Spontaneous reporting systems are essential as they help detect serious unknown adverse drug reaction (ADR). However, underreporting of ADR is a commonly associated problem. This research work aims to assess knowledge, barriers, and factors that encourage the reporting of ADR among physicians.

    Methods: A total of 600 physicians working at a tertiary referral hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were included in this cross-sectional study. A pretested questionnaire was used.

    Results: Out of the 600 physicians, 240 (40%) completed the questionnaire. Most of the participants (85.4%) could correctly define ADR; nearly 75% physicians were unaware of the spontaneous reporting of ADR in Saudi Arabia. A total of 175 (72.9%) physicians had not reported any ADR among their patients in the last year; 40% of the physicians said that they did not report ADR because they were unaware of the online reporting of ADR. Providing guidelines and regular bulletins on the reporting of ADR is a critical aspect that encourages physicians to report ADR (51%). Education and training are the most recognized measures for improving the reporting of ADR.

    Conclusion: Physicians were adequately aware of ADR but inadequately aware of the reporting system and reporting authorities. Continuing medical education, training, and integration of the reporting of ADR into physicians' various clinical activities may improve ADR reporting.

  13. Ismail MA, Midin M
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:680800.
    PMID: 34381387 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.680800
    Introduction: Shared decision-making (SDM) is recognized as a promising strategy for improving collaboration between clinicians and their patients in achieving recovery. In Malaysia, SDM among people with schizophrenia is still lacking both in practice and in research. This study aimed to determine the level of SDM and role preference and their associated factors among patients with schizophrenia in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 86 outpatient attendees with schizophrenia at a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The nine-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire and Control Preference Scale were used to assess perceived SDM experience and role preference, respectively. Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the factors associated with SDM and role preference, respectively. Factors with a p <0.25 from the simple regression analyses were controlled as the covariates in the multiple regression analyses. Results: The study respondents were predominantly female, single, and unemployed, with a mean age of 44 years. Only 35% of the participants reported having high SDM experiences, even though the majority (56%) preferred autonomous role preference. Among the participants who preferred autonomous roles, only 40% experienced high SDM. High SDM was found to be significantly associated with being younger (B = -0.33, 95% CI = -0.67 to -0.003) and being non-clozapine users (B = 19.90, 95% CI = 9.39-30.41), while autonomous role preference was significantly associated with a lower level of insight [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.72-0.99] and being on oral antipsychotic drugs only (AOR = 2.94, 95% CI = 1.10-7.82). Conclusion: The practice of SDM is still lacking in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia in Malaysia, even though many of them preferred to be involved in the decision-making pertaining to their treatment. This study indicates the need for clinicians to improve their patients' involvement in the treatment process. More research is needed on how SDM can be implemented in patients with schizophrenia, especially in Asian population settings.
  14. Gan DEY, Alagoo D, Chan KH, Choi RXY, Sellappan H, Sharif MS, et al.
    Pan Afr Med J, 2021;38:398.
    PMID: 34381542 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2021.38.398.29228
    Situs inversus totalis is the complete transpositioning of thoracoabdominal viscera into a mirror image of the normal configuration. Choledochal cyst is the congenital cystic dilation of the biliary tract. Both these conditions coexisting in a patient is extremely rare. We hereby present a case of type IC choledochal cyst in a patient with situs inversus totalis presenting with biliary sepsis secondary to choledocholithiasis. Also detailed are the management and operative strategies employed to deal with this rare entity.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Biliary Tract Diseases/diagnosis; Biliary Tract Diseases/pathology; Female; Humans; Situs Inversus/diagnosis*; Situs Inversus/pathology; Choledochal Cyst/diagnosis*; Choledochal Cyst/pathology; Sepsis/diagnosis; Sepsis/etiology*; Choledocholithiasis/complications*
  15. Adrianto MF, Annuryanti F, Wilson CG, Sheshala R, Thakur RRS
    Drug Deliv Transl Res, 2021 Aug 11.
    PMID: 34382178 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-021-01043-z
    The delivery of drugs to the posterior segment of the eye remains a tremendously difficult task. Prolonged treatment in conventional intravitreal therapy requires injections that are administered frequently due to the rapid clearance of the drug molecules. As an alternative, intraocular implants can offer drug release for long-term therapy. However, one of the several challenges in developing intraocular implants is selecting an appropriate in vitro dissolution testing model. In order to determine the efficacy of ocular implants in drug release, multiple in vitro test models were emerging. While these in vitro models may be used to analyse drug release profiles, the findings may not predict in vivo retinal drug exposure as this is influenced by metabolic and physiological factors. This review considers various types of in vitro test methods used to test drug release of ocular implants. Importantly, it discusses the challenges and factors that must be considered in the development and testing of the implants in an in vitro setup.
  16. R SR, M E A, M M
    J Food Sci, 2021 Sep;86(9):4159-4171.
    PMID: 34383295 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.15877
    This study was conducted to evaluate consumer profiling of pineapple at five maturity stages using check-all-that-apply (CATA) method and to determine the influence of post-harvest physiological changes on the physical and chemical properties of the pineapple. Nineteen CATA terms describing sensory attributes of pineapples at five maturity stages were generated. Seventy-five consumers were involved in describing the changes in the organoleptic properties of pineapple using CATA questions. The relationship between physicochemical properties and sensory description of pineapples was analyzed using correspondence analysis (CA). The total variance of 97.7% and 92.2% obtained in the CA plot of the physical and chemical properties with the consumer profiling data suggests that consumers have effectively described the pineapple harvested at five maturity stages. Changes in physical and chemical compositions in pineapple upon maturation result in the development of pineapple's desirable organoleptic characteristics, characterized as fresh, attractive, and bright yellowish, with a soft, fibrous, and juicy texture, a sweet odor and pineapple aroma as well as sweet taste. Index 3 pineapple has been described as pale, hard, and crunchy in texture at the early stage of maturity and has a sour taste. The characteristic was transformed to bright yellow, soft, fibrous, and juicy texture after maturation, (25% ripeness onwards), as well as the production of sweet taste and aroma of pineapple. Instrument analysis of yellowness (b value) and carotenoid has strongly influenced the sensory attributes of brightness, freshness, and attractiveness of the pineapple. Changes in total soluble solids (TSS) and a ratio of TSS to total acids (TA) contributes to the development of aromatic compound which increases the appealing quality of the pineapple. Pineapple sensory characteristics, physical properties, and chemical compositions were significantly affected by post-harvest physiology. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Sensory and instrumental methods were used to construct the properties of pineapple at different stages of post-harvest physiology. This article demonstrates that the Check-all-that-apply (CATA) analysis provides adequate sensory profiling information based on customer perceptions in relation to instrumental details, and it can be extended to other pineapple varieties and citrus fruits.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Perception*; Taste
  17. Wang J, Jiang Y, Liu JY, Xu HB, Zhang YX, Peng X, et al.
    Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 2021 Oct 04;60(41):22368-22375.
    PMID: 34383376 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202107637
    The salts {[Ln2 Ln*(Hhmq)3 (OAc)3 (hfac)2 ]+ [Ln*(hfac)3 (OAc)(MeOH)]- } (Hhmq=2-methanolquinolin-8-oxide, hfac=hexafluoroacetylacetonate; Ln, Ln*=Er, Gd, Yb) feature a discrete heteronuclear cation consisting of two types of lanthanide atoms. The quinolinoxy O-atom serves as a μ2 -bridge to two Ln atoms and as a μ3 -bridge to all three atoms, with metal⋅⋅⋅metal distances being around 3.7 Å. For 1 ([Yb2 Er]+ ), near-infrared downshifted luminescence is switched to competitive upconversion luminescence upon irradiation by a 980 nm laser under an extremely low excitation power (0.288 W cm-2 ) through introduction of fluoride ions. The stability of 1 after addition of fluoride was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and multistage mass spectrometry, associated with the 1 H NMR of 6 ([La2 Eu]+ ). More importantly, the at least 20-fold enhancement of the quantum yield in non-deuterated solvents at room temperature under low power densities (2 W cm-2 ) is the highest among the few molecular examples reported.
  18. Islam MZ, Othman ML, Abdul Wahab NI, Veerasamy V, Opu SR, Inbamani A, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(8):e0256050.
    PMID: 34383821 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256050
    This study presents a nature-inspired, and metaheuristic-based Marine predator algorithm (MPA) for solving the optimal power flow (OPF) problem. The significant insight of MPA is the widespread foraging strategy called the Levy walk and Brownian movements in ocean predators, including the optimal encounter rate policy in biological interaction among predators and prey which make the method to solve the real-world engineering problems of OPF. The OPF problem has been extensively used in power system operation, planning, and management over a long time. In this work, the MPA is analyzed to solve the single-objective OPF problem considering the fuel cost, real and reactive power loss, voltage deviation, and voltage stability enhancement index as objective functions. The proposed method is tested on IEEE 30-bus test system and the obtained results by the proposed method are compared with recent literature studies. The acquired results demonstrate that the proposed method is quite competitive among the nature-inspired optimization techniques reported in the literature.
  19. Wan Ali WNS, Ahmad Tarmidzi NA
    Eur J Dent, 2021 Oct;15(4):798-801.
    PMID: 34384124 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1731584
    Impression compound has been introduced for more than 100 years. Since then, it has been widely used to obtain a preliminary impression of the edentulous arch. Although the use of impression compound has declined markedly over recent years as newer materials have become available, the cost-effectiveness and desirable physical and mechanical properties make this material indispensable in developing countries and teaching institutions. Its high viscosity characterizes impression compound as a mucocompressive impression material, which enables the full depth of the sulcus to be recorded for the retention of complete dentures. Literature reviews revealed that most contact allergies to impression materials are towards polyether, very few are towards alginate and polysulfide, and no reported cases have been found toward impression compound. This case report demonstrates a recent rare case of contact allergy towards impression compound during a routine impression taking for a fully edentulous arch in a 61-year-old woman. The patient developed symptoms of an allergic reaction, and the management of the condition was described.
External Links