Displaying publications 4861 - 4880 of 7301 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext Tissue Rigidity Increased during Carcinogenesis of NTCU-Induced Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vivo
    Zakaria MA, Aziz J, Rajab NF, Chua EW, Masre SF
    Biomedicines, 2022 Sep 23;10(10).
    PMID: 36289644 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102382
    Increased tissue rigidity is an emerging hallmark of cancer as it plays a critical role in promoting cancer growth. However, the field lacks a defined characterization of tissue rigidity in dual-stage carcinogenesis of lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in vivo. Pre-malignant and malignant lung SCC was developed in BALB/c mice using N-nitroso-tris-chloroethylurea (NTCU). Picro sirius red staining and atomic force microscopy were performed to measure collagen content and collagen (diameter and rigidity), respectively. Then, the expression of tenascin C (TNC) protein was determined using immunohistochemistry staining. Briefly, all tissue rigidity parameters were found to be increased in the Cancer group as compared with the Vehicle group. Importantly, collagen content (33.63 ± 2.39%) and TNC expression (7.97 ± 2.04%) were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the Malignant Cancer group, as compared with the collagen content (18.08 ± 1.75%) and TNC expression (0.45 ± 0.53%) in the Pre-malignant Cancer group, indicating increased tissue rigidity during carcinogenesis of lung SCC. Overall, tissue rigidity of lung SCC was suggested to be increased during carcinogenesis as indicated by the overexpression of collagen and TNC protein, which may warrant further research as novel therapeutic targets to treat lung SCC effectively.
  2. Fulltext Rigid Tissue Increases Cytoplasmic pYAP Expression in Pre-Malignant Stage of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) In Vivo
    Zakaria MA, Kiew MC, Rajab NF, Chua EW, Masre SF
    Curr Issues Mol Biol, 2022 Sep 29;44(10):4528-4539.
    PMID: 36286025 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44100310
    Increased tissue rigidity is able to activate the Hippo signaling pathway, leading to YAP inactivation by phosphorylation and translocation into the cytoplasm. Accumulating evidence suggests that cytoplasmic pYAP serves as a tumor suppressor and could be a prognostic biomarker for several solid cancers. However, the relationship between tissue rigidity and cytoplasmic pYAP expression in the early stage of lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) remains elusive; this was determined in this study by using a mouse model. Female BALB/c mice were assigned into two groups (n = 6; the vehicle (VC) and the pre-malignant (PM) group, which received 70% acetone and 0.04 M N-nitroso-tris-chloroethylurea (NTCU) for 15 weeks, respectively. In this study, the formation of hyperplasia and metaplasia lesions was found in the PM group, indicating the pre-malignant stage of lung SCC. The pre-malignant tissue appeared to be more rigid as characterized by significantly higher (p < 0.05) epithelium thickness, proliferative activity, and collagen content than the VC group. The PM group also had a significantly higher (p < 0.05) cytoplasmic pYAP protein expression than the VC group. In conclusion, increased tissue rigidity may contribute to the upregulation of cytoplasmic pYAP expression, which may act as a tumor suppressor in the early stage of lung SCC.
  3. Fulltext Headspace Extraction of Chlorobenzenes from Water Using Electrospun Nanofibers Fabricated with Calix[4]arene-Doped Polyurethane-Polysulfone
    Najarzadekan H, Kamboh MA, Sereshti H, Ahmad I, Sridewi N, Shahabuddin S, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2022 Sep 08;14(18).
    PMID: 36145908 DOI: 10.3390/polym14183760
    Chlorobenzenes (CBs) are persistent and potentially have a carcinogenic effect on mammals. Thus, the determination of CBs is essential for human health. Hence, in this study, novel polyurethane−polysulfone/calix[4]arene (PU-PSU/calix[4]arene) nanofibers were synthesized using an electrospinning approach over in-situ coating on a stainless-steel wire. The nanosorbent was comprehensively characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. The SEM analysis depicted the nanofiber’s unique morphology and size distribution in the range of 50−200 nm. To determine the levels of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene, and 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene in water samples, freshly prepared nanosorbent was employed using headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) in combination with gas chromatography micro electron capture detector (GC-µECD). Other calixarenes, such as sulfonated calix[4]arene, p-tert-calixarene, and calix[6]arene were also examined, and among the fabricated sorbents, the PU−PSU/calix[4]arene showed the highest efficiency. The key variables of the procedure, including ionic strength, extraction temperature, extraction duration, and desorption conditions were examined. Under optimal conditions, the LOD (0.1−1.0 pg mL−1), the LDR (0.4−1000 pg mL−1), and the R2 > 0.990 were determined. Additionally, the repeatability from fiber to fiber and the intra-day and inter-day reproducibility were determined to be 1.4−6.0, 4.7−10.1, and 0.9−9.7%, respectively. The nanofiber adsorption capacity was found to be 670−720 pg/g for CBs at an initial concentration of 400 pg mL−1. A satisfactory recovery of 80−106% was attained when the suggested method’s application for detecting chlorobenzenes (CBs) in tap water, river water, sewage water, and industrial water was assessed.
  4. Fulltext The Combined Use of Interleukin-6 with Serum Albumin for Mortality Prediction in Critically Ill Elderly Patients: The Interleukin-6-to-albumin Ratio
    Lim KY, Shukeri WFWM, Hassan WMNW, Mat-Nor MB, Hanafi MH
    Indian J Crit Care Med, 2022 Oct;26(10):1126-1130.
    PMID: 36876199 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10071-24324
    BACKGROUND: The association between interleukin-6 (IL-6) and serum albumin (ALB) with mortality in critically ill elderly patients, either as stand-alone biomarkers or in combination, has been scarcely reported. We, therefore, aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the IL-6-to-albumin ratio in this special population.

    PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the mixed intensive care unit (ICU) of two university-affiliated hospitals in Malaysia. Consecutive elderly patients (aged above or equal to 60 years) admitted to the ICU, who underwent simultaneous measurement of plasma IL-6 and serum ALB, were recruited. The prognostic value of the IL-6-to-albumin ratio was assessed by analysis of the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

    RESULTS: A total of 112 critically ill elderly patients were recruited. The outcome of all-cause ICU mortality was 22.3%. The calculated IL-6-to-albumin ratio was significantly higher in the non-survivors compared to the survivors {14.1 [interquartile range (IQR), 6.5-26.7] vs 2.5 [(IQR, 0.6-9.2) pg/mL, p <0.001]}. The area under the curve (AUC) of IL-6-to-albumin ratio for discrimination of ICU mortality was 0.766 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.667-0.865, p <0.001] which was slightly higher than that of IL-6 and albumin alone. The ideal cut-off value of the IL-6-to-albumin ratio was above 5.7 with a sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 64.4%. After adjusting for severity of illness, the IL-6-to-albumin ratio remained as an independent predictor of ICU mortality with an adjusted odd ratio of 0.975 (95% CI, 0.952-0.999, p = 0.039).

    CONCLUSION: The IL-6-to-albumin ratio offers a slight improvement in mortality prediction than either of its constituent individual biomarkers and as such, it may be a potential tool to aid in the prognostication of critically ill elderly patients although this requires further validation in a larger prospective study.

    HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Lim KY, Shukeri WFWM, Hassan WMNW, Mat-Nor MB, Hanafi MH. The Combined Use of Interleukin-6 with Serum Albumin for Mortality Prediction in Critically Ill Elderly Patients: The Interleukin-6-to-albumin Ratio. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(10):1126-1130.

  5. Does green finance and institutional quality play an important role in air quality
    Çitil M, İlbasmış M, Olanrewaju VO, Barut A, Karaoğlan S, Ali M
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Apr;30(18):53962-53976.
    PMID: 36869955 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26016-2
    As the negative repercussions of environmental devastation, such as global warming and climate change, become more apparent, environmental consciousness is growing across the world, forcing nations to take steps to mitigate the damage. Thus, the current study assesses the effect of green investments, institutional quality, and political stability on air quality in the G-20 countries for the period 2004-2020. The stationarity of the variables was examined with the Pesaran (J Appl Econ 22:265-312, 2007) CADF, the long-term relationship between the variables by Westerlund (Oxf Bull Econ Stat 69(6):709-748, 2007), the long-run relationship coefficients with the MMQR method proposed by Machado and Silva (Econ 213(1):145-173, 2019), and the causality relationship between the variables by Dumitrescu and Hurlin (Econ Model 29(4):1450-1460, 2012) panel causality. The study findings revealed that green finance investments, institutional quality and political stability increased the air quality, while total output and energy consumption decreased air quality. The panel causality reveals a unidirectional causality from green finance investments, total output, energy consumption and political stability to air quality, and a bidirectional causality between institutional quality and air quality. According to these findings, it has been found that in the long term, green finance investments, total output, energy consumption, political stability, and institutional quality affect air quality. Based on these results, policies implications were proposed.
  6. Metabarcoding data analysis revealed the plant dietary variation of long-tailed macaque Macacafascicularis (Cercopithecidae, Cercopithecinae) living in disturbed habitats in Peninsular Malaysia
    Osman NA, Abdul-Latiff MAB, Mohd-Ridwan AR, Yaakop S, Karuppannan KV, Md-Zain BM
    Biodivers Data J, 2022;10:e89617.
    PMID: 36761533 DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e89617
    The long-tailed macaque (Macacafascicularis) has a wide range in both Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. Although the primates are especially vulnerable to habitat alterations, this primate lives in disturbed habitats due to human-induced land-use. Thus, this study presents a faecal metabarcoding approach to clarify the plant diet of long-tailed macaques from five locations in Peninsular Malaysia to represent fragmented forest, forest edge, island and recreational park habitats. We extracted genomic DNA from 53 long-tailed macaque faecal samples. We found 47 orders, 126 families, 609 genera and 818 species across these five localities. A total of 113 plant families were consumed by long-tailed macaques in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 61 in the Malaysia Genome and Vaccine Institute, 33 in Langkawi Island, 53 in Redang Island and 44 in the Cenderawasih Cave. Moraceae (33.24%) and Fabaceae (13.63%) were the most common families consumed by long-tailed macaques from the study localities. We found that habitat type impacted diet composition, indicating the flexibility of foraging activities. This research findings provide an understanding of plant dietary diversity and the adaptability of this macaque with the current alteration level that applies to long-tailed macaque conservation management interest in the future.
  7. Highly divergent regions in the complete plastome sequences of Aquilaria are suitable for DNA barcoding applications including identifying species origin of agarwood products
    Hishamuddin MS, Lee SY, Syazwan SA, Ramlee SI, Lamasudin DU, Mohamed R
    3 Biotech, 2023 Mar;13(3):78.
    PMID: 36761338 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03479-1
    Members of Aquilaria Lam. (Thymelaeaceae) are evergreen trees that are widely distributed in the Indomalesia region. Aquilaria is highly prized for its unique scented resin, agarwood, which is often the subject of unlawful trade activities. Survival of the tree is heavily threatened by destructive harvesting and agarwood poaching, leading to its protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Unfortunately, an efficient species identification method, which is crucial to aid in the conservation efforts of Aquilaria is lacking. Here, we described our search for a suitable specific DNA barcode for Aquilaria species using eight complete plastome sequences. We identified five highly variable regions (HVR) (matK-rps16, ndhF-rpl32, psbJ-petA, trnD, and trnT-trnL) in the plastomes. These regions were further analyzed using the neighbor-joining (NJ) method to assess their ability at discriminating the eight species. Coupled with in silico primer design, two potential barcoding regions, psbJ-petA and trnT-trnL, were identified. Their strengths in species delimitation were evaluated individually and in combination, via DNA barcoding analysis. Our findings showed that the combined dataset, psbJ-petA + trnT-trnL, effectively resolved members of the genus Aquilaria by clustering all species into their respective clades. In addition, we demonstrated that the newly proposed DNA barcode was capable at identifying the species of origin of six commercial agarwood samples that were included as unknown samples. Such achievement offers a new technical advancement, useful in the combat against illicit agarwood trades and in assisting the conservation of these valuable species in natural populations.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03479-1.

  8. Fulltext Reverse water gas shift reaction over a Cu/ZnO catalyst supported on regenerated spent bleaching earth (RSBE) in a slurry reactor: the effect of the Cu/Zn ratio on the catalytic activity
    Phey Phey ML, Tuan Abdullah TA, Md Ali UF, Mohamud MY, Ikram M, Nabgan W
    RSC Adv, 2023 Jan 18;13(5):3039-3055.
    PMID: 36756434 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra07617a
    The catalytic conversion of CO2 via the Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS) reaction for CO production is a promising environment-friendly approach. The greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels can be used to produce valuable fuels or chemicals through CO2 hydrogenation. Therefore, this project was to study the CO2 conversion via RWGS over various Cu/ZnO catalysts supported by regenerated spent bleaching earth (RSBE) prepared by wet impregnation technique with different Cu : Zn ratios (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0). The causes of environmental pollution from the disposal of spent bleaching earth (SBE) from an edible oil refinery can be eliminated by using it as catalyst support after the regeneration process. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction of hydrogen (TPR-H2), pyridine-adsorbed Fourier transform infrared (FTIR-pyridine), temperature programmed desorption of carbon dioxide (TPD-CO2), N2 physisorption, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The RWGS reaction was carried out in a slurry reactor at 200 °C, with a pressure of 3 MPa, a residence time of 4 h, and catalyst loading of 1.0 g with an H2/CO2 ratio of 3. According to experimental data, the Cu/Zn ratio significantly impacts the catalytic structure and performance. The catalytic activity increased until the Cu : Zn ratio reached the maximum value of 1.5, while a further increase in Cu/Zn ratio inhibited the catalytic performance. The CZR3 catalyst (Cu/Zn ratio of 1.5) with a higher catalytic reducibility, high copper dispersion with small crystalline size, lower total pore volume as well as higher basicity showed superior catalytic performance in terms of CO2 conversion (40.67%) and CO yield (39.91%). Findings on the effect of reaction conditions revealed that higher temperature (>240 °C), higher pressure (>3 MPa), higher reaction time (>4 h) and higher catalyst loading (>1.25 g) could improve CO2 conversion to CO yield. A maximum CO2 conversion of 45.8% and multiple recycling stability of the catalyst were achieved, showing no significant decrease in CO2 conversion.
  9. Fulltext Altered Tryptophan-Kynurenine Pathway in Delirium: A Review of the Current Literature
    Phing AH, Makpol S, Nasaruddin ML, Wan Zaidi WA, Ahmad NS, Embong H
    Int J Mol Sci, 2023 Mar 15;24(6).
    PMID: 36982655 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065580
    Delirium, a common form of acute brain dysfunction, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially in older patients. The underlying pathophysiology of delirium is not clearly understood, but acute systemic inflammation is known to drive delirium in cases of acute illnesses, such as sepsis, trauma, and surgery. Based on psychomotor presentations, delirium has three main subtypes, such as hypoactive, hyperactive, and mixed subtype. There are similarities in the initial presentation of delirium with depression and dementia, especially in the hypoactive subtype. Hence, patients with hypoactive delirium are frequently misdiagnosed. The altered kynurenine pathway (KP) is a promising molecular pathway implicated in the pathogenesis of delirium. The KP is highly regulated in the immune system and influences neurological functions. The activation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, and specific KP neuroactive metabolites, such as quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid, could play a role in the event of delirium. Here, we collectively describe the roles of the KP and speculate on its relevance in delirium.
  10. Fulltext Identification of Natural Lead Compounds against Hemagglutinin-Esterase Surface Glycoprotein in Human Coronaviruses Investigated via MD Simulation, Principal Component Analysis, Cross-Correlation, H-Bond Plot and MMGBSA
    Ali I, Rasheed MA, Cavalu S, Rahim K, Ijaz S, Yahya G, et al.
    Biomedicines, 2023 Mar 06;11(3).
    PMID: 36979773 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030793
    The pandemic outbreak of human coronavirus is a global health concern that affects people of all ages and genders, but there is currently still no effective, approved and potential drug against human coronavirus, as many other coronavirus vaccines have serious side effects while the development of small antiviral inhibitors has gained tremendous attention. For this research, HE was used as a therapeutic target, as the spike protein displays a high binding affinity for both host ACE2 and viral HE glycoprotein. Molecular docking, pharmacophore modelling and virtual screening of 38,000 natural compounds were employed to find out the best natural inhibitor against human coronaviruses with more efficiency and fewer side effects and further evaluated via MD simulation, PCA, DCCR and MMGBSA. The lead compound 'Calceolarioside B' was identified on the basis of pharmacophoric features which depict favorable binding (ΔGbind -37.6799 kcal/mol) with the HE(5N11) receptor that describes positive correlation movements in active site residues with better stability, a robust H-bond network, compactness and reliable ADMET properties. The Fraxinus sieboldiana Blume plant containing the Calceolarioside B compound could be used as a potential inhibitor that shows a higher efficacy and potency with fewer side effects. This research work will aid investigators in the testing and identification of chemicals that are effective and useful against human coronavirus.
  11. Fulltext Burnout and coping strategies among nurses in Malaysia: a national-level cross-sectional study
    Zakaria N, Zakaria NH, Bin Abdul Rassip MNA, Lee KY
    BMJ Open, 2022 Oct 10;12(10):e064687.
    PMID: 36216421 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064687
    OBJECTIVE: This national-level study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of burnout, as well as the coping strategies among nurses in the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia.

    DESIGN: Using a complex sampling design, a two-stage stratified cluster sampling was performed to recruit MOH nurses between August and November 2019.

    SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2428 nurses from 32 hospitals and 28 district health offices answered the questionnaires based on Maslach Burnout Inventory for Human Services and Brief COPE. Complex sampling analysis was applied.

    OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome of interest was the prevalence of burnout and its three domains of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP) and low personal accomplishment. ORs using 95% CIs were calculated. Significant factors at the univariate level were entered into the multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors of burnout.

    RESULTS: One in four (24.4%) nurses experienced burnout. Younger, single, and childless nurses had a higher prevalence of burnout. Shift working nurses were 1.6 times more likely to develop burnout. Those who performed >6 night shifts per month were 1.5 times more predisposed to burnout (95% CI 1.01 to 2.36; p<0.05). While encountering traumatic events at work led to 4.2 times (95% CI 2.31, 7.63; p<0.05) higher risk of burnout, those who received post-traumatic psychological support were better protected. The use of dysfunctional coping strategies was detrimental as it was positively correlated with EE and DP.

    CONCLUSION: Addressing modifiable stressors of burnout at individual and institutional levels identified in this study can be potentially beneficial in reducing burnout and its undesirable effects among nurses. Interventions that promote positive coping strategies should be implemented. Organisational-driven efforts must target the improvement of work schedules for nurses and the establishment of a structured debriefing service for post-trauma counselling.

  12. Fulltext Characteristics-Based Framework of Effective Automated Monitoring Parameters in Construction Projects
    Qureshi AH, Alaloul WS, Wing WK, Saad S, Ammad S, Altaf M
    Arab J Sci Eng, 2023;48(4):4731-4749.
    PMID: 36032406 DOI: 10.1007/s13369-022-07172-y
    The construction industry is moving toward digitalization, and technologies support various construction processes. In the automated construction progress monitoring domain, several modern progress measurement techniques have been introduced. However, a hesitant attitude has been observed toward its adoption. Researchers have highlighted lack of theoretical understanding of effectual implementation is one of the significant reasons. This study aims to analyze general technological parameters related to automated monitoring technologies and devise a theoretical-based conceptual framework explaining the aspects affecting the adequate operation of automated monitoring. The study has been executed by following a systematic inline process for the identification of effective parameters, which include a structured literature review, semi-structured interviews, pilot survey, questionnaire survey, and structural equation modeling (SEM)-based mathematical model. A refined conceptual framework has been devised with 21 effective parameters under five significant categories, i.e., "Target Object," "Technical," "External Interference," "Occlusions," and "Sensing." A knowledge framework has been established by adopting the SEM technique, which is designed on the characteristics-based theme. This conceptual framework provides the theoretical base for practitioners toward the conceptual understanding of automated monitoring processes related to technological parameters that affect the outcomes. This study is unique as it focused on the general criteria or parameters that affect the performance or outcomes of the digital monitoring process and is easily understandable by the user or operator.
  13. Fulltext The use of herbal and dietary supplements for COVID-19 prevention: A survey among the public in a Malaysian suburban town
    Wahab MSA, Hamdi H, Ali AA, Karuppannan M, Zulkifli MH, Maniam S, et al.
    J Herb Med, 2023 Jun;39:100650.
    PMID: 36998482 DOI: 10.1016/j.hermed.2023.100650
    INTRODUCTION: The spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may lead people to seek preventative measures. The use of herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) may have become prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify the prevalence, predictors, and patterns of HDS use for COVID-19 prevention in a sample of the general public in a suburban town in Malaysia.

    METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and June 2021 involving adults ≥ 18 years old. Data on the self-reported use of HDS for COVID-19 prevention were collected. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictors of HDS use.

    RESULTS: Overall, 41.9 % (168/401) reported using HDS to prevent COVID-19. Multivariate analysis showed that HDS users were more likely to be individuals ≥ 40 years old (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.774, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.016 - 3.098), and to have had a history of HDS use prior to the pandemic (aOR = 19.378, 95 % CI = 5.901 - 63.639). Most HDS users referred to social media or websites (66.7 %, 112/168) for HDS information. Approximately half of them had consulted either pharmacists or doctors about their HDS use.

    CONCLUSION: HDS use to prevent COVID-19 was common among the respondents. Several issues - such as the concurrent use of HDS with conventional medications, the use of unreliable sources of information, and the lack of consultation with healthcare providers (HCPs) - indicate that HCPs should be more proactive in their consultative and information-providing roles regarding HDS use.

  14. Fulltext Metabolites and Bioactivity of the Marine Xestospongia Sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae, Haplosclerida) of Southeast Asian Waters
    Khodzori FA, Mazlan NB, Chong WS, Ong KH, Palaniveloo K, Shah MD
    Biomolecules, 2023 Mar 06;13(3).
    PMID: 36979419 DOI: 10.3390/biom13030484
    Sponges are aquatic, spineless organisms that belong to the phylum Porifera. They come in three primary classes: Hexactinellidae, Demospongiae, and Calcarea. The Demospongiae class is the most dominant, making up over 90% of sponge species. One of the most widely studied genera within the Demospongiae class is Xestospongia, which is found across Southeast Asian waters. This genus is of particular interest due to the production of numerous primary and secondary metabolites with a wide range of biological potentials. In the current review, the antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic properties of metabolites from several varieties of Southeast Asian Xestospongia spp. were discussed. A total of 40 metabolites of various natures, including alkaloids, fatty acids, steroids, and quinones, were highlighted in X. bergquistia, X. testudinaria, X. muta, X. exigua, X. ashmorica and X. vansoesti. The review aimed to display the bioactivity of Xestospongia metabolites and their potential for use in the pharmaceutical sector. Further research is needed to fully understand their bioactivities.
  15. Fabrication and characterization of dual-layer hollow fibre membranes incorporating poly(citric acid)-grafted GO with enhanced antifouling properties for water treatment
    Said N, Lau WJ, Zainol Abidin MN, Mansourizadeh A, Ismail AF
    Environ Technol, 2023 Apr 09.
    PMID: 36976335 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2023.2197127
    Membrane fouling during the filtration process is a perennial issue and could lead to reduced separation efficiency. In this work, poly(citric acid)-grafted graphene oxide (PGO) was incorporated into a matrix of single-layer hollow fibre (SLHF) and dual-layer hollow fibrr (DLHF) membranes, respectively, aiming to improve membrane antifouling properties during water treatment. Different loadings of PGO ranging from 0 to 1 wt% were first introduced into the SLHF to identify the best PGO loading for the DLHF preparation with its outer layer modified by nanomaterials. The findings showed that at the optimized PGO loading of 0.7 wt%, the resultant SLHF membrane could achieve higher water permeability and bovine serum albumin rejection compared to the neat SLHF membrane. This is due to the improved surface hydrophilicity and increased structural porosity upon incorporation of optimized PGO loading. When 0.7 wt% PGO was introduced only to the outer layer of DLHF, the cross-sectional matrix of the membrane was altered, forming microvoids and spongy-like structures (more porous). Nevertheless, the BSA rejection of the membrane was improved to 97.7% owing to an inner selectivity layer produced from a different dope solution (without the PGO). The DLHF membrane also demonstrated significantly higher antifouling properties than the neat SLHF membrane. Its flux recovery rate is 85%, i.e. 37% better than that of a neat membrane. By incorporating hydrophilic PGO into the membrane, the interaction of the hydrophobic foulants with the membrane surface is greatly reduced.
  16. Fulltext In-Depth Review of Augmented Reality: Tracking Technologies, Development Tools, AR Displays, Collaborative AR, and Security Concerns
    Syed TA, Siddiqui MS, Abdullah HB, Jan S, Namoun A, Alzahrani A, et al.
    Sensors (Basel), 2022 Dec 23;23(1).
    PMID: 36616745 DOI: 10.3390/s23010146
    Augmented reality (AR) has gained enormous popularity and acceptance in the past few years. AR is indeed a combination of different immersive experiences and solutions that serve as integrated components to assemble and accelerate the augmented reality phenomena as a workable and marvelous adaptive solution for many realms. These solutions of AR include tracking as a means for keeping track of the point of reference to make virtual objects visible in a real scene. Similarly, display technologies combine the virtual and real world with the user's eye. Authoring tools provide platforms to develop AR applications by providing access to low-level libraries. The libraries can thereafter interact with the hardware of tracking sensors, cameras, and other technologies. In addition to this, advances in distributed computing and collaborative augmented reality also need stable solutions. The various participants can collaborate in an AR setting. The authors of this research have explored many solutions in this regard and present a comprehensive review to aid in doing research and improving different business transformations. However, during the course of this study, we identified that there is a lack of security solutions in various areas of collaborative AR (CAR), specifically in the area of distributed trust management in CAR. This research study also proposed a trusted CAR architecture with a use-case of tourism that can be used as a model for researchers with an interest in making secure AR-based remote communication sessions.
  17. Fulltext Prevalence and Predictors of Anxiety among Stable Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in Malaysia
    Bin Adnan MAA, Bin Kassim MSA, Bt Sahril N, Bin Abd Razak MA
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 29;20(1).
    PMID: 36612905 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010586
    The COVID-19 pandemic has created anxiety among hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and its associated factors among stable inpatient COVID-19 patients in Malaysia. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a web-based online survey involving 401 patients from Malaysia’s leading COVID-19 hospitals from 15th April until 30th June 2020, who were chosen using quota sampling. The General Anxiety Disorders 7 items (GAD-7) scale, the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE) and a socio-demographic profile questionnaire were used. Descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression were performed using SPSS v23 to determine the prevalence of anxiety and its associated factors. Result: The results showed that the prevalence of anxiety was 7.0%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that female gender (p < 0.05), a fear of infection (p < 0.05), a lack of information (p < 0.05), a maladaptive coping mechanism of behavioral disengagement (p < 0.001) and self-blame (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with anxiety. Meanwhile, adaptive coping mechanisms via instrumental support (p < 0.001) were a significant protective predictor of anxiety. Conclusions: COVID-19 infection has had a significant influence on the mental health of patients. Findings in our study provide baseline data on the prevalence of anxiety among stabilized COVID-19 inpatients in Malaysia. Despite the relatively low prevalence, the data have the potential to improve the present mental health monitoring system and the deployment of suitable treatments in dealing with similar circumstances.
  18. Identification of Newcastle Disease Virus sub-genotype VII 1.1 isolated from chickens in Sabah, Malaysia
    Syamsiah Aini S, Leow BL, Faizul Fikri MY, Muhammad Redzwan S, Faizah Hanim MS
    Trop Biomed, 2022 Dec 01;39(4):579-586.
    PMID: 36602219 DOI: 10.47665/tb.39.4.015
    Newcastle disease (ND) is an extremely contagious and fatal viral disease causing huge economic losses to the poultry industry. Following recent ND outbreaks in Sabah in commercial poultry and backyard farms, it was speculated that this could be due to a new introduction of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) genotype/sub-genotype. Here we report the genetic characterization of NDVs isolated from Sabah during early 2021. All isolates were amplified and sequenced with primers specific to the viral fusion (F) gene using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Nucleotide sequence analysis of the F gene showed that all isolates shared similar homology of 99.4% with NDV strain from Iran isolated in 2018. Amino acid sequences of the F protein cleavage site revealed the motif of 112RRQKRF117 indicating all isolates were of virulent strain. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that all isolates were clustered under sub-genotype VII 1.1 and clustered together with isolates from Iran (previously known as subgenotype VIIl). The present findings suggested that there is an emerging of a new sub-genotype into the poultry population in Sabah and this sub-genotype has never been reported before in Malaysia. Therefore, transboundary monitoring and continuous surveillance should be implemented for proper control and prevention of the disease. A further molecular epidemiological analysis of NDV is needed to well understand the circulatory patterns of virulent strains of NDV in the country to prevent future outbreaks.
  19. Fulltext Levulinic Acid Production from Waste Corncob Biomass Using an Environmentally Benign WO3-Grafted ZnCo2O4@CeO2 Bifunctional Heterogeneous Catalyst
    Perveen F, Farooq M, Ramli A, Naeem A, Khan IW, Saeed T, et al.
    ACS Omega, 2023 Jan 10;8(1):333-345.
    PMID: 36643508 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c04545
    Herein, a novel and environmentally benign solid catalyst was fabricated by grafting WO3 active species onto the ZnCo2O4@CeO2 support for efficient levulinic acid production from corncob waste biomass. The morphological, compositional, and textural properties of the designed catalyst were investigated using different characterization techniques to identify suitable catalyst formulation with enhanced catalytic activity and stability. The results demonstrated that WO3 active species were successfully loaded with uniform distribution onto the support to develop a robust catalyst with both acidic and basic sites. The experimental investigation showed that among the catalysts, WO3(10 wt %)/ZnCo2O4@CeO2 exhibited the best catalytic activity, providing a maximum levulinic acid yield of 78.49% at the optimal conditions of 6 wt % catalyst dosage, reaction temperature of 180 °C, and reaction time of 200 min. The presence of an optimum number of both acid and base active sites on the catalyst surface could lead to the highest catalytic activity of the synthesized catalyst. Finally, the reusability investigation indicated that the synthesized catalyst possessed sufficient recyclability of up to four times for the levulinic acid production from the selected biomass with negligible drop in the catalytic activity.
  20. Fulltext Experiences and Expectations of the Characteristics of Friendly Primary Health Services from the Perspective of Men: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study
    Ab Aziz MZ, Tengku Ismail TA, Ibrahim MI, Yaacob NM, Mohd Said Z
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Sep 29;19(19).
    PMID: 36231727 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912428
    Inadequate men's engagement with health services may be influenced by unmet needs and demands of the local men's community. This study aimed to explore men's experiences with primary health services and their expectations of the characteristics of friendly primary health services, from the perspective of men in Kelantan, Malaysia. A qualitative study using in-depth interviews was conducted with 15 men from six primary health facilities in Kelantan, Malaysia, who were selected based on maximum variation sampling. The data were transcribed and analyzed using the thematic analysis method. The study found that experiences with the existing primary health services were categorized into four subthemes: provision of health services, health promotion delivery, attributes of healthcare providers, and the physical environment of the health facilities. Meanwhile, the expectations of the characteristics of friendly primary health services were categorized into four subthemes: meeting the needs of men in primary health services, approaching men through effective health promotion strategies, standards of a healthcare provider from the viewpoint of men, and a comfortable physical environment for men. Prior experiences hugely influenced men's expectations of friendly primary health services. Men want these health service characteristics customized to meet their needs, allowing them to use health services with confidence and comfort. Thus, to strengthen primary health services for men, it is essential to comprehend their prior experiences with and expectations of the services.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links