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Fulltext Evaluation of Patient's Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Cross-Infection Control in Dentistry during COVID-19 Pandemic

Ahmed MA, Jouhar R, Adnan S, Ahmed N, Ghazal T, Adanir N

Eur J Dent, 2020 Dec;14(S 01):S1-S6.
PMID: 33321543 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1721295

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the patient's knowledge, attitude, and practice of cross-infection control in dentistry during coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi from June 2020 to August 2020. A total of 775 patients participated to fill questionnaire. After scrutiny, 25 questionnaire forms were excluded due to incomplete information. Questionnaire was divided in to four sections. First section obtained patients sociodemographic information, while knowledge of patients regarding cross-infection control during COVID-19 pandemic was evaluated in second section. Similarly, the purpose of third section was to assess attitude and fourth section was designed to evaluate practice. Likert's 3-point scale was used for registration of participant's response. The reliability of questionnaire was assessed through Crohnbach's α (α = 0.74). Statistical analysis was performed after entering data in to SPSS version 25. Independent t-test was used to evaluate the difference in patients' knowledge, attitude, and practice. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
RESULTS: Majority of the participants agreed that COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease (631, 97%) and daily screening of staff, dental assistants, dentists, and patients is necessary (568, 75.7%) along with proper sterilization of instruments and disinfection of dental operatory (650, 86.66%). A large number of participant also agreed that proper disposal of waste is utmost important for cross-infection control (601, 80.24%) and patient's waiting area should also be marked with social distancing sign (620, 82.66%). However, when asked about the common route of COVID-19 transmission in dentistry, 341 (45.5%) participants disagreed that it is not through aerosol (water droplets) generated during dental procedures.
CONCLUSIONS: Dental health professionals should take additional measures to educate dental patients on mechanism of potential spread of COVID-19 through the aerosols and droplets generated during dental procedures. They should also encourage the dental patients to be vigilant and question the cross-infection control measures practiced by the dentist to whom they go for dental treatment, and to decrease their chances of acquiring an infection during their visit to the dental office.
Fulltext Factors associated with vascular and neurological complications of hand-arm vibration syndrome among tire shop workers in Kelantan, Malaysia

Qamruddin AA, Nik Husain NR, Sidek MY, Hanafi MH, Mohd Ripin Z

J Occup Health, 2021 Jan;63(1):e12220.
PMID: 33942440 DOI: 10.1002/1348-9585.12220

OBJECTIVE: Prolonged exposure to hand-arm vibration (HAV) at the workplace is associated with hand-arm vascular syndrome (HAVS). This study aimed to determine the prevalence and the factors associated with the vascular and neurological complications of HAVS among tire shop workers in Kelantan, Malaysia.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 200 tire shop workers from two districts in Kelantan was conducted. Data were collected at the field using Malay Translated HAVS questionnaire, and hand-arm vibration was measured. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associated factors.
RESULTS: The prevalence of vascular and neurological complications of HAVS among the tire shop workers was 12.5% (95% CI: 10.16, 14.84) and 37.0% (95% CI: 30.31, 43.69), respectively. From multiple logistic regression analysis, only A(8) of HAV exposure was significantly associated with the development of vascular complications and A(8) of HAV exposure, age. and body mass index were significantly associated with the development of neurological complications of HAVS.
CONCLUSION: This study has identified that HAVS is a significant problem among workers exposed to HAV in a warm environment. A(8) of HAV exposure is significantly associated with the development of both vascular and neurological complications. Therefore, there is a need for better control of vibration exposure in Malaysia.
Fulltext An Exploratory Qualitative Study With Older Malaysian Stroke Survivors, Caregivers, and Healthcare Practitioners About Falls and Rehabilitation for Falls After Stroke

Ahmad Ainuddin H, Romli MH, Hamid TA, Sf Salim M, Mackenzie L

Front Public Health, 2021;9:611814.
PMID: 33987161 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.611814

Background: Studies on rehabilitation for falls after a stroke remain limited despite its impact being profound. This scenario justifies a deeper understanding of why falls in stroke rehabilitation received less attention. Current investigations on the perception of falls and stroke also proved inadequate. Therefore, this study aims to explore the perceptions and experiences of older Malaysian stroke survivors, spousal caregivers, and healthcare practitioners on falls in stroke rehabilitation. Method: A qualitative study of three focus groups with 18 individuals from one community-based stroke rehabilitation center was conducted. The discussions were audio-recorded, video-recorded, transcribed, summarized, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis: (i) perceived factors and consequences of falls after stroke, (ii) physical-based interventions predominate in rehabilitation for falls after stroke, and (iii) the role of home hazards in fall prevention is taken for granted. Although, awareness of falls is high, they are regarded as a peripheral issue in stroke. Rehabilitation interventions such as improved functionality are believed to be adequate and can indirectly prevent falls. Other interventions for fall prevention such as home hazards management are relatively less known. Conclusion: There is a need for more attention regarding home environment risk assessment and intervention among healthcare professionals, and more education for clients and caregivers is required. Although, other stroke interventions may also benefit stroke survivors, falls prevention should be a central component in stroke rehabilitation. As this study focused on a specific population, the findings should be validated with larger populations, and in diverse settings.
Fulltext Health-related quality of life and its predictors among adults living with HIV/AIDS and receiving antiretroviral therapy in Pakistan

Ahmed A, Saqlain M, Bashir N, Dujaili J, Hashmi F, Mazhar F, et al.

Qual Life Res, 2021 Jun;30(6):1653-1664.
PMID: 33582967 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-021-02771-y

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is considered to be the fourth 90 of UNAIDS 90-90-90 target to monitor the effects of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART has significantly increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). However, the impact of chronic infection on HRQoL remains unclear, while factors influencing the HRQoL may vary from one country to another. The current study aimed to assess HRQoL and its associated factors among PLWHA receiving ART in Pakistan.
METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among PLWHA attending an ART centre of a tertiary care hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan. HRQoL was assessed using a validated Urdu version of EuroQol 5 dimensions 3 level (EQ-5D-3L) and its Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS).
RESULTS: Of the 602 patients included in the analyses, 59.5% (n = 358) reported no impairment in self-care, while 63.1% (n = 380) were extremely anxious/depressed. The overall mean EQ-5D utility score and visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) score were 0.388 (SD: 0.41) and 66.20 (SD: 17.22), respectively. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the factors significantly associated with HRQoL were: female gender; age > 50 years; having primary and secondary education; > 1 year since HIV diagnosis; HIV serostatus AIDS-converted; higher CD 4 T lymphocytes count; detectable viral load; and increased time to ART.
CONCLUSIONS: The current findings have shown that PLWHA in Pakistan adherent to ART had a good overall HRQoL, though with significantly higher depression. Some of the factors identified are amenable to institution-based interventions while mitigating depression to enhance the HRQoL of PLWHA in Pakistan. The HRQoL determined in this study could be useful for future economic evaluation studies for ART and in designing future interventions.
Fulltext Microbiological Reduction of Molybdenum to Molybdenum Blue as a Sustainable Remediation Tool for Molybdenum: A Comprehensive Review

Yakasai HM, Rahman MF, Manogaran M, Yasid NA, Syed MA, Shamaan NA, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 May 27;18(11).
PMID: 34071757 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115731

Molybdenum (Mo) microbial bioreduction is a phenomenon that is beginning to be recognized globally as a tool for the remediation of molybdenum toxicity. Molybdenum toxicity continues to be demonstrated in many animal models of spermatogenesis and oogenesis, particularly those of ruminants. The phenomenon has been reported for more than 100 years without a clear understanding of the reduction mechanism, indicating a clear gap in the scientific knowledge. This knowledge is not just fundamentally important-it is specifically important in applications for bioremediation measures and the sustainable recovery of metal from industrial or mine effluent. To date, about 52 molybdenum-reducing bacteria have been isolated globally. An increasing number of reports have also been published regarding the assimilation of other xenobiotics. This phenomenon is likely to be observed in current and future events in which the remediation of xenobiotics requires microorganisms capable of degrading or transforming multi-xenobiotics. This review aimed to comprehensively catalogue all of the characterizations of molybdenum-reducing microorganisms to date and identify future opportunities and improvements.
Fulltext Stroke Rehabilitation for Falls and Risk of Falls in Southeast Asia: A Scoping Review With Stakeholders' Consultation

Ahmad Ainuddin H, Romli MH, Hamid TA, Salim MSF, Mackenzie L

Front Public Health, 2021;9:611793.
PMID: 33748063 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.611793

Background: Research on rehabilitation for falls after stroke is warranted. However, published evidence on fall interventions with stroke survivors is limited and these are mainly international studies that may be less relevant for Southeast Asia. Objective: This review aims to systematically identify literature related to stroke rehabilitation for falls and risk of falls in Southeast Asia. Methods: A scoping review with stakeholders' consultation was implemented. An electronic search was conducted up to December 2020 on 4 databases (Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, ASEAN Citation Index). Only original studies conducted in Southeast Asia were selected. Results: The initial search yielded 3,112 articles, however, only 26 were selected in the final analysis. Most of the articles focused on physical rehabilitation and implemented conventional therapies. While the literature may reflect practice in Southeast Asia, stakeholders perceived that the literature was inadequate to show true practice, was not informative and missed several aspects such as functional, cognitive, and psychological interventions in managing falls. Individual-centric interventions dominated the review while community-based and environmental-focused studies were limited. Majority of the articles were written by physiotherapists while others were from physicians, occupational therapists, and an engineer but few from other healthcare practitioners (i.e., speech therapists, psychologists) or disciplines interested in falls. Conclusions: Falls prevention among stroke survivors has received a lack of attention and is perceived as an indirect goal in stroke rehabilitation in Southeast Asia. More innovative research adopted from falls research with older people is needed to advance falls prevention and intervention practice with stroke survivors.
Fulltext Jasmonates: Multifunctional Roles in Stress Tolerance

Ahmad P, Rasool S, Gul A, Sheikh SA, Akram NA, Ashraf M, et al.

Front Plant Sci, 2016;7:813.
PMID: 27379115 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00813

Jasmonates (JAs) [Jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonates (MeJAs)] are known to take part in various physiological processes. Exogenous application of JAs so far tested on different plants under abiotic stresses particularly salinity, drought, and temperature (low/high) conditions have proved effective in improving plant stress tolerance. However, its extent of effectiveness entirely depends on the type of plant species tested or its concentration. The effects of introgression or silencing of different JA- and Me-JA-related genes have been summarized in this review, which have shown a substantial role in improving crop yield and quality in different plants under stress or non-stress conditions. Regulation of JAs synthesis is impaired in stressed as well as unstressed plant cells/tissues, which is believed to be associated with a variety of metabolic events including signal transduction. Although, mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are important components of JA signaling and biosynthesis pathways, nitric oxide, ROS, calcium, ABA, ethylene, and salicylic acid are also important mediators of plant growth and development during JA signal transduction and synthesis. The exploration of other signaling molecules can be beneficial to examine the details of underlying molecular mechanisms of JA signal transduction. Much work is to be done in near future to find the proper answers of the questions like action of JA related metabolites, and identification of universal JA receptors etc. Complete signaling pathways involving MAPKs, CDPK, TGA, SIPK, WIPK, and WRKY transcription factors are yet to be investigated to understand the complete mechanism of action of JAs.
Numerical investigation of treated brain glioma model using a two-stage successive over-relaxation method

Hussain A, Muthuvalu MS, Faye I, Zafar M, Inc M, Afzal F, et al.

Comput Biol Med, 2023 Feb;153:106429.
PMID: 36587570 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106429

A brain tumor is a dynamic system in which cells develop rapidly and abnormally, as is the case with most cancers. Cancer develops in the brain or inside the skull when aberrant and odd cells proliferate in the brain. By depriving the healthy cells of leisure, nutrition, and oxygen, these aberrant cells eventually cause the healthy cells to perish. This article investigated the development of glioma cells in treating brain tumors. Mathematically, reaction-diffusion models have been developed for brain glioma growth to quantify the diffusion and proliferation of the tumor cells within brain tissues. This study presents the formulation the two-stage successive over-relaxation (TSSOR) algorithm based on the finite difference approximation for solving the treated brain glioma model to predict glioma cells in treating the brain tumor. Also, the performance of TSSOR method is compared to the Gauss-Seidel (GS) and two-stage Gauss-Seidel (TSGS) methods in terms of the number of iterations, the amount of time it takes to process the data, and the rate at which glioma cells grow the fastest. The implementation of the TSSOR, TSGS, and GS methods predicts the growth of tumor cells under the treatment protocol. The results show that the number of glioma cells decreased initially and then increased gradually by the next day. The computational complexity analysis is also used and concludes that the TSSOR method is faster compared to the TSGS and GS methods. According to the results of the treated glioma development model, the TSSOR approach reduced the number of iterations by between 8.0 and 71.95%. In terms of computational time, the TSSOR approach is around 1.18-76.34% faster than the TSGS and GS methods.
Factors Influencing Despair, Self-blame, and Acceptance Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Malaysian Perspective

Abd Latif MH, Wan Ismail WS, Abdul Manaf MR, Abdul Taib NI

J Autism Dev Disord, 2023 Nov 21.
PMID: 37987948 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06155-8

PURPOSE: Accepting and adapting to the child's diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenging for parents. We aimed to assess domains of parental adjustment namely despair, self-blame, and acceptance among parents whose children were diagnosed with ASD.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 111 parents of children with autism who attended Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit (CAPU), in a university teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sociodemographic profiles of both parents and children were gathered. Parental adjustment focusing on parental self-blame, despair and acceptance were assessed using self-reported questionnaires namely Adjustment to the Diagnosis of Autism (ADA).
RESULTS: Higher level of despair was associated with parents who have medical illness (β = 0.214, p = 0.016) and children who received antipsychotic medications (β = 0.329, p
Quality management overview for the production of a tissue-engineered human skin substitute in Malaysia

Seet WT, Mat Afandi MA, Ishak MF, Hassan MNF, Ahmat N, Ng MH, et al.

Stem Cell Res Ther, 2023 Oct 20;14(1):298.
PMID: 37858277 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03536-9

Treatments for skin injuries have recently advanced tremendously. Such treatments include allogeneic and xenogeneic transplants and skin substitutes such as tissue-engineered skin, cultured cells, and stem cells. The aim of this paper is to discuss the general overview of the quality assurance and quality control implemented in the manufacturing of cell and tissue product, with emphasis on our experience in the manufacturing of MyDerm®, an autologous bilayered human skin substitute. Manufacturing MyDerm® requires multiple high-risk open manipulation steps, such as tissue processing, cell culture expansion, and skin construct formation. To ensure the safety and efficacy of this product, the good manufacturing practice (GMP) facility should establish a well-designed quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) programme. Standard operating procedures (SOP) should be implemented to ensure that the manufacturing process is consistent and performed in a controlled manner. All starting materials, including tissue samples, culture media, reagents, and consumables must be verified and tested to confirm their safety, potency, and sterility. The final products should also undergo a QC testing series to guarantee product safety, efficacy, and overall quality. The aseptic techniques of cleanroom operators and the environmental conditions of the facility are also important, as they directly influence the manufacturing of good-quality products. Hence, personnel training and environmental monitoring are necessary to maintain GMP compliance. Furthermore, risk management implementation is another important aspect of QA/QC, as it is used to identify and determine the risk level and to perform risk assessments when necessary. Moreover, procedures for non-conformance reporting should be established to identify, investigate, and correct deviations that occur during manufacturing. This paper provides insight and an overview of the QA/QC aspect during MyDerm® manufacturing in a GMP-compliant facility in the Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Immunoinformatics-based potential multi-peptide vaccine designing against Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV) capable of eliciting cellular and humoral immune responses

Shahab M, Aiman S, Alshammari A, Alasmari AF, Alharbi M, Khan A, et al.

Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 2):126678.
PMID: 37666399 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126678

Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) is a deadly viral infection transmitted by various mosquito species. This mosquito-borne virus belongs to Bunyaviridae family, posing a high public health threat in the in tropical regions of the United States causing encephalitis in humans. Common symptoms of JCV include fever, headache, stiff neck, photophobia, nausea, vomiting, and seizures. Despite the availability of resources, there is currently no vaccine or drug available to combat JCV. The purpose of this study was to develop an epitope-based vaccine using immunoinformatics approaches. The vaccine aimed to be secure, efficient, bio-compatible, and capable of stimulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. In this study, the protein sequence of JCV was obtained from the NCBI database. Various bioinformatics methods, including toxicity evaluation, antigenicity testing, conservancy analysis, and allergenicity assessment were utilized to identify the most promising epitopes. Suitable linkers and adjuvant sequences were used in the design of vaccine construct. 50s ribosomal protein sequence was used as an adjuvant at the N-terminus of the construct. A total of 5 CTL, 5 HTL, and 5 linear B cell epitopes were selected based on non-allergenicity, immunological potential, and antigenicity scores to design a highly immunogenic multi-peptide vaccine construct. Strong interactions between the proposed vaccine and human immune receptors, i.e., TLR-2 and TLR-4, were revealed in a docking study using ClusPro software, suggesting their possible relevance in the immunological response to the vaccine. Immunological and physicochemical properties assessment ensured that the proposed vaccine demonstrated high immunogenicity, solubility and thermostability. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the strong binding affinities, as well as dynamic and structural stability of the proposed vaccine. Immune simulation suggest that the vaccine has the potential to effectively stimulate cellular and humoral immune responses to combat JCV infection. Experimental and clinical assays are required to validate the results of this study.
Spent tea waste extract as a green modifying agent of chitosan for aspirin adsorption: Fixed-bed column, modeling and toxicity studies

Nordin AH, Ngadi N, Nordin ML, Noralidin NA, Nabgan W, Osman AY, et al.

Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 2):126501.
PMID: 37678687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126501

Aspirin is a prevalent over-the-counter medicine that has been categorized as an emerging contaminant due to its danger to both living things and the environment. This work presents chitosan modified with spent tea waste extract (STWE) via the wet impregnation method as an adsorbent for the enhanced removal of aspirin in a fixed-bed column. The adsorbent (named chitosan-STWE) was successfully synthesized and exhibited a low crystallinity structure, good stability against thermal and acidic conditions, as depicted by HNMR, XRD, TGA, and the dissolution rate of the adsorbent. The adsorption column study reveals that increasing bed height (up to 6 cm) increases the percentage of aspirin removal (up to 40.8 %). Increasing aspirin concentration enhances the amount of aspirin that comes into contact with the chitosan-STWE adsorbent, thereby increasing the adsorption capacity. On the other hand, higher flow rates result in shorter contact times between the adsorbent and adsorbates, which lowers the quantity of aspirin adsorbed. The experimental data are in accordance with the values generated by the Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models, with the maximum adsorption capacity of 61.7 mg/g. The chitosan-STWE adsorbent was determined to be non-toxic, thus safe to be used in wastewater treatment applications.
Fulltext AALLA: Attack-Aware Logical Link Assignment Cost-Minimization Model for Protecting Software-Defined Networks against DDoS Attacks

Ali S, Tan SC, Lee CK, Yusoff Z, Haque MR, Mylonas A, et al.

Sensors (Basel), 2023 Nov 02;23(21).
PMID: 37960622 DOI: 10.3390/s23218922

Software-Defined Networking (SDN), which is used in Industrial Internet of Things, uses a controller as its "network brain" located at the control plane. This uniquely distinguishes it from the traditional networking paradigms because it provides a global view of the entire network. In SDN, the controller can become a single point of failure, which may cause the whole network service to be compromised. Also, data packet transmission between controllers and switches could be impaired by natural disasters, causing hardware malfunctioning or Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Thus, SDN controllers are vulnerable to both hardware and software failures. To overcome this single point of failure in SDN, this paper proposes an attack-aware logical link assignment (AALLA) mathematical model with the ultimate aim of restoring the SDN network by using logical link assignment from switches to the cluster (backup) controllers. We formulate the AALLA model in integer linear programming (ILP), which restores the disrupted SDN network availability by assigning the logical links to the cluster (backup) controllers. More precisely, given a set of switches that are managed by the controller(s), this model simultaneously determines the optimal cost for controllers, links, and switches.
Fulltext Modeling the intention and donation of second-hand clothing in the context of an emerging economy

Wu M, Al Mamun A, Yang Q, Gao J, Rahman MK, Al Shami SSA

Sci Rep, 2023 Sep 13;13(1):15106.
PMID: 37704693 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42437-y

The culture of fast fashion accelerates the consumption rate of individuals but at the expense of significant environmental stress. With a large amount of discarded clothing accumulating in landfills, it is crucial to encourage people to dispose of second-hand clothing (SHC) as sustainably as possible, especially in an emerging economy with large volume consumption. Through a survey of 619 respondents from China, this study explored the factors affecting people's intentions and actual donation behaviors toward SHC. It extends the theory of interpersonal behavior (TIB) with environmental factors to construct a research framework, which included cognitive factors (attitude towards sustainable consumption), social factors (sense of community) and personal factors (perceived hedonic benefit) under TIB and the environment factors refers to problem awareness and ascription responsibility. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data. The findings revealed that attitudes toward sustainable consumption, problem awareness, ascription of responsibility, sense of community, and perceived hedonic benefit significantly and positively influenced people's intentions and practices of SHC donation. This study will aid governments and relevant green environmental protection organizations in formulating more precise strategies for sustainable development, and promote relevant research on the sustainable disposal of SHC.
Heterologous Production of Artemisinin in Physcomitrium patens by Direct in vivo Assembly of Multiple DNA Fragments

Ikram NKK, Zakariya AM, Saiman MZ, Kashkooli AB, Simonsen HT

Bio Protoc, 2023 Jul 20;13(14):e4719.
PMID: 37497445 DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.4719

The sesquiterpene lactone compound artemisinin is a natural medicinal product of commercial importance. This Artemisia annua-derived secondary metabolite is well known for its antimalarial activity and has been studied in several other biological assays. However, the major shortcoming in its production and commercialization is its low accumulation in the native plant. Moreover, the chemical synthesis of artemisinin is difficult and expensive due to its complex structure. Hence, an alternative and sustainable production system of artemisinin in a heterologous host is required. Previously, heterologous production of artemisinin was achieved by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. However, this requires extensive bioengineering of modified Nicotiana plants. Recently, a technique involving direct in vivo assembly of multiple DNA fragments in the moss, P. patens, has been successfully established. We utilized this technique to engineer artemisinin biosynthetic pathway genes into the moss, and artemisinin was obtained without further modifications with high initial production. Here, we provide protocols for establishing moss culture accumulating artemisinin, including culture preparation, transformation method, and compound detection via HS-SPME, UPLC-MRM-MS, and LC-QTOF-MS. The bioengineering of moss opens up a more sustainable, cost effective, and scalable platform not only in artemisinin production but also other high-value specialized metabolites in the future.
Development of biodegradable thin films for efficient, specific and controlled delivery of capecitabine

Gul I, Yunus U, Ajmal M, Bhatti MH, Chaudhry GE

Biomed Mater, 2021 Aug 31;16(5).
PMID: 34375958 DOI: 10.1088/1748-605X/ac1c61

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Capecitabine (CP) shows severe side effects because of early metabolism in stomach that affects the normal cells and organs, particularly liver and stomach. In this scope, we report the biocompatible, nontoxic polymeric thin films loaded with anti-cancer drug, CP for target specific, sublingual delivery of CP. Chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were used as biodegradable polymers alongwith glutaraldehyde (GLA) cross linker. CP-loaded thin films (TFCP1-TFCP5) were fabricated by solvent casting method. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of CP and polymers (CS and PVA) with GLA which binds through hydrogen bonding, and compatibility of drug with different excipients. Thermogravemetric analysis showed that the thin films are highly stable while differential scanning calorimeter thermograms confirmed the complete miscibility/entrapment of CP within PVA/CS thin film matrix. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the molecular ineractions between CP and polymer matrix. High degree of swelling index of thin films at pH 7.4 was observed in comparison to pH 5.5. CP release studies in acetate (pH 5.5) and phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) showed that the thin films swell and result in drug diffusion faster in phosphate buffer through diffusion governed by Higuchi's model. Cytotoxicity results displayed that CPTFs killed MCF-7 and T47D (human breast adenocarcinoma) cells more effectively as compared to CP alone. The results of adhesion assay also showed that the PVA and CS both are safe and biocompatible. TFCP1 and TFCP3 thin films efficiently induced the apoptosis as compared to CP alone. The improved ability of TFCP1 and TFCP3 to induce cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells reflects the potential of these thin films for targeted drug delivery. The CPTFs were stable for 4 months at 4 °C/60% ± 2%RH and 25 °C/70% ± 2%RH. In conclusion, the thin film formulations showed target specific controlled and burst release properties and thus could prove to be effective for human breast cancer treatment.
Fulltext Mechanism and kinetic model of microalgal enzymatic hydrolysis for prospective bioethanol conversion

Padil, Putra MD, Hidayat M, Kasiamdari RS, Mutamima A, Iwamoto K, et al.

RSC Adv, 2023 Jul 12;13(31):21403-21413.
PMID: 37465575 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra01556d

Tetraselmis chuii is a potential microalgae that is in consideration for producing bioethanol owing to its large content of carbohydrates. The glucose production from T. chuii through an enzymatic process with cellulase and xylanase (pretreatment process) and α-amylase and glucoamylase (saccharification process) was studied. The mechanism of the enzymatic process was developed and the kinetic models were then evaluated. For the pretreatment process, enzymes with 30% concentration reacted at 30 °C for 40 min resulted in 35.9% glucose yield. For the saccharification process, the highest glucose yield of 90.03% was obtained using simultaneous α-amylase (0.0006%) and glucoamylase (0.01%) enzymes at 55 °C and for 40 min. The kinetic models fitted well with the experimental data. The model also revealed that the saccharification process performed better than the pretreatment process with a higher kinetic constant and lower activation energy. The proposed kinetic model plays an important role in implementing processes at a larger scale.
Immobilization of blood coagulant factor VII on polycaprolactone membrane through polydopamine grafting

Gopal R, Md Shakhih MF, Sahalan M, Lee TC, Hermawan H, Sivalingam S, et al.

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 2023 Aug;228:113390.
PMID: 37315506 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113390

Postoperative bleeding following cardiac surgeries is still an issue that deranges the medical resources and cost. The oral and injection administrations of blood coagulation protein, Factor VII (FVII), is effective to stop the bleeding. However, its short half-life has limited the effectiveness of this treatment and frequent FVII intake may distress the patients. Instead, incorporating FVII into synthetic biodegradable polymers such as polycaprolactone (PCL) that is commonly used in drug delivery applications should provide a solution. Therefore, this study aimed to immobilize FVII on PCL membranes through a cross-linkage polydopamine (PDA) grafting as an intermediate layer. These membranes are intended to provide a solution for cardiac bleeding in coagulating blood and sealing the sutured region. The membranes were evaluated in terms of its physio-chemical properties, thermal behavior, FVII release profile and biocompatibility properties. The ATR-FTIR was used to analyze the chemical functionalities of the membranes. Further validation was done with XPS where the appearances of 0.45 ± 0.06% sulfur composition and C-S peak have confirmed the immobilization of FVII on the PCL membranes. The cross-linked FVIIs were viewed in spherical immobilization on the PCL membranes with a size range between 30 and 210 nm. The surface roughness and hydrophilicity of the membranes were enhanced with a slight shift of melting temperature. The PCL-PDA-FVII0.03 and PCL-PDA-FVII0.05 membranes, with wide area of FVII immobilization released approximately only 22% of FVII into the solution within 60 days period and, it is found that the PCL-PDA-FVIIx membranes projected the Higuchi release model with non-Fickian anomalous transport. While the cytotoxic and hemocompatibility analyses showed advance cell viability, identical coagulation time and low hemolysis ratio on the PCL-PDA-FVIIx membranes. The erythrocytes were viewed in polyhedrocyte coagulated structure under SEM visualization. These results validate the biocompatibility of the membranes and its ability to prolong blood coagulation, thus highlighting its potential application as cardiac bleeding sealant.
Fulltext Adapting an Evidence-Based Intervention Targeting HIV-Infected Prisoners in Malaysia

Copenhaver MM, Tunku N, Ezeabogu I, Potrepka J, Zahari MM, Kamarulzaman A, et al.

AIDS Res Treat, 2011;2011:131045.
PMID: 21860786 DOI: 10.1155/2011/131045

HIV-infected prisoners in Malaysia represent a critical target population for secondary HIV risk reduction interventions and care. We report on the process and outcome of our formative research aimed at systematically selecting and adapting an EBI designed to reduce secondary HIV risk and improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy among soon-to-be-released HIV-infected prisoners. Our formative work involved a critical examination of established EBIs and associated published reports complemented by data elicited through structured interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, members of the target population, and their family members. Based on all information, we adapted the Holistic Health Recovery Program targeting people living with HIV (HHRP+), an EBI, to consist of eight 2-hour sessions that cover a range of specified topics so that participants may individually apply intervention content as needed to accommodate their particular substance abuse, HIV risk, and antiretroviral adherence issues. This study provides a complete example of the process of selecting and adapting an EBI-taking into account both empirical evidence and input from target organization stakeholders and target population members and their families-for use in real world prison settings where high-risk populations are concentrated.
The relationship between carbon dioxide flux and environmental parameters at a tropical coastal sea on different timescales

Yusup Y, Swesi AE, Sigid MF, Almdhun HM, Jamshidi EJ

Mar Pollut Bull, 2023 Aug;193:115106.
PMID: 37302202 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115106

This paper analyzes CO2 flux between the atmosphere and a tropical coastal sea using the eddy covariance technique. Coastal carbon dioxide flux studies are limited, particularly in tropical regions. Data was collected from the study site in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, since 2015. The research found that the site is a moderate CO2 sink and experiences seasonal monsoonal changes that affect its carbon-sink or carbon-source capability. The analysis showed that the coastal sea systematically shifted from being a carbon-sink at night to a weak carbon-source during the day possibly due to cause by the synergistic influence of wind speed and seawater temperature. The CO2 flux are also influenced by small-scale, unpredictable winds, limited fetch, developing waves, and high-buoyancy conditions caused by low wind speeds and an unstable surface layer. Furthermore, it exhibited a linear relationship with wind speed. In stable conditions, the flux was influenced by wind speed and drag coefficient, while in unstable conditions, it was mostly controlled by friction velocity and atmospheric stability. These findings could improve our understanding of the critical factors that drive CO2 flux at the tropical coast.

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