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  1. REPORT- Some ethanobotanically important plants from Cholistan area for anti avian influenza virus (AIV) H9N2 screening
    Shahzad MI, Ashraf H, Aslam A, Parveen S, Kamran Z, Naz N, et al.
    Pak J Pharm Sci, 2019 Nov;32(6):2751-2756.
    PMID: 31969311
    Avian influenza or bird flu is a common problem of domestic and wild birds. Some of its strains are able to cross the species barrier and cause infection in various members of class Mammalia. In view of relatively lesser efficacy of vaccines, antiviral therapies remain the only choice for the sustenance of mammals acquiring this highly devastating infection. This study is based on the evaluation of antiviral potential of methanol extracts of eleven selected Cholistani plants. The methanol extracts were prepared by using dried plants material followed by concentrating in a rotary evaporator and finally air dried before dissolving in nanopure water. The suspension was filter sterilized and subjected to in ovo antiviral assays. The allantoic fluids were harvested and haemagglutinin (HA) titers were determined. Among the eleven plants evaluated all methanol extracts were found effective against AIV H9N2 except S. baryosma extract. The medicinal plants O. compressa, N. procumbens, and S. surattense were found to be more effective than others and they retained HA titers at 0 after challenge. The next in order were extracts of O. esculentum, H. salicornicum and S. fruticosa which kept HA titers at 4, 8 and 16 respectively. The extracts of H. recurvum, P. antidotale, S. icolados and A. aspera were found less effective than above mentioned plant extracts and they kept the HA titers at 32, 64, 128 and 256 respectively. These results led us to conclude that the medicinal plants of Cholistan region are a rich source of antiviral agent(s) against AIV H9N2 and could be a source of cost effective alternate therapeutics.
  2. Fulltext Mechanism of Fatigue Crack Growth in Biomedical Alloy Ti-27Nb
    Amjad M, Badshah S, Rafique AF, Adil Khattak M, Khan RU, Abdullah Harasani WI
    Materials (Basel), 2020 May 16;13(10).
    PMID: 32429420 DOI: 10.3390/ma13102299
    Implants are widely used in the human body for the replacement of affected bones. Fatigue failure is one of the serious concerns for implants. Therefore, understanding of the underlying mechanism leading to fatigue failure is important for the longevity of biomaterial implants. In this paper, the fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth of titanium alloy biomaterial Ti-27Nb has been experimentally investigated. The Ti-27Nb material is tested for fatigue crack growth in different environmental conditions representing the ambient and in vitro environments for 504 hours and 816 hours, respectively. Fractography of the tested specimen is conducted using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results of the fatigue crack growth propagation of the ambient and in vitro samples are similar in the Paris crack growth region. However, in the threshold region, the crack growth rate is higher for the Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) treated specimen. The fracture surface morphology of in vitro samples shows brittle fracture as compared to ambient specimens with significant plasticity and striations marks. It is proposed that a similar investigation may be conducted with specimens treated in SBF for prolonged periods to further ascertain the findings of this study.
  3. Fulltext Intraoperative cerebral oximetry in open heart surgeries reduced postoperative complications: A retrospective study
    Juliana N, Abu Yazit NA, Kadiman S, Muhammad Hafidz K, Azmani S, Mohd Fahmi Teng NI, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(5):e0251157.
    PMID: 34038405 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251157
    Cardiothoracic surgeries are life-saving procedures but often it results in various complications. Intraoperative cerebral oximetry monitoring used to detect regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) is a non-invasive method that provides prognostic importance in cardiac surgery. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of intraoperative cerebral oxygen monitoring during cardiac surgery on postoperative complications. This was a case-controlled retrospective study conducted on adult patients, who underwent open-heart surgery in National Heart Institute, Malaysia. The case group comprised patients on protocolized cerebral oximetry monitoring. They were treated using a standardized algorithm to maintain rScO2 not lower than 20% of baseline rScO2. The control group comprised patients with matched demographic background, preoperative risk factors, and type of surgical procedures. Propensity score stratification was utilized to contend with selection bias. Retrospective analysis was performed on 240 patients (case group) while comparing it to 407 patients (control group). The non-availability of cerebral oximetry monitoring during surgery was the prominent predictor for all outcome of complications; stroke (OR: 7.66), renal failure needing dialysis (OR: 5.12) and mortality (OR: 20.51). Postoperative complications revealed that there were significant differences for risk of mortality (p<0.001, OR = 20.51), renal failure that required dialysis (p<0.001, OR = 5.12) and stroke (p <0.05, OR = 7.66). Protocolized cerebral oximetry monitoring during cardiothoracic surgeries was found to be associated with lower incidence of stroke, renal failure requiring dialysis and mortality rate.
  4. Effect of Chemically Treated Kenaf Fibre on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of PLA Composites Prepared through Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
    Jamadi AH, Razali N, Petrů M, Taha MM, Muhammad N, Ilyas RA
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Sep 27;13(19).
    PMID: 34641115 DOI: 10.3390/polym13193299
    Natural fibre as a reinforcing agent has been widely used in many industries in this era. However, the reinforcing agent devotes a better strength when embedded with a polymer matrix. Nevertheless, the characteristic of natural fibre and polymer matrix are in contrast, as natural fibre is hydrophilic, while polymer is hydrophobic in nature. Natural fibre is highly hydrophilic due to the presence of a hydroxyl group (-OH), while polymer matrix has an inherent hydrophobic characteristic which repels water. This issue has been fixed by modifying the natural fibre's surface using a chemical treatment combining an alkaline treatment and a silane coupling agent. This modifying process of natural fibre might reduce the attraction of water and moisture content and increase natural fibre surface roughness, which improves the interfacial bonding between these two phases. In this paper, the effect of alkaline and silane treatment has been proven by performing the mechanical test, Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometry (FTIR) to observe the surface structure. The chemical compositions and thermal properties of the composites have been obtained by performing Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) tests. 1.0% silane treatment displayed better strength performance as compared to other composites, which was proven by performing Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM). The assumption is that by enduring chemical treatment, kenaf fibre composites could develop high performance in industry applications.
  5. A study on the severity and prevention measures of COVID-19 among dental professionals in clinical practice management
    Das G, Ahmed S, Ahmed AR, Tirth V, Jamil S, Muhammad AA, et al.
    Work, 2021;70(2):387-393.
    PMID: 34657847 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213602
    BACKGROUND: Medical professionals, especially dental professionals, have been adversely affected by the pandemic of COVID-19 due to an increased chance of exposure to patients because of close contact during treatments.

    OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate knowledge about the disease and assess ways of precautions to be taken during the pandemic.

    METHODS: A questionnaire was developed and registered at Google Forms. The study population included dental practitioners, working in hospitals and clinics. A total of 495 dental practitioners from 14 different countries across the world responded. Most dentists were aware of the required modifications in the management of patients. The points allotted for each correct/best answer by participants for a group of questions regarding each component (Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices) were added/summed to generate an overall score for each of the three components.

    RESULTS: Both univariate and multivariate analysis employed for the evaluation of results. Moreover, the total practice score was significantly associated with gender and sector of practice. Multivariable analysis model using multiple linear regressions was formulated by including those variables which were significant at the univariate stage. Hence, the practice sector was the only variable found to be significantly associated with the total knowledge score (p-value 

  6. Fulltext In vitro and in vivo studies of nanoparticles of chitosan-Pandanus tectorius fruit extract as new alternative treatment for hypercholesterolemia via Scavenger Receptor Class B type 1 pathway
    Oksal E, Pangestika I, Muhammad TST, Mohamad H, Amir H, Kassim MNI, et al.
    Saudi Pharm J, 2020 Oct;28(10):1263-1275.
    PMID: 33132720 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.08.017
    Pandanus tectorius fruit, a natural product rich in tangeretin and ethyl caffeate, has been reported to have potential as anti-hypercholesterolemia agent via Scavenger Receptor Class B type 1 (SR-B1) pathway. However, due to its semi-polar properties, P. tectorius extract exhibits poor solubility when used as a medical remedy. The extract's solubility can potentially be improved through a synthesis of nanoparticles of chitosan-P. tectorius fruit extract. This can also increase the extract's SR-B1 gene expression activity. To date, no studies of nanoparticles of chitosan-P. tectorius fruit extract and its pathway via SR-B1 have been published anywhere. In this study, cytotoxicity properties against HepG2 were explored by MTT. Then luciferase assay was used to detect their effectiveness in increasing SR-B1 activity. An in vivo study using Sprague dawley was carried out to observe the extract nanoparticles' effectiveness in reducing the cholesterol levels and the toxicity property in rat's liver. As the results showed, the extract nanoparticles had no cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells and exhibited higher SR-B1 gene expression activity than the non-nanoparticle form. As the in vivo study proved, nanoparticle treatment can reduce the levels of TC (197%), LDL (360%), and TG (109%), as well as increase the level of HDL cholesterol by 150%, in comparison to those for the untreated high-cholesterol diet group. From the toxicity study, it was found that there was non-toxicity in the liver. It can be concluded that nanoparticles of chitosan-P. tectorius fruit extract successfully increased P. tectorius fruit extract's effectiveness in reducing hypercholesterolemia via SR-B1 pathway. Hence, it can be suggested that nanoparticles of chitosan-P. tectorius fruit extract is safe and suitable as an alternative treatment for controlling hypercholesterolemia via SR-B1 pathway.
  7. Fulltext Implication of food insecurity on the gut microbiota and its potential relevance to a multi-ethnic population in Malaysia
    Shafiee NH, Razalli NH, Muhammad Nawawi KN, Mohd Mokhtar N, Raja Ali RA
    JGH Open, 2022 Feb;6(2):112-119.
    PMID: 35155820 DOI: 10.1002/jgh3.12709
    Food insecurity (FI) has an impact on food intake, and it can make it difficult for people to eat enough nutritious food at all times to sustain an active and healthy lifestyle. The COVID-19 outbreak has hampered people's capacity to obtain nutritious and affordable food. Although FI has been studied in Malaysia, the extent to which it is linked to gut microbiota has yet to be discovered. This review aimed to compile evidence of the relationship between FI and gut microbial changes and their potential relevance to a multi-ethnic population in Malaysia. FI is typically associated with cheaper and calorie-dense foods because of the high cost of quality food and financial constraints that hinder food-insecure people from adopting healthier dietary choices. As a result, they have started eating low-quality food such as simple carbohydrates, fats, and processed foods. These poor eating habits can reduce microbial diversity and influence changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiota. This review also explores the impact of ethnicity on the variation in composition of gut microbiota. In conclusion, the findings of this review may be utilized to develop and implement diet-related intervention programs to ensure that Malaysians get enough nutritious food to maintain a healthy gut microbiota and improve overall health.
  8. Programmed cell death pathways and current antitumor targets
    Tan ML, Ooi JP, Ismail N, Moad AI, Muhammad TS
    Pharm Res, 2009 Jul;26(7):1547-60.
    PMID: 19407932 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-009-9895-1
    Apoptosis and autophagic cell deaths are programmed cell deaths and they play essential roles in cell survival, growth and development and tumorigenesis. The huge increase of publications in both apoptosis and autophagic signaling pathways has contributed to the wealth of knowledge in facilitating the understanding of cancer pathogenesis. Deciphering the molecular pathways and molecules involved in these pathways has helped scientists devise and develop targeted strategies against cancer. Various drugs targeting the apoptotic TRAIL, Bcl-2 and proteasome pathways are already in Phase II/III clinical trials. The first mTOR inhibitor, temsirolimus has already been approved by the FDA, USA for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma and more mTOR inhibitors are expected to be in the market in a few years time. Strategizing against aberrant autophagy activities in various cancers by using either pro-autophagics or autophagy inhibitors are currently been investigated. This review aims to discuss the most recent antitumor strategies targeting the apoptosis and autophagy signaling pathways and the latest outcome of clinical trials of the above drugs.
  9. Fulltext Flexural Strength of Concrete Beam Reinforced with CFRP Bars: A Review
    Bakar MBC, Muhammad Rashid RS, Amran M, Saleh Jaafar M, Vatin NI, Fediuk R
    Materials (Basel), 2022 Feb 01;15(3).
    PMID: 35161088 DOI: 10.3390/ma15031144
    Conventional reinforced concrete (RC) structures are commonly associated with the corrosion of steel reinforcement. The application of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars as flexural reinforcement has become a new promising option. This paper presents a state-of-the art flexural strength on concrete beams reinforced with CFRP bars. Concrete compressive and CFRP bar tensile strain, reinforcement ratio, types of surface treatment on CFRP bar and concrete compressive strength were identified as aspects of behavior. Significant findings in the literature had manifested all aspects of behavior that were affecting the flexural strength, deflections and crack characteristics of CFRP RC beams. In addition, the experimental result on 98 specimens of CFRP RC beams from the literature show that ACI 440.1R-15 and CSA S806-12 standards underestimate the ultimate flexural moment capacity of CFRP RC beams. On the other hand, Kara and Ashour predictions are more accurate with the experimental values. Moreover, hotspot research topics were also highlighted for further considerations in future studies.
  10. Fulltext Investigation on the Redox Properties of a Novel Cu-Based Pr-Modified Oxygen Carrier for Chemical Looping Combustion
    Qasim M, Ayoub M, Aqsha A, Ghazali NA, Ullah S, Ando Y, et al.
    ACS Omega, 2022 Nov 15;7(45):40789-40798.
    PMID: 36406530 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c02993
    CO2 levels in the atmosphere are growing as a result of the burning of fossil fuels to meet energy demands. The introduction of chemical looping combustion (CLC) as an alternative to traditional combustion by transporting oxygen emphasizes the need to develop greener and more economical energy systems. Metal oxide, also defined as an oxygen carrier (OC), transports oxygen from the air to the fuel. Several attempts are being made to develop an OC with a reasonable material cost for superior fuel conversion and high oxygen transport capacity (OTC). This study aims to synthesize a potential OC using the wet impregnation method for the CLC process. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine the cyclic redox properties using 5% CH4/N2 and air as reducing and oxidizing gases, respectively. The 10CuPA-based OC retained a high OTC of about 0.0267 mg O2/mg of OC for 10 cycles that was higher than 10CuA-based OC. Furthermore, the oxygen transfer rate for 10CuPA-based OC was relatively higher compared to 10CuA-based OC over 10 cycles. In comparison to 10CuA-based OC, the 10CuPA-based OC presented a steady X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern after 10 redox cycles, implying that the phase was stably restored due to praseodymium-modified γ alumina support.
  11. Fulltext Combined 3D-QSAR, molecular docking and dynamics simulations studies to model and design TTK inhibitors
    Ashraf N, Asari A, Yousaf N, Ahmad M, Ahmed M, Faisal A, et al.
    Front Chem, 2022;10:1003816.
    PMID: 36405310 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1003816
    Tyrosine threonine kinase (TTK) is the key component of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) that ensures correct attachment of chromosomes to the mitotic spindle and thereby their precise segregation into daughter cells by phosphorylating specific substrate proteins. The overexpression of TTK has been associated with various human malignancies, including breast, colorectal and thyroid carcinomas. TTK has been validated as a target for drug development, and several TTK inhibitors have been discovered. In this study, ligand and structure-based alignment as well as various partial charge models were used to perform 3D-QSAR modelling on 1H-Pyrrolo[3,2-c] pyridine core containing reported inhibitors of TTK protein using the comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) approaches to design better active compounds. Different statistical methods i.e., correlation coefficient of non-cross validation (r2), correlation coefficient of leave-one-out cross-validation (q2), Fisher's test (F) and bootstrapping were used to validate the developed models. Out of several charge models and alignment-based approaches, Merck Molecular Force Field (MMFF94) charges using structure-based alignment yielded highly predictive CoMFA (q2 = 0.583, Predr2 = 0.751) and CoMSIA (q2 = 0.690, Predr2 = 0.767) models. The models exhibited that electrostatic, steric, HBA, HBD, and hydrophobic fields play a key role in structure activity relationship of these compounds. Using the contour maps information of the best predictive model, new compounds were designed and docked at the TTK active site to predict their plausible binding modes. The structural stability of the TTK complexes with new compounds was confirmed using MD simulations. The simulation studies revealed that all compounds formed stable complexes. Similarly, MM/PBSA method based free energy calculations showed that these compounds bind with reasonably good affinity to the TTK protein. Overall molecular modelling results suggest that newly designed compounds can act as lead compounds for the optimization of TTK inhibitors.
  12. Determination of CYP3A4 Inducing Properties of Compounds Using a Laboratory-Developed Cell-Based Assay
    Seah TC, Tay YL, Tan HK, Muhammad TS, Wahab HA, Tan ML
    Int J Toxicol, 2015 08 12;34(5):454-68.
    PMID: 26268769 DOI: 10.1177/1091581815599335
    A cell-based assay to measure cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) induction was developed to screen for potential CYP3A4 inducers. This 96-well format assay utilizes HepG2 cells transfected with a gene construct of CYP3A4 proximal promoter linked to green fluorescence protein (GFP) gene, and the expression of the GFP is then measured quantitatively. Bergamottin at 5 to 25 µmol/L produced low induction relative to the positive control. Both curcumin and lycopene were not found to affect the expression of GFP, suggesting no induction properties toward CYP3A4. Interestingly, resveratrol produced significant induction from 25 µmol/L onward, which was similar to omeprazole and may warrant further studies. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that this cell-based assay can be used as a tool to evaluate the potential CYP3A4 induction properties of compounds. However, molecular docking data have not provided satisfactory pointers to differentiate between CYP3A4 inducers from noninducers or from inhibitors, more comprehensive molecular screening may be indicated.
  13. Fulltext Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. Prevents Hypertension and Protects the Heart in Chronic Nitric Oxide Deficiency Rat Model
    Bunaim MK, Kamisah Y, Mohd Mustazil MN, Fadhlullah Zuhair JS, Juliana AH, Muhammad N
    Front Pharmacol, 2021;12:742562.
    PMID: 34925007 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.742562
    Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the number one cause of global mortality. The potential use of natural products to alleviate high blood pressure has been demonstrated to exert a cardioprotective effect. Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. belongs to the plant family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). It contains a high amount of triterpenoid and flavonoid that have antioxidant properties and are involved in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system which is an important hormonal system for blood pressure regulation. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of C. asiatica ethanolic extract on blood pressure and heart in a hypertensive rat model, which was induced using oral N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME). Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups and were given different treatments for 8 weeks. Group 1 only received deionized water. Groups 2, 4, and 5 were given l-NAME (40 mg/kg, orally). Groups 4 and 5 concurrently received C. asiatica extract (500 mg/kg, orally) and captopril (5 mg/kg, orally), respectively. Group 3 only received C. asiatica extract (500 mg/kg body weight, orally). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured at weeks 0, 4, and 8, while serum nitric oxide (NO) was measured at weeks 0 and 8. At necropsy, cardiac and aortic malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, cardiac angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, and serum level of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured. Results: After 8 weeks, the administrations of C. asiatica extract and captopril showed significant (p < 0.05) effects on preventing the elevation of SBP, reducing the serum nitric oxide level, as well as increasing the cardiac and aortic MDA content, cardiac ACE activity, and serum brain natriuretic peptide level. Conclusion: C. asiatica extract can prevent the development of hypertension and cardiac damage induced by l-NAME, and these effects were comparable to captopril.
  14. COVID-19 in systemic lupus erythematosus: A pooled analysis and systematic review of case reports and series
    Sakthiswary R, Chuah HY, Chiang KS, Liew YS, Muhammad Aizat NA
    Lupus, 2021 Oct;30(12):1946-1954.
    PMID: 34565208 DOI: 10.1177/09612033211045057
    OBJECTIVE: In the recent months, there have been several case reports and case series on COVID-19 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). We conducted a pooled analysis and systematic review to summarise the findings of these articles. Besides, we aimed to determine the predictors of severe COVID-19 infection in SLE by comparing the mild to moderate cases with the severe to critical ones.

    METHOD: All case reports and case series pertaining to COVID-19 in SLE were retrieved from Pubmed, Wiley Online Library, Springer Link, Science Direct and Web of Science databases using 'lupus', 'systemic lupus erythematosus', 'coronavirus', 'SARS-CoV-2', 'SLE' and "Covid-19" as keywords. The following data were extracted from the selected articles: country, age of the patient and the characteristics of SLE such as disease duration, organ or system involved, baseline medications and the severity of the COVID-19 infection. Data extracted from the articles were utilised to perform the pooled analysis.

    RESULTS: A total of 24 articles with 48 patients met the eligibility criteria. The median age at diagnosis of COVID-19 infection was 41 years (IQR: 11-66 years). The median SLE disease duration prior to the diagnosis of COVID-19 was 9 years (IQR: 0-30 years). A total of 22 (45.83%) patients had severe to critical COVID-19. This pooled data did not demonstrate any difference in the baseline medications between the 2 groups. Patients with lupus nephritis were significantly more prone to develop severe to critical disease (p = 0 .036) with an odds ratio of 5.40 (95% confidence interval of 1.120-26.045).

    CONCLUSION: We found that lupus nephritis was the only predictor of severe to critical COVID-19 in SLE.

  15. Fulltext Effects of Petroleum-Based Oils as Dispersing Aids on Physicochemical Characteristics of Magnetorheological Elastomers
    Muhammad Zaki N, Yunus NA, Yusoff MS, Mazlan SA, Abdul Aziz SA, Izni NA, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2021 Nov 19;14(22).
    PMID: 34832425 DOI: 10.3390/ma14227026
    This paper investigated the effects of petroleum-based oils (PBOs) as a dispersing aid on the physicochemical characteristics of natural rubber (NR)-based magnetorheological elastomers (MREs). The addition of PBOs was expected to overcome the low performance of magnetorheological (MR) elastomers due to their inhomogeneous dispersion and the mobility of magnetic particles within the elastomer matrix. The NR-based MREs were firstly fabricated by mixing the NR compounds homogeneously with different ratios of naphthenic oil (NO), light mineral oil (LMO), and paraffin oil (PO) to aromatic oil (AO), with weight percentage ratios of 100:0, 70:30, 50:50, and 30:70, respectively. From the obtained results, the ratios of NO mixed with low amounts of AO improved the material physicochemical characteristics, such as thermal properties. Meanwhile, LMO mixed the AO led to the best results for curing characteristics, microstructure observation, and magnetic properties of the MREs. We found that the LMO mixed with a high content of AO could provide good compatibility between the rubber molecular and magnetic particles due to similar chemical structures, which apparently enhance the physicochemical characteristics of MREs. In conclusion, the 30:70 ratio of LMO:AO is considered the preferable dispersing aid for MREs due to structural compounds present in the oil that enhance the physicochemical characteristics of the NR-based MREs.
  16. Residual efficacy of deltamethrin applied to foliage against Malaysian Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse)
    Mohd-Noor SN, Nur-Rasyidah I, Muhammad-Iqbal MN, Nguyen TBD, Lee HL, Nurulhusna AH
    Trop Biomed, 2021 Jun 01;38(2):165-170.
    PMID: 34172706 DOI: 10.47665/tb.38.2.053
    The spraying of insecticide on foliage to provide an insecticidal barrier may serve as part of the vector control measures to combat the increasing threat of Aedes-borne diseases. The effectiveness of insecticide barrier spraying was evaluated by assessing the residual efficacy of deltamethrin sprayed on foliage against Malaysian Ae. aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse). In this semi-field study, landscape plants grown within the vicinity of the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Malaysia, were treated with deltamethrin suspension concentrate (SC) with the dosage of 30 mg/m2 and 50 mg/m2 in three rounds of spraying. Deltamethrin residual activity on treated and untreated leaves was investigated using standard WHO cone bioassays. Wild Aedes populations at both deltamethrin-treated and untreated plant clusters were monitored by ovitrap surveillance. Ovitrap monitoring revealed that the mean number of Ae. albopictus larvae at deltamethrin-treated were significantly lower than the mean number of larvae of the same species at the untreated plant cluster. Cone bioassay results showed that the insecticide remained effective for up to 4 weeks (> 80% mortality), but the insecticide residual activity was affected by rainfall. These results suggest that insecticide barrier spraying is a promising tool and may be used along with other mosquito control tools such as indoor residual spray and space spraying to reduce the dengue burden.
  17. Fulltext Acaudina molpadioides mediates lipid uptake by suppressing PCSK9 transcription and increasing LDL receptor in human liver cells
    Jack A, Mohd MA, Kamaruddin NN, Mohd Din LH, Hajri NA, Tengku Muhammad TS
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2021 Dec;28(12):7105-7116.
    PMID: 34867013 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.08.003
    Acaudina molpadioides has been long used as traditional medicinal resources and reported to demonstrate various important bioactivities such as anticoagulation, antithrombosis, anti-hyperglycemia and anticancer. However, its lipid lowering activity is yet to be fully explored. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is an enzyme that enhances the lysosomal degradation of hepatic low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) resulting in excessive accumulation of the plasma levels of LDL-cholesterols (LDL-C) which subsequently accelerate atherosclerosis. In the present study, A. molpadioides fractions were subjected to promoter-reporter luciferase assay to determine its role as PCSK9 inhibitors. It was found both fractions (EFA and EFB) reduced the transcriptional activity of PCSK9 promoter. Among the seven 5'end deletion constructs of PCSK9 promoter, fragments D1 (-1,711/-94), D3 (-709/-94) and D4 (-440/-94), were suppressed in the presence of both fractions whereas D2 (-1,214/-94), and, D6 (-351/-94) as well as D7 (-335/-94) were inhibited only by EFA and EFB, respectively. Further transcription factor binding sites prediction using MatInspector software discovered various potential cis-regulatory elements namely, PPAR, KLFs, RBPJ-kappa and SREBP that may potentially be involved in ameliorating the transcriptional activity of PCSK9. Immunofluorescence staining was used to evaluate the effects of both fractions on LDL-C and LDLR. Results showed that levels of LDL-C uptake in EFA-treated cells were 69.1% followed by EFB at 32.6%, as compared to untreated control after 24 h treatment. The LDLR protein distribution was induced by 62.41% and 32.2%, which corresponded to an increase in LDL-C uptake in both EFA and EFB treatment, respectively. Hence, the inhibition of PCSK9 by bioactive compounds in EFA and EFB could be another promising therapeutic agent in reducing the cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis by targeting PCSK9.
  18. Molecularly imprinted polymers-based DNA biosensors
    Nawaz N, Abu Bakar NK, Muhammad Ekramul Mahmud HN, Jamaludin NS
    Anal Biochem, 2021 10 01;630:114328.
    PMID: 34363786 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2021.114328
    In multiple biological processes, molecular recognition performs an integral role in detecting bio analytes. Molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) are tailored sensing materials that can biomimic the biologic ligands and can detect specific target molecules selectively and sensitively. The formulation of molecularly imprinted polymers is followed by the formulation of a control termed as non-imprinted polymer (NIP), which, in the absence of a template, is commonly formulated to evaluate whether distinctive imprints have been produced for the template. Given the difficulties confronting bioanalytical researchers, it is inevitable that this strategy would come out as a central route of multidisciplinary studies to create extremely promising stable artificial receptors as a replacement or accelerate biological matrices. The ease of synthesis, low cost, capability to 'tailor' recognition element for analyte molecules, and stability under harsh environments make MIPs promising candidates as a recognition tool for biosensing. Compared to biological systems, molecular imprinting techniques have several advantages, including high recognition ability, long-term durability, low cost, and robustness, allowing molecularly imprinted polymers to be employed in drug delivery, biosensor technology, and nanotechnology. Molecular imprinted polymer-based sensors still have certain shortcomings in determining biomacromolecules (nucleic acid, protein, lipids, and carbohydrates), considering the vast volume of the latest literature on biomicromolecules. These potential materials are still required to address a few weaknesses until gaining their position in recognition of biomacromolecules. This review aims to highlight the current progress in molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs)-based sensors for the determination of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or nucleobases.
  19. In silico study of missense variants of FANCA, FANCC and FANCG genes reveals high risk deleterious alleles predisposing to Fanconi anemia pathogenesis
    Shahid M, Azfaralariff A, Zubair M, Abdulkareem Najm A, Khalili N, Law D, et al.
    Gene, 2022 Feb 20;812:146104.
    PMID: 34864095 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.146104
    Among the 22 Fanconi anemia (FA) reported genes, 90% of mutational spectra were found in three genes, namely FANCA (64%), FANCC (12%) and FANCG (8%). Therefore, this study aimed to identify the high-risk deleterious variants in three selected genes (FANCA, FANCC, and FANCG) through various computational approaches. The missense variant datasets retrieved from the UCSC genome browser were analyzed for their pathogenicity, stability, and phylogenetic conservancy. A total of 23 alterations, of which 16 in FANCA, 6 in FANCC and one variant in FANCG, were found to be highly deleterious. The native and mutant structures were generated, which demonstrated a profound impact on the respective proteins. Besides, their pathway analysis predicted many other pathways in addition to the Fanconi anemia pathway, homologous recombination, and mismatch repair pathways. Hence, this is the first comprehensive study that can be useful for understanding the genetic signatures in the development of FA.
  20. The ethics of a work strike
    Goh ZNL, Wong AC, Thum SCC, Muhammad Ridzuan Tan NA, Cheng TTJ, Ganasan V
    Med J Malaysia, 2022 Jan;77(1):90-91.
    PMID: 35087001
    No abstract provided.
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