Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Eff ARY, Huri HZ, Radji M, Mun'im A, Suyatna FD, Eden Y
    BMC Complement Med Ther, 2023 Feb 20;23(1):56.
    PMID: 36803524 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-03889-x
    BACKGROUND: Mahkota Dewa [Phaleria macrocarpa (Scheff) Boerl.] fruit in vitro and in- vivo can decrease and prevent elevation of the blood pressure, lower plasma glucose levels, possess an antioxidant effect, and recover liver and kidney damage in rats. This study aimed to determine the structure and inhibitory activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) from the Mahkota Dewa fruit.

    METHODS: The fruit powder was macerated using methanol and then partitioned by hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. The fractions were chromatographed on the column chromatography and incorporated with TLC and recrystallization to give pure compounds. The structures of isolated compounds were determined by UV-Visible, FT-IR, MS, proton (1H-NMR), carbon (13C-NMR), and 2D-NMR techniques encompassing HMQC and HMBC spectra. The compounds were evaluated for their ACE inhibitory activity, and the strongest compound was determined by the kinetics enzyme inhibition.

    RESULTS: Based on the spectral data, the isolated compounds were determined as 6,4-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), 4,4'-dihydroxy-6-methoxybenzophenone-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2) and mangiferin (3). IC50 values of the isolated compounds 1, 2 and 3 were 0.055, 0.07, and 0.025 mM, respectively.

    CONCLUSION: The three compounds have ACE inhibitor and mangiferin demonstrated the best ACE inhibitory activity with competitive inhibition on ACE with the type of inhibition kinetics is competitive inhibition.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Rats
  2. Li G, Sng KS, Shu B, Wang YJ, Yao M, Cui XJ
    Eur J Pharmacol, 2023 Apr 15;945:175524.
    PMID: 36803629 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175524
    Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious disabling condition that leads to the loss of motor, sensory, and excretory functions, seriously affecting the quality of life of patients and imposing a heavy burden on the patient's family and society. There is currently a lack of effective treatments for SCI. However, a large number of experimental studies have shown beneficial effects of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP). We performed a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the effects of TMP on neurological and motor function recovery in rats with acute SCI. English (PubMed, Web of Science, and EMbase) and Chinese (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM) databases were searched for literature related to TMP treatment in rats with SCI published until October 2022. Two researchers independently read the included studies, extracted the data, and evaluated their quality. A total of 29 studies were included, and a risk of bias assessment revealed that the methodological quality of the included studies was low. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB; n = 429, pooled mean difference [MD] = 3.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.67 to 4.22, p 
    MeSH terms: Animals; Pyrazines/pharmacology; Pyrazines/therapeutic use; Quality of Life*; Spinal Cord; Recovery of Function; Rats
  3. Bhat NB, Das S, Sridevi BVS, H RC, Nayaka S, S N, et al.
    J Biomol Struct Dyn, 2023;41(21):11484-11497.
    PMID: 36803674 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2180666
    Lichens are symbiotic organisms that have been traditionally used for treating different kinds of ailments. As there are only a few reports on the antiviral activity of lichens, we thought of evaluating the anti-Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) activity of methanolic extract of Roccella montagnei and their isolated compounds. Fractionation of crude methanolic extract of Roccella montagnei by column chromatography isolated two pure compounds. Antiviral activity was assessed using a CPE inhibition assay at non-cytotoxic concentrations on Vero cells. Molecular docking and dynamics studies were carried out against Herpes simplex type-1 thymidine kinase to understand the binding interactions of the isolated compounds with reference to acyclovir. Isolated compounds were characterized as methyl orsellinate and montagnetol by spectral methods. Methanolic extract of Roccella montagnei exhibited an EC50 value of 56.51 µg/ml, while the compounds methyl orsellinate and montagnetol offered EC50 values of 13.50 µg/ml and 37.52 µg/ml, respectively, against HSV-1 viral infection on Vero cell lines. The selectively index (SI) of montagnetol (10.93) was found to be higher when compared to that of methyl orsellinate (5.55), indicating its better anti-HSV-1 activity. The docking and dynamics studies showed montagnetol was stable throughout the 100 ns, having better interactions and docking scores with HSV-1 thymidine kinase than methyl orsellinate, as well as the standard. To understand the mechanism of montagnetol's anti-HSV-1 activity, more research is required, and this could lead to the discovery of new and effective antiviral agents.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antiviral Agents/chemistry; Cercopithecus aethiops; Plant Extracts/pharmacology; Thymidine Kinase/pharmacology; Thymidine Kinase/therapeutic use; Vero Cells; Herpesvirus 1, Human*; Molecular Docking Simulation
  4. Ting TY, Li Y, Bunawan H, Ramzi AB, Goh HH
    J Biosci Bioeng, 2023 Apr;135(4):259-265.
    PMID: 36803862 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2023.01.010
    Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a long-standing history of biotechnological applications even before the dawn of modern biotechnology. The field is undergoing accelerated advancement with the recent systems and synthetic biology approaches. In this review, we highlight the recent findings in the field with a focus on omics studies of S. cerevisiae to investigate its stress tolerance in different industries. The latest advancements in S. cerevisiae systems and synthetic biology approaches for the development of genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) and molecular tools such as multiplex Cas9, Cas12a, Cpf1, and Csy4 genome editing tools, modular expression cassette with optimal transcription factors, promoters, and terminator libraries as well as metabolic engineering. Omics data analysis is key to the identification of exploitable native genes/proteins/pathways in S. cerevisiae with the optimization of heterologous pathway implementation and fermentation conditions. Through systems and synthetic biology, various heterologous compound productions that require non-native biosynthetic pathways in a cell factory have been established via different strategies of metabolic engineering integrated with machine learning.
    MeSH terms: Biosynthetic Pathways; Synthetic Biology*; Metabolic Engineering; Gene Editing
  5. Lee LZ, Cheng SH
    PMID: 36803949 DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2022-0119
    OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a significant impact on people's behaviour and lifestyles. Limited research has been conducted on the impact of COVID-19 on Malaysian university students' lifestyle modifications. This study aims to identify the impact of COVID-19 on dietary intake, sleeping patterns and physical activity levels among Malaysian university students.

    METHODS: A total of 261 university students were recruited. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data were collected. Dietary intake was assessed using PLifeCOVID-19 questionnaire, sleep quality was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire (PSQI) while physical activity level was assessed using International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Forms (IPAQ-SF). SPSS was used to perform statistical analysis.

    RESULTS: 30.7% of the participants adhered to the unhealthy dietary pattern, 48.7% had poor quality of sleep and 59.4% engaged in low physical activity levels during the pandemic. Unhealthy dietary pattern was significantly associated with a lower IPAQ category (p=0.013), and increased time spent sitting (p=0.027) during the pandemic. Participants being underweight before the pandemic (aOR=2.472, 95% CI=1.358-4.499), increased takeaway meal consumption (aOR=1.899, 95% CI=1.042-3.461), increased snacking between meals consumption (aOR=2.989, 95% CI=1.653-5.404) and engaged in a low level of physical activity during pandemic (aOR=1.935, 95% CI=1.028-3.643) were the predictors of unhealthy dietary pattern.

    CONCLUSIONS: The university students' dietary intake, sleeping patterns, and physical activity levels were impacted in different ways during the pandemic. Strategies and interventions should be developed and implemented to improve the dietary intake and lifestyle of the students.

  6. Sarkar SM, Dhar BK, Crowley SS, Ayittey FK, Gazi MAI
    Ageing Int, 2023;48(1):222-230.
    PMID: 34658464 DOI: 10.1007/s12126-021-09467-1
    The number of older women are increasing more rapidly and it is estimated that by 2050, the number of elderly women over 60 years old will be 3.2 times that of 2000. Moreover, the number and rate of elderly women in cities where widowed life alone has increased. The study pays attention to the fragile and vulnerable group of urban elderly women. Hence, the purpose of the study to suggest psychological adjustment and guidance for ageing urban women. The study suggests that by adopting protective policies and measures in a targeted manner this problem can be resolved. It is not only a critical responsibility of the state and the government, but also the social responsibility of all sectors of society, including enterprises and non-profit sectors of society, and even every ordinary citizen to support the elderly women for making their rest of lives happier and enjoyable.
  7. Younis I, Hkiri B, Shah WU, Qureshi F, Ilyas M, Longsheng C
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Feb;30(9):22430-22457.
    PMID: 36287363 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23408-8
    Various empirical studies have examined the nexus between financial markets, but this study focused on the comovement among prominent markets. Our study examines the interrelationship among main financial markets, i.e., stock, oil, and commodity during the recent pandemic. The interconnections among the selected markets are investigated using a battery of wavelet coherence tools and the Granger causality test. From the wavelet coherence analysis, our findings indicate strong co-movements among the VIX, oil volatility, and commodity prices during pandemic and localized in all scales and over the sample period. The dependency strength among the considered economies is noted to increase in pandemic, which implies increased short- and long-term benefits for the investors. Moreover, Our result exhibits a feedback causality between OVIX and crude oil, VIX and S&P 500, and gasoline and VIX. Interestingly, a unidirectional causality exists between VIX and crude oil, S&P 500 and crude oil, Brent and crude oil, gasoline, crude oil, and VIX and OVIX. We advocate that the findings will be helpful for portfolio managers, investors, and officials around the world.
    MeSH terms: Gasoline; Humans; Petroleum*; Electric Power Supplies; Pandemics
  8. Yong SW, Law SH, Ibrahim S, Mohamad WNW
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Feb;30(8):20849-20861.
    PMID: 36260231 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23615-3
    ICTs (information and communication technologies) have emerged as a potent new force. Digitalization, modernization, and automation of the manufacturing process are expected to facilitate ICT adoption, resulting in increased genuine environmental concerns. This research aims to examine the impact of ICTs on environmental quality and the relationship between ICTs, environmental quality, and economic growth. Dynamic panel threshold regression was employed, and the sample countries comprised 69 developing countries from 2010 to 2019. The threshold technique will identify the precise threshold value of ICTs and highlights the impacts of ICTs on the environmental quality nexus when above and below the threshold value in developing countries. Empirical evidence suggests that ICTs positively impact environmental quality (CO2) when above the ICTs threshold value. However, ICTs provide a positive but insignificant impact on environmental quality when below the ICTs threshold value of 4.699. Additionally, ICTs affect the economic growth and environmental quality nexus, with increasing economic growth resulting in a decrease in CO2 emissions in developing countries when ICTs are below the threshold value. Thus, the ICTs threshold value should be used to ensure that ICTs adoption promotes sustainable economic growth and resolves environmental degradation issues in developing nations.
    MeSH terms: Carbon Dioxide*; Communication*; Social Change; Economic Development
  9. Aman-Ullah A, Ali A, Mehmood W, Fareed M, Aman-Ullah A
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Feb;30(8):22078-22088.
    PMID: 36282374 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23760-9
    The present study aims to identify the impact of corporate social responsibility on patients' intention to revisit the healthcare industry. Furthermore, mediating the role of patient satisfaction and patient loyalty along with serial mediation through corporate social responsibility =  > patient satisfaction =  > patient loyalty =  > intention to revisit was also tested. The present study is quantitative in nature, while the data for the study was collected using purposive sampling from 321 patients working in eight hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. For the data analysis, statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) and structural equation modeling through the partial least square approach (smart-PLS v 3.3.9) were employed. The study results show that corporate social responsibility forms a significantly positive relationship with patient satisfaction, patient loyalty, and patient intention to revisit. Study findings confirmed the mediating role of patient satisfaction and patient loyalty. Furthermore, serial mediation through patient satisfaction and patient loyalty was also confirmed. In the current competitive environment, understanding the direct and indirect effects of CSR activities on patient satisfaction, patient loyalty, and intentions to revisit is of the utmost importance for hospitals. These activities provide hospitals with the opportunity to take certain actions to improve patient satisfaction, and these actions increase their loyalty, which in turn encourages their intention to revisit.
    MeSH terms: Hospitals; Humans; Surveys and Questionnaires; Social Responsibility; Health Care Sector*; Intention*
  10. Alper AE, Alper FO, Cil AB, Iscan E, Eren AA
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Feb;30(8):22100-22114.
    PMID: 36282394 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23763-6
    The ecological footprint has currently become a highly popular environmental performance indicator. It provides the basis for setting goals, identifying options for action, and tracking progress toward stated goals. Because the examination of the existence of convergence is important for the climate change protection of the earth, the convergence of ecological footprint and its subcomponents are a major concern for scholars and policymakers. To this end, this study aims to investigate the stochastic convergence of ecological footprint and its subcomponents. We employ the recently developed Hepsag (2021) unit root test that allows nonlinearity and smooth structural change simultaneously to study stochastic convergence in per-capita ecological footprint over the period 1961-2018 for the most polluting countries. The results provide mixed evidence of the presence of stochastic convergence in conventional unit root tests such as ADF, KPSS and Fourier KPSS. According to the Hepsag (2021) unit root test results for all countries, built-up land footprint converges except Australia, Malaysia, Poland, and Turkey. Carbon footprint converges for Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, and the USA. Cropland footprint converges for Australia, Canada, China, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, the UK, and Vietnam. Fishing grounds footprint converges in Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, and Vietnam. Forest product footprint converges in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Turkey, and Vietnam. Grazing land footprint converges in Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. And lastly, the total ecological footprint converges in Canada, France, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, the UK, and the USA.
    MeSH terms: Canada; France; Germany; Italy; Mexico; Economic Development*
  11. Loi MV, Wang QY, Lee JH
    Minerva Pediatr (Torino), 2023 Feb;75(1):49-61.
    PMID: 36282485 DOI: 10.23736/S2724-5276.22.06935-X
    Dengue is a mosquito-borne arboviral infection of increasing public health importance. Globally, children account for a significant proportion of infections. No pathogen-specific treatment currently exists, and the current approach to reducing disease burden is focused on preventative strategies such as vector control, epidemiological interventions, and vaccination in selected populations. Once infected, the mainstay of treatment is supportive, of which appropriate fluid management is a cornerstone. The timely provision of fluid boluses has historically been central to the management of septic shock. However, in patients with dengue shock, particular emphasis is placed on judicious fluid administration. Certain colloids such as hydroxyethyl starches and dextran, despite no longer being used routinely in intensive care units due to concerns of acute kidney injury and impairment of coagulation, are still commonly used in dengue shock syndrome. Current guidelines recommend initial crystalloid therapy, with consideration of colloids for severe or recalcitrant shock in patients with dengue. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology of septic shock, and consider whether any differences in dengue exist that may warrant a separate approach to fluid therapy. We critically review the available evidence for fluid management in dengue, including the role of colloids. In dengue, there is increasing recognition of the importance of tailoring fluid therapy to phases of disease, with attention to the need for fluid "deresuscitation" once the critical phase of vascular leak passes.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Child; Colloids/therapeutic use; Fluid Therapy; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Shock, Septic*
  12. Ozaki A, Harada K, Murayama A, Saito H, Sawano T, Tanimoto T, et al.
    PMID: 36794862 DOI: 10.1002/hpm.3618
    Japan's Diovan® /valsartan 'scandal' has received sensational coverage in the nation's media since 2012. Publication of fraudulent research and their subsequent retraction boosted and then curtailed the use of what was a useful therapeutic drug. Some authors of the papers resigned, others disputed the retractions and resorted to legal counsel to protect themselves. One individual, an undeclared Novartis employee involved in the research, was arrested. A complex and virtually unwinnable case was brought against him and Novartis, claiming that data alteration amounted to false advertising, but lengthy criminal court cases resulted in the case failing. Unfortunately, key elements, including conflicts of interest, pharmaceutical company interference in trials of its product, and the role of the institutions involved, have been effectively ignored. The incident also emphasised the fact that Japan's unique society and approach to science does not conform well to international standards. Although the supposed impropriety caused the appearance of a new Clinical Trials Act in 2018, the law has been criticized for being ineffectual and simply increasing clinical trial bureaucracy. This article examines the 'scandal' and identifies where changes must be made to clinical research and the roles of the various stakeholders in Japan to increase public trust in clinical trials and biomedical publications.
  13. Wireko AA, Ohenewaa Tenkorang P, Tope Adebusoye F, Yaa Asieduwaa O, Mehta A, Fosuah Debrah A, et al.
    Int J Surg, 2023 Feb 01;109(2):88-90.
    PMID: 36799812 DOI: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000000146
    MeSH terms: Ambulatory Surgical Procedures*; Humans; Pharmacists*
  14. Wireko AA, Ohenewaa Tenkorang P, Tope Adebusoye F, Mehta A, Cheng Ng J, Yaa Asieduwaa O, et al.
    Int J Surg, 2023 Feb 01;109(2):91-93.
    PMID: 36799813 DOI: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000000216
    MeSH terms: Africa; Humans; General Surgery; Biomedical Research*
  15. Wong YS, Willoughby AR, Machado L
    Psychol Res, 2023 Mar;87(2):357-372.
    PMID: 35348846 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01676-w
    Mind wandering is a universal phenomenon in which our attention shifts away from the task at hand toward task-unrelated thoughts. Despite it inherently involving a shift in mental set, little is known about the role of cognitive flexibility in mind wandering. In this article we consider the potential of cognitive flexibility as a mechanism for mediating and/or regulating the occurrence of mind wandering. Our review begins with a brief introduction to the prominent theories of mind wandering-the executive failure hypothesis, the decoupling hypothesis, the process-occurrence framework, and the resource-control account of sustained attention. Then, after discussing their respective merits and weaknesses, we put forward a new perspective of mind wandering focused on cognitive flexibility, which provides an account more in line with the data to date, including why older populations experience a reduction in mind wandering. After summarizing initial evidence prompting this new perspective, drawn from several mind-wandering and task-switching studies, we recommend avenues for future research aimed at further understanding the importance of cognitive flexibility in mind wandering.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Mental Processes*
  16. Shayuti MSM, Zainal S, Ya TMYST, Abdullah MZ, Shahruddin MZ, Othman NH, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Feb;30(7):17122-17128.
    PMID: 35469382 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20389-6
    Sand production remains a huge obstacle in many oil and gas fields around the world, but the hazards of contaminants riding on the produced sand are often not emphasised. Improper disposal of the sand could see the toxic leaching into the environment including the food chain, endangering all living organisms. The impending sand production from an oilfield offshore Sabah also suffers from the lack of hazards identification; hence, this study was conducted to assess the contaminant on the produced sand. Sand samples were collected from multiple wells in the area, with the contaminants extracted using n-hexane and subjected to chemical and thermal analyses. FTIR and GC-MS detected traces of harmful pollutants like naphthalene, amine substances, cyclohexanol, and short-chain alkanes. It was discovered that the volatile fraction of the contaminants was able to evaporate at 33 °C, while high energy was needed to remove 100% of the contaminants from the sand. Overall, the produced sand from the oilfield was unsafe and required treatment before it could be dumped or used.
    MeSH terms: Alkanes/analysis; Malaysia; Oil and Gas Fields
  17. Kua KP, Chongmelaxme B, Lee SWH
    J Infect Dis, 2023 Feb 14;227(4):471-482.
    PMID: 35512129 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac179
    BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide from an infectious disease. This review aimed to investigate the association between prior cytomegalovirus infection and tuberculosis disease.

    METHODS: Six bibliographic databases were searched from their respective inception to 31 December 2021. Data were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis.

    RESULTS: Of 5476 identified articles, 15 satisfied the inclusion criteria with a total sample size of 38 618 patients. Pooled findings showed that individuals with cytomegalovirus infection had a higher risk of tuberculosis disease compared to those not infected with cytomegalovirus (odds ratio [OR], 3.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.18-4.70). Age was the only covariate that exerted a significant effect on the result of the association. Meta-analysis of risk estimates reported in individual studies showed a marked and significant correlation of cytomegalovirus infection with active tuberculosis (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.34-4.51; adjusted OR, 1.14; 95% CI, .71-1.57). A clear dose-response relation was inferred between the levels of cytomegalovirus antibodies and the risks of tuberculosis events (OR for high levels of cytomegalovirus antibodies, 4.07; OR for medium levels of cytomegalovirus antibodies, 3.58).

    CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest an elevated risk of tuberculosis disease among individuals with a prior cytomegalovirus infection.

    MeSH terms: Cytomegalovirus; Humans; Proportional Hazards Models; Epidemiologic Studies
  18. Ramali MR, Mohd Nizam Ong NAF, Md Said MS, Mohamed Yusoff H, Baharudin MR, Tharima AF, et al.
    Fire Technol, 2023;59(1):247-270.
    PMID: 35637789 DOI: 10.1007/s10694-022-01269-4
    In recent years, it is evident that there is a surge in photovoltaic (PV) systems installations on buildings. It is concerning that PV system related fire incidents have been reported throughout the years. Like any other electrical power system, PV systems pose fire and electrical hazards when at fault. As a consequence, PV fires compromised the safety of emergency responders. Therefore, the objective of this review is to evaluate the elements of firefighters' safety practices and subsequently collate the best safety practices for local fire rescue and firefighters in the event of PV fires. Out of 264 documents, only 20 publications were identified as 'closely related' and were systematically reviewed to evaluate firefighter safety practices from a scholarly perspective. Only 3% of the 20 publications reviewed, discussed the safety practices during PV fires. Thirteen safety practice key points were extracted from the reviewed documents, with nine critical findings highlighted as the hallmark of safety practices during PV fire for firefighters. The lack of academic journals discussing the fire safety aspects proves that there is a low interest in this field which is in dire need of further study and exploration to adhere with the PV population in ensuring a reliable emergency operation to minimize losses or injuries due to accidents.
  19. Pattanakuhar S, Ahmedy F, Setiono S, Engkasan JP, Strøm V, Kovindha A
    Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 2023 Mar 01;102(3):214-221.
    PMID: 35700141 DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002066
    BACKGROUND: The impact of bladder care and urinary complications on quality of life in persons with spinal cord injury who have neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction has not been elucidated, especially in those living in low-resource countries.

    METHODS: This multinational cross-sectional survey was conducted in rehabilitation facilities in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Community-dwelling adults with traumatic or nontraumatic spinal cord injury participating in the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey from 2017 to 2018 were enrolled. Data regarding bladder management/care, presence of bladder dysfunction, urinary tract infection, and quality of life score were extracted from the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey questionnaire. The impact of bladder care and urinary complications on quality of life was determined using univariable and multivariable regression analysis.

    RESULTS: Questionnaires from 770 adults were recruited for analysis. After adjusting for all demographic and spinal cord injury-related data, secondary conditions, as well as activity and participation factors, urinary tract infection was an independent negative predictive factor of quality of life score ( P = 0.007, unstandardized coefficients = -4.563, multivariable linear regression analysis, enter method).

    CONCLUSIONS: Among bladder care and urinary complication factors, urinary tract infection is the only factor negatively impacting quality of life. These results address the importance of proper bladder management and urinary tract infection prevention in persons with spinal cord injury to improve their quality of life.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Urinary Bladder; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Indonesia/epidemiology; Malaysia/epidemiology; Quality of Life; Thailand
  20. Alrabie A, Al-Rabie NA, Al Saeedy M, Al Adhreai A, Al-Qadsy I, Farooqui M
    Nat Prod Res, 2023 Mar;37(6):1016-1022.
    PMID: 35801965 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2097227
    Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of methanol extract of Martynia annua seed revealed the presence of haploperozide and austricine. For safety, heavy metals content investigation of plant powder using the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique showed that the toxic metals (Pb: 2.07 mg/kg; Cd: 0.07 mg/kg; and As: 0.18 mg/kg) concentrations were found to be below the permissible limit. The extract demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against E. coli (MIC value 125 g/mL). Furthermore, it was effective in inhibiting both α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes with a high percentage and IC50 values were 42.28 ± 0.39 µg/mL and 34.11 ± 0.31 µg/mL, respectively. These findings were supported by a molecular docking study, some of the phytochemicals showed higher docking score values than references. However, Martynia annua seeds are safe to consume because they contain low levels of toxic heavy metals and possess antibacterial and anti-diabetic properties.
    MeSH terms: alpha-Amylases; alpha-Glucosidases; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry; Escherichia coli; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Molecular Docking Simulation
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