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Fulltext Discovery of HIV entry inhibitors via a hybrid CXCR4 and CCR5 receptor pharmacophore-based virtual screening approach

Mirza MU, Saadabadi A, Vanmeert M, Salo-Ahen OMH, Abdullah I, Claes S, et al.

Eur J Pharm Sci, 2020 Dec 01;155:105537.
PMID: 32890663 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2020.105537

Chemokine receptors are key regulators of cell migration in terms of immunity and inflammation. Among these, CCR5 and CXCR4 play pivotal roles in cancer metastasis and HIV-1 transmission and infection. They act as essential co-receptors for HIV and furnish a route to the cell entry. In particular, inhibition of either CCR5 or CXCR4 leads very often the virus to shift to a more virulent dual-tropic strain. Therefore, dual receptor inhibition might improve the therapeutic strategies against HIV. In this study, we aimed to discover selective CCR5, CXCR4, and dual CCR5/CXCR4 antagonists using both receptor- and ligand-based computational methods. We employed this approach to fully incorporate the interaction attributes of the binding pocket together with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and binding free energy calculations. The best hits were evaluated for their anti-HIV-1 activity against CXCR4- and CCR5-specific NL4.3 and BaL strains. Moreover, the Ca2+ mobilization assay was used to evaluate their antagonistic activity. From the 27 tested compounds, three were identified as inhibitors: compounds 27 (CCR5), 6 (CXCR4) and 3 (dual) with IC50 values ranging from 10.64 to 64.56 μM. The binding mode analysis suggests that the active compounds form a salt bridge with the glutamates and π-stacking interactions with the aromatic side chains binding site residues of the respective co-receptor. The presented hierarchical virtual screening approach provides essential aspects in identifying potential antagonists in terms of selectivity against a specific co-receptor. The compounds having multiple heterocyclic nitrogen atoms proved to be relatively more specific towards CXCR4 inhibition as compared to CCR5. The identified compounds serve as a starting point for further development of HIV entry inhibitors through synthesis and quantitative structure-activity relationship studies.
Fulltext WITHDRAWN:Treated oil palm frond and its utilisation as an improved feedstuff for ruminants-An overview

Mookiah S, Wan Mohamed WN, Md Noh ', Ibrahim NA, Fuat MA, Ramiah SK, et al.

Asian-Australas J Anim Sci, 2020 Aug 24.
PMID: 32898954 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.20.0360

Ahead of Print article withdrawn by publisher.
Fulltext Low prevalence of infantile functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in a multi-ethnic Asian population

Chew KS, Em JM, Koay ZL, Jalaludin MY, Ng RT, Lum LCS, et al.

Pediatr Neonatol, 2021 01;62(1):49-54.
PMID: 32891528 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2020.08.009

BACKGROUND: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common in children. The prevalence of FGIDs varies across the world but is unknown in Malaysia. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of FGIDs in healthy Malaysian infants.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving healthy infants younger than 12 months of age who attended a well-baby clinic. A universal sampling method was adopted. Children with congenital disorders potentially affecting gastrointestinal functions, chronic debilitating diseases and hypothyroidism were excluded. Rome IV criteria were used to define FGIDs.
RESULTS: Of the total 534 infants recruited (54% males), 92% were born at term; 85% had normal birth weight [range 2.5-4.0 kg], and the mean (±S.D.) age at interview was 6.8 (±3.4) months. Thirty-six percent were breastfed, 29% were formula-fed, and 35% had mixed feeding. Prevalence of infant regurgitation and rumination syndrome was 10.5% and 1.7%, respectively. Prevalence of infant colic was 1.9% (3/160) (infant
Fulltext Effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on regulatory appetite and heat stress protein genes in broiler chickens subjected to heat stress

Ramiah SK, Atta Awad E, Hemly NIM, Ebrahimi M, Joshua O, Jamshed M, et al.

J Anim Sci, 2020 Oct 01;98(10).
PMID: 32936879 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaa300

This study was conducted to explore the effect of the zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) supplement on the regulatory appetite and heat stress (HS) genes in broiler chickens raised under high or normal ambient temperatures. In this study, 240 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb 500) were randomly assigned to 48 battery cages. From day 1, these 48 cages were randomly subjected to four different treatment strategies: Control (wherein, their basal diet included 60 mg/kg of ZnO), ZNONPs 40 (wherein basal diet included 40 mg/kg of ZnONPs), ZnONPs 60 (basal diet included 60 mg/kg of ZnONPs), and ZnONPs 100 (basal diet included 100 mg/kg of ZnONPs). Thereafter, from day 22 to 42, the chickens from each dietary treatment group were subjected to different temperature stresses either normal (23 ± 1 °C constant) or HS (34 ± 1 °C for 6 h/d), which divided them into eight different treatment groups. Our findings revealed that dietary ZnONPs altered the gene expression of cholecystokinin (ileum), heat stress proteins (HSP) 70 (jejunum and ileum), and HSP 90 (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum). The gene expression of ghrelin was affected by the interaction between the ZnONPs concentration and temperature in the duodenum and stomach. More studies are required to elucidate its complex physiological and biochemical functions of the regulation of gene expression within the intestine in heat-stressed broiler chickens.
Fulltext Two-Step Dopamine-to-Polydopamine Modification of Polyethersulfone Ultrafiltration Membrane for Enhancing Anti-Fouling and Ultraviolet Resistant Properties

Mulyati S, Muchtar S, Arahman N, Syamsuddin Y, Mat Nawi NI, Yub Harun N, et al.

Polymers (Basel), 2020 Sep 09;12(9).
PMID: 32916778 DOI: 10.3390/polym12092051

Polydopamine has been widely used as an additive to enhance membrane fouling resistance. This study reports the effects of two-step dopamine-to-polydopamine modification on the permeation, antifouling, and potential anti-UV properties of polyethersulfone (PES)-based ultrafiltration membranes. The modification was performed through a two-step mechanism: adding the dopamine additive followed by immersion into Tris-HCl solution to allow polymerization of dopamine into polydopamine (PDA). The results reveal that the step of treatment, the concentration of dopamine in the first step, and the duration of dipping in the Tris solution in the second step affect the properties of the resulting membranes. Higher dopamine loadings improve the pure water flux (PWF) by more than threefold (15 vs. 50 L/m2·h). The extended dipping period in the Tris alkaline buffer leads to an overgrowth of the PDA layer that partly covers the surface pores which lowers the PWF. The presence of dopamine or polydopamine enhances the hydrophilicity due to the enrichment of hydrophilic catechol moieties which leads to better anti-fouling. Moreover, the polydopamine film also improves the membrane resistance to UV irradiation by minimizing photodegradation's occurrence.
Fulltext IoT-Based Sensor Data Fusion for Determining Optimality Degrees of Microclimate Parameters in Commercial Greenhouse Production of Tomato

Rezvani SM, Abyaneh HZ, Shamshiri RR, Balasundram SK, Dworak V, Goodarzi M, et al.

Sensors (Basel), 2020 Nov 12;20(22).
PMID: 33198414 DOI: 10.3390/s20226474

Optimum microclimate parameters, including air temperature (T), relative humidity (RH) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) that are uniformly distributed inside greenhouse crop production systems are essential to prevent yield loss and fruit quality. The objective of this research was to determine the spatial and temporal variations in the microclimate data of a commercial greenhouse with tomato plants located in the mid-west of Iran. For this purpose, wireless sensor data fusion was incorporated with a membership function model called Optimality Degree (OptDeg) for real-time monitoring and dynamic assessment of T, RH and VPD in different light conditions and growth stages of tomato. This approach allows growers to have a simultaneous projection of raw data into a normalized index between 0 and 1. Custom-built hardware and software based on the concept of the Internet-of-Things, including Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LoRaWAN) transmitter nodes, a multi-channel LoRaWAN gateway and a web-based data monitoring dashboard were used for data collection, data processing and monitoring. The experimental approach consisted of the collection of meteorological data from the external environment by means of a weather station and via a grid of 20 wireless sensor nodes distributed in two horizontal planes at two different heights inside the greenhouse. Offline data processing for sensors calibration and model validation was carried in multiple MATLAB Simulink blocks. Preliminary results revealed a significant deviation of the microclimate parameters from optimal growth conditions for tomato cultivation due to the inaccurate timer-based heating and cooling control systems used in the greenhouse. The mean OptDeg of T, RH and VPD were 0.67, 0.94, 0.94 in January, 0.45, 0.36, 0.42 in June and 0.44, 0.0, 0.12 in July, respectively. An in-depth analysis of data revealed that averaged OptDeg values, as well as their spatial variations in the horizontal profile were closer to the plants' comfort zone in the cold season as compared with those in the warm season. This was attributed to the use of heating systems in the cold season and the lack of automated cooling devices in the warm season. This study confirmed the applicability of using IoT sensors for real-time model-based assessment of greenhouse microclimate on a commercial scale. The presented IoT sensor node and the Simulink model provide growers with a better insight into interpreting crop growth environment. The outcome of this research contributes to the improvement of closed-field cultivation of tomato by providing an integrated decision-making framework that explores microclimate variation at different growth stages in the production season.
Fulltext Chemical Composition and Evaluation of the α-Glucosidase Inhibitory and Cytotoxic Properties of Marine Algae Ulva intestinalis, Halimeda macroloba, and Sargassum ilicifolium

Nazarudin MF, Isha A, Mastuki SN, Ain NM, Mohd Ikhsan NF, Abidin AZ, et al.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2020;2020:2753945.
PMID: 33299448 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2753945

Seaweed has tremendous potentials as an alternative source of high-quality food products that have attracted research in recent times, due to their abundance and diversity. In the present study, three selected seaweed species commonly found in the Malaysian Peninsular, Ulva intestinalis, Halimeda macroloba, and Sargassum ilicifolium, were subjected to preliminary chemical screening and evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory and cytotoxic activities against five cancer cell lines. Chemical composition of U. intestinalis, H. macroloba, and S. ilicifolium methanolic extracts was evaluated by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Our results revealed the highest total carotenoids (162.00 μg g-1 DW), chlorophyll a (313.09 ± 2.53 μg g-1 DW), and chlorophyll b (292.52 ± 8.84 μg g-1 DW) concentrations in U. intestinalis. In the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, S. ilicifolium demonstrated the lowest efficacy with an IC50 value of 38.491 ppm compared to other species of seaweed. H. macroloba extract, on the other hand, was found to be the most cytotoxic toward MCF-7 and HT 29 cells with IC50 of 37.25 ± 0.58 and 21.32 ± 0.25 μg/mL, respectively, compared to other cell lines evaluated. Furthermore, H. macroloba extract was also found to be less toxic to normal cell (3T3) with IC50 of 48.80 ± 0.11 μg/mL. U. intestinalis extract exhibited the highest cytotoxicity toward Hep G2 cells with IC50 of 23.21 ± 0.11 μg/mL, whereas S. ilicifolium was less toxic to MDA- MB231 cell with IC50 of 25.23 ± 0.11 μg/mL. Subsequently, the GC-MS analysis of the methanolic extracts of these seaweed samples led to the identification of 27 metabolites in U. intestinalis, 22 metabolites in H. macroloba, and 24 metabolites in S. ilicifolium. Taken together, the results of this present study indicated that all the seaweed species evaluated are good seaweed candidates that exhibit potential for cultivation as functional food sources for human consumption and need to be promoted.
Fulltext Healthcare Professional in the Loop (HPIL): Classification of Standard and Oral Cancer-Causing Anomalous Regions of Oral Cavity Using Textural Analysis Technique in Autofluorescence Imaging

Awais M, Ghayvat H, Krishnan Pandarathodiyil A, Nabillah Ghani WM, Ramanathan A, Pandya S, et al.

Sensors (Basel), 2020 Oct 12;20(20).
PMID: 33053886 DOI: 10.3390/s20205780

Oral mucosal lesions (OML) and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) have been identified as having the potential to transform into oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This research focuses on the human-in-the-loop-system named Healthcare Professionals in the Loop (HPIL) to support diagnosis through an advanced machine learning procedure. HPIL is a novel system approach based on the textural pattern of OML and OPMDs (anomalous regions) to differentiate them from standard regions of the oral cavity by using autofluorescence imaging. An innovative method based on pre-processing, e.g., the Deriche-Canny edge detector and circular Hough transform (CHT); a post-processing textural analysis approach using the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM); and a feature selection algorithm (linear discriminant analysis (LDA)), followed by k-nearest neighbor (KNN) to classify OPMDs and the standard region, is proposed in this paper. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in differentiating between standard and anomalous regions of the oral cavity are 83%, 85%, and 84%, respectively. The performance evaluation was plotted through the receiver operating characteristics of periodontist diagnosis with the HPIL system and without the system. This method of classifying OML and OPMD areas may help the dental specialist to identify anomalous regions for performing their biopsies more efficiently to predict the histological diagnosis of epithelial dysplasia.
Synthesis of azachalcones, their α-amylase, α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, kinetics, and molecular docking studies

Saleem F, Kanwal, Khan KM, Chigurupati S, Solangi M, Nemala AR, et al.

Bioorg Chem, 2021 01;106:104489.
PMID: 33272713 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104489

Diabetes being a chronic metabolic disorder have attracted the attention of medicinal chemists and biologists. The introduction of new and potential drug candidates for the cure and treatment of diabetes has become a major concern due to its increased prevelance worldwide. In the current study, twenty-seven azachalcone derivatives 3-29 were synthesized and evaluated for their antihyperglycemic activities by inhibiting α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. Five compounds 3 (IC50 = 23.08 ± 0.03 µM), (IC50 = 26.08 ± 0.43 µM), 5 (IC50 = 24.57 ± 0.07 µM), (IC50 = 27.57 ± 0.07 µM), 6 (IC50 = 24.94 ± 0.12 µM), (IC50 = 27.13 ± 0.08 µM), 16 (IC50 = 27.57 ± 0.07 µM), (IC50 = 29.13 ± 0.18 µM), and 28 (IC50 = 26.94 ± 0.12 µM) (IC50 = 27.99 ± 0.09 µM) demonstrated good inhibitory activities against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, respectively. Acarbose was used as the standard in this study. Structure-activity relationship was established by considering the parent skeleton and different substitutions on aryl ring. The compounds were also subjected for kinetic studies to study their mechanism of action and they showed competitive mode of inhibition against both enzymes. The molecular docking studies have supported the results and showed that these compounds have been involved in various binding interactions within the active site of enzyme.
Genetic Diversity of Pineapple (Ananas comosus) Germplasm in Malaysia Using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers

Ismail SN, Ghani NSA, Ab Razak SF, Abidin RAZ, Mohd Yusof MF, Zubir MN, et al.

Trop Life Sci Res, 2020 Oct;31(3):15-27.
PMID: 33214853 DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2020.31.3.2

Assessments of genetic diversity have been claimed to be significantly efficient in utilising and managing resources of genetic for breeding programme. In this study, variations in genetic were observed in 65 pineapple accessions gathered from germplasm available at Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) located in Pontian, Johor via 15 markers of simple sequence repeat (SSR). The results showed that 59 alleles appeared to range from 2.0 to 6.0 alleles with a mean of 3.9 alleles per locus, thus displaying polymorphism for all samples at a moderate level. Furthermore, the values of polymorphic information content (PIC) had been found to range between 0.104 (TsuAC035) and 0.697 (Acom_9.9), thus averaging at the value of 0.433. In addition, the expected and the observed heterozygosity of each locus seemed to vary within the ranges of 0.033 to 0.712, and from 0.033 to 0.885, along with the average values of 0.437 and 0.511, respectively. The population structure analysis via method of delta K (ΔK), along with mean of L (K) method, revealed that individuals from the germplasm could be divided into two major clusters based on genetics (K = 2), namely Group 1 and Group 2. As such, five accessions (Yankee, SRK Chalok, SCK Giant India, SC KEW5 India and SC1 Thailand) were clustered in Group 1, while the rest were clustered in Group 2. These outcomes were also supported by the dendrogram, which had been generated through the technique of unweighted pair group with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). These analyses appear to be helpful amongst breeders to maintain and to manage their collections of germplasm. Besides, the data gathered in this study can be useful for breeders to exploit the area of genetic diversity in estimating the level of heterosis.
Fulltext Causes, Nature and Toxicology of Fentanyl-Associated Deaths: A Systematic Review of Deaths Reported in Peer-Reviewed Literature

Cheema E, McGuinness K, Hadi MA, Paudyal V, Elnaem MH, Alhifany AA, et al.

J Pain Res, 2020;13:3281-3294.
PMID: 33324089 DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S280462

PURPOSE: Fentanyl poisoning has been widely reported, yet there is a lack of systematic evaluation of the nature and toxicology of associated deaths in the published literature. This article aims to systematically review the nature, causes, routes of administration and toxicology of fentanyl-associated deaths using case studies and case series in peer-reviewed published literature.
METHODS: Four electronic databases including Embase, Medline (via Ovid), Scopus and Google Scholar were searched from inception until October 2019 to identify the studies reporting fentanyl related deaths. Two independent reviewers screened and selected the titles and then evaluated the full texts. Only case studies and case series were included. A structured data extraction tool was used to extract data on the number of deaths, routes of administration, concomitant drug use and toxicological data. The Joanna Briggs Institute quality assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Data were synthesized narratively.
RESULTS: Of 1251 articles identified during initial search, 8 case reports and 9 case series met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1969 deaths were reported in the included studies. Deaths were concentrated in the north American region (n = 1946) and the Nordic region (n = 22). Reported causes of death included fentanyl overdose (n = 321, 56.4%), mixed drug toxicity (n = 196, 34.5%), natural (n = 28, 4.9%), other drug toxicity (n = 10, 1.8%), fentanyl and ethanol intoxication (n = 8, 1.4%), incidental (n = 5, <1%) and aspiration (n = 1). Most common routes of use were intravenous (70.5%) and transdermal routes (23.0%). Deaths came swiftly via the intravenous route. Mean level of blood fentanyl amongst all reported deaths was 0.024 µg/mL.
CONCLUSION: Literature related to fentanyl-associated deaths predominantly come from North America. Deaths are comparatively lower or not reported in peer-reviewed publications from the rest of the world. Abuse through intravenous administration, mixed drug toxicities and self-treatment of breakthrough pain are mainly responsible for majority of the reported deaths.
Fulltext Challenges and Opportunities of Biocoagulant/Bioflocculant Application for Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment and Its Potential for Sludge Recovery

Kurniawan SB, Abdullah SRS, Imron MF, Said NSM, Ismail N', Hasan HA, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 Dec 12;17(24).
PMID: 33322826 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249312

The utilization of metal-based conventional coagulants/flocculants to remove suspended solids from drinking water and wastewater is currently leading to new concerns. Alarming issues related to the prolonged effects on human health and further pollution to aquatic environments from the generated nonbiodegradable sludge are becoming trending topics. The utilization of biocoagulants/bioflocculants does not produce chemical residue in the effluent and creates nonharmful, biodegradable sludge. The conventional coagulation-flocculation processes in drinking water and wastewater treatment, including the health and environmental issues related to the utilization of metal-based coagulants/flocculants during the processes, are discussed in this paper. As a counterpoint, the development of biocoagulants/bioflocculants for drinking water and wastewater treatment is intensively reviewed. The characterization, origin, potential sources, and application of this green technology are critically reviewed. This review paper also provides a thorough discussion on the challenges and opportunities regarding the further utilization and application of biocoagulants/bioflocculants in water and wastewater treatment, including the importance of the selection of raw materials, the simplification of extraction processes, the application to different water and wastewater characteristics, the scaling up of this technology to a real industrial scale, and also the potential for sludge recovery by utilizing biocoagulants/bioflocculants in water/wastewater treatment.
Holistic process evaluation of non-conventional palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment technologies: A conceptual and comparative review

Cheng YW, Chong CC, Lam MK, Ayoub M, Cheng CK, Lim JW, et al.

J Hazard Mater, 2021 05 05;409:124964.
PMID: 33418292 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124964

Thriving oil palm agroindustry comes at a price of voluminous waste generation, with palm oil mill effluent (POME) as the most cumbersome waste due to its liquid state, high strength, and great discharge volume. In view of incompetent conventional ponding treatment, a voluminous number of publications on non-conventional POME treatments is filed in the Scopus database, mainly working on alternative or polishing POME treatments. In dearth of such comprehensive review, all the non-conventional POME treatments are rigorously reviewed in a conceptual and comparative manner. Herein, non-conventional POME treatments are sorted into the five major routes, viz. biological (bioconversions - aerobic/anaerobic biodegradation), physical (flotation & membrane filtration), chemical (Fenton oxidation), physicochemical (photooxidation, steam reforming, coagulation-flocculation, adsorption, & ultrasonication), and bioelectrochemical (microbial fuel cell) pathways. For aforementioned treatments, the constraints, pros, and cons are qualitatively and quantitatively (with compiled performance data) detailed to indicate their process maturity. Authors recommended (i) bioconversions, adsorption, and steam reforming as primary treatments, (ii) flotation and ultrasonication as pretreatments, (iii) Fenton oxidation, photooxidation, and membrane filtration as polishing treatments, and (iv) microbial fuel cell and coagulation-flocculation as pretreatment or polishing treatment. Life cycle assessments are required to evaluate the environmental, economic, and energy aspects of each process.
Fulltext Cannabis sativa subsp. sativa's pharmacological properties and health effects: A scoping review of current evidence

Lim XY, Tan TYC, Muhd Rosli SH, Sa'at MNF, Sirdar Ali S, Syed Mohamed AF

PLoS One, 2021;16(1):e0245471.
PMID: 33465140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245471

INTRODUCTION: Hemp (Cannabis sativa subsp. sativa), commonly used for industrial purposes, is now being consumed by the public for various health promoting effects. As popularity of hemp research and claims of beneficial effects rises, a systematic collection of current scientific evidence on hemp's health effects and pharmacological properties is needed to guide future research, clinical, and policy decision making.
OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview and identify the present landscape of hemp research topics, trends, and gaps.
METHODS: A systematic search and analysis strategy according to the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis-ScR (PRISMA-ScR) checklist on electronic databases including MEDLINE, OVID (OVFT, APC Journal Club, EBM Reviews), Cochrane Library Central and Clinicaltrials.gov was conducted to include and analyse hemp research articles from 2009 to 2019.
RESULTS: 65 primary articles (18 clinical, 47 pre-clinical) were reviewed. Several randomised controlled trials showed hempseed pills (in Traditional Chinese Medicine formulation MaZiRenWan) improving spontaneous bowel movement in functional constipation. There was also evidence suggesting benefits in cannabis dependence, epilepsy, and anxiety disorders. Pre-clinically, hemp derivatives showed potential anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-acne, and anti-microbial activities. Renal protective effects and estrogenic properties were also exhibited in vitro.
CONCLUSION: Current evidence on hemp-specific interventions are still preliminary, with limited high quality clinical evidence for any specific therapeutic indication. This is mainly due to the wide variation in test item formulation, as the multiple variants of this plant differ in their phytochemical and bioactive compounds. Future empirical research should focus on standardising the hemp plant for pharmaceutical use, and uniformity in experimental designs to strengthen the premise of using hemp in medicine.
Fulltext Factors Impeding Health-Care Professionals to Effectively Treat Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients in Pakistan: A Qualitative Investigation

Raza A, Matloob S, Abdul Rahim NF, Abdul Halim H, Khattak A, Ahmed NH, et al.

Front Psychol, 2020;11:572450.
PMID: 33240162 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572450

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, first reported in late December 2019, is regarded as the most significant public health emergency of the century. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the current outbreak of COVID-19 has affected millions of people and killed hundreds of thousands in more than 200 countries, including Pakistan. Health-care professionals (HCPs) cannot minimize human interactions or isolate themselves from patients due to their jobs and moral duties. Hence, the outbreak needed HCPs to work in adverse and challenging conditions with possible mental health problems. In light of the stated background, this study aims to explore and understand the factors that impede HCPs to effectively treat COVID-19 patients in Karachi, Pakistan. Based on qualitative methods, a phenomenological approach was considered to record the true experiences of HCPs. Twelve doctors and nurses were recruited from five COVID-19 designated hospitals in Karachi, Sindh Province, using purposive and snowball sampling. Semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews were conducted from April 6 to 14, 2020, and analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings suggest that there were two types of constraints, institutional and personal, which were impeding HCPs to treat COVID-19 patients effectively. Institutional constraints include the poor condition of isolation wards, inadequate availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), excessive and uneven workload, and absence of emotional and psychological support in hospitals. Besides, personal constraints include nervousness due to the novel virus, a constant fear of becoming infected, fear of taking virus to family, extreme isolation and loneliness, and feeling of powerlessness. The study found that HCPs in Pakistan have been dealing with a high risk of infection, causing mental health problems such as stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. These mental health problems not only affect attention, understanding, and decision-making capacity of HCPs, which could hinder the fight against COVID-19, but they could also have a continuous effect on their overall well-being on a long-term basis. Therefore, the present study outlines important clinical and policy strategies that are needed to support HCPs as the pandemic continues.
Fulltext COVID-CheXNet: hybrid deep learning framework for identifying COVID-19 virus in chest X-rays images

Al-Waisy AS, Al-Fahdawi S, Mohammed MA, Abdulkareem KH, Mostafa SA, Maashi MS, et al.

Soft comput, 2023;27(5):2657-2672.
PMID: 33250662 DOI: 10.1007/s00500-020-05424-3

The outbreaks of Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic have increased the pressure on healthcare and medical systems worldwide. The timely diagnosis of infected patients is a critical step to limit the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. The chest radiography imaging has shown to be an effective screening technique in diagnosing the COVID-19 epidemic. To reduce the pressure on radiologists and control of the epidemic, fast and accurate a hybrid deep learning framework for diagnosing COVID-19 virus in chest X-ray images is developed and termed as the COVID-CheXNet system. First, the contrast of the X-ray image was enhanced and the noise level was reduced using the contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization and Butterworth bandpass filter, respectively. This was followed by fusing the results obtained from two different pre-trained deep learning models based on the incorporation of a ResNet34 and high-resolution network model trained using a large-scale dataset. Herein, the parallel architecture was considered, which provides radiologists with a high degree of confidence to discriminate between the healthy and COVID-19 infected people. The proposed COVID-CheXNet system has managed to correctly and accurately diagnose the COVID-19 patients with a detection accuracy rate of 99.99%, sensitivity of 99.98%, specificity of 100%, precision of 100%, F1-score of 99.99%, MSE of 0.011%, and RMSE of 0.012% using the weighted sum rule at the score-level. The efficiency and usefulness of the proposed COVID-CheXNet system are established along with the possibility of using it in real clinical centers for fast diagnosis and treatment supplement, with less than 2 s per image to get the prediction result.
Understanding the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia

Ghorbani M, Rajandas H, Parimannan S, Stephen Joseph GB, Tew MM, Ramly SS, et al.

Psychiatr Genet, 2021 Apr 01;31(2):39-49.
PMID: 33252574 DOI: 10.1097/YPG.0000000000000270

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder with marked symptoms of hallucination, delusion, and impaired cognitive behaviors. Although multidimensional factors have been associated with the development of schizophrenia, the principal cause of the disorder remains debatable. Microbiome involvement in the etiology of schizophrenia has been widely researched due to the advancement in sequencing technologies. This review describes the contribution of the gut microbiome in the development of schizophrenia that is facilitated by the gut-brain axis. The gut microbiota is connected to the gut-brain axis via several pathways and mechanisms, that are discussed in this review. The role of the oral microbiota, probiotics and prebiotics in shaping the gut microbiota are also highlighted. Lastly, future perspectives for microbiome research in schizophrenia are addressed.
Fulltext Checklist of herpetofauna in the severely degraded ecosystem of Bidong Island, Peninsular Malaysia, South China Sea

Fatihah-Syafiq M, Badli-Sham BH, Fahmi-Ahmad M, Aqmal-Naser M, Rizal SA, Azmi MSA, et al.

Zookeys, 2020;985:143-162.
PMID: 33223878 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.985.54737

A herpetofaunal inventory was conducted on Bidong Island, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. It incorporates data from a recent herpetological survey conducted from 1 to 3 April 2019 with reptile records from previous publications. Specimens were collected with drift-fenced pitfall traps and taxa were recorded with visual encounter surveys (VES). In total, 18 species of reptiles and amphibians were recorded, including three species of frogs, 12 species of lizards, and three species of snakes. Six species from the present survey are new records for the island.
Fulltext Antiparasitic potential of Nephrolepis biserrata methanol extract against the parasitic leech Zeylanicobdella arugamensis (Hirudinea) and LC-QTOF analysis

Shah MD, Venmathi Maran BA, Haron FK, Ransangan J, Ching FF, Shaleh SRM, et al.

Sci Rep, 2020 12 16;10(1):22091.
PMID: 33328532 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79094-4

Marine leech Zeylanicobdella arugamensis (Piscicolidae), an economically important parasite is infesting predominantly cultured groupers, hybrid groupers and other fish in Southeast Asian countries. In this study, we tested the anti-parasitic potential of a medicinal plant Nephrolepis biserrata found in Sabah, East Malaysia against Z. arugamensis. Various concentrations of methanol extracts of the plant were tested experimentally against Z. arugamensis and disinfestation of the leech from its primary host hybrid groupers. The composition of methanol extract of N. biserrata was determined through LC-QTOF analysis. The significant anti-parasitic activity of 100% mortality of leeches was observed with the exposure of N. biserrata extracts. The average time to kill the leeches at concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 mg/ml was 25.11 ± 3.26, 11.91 ± 0.99, and 4.88 ± 0.50 min., respectively. Further, at various low concentrations of N. biserrata 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/ml, hybrid groupers were disinfested in an average time of 108.33 ± 12.65, 65.83 ± 9.70 and 29.16 ± 5.85 min., respectively. The tandem mass spectrometry data from LC-QTOF indicated some hits on useful bioactive compounds such as terpenoids (ivalin, isovelleral, brassinolide, and eschscholtzxanthin), flavonoids (alnustin, kaempferol 7,4'-dimethyl ether, and pachypodol), phenolics (piscidic acid, chlorogenic acid, and ankorine), and aromatic (3-hydroxycoumarin). Thus N. biserrata can act as a potential biocontrol agent.
Fulltext In Vitro Modulation of Endogenous Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Oxidative Stress in Autism Lymphoblastoid Cell Line (ALCL) by Stingless Bee Honey Treatment

Nayan NS, Yazid MAM, Nallappan K, Amran AA, Zaidi NS, Zakaria F, et al.

Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2020;2020:4539891.
PMID: 33335642 DOI: 10.1155/2020/4539891

Autism has been associated with a low antioxidant defense mechanism, while honey has been known for decades for its antioxidant and healing properties. Determination of stingless bee honey (KH) effects on antioxidant enzyme activities and oxidative damage in Autism Lymphoblastoid Cell Line (ALCL) was performed. ALCL and its normal sibling pair (NALCL) were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium at 37°C and 5% CO2. ALCL was treated with 400 μg/mL KH (24 h), and oxidative stress marker, malondialdehyde (MDA), and antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage was determined via comet assay. Low SOD activity (p < 0.05) and high MDA level (p < 0.05) were observed in ALCL compared to NALCL. Higher grade (Grades 2 and 3) of DNA damage was highly observed (p < 0.05) in ALCL compared to NALCL, whereas lower grade (Grades 0 and 1) DNA damage was highly detected (p < 0.05) in NALCL compared to ALCL. KH treatment caused a significant increase in SOD and GPx activities (p < 0.05) in ALCL compared to untreated ALCL. Correspondingly, KH treatment reduced the Grade 2 DNA damage (p < 0.05) in ALCL compared to untreated ALCL. CAT activity showed no significant difference between all three groups, while the MDA level showed no significant difference between treated and untreated ALCL. In conclusion, KH treatment significantly reduced the oxidative stress in ALCL by increasing the SOD and GPx antioxidant enzyme activities, while reducing the DNA damage.

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