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Fulltext Cervical Cancer Classification From Pap Smear Images Using Deep Convolutional Neural Network Models

Tan SL, Selvachandran G, Ding W, Paramesran R, Kotecha K

Interdiscip Sci, 2024 Mar;16(1):16-38.
PMID: 37962777 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-023-00589-5

As one of the most common female cancers, cervical cancer often develops years after a prolonged and reversible pre-cancerous stage. Traditional classification algorithms used for detection of cervical cancer often require cell segmentation and feature extraction techniques, while convolutional neural network (CNN) models demand a large dataset to mitigate over-fitting and poor generalization problems. To this end, this study aims to develop deep learning models for automated cervical cancer detection that do not rely on segmentation methods or custom features. Due to limited data availability, transfer learning was employed with pre-trained CNN models to directly operate on Pap smear images for a seven-class classification task. Thorough evaluation and comparison of 13 pre-trained deep CNN models were performed using the publicly available Herlev dataset and the Keras package in Google Collaboratory. In terms of accuracy and performance, DenseNet-201 is the best-performing model. The pre-trained CNN models studied in this paper produced good experimental results and required little computing time.
The 4-item family resilience scale: psychometric evaluation and measurement invariance of the malay version in adolescents and young adults

Hamzah H, Tan CS, Ramlee F, Zulkifli SS

BMC Psychol, 2023 Nov 13;11(1):392.
PMID: 37957763 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01435-5

BACKGROUND: The original Family Resilience Scale (FRS) is a reliable tool to assess family resilience. However, the FRS is based on the United States and parental context. Thus, the usefulness of the FRS for the adolescent and young adult population in Asian countries, particularly Malaysia remains unknown. This study translated the FRS into the Malay language and validated it on Malaysian adolescents and young adults to identify its potential as a self-report tool to assess the resilience level of their family.
METHODS: A total of 351 participants (Mage = 19.75, SDage = 3.29) were recruited in the study using purposive sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the factorial structure of the Family Resilience Scale-Malay (FRS-Malay) and measurement invariance between adolescents and young adults. Then, the scale's reliability was investigated using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega coefficients, and composite reliability index. Finally, we examined the discriminant validity of the FRS-Malay by correlating its score with individual resilience score and examined the incremental validity of the scale using hierarchical multiple regression analysis to test if family resilience can explain individual well-being levels beyond and above individual resilience.
RESULTS: The findings of the confirmatory factor analysis suggest that a single-factor model is supported for both age groups. Furthermore, the scale exhibited scalar invariance between adolescents and young adults. The scale also exhibited good reliability, as the value of Cronbach's alpha, McDonald omega coefficients, and composite reliability index were above 0.80. Additionally, the Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the FRS-Malay and individual resilience scores, which supports the discriminant validity of the scale. Similarly, the incremental validity of the scale is also supported. Specifically, family resilience had a positive correlation with well-being, even after controlling for individual resilience in the regression analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: The FRS-Malay has demonstrated good reliability and validity. The scale measures the same construct of family resilience across adolescents and young adults, making it suitable for comparisons. Therefore, this unidimensional tool is appropriate for self-reporting their perceived level of family resilience. It is also useful for studying the development and fluctuation of family resilience in the Malaysian context.
SURVIVAL AND COMPLICATION RATES OF RESIN COMPOSITE LAMINATE VENEERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Lim TW, Tan SK, Li KY, Burrow MF

J Evid Based Dent Pract, 2023 Dec;23(4):101911.
PMID: 38035903 DOI: 10.1016/j.jebdp.2023.101911

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the survival and complication rates of resin composite laminate veneers.
METHODS: Randomized controlled trials and cohort studies with a minimum 2-year follow-up assessing survival and complication rates of resin composite laminate veneers on permanent dentition from 1998 to May 2022. Literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials electronic databases. References cited in the related reviews and included full-text articles were also hand-searched to further identify potentially relevant studies.
RESULTS: A total of 827 articles were identified. Twenty-two studies were considered for full-text review after the title and abstract screening stage. After exclusion, 7 studies (3 randomized controlled trials and 4 cohort studies) were included in the systematic review. Three published scales were adopted for the quality and risk of bias assessment. At the survival rate threshold, the overall heterogeneity (I2) for randomized controlled trials was 50.5% (P = .108). The overall pooled survival rate of the randomized controlled trials was 88% (95% CI: 81%-94%), with the mean follow-up time ranging from 24 to 97 months. Surface roughness, color mismatch, and marginal discoloration were the most reported complications.
CONCLUSION: Resin composite laminate veneers demonstrated moderately high survival rates for the entire sample and the direct laminate veneer group demonstrated higher survival rates than the indirect approach. Most of the complications were regarded as clinically acceptable with or without reintervention.
Clinical practice of vitamin D screening and supplementation in pregnancy in Asia-pacific countries: A cross-sectional study

Lee RWK, Chng ALB, Tan KH, IPRAMHO International Study Group

Heliyon, 2023 Nov;9(11):e21186.
PMID: 38034721 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21186

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is common in pregnant women. There is scarce information in the Asia-Pacific region on the understanding of vitamin D screening and supplementation in pregnancy among health care professionals.
METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study among health care professionals who are part of the Integrated Platform for Research in Advancing Metabolic Health outcomes of Women and Children (IPRMAHO) international study group on their understanding and perception of Vitamin D screening and supplementation in pregnancy. The cross-sectional survey comprised 4 main sections: demographics, existing policies, nutrient supplementation in pregnancy and various practices on screening, treatment and perceptions, with a total of 22 questions. A total of 15 responses were obtained from attendees from distinct health facilities across eleven participating Asia-Pacific countries.
RESULTS: Majority of the surveyed hospitals (11/15, 78.6 %) did not have a national policy or regional guideline regarding Vitamin D screening and supplementation in pregnancy. More than half of respondents were (9/14, 64.3 %) were unsure of the percentage of women seen with Vitamin D deficiencies each year and were unsure of Vitamin D dosage prescribed to pregnant women with (8/15, 53.3 %) or without (6/14, 42.9 %) Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D was rarely prescribed in pregnancy when compared to other nutrient supplements such as folic acid and iron. Majority of respondents (9/11, 72.7 %) indicated that their hospital did not screen for Vitamin D deficiencies in pregnancy, even amongst high risk pregnant women. Nevertheless, majority of respondents indicated a need (12/15, 80.0 %) for a guideline or consensus regarding Vitamin D screening and supplementation in pregnancy.
CONCLUSION: While majority of the surveyed hospitals did not have a national policy or regional guideline regarding Vitamin D screening and supplementation in pregnancy, majority of respondents indicated a need for the policy or guideline. There were varying clinical knowledge gaps and different perceptions on Vitamin D screening and supplementation in pregnancy among healthcare professionals.
Hybrid transfer learning strategy for cross-subject EEG emotion recognition

Lu W, Liu H, Ma H, Tan TP, Xia L

Front Hum Neurosci, 2023;17:1280241.
PMID: 38034069 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1280241

Emotion recognition constitutes a pivotal research topic within affective computing, owing to its potential applications across various domains. Currently, emotion recognition methods based on deep learning frameworks utilizing electroencephalogram (EEG) signals have demonstrated effective application and achieved impressive performance. However, in EEG-based emotion recognition, there exists a significant performance drop in cross-subject EEG Emotion recognition due to inter-individual differences among subjects. In order to address this challenge, a hybrid transfer learning strategy is proposed, and the Domain Adaptation with a Few-shot Fine-tuning Network (DFF-Net) is designed for cross-subject EEG emotion recognition. The first step involves the design of a domain adaptive learning module specialized for EEG emotion recognition, known as the Emo-DA module. Following this, the Emo-DA module is utilized to pre-train a model on both the source and target domains. Subsequently, fine-tuning is performed on the target domain specifically for the purpose of cross-subject EEG emotion recognition testing. This comprehensive approach effectively harnesses the attributes of domain adaptation and fine-tuning, resulting in a noteworthy improvement in the accuracy of the model for the challenging task of cross-subject EEG emotion recognition. The proposed DFF-Net surpasses the state-of-the-art methods in the cross-subject EEG emotion recognition task, achieving an average recognition accuracy of 93.37% on the SEED dataset and 82.32% on the SEED-IV dataset.
Refugee school consultation effects on teacher self-efficacy, self-care, and peer consultation skills

O'Neal CR, Khong K, Khong J, Tan SC

Sch Psychol, 2024 Mar;39(2):132-143.
PMID: 38032597 DOI: 10.1037/spq0000592

Guided by a participatory culture-specific consultation model, this study contributes to an understanding of the effectiveness of school consultation with teachers of refugee students. The goal of the present study was to determine the impact of an individual consultation intervention with refugee teachers on their self-efficacy and self-care, in addition to their peer consultation skills. The participants were 109 teachers at refugee schools in Malaysia, most of whom were refugees (91% refugees; 73% female). Of the 109 participants, 84 teachers were coconsultants with psychology graduate students; all 109 were individual consultees. The study used a two-timepoint design with the outcomes of self-reported teacher self-care; teacher self-efficacy in the management of refugee student emotion regulation and emotional engagement; and consultation skills. Additionally, consultee-reported goal attainment, consultation effectiveness, and satisfaction were collected. The findings suggested significant latent growth from baseline to post-intervention in refugee teacher self-care and self-efficacy in the management of student emotion regulation and emotional engagement in addition to the growth of their consultation skills. The effect sizes were large for latent growth of teacher self-efficacy in promoting student emotion regulation, behavior, and emotional engagement (d = 1.19, 1.01, 1.02); the effect size for self-care was medium (d = .62). Growth was not dependent on dosage, age, gender, or consultee education, with the exception of teacher self-efficacy in management of emotional engagement which was dependent on dosage. After the intervention, the consultees reported that they completed their consultation goals at a higher level than expected, were satisfied with the consultation, and found the consultants to be helpful. The discussion situates the findings in relevant theory, research, and the culture-specific context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
The digestion fates of lipids with different unsaturated levels in people with different age groups

Wang Y, Shi J, Xu YJ, Tan CP, Liu Y

Food Chem, 2024 Apr 16;438:137400.
PMID: 38039864 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137400

The digestion behavior of lipids plays a crucial role in their nutritional bioaccessibility, which subsequently impacts human health. This study aims to investigate potential variations in lipid digestion profiles among individuals of different ages, considering the distinct physiological functions of the gastrointestinal tract in infants, aging populations, and healthy young adults. The digestion fates of high oleic peanut oil (HOPO), sunflower oil (SO), and linseed oil (LINO) were investigated using in vitro digestion models representing infants, adults, and elders. Comparatively, lipid digestion proved to be more comprehensive in adults, leading to free fatty acid (FFA) levels of 64.53%, 62.32%, and 57.90% for HOPO, SO, and LINO, respectively. Besides, infants demonstrated propensity to selectively release FFAs with shorter chain lengths and higher saturation levels during the digestion. In addition, in the gastric phase, particle sizes among the elderly were consistently larger than those observed in infants and adults, despite adults generating approximately 15% FFAs within the stomach. In summary, this study enhances our fundamental comprehension of how lipids with varying degrees of unsaturation undergo digestion in diverse age groups.
Fulltext Effects of food processing on the lipid nutritional quality of commercially important fish and shellfish

Tan K, Lim L, Peng Y, Cheong KL

Food Chem X, 2023 Dec 30;20:101034.
PMID: 38144794 DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2023.101034

Fish and shellfish are important sources of high quality lipids, especially omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. In most countries, seafood is eaten cooked to eliminate any potential parasites and pathogens. In addition, cold storage plays an important role in extending the shelf life of seafood. However, both cooking and storage processes can cause alterations in the lipid content and fatty acid profile of fish and shellfish. Although the lipid nutritional quality of fish and shellfish have recently been reviewed, these reviews mainly focus on raw seafood, and information on the impact of food processing on the lipid nutritional quality of fish and shellfish still lacks coherence. Therefore, this study was carried out to provides a critical reviews on the effects of food processing, especially cooking and cold storge, on the lipid nutritional quality of fish and shellfish. Overall, from the perspective of lipid nutritional quality, baking and steaming are the most recommended cooking methods for fish and shellfish, respectively, while it is strongly not recommended to fry seafood with margarine. For cold storage, 3 days and 2 weeks are the most recommended storage periods for refrigeration and frozen storage, respectively. This article can provides consumers with useful information to choose food preparation and storage methods based on their personal interest in specific lipid nutritional quality indicators.
Fulltext Cryptobrachytone C from Cryptocarya pulchrinervia (Kosterm) Leaves on Proliferation, Apoptosis, Migration and Clonogenicity of MCF-7 and T47D Cell Lines

Ratnasari J, Tan MI, Esyanti RR, Juliawaty LD

Trop Life Sci Res, 2023 Jun;34(2):223-241.
PMID: 38144382 DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2023.34.2.11

Cryptocarya pulchrinervia is an Indonesian indigenous plant that grows in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua. One of the new compounds extracted from this plant was cryptobrachytone C, which was known to be cytotoxic against cancer cells of Murine leukemia P388 with IC50 10.52 μM. In this study, the cytotoxicity and anticancer properties of cryptobrachytone C on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and clone formation of MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cell lines were examined, which had not previously been done before. The cytotoxicity of the compound was measured using an MTT (3- (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2- yl) -2,5-di-phenyl-tetrazolium bromide) assay. The cell proliferation was measured using a BrdU assay, and the cell apoptosis was measured using annexin-V FITC, while the cell migration was measured using a transwell filter. The cytotoxic test result demonstrated that cryptobrachytone C was cytotoxic against MCF-7 cells with IC50 12.94 ± 0.32 μM but not against T47D cells with IC50 65.33 ± 2.33 μM nor against normal MRC-5 cells with IC50 122.57 ± 19.84 μM. The cell proliferation assay showed that cryptobrachytone C at IC50 concentration had antiproliferative properties against MCF-7 cancer cell lines (p < 0.05) but did not significantly reduce T47D cell proliferation (p < 0.07). Although the results of the cell apoptosis test showed that cryptobrachytone C could induce the apoptosis of the MCF-7 and T47D cells, it was insignificant (p > 0.05). The cell migration test showed that cryptobrachytone at IC50 concentrations could inhibit the migration of the MCF-7 and T47D cells. The clonogenic test showed that cryptobrachytone C at IC50 concentration can induce the inhibition of the formation of MCF-7 and T47D cell colonies. The cryptobrachytone C anti-cancer character was more signi icant on the MCF-7 cell line compared to the T47D. This study showed that cryptobrachytone C was cytotoxic and had potential as an anti-cancer compound against MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cell lines.
Association of dengue serotypes and its complications: a retrospective cohort study

Lau Q, Lee ZM, Shunmugarajoo A, Tan CY, Azmel A, Yap SY

Med J Malaysia, 2023 May;78(3):372-378.
PMID: 37271848

INTRODUCTION: Dengue fever is an arthropod-borne disease and has a wide clinical spectrum. It is hypothesised that dengue serotypes could be a possible factor for such phenomena and therefore be a possible predictor for the development of severe dengue.
METHOD: A retrospective cohort study was done to explore the association between dengue serotypes and the various complications. All patients who underwent dengue serotyping from 1st January to 31st December 2018 in Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital were selected. Serotypes were randomly done for admitted dengue patients. Notes were then retrieved for data collection. Secondary outcomes like length of stay and highest lactate level were also studied. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.
RESULT: A total of 193 patient records were included in the analysis. Chi-square test for independence indicated that the proportion of dengue complications between male and female were significantly different (χ2(1) = 11.37, p = 0.001). Dengue serotype was not associated with the development of dengue complications, total number of dengue complications, length of admission, lactate level and survival among the serotypes. Results of the binary logistic regression showed that men have thrice the odds (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.6 6.7) for developing dengue complications. One patient was found to be co-infected with serotype 2 and 3.
CONCLUSION: Our study did not reveal any association between the different dengue virus serotypes and its complications. Therefore, all dengue infection should be approached with equal meticulousness. There are possibilities that apart from serotype, dengue genotype and lineage would determine clinical outcome. However, more studies are required to study such associations.
Monitoring Changes in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells upon Viral Infection Using Impedance-Based Real-Time Cell Analysis

Wong JE, Zainal N, AbuBakar S, Tan KK

J Vis Exp, 2023 May 05.
PMID: 37212555 DOI: 10.3791/64887

Endothelial cells line the inner surface of all blood and lymphatic vessels, creating a semi-permeable barrier regulating fluid and solute exchange between blood or lymph and their surrounding tissues. The ability of a virus to cross the endothelial barrier is an important mechanism that facilitates virus dissemination in the human body. Many viruses are reported to alter endothelial permeability and/or cause endothelial cell barrier disruption during infection, which is able to cause vascular leakage. The current study describes a real-time cell analysis (RTCA) protocol, using a commercial real-time cell analyzer to monitor endothelial integrity and permeability changes during Zika virus (ZIKV) infection of the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The impedance signals recorded before and after ZIKV infection were translated to cell index (CI) values and analyzed. The RTCA protocol allows the detection of transient effects in the form of cell morphological changes during a viral infection. This assay could also be useful for studying changes in the vascular integrity of HUVECs in other experimental setups.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emerging ER stress-related therapeutic targets

Yeap JW, Ali IAH, Ibrahim B, Tan ML

Pulm Pharmacol Ther, 2023 Aug;81:102218.
PMID: 37201652 DOI: 10.1016/j.pupt.2023.102218

COPD pathogenesis is frequently associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) progression. Targeting the major unfolded protein response (UPR) branches in the ER stress pathway may provide pharmacotherapeutic selection strategies for treating COPD and enable relief from its symptoms. In this study, we aimed to systematically review the potential role of the ER stress inhibitors of major UPR branches (IRE1, PERK, and ATF6) in COPD-related studies and determine the current stage of knowledge in this field. The systematic review was carried out adhering to the PRISMA checklist based on published studies obtained from specific keyword searches of three databases, namely PubMed, ScienceDirect and Springer Database. The search was limited to the year 2000-2022 which includes all in vitro studies, in vivo studies and clinical trials related to the application of ER stress inhibitors toward COPD-induced models and disease. The risk of bias was evaluated using the QUIN, SYRCLE, revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2.0) and NIH tool respectively. A total of 7828 articles were screened from three databases and a final total of 37 studies were included in the review. The ER stress and UPR pathways are potentially useful to prevent COPD progression and attenuate the exacerbation of COPD and related symptoms. Interestingly, the off-target effects from inhibition of the UPR pathway may be desirable or undesirable depending on context and therapeutic applications. Targeting the UPR pathway could have complex consequences as the production of ER molecules involved in folding may be impaired which could continuously provoke misfolding of proteins. Although several emerging compounds were noted to be potentially useful for targeted therapy against COPD, clinical studies have yet to be thoroughly explored.
The effect of flavonols in Anacardium occidentale L. leaf extracts on skin pathogenic microorganisms

Hashim NS, Tan ML, Ooi KL, Sulaiman SF

Nat Prod Res, 2023 Jun;37(12):2009-2012.
PMID: 35997235 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2112038

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) leaf is traditionally used to treat skin infections. Although many flavonols have been identified from its leaf extract, their inhibitory effects on skin pathogens are not yet determined. The aims of this study were to determine the antimicrobial (against skin pathogenic microbes) and antioxidant activities of four flavonol glycosides from the crude extract and three flavonol aglycones from the hydrolyzed extract. The hydrolyzed extract was found to show higher activities than the crude extract. Myricetin showed the highest activity against all the tested bacteria and yeast with the lowest Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) of 7.81 μg/mL on Corynebacterium minutissimum ATCC23348. Myricetin also exhibited good primary antioxidant activities with the effective concentration with 50% of activity (EC50) values ranged between 2.23 μg/mL and 6.40 μg/mL. The highest secondary antioxidant activity was indicated by myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside. Thus, myricetin can be considered as a bioactive compound of the hydrolyzed extract.
Thermoplastic starch (TPS) bioplastic, the green solution for single-use petroleum plastic food packaging - A review

Rahardiyan D, Moko EM, Tan JS, Lee CK

Enzyme Microb Technol, 2023 Aug;168:110260.
PMID: 37224591 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2023.110260

Plastic throughout the years is now one of the biggest world commodities and also the largest pollution to have an environmental impact, accumulating in landfills and also leaching into water systems and oceans. Especially with the shift to single-use disposable plastic, evermore positions plastics as the number one novel entity that pollutes the earth. This shift is also consistent in the food packaging industry. Managing plastic waste is still an issue at large, while the process of pyrolysis incineration still requires an obscene amount of energy that also does not resolve the problems with its environmental impact, the cost of mechanical-chemical degradation even outweighs the cost of producing the materials, and biodegradation process is a very slow and long process. Converting to bioplastics is one of the potential solutions to the global plastic issue. This review covers the potentials, limitations, challenges, progress and advancements of bioplastics, especially thermoplastic starch (starch-based bioplastic) in their efforts to replace petroleum plastics in food packaging and smart food packaging, especially for single-use (disposable) food packaging.
p-Coumaric acid attenuates the effects of Aβ42 in vitro and in a Drosophila Alzheimer's disease model

Tan FHP, Najimudin N, Watanabe N, Shamsuddin S, Azzam G

Behav Brain Res, 2023 Aug 24;452:114568.
PMID: 37414223 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114568

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative condition in civilizations worldwide. The distinctive occurrence of amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation into insoluble fibrils is part of the disease pathophysiology with Aβ42 being the most toxic and aggressive Aβ species. The polyphenol, p-Coumaric acid (pCA), has been known to boost a number of therapeutic benefits. Here, pCA's potential to counteract the negative effects of Aβ42 was investigated. First, pCA was confirmed to reduce Aβ42 fibrillation using an in vitro activity assay. The compound was next examined on Aβ42-exposed PC12 neuronal cells and was found to significantly decrease Aβ42-induced cell mortality. pCA was then examined using an AD Drosophila melanogaster model. Feeding of pCA partially reversed the rough eye phenotype, significantly lengthened AD Drosophila's lifespan, and significantly enhanced the majority of the AD Drosophila's mobility in a sex-dependent manner. The findings of this study suggest that pCA may have therapeutic benefits for AD.
Draft genome sequence of Hahella sp. CR1 and its ability in producing cellulases for saccharifying agricultural biomass

Tan MCY, Zakaria MR, Liew KJ, Chong CS

Arch Microbiol, 2023 Jul 07;205(8):278.
PMID: 37420023 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03617-6

Hahella is a genus that has not been well-studied, with only two identified species. The potential of this genus to produce cellulases is yet to be fully explored. The present study isolated Hahella sp. CR1 from mangrove soil in Tanjung Piai National Park, Malaysia, and performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) using NovaSeq 6000. The final assembled genome consists of 62 contigs, 7,106,771 bp, a GC ratio of 53.5%, and encoded for 6,397 genes. The CR1 strain exhibited the highest similarity with Hahella sp. HN01 compared to other available genomes, where the ANI, dDDH, AAI, and POCP were 97.04%, 75.2%, 97.95%, and 91.0%, respectively. In addition, the CAZymes analysis identified 88 GTs, 54 GHs, 11 CEs, 7 AAs, 2 PLs, and 48 CBMs in the genome of strain CR1. Among these proteins, 11 are related to cellulose degradation. The cellulases produced from strain CR1 were characterized and demonstrated optimal activity at 60 ℃, pH 7.0, and 15% (w/v) sodium chloride. The enzyme was activated by K+, Fe2+, Mg2+, Co2+, and Tween 40. Furthermore, cellulases from strain CR1 improved the saccharification efficiency of a commercial cellulase blend on the tested agricultural wastes, including empty fruit bunch, coconut husk, and sugarcane bagasse. This study provides new insights into the cellulases produced by strain CR1 and their potential to be used in lignocellulosic biomass pre-treatment.
Fulltext Addressing Emotional Dysregulation and Potential Pharmacogenetic Implication of 5-HTTLPR Genotype in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Tan HX, Md Kamal A, Thurairajasingam S, Phipps ME

Complex Psychiatry, 2023;9(1-4):70-88.
PMID: 37404870 DOI: 10.1159/000529732

BACKGROUND: This review unpacks the emotional presentation of externalizing behaviors in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by diving into the psychophysiology, neurophysiology, and neurogenetics in relation to executive function. The correlations among these three variables are identified, showing that standard assessments for ADHD leave out the emotional dysregulation element. This may lead to suboptimal management outcomes during the developmental progression into adolescence and adulthood.
SUMMARY: The emotional impulsivity manifestation in adolescence and adulthood related to the under-managed emotional dysregulation in childhood is found to be associated with subtle confounding impact of 5-HTTLPR (serotonin-transporter-linked promoter region) genotype. The genotype of interest affects the neurochemistry, neurophysiology, and psychophysiology of the cognition for executive function. The established practice of using methylphenidate in treating ADHD surprisingly has a neurogenetic effect in targeting the genotype of interest. Methylphenidate provides neuroprotective effects throughout the neurodevelopment timeline from childhood to adulthood.
KEY MESSAGES: The emotional dysregulation element in ADHD which is often overlooked should be addressed to improve the prognostic outcomes in adolescence and adulthood.
Fulltext A one-pot, multicomponent reaction for the synthesis of novel 2-alkyl substituted 4-aminoimidazo[1,2-a][1,3,5]triazines

Lim FPL, Tan LY, Tiekink ERT, Dolzhenko AV

RSC Adv, 2018 Jun 08;8(38):21495-21504.
PMID: 35539915 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra03703e

A highly selective, one-pot, three-component synthesis of novel 2-alkyl-substituted 4-aminoimidazo[1,2-a][1,3,5]triazines has been developed. The scope of the method was explored in two dimensions, varying the structures of trialkyl orthoesters and 2-aminoimidazoles in their reactions with cyanamide. Conveniently performed under microwave irradiation, this method was also proved to be efficient under conventional heating. A library of 24 novel compounds was prepared in high purity using this multicomponent approach. Molecular and crystal structures of representative molecules were studied using X-ray crystallography.
Lipidomics insight on differences in lipid profiles and phytosterol compositions of coconut oils extracted by classical and green solvents

Cui J, Yang Z, Xu Y, Tan CP, Zhang W

Food Res Int, 2023 Dec;174(Pt 2):113653.
PMID: 37981374 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113653

Searching for green and ecofriendly solvents to replace classical solvents for industrial scale extraction of coconut oil is of great interest. To explore these possibilities, this study performed comprehensive comparative analyses of lipid profiles and phytosterol compositions in coconut oils obtained by extraction with n-hexane, absolute ethyl alcohol, deep eutectic solvent/n-hexane, dimethyl carbonate (DME) and cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME) using a foodomics approach. Results indicated that CPME (64.23 g/100 g dry matter) and DME (65.64 g/100 g dry matter) showed comparable capacity for total lipid extraction of total lipids to classical solvents (63.5-65.66 g/100 g dry matter). Considering the phytosterol yield, CPME (644.26 mg/kg) exhibited higher selectivity than other solvents (535.64-622.13 mg/kg). No significant difference was observed in the fatty acid composition of coconut oil by the different solvents assayed. Additionally, total 468 lipid molecules were identified in the samples. For glycerolipid and sphingolipid, the five solvents showed comparable extraction capabilities. However, CPME exhibited higher extraction efficiency of polar lipids (glycerophospholipid and saccharolipid) than other solvents. Overall, these results may be a useful guide for the application of green solvents in industrial production of coconut oil.
Development and validation of a medication non-adherence scale for Malaysian hypertensive patients: a mixed-methods study

Yew SQ, Tan KA, Nazan AINM, Manaf RA

Environ Health Prev Med, 2023;28:75.
PMID: 38057094 DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.23-00223

BACKGROUND: Non-adherence to anti-hypertensive medications can lead to hypertension-related complications. One of the most effective preventive measures to mitigate these complications is to understand the underlying determinants of medication non-adherence using various scales. Unfortunately, existing scales for measuring non-adherence to anti-hypertensive medications have certain limitations, such as insufficient consideration of validity, dimensionality, and cultural adaptation. In response, the current study aimed to develop and validate a measure of non-adherence to anti-hypertensive medications-known as the Malaysian Anti-hypertensive Agent Non-Adherence Scale (MAANS)-for use in local hypertensive patients.
METHODS: A two-phase mixed-methods approach was used. Phase 1 involved qualitative interviews with hypertensive patients from two health clinics in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The themes extracted from these interviews were used to generate items for the MAANS. In Phase 2, data from 213 participants were analysed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to establish the scale's factor structure, thereby created the modified version of the MAANS. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was then conducted on a separate dataset of 205 participants to confirm the factor structure, resulted in the final version of the MAANS. The reliability of the final MAANS version was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The MAANS scores were used to predict subscales of the Malay version of the WHO Quality-of-Life (QOL) BREF, demonstrating the scale's predictive validity.
RESULTS: Ten qualitative interviews yielded 73 items. The EFA produced a modified MAANS with 21 items grouped into five factors. However, the CFA retained three factors in the final scale: Perceived Non-Susceptibility, Poor Doctor-Patient Relationship, and Unhealthy Lifestyle. The final 14-item, 3-factor MAANS demonstrated moderate reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.64) and exhibited partial predictive validity, with the Poor Doctor-Patient Relationship and Unhealthy Lifestyle subscales significantly predicting Social QOL and Environmental QOL.
CONCLUSION: The MAANS is a reliable, valid, and multidimensional scale specifically developed to evaluate non-adherence to anti-hypertensive medications in local clinical settings with the potential to further the advancement of research and practice in sociomedical and preventive medicine.

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