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Knowledge and Confidence Level Among Emergency Healthcare Workers in Airway Management and Resuscitation of Suspected COVID-19 Patients: A Cross Sectional Study in Malaysia

Abd Samat AH, Isa MH, Sabardin DM, Jamal SM, Jaafar MJ, Hamzah FA, et al.

Ann Acad Med Singap, 2020 Sep;49(9):643-651.
PMID: 33241252

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and confidence of emergency healthcare workers (EHCW) in facing the COVID-19 pandemic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional online study using a validated questionnaire was distributed to doctors (MD), assistant medical officers (AMO), and staff nurses (SN) at an urban tertiary Emergency Department. It comprised of 40 knowledge and 10 confidence-level questions related to resuscitation and airway management steps.
RESULTS: A total of 135 from 167 eligible EHCW were enrolled. 68.9% (n = 93) had high knowledge while 53.3% (n = 72) possessed high confidence level. Overall knowledge mean score was 32.96/40 (SD = 3.63) between MD (33.88±3.09), AMO (32.28±4.03), and SN (32.00±3.60), P= 0.025. EHCWs with a length of service (LOS) between 4-10 years had the highest knowledge compared to those with LOS <4-year (33.71±3.39 versus 31.21±3.19 P = 0.002). Airway-related knowledge was significantly different between the designations and LOS (P = 0.002 and P = 0.003, respectively). Overall, EHCW confidence level against LOS showed significant difference [F (2, 132) = 5.46, P = 0.005] with longer LOS showing better confidence. MD showed the highest confidence compared to AMO and SN (3.67±0.69, 3.53±0.68, 3.26±0.64) P = 0.049. The majority EHCW were confident in performing high-quality chest-compression, and handling of Personal Protective Equipment but less than half were confident in resuscitating, leading the resuscitation, managing the airway or being successful in first intubation attempt.
CONCLUSIONS: EHCW possessed good knowledge in airway and resuscitation of COVID-19 patients, but differed between designations and LOS. A longer LOS was associated with better confidence, but there were some aspects in airway management and resuscitation that needed improvement.
Menopausal hormone therapy and risk of venous thromboembolism: The story so far

Abdelhafez MMA, Ahmed KAM, Ahmed NAM, Ismail MH, Daud MNM, Eldiasty AME, et al.

Afr J Reprod Health, 2024 Mar 31;28(3):122-129.
PMID: 38583076 DOI: 10.29063/ajrh2024/v28i3.13

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is known to increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and less frequently cerebral vein thrombosis, but the absolute risk for a given patient is very low. After starting MHT, the risk of VTE seems to be at its highest, declining to the non-HRT user baseline level of risk after stopping. Whether estrogen-only or estrogen-progestin HRT combination is linked to a similar risk of VTE is unclear from the available evidence. The aim of this study is to evaluate the risks of developing VTE in relation to different types as well as different modes of administration of MHT through a database search including PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and others in order to provide the women carers with the up-to-date and evidence-based guidelines and recommendations while counseling the post-menopausal women enquiring on use of hormonal therapies either to alleviate the menopausal symptoms or to prevent the long-term sequelae of estrogen deficiency.
Fulltext Synergistic Roles of Curcumin in Sensitising the Cisplatin Effect on a Cancer Stem Cell-Like Population Derived from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Abdul Satar N, Ismail MN, Yahaya BH

Molecules, 2021 Feb 18;26(4).
PMID: 33670440 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26041056

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a small subpopulation within a tumour. These cells possess stem cell-like properties but also initiate resistance to cytotoxic agents, which contributes to cancer relapse. Natural compounds such as curcumin that contain high amounts of polyphenols can have a chemosensitivity effect that sensitises CSCs to cytotoxic agents such as cisplatin. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of curcumin as a chemo-sensitiser in CSCs subpopulation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using the lung cancer adenocarcinoma human alveolar basal epithelial cells A549 and H2170. The ability of curcumin to sensitise lung CSCs to cisplatin was determined by evaluating stemness characteristics, including proliferation activity, colony formation, and spheroid formation of cells treated with curcumin alone, cisplatin alone, or the combination of both at 24, 48, and 72 h. The mRNA level of genes involved in stemness was analysed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to evaluate the effect of curcumin on the CSC niche. A combined treatment of A549 subpopulations with curcumin reduced cellular proliferation activity at all time points. Curcumin significantly (p < 0.001) suppressed colonies formation by 50% and shrank the spheroids in CSC subpopulations, indicating inhibition of their self-renewal capability. This effect also was manifested by the down-regulation of SOX2, NANOG, and KLF4. Curcumin also regulated the niche of CSCs by inhibiting chemoresistance proteins, aldehyde dehydrogenase, metastasis, angiogenesis, and proliferation of cancer-related proteins. These results show the potential of using curcumin as a therapeutic approach for targeting CSC subpopulations in non-small cell lung cancer.
Fulltext Potential of Using Ginger Essential Oils-Based Nanotechnology to Control Tropical Plant Diseases

Abdullahi A, Ahmad K, Ismail IS, Asib N, Ahmed OH, Abubakar AI, et al.

Plant Pathol J, 2020 Dec 01;36(6):515-535.
PMID: 33312089 DOI: 10.5423/PPJ.RW.05.2020.0077

Essential oils (EOs) have gained a renewed interest in many disciplines such as plant disease control and medicine. This review discusses the components of ginger EOs, their mode of action, and their potential nanotechnology applications in controlling tropical plant diseases. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography, and headspace procedures are commonly used to detect and profile their chemical compositions EOs in ginger. The ginger EOs are composed of monoterpenes (transcaryophyllene, camphene, geranial, eucalyptol, and neral) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (α-zingiberene, ar-curcumene, β-bisabolene, and β-sesquiphellandrene). GC-MS analysis of the EOs revealed many compounds but few compounds were revealed using the headspace approach. The EOs have a wide range of activities against many phytopathogens. EOs mode of action affects both the pathogen cell's external envelope and internal structures. The problems associated with solubility and stability of EOs had prompted the use nanotechnology such as nanoemulsions. The use of nanoemulsion to increase efficiency and supply of EOs to control plant diseases control was discussed in this present paper. The findings of this review paper may accelerate the effective use of ginger EOs in controlling tropical plant diseases.
Mapping the pandemic: a review of Geographical Information Systems-based spatial modeling of Covid-19

Aboalyem MS, Ismail MT

J Public Health Afr, 2023 Dec 27;14(12):2767.
PMID: 38204808 DOI: 10.4081/jphia.2023.2767

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 has caused more than 6.5 million deaths, while over 600 million people are infected. With regard to the tools and techniques of disease analysis, spatial analysis is increasingly being used to analyze the impact of COVID-19. The present review offers an assessment of research that used regional data systems to study the COVID-19 epidemic published between 2020 and 2022. The research focuses on: categories of the area, authors, methods, and procedures used by the authors and the results of their findings. This input will enable the contrast of different spatial models used for regional data systems with COVID-19. Our outcomes showed increased use of geographically weighted regression and Moran I spatial statistical tools applied to better spatial and time-based gauges. We have also found an increase in the use of local models compared to other spatial statistics models/methods.
Fulltext Ginger Essential Oils-Loaded Nanoemulsions: Potential Strategy to Manage Bacterial Leaf Blight Disease and Enhanced Rice Yield

Adamu A, Ahmad K, Siddiqui Y, Ismail IS, Asib N, Bashir Kutawa A, et al.

Molecules, 2021 Jun 25;26(13).
PMID: 34202405 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26133902

The bacterial leaf blight (BLB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is one of the most serious rice diseases, causing huge yield losses worldwide. Several technologies and approaches have been opted to reduce the damage; however, these have had limited success. Recently, scientists have been focusing their efforts on developing efficient and environmentally friendly nanobactericides for controlling bacterial diseases in rice fields. In the present study, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) were utilized to investigate the mode of actions of ginger EOs on the cell structure of Xoo. The ginger EOs caused the cells to grow abnormally, resulting in an irregular form with hollow layers, whereas the dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) treatment showed a typical rod shape for the Xoo cell. Ginger EOs restricted the growth and production of biofilms by reducing the number of biofilms generated as indicated by CLSM. Due to the instability, poor solubility, and durability of ginger EOs, a nanoemulsions approach was used, and a glasshouse trial was performed to assess their efficacy on BLB disease control. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the developed nanobactericides was promising at different concentration (50-125 µL/mL) tested. The efficacy was concentration-dependent. There was significant antibacterial activity recorded at higher concentrations. A glasshouse trial revealed that developed nanobactericides managed to suppress BLB disease severity effectively. Treatment at a concentration of 125 μL/mL was the best based on the suppression of disease severity index, AUDPC value, disease reduction (DR), and protection index (PI). Furthermore, findings on plant growth, physiological features, and yield parameters were significantly enhanced compared to the positive control treatment. In conclusion, the results indicated that ginger essential oils loaded-nanoemulsions are a promising alternative to synthetic antibiotics in suppressing Xoo growth, regulating the BLB disease, and enhancing rice yield under a glasshouse trial.
Fulltext Recovery of Palm Oil and Valuable Material from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch by Sub-critical Water

Ahmad Kurnin NA, Shah Ismail MH, Yoshida H, Izhar S

J Oleo Sci, 2016;65(4):283-9.
PMID: 27041513 DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess15209

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) is one of the solid wastes produced in huge volume by palm oil mill. Whilst it still contains valuable oil, approximately 22.6 million tons is generated annually and treated as solid waste. In this work, sub-critical water (sub-cw) was used to extract oil, sugar and tar from spikelet of EFB. The spikelet was treated with sub-cw between 180-280°C and a reaction time of 2 and 5 minutes. The highest yield of oil was 0.075 g-oil/g-dry EFB, obtained at 240°C and reaction time of 5 minutes. Astonishingly, oil that was extracted through this method was 84.5% of that obtained through Soxhlet method using hexane. Yield of oil extracted was strongly affected by the reaction temperature and time. Higher reaction temperature induces the dielectric constant of water towards the non-polar properties of solvent; thus increases the oil extraction capability. Meanwhile, the highest yield of sugar was 0.20 g-sugar/g-dry EFB obtained at 220°C. At this temperature, the ion product of water is high enough to enable maximum sub-critical water hydrolysis reaction. This study showed that oil and other valuable material can be recovered using water at sub-critical condition, and most attractive without the use of harmful organic solvent.
ICU nurses' safety performance related to respect for safety and management commitment: A cross-sectional study

Al-Bsheish M, Jarrar M, Mustafa MB, Zubaidi F, Ismail MAB, Meri A, et al.

Contemp Nurse, 2022;58(5-6):446-459.
PMID: 35856481 DOI: 10.1080/10376178.2022.2104740

BACKGROUND: Healthcare work is one of the most accident-prone occupations globally. Nurses, especially those who work in Intensive Care Units (ICU), are very likely to experience mishaps on the job due to the complicated duties they perform. Safety performance through compliance and participation in safety is a proactive approach and a critical tool to measure the protection of employees, like these, in the workplace. Although interest in this tool has increased among hospital administrators and managers, scientific research has been limited in this area.
AIMS: The study's purposes were twofold: (1) to explore the effect of perceived respect safety on the safety performance of ICU nurses and (2) to explore the mediation effect of Management Commitment to Safety (MCS) between the relationship of perceived respect safety and safety performance.
METHODS: Eight public hospitals from the Jordanian Ministry of Health (JMoH) were selected randomly using cluster sampling, and their ICU nurses were surveyed. A total of 285 nurses completed questionnaires. The SmartPLS3 bootstrapping technique was used to analyse data.
RESULTS: The results established that the perceived respect for the safety of nurses has a significant and positive effect on their safety compliance (β = .39, p
Fulltext Prevalence and specificities of red cell alloantibodies among blood recipients in the Malaysian state of Kelantan

Al-Joudi F, Ali AB, Ramli MB, Ahmed S, Ismail M

Asian J Transfus Sci, 2011 Jan;5(1):42-5.
PMID: 21572715 DOI: 10.4103/0973-6247.75997

Red blood cell (RBC) alloantibodies may be formed following exposure to RBC antigens. In most cases, the alloimmunization develops during pregnancy or from previous blood transfusions. The RBC antigens and their alloantibodies vary among different human populations and ethnic groups, and they do have a clinical significance for their adverse immunological reactions.
Fulltext Comparative proteomic analysis of different stages of breast cancer tissues using ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometer

Al-Wajeeh AS, Salhimi SM, Al-Mansoub MA, Khalid IA, Harvey TM, Latiff A, et al.

PLoS One, 2020;15(1):e0227404.
PMID: 31945087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227404

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the fifth most prevalent cause of death among women worldwide. It is also one of the most common types of cancer among Malaysian women. This study aimed to characterize and differentiate the proteomics profiles of different stages of breast cancer and its matched adjacent normal tissues in Malaysian breast cancer patients. Also, this study aimed to construct a pertinent protein pathway involved in each stage of cancer.
METHODS: In total, 80 samples of tumor and matched adjacent normal tissues were collected from breast cancer patients at Seberang Jaya Hospital (SJH) and Kepala Batas Hospital (KBH), both in Penang, Malaysia. The protein expression profiles of breast cancer and normal tissues were mapped by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The Gel-Eluted Liquid Fractionation Entrapment Electrophoresis (GELFREE) Technology System was used for the separation and fractionation of extracted proteins, which also were analyzed to maximize protein detection. The protein fractions were then analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis using LC/MS LTQ-Orbitrap Fusion and Elite. This study identified the proteins contained within the tissue samples using de novo sequencing and database matching via PEAKS software. We performed two different pathway analyses, DAVID and STRING, in the sets of proteins from stage 2 and stage 3 breast cancer samples. The lists of molecules were generated by the REACTOME-FI plugin, part of the CYTOSCAPE tool, and linker nodes were added in order to generate a connected network. Then, pathway enrichment was obtained, and a graphical model was created to depict the participation of the input proteins as well as the linker nodes.
RESULTS: This study identified 12 proteins that were detected in stage 2 tumor tissues, and 17 proteins that were detected in stage 3 tumor tissues, related to their normal counterparts. It also identified some proteins that were present in stage 2 but not stage 3 and vice versa. Based on these results, this study clarified unique proteins pathways involved in carcinogenesis within stage 2 and stage 3 breast cancers.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provided some useful insights about the proteins associated with breast cancer carcinogenesis and could establish an important foundation for future cancer-related discoveries using differential proteomics profiling. Beyond protein identification, this study considered the interaction, function, network, signaling pathway, and protein pathway involved in each profile. These results suggest that knowledge of protein expression, especially in stage 2 and stage 3 breast cancer, can provide important clues that may enable the discovery of novel biomarkers in carcinogenesis.
Fulltext Hybrid fuzzy inference rules of descent method and wavelet function for volatility forecasting

Alenezy AH, Ismail MT, Jaber JJ, Wadi SA, Alkhawaldeh RS

PLoS One, 2022;17(12):e0278835.
PMID: 36490280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278835

This research employs the gradient descent learning (FIR.DM) approach as a learning process in a nonlinear spectral model of maximum overlapping discrete wavelet transform (MODWT) to improve volatility prediction of daily stock market prices using Saudi Arabia's stock exchange (Tadawul) data. The MODWT comprises five mathematical functions and fuzzy inference rules. The inputs are the oil price (Loil) and repo rate (Repo) according to multiple regression correlation, and the Engle and Granger Causality test Engle RF, (1987). The logarithm of the stock market price (LSCS) in Tadawul reflects the output variable. The correlation matrix reveals that there is no collinearity between the input variables, and the causality test demonstrates that the input variables significantly influence the outcome variable. According to the multiple regression, there is a substantial negative influence between Loil and LSCS but a significant positive effect between Repo and output. For the 80% dataset under ME (0.000005), MAE (0.003214), and MAPE (0.064497), the MODWT-LA8 (ARIMA(1,1,0) with drift) for the LSCS variable performs better than other WT functions. In the novel hybrid model MODWT-FIR.DM, each function's approximation coefficient (LSCS) is applied with input variables (Loil and Repo). We evaluate the performance of the proposed model (MODWT-LA8-FIR.DM) using different statistical measures (ME, RMSE, MAE, MPE) and compare it to two established models: the original FIR.DM and other MODWT-FIR.DM functions for forecasting 20% of datasets. The outcomes show that the MODWT-LA8-FIR.DM performs better than the traditional models based on lower ME (3.167586), RMSE (3.167638), MAE (3.167586), and MPE (80.860849). The proposed hybrid model may be a potential stock market forecasting model.
Fulltext Clinical pathways: development and implementation at a tertiary hospital in Malaysia

Aniza Ismail, Saperi Sulung, Syed Mohamed AlJunid, Nor Hamdan Mohd Yahaya, Husyairi Harunarashid, Oteh Maskon, et al.

Int J Public Health Res, 2012;2(2):153-160.
MyJurnal

Clinical pathways have been implemented in many healthcare systems with mix results in improving the quality of care and controlling the cost. CP is a methodology used for mutual decision making and organization of care for a well-defined group of patients within a well-defined period. In developing the CPs for a medical centre, several meetings had been carried out involving expert teams which consist of physicians, nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists. The steps used to develop the pathway were divided into 5 phases. Phase 1: the introduction and team development, Phase II: determining the cases and information gathering, Phase III: establishing the draft of CP, Phase IV: is implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of CP while Phase V: evaluating, improving and redesigning of the CP. Four CPs had been developed: Total Knee Replacement (TKR), ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (AMI), Chronic Obstructive Airways Diseases (COAD) and elective Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS). The implementation of these CPs had supported the evidence-based medicine, improved the multidisciplinary communication, teamwork and care planning. However, the rotation of posts had resulted in lack of document ownership, lack of direction and guidance from senior clinical staff, and problem of providing CPs prior to admission. The development and implementation of CPs in the medical centre improved the intra and inter departmental communication, improved patient outcomes, promote patient safety and increased patient satisfaction. However, accountability and understanding of the CPs must be given more attention.

Study site: Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM)
Constructions of expression vectors of polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) and transient expression of transgenes in immature oil palm embryos

Ariffin N, Abdullah R, Rashdan Muad M, Lourdes J, Emran NA, Ismail MR, et al.

Plasmid, 2011 Sep;66(3):136-43.
PMID: 21827784 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2011.07.002

Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) is a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic group with thermoplastic properties is thus high in quality and can be degradable. PHBV can be produced by bacteria, but the process is not economically competitive with polymers produced from petrochemicals. To overcome this problem, research on transgenic plants has been carried out as one of the solutions to produce PHBV in economically sound alternative manner. Four different genes encoded with the enzymes necessary to catalyze PHBV are bktB, phaB, phaC and tdcB. All the genes came with modified CaMV 35S promoters (except for the tdcB gene, which was promoted by the native CaMV 35S promoter), nos terminator sequences and plastid sequences in order to target the genes into the plastids. Subcloning resulted in the generation of two different orientations of the tdcB, pLMIN (left) and pRMIN (right), both 17.557 and 19.967 kb in sizes. Both plasmids were transformed in immature embryos (IE) of oil palm via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Assays of GUS were performed on one-week-old calli and 90% of the calli turned completely blue. This preliminary test showed positive results of integration. Six-months-old calli were harvested and RNA of the calli were isolated. RT-PCR was used to confirm the transient expression of PHBV transgenes in the calli. The bands were 258, 260, 315 and 200 bp in size for bktB, phaB, phaC and tdcB transgenes respectively. The data obtained showed that the bktB, phaB, phaC and tdcB genes were successfully integrated and expressed in the oil palm genome.
Fulltext Improving forecasting accuracy for stock market data using EMD-HW bagging

Awajan AM, Ismail MT, Al Wadi S

PLoS One, 2018;13(7):e0199582.
PMID: 30016323 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199582

Many researchers documented that the stock market data are nonstationary and nonlinear time series data. In this study, we use EMD-HW bagging method for nonstationary and nonlinear time series forecasting. The EMD-HW bagging method is based on the empirical mode decomposition (EMD), the moving block bootstrap and the Holt-Winter. The stock market time series of six countries are used to compare EMD-HW bagging method. This comparison is based on five forecasting error measurements. The comparison shows that the forecasting results of EMD-HW bagging are more accurate than the forecasting results of the fourteen selected methods.
Fulltext Dataset of gallic acid quantification and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of different solvent extractions from Kacip Fatimah (Labisia pumila Benth. & Hook. f.) leaves

Awang MA, Benjamin MAZ, Anuar A, Ismail MF, Ramaiya SD, Mohd Hashim SNA

Data Brief, 2023 Dec;51:109644.
PMID: 37840993 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109644

The article presents data on the quantification of gallic acid (GA) and the assessment of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Kacip Fatimah (Labisia pumila Benth. & Hook. f.) leaves using various solvents. GA was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Total phenolic content (TPC) was assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The antioxidant activities were evaluated using xanthine oxidase superoxide (XOD-Superoxide) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays, while anti-inflammatory activities were examined through lipoxygenase (LOX) and xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibition assays. Results showed that the water-extracted sample had the highest GA and TPC among the solvents tested, along with the strongest inhibition activities in the XOD-Superoxide and DPPH assays. Both water and ethanol extracts showed significant inhibitory activities in the LOX assay but were inactive in the XOD assay. These findings suggest that the bioactivity of L. pumila leaf extract is associated with GA and TPC. GA and TPC strongly correlated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, except for the XOD assay. The dataset highlights the potential dietary benefits of L. pumila leaves as a natural source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.
Fulltext Synthesis and application of functionalized Graphene oxide-silica with chitosan for removal of Cd (II) from aqueous solution

Azizkhani S, Hussain SA, Abdullah N, Ismail MHS, Mohammad AW

J Environ Health Sci Eng, 2021 Jun;19(1):491-502.
PMID: 34150253 DOI: 10.1007/s40201-021-00622-z

The functionalized graphene oxide by silica and chitosan helped to prepared an adsorbent with high adsorption potential for removing cadmium(II). In this study, the adsorbent was synthesized and the batch system of adsorption method was examined to find the potential of the new adsorbent with the various factors of the concentration, pH, time and temperature. The characterization of adsorbent was analyzed by FT-IR, TEM, Zeta potential and XRD analysis. Regards to the analysis it can be understood that the adsorbent was synthesized successfully. The investigational results were validated and analyzed by applying the 5 models of isotherm and 4 models of kinetic. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Harkins-Jura and Dubinin-radushkevich models were used which the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin fitted well for removing cadmium(II). The Qmax value was achieved 126.58 mg/g by using the Langmuir model for removing Cd(II) respectively. The pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich and Intra-particle models were used to validate the kinetic models of the process. The pseudo-second-order and Elovich models were the best fitted kinetic model in this investigation. Thermodynamic parameters of the energy of gibes, the enthalpy, and the entropy were calculated. Generally, the adsorption process was distinguished as an exothermic and spontaneous.
Laboratory tests on heat treatment of ballast water using engine waste heat

Balaji R, Lee Siang H, Yaakob O, Koh KK, Adnan FAB, Ismail NB, et al.

Environ Technol, 2018 May;39(9):1102-1114.
PMID: 28425309 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2017.1321691

Waste heat recovery from shipboard machineries could be a potential source for heat treatment of ballast water. Similar to a shipboard schematic arrangement, a laboratory-scale engine-heat exchanger set-up harvesting waste heat from jacket water and exhaust gases was erected to test the level of species' mortalities. Mortalities were also assessed under experimental conditions for cultured and natural plankton communities at laboratory level. Effect of pump impellers on species' mortalities were also tested. Exposures between 60°C and 70°C for 60 sec resulted in 80-100% mortalities. Mortalities due to pump impeller effects were observed in the range of 70-100% for zooplankton. On the laboratory-scale arrangement, >95% mortalities of phytoplankton, zooplankton and bacteria were recorded. It was demonstrated that the temperature of tropical sea waters used as secondary coolant can be raised to cause species' mortalities, employing engine exhaust gases. The results also indicated that pump impeller effects will enhance species' mortalities. The limitations of the shipboard application of this method would be the large ballast volumes, flow rates and time for treatment.
Detection of dynorphin 1-17 biotransformation fragments in human nasal polyps by UPLC-QTOF-MS

Ballouze R, Ismail MN, Abu Kassim NS, Salhimi SM, Mohamad I, Abd Mutalib NS, et al.

Anal Bioanal Chem, 2024 Jan;416(2):545-557.
PMID: 38040942 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-05061-3

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a persistent inflammation of the sinonasal mucosa. CRSwNP treatments are associated with inconsistent efficacy and recurrence of symptoms. Dynorphin 1-17 (DYN 1-17) and its fragments have been shown to modulate the immune response in various inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different pH and degrees of inflammation on DYN 1-17 metabolism in human CRSwNP tissues. DYN 1-17 was incubated with grade 3 and grade 4 inflamed tissues of CRSwNP patients at pH 5.5 and pH 7.4 over a range of incubation periods. The resulting fragments were identified using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) system coupled to quadrupole-time of flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry based on their accurate mass. The rate of DYN 1-17 fragmentation was slower at pH 5.5 in comparison to pH 7.4. The extent and rate of metabolism of DYN 1-17 were much lower in grade 3 inflamed tissue (31-32 fragments) than in grade 4 (34-41 fragments). N-Terminal fragments (DYN 1-15, 1-11, 1-10, and 1-6) were metabolized slower at pH 5.5 as compared to pH 7.4. DYN 1-12, 1-8, 2-10, 4-10, 5-10, and 8-14 were only observed under the inflammatory pH while DYN 5-17 and 6-17 were only identified upon incubation with grade 4 CRSwNP tissues. DYN 1-17 metabolism was significantly affected by the pH level and the severity of the inflammation of CRSwNP tissues, indicating the potential roles of DYN 1-17 and its fragments in modulating the inflammatory response and their avenue as therapeutics in future studies.
Fulltext Biomarker characteristics of Montney source rock, British Columbia, Canada

Barham A, Ismail MS, Hermana M, Zainal Abidin NS

Heliyon, 2021 Nov;7(11):e08395.
PMID: 34825096 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08395

Montney Formation (MF) source rock located in northeastern British Columbia (BC), Canada, was analyzed to determine its depositional conditions and organic matter source input other than to determine their level of thermal maturity. The high total sulfur (TS) (2.23-20.86 wt.%) and good to very good total organic carbon (TOC) content (0.3-5.87 wt.%) in the analyzed samples give good evidence that the deposition of MF source rock was in a marine environment under reducing conditions. A mixed marine-terrestrial derived organic matter (OM) for the Montney source rock that was deposited in a marine dysoxic environment is deduced from the composition and distribution of different biomarker traces. Thus, the previous result is supported by the high short-chain n-alkanes ratio, accompanied by carbon preference index (CPI) around unity, high concentration of tricyclic terpanes, high C24 tricyclic/C24 tetracyclic, hopane/sterane ratios ranging from low to moderate, as well as the relationship between regular sterane compositions. During deposition of the MF source rock, it can be noticed that more land organic materials this was deduced according to the high waxiness index. From maturity ratios of Ts/(Ts + Tm), C32 22S/(22S + 22R) homohopane, moretane/hopane and 20S/(20S + 20R) and ββ/(ββ + αα) C29 it can give a conclusion that the source rock is mature to postmature of hydrocarbon generation.
Assessing the comparative advantage of broiler production in Peninsular Malaysia using policy analysis matrix

Benalywa ZA, Ismail MM, Shamsudin MN, Yusop Z

Trop Anim Health Prod, 2019 Feb;51(2):321-327.
PMID: 30112733 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-018-1690-8

Broiler meat is the largest and cheapest protein source in Malaysia. Using the policy analysis matrix (PAM), this study examines the comparative advantage of broiler production in Peninsular Malaysia. Three hundred and ten farms in Peninsular Malaysia were involved in a field survey. The results of the domestic resource cost (DRC) show that Malaysia has a comparative advantage in all scales of broiler production. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the changes in input prices have a significant effect on comparative advantage. Nonetheless, the industry should reduce its dependence on corn-based feed, which is expensive and has an unstable price, to increase competitiveness in further securing its comparative advantage.

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