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Fulltext Protective Effects of Nigella sativa on Metabolic Syndrome in Menopausal Women

Ibrahim RM, Hamdan NS, Ismail M, Saini SM, Abd Rashid SN, Abd Latiff L, et al.

Adv Pharm Bull, 2014;4(1):29-33.
PMID: 24409406 DOI: 10.5681/apb.2014.005

PURPOSE: This study was conducted in menopausal women to determine the metabolic impact of Nigella sativa.
METHODS: Thirty subjects who were menopausal women within the age limit of 45-60 were participated in this study and randomly allotted into two experimental groups. The treatment group was orally administered with N. sativa seeds powder in the form of capsules at a dose of 1g per day after breakfast for period of two months and compared to control group given placebo. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured at baseline, 1st month, 2nd month and a month after treatment completed to determine their body weight, serum lipid profile and fasting blood glucose (FBG).
RESULTS: The treatment group showed slight reduction with no significant difference in body weight changes of the respondents. However, significant (p<0.05) improvement was observed in total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and blood glucose (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: These results suggested that treatment with N. sativa exert a protective effect by improving lipid profile and blood glucose which are in higher risk to be elevated during menopausal period.
Fulltext Fabrication of Bilayer Nanofibrous-Hydrogel Scaffold from Bacterial Cellulose, PVA, and Gelatin as Advanced Dressing for Wound Healing and Soft Tissue Engineering

Khan R, Aslam Khan MU, Stojanović GM, Javed A, Haider S, Abd Razak SI

ACS Omega, 2024 Feb 13;9(6):6527-6536.
PMID: 38371763 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06613

Tissue engineering is currently one of the fastest-growing areas of engineering, requiring the fabrication of advanced and multifunctional materials that can be used as scaffolds or dressings for tissue regeneration. In this work, we report a bilayer material prepared by electrospinning a hybrid material of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and bacterial cellulose (BC NFs) (top layer) over a highly interconnected porous 3D gelatin-PVA hydrogel obtained by a freeze-drying process (bottom layer). The techniques were combined to produce an advanced material with synergistic effects on the physical and biological properties of the two materials. The bilayer material was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a water contact measurement system (WCMS). Studies on swelling, degradability, porosity, drug release, cellular and antibacterial activities were performed using standardized procedures and assays. FTIR confirmed cross-linking of both the top and bottom layers, and SEM showed porous structure for the bottom layer, random deposition of NFs on the surface, and aligned NFs in the cross section. The water contact angle (WCA) showed a hydrophilic surface for the bilayer material. Swelling analysis showed high swelling, and degradation analysis showed good stability. The bilayer material released Ag-sulfadiazine in a sustained and controlled manner and showed good antibacterial activities against severe disease-causing gram + ive and -ive (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacterial strains. In vitro biological studies were performed on fibroblasts (3T3) and human embryonic kidneys (HEK-293), which showed desirable cell viability, proliferation, and adhesion to the bilayer. Thus, the synergistic effect of NFs and the hydrogel resulted in a potential wound dressing material for wound healing and soft tissue engineering.
Berberine and RNAi-Targeting Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) and/or Telomerase RNA Component (TERC) Caused Oxidation in Colorectal Cancer Cell Line, HCT 116: An Integrative Approach using Molecular and Metabolomic Studies

Samad MA, Saiman MZ, Abdul Majid N, Karsani SA, Yaacob JS

Cell Biochem Biophys, 2024 Mar;82(1):153-173.
PMID: 38198024 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-023-01210-8

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common cancer in both men and women and is associated with increased telomerase levels and activity. The potential downstream effects of TERT and/or TERC downregulation by berberine (a telomerase inhibitor) or RNA interference (RNAi) on various target RNAs, proteins, relative telomerase activity (RTA), relative telomere length (RTL), hydrogen peroxide concentration [H2O2], percentage of cell cycle distribution, cell size and granularity as well as cellular metabolites were explored in HCT 116 cell line. Knockdown of TERT decreased TERC. The downregulation of TERT and/or TERC caused increment of [H2O2], G0/G1 phase arrest in addition to decreased S and G2/M phases, as well as diminished cell size. RTL was later reduced as a result of TERT, TERT and/or TERC downregulation which decreased RTA. It was discovered that xanthine oxidase (XO) was significantly and positively correlated at FDR-adjusted p value
Fulltext Renal cell carcinoma with duplication of inferior vena cava

Yusof MR, Fahmey O, Lee C, Azli MS, Arunasalam AP, Khairul-Asri MG

Ann R Coll Surg Engl, 2022 Mar;104(3):e64-e66.
PMID: 34812656 DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2021.0110

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been shown to cause venous migration in the inferior vena cava (IVC). It is very important for preoperative imaging to be carried out, which will decide the surgical approach for the patient. Duplication of IVC is an uncommon anomaly. We report a case of RCC with duplication of IVC.
The Promises and Pitfalls of CRISPR-Mediated Base Editing in Stem Cells

Wong PK, Mohamad Zamberi NN, Syafruddin SE, Cheah FC, Azmi N, Law JX, et al.

CRISPR J, 2023 Jun;6(3):196-215.
PMID: 37219623 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2023.0013

Stem cells such as induced pluripotent stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are growing in importance in disease modeling and regenerative medicine. The applications of CRISPR-based gene editing to create a mélange of disease and nondisease stem cell lines have further enhanced the utility of this innately versatile group of cells in the studies of human genetic disorders. Precise base edits can be achieved using a variety of CRISPR-centric approaches, particularly homology-directed repair and the recently developed base editors and prime editors. Despite its much-touted potential, editing single DNA bases is technically challenging. In this review, we discuss the strategies for achieving exact base edits in the creation of various stem cell-based models for use in elucidating disease mechanisms and assessing drug efficacy, and the unique characteristics of stem cells that warrant special considerations.
Fulltext The pattern of reporting and presenting validity evidence of extended matching questions (EMQs) in health professions education: a systematic review

Taha MH, Mohammed HEEG, Abdalla ME, Yusoff MSB, Mohd Napiah MK, Wadi MM

Med Educ Online, 2024 Dec 31;29(1):2412392.
PMID: 39445670 DOI: 10.1080/10872981.2024.2412392

The Extended matching Questions (EMQs), or R-type questions, are format of selected-response. The validity evidence for this format is crucial, but there have been reports of misunderstandings about validity. It is unclear what kinds of evidence should be presented and how to present them to support their educational impact. This review explores the pattern and quality of reporting the sources of validity evidence of EMQs in health professions education, encompassing content, response process, internal structure, relationship to other variables, and consequences. A systematic search in the electronic databases including MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ERIC was conducted to extract studies that utilize EMQs. The framework for a unitary concept of validity was applied to extract data. A total of 218 titles were initially selected, the final number of titles was 19. The most reported pieces of evidence were the reliability coefficient, followed by the relationship to another variable. Additionally, the adopted definition of validity is mostly the old tripartite concept. This study found that reporting and presenting validity evidence appeared to be deficient. The available evidence can hardly provide a strong validity argument that supports the educational impact of EMQs. This review calls for more work on developing a tool to measure the reporting and presenting validity evidence.
COVID-19 IgG Antibodies Detection Based on CNN-BiLSTM Algorithm Combined with Fiber-Optic Dataset

Alathari MJA, Mashhadany YA, Bakar AAA, Mokhtar MHH, Bin Zan MSD, Arsad N

J Virol Methods, 2024 Aug 16.
PMID: 39154936 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2024.115011

The urgent need for efficient and accurate automated screening tools for COVID-19 detection has led to research efforts exploring various approaches. In this study, we present pioneering research on COVID-19 detection using a hybrid model that combines convolutional neural networks (CNN) with a bi-directional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) network, in conjunction with fiber optic data for SARS-CoV-2 Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. Our research introduces a comprehensive data preprocessing pipeline and evaluates the performance of four different deep learning (DL) algorithms: CNN, CNN-RNN, BiLSTM, and CNN-BiLSTM, in classifying samples as positive or negative for the COVID-19 virus. Among these, the CNN-BiLSTM classifier demonstrated superior performance on the training datasets, achieving an accuracy of 89%, a recall of 88%, a precision of 90%, an F1-score of 89%, a specificity of 90%, a geometric mean (G-mean) of 89%, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of 96%. In addition, the achieved classification results were compared with those reported in the literature. The findings indicate that the proposed model has promising potential for classifying COVID-19 and could serve as a valuable tool for healthcare professionals. The use of IgG antibodies to detect the virus enhances the specificity and accuracy of the diagnostic tool.
A Critical Review of Soil Sampling and Data Analysis Strategies for Source Tracing of Soil in Forensic Investigations

Mohd Rosdi NANB, Abd Hamid N, Mohd Ali SF, Sino H, Lee LC

Crit Rev Anal Chem, 2024;54(8):3520-3558.
PMID: 37672265 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2023.2253473

Soil is one type of Earth material demonstrating a wide range of physical, chemical, and biological properties. As the compositional profile of soil is a product of interaction between numerous abiotic and biotic components, it tends to be unique by its geographic origin. Hence, soil is paramount for predicting source or origin in forensic provenance and intelligence, food provenance, biosecurity, and archaeology. In the context of forensic investigation, source tracing of soil could be executed by a comparison or provenance analysis. Soil compositional fingerprints acquired using analytical methods must be carefully interpreted via suitable mathematical and statistical tools since multiple sources can contribute to the variability of soil other than its provenance. This article reviews recent trends in soil sampling and data interpretation strategies proposed for source tracing of soil evidence. Performances of soil provenance indicators are also described. Then, perspectives on possible research directions guiding forensic soil provenance are proposed. This timely critical review reveals the essential idea and gap in forensic soil provenance for stimulating the development of more efficient and effective provenance strategies.
Fulltext The Effect of Second-Victim-Related Distress and Support on Work-Related Outcomes in Tertiary Care Hospitals in Kelantan, Malaysia

Mohd Kamaruzaman AZ, Ibrahim MI, Mokhtar AM, Mohd Zain M, Satiman SN, Yaacob NM

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 May 26;19(11).
PMID: 35682042 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116454

After a patient safety incident, the involved healthcare providers may experience sustained second-victim distress and reduced professional efficacy, with subsequent negative work-related outcomes and the cultivation of resilience. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting negative work-related outcomes and resilience with a hypothetical triad of support as the mediators: colleague, supervisor, and institutional support. This cross-sectional study recruited 733 healthcare providers from three tertiary care hospitals in Kelantan, Malaysia. Three steps of hierarchical linear regression were developed for both outcomes (negative work-related outcomes and resilience). Four multiple mediator models of the support triad were analyzed. Second-victim distress, professional efficacy, and the support triad contributed significantly in all the regression models. Colleague support partially mediated the relationship defining the effects of professional efficacy on negative work-related outcomes and resilience, whereas colleague and supervisor support partially mediated the effects of second-victim distress on negative work-related outcomes. Similar results were found regarding resilience, with all support triads producing similar results. As mediators, the support triads ameliorated the effect of second-victim distress on negative work-related outcomes and resilience, suggesting an important role of having good support, especially after encountering patient safety incidents.
Fulltext Passively Q-switching an all polarization-maintaining erbium-doped fiber laser with a rhenium disulfide (ReS2) saturable absorber

Fadhel MM, Hamzah AE, Abd Aziz N, Dzulkefly Zan MS, Arsad N

Heliyon, 2023 Oct;9(10):e20678.
PMID: 37860525 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20678

This study demonstrates a linearly polarized Er-doped fiber laser system featuring an all-polarization-maintaining (all-PM) architecture. Short pulses were generated by Q-switching operation based on drop-casting rhenium disulfide (ReS2) saturable absorber (SA) onto a fiber connector placed inside the laser cavity. The Q-switching operation of the laser was able to self-start at a low (23 mW) threshold power of the pump and without the need to use a polarization controller. The proposed laser was able to produce stable pulses with a center wavelength and 3-dB bandwidth of 1558.4 nm and 0.13 nm, respectively. The shortest pulse duration measured (2.8 μs) was achieved at a repetition rate of 37.6 kHz while the highest average output power and pulse energy were 2.2 mW and 76.5 nJ, respectively. Furthermore, as the cavity of the laser was designed to be all-PM the laser that it produced was linearly polarized and had a degree of polarization (DOP) at the level of 94.5 % and 40 dB polarization extinction ratio (PER). Therefore, the proposed laser is a suitable light source for optical applications in environments that are complex.
Fulltext An Analysis Review of Detection Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Based on Biosensor Application

Taha BA, Al Mashhadany Y, Hafiz Mokhtar MH, Dzulkefly Bin Zan MS, Arsad N

Sensors (Basel), 2020 Nov 26;20(23).
PMID: 33256085 DOI: 10.3390/s20236764

Timely detection and diagnosis are essentially needed to guide outbreak measures and infection control. It is vital to improve healthcare quality in public places, markets, schools and airports and provide useful insights into the technological environment and help researchers acknowledge the choices and gaps available in this field. In this narrative review, the detection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) technologies is summarized and discussed with a comparison between them from several aspects to arrive at an accurate decision on the feasibility of applying the best of these techniques in the biosensors that operate using laser detection technology. The collection of data in this analysis was done by using six reliable academic databases, namely, Science Direct, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and PubMed. This review includes an analysis review of three highlights: evaluating the hazard of pandemic COVID-19 transmission styles and comparing them with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) to identify the main causes of the virus spreading, a critical analysis to diagnose coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on artificial intelligence using CT scans and CXR images and types of biosensors. Finally, we select the best methods that can potentially stop the propagation of the coronavirus pandemic.
Fulltext Development and validation of Digi-MEE Instrument measuring online learning environments in medical education

Naeem NI, Hadie SNH, Ismail IM, Yusoff MSB

Pak J Med Sci, 2023;39(6):1573-1583.
PMID: 37936768 DOI: 10.12669/pjms.39.6.8430

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate Digital Medical Education Environment (Digi-MEE) Instrument for measuring online learning environment in medical education.
METHODS: This series of studies involved 696 participants from May 2022 to December 2022. Following scoping review, invited modified e-Delphi experts developed consensus on the components and related items for measuring online learning environments. A panel of content experts and a group of medical students carried out content and response-process validation to determine Content Validity Index (CVI) and Face Validity Index (FVI) respectively. This was followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis to determine Digi-MEE's factorial structure and internal consistency using SPSS version 26.0 and AMOS 26.0.
RESULTS: Delphi experts agreed upon nine components with 73 items of initial Digi-MEE version. CVI of Digi-MEE 2.0 was more than 0.90. with FVI of Digi-MEE 3.0 of 0.87. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 46 items with 57.18% variance. Confirmatory factor analysis led to the final Digi-MEE version containing 28 items within nine components with acceptable levels of goodness of fit indices. Overall Cronbach alpha of the final Digi-MEE was more than 0.90, and for the nine components ranged between 0.62 and 0.76.
CONCLUSION: Digi-MEE is a promising valid and reliable instrument to evaluate online education environment in medical education. Content, response-process, factorial structure, and internal consistency evidence support the validity of Digi-MEE. Medical schools can use Digi-MEE as an evaluation tool for the continuous quality improvement of online learning environments.
Fulltext What Are the Common Themes of Physician Resilience? A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies

Roslan NS, Yusoff MSB, Morgan K, Ab Razak A, Ahmad Shauki NI

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Jan 01;19(1).
PMID: 35010729 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010469

In the practice of medicine, resilience has gained attention as on of the ways to address burnout. Qualitative studies have explored the concept of physician resilience in several contexts. However, individual qualitative studies have limited generalizability, making it difficult to understand the resilience concept in a wider context. This study aims to develop a concept of resilience in the context of physicians' experience through a meta-synthesis of relevant qualitative studies. Using a predetermined search strategy, we identified nine qualitative studies among 450 participants that reported themes of resilience in developed and developing countries, various specialties, and stages of training. We utilized the meta-ethnography method to generate themes and a line-of-argument synthesis. We identified six key themes of resilience: tenacity, resources, reflective ability, coping skills, control, and growth. The line-of-argument synthesis identified resilient physicians as individuals who are determined in their undertakings, have control in their professional lives, reflect on adversity, utilize adaptive coping strategies, and believe that adversity provides an opportunity for growth. Resilient physicians are supported by individual and organizational resources that include nurturing work culture, teamwork, and support from the medical community and at home. Our findings suggest that resilience in physicians is dynamic and must be supported not only by physician-directed interventions but also by organization-directed interventions.
Fulltext Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Coloured Callus Formation and Accumulation of Azadirachtin, an Essential Biopesticide in Azadirachta indica

Ashokhan S, Othman R, Abd Rahim MH, Karsani SA, Yaacob JS

Plants (Basel), 2020 Mar 11;9(3).
PMID: 32168737 DOI: 10.3390/plants9030352

For centuries, Azadirachta indica or neem has been utilized as a primary source of medicine due to its antimicrobial, larvacidal, antimalarial and antifungal properties. Recently, its potential as an effective biopesticide has garnered attention, especially towards efficient and continuous production of its bioactive compounds. The present study investigated the effect of the plant growth regulators (PGRs) thiadiazuron (TDZ) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on the induction of colored callus formation and subsequent accumulation of azadirachtin (AZA) in A. indica. An efficient protocol was established for micropropagation and colored callus production of this species, followed by quantification of AZA (a mixture of azadirachtin A and B) and its safety assessment. For induction of the callus, leaf and petiole explants obtained from a young growing neem plant were excised and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with TDZ (0.2-0.6 mg L-1) and 2,4-D (0.2-0.6 mg L-1), either applied singly or in combination. Callus was successfully induced from both explant types at different rates, where media with 0.6 mg L-1 of TDZ resulted in the highest fresh weight (3.38 ± 0.08 g). In general, media with a single hormone (particularly TDZ) was more effective in producing a high mass of callus compared to combined PGRs. A culture duration of six weeks resulted in the production of green, brown and cream colored callus. The highest callus weight and accumulation of AZA was recorded in green callus (214.53 ± 33.63 mg g-1 dry weight (DW)) induced using TDZ. On the other hand, small amounts of AZA were detected in both brown and cream callus. Further experimentation indicated that the green callus with the highest AZA was found to be non-toxic (LC50 at 4606 µg mL-1) to the zebrafish animal model. These results suggested that the addition of different PGRs during in vitro culture could prominently affect callus and secondary metabolite production and can further be manipulated as a sustainable method for the production of a natural and environmentally friendly pesticide.
Fabrication of amine-functionalized and multi-layered PAN-(TiO2)-gelatin nanofibrous wound dressing: In-vitro evaluation

Khan R, Haider S, Khan MUA, Haider A, Razak SIA, Hasan A, et al.

Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 5):127169.
PMID: 37783243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127169

The development of advanced multifunctional wound dressings remains a major challenge. Herein, a novel multilayer (ML) electrospun nanofibers (NFs) wound dressing based on diethylenetriamine (DETA) functionalized polyacrylonitrile (PAN), TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) coating (Ct), and bioderived gelatin (Gel) was developed for potential applications in wound healing. The ML PAN-DETA-Ct-Gel membrane was developed by combining electrospinning, chemical functionalization, synthesis, and electrospray techniques, using a layer-by-layer method. The ML PAN-DETA-Ct-Gel membrane is comprised of an outer layer of PAN-DETA as a barrier to external microorganisms and structural support, an interlayer TiO2 NPs (Ct) as antibacterial function, and a contact layer (Gel) to improve biocompatibility and cell viability. The NFs membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface profilometry, BET analysis, and water contact angle techniques to investigate their morphology, surface roughness, porosity, and wettability. The ML PAN-DETA-Ct-Gel wound dressing exhibited good surface roughness, porosity, and better wettability. Cell morphology, proliferation, and viability were determined using fibroblasts (3T3), and antibacterial assays were performed against six pathogens. The ML PAN-DETA-Ct-Gel NFs membrane showed good cell morphology, proliferation, viability, and antibacterial activity compared with other membranes. This new class of ML NFs membranes offers a multifunctional architecture with adequate biocompatibility, cell viability, and antibacterial activity.
Fulltext Developing and evaluating the usability of a web-based Diabetic Retinopathy Health Education Program for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Isa RM, Chong MC, Lee WL, Iqbal T, Mansor M, Zainudin AA, et al.

Saudi Med J, 2023 Dec;44(12):1290-1294.
PMID: 38016754 DOI: 10.15537/smj.2023.44.12.202320029

OBJECTIVES: To describe the development of a webpage based on the Intervention Mapping (IM) protocol and usability testing of the Diabetic Retinopathy Health Education Profram (DRHEP).
METHODS: The mixed methods pilot feasibility study was carried out between April and September 2021, involving 16 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 5 experts. The usability score was rated according to the System Usability Scale (SUS).
RESULTS: The average SUS score by the experts was 88. The patients gave a higher score of 85 for SUS, with 58 as the lowest. The average SUS score was 72. The findings indicate that the webpage is acceptable, good, and highly usable for users.
CONCLUSION: The outcomes of this study signify the relationship between effective health applications and how their design might hamper their effectiveness in changing patients' behavior.
Geographical Diversity of Proteomic Responses to Cold Stress in the Fungal Genus Pseudogymnoascus

Abu Bakar N, Lau BYC, González-Aravena M, Smykla J, Krzewicka B, Karsani SA, et al.

Microb Ecol, 2023 Dec 07;87(1):11.
PMID: 38060022 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02311-w

In understanding stress response mechanisms in fungi, cold stress has received less attention than heat stress. However, cold stress has shown its importance in various research fields. The following study examined the cold stress response of six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolated from various biogeographical regions through a proteomic approach. In total, 2541 proteins were identified with high confidence. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed diversity in the cold stress response pathways for all six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolates, with metabolic and translation-related processes being prominent in most isolates. 25.6% of the proteins with an increase in relative abundance were increased by more than 3.0-fold. There was no link between the geographical origin of the isolates and the cold stress response of Pseudogymnoascus spp. However, one Antarctic isolate, sp3, showed a distinctive cold stress response profile involving increased flavin/riboflavin biosynthesis and methane metabolism. This Antarctic isolate (sp3) was also the only one that showed decreased phospholipid metabolism in cold stress conditions. This work will improve our understanding of the mechanisms of cold stress response and adaptation in psychrotolerant soil microfungi, with specific attention to the fungal genus Pseudogymnoascus.
Exploring the potential of biologically active phenolic acids from marine natural products as anticancer agents targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor

Roney M, Issahaku AR, Huq AM, Soliman MES, Tajuddin SN, Aluwi MFFM

J Biomol Struct Dyn, 2024;42(24):13564-13587.
PMID: 37909584 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2276879

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) dimerizes upon ligand bindings to the extracellular domain that initiates the downstream signaling cascades and activates intracellular kinase domain. Thus, activation of autophosphorylation through kinase domain results in metastasis, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. The main objective of this research is to discover more promising anti-cancer lead compound against EGRF from the phenolic acids of marine natural products using in-silico approaches. Phenolic compounds reported from marine sources are reviewed from previous literatures. Furthermore, molecular docking was carried out using the online tool CB-Dock. The molecules with good docking and binding energies scores were subjected to ADME, toxicity and drug-likeness analysis. Subsequently, molecules from the docking experiments were also evaluated using the acute toxicity and MD simulation studies. Fourteen phenolic compounds from the reported literatures were reviewed based on the findings, isolation, characterized and applications. Molecular docking studies proved that the phenolic acids have good binding fitting by forming hydrogen bonds with amino acid residues at the binding site of EGFR. Chlorogenic acid, Chicoric acid and Rosmarinic acid showed the best binding energies score and forming hydrogen bonds with amino acid residues compare to the reference drug Erlotinib. Among these compounds, Rosmarinic acid showed the good pharmacokinetics profiles as well as acute toxicity profile. The MD simulation study further revealed that the lead complex is stable and could be future drug to treat the cancer disease. Furthermore, in a wet lab environment, both in-vitro and in-vivo testing will be employed to validate the existing computational results.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Fulltext Hijri Month Determination in Southeast Asia: An Illustration Between Religion, Science, and Cultural Background

Mohd Nawawi MSA, Faid MS, Saadon MHM, Wahab RA, Ahmad N

Heliyon, 2024 Oct 30;10(20):e38668.
PMID: 39640732 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38668

This paper investigates the procedure for determining the new Hijri Month between Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It endeavours to understand the reason for dissimilarity in terms of practice between these four nations in commencing Hijri Month of Ramadan, Shawal, and Zulhijjah despite sharing the same lunar crescent visibility criterion. This study is conducted through the examination of literature with regards to regulations of the lunar crescent visibility criterion between these countries. The study finds out that the determination of the Hijri months, particularly Ramadan, Shawal, and Zulhijjah, varies among Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore despite their shared criteria for the rest of the lunar calendar. Brunei relies on moon sightings coordinated by the Chief Syar'ie Judge and various governmental departments, culminating in approval by the Sultan. Indonesia conducts a comprehensive Sidang Isbat conference involving numerous religious and scientific bodies, with the final decision made by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Malaysia's process involves Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and multiple expert panels, with the final announcement made by the Keeper of the Ruler's Seal after royal consent. Singapore employs purely astronomical calculations using Unofficial Meeting of Religious Affairs Ministers of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (MABIMS) criteria without moon sightings due to environmental constraints. These countries' methods reflect their unique institutional, cultural, and religious contexts. Factors influencing these differences include reference points for lunar calculations, the principles of Islamic jurisprudence, and public comprehension. Indonesia's diverse demographic and significant influence from Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama groups lead to varied practices. Malaysia experiences minimal impact from smaller groups but historically had a notable discrepancy in Ramadan 1983. Brunei's unified adherence to the Shafi'i School of Thought ensures consistency in moon sighting practices. Singapore's reliance on calculations is driven by its inability to perform moon sightings due to light and industrial pollution. The study concludes that while MABIMS countries aim for a unified lunar crescent visibility criterion, practical implementations remain distinct, leading to potential differences in the start of important Hijri months. The need for a unified reference point and further discussions among MABIMS officials is highlighted to achieve consistent Hijri month determinations.
Fulltext Understanding the Functional Components of Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment in Medical Education: A Scoping Review

Naeem NI, Yusoff MSB, Hadie SNH, Ismail IM, Iqbal H

Med Sci Educ, 2023 Apr;33(2):595-609.
PMID: 37251205 DOI: 10.1007/s40670-023-01747-6

Increasing use of technology in medical education has caused concerns to medical teachers pertaining to the quality of digital learning environments. Thus, this review aimed to unearth the functional components of effective technology-enhanced learning environment in the undergraduate medical education context. The revised Arksey and O'Malley protocol was utilized that include identification of research question and relevant studies, selection of studies, data charting and collection, and collating, summarizing, and reporting results after consultation. We discovered nine components with 25 subcomponents of 74 functional elements found to be present in effective online learning environments. The nine components include cognitive enhancement, content curation, digital capability, technological usability, pedagogical practices, learner characteristics, learning facilitator, social representations, and institutional support. There is an interplay between these components, influencing each other in online learning platforms. A technology-enhanced learning in medical education (TELEMEd) model is proposed which can be used as a framework for evaluating online learning environment in medical education.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01747-6.

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