Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Samsudin EZ, Yaacob SS, Xin Wee C, Mat Ruzlin AN, Azzani M, Jamil AT, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2023 Nov 15;13(11):e072801.
    PMID: 37967999 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072801
    BACKGROUND: Cyberbullying is a growing public health concern with clear, negative impacts on the mental, physical and social health of targeted victims. Previous research on cyberbullying has largely focused on examining its occurrence among children and adolescents. The present study aims to examine the prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation and its association with family dysfunction, health behaviour and psychological distress among young adults in Selangor, Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a locality within Selangor, sampling a total of 1449 young adults. The Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Survey was used to measure cyberbullying victimisation. The Family APGAR scale, General Health Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and single-item measures were used to assess family dysfunction, psychological distress and health behaviour, respectively.

    RESULTS: The 1-month prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation among young adults was 2.4%. The most common cyberbullying act experienced was mean or hurtful comments about participants online (51.7%), whereas the most common online environment for cyberbullying to occur was social media (45.8%). Male participants (adjusted OR (AOR)=3.60, 95% CI=1.58 to 8.23) had at least three times the odds of being cyberbullied compared with female participants. Meanwhile, participants with higher levels of psychological distress had increased probability of being cyberbullied compared with their peers (AOR=1.13, 95% CI=1.05 to 1.21).

    CONCLUSIONS: As evident from this study, cyberbullying victimisation prevails among young adults and is significantly related to gender and psychological distress. Given its devastating effects on targeted victims, a multipronged and collaborative approach is warranted to reduce incidences of cyberbullying and safeguard the health and well-being of young adults.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Health Behavior; Prevalence; Young Adult; Bullying*
  2. Dooley NL, Chabikwa TG, Pava Z, Loughland JR, Hamelink J, Berry K, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2023 Nov 15;14(1):7387.
    PMID: 37968278 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43181-7
    Plasmodium falciparum malaria drives immunoregulatory responses across multiple cell subsets, which protects from immunopathogenesis, but also hampers the development of effective anti-parasitic immunity. Understanding malaria induced tolerogenic responses in specific cell subsets may inform development of strategies to boost protective immunity during drug treatment and vaccination. Here, we analyse the immune landscape with single cell RNA sequencing during P. falciparum malaria. We identify cell type specific responses in sub-clustered major immune cell types. Malaria is associated with an increase in immunosuppressive monocytes, alongside NK and γδ T cells which up-regulate tolerogenic markers. IL-10-producing Tr1 CD4 T cells and IL-10-producing regulatory B cells are also induced. Type I interferon responses are identified across all cell types, suggesting Type I interferon signalling may be linked to induction of immunoregulatory networks during malaria. These findings provide insights into cell-specific and shared immunoregulatory changes during malaria and provide a data resource for further analysis.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Malaria*; Plasmodium falciparum/genetics; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; Interleukin-10/genetics; Malaria, Falciparum*; Transcriptome
  3. Ramalingam V, Cheong SK, Lee PF
    BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil, 2023 Nov 15;15(1):155.
    PMID: 37968738 DOI: 10.1186/s13102-023-00758-5
    BACKGROUND: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is the most common injury in youth sports, which leads to psychological stress from doubting their performance. Cost effective and easy to access tool to reduce the stress among this target group are desired. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of adding on intervention with short-duration deep breathing (SDDB) alongside with conventional physiotherapy (CP) among young adults with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

    METHODS: Total of 30 CAI participants attended physiotherapy, who were randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. The participants in the experimental group received combined intervention (SDDB + CP), and the control group received CP for 6 weeks. The effectiveness of interventions was assessed at 3 intervals with a battery of questionnaires (Visual Analog Score, Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire) at the end of week 3, week 6, and week 12 as follow-up. A two-way repeated measures of ANOVA was applied to report the statistical significance at p 

  4. Ong SN, Kamarudin NHA, Shariff FM, Noor NDM, Ali MSM, Rahman RNZRA
    J Biomol Struct Dyn, 2023 Nov 15.
    PMID: 37968883 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2282177
    The stability and activity of lipase in organic media are important parameters in determining how quickly biocatalysis proceeds. This study aimed to examine the effects of two commonly used alcohols in industrial applications, methanol (MtOH) and ethanol (EtOH) on the conformational stability and catalytic activity of G210C lipase, a laboratory-evolved mutant of Staphylococcus epidermidis AT2 lipase. Simulation studies were performed using an open-form predicted structure under 30, 40 and 50% of MtOH and EtOH at 25 °C and 45 °C. The overall enzyme structure becomes more flexible with increasing concentration of MtOH and exhibited the highest flexibility in 40% EtOH. In EtOH, the movement of the lid was found to be temperature-dependent with a noticeable shift in the lid position at 45 °C. Lid opening was evidenced at 50% of MtOH and EtOH which was supported by the increase in SASA of hydrophobic residues of the lid and catalytic triad. The active site remained mostly intact. An open-closed lid transition was observed when the structure was re-simulated in water. Experimental evaluation of the lipase stability showed that the half-life reduced when the enzyme was treated with 40% (v/v) and 50% (v/v) of EtOH and MtOH respectively. The finding implies that a high concentration of alcohol and elevated temperature can induce the lid opening of lipase which could be essential for the activation of the enzyme, provided that the catalytic performance in the active site is not compromised.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
  5. Chellammal HSJ, Hasan MH, Kshirsagar RP, Musukula VKR, Ramachandran D, Diwan PV
    J Diabetes Metab Disord, 2023 Dec;22(2):1813.
    PMID: 37969918 DOI: 10.1007/s40200-023-01229-x
    [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s40200-022-01074-4.].
  6. Abdurrahman M, Kamal MS, Ramadhan R, Daniati A, Arsad A, Abdul Rahman AF, et al.
    ACS Omega, 2023 Nov 07;8(44):41004-41021.
    PMID: 37970044 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c04450
    The use of different types of chemicals in upstream oilfield operations is critical for optimizing the different operations involved in hydrocarbon exploration and production. Surfactants are a type chemical that are applied in various upstream operations, such as drilling, fracturing, and enhanced oil recovery. However, due to their nonbiodegradability and toxicity, the use of synthetic surfactants has raised environmental concerns. Natural surfactants have emerged because of the hunt for sustainable and environmentally suitable substitutes. This Review discusses the role of natural surfactants in upstream operations as well as their benefits and drawbacks. The Review discusses the basic characteristics of surfactants, their classification, and the variables that affect their performance. Finally, the Review examines the possible applications of natural surfactants in the upstream oil sector and identifies areas that require further research.
  7. Nguyen KD, Thu TT, Tran ATH, Le OTK, Sagadevan S, Mohd Kaus NH
    ACS Omega, 2023 Nov 07;8(44):41258-41272.
    PMID: 37970056 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c04691
    In this study, geopolymer originating from locally industrial byproducts as red mud (RM) was successfully prepared in the presence of different loadings of rice husk ash (RHA) used for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) in wastewater. During geopolymerization, various mixing amounts between RM and RHA were conducted when the weight ratio of binder solution/activated alkali-metal solution (Na2SiO3/ NaOH 7 M) was 2.5 and the curing temperature was set at 60 °C for 24 h. As a result, the surface area value of the prepared geopolymer composited with RHA at 0 and 60% was increased from 19.2 to 29.5 m2/g, while the BJH pore size of the prepared geopolymer was reduced to 6.68 and 5.76 nm, respectively. In the dye removal test, higher additions of RHA in the RM-geopolymer maintained better retention of the MB ion due to the increase in the adsorption binding site. The maximum uptake amount of dyes performed at pH 8 was changed from 6.59 to 10.74 mg/g, while RHA was from 0 to 60% after 180 min of immersion in MB solution. The adsorption isotherms well obeyed the Langmuir model, as the relative coefficient R2 was 0.999. Based on these, the initial agricultural waste as RHA and industrial byproducts as RM were valued as functional materials used for dye treatment in wastewater.
  8. Turabi N, Tomar SP, Anyagwa OE, Durganaudu H, Ishwarya V, Kivan H, et al.
    Indian J Community Med, 2023;48(5):676-683.
    PMID: 37970177 DOI: 10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_690_22
    BACKGROUND: Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began, several studies were published on the possible prevention and treatment of the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARSCoV-2), and its complications. However, one aspect that was overlooked is the impact on the mental health of the caregivers of COVID-19 patients. The current study endeavors to investigate sleep quality disturbances in the caregivers of COVID-19 patients in different countries.

    MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional multi-center study was performed between August 1, 2021, and August 30, 2022, across 11 countries. A total of 2411 responses meeting the inclusion criteria (being a family member or caregiver involved in patient care) were collected. The sleep quality was assessed using the self-reported Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) 12. Total scores ranged from 0 to 21. A ≥5 indicated poor sleep quality with 89.6% sensitivity and 86.5% specificity.

    RESULTS: A total of 2411 responses meeting the inclusion criteria showed that mean PSQI scores (P = 0.3604) were higher in caregivers of hospitalized patients than in patients isolated at home. Approximately 62.4% of caregivers reported sleep quality problems while caring for their patients.

    CONCLUSION: The results showed that the majority of caregivers of patients with COVID-19 reported disturbances in sleep quality and impaired sleep was more common among caregivers of hospitalized patients, perhaps because hospitalization is associated with a more severe course of the disease. There is a pressing need to take measures to improve the mental health of these caregivers. There should be treatment programs set up to reverse sleep disturbances in this population sufficiently.

  9. Harivaindaran KV, Hữu Tiến N, Nguyễn Song Đinh T, Samsudin H, Ariffin F, Mohammadi Nafchi A
    Food Sci Nutr, 2023 Nov;11(11):7296-7310.
    PMID: 37970392 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3655
    Nigella sativa, commonly known as the black seed, is a culinary spice therapeutic against many ailments. Common preparation practice of roasting or heating the seeds often deteriorates bioactive compounds, which can be remedied with superheated steam (SHS). With roasting temperatures of 150, 200, and 250°C and roasting times of 10, 15, and 20 min, convection and SHS roasting media were tested, and their effects on proximate analysis, antioxidant assays, and oil quality were evaluated. For proximate content, moisture significantly decreased from 9.08% in unroasted seeds to 4.18%-1.04% in roasted seeds, while fat increased to as high as 44.76% from 32.87% in unroasted seeds. Roasting only slightly increased ash content and had no significant impact on protein and carbohydrate content. SHS roasted black seeds had better DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging capacity (RSC) than convection roasted seeds. DPPH RSC decreased with elevated roasting time and temperature, conversely related to total phenolic content, which increased with increased roasting time and temperature. Oil of roasted seeds developed an increasingly intense brown color from an initial light, yellow, unroasted oil with better extraction efficiency in SHS roasting. For oil quality analysis, free fatty acid values were significantly lower in both roasted samples. Peroxide value was initially recorded at 84 in convection and 48 (meq O2/kg of oil) in SHS roasted samples. In contrast, p-anisidine values were initially recorded at 28.36 in convection roasted samples compared to 23.73 in SHS roasted samples. Based on all quality analyses, SHS showed better potential in black seed quality preservation.
  10. Syarifa R, Esmaeili Y, Jafarzadeh S, Garavand F, Mahmud S, Ariffin F
    Food Sci Nutr, 2023 Nov;11(11):7373-7382.
    PMID: 37970401 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3665
    Biodegradable films are extremely important for food packaging applications since they minimize environmental effects. However, their application areas are limited due to insufficient characteristics required for particular applications. The objective of the present research was to improve the properties of sago-based biodegradable films embedded with nano- and micro-ZnO (zinc oxide). Nano and micro-ZnO were incorporated in the films at different percentages (1%, 3%, and 5%) in that the films were formed using the solvent casting method. The physicochemical, barrier, thermal, optical, morphology, and mechanical properties of sago-based films were investigated. Adding 5% of micro- and nano-ZnO significantly improved film thickness (0.162 and 0.150 mm, respectively) and WVP (4.40 and 5.64 (kg/s)/(m.Pa), respectively) while the optical properties and thermal stability exhibited superior performance. Micro-ZnO particles improved the mechanical properties of sago-based biodegradable films with the tensile strength reaching 6.173 MPa. Moreover, sago-based nano-ZnO films showed excellent UV-shielding performance and relatively good visible-light transmittance. This study suggested that sago biodegradable film incorporated with micro-ZnO could be an excellent alternative to petroleum-based plastic packaging.
  11. Razali NN, Raja Ali RA, Muhammad Nawawi KN, Yahaya A, Mohd Rathi ND, Mokhtar NM
    World J Gastroenterol, 2023 Oct 28;29(40):5543-5556.
    PMID: 37970476 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i40.5543
    BACKGROUND: Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3K) is a well-known route in inflammation-related cancer. Recent discovery on PI3K-related genes revealed a potential variant that links ulcerative colitis (UC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) with colitis-associated cancer (CAC). PI3K/AKT pathway has been recommended as a potential additional therapeutic option for CRC due to its substantial role in modifying cellular processes. Buparlisib is a pan-class I PI3K inhibitor previously shown to reduce tumor growth.

    AIM: To investigate the regulation of rs10889677 and the role of buparlisib in the PI3K signaling pathway in CAC pathogenesis.

    METHODS: Genomic DNA from 32 colonic samples, including CAC (n = 7), UC (n = 10) and CRC (n = 15), was sequenced for the rs10889677 mutation. The mutant and wildtype fragments were amplified and cloned in the pmirGLO vector. The luciferase activity of cloned vectors was assessed after transfection into the HT29 cell line. CAC mice were induced by a mixture of a single azoxymethane injection and three cycles of dextran sulphate sodium, then buparlisib was administered after 14 d. The excised colon was subjected to immunohistochemistry for Ki67 and Cleaved-caspase-3 markers and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis for Pdk1 and Sgk2.

    RESULTS: Luciferase activity decreased by 2.07-fold in the rs10889677 mutant, confirming the hypothesis that the variant disrupted miRNA binding sites, which led to an increase in IL23R expression and the activation of the PI3K signaling pathway. Furthermore, CAC-induced mice had a significantly higher disease activity index (P < 0.05). Buparlisib treatment significantly decreased mean weight loss in CAC-induced mice (P < 0.05), reduced the percentage of proliferating cells by 5%, and increased the number of apoptotic cells. The treatment also caused a downward trend of Pdk1 expression and significantly decreased Sgk2 expression.

    CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that the rs10889677 variant as a critical initiator of the PI3K signaling pathway, and buparlisib had the ability to prevent PI3K-non-AKT activation in the pathophysiology of CAC.

    MeSH terms: Aminopyridines*; Animals; Colitis/chemically induced; Colitis/complications; Colitis/drug therapy; Colitis, Ulcerative/complications; Inflammation/complications; Luciferases; Morpholines*; Phosphatidylinositols/adverse effects; Signal Transduction/genetics; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism; Mice
  12. Osei GY, Adu-Amankwaah J, Koomson S, Beletaa S, Ahmad MK, Asiamah EA, et al.
    Future Oncol, 2023 Nov;19(35):2369-2382.
    PMID: 37970643 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2023-0426
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant contributor to cancer mortality worldwide, and the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC) represents a major challenge for achieving effective treatment. miRNAs have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression, and recent studies have highlighted their role in regulating stemness and therapeutic resistance in CRC stem cells. This review highlights the mechanisms of CSC development, therapy resistance and the potential of miRNAs as therapeutic targets for CRC. It emphasizes the promise of miRNAs as a novel approach to CRC treatment and calls for further research to explore effective miRNA-based therapies and strategies for delivering miRNAs to CSCs in vivo.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  13. Mat Jan NA, Marsani MF, Thiruchelvam L, Zainal Abidin NB, Shabri A, Abdullah Sani SA
    Geospat Health, 2023 Nov 13;18(2).
    PMID: 37961980 DOI: 10.4081/gh.2023.1236
    The occurrence of floods has the potential to escalate the transmission of infectious diseases. To enhance our comprehension of the health impacts of flooding and facilitate effective planning for mitigation strategies, it is necessary to explore the flood risk management. The variability present in hydrological records is an important and neglecting non-stationary patterns in flood data can lead to significant biases in estimating flood quantiles. Consequently, adopting a non-stationary flood frequency analysis appears to be a suitable approach to challenge the assumption of independent and identically distributed observations in the sample. This research employed the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution to examine annual maximum flood series. To estimate non-stationary models in the flood data, several statistical tests, including the TL-moment method was utilized on the data from ten stream-flow stations in Johor, Malaysia, which revealed that two stations, namely Kahang and Lenggor, exhibited non-stationary behaviour in their annual maximum streamflow. Two non-stationary models efficiently described the data series from these two specific stations, the control of which could reduce outbreak of infectious diseases when used for controlling the development measures of the hydraulic structures. Thus, the application of these models may help prevent biased prediction of flood occurrences leading to lower number of cases infected by disease.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Rivers; Floods*
  14. Neela VK, Philip N, Raja P, Sekawi Z
    Microbiol Resour Announc, 2023 Dec 14;12(12):e0085923.
    PMID: 37962390 DOI: 10.1128/MRA.00859-23
    We report complete genome sequences of two Leptospira isolates, Leptospira borgpetersenii strain HP364 and Leptospira weilii strain SC295. The genome sizes of L. borgpetersenii strain HP364 and L. weilii strain SC295 were 3,874,738 bp and 4,063,712 bp, respectively. Both genomes have been deposited in NCBI GenBank.
  15. Fulazzaky MA, Syafiuddin A, Muda K, Martin AY, Yusop Z, Ghani NHA
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Dec;30(58):121865-121880.
    PMID: 37962755 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30967-x
    This paper reviewed the impacts of climate change on the management of the water sector in Malaysia discussing the current status of water resources, water service, and water-related disasters. The implementation of engineering practices was discussed to provide the detailed assessment of climate change impacts, risks, and adaptation for sustainable development. The narrative methods of reviewing the literatures were used to get an understanding on the engineering practices of water infrastructures, implication of the government policies, and several models as the main motivation behind the concept of integrated water resource management to contribute as part of the sustainable development goals to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The findings of this review highlighted the impacts of climate change on the rivers, sea, lakes, dams, and groundwater affecting the availability of water for domestic and industrial water supplies, irrigation, hydropower, and fisheries. The impacts of climate change on the water-related disasters have been indicated affecting drought-flood abrupt alternation and water pollution. Challenges of water management practices facing climate change should be aware of the updated intensity-duration-frequency curves, alternative sources of water, effective water demand management, efficiency of irrigation water, inter-basin water transfer, and nonrevenue water. The transferability of this review findings contribute to an engagement with the society and policy makers to mobilize for climate change adaptation in the water sector.
    MeSH terms: Malaysia; Water Supply; Climate Change; Groundwater*; Water Resources*
  16. Fan WK, Tahir M, Alias H
    ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2023 Nov 29;15(47):54353-54372.
    PMID: 37963084 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10022
    Catalytic CO2 hydrogenation is an effective approach to producing clean fuels, but this process is expensive, in addition to the low efficiency of catalysts. Thus, photothermal CO2 hydrogenation can effectively utilize solar energy for CH4 production. Metal-organic framework (MOF) derived materials with a controlled structure and morphology are promising to give a high number of active sites and photostability in thermal catalytic reactions. For the first time, a novel heterostructure catalyst was synthesized using a facile approach to in situ grow MOF-derived 0D Co3O4 over 1D TiO2 nanowires (NWs). The original 3D dodecahedral structure of the MOF is engineered into novel 0D Co3O4 nanospheres, which were uniformly embedded over Ni-dispersed 1D TiO2 NWs. In situ prepared 10Ni-7Co3O4@TiO2 NWs-I achieved an excellent photothermal CH4 evolution rate of 8.28 mmol/h at 250 °C under low-intensity visible light, whereas UV light treatment further increased activity by 1.2-fold. UV irradiations promoted high CH4 production while improving the susceptibility of the catalyst to visible light irradiation. The photothermal effect is prominent at lower temperatures, due to the harmonization of both solar and thermal energy. By paralleling with mechanically assembled 10Ni-7Co3O4/TiO2 NWs-M, the catalytic performance of the in situ approach is far superior, attributing to the morphological transformation of 0D Co3O4, which induced intimate interfacial interactions, formation of oxygen vacancies and boosted photo-to-thermal effects. The co-existence of metallic/metal oxide Ni-Co provided beneficial synergies, enhanced photo-to-thermal effects, and improved charge transfer kinetics of the composite. This work uncovers a facile approach to engineering the morphology of MOF derivatives for efficient photothermal CO2 methanation.
  17. Liu G, Haw TJ, Starkey MR, Philp AM, Pavlidis S, Nalkurthi C, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2023 Nov 14;14(1):7349.
    PMID: 37963864 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42913-z
    Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is known for eliciting immunity against single-stranded RNA viruses, and is increased in both human and cigarette smoke (CS)-induced, experimental chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Here we show that the severity of CS-induced emphysema and COPD is reduced in TLR7-deficient mice, while inhalation of imiquimod, a TLR7-agonist, induces emphysema without CS exposure. This imiquimod-induced emphysema is reduced in mice deficient in mast cell protease-6, or when wild-type mice are treated with the mast cell stabilizer, cromolyn. Furthermore, therapeutic treatment with anti-TLR7 monoclonal antibody suppresses CS-induced emphysema, experimental COPD and accumulation of pulmonary mast cells in mice. Lastly, TLR7 mRNA is increased in pre-existing datasets from patients with COPD, while TLR7+ mast cells are increased in COPD lungs and associated with severity of COPD. Our results thus support roles for TLR7 in mediating emphysema and COPD through mast cell activity, and may implicate TLR7 as a potential therapeutic target.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Emphysema*; Humans; Lung; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Tobacco; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive*; Toll-Like Receptor 7/genetics; Mice; Tryptases/genetics
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