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Fulltext An Investigation into the Antiobesity Effects of Morinda citrifolia L. Leaf Extract in High Fat Diet Induced Obese Rats Using a (1)H NMR Metabolomics Approach

Gooda Sahib Jambocus N, Saari N, Ismail A, Khatib A, Mahomoodally MF, Abdul Hamid A

J Diabetes Res, 2016;2016:2391592.
PMID: 26798649 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2391592

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, with high fat diet (HFD) as one of the main contributing factors. Obesity increases the predisposition to other diseases such as diabetes through various metabolic pathways. Limited availability of antiobesity drugs and the popularity of complementary medicine have encouraged research in finding phytochemical strategies to this multifaceted disease. HFD induced obese Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with an extract of Morinda citrifolia L. leaves (MLE 60). After 9 weeks of treatment, positive effects were observed on adiposity, fecal fat content, plasma lipids, and insulin and leptin levels. The inducement of obesity and treatment with MLE 60 on metabolic alterations were then further elucidated using a (1)H NMR based metabolomics approach. Discriminating metabolites involved were products of various metabolic pathways, including glucose metabolism and TCA cycle (lactate, 2-oxoglutarate, citrate, succinate, pyruvate, and acetate), amino acid metabolism (alanine, 2-hydroxybutyrate), choline metabolism (betaine), creatinine metabolism (creatinine), and gut microbiome metabolism (hippurate, phenylacetylglycine, dimethylamine, and trigonelline). Treatment with MLE 60 resulted in significant improvement in the metabolic perturbations caused obesity as demonstrated by the proximity of the treated group to the normal group in the OPLS-DA score plot and the change in trajectory movement of the diseased group towards the healthy group upon treatment.
Fulltext Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory and Anti-Oxidant Activities of Sea Cucumber (Actinopyga lecanora) Hydrolysates

Ghanbari R, Zarei M, Ebrahimpour A, Abdul-Hamid A, Ismail A, Saari N

Int J Mol Sci, 2015 Dec 04;16(12):28870-85.
PMID: 26690117 DOI: 10.3390/ijms161226140

In recent years, food protein-derived hydrolysates have received considerable attention because of their numerous health benefits. Amongst the hydrolysates, those with anti-hypertensive and anti-oxidative activities are receiving special attention as both activities can play significant roles in preventing cardiovascular diseases. The present study investigated the angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and anti-oxidative activities of Actinopyga lecanora (A. lecanora) hydrolysates, which had been prepared by alcalase, papain, bromelain, flavourzyme, pepsin, and trypsin under their optimum conditions. The alcalase hydrolysate showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity (69.8%) after 8 h of hydrolysis while the highest anti-oxidative activities measured by 2,2-diphenyl 1-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH) (56.00%) and ferrous ion-chelating (FIC) (59.00%) methods were exhibited after 24 h and 8 h of hydrolysis, respectively. The ACE-inhibitory and anti-oxidative activities displayed dose-dependent trends, and increased with increasing protein hydrolysate concentrations. Moreover, strong positive correlations between angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and anti-oxidative activities were also observed. This study indicates that A. lecanora hydrolysate can be exploited as a source of functional food owing to its anti-oxidant as well as anti-hypertension functions.
Fulltext Eight Weeks of Cosmos caudatus (Ulam Raja) Supplementation Improves Glycemic Status in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cheng SH, Ismail A, Anthony J, Ng OC, Hamid AA, Barakatun-Nisak MY

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2015;2015:405615.
PMID: 26713097 DOI: 10.1155/2015/405615

Objectives. Optimizing glycemic control is crucial to prevent type 2 diabetes related complications. Cosmos caudatus is reported to have promising effect in improving plasma blood glucose in an animal model. However, its impact on human remains ambiguous. This study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of C. caudatus on glycemic status in patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods. In this randomized controlled trial with two-arm parallel-group design, a total of 101 subjects with type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated to diabetic-ulam or diabetic controls for eight weeks. Subjects in diabetic-ulam group consumed 15 g of C. caudatus daily for eight weeks while diabetic controls abstained from taking C. caudatus. Both groups received the standard lifestyle advice. Results. After 8 weeks of supplementation, C. caudatus significantly reduced serum insulin (-1.16 versus +3.91), reduced HOMA-IR (-1.09 versus +1.34), and increased QUICKI (+0.05 versus -0.03) in diabetic-ulam group compared with the diabetic controls. HbA1C level was improved although it is not statistically significant (-0.76% versus -0.37%). C. caudatus was safe to consume. Conclusions. C. caudatus supplementation significantly improves insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Application of streptavidin mass spectrometric immunoassay tips for immunoaffinity based antibody phage display panning

Chin CF, Ler LW, Choong YS, Ong EB, Ismail A, Tye GJ, et al.

J Microbiol Methods, 2016 Jan;120:6-14.
PMID: 26581498 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2015.11.007

Antibody phage display panning involves the enrichment of antibodies against specific targets by affinity. In recent years, several new methods for panning have been introduced to accommodate the growing application of antibody phage display. The present work is concerned with the application of streptavidin mass spectrometry immunoassay (MSIA™) Disposable Automation Research Tips (D.A.R.T's®) for antibody phage display. The system was initially designed to isolate antigens by affinity selection for mass spectrometry analysis. The streptavidin MSIA™ D.A.R.T's® system allows for easy attachment of biotinylated target antigens on the solid surface for presentation to the phage library. As proof-of-concept, a domain antibody library was passed through the tips attached with the Hemolysin E antigen. After binding and washing, the bound phages were eluted via standard acid dissociation and the phages were rescued for subsequent panning rounds. Polyclonal enrichment was observed for three rounds of panning with five monoclonal domain antibodies identified. The proposed method allows for a convenient, rapid and semi-automated alternative to conventional antibody panning strategies.
Klebsiella sp. FIRD 2, a TBT-resistant bacterium isolated from contaminated surface sediment along Strait of Johor Malaysia

Abubakar A, Mustafa MB, Johari WLW, Zulkifli SZ, Ismail A, Mohamat-Yusuff FB

Mar Pollut Bull, 2015 Dec 15;101(1):280-283.
PMID: 26434791 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.09.041

A possible tributyltin (TBT)-degrading bacterium isolated from contaminated surface sediment was successfully identified as Klebsiella sp. FIRD 2. It was found to be the best isolate capable of resisting TBT at a concentration of 1000 μg L(-1). This was a concentration above the reported contaminated level at the sampling station, 790 μg L(-1). Further studies revealed that the isolate was Gram negative and resisted TBT concentrations of up to 1500 μg L(-1) in a Minimal Salt Broth without the addition of any carbon source within the first 48 h of incubation. It is expected that additional work could be conducted to check the degradation activity of this new isolate and possibly improve the degradation capacity in order to contribute to finding a safe and sustainable remediation solution of TBT contamination.
Modification of gelatin-DNA interaction for optimised DNA extraction from gelatin and gelatin capsule

Mohamad NA, Mustafa S, El Sheikha AF, Khairil Mokhtar NF, Ismail A, Ali ME

J Sci Food Agric, 2016 May;96(7):2344-51.
PMID: 26441285 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.7482

Poor quality and quantity of DNA extracted from gelatin and gelatin capsules often causes failure in the determination of animal species using PCR. Gelatin, which is mainly derived from porcine and bovine, has been a matter of concern among customers in order to fulfill religious obligation and safety precaution against several transmissible infectious diseases associated with bovine species. Thus, optimised DNA extraction from gelatin is very important for successful real-time PCR detection of gelatin species. In this work, the DNA extraction method was optimised in terms of lysis incubation period and inclusion of pre-treatment pH modification of samples.
The Application of Ibadah (Worship) in Counseling: Its Importance and Implications to Muslim Clients

Hanin Hamjah S, Mat Akhir NS, Ismail Z, Ismail A, Mohd Arib N

J Relig Health, 2017 Aug;56(4):1302-1310.
PMID: 26359049 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-015-0122-6

Ibadah is one of the important components in Islamic teachings other than aqidah (belief) and akhlaq (moral). Its importance is determined through the purpose for creation of humans, namely to be devoted to Allah. In the context of counseling discipline, however, the element of ibadah or worship (submission) of Allah is not applied in the counseling process and is not recognized as one of the spiritual therapies able to help the client know his true potential in decision-making and problem-solving. Hence, the purpose of this study is to determine the importance of applying ibadah in counseling and its implications to the client. This study selects survey research as the method to collect data from clients. A set of questionnaire instruments was constructed and distributed to 30 clients selected through convenience sampling. Data obtained from research questionnaire are then analyzed using descriptive statistical technique. Research outcome finds that application of ibadah is very important in counseling and has four implications for the client: the client is able to control his behavior, gain peace of mind, control his emotions and becomes increasingly diligent in ibadah.
Incorporation of N-doped TiO2 nanorods in regenerated cellulose thin films fabricated from recycled newspaper as a green portable photocatalyst

Mohamed MA, Salleh WN, Jaafar J, Ismail AF, Abd Mutalib M, Jamil SM

Carbohydr Polym, 2015 Nov 20;133:429-37.
PMID: 26344299 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.07.057

In this work, an environmental friendly RC/N-TiO2 nanocomposite thin film was designed as a green portable photocatalyst by utilizing recycled newspaper as sustainable cellulose resource. Investigations on the influence of N-doped TiO2 nanorods incorporation on the structural and morphological properties of RC/N-TiO2 nanocomposite thin film are presented. The resulting nanocomposite thin film was characterized by FESEM, AFM, FTIR, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, and XPS analysis. The results suggested that there was a remarkable compatibility between cellulose and N-doped TiO2 nanorods anchored onto the surface of the RC/N-TiO2 nanocomposite thin film. Under UV and visible irradiation, the RC/N-TiO2 nanocomposite thin film showed remarkable photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue solution with degradation percentage of 96% and 78.8%, respectively. It is crucial to note that the resulting portable photocatalyst produced via an environmental and green technique in its fabrication process has good potential in the field of water and wastewater treatment application.
Dietary cocoa inhibits colitis associated cancer: a crucial involvement of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway

Saadatdoust Z, Pandurangan AK, Ananda Sadagopan SK, Mohd Esa N, Ismail A, Mustafa MR

J Nutr Biochem, 2015 Dec;26(12):1547-58.
PMID: 26355019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.07.024

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk for developing ulcerative colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CRC). The interleukin-6 (IL-6)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 signaling regulates survival and proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells and play an important role in the pathogenesis of IBD and CRC. Cocoa is enriched with polyphenols that known to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities. Here, we explored the antitumor effects and mechanisms of cocoa diet on colitis-associated cancer (CAC) using the azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium model, with a particular focus on whether cocoa exerts its anticancer effect through the IL-6/STAT3 pathway. We found that cocoa significantly decreased the tumor incidence and size in CAC-induced mice. In addition to inhibiting proliferation of tumor epithelial cells, cocoa suppressed colonic IL-6 expression and subsequently activation of STAT3. Thus, our findings demonstrated that cocoa diet suppresses CAC tumorigenesis, and its antitumor effect is partly mediated by limiting IL-6/STAT3 activation. In addition, cocoa induces apoptosis by increased the expressions of Bax and caspase 3 and decreased Bcl-xl. Thus, we conclude that cocoa may be a potential agent in the prevention and treatment of CAC.
Water quality modelling using principal component analysis and artificial neural network

Ibrahim A, Ismail A, Juahir H, Iliyasu AB, Wailare BT, Mukhtar M, et al.

Mar Pollut Bull, 2023 Feb;187:114493.
PMID: 36566515 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114493

The study investigates the latent pollution sources and most significant parameters that cause spatial variation and develops the best input for water quality modelling using principal component analysis (PCA) and artificial neural network (ANN). The dataset, 22 water quality parameters were obtained from Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE). The PCA generated six significant principal component scores (PCs) which explained 65.40 % of the total variance. Parameters for water quality variation are mainlyrelated to mineral components, anthropogenic activities, and natural processes. However, in ANN three input combination models (ANN A, B, and C) were developed to identify the best model that can predict water quality index (WQI) with very high precision. ANN A model appears to have the best prediction capacity with a coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.9999 and root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.0537. These results proved that the PCA and ANN methods can be applied as tools for decision-making and problem-solving for better managing of river quality.
Fulltext Influence of information source regarding COVID-19 knowledge among the undergraduate dental students during the early lockdown: a multi-national study

Mallineni SK, Nuvvula S, Ismail AF, Aldhuwayhi S, Shaikh SA, Deeban Y, et al.

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci, 2022 Dec;26(23):9030-9039.
PMID: 36524522 DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202212_30578

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of information sources on the knowledge regarding COVID-19 among undergraduate dental students in India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Turkey.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: An online questionnaire in a Google form link was circulated among the target population via various online platforms. It consisted of 14 close-ended questions assessing these students' knowledge and source of COVID-19-related information. SPSS software version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used to compute descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, independent t-test, and ANOVA tests for comparing various variables, and a p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: The study yielded 809 responses from dental undergraduate students from India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Turkey. Dental students from Turkey reported a higher mean knowledge score of 7.91±1.34 and 7.88±0.58 for Malaysian dental students. In contrast, the lower scores were achieved by Saudi Arabia (7.36±1.22) and India (7.37±1.21) dental students, and the findings were statistically significant (p<0.05). The study population used various sources to attain information regarding COVID-19. Most respondents (63.1%) utilized information regarding COVID-19 from multiple sources rather than single sources (36.9%).
CONCLUSIONS: Reliable and validated information sources resulted in higher knowledge scores. Turkey and Malaysia dental students reported a higher mean knowledge score and the lowest for Saudi Arabia and India dental students. There is increased popularity of social media platforms as information sources.
Fulltext Osteoblast Demineralization Induced by Oxidized High-Density Lipoprotein via the Inflammatory Pathway Is Suppressed by Adiponectin

Harun NH, Froemming GRA, Mohd Ismail A, Nawawi H, Mokhtar SS, Abd Muid S

Int J Mol Sci, 2022 Nov 23;23(23).
PMID: 36498945 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314616

Low mineralization activity by human osteoblast cells (HOBs) indicates abnormal bone remodeling that potentially leads to osteoporosis. Oxidation, the most prominent form of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) modification, is suggested to affect bone mineralization through the inflammatory pathway. Adiponectin, which possesses anti-inflammatory activity, is postulated to have the ability to suppress the detrimental effects of oxidized HDL (oxHDL). This study aimed to investigate the effects of HDL before and after oxidation on markers of mineralization and inflammation. The protective effects of adiponectin on demineralization and inflammation induced by oxHDL were also investigated. OxHDL at 100 µg/mL protein had the highest inhibitory effect on mineralization, followed by lower calcium incorporation. OxHDL also had significantly lower expression of a mineralization marker (COL1A2) and higher expression of inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, and RELA proto-oncogene, NF-κβ (p65)) compared to the unstimulated control group. These findings suggest that oxHDL reduces the mineralization activity of HOBs by increasing the expression of inflammatory markers. Interestingly, co-incubation of adiponectin and oxHDL in HOBs resulted in higher expression of mineralization markers (ALPL, COL1A2, BGLAP, and RUNX2) and significantly reduced all targeted inflammatory markers compared to the oxHDL groups. On the contrary, HDL increased the expression of mineralization markers (COL1A2 and STAT-3) and exhibited lower expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α), proving the protective effect of HDL beyond the reverse cholesterol transport activity.
Synthesis and characterization of gentamicin loaded ZSM-5 scaffold: Cytocompatibility and antibacterial activity

Nazemi N, Rajabi N, Aslani Z, Kharaziha M, Kasiri-Asgarani M, Bakhsheshi-Rad HR, et al.

J Biomater Appl, 2023 Jan;37(6):979-991.
PMID: 36454961 DOI: 10.1177/08853282221140672

Porous structure, biocompatibility and biodegradability, large surface area, and drug-loading ability are some remarkable properties of zeolite structure, making it a great possible option for bone tissue engineering. Herein, we evaluated the potential application of the ZSM-5 scaffold encapsulated GEN with high porosity structure and significant antibacterial properties. The space holder process has been employed as a new fabrication method with interconnected pores and suitable mechanical properties. In this study, for the first time, ZSM-5 scaffolds with GEN drug-loading were fabricated with the space holder method. The results showed excellent open porosity in the range of 70-78% for different GEN concentrations and appropriate mechanical properties. Apatite formation on the scaffold surface was determined with Simulation body fluid (SBF), and a new bone-like apatite layer shaping on all samples confirmed the in vitro bioactivity of ZSM-5-GEN scaffolds. Also, antibacterial properties were investigated against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The incorporation of various amounts of GEN increased the inhibition zone from 24 to 28 (for E. coli) and 26 to 37 (for S. aureus). In the culture with MG63 cells, great cell viability and high cell proliferation after 7 days of culture were determined.
Fulltext Postprandial Metabolome Following a Low Glycaemic Index Meal-Challenge Test: A Narrative Review

Lau ZC, Mohd Yusof BN, Abas F, Abd Wahab N, Wan Zukiman WZH, Ismail A

Malays J Med Sci, 2022 Oct;29(5):5-16.
PMID: 36474545 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2022.29.5.2

The Identifying the dynamic metabolome of the individual in response to a particular stimulus using a metabolomic approach is an emerging research area. Measuring the postprandial metabolite response utilising a meal-challenge test (MCT) provides information beyond the fasting state, which is especially important since human beings spend most of their time in the postprandial state. This is pertinent as an excessive rise in postprandial glycaemia is common in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which puts them at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). While a low glycaemic index (GI) meal improves postprandial glycaemia and insulin levels in MCT studies among individuals with T2DM, its effect on metabolite changes in the postprandial state is unclear. This review summarises the perturbation in postprandial metabolites following a low GI meal in comparison to that following a usual or high GI meal and maps the metabolites in their metabolic pathways. We undertook a literature review using electronic databases, with the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms, to retrieve relevant studies based on specific criteria. A total of seven related studies were documented. For the majority of metabolites studied, it was identified that metabolic regulation following an MCT extends beyond the glucose pathway. Altered metabolic pathways after the consumption of a low GI meal include: i) essential amino acid metabolism by altering the levels of plasma phenylalanine, tyrosine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine and valine; ii) glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) metabolism by altering citrate and alanine, and iii) gut microbiota metabolism by altering betaine and acetate. The altered metabolites regulated the pancreatic insulin secretion and related to other dietary factors beyond GI modifications. These metabolomics data need to be interpreted cautiously because the metabolic changes analysed might not be due to the beneficial effects of a low GI meal. Validation of the putative metabolomic biomarkers following a dietary intervention MCT is suggested because researchers need to fully understand the kinetics and metabolism of individuals metabolite before reaching a solid conclusion. Further research characterising the metabotype based on habitual dietary patterns is warranted.
Electrochemical quantification of atrazine-fulvic acid and removal through bismuth tungstate photocatalytic hybrid membranes

Krishnan SAG, Gumpu MB, Arthanareeswaran G, Goh PS, Aziz F, Ismail AF

Chemosphere, 2023 Jan;311(Pt 2):137016.
PMID: 36374783 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137016

Herbicides such as atrazine and humus substances such as fulvic acid are widely used in agricultural sector. They can be traced in surface and groundwater around the agriculture field at concentrations beyond the approved limit due to their mobility and persistence. Bismuth-based photocatalysts activated by visible light are potential materials for removing various organic pollutants from water bodies. These photocatalysts can also be suitable candidates for developing a hybrid membrane with anti-fouling properties. In this study, Bi2WO6 nanoparticles were synthesized via the hydrothermal method and integrated into the cellulose acetate (CA), polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSF) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymers via physical blending approach. The hybrid membranes were then characterized by FTIR, XPS and FESEM to confirm the chemical bonding, chemical composition and surface morphology of Bi2WO6. Thus, the pure water flux of CA (35.6 L m-2 h-1), PEI (46.56 L m-2 h-1), PSF (6.84 L m-2 h-1), and PVDF (68.47 L m-2 h-1) hybrid membranes has significantly enhanced than the pristine CA, PEI, PSF and PVDF membranes. The significant rejection of atrazine-fulvic acid was observed with hybrid membranes in the order of CA (84.1%) > PVDF (72.7%) > PEI (47.8%) > PSF (37.2%), and these membranes have shown an excellent flux recovery ratio than pristine membranes. Further, electrochemical quantification studies were performed to analyze the removal efficiency of atrazine-fulvic acid from water. In this present work, GO-modified SPE was employed for electrochemical sensing studies. The resultant CA hybrid membrane achieved removal efficiency of 84.08% for atrazine. It was observed that the Bi2WO6 established strong bonding with CA, and PVDF membranes, thus showing a significant removal efficiency and FRR than other hybrid and pristine membranes.
Adaptation measures under the impacts of climate and land-use/land-cover changes using HSPF model simulation: Application to Gongola river basin, Nigeria

Salaudeen A, Shahid S, Ismail A, Adeogun BK, Ajibike MA, Bello AD, et al.

Sci Total Environ, 2023 Feb 01;858(Pt 2):159874.
PMID: 36334669 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159874

Recently, there is an upsurge in flood emergencies in Nigeria, in which their frequencies and impacts are expected to exacerbate in the future due to land-use/land cover (LULC) and climate change stressors. The separate and combined forces of these stressors on the Gongola river basin is feebly understood and the probable future impacts are not clear. Accordingly, this study uses a process-based watershed modelling approach - the Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) (i) to understand the basin's current and future hydrological fluxes and (ii) to quantify the effectiveness of five management options as adaptation measures for the impacts of the stressors. The ensemble means of the three models derived from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) are employed for generating future climate scenarios, considering three distinct radiative forcing peculiar to the study area. Also, the historical and future LULC (developed from the hybrid of Cellular Automata and Markov Chain model) are used to produce the LULC scenarios for the basin. The effective calibration, uncertainty and sensitivity analyses are used for optimising the parameters of the model and the validated result implies a plausible model with efficiency of up to 75 %. Consequently, the results of individual impacts of the stressors yield amplification of the peak flows, with more profound impacts from climate stressor than the LULC. Therefore, the climate impact may trigger a marked peak discharge that is 48 % higher as compared to the historical peak flows which are equivalent to 10,000-year flood event. Whilst the combine impacts may further amplify this value by 27 % depending on the scenario. The proposed management interventions such as planned reforestation and reservoir at Dindima should attenuate the disastrous peak discharges by almost 36 %. Furthermore, the land management option should promote the carbon-sequestering project of the Paris agreement ratified by Nigeria. While the reservoir would serve secondary functions of energy production; employment opportunities, aside other social aspects. These measures are therefore expected to mitigate feasibly the negative impacts anticipated from the stressors and the approach can be employed in other river basins in Africa confronted with similar challenges.
Fulltext Validating an Instrument for Measuring Newly Graduated Nurses' Adaptation

Baharum H, Ismail A, Awang Z, McKenna L, Ibrahim R, Mohamed Z, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2023 Feb 06;20(4).
PMID: 36833559 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20042860

A long-established approach, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) is used to validate measurement models of latent constructs. Employing CFA can be useful for assessing the validity and reliability of such models. The study adapted previous instruments and modified them to suit the current setting. The new measurement model is termed NENA-q. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed the instruments of the NENA-q model formed a construct of the second order with four dimensions, namely organizational contribution (OC), academic institution contribution (AIC), personality traits (PT), and newly employed nurses' adaptation (NENA). Researchers administered the questionnaires to a sample of 496 newly employed nurses working in hospitals under the Ministry of Health (MOH) for the confirmation of the extracted dimensions. The study performed a two-step CFA procedure to validate NENA-q since the model involves higher-order constructs. The first step was individual CFA, while the second step was pooled CFA. The validation procedure through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) found the model achieved the threshold of construct validity through fitness index assessment. The model also achieved convergent validity when all average variance extracted (AVE) exceeded the threshold value of greater than 0.5. The assessment of the composite reliability (CR) value indicates all CR values exceeded the threshold value of 0.6, which indicates the construct achieved composite reliability. Overall, the NENA-q model consisting of the OC construct, AIC construct, PT construct, and NENA construct for CFA has met the fitness indexes and passed the measurements of the AVE, CR, and normality test. Once the measurement models have been validated through CFA procedure, the researcher can assemble these constructs into structural model and estimate the required parameter through structural equation modelling (SEM) procedure.
Fulltext Mechanical Performance and Corrosion Behaviour of Diffusion-Bonded A5083 Aluminium and A36 Mild Steel with Gallium Interlayer

Ismail A, Othman NH, Mustapha M, Mohamed Saheed MS, Abdullah Z, Muhammed M, et al.

Materials (Basel), 2022 Sep 13;15(18).
PMID: 36143643 DOI: 10.3390/ma15186331

This article investigated the mechanical performance and corrosion behaviour of a diffusion-bonded A5083 aluminium/A36 mild steel dissimilar joint with a Gallium (Ga) interlayer. The bonding parameters were the bonding temperature (525 and 550 °C), holding time (60 and 120 min) and surface roughness (800 and 1200 grit). Property characterisation was achieved using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, Vickers microhardness tester, Izod impact tester and potentiodynamic polarisation testing. The results revealed that the significance of the bonding parameters was in the order bonding temperature > surface roughness > holding time. Increasing the bonding temperature resulted in an increase in the impact strength and a corresponding reduction in the corrosion rate and microhardness. However, increasing the grit size decreased the microhardness and a corresponding increase in the impact strength and corrosion rate. The impact strength and corrosion rate decreased with the increasing holding time while the microhardness followed a reverse trend. It was also discovered that incorporating the Ga interlayer resulted in a 67.9% improvement in the degradation rate.
Fulltext LCMS dataset on compounds in Syzygium polyanthum (Wight) Walp. leaves variant from the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Anuar TAFT, Ismail A, Mohamed Suffian IF, Abdul Hamid AA, Arzmi MH, Omar MN

Data Brief, 2021 Dec;39:107485.
PMID: 34761082 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107485

The data presented here is the liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS) profile of phytochemical compounds in the aqueous extract of Syzygium polyanthum (Wight) Walp. leaves. This plant is consumed raw and sometimes added to local dishes of people in Southeast Asia countries. Most importantly, it has ethnomedicinal values mainly in treating diabetes and hypertension, and at the same time, this plant has anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-tumor properties [1]. There are chemical composition variations reported between the same species of different geographical locations, which eventually affect the plant's therapeutic potential [2], [3]. This dataset represents the identified compounds for S. polyanthum (Wight) Walp. leaves, a variant collected from Kuantan, a city located in the Pahang state on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The leaves were then dried in an open-air at room temperature for three weeks, ground, and then macerated in water inside a bath-sonicator, freeze-dried, and then run using LCMS. The LCMS was run using the ultra-performance liquid chromatography equipped with an electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometer detector, operated in a negative-ion mode. The mass spectral features from samples raw data were matched with Traditional Medicine (en) and Waters Screening libraries in the Waters UNIFI™ Scientific Information System software version 1.7 (Waters, USA) for compounds identification.
Effects of flavanols and procyanidins-rich cocoa consumption on metabolic syndrome: an update review (2013-2023)

Salaish Kumar S, Mhd Jalil AM, Hussin N, Mat Daud Z', Ismail A

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem, 2024 Mar 22;88(4):352-360.
PMID: 38285609 DOI: 10.1093/bbb/zbae011

Studies indicated that cocoa-based products effectively mitigate the risks associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS), however, the effect varies based on cocoa types, dosages, and study durations. This review aimed to determine the flavanol-rich cocoa consumption on MetS outcomes within the last decade (2013-2023), adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Seven randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) used cocoa-based products containing 0.3-1680 mg flavanol monomers and 3.5-1270 mg procyanidins. Cocoa-based products beneficially reduced glycemic response, blood pressure and lipid profiles. However, this review highlights little evidence pinpointing the best cocoa products type and required dosage for the observed effects. Further intervention aiming to improve MetS should justify the selection and concentration of flavanols (monomers and procyanidins). A robust study design should consider registering the trials before study commencement, consider multicenter RCT trials, and adjust for potential covariates that might "masked" the outcomes.

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