Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 38 in total

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  1. Sartelli M, Di Bella S, McFarland LV, Khanna S, Furuya-Kanamori L, Abuzeid N, et al.
    World J Emerg Surg, 2019 02 28;14:8.
    PMID: 30858872 DOI: 10.1186/s13017-019-0228-3
    In the last three decades, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased in incidence and severity in many countries worldwide. The increase in CDI incidence has been particularly apparent among surgical patients. Therefore, prevention of CDI and optimization of management in the surgical patient are paramount. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts from the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) updated its guidelines for management of CDI in surgical patients according to the most recent available literature. The update includes recent changes introduced in the management of this infection.
  2. Lalarukh I, Al-Dhumri SA, Al-Ani LKT, Hussain R, Al Mutairi KA, Mansoora N, et al.
    Front Microbiol, 2022;13:813415.
    PMID: 35801109 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.813415
    Less nutrient availability and drought stress are some serious concerns of agriculture. Both biotic and abiotic stress factors have the potential to limit crop productivity. However, several organic extracts obtained from moringa leaves may induce immunity in plants under nutritional and drought stress for increasing their survival. Additionally, some rhizobacterial strains have the ability to enhance root growth for better nutrient and water uptake in stress conditions. To cover the knowledge gap on the interactive effects of beneficial rhizobacteria and moringa leaf extracts (MLEs), this study was conducted. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the effectiveness of sole and combined use of rhizobacteria and MLEs against nutritional and drought stress in wheat. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) (108 CFU ml-1) was inoculated to wheat plants with and without foliar-applied MLEs at two different concentrations (MLE 1 = 1:15 v/v and MLE 2 = 1:30 v/v) twice at 25 and 35 days after seed sowing (50 ml per plant) after the establishment of drought stress. Results revealed that Pa + MLE 2 significantly increased fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), lengths of roots and shoot and photosynthetic contents of wheat. A significant enhancement in total soluble sugars, total soluble proteins, calcium, potassium, phosphate, and nitrate contents validated the efficacious effect of Pa + MLE 2 over control-treated plants. Significant decrease in sodium, proline, glycine betaine, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxide (POD) concentrations in wheat cultivated under drought stress conditions also represents the imperative role of Pa + MLE 2 over control. In conclusion, Pa + MLE 2 can alleviate nutritional stress and drought effects in wheat. More research in this field is required to proclaim Pa + MLE 2 as the most effective amendment against drought stress in distinct agroecological zones, different soil types, and contrasting wheat cultivars worldwide.
  3. Shahar S, Jan Bin Jan Mohamed H, de Los Reyes F, Amarra MS
    Nutrients, 2018 Oct 28;10(11).
    PMID: 30373303 DOI: 10.3390/nu10111584
    The present study examined the best available evidence regarding energy and macronutrient intake during adulthood (age 19 to 59 years) in Malaysia and assessed whether intakes adhere to national recommendations, in order to develop recommendations for dietary improvement based on population consumption patterns. A literature review and meta-analysis evaluated intake based on the following characteristics, using information from food balance sheets, national surveys, and individual studies: (1) levels of intake, (2) proportion of the population whose diets adhere to/exceed/fail to meet Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) levels, and (3) sources of macronutrients observed in these studies. Food balance data suggested high levels of available energy, animal source protein, vegetable fat, and refined carbohydrates. Twenty studies (five nationwide, 15 individual) indicated that Malaysian adults generally met or exceeded recommendations for fat and protein, but were inconsistent with respect to energy and carbohydrates. Information on dietary sources was limited. Due to methodological limitations, insufficient evidence exists regarding energy and macronutrient intakes of Malaysian adults. Improved dietary assessment methods (including use of biomarkers), better data analysis, and updated food composition data, will provide more reliable information on which to base policy decisions and recommendations for improvement.
  4. Abdullateef BN, Elias NF, Mohamed H, Zaidan AA, Zaidan BB
    Springerplus, 2016;5:248.
    PMID: 27064567 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-016-1828-y
    The evaluation and selection of inappropriate open source software in learning management system (OSS-LMS) packages adversely affect the business processes and functions of an organization. Thus, comprehensive insights into the evaluation and selection of OSS-LMS packages are presented in this paper on the basis of three directions. First, available OSS-LMSs are ascertained from published papers. Second, the criteria for evaluating OSS-LMS packages are specified.according to two aspects: the criteria are identified and established, followed by a crossover between them to highlight the gaps between the evaluation criteria for OSS-LMS packages and the selection problems. Third, the abilities of selection methods that appear fit to solve the problems of OSS-LMS packages based on the multi-criteria evaluation and selection problem are discussed to select the best OSS-LMS packages. Results indicate the following: (1) a list of active OSS-LMS packages; (2) the gaps on the evaluation criteria used for LMS and other problems (consisting of main groups with sub-criteria); (3) use of multi-attribute or multi-criteria decision-making (MADM/MCDM) techniques in the framework of the evaluation and selection of the OSS in education as recommended solutions.
  5. Devi NM, Nagarajan S, Singh CB, Khan MMA, Khan A, Khan N, et al.
    Chem Biodivers, 2023 Sep 16.
    PMID: 37715949 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300970
    BACKGROUND: Alpinia calcarata (AC) Roscoe of Zingiberaceae popularly known as lesser galangal has a widespread occurrence in China, India, Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Essential oil (Eoil) was obtained from leaves/rhizomes of AC via hydro-distillation process.

    METHODS: To identify chemical ingredients in oil from leaves/rhizomes of AC through GC/MS technique for volatile components and their anti-oxidant, inflammatory/diabetic activities.

    RESULTS: The 38 and 65 components were found to make up 99.9 and 99.6 %, respectively in total of Eoil composition of AC leaves/rhizomes. Key chemical constituents were eucalyptol (28.7 % in leaves; 25.4 % in rhizomes), camphor (12.8 % in leaves; 4.2 % in rhizomes), and carotol (9.8 % in leaves; 5.6 % in rhizomes) found in oil of AC leaves/rhizomes. Colorimetric assay showed anti-oxidant activities in leaves and rhizomes are IC50 =71.01±0.71 μg/mL and IC50 =73.83±0.49 μg/mL, respectively in the Eoils. Eoils had high anti-oxidant capabilities in IC50 -values of AC-L-Eoil=43.09±0.82&AC-Rh-Eoil=68.11±0.87 in reducing power in μg/mL was found. Albumin test of rhizome oil had IC50 -values of 15.19±0.25 μg/mL. Concentrations range of 7.81 μg/mL and 250 μg/mL in the Eoils of AC leaves and rhizome, respectively by α-glucosidase inhibition assay.

    CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that leaf oil was slightly more promising results than rhizome oil of AC extract, which was ultimately showed medicinal potential of secondary metabolites with anti-oxidant, diabetic/inflammatory activities. Further, Eoils of AC have a wide range of pharmacological potential and promising anti-diabetic effects.

  6. Mohamed H, Shah AM, Nazir Y, Naz T, Nosheen S, Song Y
    World J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2021 Dec 06;38(1):10.
    PMID: 34866162 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-021-03197-x
    In recent years, the utilisation of endophytes has emerged as a promising biological treatment technology for the degradation of plastic wastes such as biodegradation of synthetic plastics. This study, therefore, aimed to explore and extensively screen endophytic fungi (from selected plants) for efficient in vitro polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) biodegradation. In total, 76 endophytic fungi were isolated and cultivated on a PVA screening agar medium. Among these fungi, 10 isolates showed potential and were subsequently identified based on phenotypical characteristics, ITS ribosomal gene sequences, and phylogenetic analyses. Four strains exhibited a maximum level of PVA-degradation in the liquid medium when cultivated for 10 days at 28 °C and 150 rpm. These strains showed varied PVA removal rates of 81% (Penicillium brevicompactum OVR-5), 67% (Talaromyces verruculosus PRL-2), 52% (P. polonicum BJL-9), and 41% (Aspergillus tubingensis BJR-6) respectively. The most promising PVA biodegradation isolate 'OVR-5', with an optimal pH at 7.0 and optimal temperature at 30 °C, produced lipase, manganese peroxidase, and laccase enzymes. Based on analyses of its metabolic intermediates, as identified with GC-MS, we proposed the potential PVA degradation pathway of OVR-5. Biodegradation results were confirmed through scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This study provides the first report on an endophytic P. brevicompactum strain (associated with Orychophragmus violaceus) that has a great ability for PVA degradation providing more insight on potential fungus-based applications in plastic waste degradation.
  7. Ahmad S, Israf DA, Lajis NH, Shaari K, Mohamed H, Wahab AA, et al.
    Eur J Pharmacol, 2006 May 24;538(1-3):188-94.
    PMID: 16650843
    Some chalcones, such as hydroxychalcones have been reported previously to inhibit major pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and reactive oxygen species production by suppressing inducible enzyme expression via inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and nuclear translocation of critical transcription factors. In this report, the effects of cardamonin (2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxychalcone), a chalcone that we have previously isolated from Alpinia rafflesiana, was evaluated upon two cellular systems that are repeatedly used in the analysis of anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds namely RAW 264.7 cells and whole blood. Cardamonin inhibited NO and PGE(2) production from lipopolysaccharide- and interferon-gamma-induced RAW cells and whole blood with IC(50) values of 11.4 microM and 26.8 microM, respectively. Analysis of thromboxane B(2) (TxB(2)) secretion from whole blood either stimulated via the COX-1 or COX-2 pathway revealed that cardamonin inhibits the generation of TxB(2) via both pathways with IC(50) values of 2.9 and 1.1 microM, respectively. Analysis of IC(50) ratios determined that cardamonin was more COX-2 selective in its inhibition of TxB(2) with a ratio of 0.39. Cardamonin also inhibited the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and secretion of TNF-alpha from RAW 264.7 cells in a dose responsive manner with IC(50) values of 12.8 microM and 4.6 microM, respectively. However, cardamonin was a moderate inhibitor of lipoxygenase activity when tested in an enzymatic assay system, in which not a single concentration tested was able to cause an inhibition of more than 50%. Our results suggest that cardamonin acts upon major pro-inflammatory mediators in a similar fashion as described by previous work on other closely related synthetic hydroxychalcones and strengthens the conclusion of the importance of the methoxyl moiety substitution on the 4' or 6' locations of the A benzene ring.
  8. El-Wahed AAA, Khalifa SAM, Elashal MH, Musharraf SG, Saeed A, Khatib A, et al.
    Toxins (Basel), 2021 11 18;13(11).
    PMID: 34822594 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13110810
    Bee venom (BV) is a typical toxin secreted by stingers of honeybee workers. BV and BV therapy have long been attractive to different cultures, with extensive studies during recent decades. Nowadays, BV is applied to combat several skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, acne vulgaris, alopecia, vitiligo, and psoriasis. BV is used extensively in topical preparations as cosmetics and used as dressing for wound healing, as well as in facemasks. Nevertheless, the safety of BV as a therapeutic choice has always been a concern due to the immune system reaction in some people due to BV use. The documented unfavorable impact is explained by the fact that the skin reactions to BV might expand to excessive immunological responses, including anaphylaxis, that typically resolve over numerous days. This review aims to address bee venom therapeutic uses in skin cosmetics.
  9. Hasan H, Attlee A, Jan Bin Jan Mohamed H, Aris N, Bin Wan Muda WAM
    J Obes, 2018;2018:1597840.
    PMID: 30631594 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1597840
    INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA) may improve cardiometabolic fitness and increase high-molecular-weight adiponectin (HMW-Adip). The pedometer is an effective, user-friendly device to monitor PA with the aim of improving health. This study examined how counting footsteps, using a pedometer, might affect HMW-Adip and MetS components among young females.

    METHODS: Fifty-two females (21.43 ± 4.8 years) were divided into "normal" (BMI = 18-24.9 kg/m2) and "high" (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) BMI groups. Participants wore pedometers throughout the day for nine weeks. Pre-post intervention tests performed on anthropometric, biochemical, and nutrient intake variables were tested at p ≤ 0.05.

    RESULTS: Participants walked 7056 ± 1570 footsteps/day without a significant difference between normal (7488.49 ± 1098) and high (6739.18 ± 1793) BMI groups. After week 9, the normal BMI group improved significantly in BMI, body fat mass (BFM), and waist-hip ratio (WHR). Additionally, percent body fat, waist circumference (WC), and visceral fat area also reduced significantly in the high BMI group. A significant decrease in triglycerides (TG) (71.62 ± 29.22 vs. 62.50 ± 29.16 mg/dl, p=0.003) and insulin (21.7 ± 8.33 µU/l vs. 18.64 ± 8.25 µU/l, p=0.046) and increase in HMW-Adip (3.77 ± 0.46 vs. 3.80 ± 0.44 μg/ml, p=0.034) were recorded in the high BMI group. All participants exhibited significant inverse correlations between daily footsteps and BMI (r=-0.33, p=0.017), BFM (r=-0.29, p=0.037), WHR (r=-0.401, p=0.003), and MetS score (r=-0.49, p < 0.001) and positive correlation with HMW-Adip (r=0.331, p=0.017). A positive correlation with systolic (r=0.46, p=0.011) and diastolic (r=0.39, p=0.031) blood pressures and inverse correlation with the MetS score (r=-0.5, p=0.005) were evident in the high BMI group.

    CONCLUSION: Counting footsteps using a pedometer is effective in improving MetS components (obesity, TG) and increasing HMW-Adip levels.

  10. Manaf NA, Saad B, Mohamed MH, Wilson LD, Latiff AA
    J Chromatogr A, 2018 Mar 30;1543:23-33.
    PMID: 29478831 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2018.02.032
    Sorbents were prepared by cross-linking β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) using two different types of cross-linker units at variable reactant mole ratios. The resulting polymers containing β-CD were evaluated as sorbents in micro-solid phase extraction (μ-SPE) format for the extraction of the endogenous steroids testosterone (T), epitestosterone (E), androsterone (A), etiocholanolone (Etio), 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (5αAdiol) and 5β-androstane-3α,17β-diol (5βAdiol). The best sorbent (C1; cyclodextrin polymer) showed superior extraction characteristics compared with commercial sorbents (C18 and Bond Elut Plexa). Parameters influencing the extraction efficiency of the C1 sorbent such as extraction and desorption times, desorption solvent and volume of sample were investigated. The extracts were separated using a Hypersil Gold column (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.9 μm) under gradient elution coupled to a LC-MS/MS. The compounds were successfully separated within 8 min. The method offers good repeatability (RSD  0.995) were within the range of 1-200 ng mL-1 for T and E, 250-4000 ng mL-1 for A and Etio and 25-500 ng mL-1 for 5αAdiol and 5βAdiol, respectively. The method was applied for the determination of steroid profile of urine from volunteers.
  11. Othman H, Mohamed Haflah NH, Sani MH, Wan Ismail WF, Kesu Belani L
    Cureus, 2023 Aug;15(8):e42869.
    PMID: 37664329 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.42869
    Sclerosing/spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma (s-scRMS) is a rare variant of striated muscle tumours. It has been recognised as an individual entity, the fourth subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma in the latest WHO classification. In the paediatric population, it occurs more commonly in the paratesticular area, whereas in adults, it occurs more commonly in the head and neck region. It has distinctive characteristics in terms of its histopathological and immunochemistry findings, which help in accurate diagnosis. The mainstay of treatment is a multimodal approach, i.e., surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. However, no standard care is still being established internationally for adult cases. In adults, this tumour has a poorer prognosis as compared to children. We describe a patient with s-scRMS of the lower limb who has undergone wide local resection of the tumour with surgical reconstruction of the distal tibiofibular joint with autograft and its two-year outcome.
  12. Gaaz TS, Sulong AB, Ansari MNM, Kadhum AAH, Al-Amiery AA, Nassir MH
    Materials (Basel), 2017 Jul 10;10(7).
    PMID: 28773134 DOI: 10.3390/ma10070777
    The advancements in material science and technology have made polyurethane (PU) one of the most important renewable polymers. Enhancing the physio-chemical and mechanical properties of PU has become the theme of this and many other studies. One of these enhancements was carried out by adding starch to PU to form new renewable materials called polyurethane-starch composites (PUS). In this study, PUS composites are prepared by adding starch at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 wt.% to a PU matrix. The mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of PU and PUS composites were investigated. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of PU and PUS fractured surfaces show cracks and agglomeration in PUS at 1.5 wt.% starch. The thermo-mechanical properties of the PUS composites were improved as starch content increased to 1.5 wt.% and declined by more starch loading. Despite this reduction, the mechanical properties were still better than that of neat PU. The mechanical strength increased as starch content increased to 1.5 wt.%. The tensile, flexural, and impact strengths of the PUS composites were found to be 9.62 MPa, 126.04 MPa, and 12.87 × 10(-3) J/mm², respectively, at 1.5 wt.% starch. Thermal studies showed that the thermal stability and crystallization temperature of the PUS composites increased compared to that of PU. The loss modulus curves showed that neat PU crystallizes at 124 °C and at 127 °C for PUS-0.5 wt.% and rises with increasing loading from 0.5 to 2 wt.%.
  13. Mahdi ES, Sakeena MH, Abdulkarim MF, Abdullah GZ, Sattar MA, Noor AM
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2011;5:311-23.
    PMID: 21792294 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S15698
    The purpose of this study was to select appropriate surfactants or blends of surfactants to study the ternary phase diagram behavior of newly introduced palm kernel oil esters.
  14. Lee KW, Tan SF, Omar A, Nasir NH, Ching SM, Mohd Noor MK, et al.
    Gynecol Endocrinol, 2022 Jan;38(1):55-62.
    PMID: 34636710 DOI: 10.1080/09513590.2021.1988561
    AIM: The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of system-based intervention in reducing the incidence of diabetes and to improve the postnatal metabolic profiles among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: For women in the intervention arm (n = 130), they received one session of individualized health education at 36 gestational weeks, a booklet of diabetes prevention, five-session of postpartum booster educational program which were conducted including 1 session of dietary and exercise counseling by dietician and physiotherapist at 6 weeks postpartum. For women in the control group (n = 168), standard treatment whereby they had received group therapy on diet and physical activity modification by dietician and staff nurses during the antenatal period.

    RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between groups for most of the variables examined except for educational level which the control group had a higher education than the intervention group. The women assigned to system-based intervention have a significant difference to GDM women who were assigned to the control group for LDL and HDL but not in anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, glucose index, total cholesterol, and triglyceride. In addition, it was found that the incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) 2 years after delivery was 20% in the intervention arm compared to 17% in the control arm.

    CONCLUSION: The system-based intervention was not statistically superior to the control intervention as there is no difference in terms of incidence of T2DM between the intervention and control group. We, therefore, suggested that more intensive interventions are needed to prevent GDM from developing into T2DM.

  15. Mussa MH, Radzi NAM, Hamid R, Mutalib AA
    Materials (Basel), 2021 Jun 15;14(12).
    PMID: 34203973 DOI: 10.3390/ma14123311
    The study aims to investigate the fire performance of reinforced concrete (RC) slab fabricated from high volume fly ash inclusion with nano-silica (HVFANS) under ISO 834 load curve. The HVFANS concrete slab with dimensions of 1850 mm × 1700 mm × 200 mm was tested via an electrical furnace under an exposing temperature of 1100 °C for 120 min. The slab behaviour was evaluated in terms of residual compressive strength, temperature distribution along its thickness, spalling, and cracks. The results revealed that the slab was capable of maintaining 62.19% of its original compressive strength at room temperature after exposure to the above temperature. Moreover, the distribution of temperature revealed that the temperature of concrete cover and bottom reinforcement was less than 300 °C with a maximum spalling depth of 11 mm within the temperature range of 680 to 840 °C. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity index (K) of the HVFANS concrete was determined, and results indicated that thermal conductivity equalled 0.35 W/mK which is considered low, as compared with other concretes tested in current and previous studies.
  16. Naz T, Yang J, Nosheen S, Sun C, Nazir Y, Mohamed H, et al.
    Front Nutr, 2021;8:756218.
    PMID: 34722614 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.756218
    Canthaxanthin is a reddish-orange xanthophyll with strong antioxidant activity and higher bioavailability than carotenes, primarily used in food, cosmetics, aquaculture, and pharmaceutical industries. The spiking market for natural canthaxanthin promoted researchers toward genetic engineering of heterologous hosts for canthaxanthin production. Mucor circinelloides is a dimorphic fungus that produces β-carotene as the major carotenoid and is considered as a model organism for carotenogenic studies. In this study, canthaxanthin-producing M. circinelloides strain was developed by integrating the codon-optimized β-carotene ketolase gene (bkt) of the Haematococcus pluvialis into the genome of the fungus under the control of strong promoter zrt1. First, a basic plasmid was constructed to disrupt crgA gene, a negative regulator of carotene biosynthesis resulted in substantial β-carotene production, which served as the building block for canthaxanthin by further enzymatic reaction of the ketolase enzyme. The genetically engineered strain produced a significant amount (576 ± 28 μg/g) of canthaxanthin, which is the highest amount reported in Mucor to date. Moreover, the cell dry weight of the recombinant strain was also determined, producing up to more than 9.0 g/L, after 96 h. The mRNA expression level of bkt in the overexpressing strain was analyzed by RT-qPCR, which increased by 5.3-, 4.1-, and 3-folds at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively, compared with the control strain. The canthaxanthin-producing M. circinelloides strain obtained in this study provided a basis for further improving the biotechnological production of canthaxanthin and suggested a useful approach for the construction of more valuable carotenoids, such as astaxanthin.
  17. Razali NEM, Ramli RZ, Mohamed H, Mat Zin NA, Rosdi F, Mat Diah N
    Heliyon, 2022 Jan;8(1):e08773.
    PMID: 35146153 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e08773
    Climate change can simply be defined as an increase in temperature, normally referred to as global warming. Recent studies have confirmed the failure of many climate communication efforts due to the one-directional transmission of information that has transformed the audience into passive consumers of information. The young generation tends to be avid gamers, thus serious games could be a suitable medium to increase climate change awareness in order to cultivate a better attitude towards nature among this group. However, very few games focus on carbon cycle fundamentals that are directly related to climate change. Existing climate change games have been unable to improve the quality of knowledge on environmental issues due to the lack of contextualization of the carbon cycle. Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop and verify a guideline of game design elements to assist game developers in developing a climate change game that can facilitate experiential learning on climate change based on the carbon cycle. The guideline consists of 13 game elements derived from previous studies. Seven experts from both game and environmental areas were selected to review the designed guideline. The experts were given two to six weeks to evaluate the guideline and were asked to rate and comment on each game element. At the end of the review, the experts' feedback and comments were analysed and scrutinised. The results showed positive feedback from all experts. The guideline was updated based on the experts' comments, and finally a total of 12 game elements for a climate change game remained. This guideline can be applied to develop a new climate change game. This paper discusses the validation of the guideline proposed for a climate change game design.
  18. Elkeraie AF, Al-Ghamdi S, Abu-Alfa AK, Alotaibi T, AlSaedi AJ, AlSuwaida A, et al.
    PMID: 38196830 DOI: 10.2147/IJNRD.S430532
    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health concern in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region and a leading cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. Early initiation of sodium-glucose cotransporter - 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) and proper sequencing with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) in these patients may result in better clinical outcomes due to their cardioprotective properties and complementary mechanisms of action. In this review, we present guideline-based consensus recommendations by experts from the MEA region, as practical algorithms for screening, early detection, nephrology referral, and treatment pathways for CKD management in patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This study will help physicians take timely and appropriate actions to provide better care to patients with CKD or those at high risk of CKD.
  19. Gaaz TS, Sulong AB, Kadhum AAH, Nassir MH, Al-Amiery AA
    Materials (Basel), 2016 Jul 26;9(8).
    PMID: 28773741 DOI: 10.3390/ma9080620
    Halloysite (HNT) is treated with sulfuric acid and the physico-chemical properties of its morphology, surface activity, physical and chemical properties have been investigated when HNT is exposed to sulfuric acid with treatment periods of 1 h (H1), 3 h (H3), 8 h (H8), and 21 h (H21). The significance of this and similar work lies in the importance of using HNT as a functional material in nanocomposites. The chemical structure was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The spectrum demonstrates that the hydroxyl groups were active for grafting modification using sulfuric acid, promoting a promising potential use for halloysite in ceramic applications as filler for novel clay-polymer nanocomposites. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum, it can be seen that the sulfuric acid breaks down the HNT crystal structure and alters it into amorphous silica. In addition, the FESEM images reveal that the sulfuric acid treatment dissolves the AlO₆ octahedral layers and induces the disintegration of SiO₄ tetrahedral layers, resulting in porous nanorods. The Bruncher-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and total pore volume of HNTs showed an increase. The reaction of the acid with both the outer and inner surfaces of the nanotubes causes the AlO₆ octahedral layers to dissolve, which leads to the breakdown and collapse of the tetrahedral layers of SiO₄. The multi-fold results presented in this paper serve as a guide for further HNT functional treatment for producing new and advanced nanocomposites.
  20. Lim SY, Tan ZK, Ngam PI, Lor TL, Mohamed H, Schee JP, et al.
    Parkinsonism Relat Disord, 2011 Dec;17(10):761-4.
    PMID: 21839665 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2011.07.009
    There are limited data on the prevalence of impulsive-compulsive behaviors and subsyndromal impulsive-compulsive behaviors in Asian patients with Parkinson's disease, who are treated with lower dosages of dopaminergic medications.
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