Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Mamat R, Rashid RA, Shin SM, Ibrahim B, Wahab S, Ahmad A
    J Addict Dis, 2023 Aug 04.
    PMID: 37540000 DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2023.2240932
    BACKGROUND: The emergence of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), including synthetic psilocybin, has raised concern among health experts due to the numerous health and socioeconomic consequences. The current trend is shifting to the hazardous use of synthetic psilocybin in vaping, and little is known about the prevalence of use, specifically among amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) users.

    METHODS: Interviewer-administered questionnaires were conducted in drug detention centers between March and October 2022. The study was conducted using ASSIST 3.0 and obtained information on the respondents' socio-demographic characteristics and clinical profiles. N = 355 ATS users were enrolled in this study.

    RESULTS: The results show a high prevalence of psilocybin vaping among ATS users (182/355, 53.1%). Most of the respondents were males (85.1%) and unmarried (69.3%), with a mean age of 29.2 (SD = 7.3). Across all respondents, five factors were associated with psilocybin vaping: tobacco smoking, aOR =5.790 (95% CI: 1.723, 8.183); cannabis uses, aOR= 9.152 (95% CI: 2.693, 10.396); and alcohol use, aOR= 3.137 (95% CI: 1.461, 5.817). Respondents of the Malay race had higher odds of being involved in psilocybin vaping compared to other races, with aOR= 1.638 (0.043, 2.459). Meanwhile, a reduction in age by 1.9 will increase the likelihood of involvement in psilocybin vaping with aOR = 1.897 (95% CI: 0.857, 1.938).

    CONCLUSION: Psilocybin in vaping is growing among ATS users and across all populations. Unfortunately, knowledge regarding the long-term effects on health is limited. Further studies should highlight the harmful effects of psilocybin and the potential risk of psilocybin vaping among the younger population.

  2. Balasubramaniam HM, Tze Yan F, Michelle JiaMin L, Parimannan S, Mutusamy P, Jaya Jothi S, et al.
    Microbiol Resour Announc, 2023 Sep 19;12(9):e0045223.
    PMID: 37540022 DOI: 10.1128/MRA.00452-23
    We have successfully characterized the complete genome sequence of the lytic Dickeya solani bacteriophage W2B, isolated from the Bunus Sewage Treatment Plant. The lytic phage from the Ningirsuvirus family has a 40,385-bp linear double-stranded DNA genome containing 51 coding sequences (CDSs).
  3. Xu T, Tang X, Qiu M, Lv X, Shi Y, Zhou Y, et al.
    J Environ Manage, 2023 Oct 15;344:118718.
    PMID: 37541001 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118718
    Antibiotic-containing wastewater is a typical biochemical refractory organic wastewater and general treatment methods cannot effectively and quickly degrade the antibiotic molecules. In this study, a novel boron-doped diamond (BDD) pulse electrochemical oxidation (PEO) technology was proposed for the efficient removal of levofloxacin (LFXN) from wastewater. The effects of current density (j), initial pH (pH0), frequency (f), electrolyte types and initial concentration (c0(LFXN)) on the degradation of LFXN were systematically investigated. The degradation kinetics under four different processes have also been studied. The possible degradation mechanism of LFXN was proposed by Density functional theory calculation and analysis of degradation intermediates. The results showed that under the optimal parameters, the COD removal efficiency (η(COD)) was 94.4% and the energy consumption (EEC) was 81.43 kWh·m-3 at t = 120 min. The degradation of LFXN at pH = 2.8/c(H2O2) followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The apparent rate constant was 1.33 × 10-2 min-1, which was much higher than other processes. The degradation rate of LFXN was as follows: pH = 2.8/c(H2O2) > pH = 2.8 > pH = 7/c(H2O2) > pH = 7. Ten aromatic intermediates were formed during the degradation of LFXN, which were further degraded to F-, NH4+, NO3-, CO2 and H2O. This study provides a promising approach for efficiently treating LFXN antibiotic wastewater by pulsed electrochemical oxidation with a BDD electrode without adding H2O2.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Boron/chemistry; Electrodes; Hydrogen Peroxide; Oxidation-Reduction; Diamond/chemistry; Waste Water*; Levofloxacin/analysis
  4. Agatonovic-Kustrin S, Wong S, Dolzhenko AV, Gegechkori V, Ku H, Tucci J, et al.
    J Chromatogr A, 2023 Sep 13;1706:464241.
    PMID: 37541060 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464241
    This study compares different solvent systems with the use of spontaneous fermentation on the phytochemical composition of leaf extracts from a locally grown white variety of common fig (Ficus carica Linn.). The aim was to detect and identify bioactive compounds that are responsible for acetylcholinesterase (AChE), α-amylase and cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) enzyme inhibition, and compounds that exhibit antimicrobial activity. Bioactive zones in chromatograms were detected by combining High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with enzymatic and biological assays. A new experimental protocol for measuring the relative half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) was designed to evaluate the potency of the extracts compared to the potency of known inhibitors. Although the IC50 of the fig leaf extract for α-amylase and AChE inhibition were significantly higher when compared to IC50 for acarbose and donepezil, the COX-1 inhibition by the extract (IC50 = 627 µg) was comparable to that of salicylic acid (IC50 = 557 µg), and antimicrobial activity of the extract (IC50 = 375-511 µg) was similar to ampicillin (IC50 = 495 µg). Four chromatographic zones exhibited bioactivity. Compounds from detected bioactive bands were provisionally identified by comparing the band positions to coeluted standards, and by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra from eluted zones. Flash chromatography was used to separate selected extract into fractions and isolate fractions that are rich in bioactive compounds for further characterisation with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The main constituents identified were umbelliferon (zone 1), furocoumarins psoralen and bergapten (zone 2), different fatty acids (zone 3 and 4), and pentacyclic triterpenoids (calotropenyl acetate or lupeol) and stigmasterol (zone 4).
    MeSH terms: Acetylcholinesterase; alpha-Amylases; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Plant Extracts/pharmacology; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  5. El Omari N, Bakrim S, Khalid A, Albratty M, Abdalla AN, Lee LH, et al.
    Biomed Pharmacother, 2023 Sep;165:115212.
    PMID: 37541175 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115212
    Cancer progression is strongly affected by epigenetic events in addition to genetic modifications. One of the key elements in the epigenetic control of gene expression is histone modification through acetylation, which is regulated by the synergy between histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). HDACs are thought to offer considerable potential for the development of anticancer medications, particularly when used in conjunction with other anticancer medications and/or radiotherapy. Belinostat (Beleodaq, PXD101) is a pan-HDAC unsaturated hydroxamate inhibitor with a sulfonamide group that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of refractory or relapsed peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) and solid malignancies or and other hematological tissues. This drug modifies histones and epigenetic pathways. Because HDAC and HAT imbalance can lead to downregulation of regulatory genes, resulting in tumorigenesis. Inhibition of HDACs by belinostat indirectly promotes anti-cancer therapeutic effect by provoking acetylated histone accumulation, re-establishing normal gene expressions in cancer cells and stimulating other routes such as the immune response, p27 signaling cascades, caspase 3 activation, nuclear protein poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) degradation, cyclin A (G2/M phase), cyclin E1 (G1/S phase) and other events. In addition, belinostat has already been discovered to increase p21WAF1 in a number of cell lines (melanoma, prostate, breast, lung, colon, and ovary). This cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor actually has a role in processes that cause cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Belinostat's clinical effectiveness, comprising Phase I and II studies within the areas of solid and hematological cancers, has been evidenced through several investigative trials that have supported its potential to be a valuable anti-cancer drug. The purpose of this research was to provide insight on the specific molecular processes through which belinostat inhibits HDAC. The ability to investigate new therapeutic options employing targeted therapy and acquire a deeper understanding of cancer cell abnormalities may result from a better understanding of these particular routes.
    MeSH terms: Female; Histone Deacetylases/metabolism; Histones/metabolism; Humans; Hydroxamic Acids/pharmacology; Hydroxamic Acids/therapeutic use; Male; Sulfonamides/pharmacology; Sulfonamides/therapeutic use; Apoptosis; Cell Line, Tumor; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/pharmacology; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/therapeutic use
  6. Rodin G, Skelton M, Bhoo-Pathy N, Dewachi O, Li M, Trapani D, et al.
    Lancet Oncol, 2023 Aug;24(8):835-837.
    PMID: 37541269 DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00346-7
    MeSH terms: Altruism; Humans
  7. Tan K, Lu SY, Tan K, Ransangan J, Cai X, Cheong KL
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Oct 01;250:126096.
    PMID: 37541476 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126096
    Bivalves have high diversity, widely distributed in various aquatic environments, including saltwater, brackish water and freshwater. Bivalves are known to rich in polysaccharides and have wide applications in functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and industrial research. Despite many relevant reports are available, the information is poorly organized. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a comprehensive scientific review on the potential bioactivity of polysaccharides derived from bivalves. In general, the polysaccharides derived from bivalves possess various bioactive properties, including anticancer, antioxidant, anticoagulant and immunomodulatory activities. The bioactivity of these biomolecules highly depends on the bivalve species, extraction methods, purification methods, dosages, etc. The information in this study can provide an overview of the bioactivities of bivalve polysaccharides. This is very useful to be used as a guide for identifying the health benefits of polysaccharides derived from different bivalve species.
  8. Lim HT, Kok BH, Leow CY, Leow CH
    Fish Shellfish Immunol, 2023 Sep;140:108986.
    PMID: 37541634 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2023.108986
    Antibody with high affinity and specificity to antigen has widely used as a tool to combat various diseases. The variable domain of immunoglobulin new antigen receptor (VNAR) naturally found in shark contains autonomous function as single-domain antibody. Due to its excellent characteristics, the small, non-complex, and highly stable have made shark VNAR can acquires the antigen-binding capability that might not be reached by conventional antibody. Phage display technology enables shark VNAR to be presented on the surface of phage, allowing the exploration of shark VNAR as an alternative antibody format to target antigens from various infectious diseases. The application of phage-displayed shark VNAR in antibody library and biopanning eventually leads to the discovery and isolation of antigen-specific VNARs with diagnostic and therapeutic potential towards infectious diseases. This review provides an overview of the shark VNAR antibody, the types of phage display technology with comparison to the other types of display system, as well as the application and case studies of phage-displayed shark VNAR antibodies against infectious diseases.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antibodies; Antigens; Bacteriophages*; Communicable Diseases*; Sharks*; Peptide Library
  9. Rosli MSA, Heidari E
    BDJ Open, 2023 Aug 04;9(1):36.
    PMID: 37542050 DOI: 10.1038/s41405-023-00163-7
    INTRODUCTION: Flumazenil is an antagonist drug of Benzodiazepam (BDZ) that has been used as a reversal agent of midazolam-induced conscious sedation (CS) in both emergency and elective procedures. For CS procedure, a high-quality record keeping and clinical justification prior to admission of flumazenil are recommended. Clinical Audit (CA) enables clinicians to evaluate the quality and standard of recorded clinical procedures.

    METHODS: This re-audit investigated the reasons for the use of flumazenil and record keeping's quality with particular emphasis on CS. In this retrospective reaudit, the authors looked at the patients' records who had received dental care under CS in the Sedation and Special Care Department of (SSCD), United Kingdom from January to June 2022.

    RESULTS: Out of 665 patients who received midazolam-induced CS, 21 patients were administered IV Flumazenil. The commonest reason (9, 42.8%) was due to prolonged recovery.

    CONCLUSION: This re-audit highlighted the need for administrating flumazenil in certain patient groups, and/or circumstances (not emergency). The importance of maintaining high-quality record keeping is discussed.

  10. Tan MHP, Ong SC, Bujang MA, Shah SA, Mustafa N
    Acta Diabetol, 2023 Dec;60(12):1735-1747.
    PMID: 37542199 DOI: 10.1007/s00592-023-02164-2
    PURPOSE: The complications of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have a negative impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and could lead to increased healthcare costs. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding how and to what extent T2DM complications, particularly macrovascular and microvascular complications, affect the patients' HRQoL. This study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL in relation to diabetes complications and identify associated factors among patients with T2DM.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted over six months on T2DM patients at a National University Hospital, Malaysia. Since Malaysia is a multiethnic country with majority Malay-speaking and English widely used, the Malay and English versions of the revised version Diabetes Quality of life (DQoL) questionnaire was used to measure HRQoL. Multiple Linear Regression was applied to estimate association of individual DQoL domains with T2DM-related complications, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

    RESULTS: A total of 513 patients were recruited in the study. Sociodemographic (age, gender, ethnicity, employment, education) and body mass index affected satisfaction, impact and worry domains while complications affected the impact domain. Poorer HRQoL were demonstrated for severe stages heart failure (p = 0.001), nephropathy (p = 0.029), retinopathy (p 

    MeSH terms: Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Diabetes Complications*
  11. Chan MY, Jalil JA, Yakob Y, Wahab SAA, Ali EZ, Khalid MKNM, et al.
    Orphanet J Rare Dis, 2023 Aug 04;18(1):231.
    PMID: 37542277 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-02848-6
    BACKGROUND: Pompe disease is a rare glycogen storage disorder caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), leading to glycogen deposition in multiple tissues. Infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) patients present within the first year of life with profound hypotonia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Treatment with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has significantly improved survival for this otherwise lethal disorder. This study aims to describe the clinical and molecular spectrum of Malaysian IOPD patients, and to analyze their long term treatment outcomes.

    METHODS: Seventeen patients diagnosed with IOPD between 2000 and 2020 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Clinical and biochemical data were collated and analyzed using descriptive statistics. GAA enzyme levels were performed on dried blood spots. Molecular analysis of the GAA gene was performed by polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. Structural modelling was used to predict the effect of the novel mutations on enzyme structure.

    RESULTS: Our cohort had a median age of presentation of 3 months and median age of diagnosis of 6 months. Presenting features were hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (100%), respiratory insufficiency (94%), hypotonia (88%), failure to thrive (82%), feeding difficulties (76%), and hepatomegaly (76%). Fourteen different mutations in the GAA gene were identified, with three novel mutations, c.1552-14_1552-1del, exons 2-3 deletion and exons 6-10 deletion. The most common mutation identified was c.1935C > A p.(D645E), with an allele frequency of 33%. Sixteen patients received ERT at the median age of 7 months. Overall survival was 29%. Mean age of death was 17.5 months. Our longest surviving patient has atypical IOPD and is currently 20 years old.

    CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to analyze the genotype and phenotype of Malaysian IOPD patients, and has identified the c.1935C > A p.(D645E) as the most common mutation. The three novel mutations reported in this study expands the mutation spectrum for IOPD. Our low survival rate underscores the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in achieving better treatment outcomes.

    MeSH terms: alpha-Glucosidases/genetics; Genotype; Glycogen; Humans; Muscle Hypotonia; Phenotype; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
  12. Fiyadh SS, Alardhi SM, Al Omar M, Aljumaily MM, Al Saadi MA, Fayaed SS, et al.
    Heliyon, 2023 Apr;9(4):e15455.
    PMID: 37128319 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15455
    Water is the most necessary and significant element for all life on earth. Unfortunately, the quality of the water resources is constantly declining as a result of population development, industry, and civilization progress. Due to their extreme toxicity, heavy metals removal from water has drawn researchers' attention. A lot of scientific applications use artificial neural networks (ANNs) because of their excellent ability to map nonlinear relationships. ANNs shown excellent modelling capabilities for the water treatment remediation. The adsorption process uses a variety of variables, making the interaction between them nonlinear. Selecting the best technique can produce excellent results; the adsorption approach for removing heavy metals is highly effective. Different studies show that the ANNs modelling approach can accurately forecast the adsorbed heavy metals and other contaminants in order to remove them.
  13. Karobari MI, Ahmed HMA, Khamis MFB, Ibrahim N, Noorani TY
    J Dent Educ, 2023 Aug;87(8):1089-1098.
    PMID: 37164913 DOI: 10.1002/jdd.13236
    PURPOSE: To assess the application and accuracy of two systems (Vertucci et al. 1974 and Ahmed et al. 2017) in classifying the root and canal morphology of human dentition among final-year undergraduates, interns, and postgraduate dental students in India.

    METHODS: The survey was conducted using physical and online presentation modes in two phases. Phase 1; PowerPoint presentation (PPT), describing the most used classification system (Vertucci et al. 1974) and its supplementary types and Ahmed et al. (2017) classification. A single presenter delivered the PPT to participants, using either a projector in an auditorium/seminar hall (face-to-face) or an online platform (zoom meeting software). Phase 2 involved determining the students' responses. A questionnaire was distributed amongst the participants after the lecture and collected for analysis. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the data statistically, and the significance level was set at 0.05 (p 

    MeSH terms: Dental Pulp Cavity/anatomy & histology; Dentition*; Humans; India; Students; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography
  14. Wei R, Wang Z, Zhang X, Wang X, Xu Y, Li Q
    Public Health, 2023 Sep;222:75-84.
    PMID: 37531713 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.06.034
    OBJECTIVES: Understanding iodine deficiency (ID) burdens and trends in Asia can help guide effective intervention strategies. This study aims to report the incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of ID in 48 Asian countries during the period 1990-2019.

    STUDY DESIGN: Data on ID were retrieved from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 and estimated by age, sex, geographical region, and sociodemographic index (SDI).

    METHODS: The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was calculated to evaluate the changing trend of age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), and age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR) related to ID during the period 1990-2019.

    RESULTS: In Asia, there were 126,983,965.8 cases with 5,466,213.1 new incidence and 1,765,995.5 DALYs of ID in 2019. Between 1999 and 2019, the EAPC in ASIR, ASPR and ASDR were -0.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.8 to -0.4), -0.9 (95% CI, -1.2 to -0.7), and -1.6 (95% CI, -1.8 to -1.5), respectively. Malaysia charted the largest decrease in ASIR, ASPR, and ASDR (82.4%, 85.3%, and 80.9% separately), whereas the Philippines and Pakistan were the only two countries that witnessed an increase in ASIR and ASPR. ID burdens were more pronounced in women, countries located to the south of the Himalayas, and low-middle SDI regions.

    CONCLUSIONS: The incidence, prevalence, and DALYs of ID in Asia substantially decreased from 1990 to 2019. Women and low-middle SDI countries have relatively high ID burdens. Governments need to pay constant attention to the implementation and monitoring of universal salt iodization.

    MeSH terms: Female; Government; Humans; Iodine*; Malaysia; Pakistan; Philippines; Global Health; Incidence; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Malnutrition*; Global Burden of Disease
  15. Yong SJ, Halim A, Halim M, Ming LC, Goh KW, Alfaresi M, et al.
    Expert Opin Investig Drugs, 2023;32(7):655-667.
    PMID: 37534972 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2023.2242773
    INTRODUCTION: Over three years have passed since the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and yet the treatment for long-COVID, a post-COVID-19 syndrome, remains long overdue. Currently, there is no standardized treatment available for long-COVID, primarily due to the lack of funding for post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS). Nevertheless, the past few years have seen a renewed interest in long-COVID research, with billions of dollars allocated for this purpose. As a result, multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been funded in the quest to find an effective treatment for long-COVID.

    AREAS COVERED: This systematic review identified and evaluated the potential of current drug treatments for long-COVID, examining both completed and ongoing RCTs.

    EXPERT OPINION: We identified four completed and 22 ongoing RCTs, investigating 22 unique drugs. However, most drugs were deemed to not have high potential for treating long-COVID, according to three pre-specified domains, a testament to the ordeal of treating long-COVID. Given that long-COVID is highly multifaceted with several proposed subtypes, treatments likely need to be tailored accordingly. Currently, rintatolimod appears to have modest to high potential for treating the myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) subtype, LTY-100 and Treamid for pulmonary fibrosis subtype, and metformin for general long-COVID prevention.

    MeSH terms: Humans; Drugs, Investigational/therapeutic use; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  16. Raja Nhari RMH, Soh JH, Khairil Mokhtar NF, Mohammad NA, Mohd Hashim A
    PMID: 37535014 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2023.2242955
    Lateral flow devices (LFDs) are straightforward scientific tools that have made substantial advances in recent years. They have been used in many fields including the meat industry to detect disease markers, determine meat freshness or meat species determination. They are, therefore, significant in the research of meat adulteration by mixed animal species, because food component authenticity is a serious concern encompassing health, economic, legal, and religious issues. Pork adulteration is one of the most crucial issues in the global meat industry. In this review, we discuss the various types of LFDs and recent research on the development of LFDs as an authenticity tool for detecting pig additives in meat-based products, and how regulatory authorities could adopt LFDs for their workflows. Despite the benefits of rapidity, simplicity, low cost, high sensitivity, and specificity, researchers face challenges when using LFD as a final confirmation test. Future directions are suggested for globalising the use of LFD as a halal authentication method.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Food Contamination/analysis; Meat/analysis; Swine
  17. Yap HY, Choo YH, Mohd Yusoh ZI, Khoh WH
    Brain Inform, 2023 Aug 03;10(1):19.
    PMID: 37535168 DOI: 10.1186/s40708-023-00198-4
    Electroencephalogram(EEG)-based authentication has received increasing attention from researchers as they believe it could serve as an alternative to more conventional personal authentication methods. Unfortunately, EEG signals are non-stationary and could be easily contaminated by noise and artifacts. Therefore, further processing of data analysis is needed to retrieve useful information. Various machine learning approaches have been proposed and implemented in the EEG-based domain, with deep learning being the most current trend. However, retaining the performance of a deep learning model requires substantial computational effort and a vast amount of data, especially when the models go deeper to generate consistent results. Deep learning models trained with small data sets from scratch may experience an overfitting issue. Transfer learning becomes an alternative solution. It is a technique to recognize and apply the knowledge and skills learned from the previous tasks to a new domain with limited training data. This study attempts to explore the applicability of transferring various pre-trained models' knowledge to the EEG-based authentication domain. A self-collected database that consists of 30 subjects was utilized in the analysis. The database enrolment is divided into two sessions, with each session producing two sets of EEG recording data. The frequency spectrums of the preprocessed EEG signals are extracted and fed into the pre-trained models as the input data. Three experimental tests are carried out and the best performance is reported with accuracy in the range of 99.1-99.9%. The acquired results demonstrate the efficiency of transfer learning in authenticating an individual in this domain.
  18. Majekodunmi TB, Shaari MS, Abidin NZ, Esquivias MA
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Sep;30(41):94456-94473.
    PMID: 37535277 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28865-3
    Extensive theoretical and empirical evidence supports the crucial role of savings in driving a nation's economic growth and development. However, previous studies have not considered their potential environmental implications. This study aims to explore the influence of savings and remittances on the Developing-8 countries (D-8) from 1989 to 2019, using the panel autoregressive distributed (ARDL) model. The findings reveal that national savings and remittances, in the long run, help mitigate environmental degradation in the D-8 countries but energy use and population growth stimulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In contrast, economic growth does not significantly affect these countries' environmental quality in the long run. However, none of the explanatory variables have any significant relationship with CO2 emissions in the short run. Therefore, policymakers in the D-8 countries are strongly encouraged to prioritize the enhancement of national savings across the three economic agents to maximize the positive effects of savings on environmental quality. Government savings can be increased by reducing deficits and borrowings, while corporate savings can be encouraged by implementing investment tax credits and promoting research and development. Additionally, governments can embark on public enlightenment campaigns on financial education and provide incentives to encourage household savings.
    MeSH terms: Carbon Dioxide*; Investments; Economic Development*; Renewable Energy
  19. GBD 2021 Anaemia Collaborators
    Lancet Haematol, 2023 Sep;10(9):e713-e734.
    PMID: 37536353 DOI: 10.1016/S2352-3026(23)00160-6
    BACKGROUND: Anaemia is a major health problem worldwide. Global estimates of anaemia burden are crucial for developing appropriate interventions to meet current international targets for disease mitigation. We describe the prevalence, years lived with disability, and trends of anaemia and its underlying causes in 204 countries and territories.

    METHODS: We estimated population-level distributions of haemoglobin concentration by age and sex for each location from 1990 to 2021. We then calculated anaemia burden by severity and associated years lived with disability (YLDs). With data on prevalence of the causes of anaemia and associated cause-specific shifts in haemoglobin concentrations, we modelled the proportion of anaemia attributed to 37 underlying causes for all locations, years, and demographics in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

    FINDINGS: In 2021, the global prevalence of anaemia across all ages was 24·3% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 23·9-24·7), corresponding to 1·92 billion (1·89-1·95) prevalent cases, compared with a prevalence of 28·2% (27·8-28·5) and 1·50 billion (1·48-1·52) prevalent cases in 1990. Large variations were observed in anaemia burden by age, sex, and geography, with children younger than 5 years, women, and countries in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia being particularly affected. Anaemia caused 52·0 million (35·1-75·1) YLDs in 2021, and the YLD rate due to anaemia declined with increasing Socio-demographic Index. The most common causes of anaemia YLDs in 2021 were dietary iron deficiency (cause-specific anaemia YLD rate per 100 000 population: 422·4 [95% UI 286·1-612·9]), haemoglobinopathies and haemolytic anaemias (89·0 [58·2-123·7]), and other neglected tropical diseases (36·3 [24·4-52·8]), collectively accounting for 84·7% (84·1-85·2) of anaemia YLDs.

    INTERPRETATION: Anaemia remains a substantial global health challenge, with persistent disparities according to age, sex, and geography. Estimates of cause-specific anaemia burden can be used to design locally relevant health interventions aimed at improving anaemia management and prevention.

    FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

    MeSH terms: Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Hemoglobins; Humans; Global Health; Prevalence; Global Burden of Disease*
  20. Bani-Melhem K, Elektorowicz M, Tawalbeh M, Al Bsoul A, El Gendy A, Kamyab H, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2023 Oct;339:139693.
    PMID: 37536541 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139693
    Treating and reusing wastewater has become an essential aspect of water management worldwide. However, the increase in emerging pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are presented in wastewater from various sources like industry, roads, and household waste, makes their removal difficult due to their low concentration, stability, and ability to combine with other organic substances. Therefore, treating a low load of wastewater is an attractive option. The study aimed to address membrane fouling in the submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) used for wastewater treatment. An aluminum electrocoagulation (EC) device was combined with SMBR as a pre-treatment to reduce fouling. The EC-SMBR process was compared with a conventional SMBR without EC, fed with real grey water. To prevent impeding biological growth, low voltage gradients were utilized in the EC deviceThe comparison was conducted over 60 days with constant transmembrane pressure and infinite solid retention time (SRT). In phase I, when the EC device was operated at a low voltage gradient (0.64 V/cm), no significant improvement in the pollutants removal was observed in terms of color, turbidity, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Nevertheless, during phase II, a voltage gradient of 1.26 V/cm achieved up to 100%, 99.7%, 92%, 94.1%, and 96.5% removals in the EC-SMBR process in comparison with 95.1%, 95.4%, 85%, 91.7% and 74.2% removals in the SMBR process for turbidity, color, COD, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total phosphorus (TP), respectively. SMBR showed better anionic surfactant (AS) removal than EC-SMBR. A voltage gradient of 0.64 V/cm in the EC unit significantly reduced fouling by 23.7%, while 1.26 V/cm showed inconsistent results. Accumulation of Al ions negatively affected membrane performance. Low voltage gradients in EC can control SMBR fouling if Al concentration is controlled. Future research should investigate EC-SMBR with constant membrane flux for large-scale applications, considering energy consumption and operating costs.
    MeSH terms: Electrocoagulation; Environmental Pollutants*; Membranes, Artificial; Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods; Water/chemistry; Bioreactors; Waste Water
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