Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 26 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Eng-Chong T, Yean-Kee L, Chin-Fei C, Choon-Han H, Sher-Ming W, Li-Ping CT, et al.
    PMID: 23243448 DOI: 10.1155/2012/473637
    Boesenbergia rotunda is a herb from the Boesenbergia genera under the Zingiberaceae family. B. rotunda is widely found in Asian countries where it is commonly used as a food ingredient and in ethnomedicinal preparations. The popularity of its ethnomedicinal usage has drawn the attention of scientists worldwide to further investigate its medicinal properties. Advancement in drug design and discovery research has led to the development of synthetic drugs from B. rotunda metabolites via bioinformatics and medicinal chemistry studies. Furthermore, with the advent of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, new insights on the biosynthetic pathways of B. rotunda metabolites can be elucidated, enabling researchers to predict the potential bioactive compounds responsible for the medicinal properties of the plant. The vast biological activities exhibited by the compounds obtained from B. rotunda warrant further investigation through studies such as drug discovery, polypharmacology, and drug delivery using nanotechnology.
  2. Han H, Sabani NB, Nobusawa K, Takei F, Nakatani K, Yamashita I
    Anal Chem, 2023 Jul 04;95(26):9729-9733.
    PMID: 37341999 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01126
    We have developed a DNA sensor that can be finalized to detect a specific target on demand. The electrode surface was modified with 2,7-diamino-1,8-naphthyridine (DANP), a small molecule with nanomolar affinity for the cytosine bulge structure. The electrode was immersed in a solution of synthetic probe-DNA that had a cytosine bulge structure at one end and a complementary sequence to the target DNA at the other end. The strong binding between the cytosine bulge and DANP anchored the probe DNAs to the electrode surface, and the electrode became ready for target DNA sensing. The complementary sequence portion of the probe DNA can be changed as requested, allowing for the detection of a wide variety of targets. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with the modified electrode detected target DNAs with a high sensitivity. The charge transfer resistance (Rct) extracted from EIS showed a logarithmic relationship with the concentration of target DNA. The limit of detection (LoD) was less than 0.01 μM. By this method, highly sensitive DNA sensors for various target sequences could be easily produced.
  3. Han H, Hu S, Syed-Hassan SSA, Xiao Y, Wang Y, Xu J, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2017 Jul;236:138-145.
    PMID: 28399417 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.03.112
    Sewage sludge is an important class of bioresources whose energy content could be exploited using pyrolysis technology. However, some harmful trace elements in sewage sludge can escape easily to the gas phase during pyrolysis, increasing the potential of carcinogenic material emissions to the atmosphere. This study investigates emission characteristics of arsenic, cadmium and lead under different pyrolysis conditions for three different sewage sludge samples. The increased temperature (within 723-1123K) significantly promoted the cadmium and lead emissions, but its influence on arsenic emission was not pronounced. The releasing rate order of the three trace elements is volatile arsenic compounds>cadmium>lead in the beginning of pyrolysis. Fast heating rates promoted the emission of trace elements for the sludge containing the highest amount of ash, but exhibited an opposite effect for other studied samples. Overall, the high ash sludge released the least trace elements almost under all reaction conditions.
  4. Mohd Zaini NA, Azizan NAZ, Abd Rahim MH, Jamaludin AA, Raposo A, Raseetha S, et al.
    Front Public Health, 2023;11:1175509.
    PMID: 37250070 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1175509
    Numerous generations have been affected by hunger, which still affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The hunger crisis is worsening although many efforts have been made to minimize it. Besides that, food waste is one of the critical problems faced by most countries worldwide. It has disrupted the food chain system due to inefficient waste management, while negatively impacting the environment. The majority of the waste is from the food production process, resulting in a net zero production for food manufacturers while also harnessing its potential. Most food production wastes are high in nutritional and functional values, yet most of them end up as low-cost animal feed and plant fertilizers. This review identified key emerging wastes from the production line of mushroom, peanut, and soybean (MPS). These wastes (MPS) provide a new source for food conversion due to their high nutritional content, which contributes to a circular economy in the post-pandemic era and ensures food security. In order to achieve carbon neutrality and effective waste management for the production of alternative foods, biotechnological processes such as digestive, fermentative, and enzymatic conversions are essential. The article provides a narrative action on the critical potential application and challenges of MPS as future foods in the battle against hunger.
  5. Han H, Chou CC, Li R, Liu J, Zhang L, Zhu W, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2018 06 22;8(1):9566.
    PMID: 29934599 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27724-3
    Chalocomoracin (CMR), one of the major secondary metabolites found in fungus-infected mulberry leaves, is a potent anticancer agent. However, its anticancer mechanism remains elusive. Here, we demonstrated the potent anti-tumor activity and molecular mechanism of CMR both in vitro and in vivo. We showed for the first time that CMR treatment markedly promoted paraptosis along with extensive cytoplasmic vacuolation derived from the endoplasmic reticulum, rather than apoptosis, in PC-3 and MDA-MB-231cell lines. Additional studies revealed that ectopic expression of Myc-PINK1 (PTEN-induced kinase 1), a key regulator of mitophagy, rendered LNCap cells susceptible to CMR-induced paraptosis, suggesting that the mitophagy-dependent pathway plays a crucial role in inducing paraptosis by activating PINK1. CMR treatment directly upregulated PINK1 and downregulated Alix genes in MDA-MB-231 and PC-3 cell lines. Furthermore, mitophagy signaling and paraptosis with cytoplasmic vacuolation could be blocked by antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), indicating the novel pathway was triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. An in vivo MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumor model revealed that CMR suppressed tumor growth by inducing vacuolation production through the same signal changes as those observed in vitro. These data suggest that CMR is a potential therapeutic entity for cancer treatment through a non-apoptotic pathway.
  6. Gao C, Sun X, Wu Z, Yuan H, Han H, Huang H, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2020;11:391.
    PMID: 32477104 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00391
    Introduction: The leaves of Morus alba L is a traditional Chinese medicine widely applied in lung diseases. Moracin N (MAN), a secondary metabolite extracted form the leaves of Morus alba L, is a potent anticancer agent. But its molecular mechanism remains unveiled.

    Objective: In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of MAN on human lung cancer and reveal the underlying molecular mechanism.

    Methods: MTT assay was conducted to measure cell viability. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining was used to detect cell apoptosis. Confocal microscope was performed to determine the formation of autophagosomes and autolysosomes. Flow cytometry was performed to quantify cell death. Western blotting was used to determine the related-signaling pathway.

    Results: In the present study, we demonstrated for the first time that MAN inhibitd cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in human non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells. We found that MAN treatment dysregulated mitochondrial function and led to mitochondrial apoptosis in A549 and PC9 cells. Meanwhile, MAN enhanced autophagy flux by the increase of autophagosome formation, the fusion of autophagsomes and lysosomes and lysosomal function. Moreover, mTOR signaling pathway, a classical pathway regualting autophagy, was inhibited by MAN in a time- and dose-dependent mannner, resulting in autophagy induction. Interestingly, autophagy inhibition by CQ or Atg5 knockdown attenuated cell apoptosis by MAN, indicating that autophagy serves as cell death. Furthermore, autophagy-mediated cell death by MAN can be blocked by reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger NAC, indicating that ROS accumulation is the inducing factor of apoptosis and autophagy. In summary, we revealed the molecular mechanism of MAN against lung cancer through apoptosis and autophagy, suggesting that MAN might be a novel therapeutic agent for NSCLC treatment.

  7. Bai Y, Rafiq MK, Li S, Degen AA, Mašek O, Sun H, et al.
    J Hazard Mater, 2021 02 05;403:123647.
    PMID: 33264862 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123647
    Yak dung is used as fuel in Tibetan homes; however, this use is hazardous to health. An alternative use of the dung that would be profitable and offset the loss as a fuel would be very beneficial. Sweet sorghum silage with yak dung biochar as an additive was compared with a control silage with no additives and three silages with different commercial additives, namely Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus plantarum and Acremonium cellulase. Biochar-treated silage had a significantly greater concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates than the other silages (76 vs 12.4-45.8 g/kg DM) and a greater crude protein content (75.5 vs 61.4 g/kg DM), lactic acid concentration (40.7 vs 27.7 g/kg DM) and gross energy yield (17.8 vs 17.4 MJ/kg) than the control silage. Biochar-treated and control silages did not differ in in vitro digestibility and in total gas (507 vs 511 L/kg DM) and methane production (57.9 vs 57.1 L/kg DM). Biochar inhibited degradation of protein and water-soluble carbohydrates and enhanced lactic acid production, which improved storability of feed. It was concluded that yak dung biochar is an efficient, cost-effective ensiling additive. The profit could offset the loss of dung as fuel and improve the health of Tibetan people.
  8. Han H, Meng B, Chua BL, Ryu HB
    PMID: 32927834 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186594
    International volunteer tourism is an emerging and sustainable trend of the global tourism industry. In this study, we attempted to provide a clear comprehension of volunteer tourists' mental health increase and pro-social intention formation. A survey method and quantitative approach were used. Our result from the structural analysis showed that hedonic and utilitarian performances, mental health, and volunteer tourism engagement had significant associations and that these relationships contributed to improving pro-social intention. In addition, results from the metric invariance assessment revealed that the volunteer tourism engagement and pro-social intention relation was under the significant influence of problem awareness and ascribed responsibility. Mental health and engagement acted as significant mediators. The comparative importance of volunteer tourism engagement was uncovered. Overall, our results provided a sufficient understanding of volunteer tourists' pro-social decision-making process and behaviors.
  9. Zhang C, Yu Q, Han H, Yu C, Nyporko A, Tian X, et al.
    J Exp Bot, 2022 Jan 13.
    PMID: 35029685 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac008
    Glufosinate is an important and widely used non-selective herbicide active on a wide range of plant species. Resistance evolution to glufosinate in weedy plant species (including the global weed Eleusine indica) is underway. Here, we established the molecular basis of target-site glufosinate resistance in Eleusine indica. Full-length E. indica glutamine synthetase (GS) iso-genes (EiGS1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 and EiGS2) were cloned, and expression of EiGS1-1 and EiGS1-2 was higher than EiGS2. A novel point mutation resulting in a Ser-59-Gly substitution in EiGS1-1 was identified in glufosinate-resistant (R) plants. Rice calli and seedlings transformed with the mutant EiGS1-1 gene were resistant to glufosinate. Purified mutant EiGS1-1 expressed in yeast was more tolerant to glufosinate than the wild type (WT) variant. These transgenic results correlate with a more glufosinate-R GS in the crude tissue extract of R versus susceptible E. indica plants. Structural modelling of the mutant EiGS1-1 revealed that the Ser-59 is not directly involved in glufosinate binding but in contact with some important binding residues (e.g. Glu-297) and especially with Asp-56 that forms an intratoroidal contact interface. Importantly, the same Ser-59-Gly mutation was also found in geographically isolated glufosinate-R populations from Malaysia and China, suggesting parallel evolution of this resistance mutation.
  10. Han H, Al-Ansi A, Chua BL, Tariq B, Radic A, Park SH
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 Sep 06;17(18).
    PMID: 32899942 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186485
    The tourism industry has been seriously suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis ever since its outbreak. Given this pandemic situation, the major aim of this study is to develop a conceptual framework that clearly explains the US international tourists' post-pandemic travel behaviors by expanding the theory of planned behavior (TPB). By utilizing a quantitative process, the TPB was successfully broadened by incorporating the travelers' perceived knowledge of COVID-19, and it has been deepened by integrating the psychological risk. Our theoretical framework sufficiently accounted for the US tourists' post-pandemic travel intentions for safer international destinations. In addition, the perceived knowledge of COVID-19 contributed to boosting the prediction power for the intentions. The associations among the subjective norm, the attitude, and the intentions are under the significant influence of the tourists' psychological risks regarding international traveling. The comparative criticality of the subjective norm is found. Overall, the findings of this study considerably enhanced our understanding of US overseas tourists' post-pandemic travel decision-making processes and behaviors.
  11. Le Han H, Pham PTV, Kim SG, Chan SS, Khoo KS, Chew KW, et al.
    Mol Biotechnol, 2023 Dec 02.
    PMID: 38042757 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00963-0
    Multidrug resistance to pathogens has posed a severe threat to public health. The threat could be addressed by antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with broad-spectrum suppression. In this study, Brevibacillus halotolerans 7WMA2, isolated from marine sediment, produced AMPs against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The AMPs were precipitated by ammonium sulfate 30% (w/v) from culture broth and dialyzed by a 1 kDa membrane. Tryptone Soy Agar (TSA) was used for the cultivation and resulted in the largest bacteria-inhibiting zones under aerobic conditions at 25 °C, 48 h. An SDS-PAGE gel overlay test revealed that strain 7WMA2 could produce AMPs of 5-10 kDa and showed no degradation when held at 121 °C for 30 min at a wide pH 2-12 range. The AMPs did not cause toxicity to HeLa cells with concentrations up to 500 µg/mL while increasing the arbitrary unit up to eight times. The study showed that the AMPs produced were unique, with broad-spectrum antimicrobial ability.
  12. Han H, Lho LH, Raposo A, Radic A, Ngah AH
    PMID: 33809470 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18063034
    Muslim tourism is one of the most rapidly developing sectors in the international tourism industry. Nevertheless, halal food performance and its relationship with international Muslim traveler decision-making and behaviors have not been sufficiently examined. The present research explored the influence of halal food performance, which encompasses availability, health/nutrition, accreditation, and cleanness/safety/hygiene factors, on the Muslim traveler retention process at a non-Islamic destination. A survey methodology with a quantitative data analytic approach was employed to achieve research goals. Our findings indicated that halal food performance increased destination trust and destination attachment, which in turn influenced Muslim traveler retention. Additionally, the efficacy of the higher-order framework of halal food performance was defined. Both destination trust and attachment mediated the effect of halal food performance on retention. A halal-friendly destination image included a moderating influence on the retention process. The effectiveness of the proposed theoretical framework for explicating Muslim traveler behaviors was uncovered. This research better introduces the importance of halal food performance and its attributes for the elicitation of Muslim traveler approach responses and behaviors at a non-Islamic destination to researchers and practitioners.
  13. Han H, Chen N, Huang X, Liu B, Tian J, Lei H
    J Biol Chem, 2019 10 18;294(42):15408-15417.
    PMID: 31467081 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.010130
    Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are a family of lipid kinases that play a critical role in transmitting signals from cell-surface molecules to intracellular protein effectors. Key PI3Ks include PI3Kα, PI3Kβ, and PI3Kδ, which are regulated by receptors. The signaling pathway comprising the PI3Ks, along with a Ser/Thr kinase (AKT), a proto-oncogene product (mouse double minute (MDM)2), and a tumor suppressor protein (p53), plays an essential role in experimental proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), which is a fibrotic blinding eye disorder. However, which PI3K isoforms are involved in PVR is unknown. A major characteristic of PVR is the formation of epi (or sub)-retinal membranes that consist of extracellular matrix and cells, including retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, glial cells, and macrophages. RPE cells are considered key players in PVR pathogenesis. Using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analyses, we herein provide the evidence that PI3Kδ is highly expressed in human RPEs when it is primarily expressed in leukocytes. We also found that PI3Kδ inactivation through two approaches, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated depletion and a PI3Kδ-specific inhibitor (idelalisib), not only blocks vitreous-induced activation of AKT and MDM2 but also abrogates a vitreous-stimulated decrease in p53. Furthermore, we demonstrate that PI3Kδ inactivation prevents vitreous-induced proliferation, migration, and contraction of human RPEs. These results suggest that PI3Kδ may represent a potential therapeutic target for RPE-related eye diseases, including PVR.
  14. Han H, Yang Y, Wu Z, Liu B, Dong L, Deng H, et al.
    Biomed Pharmacother, 2021 Jan;133:110999.
    PMID: 33227710 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110999
    Abnormal angiogenesis is associated with intraocular diseases such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy and neovascular age-related macular degeneration, and current therapies for these eye diseases are not satisfactory. The purpose of this study was to determine whether capilliposide B (CPS-B), a novel oleanane triterpenoid saponin derived from Lysimachia capillipes Hemsl, can inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenesis signaling events and cellular responses in primary human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRECs). Our study revealed that the capilliposide B IC50 for HRECs was 8.5 μM at 72 h and that 1 μM capilliposide B specifically inhibited VEGF-induced activation of VEGFR2 and its downstream signaling enzymes Akt and Erk. In addition, we discovered that this chemical effectively blocked VEGF-stimulated proliferation, migration and tube formation of the HRECs, suggesting that capilliposide B is a promising prophylactic for angiogenesis-associated diseases such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
  15. Han HL, Kononenko VS
    Zootaxa, 2017 Dec 05;4362(2):259-266.
    PMID: 29245428 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4362.2.5
    Two replacement names of the genus group in Micronoctuini (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Hypenodinae), Tentaxus nom. nov. pro Tentax Fibiger 2011 (unavailable name) and Flaxus nom. nov. pro Flax Fibiger 2011 (unavailable name) are proposed; 43 new conbinations (comb. nov.) are stated. A new species T. zhangweiweii Han & Kononenko, sp. nov. is described from Borneo (Sabah, East Malaysia).
  16. Son HJ, Lee H, Kim JH, Yu IK, Han HY
    Malays J Pathol, 2018 Apr;40(1):73-78.
    PMID: 29704388
    Progressively transformed germinal centers (PTGC) is a benign process characterised by a morphological variant of reactive follicular hyperplasia in lymph nodes. It was recently shown that some cases of PTGC are associated with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) or increased IgG4 plasma cells. Five years ago, a 57-year-old woman presented with enlargement of multiple lymph nodes in the left parotid, submandibular, and neck areas, pathologically diagnosed as PTGC after excisional biopsy. Since then, she has experienced numbness in her extremities, especially the left shoulder and arm, pruritus on the left side of the face and intermittent facial palsy, for which she has been receiving regular symptomatic treatment. Recently the patient developed diabetes mellitus (approximately seven months ago). In routine follow-up scans, a mass was detected in left kidney and magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen prior to surgery revealed a slightly enhanced bulky mass replacing the pancreatic tail and uncinate process. The mass in left kidney was diagnosed as clear cell renal cell carcinoma, and the pathological features of the pancreatic lesion were those of IgG4-related chronic fibrosing pancreatitis. Retrograde examination of the neck lymph node diagnosed as PTGC showed increased deposition of IgG4-positive plasma cells.
  17. Chua BL, Karim S, Lee S, Han H
    PMID: 32872267 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176276
    This study investigated restaurant customers' perceived importance of key factors in accordance with dining occasions and restaurant segments. Our investigation into restaurant selection and situational factors present two types of empirical evidence regarding customers' choice of restaurant. First, menu price was customers' top priority in restaurant selections for full-service, quick-casual, and quick-service restaurants. Second, restaurant customers rated the importance level of restaurant selection criteria differently according to eating-out occasions. The importance of menu price was greatest for both quick meal/convenience and social occasion, brand reputation was the most important factor for business necessity, and word-of-mouth recommendation was greatest for celebration.
  18. Ahmad N, Scholz M, Arshad MZ, Jafri SKA, Sabir RI, Khan WA, et al.
    PMID: 33925322 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094608
    Organizational crisis can serve as a base to provide an opportunity to an organization for enhancing individuals, organizations, and communities. The healthcare sector is one of those sectors that remains under continuous pressure to provide high-quality service delivery to the patients. Hence, the requirement of innovation for this sector is huge when compared to other sectors. The majority of the previous studies have investigated the phenomenon of CSR at the employee's level (CSR-E) to influence employee behavior positively. However, the importance of CSR-E to enhance the innovative capability of the employees at the workplace is not well-explored in extant literature. Moreover, it is not clear from previous studies how the concept of servant leadership can explain the employee's engagement towards innovative work behavior (EIB). Thus, the current survey aims to test the relationship of CSR-E and EIB in the healthcare sector of Pakistan with the mediating effect of servant leadership. The data of the current study were obtained through a self-administered (paper-pencil) survey and they were analyzed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The empirical results of SEM analysis revealed that CSR-E and EIB are positively related and servant leadership partially mediates this relationship. The findings of the current study will be helpful for policymakers to improve their understanding towards CSR-E to induce EIB in the time of crisis. At the same time, the current study also highlights the importance of servant leadership to the policymakers in encouraging the employees to display their innovative capability at the workplace to serve their organization during the time of crisis.
  19. Khalil-Ur-Rehman, Adnan M, Ahmad N, Scholz M, Khalique M, Naveed RT, et al.
    PMID: 34501713 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18179123
    Customers have become very sensitive regarding the innovative evaluation of services. Due to competition in the hospitality industry, it is a challenge for hotel marketers to understand customers' behavior. There is scant research in the hotel industry of Pakistan and especially on boutique hotels. This research seeks to measure the relationship between substantive, communicative elements of the sustainable servicescape and behavioral intentions (word of mouth) in a boutique hotel setting. However, the mediating effect of the overall perceived image is examined between these constructs. Responses of boutique hotel visitors were collected from Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Murree. Data were analyzed by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results display that both substantive and communicative servicescape elements positively affect the perceived image of customers, which has a positive influence on behavioral intentions such as word of mouth (WOM). Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.
  20. Jeaheng Y, Al-Ansi A, Chua BL, Ngah AH, Ryu HB, Ariza-Montes A, et al.
    Psychol Res Behav Manag, 2023;16:223-240.
    PMID: 36726699 DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S371806
    INTRODUCTION: Gastronomy tourism has become a phenomenal trend of the global tourism industry in the 21st century. As the tourism industry and its related foodservice businesses flourish, street food has received increasing popularity with its combination of local delights and the cultural value of the destination. This study examined the psychology of street food consumption and assessed the effect of street food quality that is represented by the cultural experience, health and safety of the food, food sensory appeal, staff service, physical environment, the meal menus with perceived reasonable prices, involvement in Thai street food, and repurchase intention from an international tourist perspective.

    METHODS: A survey method along with a quantitative structural analysis was used.

    RESULTS: The findings revealed that Thai street food quality positively and significantly predicted the international tourists' perceived reasonable prices, involvement, and repurchase decisions. Perceived reasonable prices and involvement were found to be important mediators between Thai street food quality and repurchase intentions. Moreover, this research identified the significant moderating role of Eastern and Western cultures.

Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links