Browse publications by year: 2021

  1. Zeng H, Zhang J, Preising GA, Rubel T, Singh P, Ritz A
    Nucleic Acids Res, 2021 07 02;49(W1):W257-W262.
    PMID: 34037782 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab420
    Networks have been an excellent framework for modeling complex biological information, but the methodological details of network-based tools are often described for a technical audience. We have developed Graphery, an interactive tutorial webserver that illustrates foundational graph concepts frequently used in network-based methods. Each tutorial describes a graph concept along with executable Python code that can be interactively run on a graph. Users navigate each tutorial using their choice of real-world biological networks that highlight the diverse applications of network algorithms. Graphery also allows users to modify the code within each tutorial or write new programs, which all can be executed without requiring an account. Graphery accepts ideas for new tutorials and datasets that will be shaped by both computational and biological researchers, growing into a community-contributed learning platform. Graphery is available at https://graphery.reedcompbio.org/.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms*; Computer Graphics; Models, Biological*; Software*; Signal Transduction; Protein Interaction Mapping
  2. Tang ASO, Wong QY, Yeo ST, Ting IPL, Lee JTH, Fam TL, et al.
    Am J Case Rep, 2021 May 26;22:e931655.
    PMID: 34038399 DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.931655
    BACKGROUND Leprosy is an infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. An extensive literature search did not reveal many reports of melioidosis in association with leprosy. CASE REPORT A 22-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with multibacillary leprosy, developed dapsone-induced methemoglobinemia and hemolytic anemia, complicated by melioidosis. Methemoglobinemia was treated with methylene blue and vitamin C. Two weeks of ceftazidime was initiated to treat melioidosis, and the patient was discharged on amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and doxycycline as melioidosis eradication therapy. However, she developed drug-induced hypersensitivity. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, as an alternative treatment for melioidosis eradication, was commenced and was successfully completed for 12 weeks. During the fifth month of multidrug therapy, the patient developed type II lepra reaction with erythema nodosum leprosum reaction, which was treated with prednisolone. Leprosy treatment continued with clofazimine and ofloxacin, and complete resolution of skin lesions occurred after 12 months of therapy. CONCLUSIONS Our case highlighted the challenges posed in managing a patient with multibacillary leprosy with multiple complications. Clinicians should be aware that dapsone-induced methemoglobinemia and hemolysis might complicate the treatment of leprosy. Our case also highlighted the safety and efficacy of combining ofloxacin and clofazimine as a leprosy treatment regimen in addition to gradual steroid dose titration in the presence of type II lepra reaction.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Dapsone/adverse effects; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Leprostatic Agents/adverse effects; Melioidosis*; Young Adult
  3. Juliana N, Abu Yazit NA, Kadiman S, Muhammad Hafidz K, Azmani S, Mohd Fahmi Teng NI, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(5):e0251157.
    PMID: 34038405 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251157
    Cardiothoracic surgeries are life-saving procedures but often it results in various complications. Intraoperative cerebral oximetry monitoring used to detect regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) is a non-invasive method that provides prognostic importance in cardiac surgery. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of intraoperative cerebral oxygen monitoring during cardiac surgery on postoperative complications. This was a case-controlled retrospective study conducted on adult patients, who underwent open-heart surgery in National Heart Institute, Malaysia. The case group comprised patients on protocolized cerebral oximetry monitoring. They were treated using a standardized algorithm to maintain rScO2 not lower than 20% of baseline rScO2. The control group comprised patients with matched demographic background, preoperative risk factors, and type of surgical procedures. Propensity score stratification was utilized to contend with selection bias. Retrospective analysis was performed on 240 patients (case group) while comparing it to 407 patients (control group). The non-availability of cerebral oximetry monitoring during surgery was the prominent predictor for all outcome of complications; stroke (OR: 7.66), renal failure needing dialysis (OR: 5.12) and mortality (OR: 20.51). Postoperative complications revealed that there were significant differences for risk of mortality (p<0.001, OR = 20.51), renal failure that required dialysis (p<0.001, OR = 5.12) and stroke (p <0.05, OR = 7.66). Protocolized cerebral oximetry monitoring during cardiothoracic surgeries was found to be associated with lower incidence of stroke, renal failure requiring dialysis and mortality rate.
  4. Goh SL, Jaafar Z, Gan YN, Choong A, Kaur J, Kundakci B, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(5):e0252204.
    PMID: 34038486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252204
    INTRODUCTION: Prolotherapy and other injections, primarily acting on pathways associated with maladaptive tissue repair, are recommended for recalcitrant chronic soft tissue injuries (CSTI). However, selection of injection is challenging due to mixed results. This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to compare prolotherapy with other therapies, particularly injections, for CSTI and establish robustness of the results.

    METHODOLOGY: Pubmed, Medline, SPORTDiscus and Google scholar were searched from inception to 4th January 2021 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving injection therapies (e.g. blood derivatives, corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, botulinum toxin) for CSTI. The primary and secondary outcomes were pain and function, respectively, at (or nearest to) 6 months. Effect size (ES) was presented as standardised mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI). Frequentist random effect NMA was used to generate the overall estimates, subgroup estimates (by region and measurement time point) and sensitivity analyses.

    RESULTS: A total of 91 articles (87 RCTs; 5859 participants) involving upper limb (74%), lower limb (23%) and truncal/hip (3%) injuries were included. At all time points, prolotherapy had no statistically significant pain benefits over other therapies. This observation remained unchanged when tested under various assumptions and with exclusion of studies with high risk of bias. Although prolotherapy did not offer statistically significant functional improvement compared to most therapies, its ES was consistently better than non-injections and corticosteroid injection for both outcomes. At selected time points and for selected injuries, prolotherapy demonstrated potentially better pain improvement over placebo (<4 months: shoulder [ES 0.65; 95% CI 0.00 to 1.30]; 4-8 months: elbow [ES 0.91; 95% CI 0.12 to 1.70]; >8 months: shoulder [ES 2.08; 95% CI 1.49, to 2.68]). Injections generally produced greater ES when combined with non-injection therapy.

    CONCLUSION: While clinical outcomes were generally comparable across types of injection therapy, prolotherapy may be used preferentially for selected conditions at selected times.

    MeSH terms: Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use; Chronic Disease/therapy*; Humans; Confidence Intervals; Soft Tissue Injuries/drug therapy; Soft Tissue Injuries/therapy*
  5. Montero-Odasso M, van der Velde N, Alexander NB, Becker C, Blain H, Camicioli R, et al.
    Age Ageing, 2021 09 11;50(5):1499-1507.
    PMID: 34038522 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afab076
    BACKGROUND: falls and fall-related injuries are common in older adults, have negative effects both on quality of life and functional independence and are associated with increased morbidity, mortality and health care costs. Current clinical approaches and advice from falls guidelines vary substantially between countries and settings, warranting a standardised approach. At the first World Congress on Falls and Postural Instability in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December 2019, a worldwide task force of experts in falls in older adults, committed to achieving a global consensus on updating clinical practice guidelines for falls prevention and management by incorporating current and emerging evidence in falls research. Moreover, the importance of taking a person-centred approach and including perspectives from patients, caregivers and other stakeholders was recognised as important components of this endeavour. Finally, the need to specifically include recent developments in e-health was acknowledged, as well as the importance of addressing differences between settings and including developing countries.

    METHODS: a steering committee was assembled and 10 working Groups were created to provide preliminary evidence-based recommendations. A cross-cutting theme on patient's perspective was also created. In addition, a worldwide multidisciplinary group of experts and stakeholders, to review the proposed recommendations and to participate in a Delphi process to achieve consensus for the final recommendations, was brought together.

    CONCLUSION: in this New Horizons article, the global challenges in falls prevention are depicted, the goals of the worldwide task force are summarised and the conceptual framework for development of a global falls prevention and management guideline is presented.

    MeSH terms: Aged; Humans; Quality of Life*; Caregivers*; Consensus
  6. Mazlin Mohideen, Mohamad Iqbal Hazmie Idris, Nor Syamimi Izzati Zainal Abidin, Nur Azzalia Kamaruzaman
    MyJurnal
    Kaffir lime or “limau purut” (Citrus hystrix) is a popular traditional herbal plant with aromatic leaves. It produces fruits which are commonly used in Asian cuisines as a flavouring agent. Essential oil has been a popular and valuable product applicable in various industries, but its availability is scarce. Essential oil from the leaves of Citrus hystrix is a complex mixture of volatile and semi-volatile compounds. It is rich in bioactive molecules that act synergistically to improve the well-being of an individual. Essential oil is extracted from Citrus hystrix leaves using a few extraction methods; however, the most excellent extraction methods have yet to be ascertained. This review paper highlights several extraction methods that determined the final yield of Citrus hystrix leaves’ essential oil and the comparison of advantages and disadvantages between each method. Two types of methods are discussed, which are conventional and modern methods. Conventional methods include hydro-distillation, steam distillation, Soxhlet distillation and solvent extraction, while the modern method includes pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). In addition, pre- treatment processes are also included as they can significantly affect the performance of other important processes and production yield. This paper also found that the highest yield of 56.16% was obtained using PLE method. Essentially, each of the extraction and pre-treatment methods has its own pros and cons; hence choosing a suitable method depends heavily on the producer's demand and requirement.
    MeSH terms: Citrus; Flavoring Agents; Fruit; Oils, Volatile; Research Design; Solvents; Steam; Plant Leaves; Complex Mixtures; Thymus Plant; Distillation
  7. Nur Amirah Fadzlena Md Fadzli, Wan Syazehan Ruznan, Suraya Ahmad Suhaimi, Mohd Azlin Mohd Nor, Suhaidi Ariffin, Mohd Rozi Ahmad, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Of late, dyeing fabrics with natural dyes have become an attraction because of its eco-friendly and less threatening disposition towards humankind. In the textile colouration industry, natural dyes play an important role because of the need for replacement synthetic dyes which have a great deal of tension with the environmental issues. This study focuses on the colour shade, colour coordinates, and fastness properties of dyed silk fabric from tagetes erecta (Mexican Marigold flower) using the water boiling extraction method. The dyeing was carried out using lemon juice as a natural mordant through the simultaneous mordanting method, using two different dyeing methods: infrared (IR) dyeing and exhaustion dyeing. The shades produced for exhaustion dyed fabric is light-yellow compared to the IR dyed fabric, which is medium-light yellow. These shades were confirmed with the CIELAB colour coordinates, L*a*b* values. The colourfastness to washing, perspiration, rubbing, and light of the fabrics were conducted to investigate the performance of the dye and mordant on the dyed silk fabrics. The colourfastness properties of the dyed silk fabric using infrared (IR) dyeing technique have better performance than using exhaustion dyeing technique.
    MeSH terms: Color; Coloring Agents; Textile Industry; Textiles; Water; Calendula; Tagetes; Flowers; Silk
  8. Nur Hasyimah Ramli, Wan Nur Atilla Antasha Megat Asrul Hazaman
    MyJurnal
    Freshwater fishes are species that spend their entire live in either freshwater inland or brackish estuaries. The checklist of the fish species should be updated consistently to ensure their diversity is preserved. The study of diversity and distribution of freshwater fishes at Sungai Muar, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan was carried out on 14 and 15 March 2020 to identify the fish diversity and their development in Sg. Muar, Negeri Sembilan. Trawl (fish collections), weighing machine and ruler (morphometric observations) was used during experiment. Fish species found during this study include Oreochromis mossambicus (Family Cichlidae), Hemibagrus nemurus (Family Bagridae), Homaloptera tweediei (Family Balitoridae), Notopterus notopterus (Family Notopteridae), Oxyeleotris marmorata (family Eleotridae), and five species of Family Cyprinidae, which were Mystacoleucus marginatus, Osteochilus haseltii, Cyclocheilichthys apogon, Barbonymus schwanenfeldii and Hampala microlepidota. Fishes from family Cyprinidae was dominated the area with a total of 102 individuals found. The statistical analysis shows the diversity (H’)=1.826, richness (R’)=2.004 and evenness (E’)= 0.5645 of freshwater fish at Sungai Muar, respectively. The most dominant species found was Mystacoleucus marginatus with 50 individuals and the least abundant species were Barbonymus schwanenfeldii, Homaloptera tweediei and Oxyeleotris marmorata with one individual only. The length-weight regression shows a positive allometric growth with ‘b’ value is higher than 3 at both stations; 3.0118 (Station 1) and 3.4409 (Station 2). It shows that the fish becomes heavier as its length increases. This data provides information about the fish habitat in Sungai Muar and can be used to update the checklist of fish species in Sg Muar. The data obtained provides information about the fish habitat in Sungai Muar which could be useful for the planning of fishing activities Other than that, it also important as a guideline for future research and conservation purposes especially in Negeri Sembilan.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Cyprinidae; Cypriniformes; Fresh Water; Humans; Tilapia; Ecosystem; Cichlids; Checklist; Estuaries
  9. Nur Hasyimah Ramli, Zuhrah Aini Sulaiman
    MyJurnal
    Fertilizers are the most important and complex nutrients for crop plants in particular for grain yield and quality. The composition of the fertilizer as well as the essential elements that influence the growth of the crop need to be clearly identified. Due to that, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of different fertilizer formulation on the leaf mustard (Brassica juncea) growth. High nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were used to investigate their effects on the morphometric size of the leaves, plant height and the leaf area index of the leaf mustard. Results showed that the application of different formulation of fertilizer improves the growth of leaf mustard compared to control. Leaf mustard with the high phosphorus treatment recorded an increase in plant height and the leaf area index (LAI). Lamina length (LL) range is shown between phosphorus and control (1.11 cm), while the range of lamina width (LW), left width (WL) and right width (WR) are between potassium and control about
    0.57 cm, 0.28 cm and 0.28 cm, respectively. Overall, there is a significant difference between the leaf mustard leaves in different high element fertilizers compared with all of the variable, F(15,1024) = 29.26, p0.05, no significant difference). The highest mean in LAI was obtained when treated with a high phosphorus fertilizer (0.47 m2). The mean difference of LAI of high phosphorus compared to high potassium, high nitrogen and control is 0.02 m2, 0.08 m2 and 0.12 m2. There is no significant differences between the LAI in different high element fertilizers with F(3,176) = 0.15; p>0.05. Further study should be conducted to determine the effects of different fertilizers on the growth of other vegetables and fruit quality.
    MeSH terms: Fertilizers; Fruit; Minerals; Mustard Plant; Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Potassium; Vegetables; Plant Leaves
  10. Noraini Hamzah, Izyan Yusof, Sabiha Hanim Saleh, Nazrizawati Ahmad Tajuddin, Mohd Lokman Ibrahim, Wan Zurina Samad
    MyJurnal
    Demand for diesel continues to increase due to rapid population growth, which could contribute to fossil fuel exhaustion. Biodiesel has been widely developed as a replacement for conventional diesel to resolve the issue. Biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO) was carried out via the transesterification process using two types of bentonite catalysts, which are raw bentonite and NaOH/bentonite. By using the impregnation method, the NaOH/bentonite catalyst was synthesized at 60°C for 12 hours. The transesterification was conducted with 0.5wt% of catalyst, at 15:1 (methanol- to-oil), for 2 hours at different reaction temperatures. The characterization of both raw bentonite and NaOH/bentonite was done using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer, Emmett, Teller (BET) surface characterization. A high yield of FAMEs (72%) was found to be obtained in continuous stirring at 55ºC for 2 hours and 15:1 methanol/oil molar ratio with 0.5wt.% (0.15g) of NaOH/bentonite catalyst.
    MeSH terms: Methanol; Bentonite; Catalysis; Cooking; Esterification; Fossil Fuels; Population Growth; Sodium Hydroxide; Temperature; X-Ray Diffraction; Biofuels
  11. Siti Hajar Ahmad Shariff, Mohamad Wafiuddin Ismail
    MyJurnal
    Star-shaped polymers have vast potential in bioapplication due to their architecture. In this study, the suitability of ring opening polymerization (ROP) technique to synthesis star-shaped poly(caprolactone) and the thermal properties of the synthesized star-shaped polymers were demonstrated. The 4 -arm star- shaped of poly(caprolactone) (4s PCL) with -OH terminal and average molecular weight (Mn) of 5000, 10000, and 15000 g/mol were synthesized via ROP of ԑ-caprolactone (ԑ-CL) using a symmetric pentaerythritol (PET) as the core. Different molecular weights were obtained by using different ratios of ԑ-CL and PET in the presence of catalyst, stannous octoate (Sn(Oct)2). The FTIR spectra showed the presence of bands of methylene group of polymer repeating chain which confirm ROP of the ԑ- caprolactone. The average molecular weight (Mn) determined from proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) analysis showed that all 4s PCL have approximately the same molecular weight as the theoretical values. All polymers obtained had high yield with >85%. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that there were no significance different in the thermal properties of the synthesized polymers. A single step degradation for all 4s PCL was observed and the crystallization melting point of the polymers was within the range of melting point of PCL.
    MeSH terms: Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; Caproates; Crystallization; Lactones; Molecular Weight; Polyesters; Polymers; Protons; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Polymerization; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  12. Norha Abdul Hadi, Mawar Hasyikin Abu Seman, Madhiyah Yahaya Bermakai
    MyJurnal
    Derivation of activated carbon from biomass wastes for energy storage applications such as fuel cells and supercapacitors are attracting wide attractions as the world is now demand for other sustainable energy that can help to explore new technologies especially for energy conversion and storage. This is important because the world now is facing a rapid depletion of fossil energy. In this review, an outline of recent trends towards biomass-derived specifically from fruit-based biomass wastes is explained in a holistic manner. Thanks to their high carbon content, high specific surface area and developed porous structure, biomass-derived chars can be treated and converted into carbon. The performance of activated carbon in terms of Brunette Emmet Teller (BET) surface area, micropore volume, total pore volume and specific capacitance has been reported. This review showed that higher BET surface will contribute to higher pore volume in the activated carbon that makes them good candidates for the fabrication of electrodes in supercapacitor applications. This study was focused on providing a detailed comparison of published studies that utilized different physical and chemical routes and their effect of modification such as various activation temperatures and the ratio of activating agents towards the performance of the activated carbon under different parameters. Implementing chemical routes with an ideal 600°C – 850°C and inclusion ratio might be effective to produce high performance activated carbon.
    MeSH terms: Charcoal; Electrodes; Fossils; Fruit; Temperature; Porosity; Biomass; Electric Capacitance; Physical Phenomena; Renewable Energy
  13. Adam Zafdri Md Zali, Rashidah Iberahim
    MyJurnal
    Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are types of bacteria known to cause bacterial keratitis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes bacterial keratitis by adhering to the surface of the contact lenses, when the P. aeruginosa are in contact with the eye, resulting in infectious keratitis. As for Staphylococcus aureus, when there is a predisposing factor such as wearing expired or extended use of contact lenses (contact lenses that can be used continually for up to one week even while sleeping) weaken the individual defences and leads to the development of bacterial keratitis. Both bacteria are capable to infect eye cornea and lead to bacterial keratitis through contact lenses wearer. The findings of this study provide information on the importance of routine practices in handling contact lenses to help reduce the incidence of bacterial keratitis caused by wear contact lenses in an individual. The side effect of wearing contact lenses such as redness of the eye and keratitis due to the infection by pathogenic bacteria which comes from the behavior and low hygiene level management of individual had led the study to create awareness to contact lenses wearer. In this study, 25 soft and hard contact lenses with purposed for colored or toric contact lenses were obtained among UiTM Negeri Sembilan students. The users required to answer the questionnaire form regarding the type, behavior, and routine practices of their contact lenses. Pathogenic bacteria were isolated using the cotton swab technique and cultured on nutrient broth. The streak technique was used to cultured bacteria from broth to nutrient agar, blood agar, and MacConkey agar. Later, the identification of bacteria was carried out using biochemical tests and microscopic observation. From the laboratory results, 84% of the tested contact lenses contained pathogenic bacteria on their surface. These findings concluded that the presences of pathogenic microorganisms on the contact lenses used closely related to the behavior in handling and hygenic practices level by the contact lenses users.
    MeSH terms: Agar; Contact Lenses; Cornea; Humans; Hygiene; Keratitis; Laboratories; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Surveys and Questionnaires; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcus aureus; Students; Eye Infections, Bacterial; Causality; Incidence
  14. Nur Aisyah Atikah Alizan, Sarah S. Zakaria
    MyJurnal
    Bacteria of the genus Komagataeibacter are described to be the most noteworthy for having several of its species being efficient and strong cellulose producers. The 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene analysis is often used for the identification and taxonomic classification of these bacteria species. In order to observe the phylogenetic relationship among Komagataeibacter sp., twelve sequences of the 16S rRNA gene with three sequences each for species namely Komagataeibacter europaeus, Komagataeibacter hansenii, Komagataeibacter intermedius and Komagataeibacter xylinus were retrieved from NCBI GenBank database. The sequences were aligned and analysed using PAUP, OrthoANI and BLAST, followed by the phylogenetic tree construction using a Maximum Likelihood method. The parsimony character diagnostic analysis showed very few numbers of parsimony- informative characters present in the aligned sequences which is only 1.5% of the total characters. The inferred phylogenetic relationships demonstrated the unexpected positioning of K. xylinus (GQ240638: Gluconacetobacter xylinus strain) and K. xylinus (KC11853: G. xylinus strain) into the clades of K. europaeus and K. hansenii respectively. The also very low bootstrap values of the branch points linking the K. europaeus species indicated low support for the produced topologies. The findings of this study indicate that more phylogenies information can be attained by increasing the taxon sampling. In addition, more robust molecular data are needed to infer the phylogenetic relationships between the Komagataeibacter species more accurately.
    MeSH terms: Cellulose; Genetic Testing; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Likelihood Functions; Sequence Alignment; Acetobacteraceae; Genes, rRNA; Databases, Nucleic Acid; Gluconacetobacter xylinus
  15. Farida Hamimi Ahmad Dasran, Nursyazni Abdul Rahim
    MyJurnal
    UiTM Negeri Sembilan Kuala Pilah Campus Forest Reserve was a lowland rainforest canopy located in Kampung Beting, Kuala Pilah, which hold various habitats for a wide range of organisms. Many of the species, however, were poorly known and documented. Therefore, a preliminary study was conducted to record the diversity of spider fauna in UiTM Kuala Pilah Campus Forest Reserve in two separate areas using three different methods: hand picking, net sweeping and pitfall traps. The present study resulted in 85 samples of spiders from seven families (Araneidae, Ctenidae, Eutichuridae. Oxyopidae, Pholcidae, Salticidae, and Sparassidae) and 13 genera. There were 29 individuals from four families collected from Site A, and 56 individuals from seven families collected from Site B. Salticidae spiders had dominated both sites with 62% of total samples collected. The second dominant family was Araneidae, which constituted 15% of the samples, followed by Ctenidae (6%), Oxyopidae (6%), Eutichuridae (5%), Sparassidae (4%), and Pholcidae (2%). This ecosystem’s spider fauna was qualitatively rich due to diverse microhabitats that represented the high flora and fauna diversity in UiTM Negeri Sembilan Kuala Pilah Campus Forest Reserve. However, the study did not reflect the full spider inventory as fewer sampling periods and areas were conducted. Therefore, additional sampling activities and study periods are anticipated to submit to the inventory of the organisms.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Hand; Humans; Physiological Phenomena; Spiders; Ecosystem; Forests; Rainforest
  16. Ahmad Zaimi Mohd Zawawi, Shazatul Izzati Sha’aree
    MyJurnal
    Termites encompass a various range of destruction of crops and capable of decomposing woods. The widely being used of hazardous chemical pesticides has develop many health problems to the users. Hence, the aim of this study was to substitute the use of hazardous chemical pesticides to herbs based pesticides as repellent agent against rubber termites (Coptotermes curvignathus), which is safer and easier to use. The selected herbs species for this study are lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), garlic (Allium sativum) and wild mint (Mentha arvensis). As for C.curvignathus, they were obtained from Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia. Khaya wood (Khaya senegalensis) (3cm x 2cm x 2cm) is the woods sample that being used. All woods samples were treated with all the selected herbs extract. The repellent testing was conducted for 21 days. The result obtained showed that the three herbs were effective to be used as repellent when compared to percentage weight loss of control, which is 23.58%. The percentages of weight loss of treated groups using aqueous extraction of herbs were 0.61% (lemongrass), 1.56% (mint), and 1.72% (garlic), whereas for methanol extraction of herbs were 0.52% (lemongrass), 1.13% (mint) and 1.55% (garlic). From Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), there is significant different in mean among group with F=275.49, p- value=0.000
    MeSH terms: Academies and Institutes; Methanol; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Antioxidants; Candy; Garlic; Insect Repellents; Malaysia; Pesticides; Plant Extracts; Rubber; Wood; Hazardous Substances; Weight Loss; Isoptera; Mentha; Meliaceae; Cymbopogon; Forests
  17. Adryana Izzati Adnan, noorhidayah977@uitm.edu.my, Nur Ain Nabilah Ash’ari
    MyJurnal
    A series of ten 5-arylidene Meldrum’s acid derivatives had been synthesised in excellent yield via Knoevenagel condensation. This method does not require catalyst, or any further purification. Isopropylidene malonate (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione), also known as Meldrum’s acid, is utilised as a core skeleton for various kind of reactions. Meldrum’s acid has features of a peculiar ring- opening sequences based on nucleophile-sensitive carbonyl functional groups at C-4 and C-6, which has made it possible for useful synthetic transformations, as well as its high acidity of methylene hydrogen at carbon position C-5. Hence, it allows the compound to be a flexible reagent for further reaction to prepare other derivatives. Therefore, Meldrum’s acid derivatives showed high potential of biological functions, such as antibacterial, antimalarial and antioxidant activities due to the olefinic linkage which played an important role in the enhancement of antimalarial activity. Furthermore, when arylidene Meldrum’s acid transformed to epoxide, the compound showed losses of antimalarial behaviour. Additionally, this compound has unique molecules due to the high acidity of methylene hydrogen at the carbon-5 position to initiate various reactions with different functional groups. In this research, Meldrum’s acid, 3 and ten its 5-arylidene derivatives (4a-e) and (5a-e) were synthesised by using two short and efficient reaction steps. The first step involved the condensation of malonic acid, 1 with acetone, 2 in acetic anhydride and acid via one-pot reaction to give Meldrum’s acid, 3 in 50% overall yield. Having Meldrum’s acid in hand, the reaction was proceeded with the Knoevenagel condensation reaction by using various functional groups, such as aryl aldehydes and aryl amines. All the synthesised compounds were characterised by using 1H and 13C spectroscopy.
    MeSH terms: Acetic Anhydrides; Acetone; Aldehydes; Amines; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antimalarials; Antioxidants; Carbon; Epoxy Compounds; Hydrogen; Indicators and Reagents; Malonates; Skeleton; Spectrum Analysis
  18. Othman H, Ludin SM, Saidi S, Awang MS
    J Public Health Res, 2021 Apr 14;10(2).
    PMID: 33855403 DOI: 10.4081/jphr.2021.2205
    BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors require attention and dependence from their primary caregiver. This is because TBI is a defect that affects both the psychological and physical functions of the victim. Caregivers play an essential role in providing the adequate care victims need to adjust to the new problems they may experience due to their condition, as family members alone may not be able to provide for their needs. In particular, TBI caregivers may face specific challenges when assisting their patients in handling unexpected changes to their daily routines. Therefore, this quantitative study aims to explore the needs of caregivers, their coping mechanisms towards stressful and traumatic circumstances, and how they provide care to their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    DESIGN AND METHODS: It was conducted with ten caregivers of individuals suffering from traumatic brain injury, that were selected using a theoretical sampling method. Data were obtained using a semi-structured interview guide, which helped the caregivers provide their responses. Meanwhile, data analysis was performed using the NVIVO analysis software.

    RESULTS: The results showed that there were, three significant themes namely, (a) Support needed, (b) the information need for care, and (c) developing self-resilience. The results also showed that caregivers really need support from the various parties, and the participants lack information on specific care techniques for the severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors.

    CONCLUSION: In conclusion, caregivers require approval and seek more useful information to provide excellent care to their loved ones. Being aware of the caregiver's needs would enable them to offer improved customized care.

    MeSH terms: Adaptation, Psychological; Attention; Family; Humans; Software; Caregivers; Survivors; Pandemics; Brain Injuries, Traumatic
  19. Pak HY, Chuah CJ, Yong EL, Snyder SA
    Sci Total Environ, 2021 Aug 01;780:146661.
    PMID: 34030308 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146661
    Land use plays a significant role in determining the spatial patterns of water quality in the Johor River Basin (JRB), Malaysia. In the recent years, there have been several occurrences of pollution in these rivers, which has generated concerns over the long-term sustainability of the water resources in the JRB. Specifically, this water resource is a shared commodity between two states, namely, Johor state of Malaysia and Singapore, a neighbouring country adjacent to Malaysia. Prior to this study, few research on the influence of land use configuration on water quality have been conducted in Johor. In addition, it is also unclear how water quality varies under different seasonality in the presence of point sources. In this study, we investigated the influence of land use and point sources from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) on the water quality in the JRB. Two statistical techniques - Multivariate Linear Regression (MLR) and Redundancy Analysis (RA) were undertaken to analyse the relationships between river water quality and land use configuration, as well as point sources from WWTPs under different seasonality. Water samples were collected from 49 sites within the JRB from March to December in 2019. Results showed that influence from WWTPs on water quality was greater during the dry season and less significant during the wet season. In particular, point source was highly positively correlated with ammoniacal‑nitrogen (NH3-N). On the other hand, land use influence was greater than point source influence during the wet season. Residential and urban land use were important predictors for nutrients and organic matter (chemical oxygen demand); and forest land use were important sinks for heavy metals but a significant source of manganese.
    MeSH terms: Fresh Water; Malaysia; Manganese; Nitrogen; Seasons; Singapore; Linear Models; Water Purification; Metals, Heavy; Rivers; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; Water Quality; Waste Water; Water Resources; Forests
  20. Hakima F, Salfi R, Bhikshapathi D, Khan A
    PMID: 34030622 DOI: 10.2174/1871520621666210524164351
    BACKGROUND: According to the global cancer report of 2019, the burden of cancer will exceed more than 18 million becoming one of the major causes of global mortality rate. There is a pressing need to establish novel drug candidates for cancer treatment, though many anticancer agents are available in the market owing to their adverse effects. In recent years, quinazoline and its derivatives have been considered as a novel class of cancer chemotherapeutic agents that show promising activity against different tumors.

    OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the anti-cancer potential of the novel class of quinazoline tethered acetamide derivatives against six different cancer cell lines.

    METHOD: A novel series of various substituted quinazolinone acetamides were synthesized through a feasible scheme. The synthetic scheme involves the conversion of benzoxazinone (from anthranilic acid and benzoyl chloride) intermediate to 3-amino quinazoline-4-one which is further converted to the final amide by tethering with the propionyl chloride employing Schotten-Baumann Reaction conditions. All the synthesized derivatives characterized by IR, 1HNMR and MASS spectral methods and anti-cancer activity evaluated by employing MTT assay for six cancer cell lines and one normal human cell line.

    RESULTS: All the synthesized compounds were screened for anti-cancer activity against six cancer cell lines, including A 549 (lung), DU 145 (prostate), HT 29 (colon), MCF-7 (breast), SiHA (cervical), B16F10 (mouse skin melanoma) and one normal human fibroblast cell lines. All the compounds displayed a decent cytotoxicity profile when compared with the standard drug, doxorubicin. Among the synthesized compounds (5a to 5n) tested, two compounds, 5f and 5g have demonstrated excellent cytotoxicity against SiHA and MCF-7 cancer cell lines.

    CONCLUSION: Comparatively, most of the compounds displayed decent cytotoxicity potential relative to the standard drug, doxorubicin. Further investigations are needed to establish the detailed mechanism of action of the developed novel quinazolinone acetamides.

    MeSH terms: Acetamides; Amides; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzoates; Breast Neoplasms; Colon; Doxorubicin; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Fibroblasts; Humans; Lung; Male; Melanoma; Propionates; Prostate; Quinazolines; Reference Standards; Benzoxazines; Mice; Quinazolinones; MCF-7 Cells; ortho-Aminobenzoates
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