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  1. Fulltext Broad anti-pathogen potential of DEAD box RNA helicase eIF4A-targeting rocaglates
    Obermann W, Azri MFD, Konopka L, Schmidt N, Magari F, Sherman J, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2023 Jun 08;13(1):9297.
    PMID: 37291191 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35765-6
    Inhibition of eukaryotic initiation factor 4A has been proposed as a strategy to fight pathogens. Rocaglates exhibit the highest specificities among eIF4A inhibitors, but their anti-pathogenic potential has not been comprehensively assessed across eukaryotes. In silico analysis of the substitution patterns of six eIF4A1 aa residues critical to rocaglate binding, uncovered 35 variants. Molecular docking of eIF4A:RNA:rocaglate complexes, and in vitro thermal shift assays with select recombinantly expressed eIF4A variants, revealed that sensitivity correlated with low inferred binding energies and high melting temperature shifts. In vitro testing with silvestrol validated predicted resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans and Leishmania amazonensis and predicted sensitivity in Aedes sp., Schistosoma mansoni, Trypanosoma brucei, Plasmodium falciparum, and Toxoplasma gondii. Our analysis further revealed the possibility of targeting important insect, plant, animal, and human pathogens with rocaglates. Finally, our findings might help design novel synthetic rocaglate derivatives or alternative eIF4A inhibitors to fight pathogens.
  2. Effects of metal-contaminated soils on the accumulation of heavy metals in different parts of Centella asiatica: a laboratory study
    Yap C, Mohd Fitri MR, Mazyhar Y, Tan S
    Sains Malaysiana, 2010;39.
    Centella asiatica is widely used as a medicinal plant in Malaysia and other parts of the world. In the present study, the growth and uptake of heavy metal by C. asiatica were determined based on the plant exposure to different treatment of metal-contaminated soils under laboratory conditions. Heavy metals uptake in different parts of the plants namely roots, stems and leaves were determined. In general, it was found that the metal uptake capacity followed the order: roots > stems > leaves. Since a close positive relationship was established between the concentrations of metal accumulated in different parts of the plant and the metal levels in the most contaminated soil, C. asiatica has the potential of being used as a biomonitoring plant for heavy metal pollution in the polluted soils.
  3. Application of biochemical products as a bioremediation technique for domestic sewage treatment plants
    Salmiati, Salim MR, Hassan RM, Tan KY
    Water Sci Technol, 2007;56(7):33-40.
    PMID: 17951865
    Biochemical products have been widely used for treatment of various types of wastewater. The treatment processes with the addition of biochemical products are quite attractive because of their simplicity, minimal use of equipment, they are environmentally friendly and are suitable for the removal of organic pollutants. The purpose of these products is to enhance the activities of beneficial microbes in order to improve treatment performance. This study was carried out to determine the potential of applying biochemical products in assisting and improving the performance of sewage treatment plants. In this study, four biochemical products, namely: Zeolite, Bio-C, Eco-B and Was-D, were applied to the sewage treatment plant. Analyses were carried out on several water quality parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids (SS), oil & grease (O&G), phosphorus (P), ammoniacal nitrogen (AN) and sludge thickness (ST). From the results obtained, it can be seen that the overall performance of the treatment plant improved with most of the parameters studied were found to fulfill the DOE Standard B requirements. The performance of Bio-C was found to give better results than other products.
  4. Internal carotid artery injury during endonasal sinus surgery: our experience and review of the literature
    Lum SG, Gendeh BS, Husain S, Gendeh HS, Ismail MR, Toh CJ, et al.
    Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital, 2019 Apr;39(2):130-136.
    PMID: 30745587 DOI: 10.14639/0392-100X-1312
  5. Fulltext Linear-Nonlinear Stiffness Responses of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Materials and Structures: A Numerical Study
    R Koloor SS, Karimzadeh A, Abdullah MR, Petrů M, Yidris N, Sapuan SM, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Jan 22;13(3).
    PMID: 33498984 DOI: 10.3390/polym13030344
    The stiffness response or load-deformation/displacement behavior is the most important mechanical behavior that frequently being utilized for validation of the mathematical-physical models representing the mechanical behavior of solid objects in numerical method, compared to actual experimental data. This numerical study aims to investigate the linear-nonlinear stiffness behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites at material and structural levels, and its dependency to the sets of individual/group elastic and damage model parameters. In this regard, a validated constitutive damage model, elastic-damage properties as reference data, and simulation process, that account for elastic, yielding, and damage evolution, are considered in the finite element model development process. The linear-nonlinear stiffness responses of four cases are examined, including a unidirectional CFRP composite laminate (material level) under tensile load, and also three multidirectional composite structures under flexural loads. The result indicated a direct dependency of the stiffness response at the material level to the elastic properties. However, the stiffness behavior of the composite structures depends both on the structural configuration, geometry, lay-ups as well as the mechanical properties of the CFRP composite. The value of maximum reaction force and displacement of the composite structures, as well as the nonlinear response of the structures are highly dependent not only to the mechanical properties, but also to the geometry and the configuration of the structures.
  6. Medically important solar ultraviolet A. Radiation measurements
    Ilyas M, Abdul Aziz D, Tajuddin MR
    Int J Dermatol, 1988 Jun;27(5):315-8.
    PMID: 3391727
    Results from a 6-year study of solar ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation measurements at the equatorial location of Penang (5 degrees N) are presented. On clear days, the diurnal flux reaches a very high dosage of about 3.0 x 10(-2) KWHM-2 around midday. The average daily total flux is in the range of 1.6 x 10(-1) KWHM-2 and does not change much seasonally. The high 83% cloud cover only reduces the incoming flux to about half. The radiation flux represents a lower limit of the incident UVA radiation applicable to much of the equatorial/tropical region.
  7. Fulltext Probing nanoliposomes using single particle analytical techniques: effect of excipients, solvents, phase transition and zeta potential
    Danaei M, Kalantari M, Raji M, Samareh Fekri H, Saber R, Asnani GP, et al.
    Heliyon, 2018 Dec;4(12):e01088.
    PMID: 30603716 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e01088
    There has been a steady increase in the interest towards employing nanoliposomes as colloidal drug delivery systems, particularly in the last few years. Their biocompatibility nature along with the possibility of encapsulation of lipid-soluble, water-soluble and amphipathic molecules and compounds are among the advantages of employing these lipidic nanocarriers. A challenge in the successful formulation of nanoliposomal systems is to control the critical physicochemical properties, which impact their in vivo performance, and validating analytical techniques that can adequately characterize these nanostructures. Of particular interest are the chemical composition of nanoliposomes, their phase transition temperature, state of the encapsulated material, encapsulation efficiency, particle size distribution, morphology, internal structure, lamellarity, surface charge, and drug release pattern. These attributes are highly important in revealing the supramolecular arrangement of nanoliposomes and incorporated drugs and ensuring the stability of the formulation as well as consistent drug delivery to target tissues. In this article, we present characterization of nanoliposomal formulations as an example to illustrate identification of key in vitro characteristics of a typical nanotherapeutic agent. Corresponding analytical techniques are discussed within the context of nanoliposome assessment, single particle analysis and ensuring uniform manufacture of therapeutic formulations with batch-to-batch consistency.
  8. Fulltext Frequency of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila and Chlamydia spp. among patients with atypical pneumonia in Tehran
    Noori Goodarzi N, Pourmand MR, Rajabpour M, Arfaatabar M, Mosadegh M, Syed Mohamad SA
    New Microbes New Infect, 2020 Sep;37:100744.
    PMID: 32953125 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100744
    Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila and Chlamydia pneumoniae are the most common bacterial agents, which account for 15-40%, 2-15% and 5-10% of atypical community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) respectively. These agents are mostly associated with infection in the outpatient setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of these pathogens among patients with CAP attending outpatient clinics in Tehran. A cross-sectional study was carried out of 150 patients attending to educational hospitals in Tehran with CAP. M. pneumoniae, L. pneumophila and Chlamydia spp. were detected by PCR assay, targeting the P1 adhesion gene, macrophage infectivity potentiator (mip) gene and 16S rRNA gene respectively from throat swabs obtained from each patient. A total of 86 (57.3%) of 150 patients were women; median age was 50 years (interquartile range, 35-65 years). M. pneumoniae, L. pneumophila and Chlamydia spp. were detected in 37 (24.7%), 25 (16.7%) and 11 (7.3%) patients respectively; of these, 66 patients (44%) were infected at least by one of these three pathogens. The frequency of L. pneumophila was significantly higher among patients over 60 years old (p 0.03). Coinfection was detected in seven patients (4.7%); six were infected by M. pneumoniae and L. pneumophila, and only one was infected by L. pneumophila and Chlamydia spp. M. pneumoniae was the most prevalent agent of atypical CAP, and L. pneumophila was more likely to infect elderly rather than younger people. Further studies on the prevalence of CAP and its aetiologic agents are needed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of CAP patients.
  9. Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) modeling of bone marrow through trabecular bone structure under compression
    Rabiatul AAR, Fatihhi SJ, Md Saad AP, Zakaria Z, Harun MN, Kadir MRA, et al.
    Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 2021 Jun;20(3):957-968.
    PMID: 33547975 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-021-01423-x
    The present study has sought to investigate the fluid characteristic and mechanical properties of trabecular bone using fluid-structure interaction (FSI) approach under different trabecular bone orientations. This method imposed on trabecular bone structure at both longitudinal and transverse orientations to identify effects on shear stress, permeability, stiffness and stress regarded to the trabeculae. Sixteen FSI models were performed on different range trabecular cubes of 27 mm3 with eight models developed for each longitudinal and transverse direction. Results show that there was a moderate correlation between permeability and porosity, and surface area in the longitudinal and transverse orientations. For the longitudinal orientation, the permeability values varied between 3.66 × 10-8 and 1.9 × 10-7 and the sheer stress values varied between 0.05 and 1.8 Pa, whilst for the transverse orientation, the permeability values varied between 5.95 × 10-10 and 1.78 × 10-8 and the shear stress values varied between 0.04 and 3.1 Pa. Here, transverse orientation limits the fluid flow from passing through the trabeculae due to high shear stress disturbance generated within the trabecular bone region. Compared to physiological loading direction (longitudinal orientation), permeability is higher within the range known to trigger a response in bone cells. Additionally, shear stresses also increase with bone surface area. This study suggests the shear stress within bone marrow in real trabecular architecture could provide the mechanical signal to marrow cells that leads to bone anabolism and can depend on trabecular orientation.
  10. Fulltext Prevalence and zoonotic potential of canine hookworms in Malaysia
    Mahdy MA, Lim YA, Ngui R, Siti Fatimah MR, Choy SH, Yap NJ, et al.
    Parasit Vectors, 2012;5:88.
    PMID: 22564445 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-88
    Canine hookworm infection is endemic in Southeast Asian countries with a prevalence ranging from 70% to 100%, with zoonotic transmission representing a potentially significant public health concern. However, there are limited data available on the prevalence of canine hookworms in Malaysia. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of hookworm and Ancylostoma species among dogs in Malaysia.
  11. Fulltext Natural Fiber Reinforced Composite Material for Product Design: A Short Review
    Azman MA, Asyraf MRM, Khalina A, Petrů M, Ruzaidi CM, Sapuan SM, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Jun 09;13(12).
    PMID: 34207597 DOI: 10.3390/polym13121917
    Natural fibers have attracted great attention from industrial players and researchers for the exploitation of polymer composites because of their "greener" nature and contribution to sustainable practice. Various industries have shifted toward sustainable technology in order to improve the balance between the environment and social and economic concerns. This manuscript aims to provide a brief review of the development of the foremost natural fiber-reinforced polymer composite (NFRPC) product designs and their applications. The first part of the manuscript presents a summary of the background of various natural fibers and their composites in the context of engineering applications. The behaviors of NFPCs vary with fiber type, source, and structure. Several drawbacks of NFPCs, e.g., higher water absorption rate, inferior fire resistance, and lower mechanical properties, have limited their applications. This has necessitated the development of good practice in systematic engineering design in order to attain optimized NRPC products. Product design and manufacturing engineering need to move in a mutually considerate manner in order to produce successful natural fiber-based composite material products. The design process involves concept design, material selection, and finally, the manufacturing of the design. Numerous products have been commercialized using natural fibers, e.g., sports equipment, musical instruments, and electronic products. In the end, this review provides a guideline for the product design process based on natural fibers, which subsequently leads to a sustainable design.
  12. Female first marriage in East and Southeast Asia: a Kiefer-Neumann model
    Montgomery MR, Sulak DB
    J Dev Econ, 1989 Apr;30(2):225-40.
    PMID: 12342575
    Many studies have shown that schooling levels of husband and wife are important determinants of household behavior in developing countries. This article asks how the schooling levels of husband and wife come to be associated with each other through the marriage market. The Kiefer-Neumann model of labor market search is adapted to marital search, the aim being to explain both the positive sorting on educational levels for spouses, and the positive relationship between female schooling and age at 1st marriage. World Fertility Survey data for Indonesia, Korea, and Malaysia are employed in the analyses.
  13. Fulltext Alteration in morphological features of Puntius javanicus liver exposed to copper sulfate
    Sabullah, M. K., Gansau, A. J., Ahmad, S. A., Shamaan, N. A., Khalid, A., Sulaiman, M. R.
    International Food Research Journal, 2017;24(3):1314-1320.
    MyJurnal
    The environmental toxicants such as copper are known to affect vital organ especially liver.
    This study examined the effects of copper sulfate (CuSO4) on the liver morphological structure
    of P. javanicus. The untreated control, 0.1 and 0.3 mg/L CuSO4 treated groups displayed normal
    polygonal structure of the hepatocyte. However, at the concentrations of 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 mg/L
    CuSO4, the hepatostructure was significantly affected, as shown by the increasing number of
    dilation and congestion of sinusoids, vacuolation, macrophage activities and peliosis. The
    damage level and HSI value were increased while the number of hepatic nuclei per mm2 was
    decreased with the increasing of copper concentration. In conclusion, this study shows that the
    degree of liver damage in P.javanicus is dependent to the dose exposure.
  14. Preliminary analysis of the anti-inflammatory activity of essential oils of Zingiber zerumbet
    Zakaria ZA, Mohamad AS, Ahmad MS, Mokhtar AF, Israf DA, Lajis NH, et al.
    Biol Res Nurs, 2011 Oct;13(4):425-32.
    PMID: 21112917 DOI: 10.1177/1099800410386590
    Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used for the treatment of inflammation. However, despite their effectiveness, most NSAIDs cause various side effects that negatively affect the management of inflammation and, in part, pain. Thus, there is a need to search for new anti-inflammatory agents with few, or no, side effects. Natural products of plant, animal, or microorganism origin have been good sources of new bioactive compounds. The present study was carried out to evaluate the acute and chronic anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil of the rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet (Zingiberaceae) using the carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma tests, respectively. The effect of the essential oil on inflammatory- and noninflammatory-mediated pain was also assessed using the formalin test. Essential oil of Z. zerumbet, at doses of 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, was administered intraperitoneally to rats. The substance exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity both in acute and chronic animal models. The essential oil also inhibited inflammatory- and noninflammatory-mediated pain when assessed using the formalin test. In conclusion, the essential oil of Z. zerumbet possessed anti-inflammatory activity, in addition to its antinociceptive activity, which may explain its traditional uses to treat inflammatory-related ailments.
  15. Anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract of ficus deltoidea
    Zakaria ZA, Hussain MK, Mohamad AS, Abdullah FC, Sulaiman MR
    Biol Res Nurs, 2012 Jan;14(1):90-7.
    PMID: 21278166 DOI: 10.1177/1099800410395378
    Ficus deltoidea (Family Moraceae) leaves have been used traditionally by the Malays to treat ailments such as wounds, sores, and rheumatism. The aim of the present study was to determine the anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract of F. deltoidea leaf (FDA) using acute and chronic inflammatory models. FDA, in the doses of 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, was administered intraperitoneally in rats (n = 6) before the animals were subjected to the carrageenan-induced paw edema test, cotton pellet-induced granuloma test, and formalin test. The first two tests represent acute and chronic models of inflammation, respectively. The first and second phases of the formalin test represent neurogenic pain and inflammatory-mediated pain, respectively; thus, only the second phase was measured in the present study. Results showed that FDA exerted significant (p < .05) anti-inflammatory activity in all assays, with dose-response effects seen in the paw edema and formalin tests. In conclusion, the leaf of F. deltoidea possesses anti-inflammatory activity against acute and chronic inflammatory responses and against pain-associated inflammatory response. These findings justify the traditional uses of F. deltoidea leaves for treatment of inflammatory-mediated ailments.
  16. Antinociceptive activity of a synthetic chalcone, flavokawin B on chemical and thermal models of nociception in mice
    Mohamad AS, Akhtar MN, Zakaria ZA, Perimal EK, Khalid S, Mohd PA, et al.
    Eur J Pharmacol, 2010 Nov 25;647(1-3):103-9.
    PMID: 20826146 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.08.030
    The present study examined the potential antinociceptive activity of flavokawin B (6'-hydroxy-2',4'-dimethoxychalcone), a synthetic chalcone using chemical- and thermal-induced nociception models in mice. It was demonstrated that flavokawin B (FKB; 0.3, 1, 3 and 10 mg/kg) administered via both oral (p.o.) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) routes produced significant and dose-dependent inhibition in the abdominal constrictions induced by acetic acid, with the i.p. route producing antinociception of approximately 7-fold more potent than the p.o. route. It was also demonstrated that FKB produced significant inhibition in the two phases of the formalin-induced paw licking test. In addition, the same treatment of flavokawin B (FKB) exhibited significant inhibition of the neurogenic nociceptive induced by intraplantar injections of glutamate and capsaicin. Likewise, this compound also induced a significant increase in the response latency period to thermal stimuli in the hot plate test and its antinociceptive effect was not related to muscle relaxant or sedative action. Moreover, the antinociception effect of the FKB in the formalin-induced paw licking test and the hot plate test was not affected by pretreatment of non-selective opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone. The present results indicate that FKB produced pronounced antinociception effect against both chemical and thermal models of pain in mice that exhibited both peripheral and central analgesic activity.
  17. Fulltext In vivo analgesic effect of aqueous extract of Tamarindus indica L. fruits
    Khalid S, Shaik Mossadeq WM, Israf DA, Hashim P, Rejab S, Shaberi AM, et al.
    Med Princ Pract, 2010;19(4):255-9.
    PMID: 20516700 DOI: 10.1159/000312710
    To study the effects of Tamarindus indica L. aqueous fruit extract on the antinociceptive activities in rodent models.
  18. In vivo anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the aqueous extract of the leaves of Piper sarmentosum
    Zakaria ZA, Patahuddin H, Mohamad AS, Israf DA, Sulaiman MR
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2010 Mar 2;128(1):42-8.
    PMID: 20035852 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2009.12.021
    Ethnopharmacological relevance: Piper sarmentosum (Piperaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used by the Malays to treat headaches, toothaches, coughs, asthma and fever.

    Aim of the study: In order to establish the pharmacological properties of the leaf of this plant, studies were performed on anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.

    Materials and methods: The aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum (AEPS) was prepared in the doses of 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg. Anti-nociceptive activity of AEPS was evaluated by abdominal constriction and hot-plate tests. AEPS was also pre-challenged with 5mg/kg naloxone to determine the involvement of opioid receptors. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan-induced paw edema assay.

    Results: Subcutaneous administration of AEPS exhibited anti-nociceptive activity (P<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner in the abdominal constriction and hot-plate tests. Pre-treatment with naloxone completely (P<0.05) diminished the extract anti-nociceptive activity in both tests. The AEPS, at all doses used, exerted significant (P<0.05) anti-inflammatory activity in a dose-dependent manner.

    Conclusions: The AEPS exhibits opioid-mediated anti-nociceptive activity at the peripheral and central levels, as well as anti-inflammatory activity, which confirmed the traditional uses of the plant in the treatment of pain- and inflammatory-related ailments.
  19. Enhancement of ovalbumin-specific IgA responses via oral boosting with antigen co-administered with an aqueous Solanum torvum extract
    Israf DA, Lajis NH, Somchit MN, Sulaiman MR
    Life Sci, 2004 Jun 11;75(4):397-406.
    PMID: 15147827
    An experiment was conducted with the objective to enhance mucosal immunity against ovalbumin (OVA) by co-administration of OVA with an aqueous extract from the fruit of Solanum torvum (STE). Five groups of female ICR mice aged approximately 8 weeks at the commencement of the experiment were caged in groups of eight and received various treatments. The treatments included OVA alone, OVA with cholera toxin (CT), and OVA with various doses of STE. Mice were primed intraperitoneally with 500 microg of OVA alone or co-administered with 0.1 microg CT, or with 1 microg STE. All mice were boosted orally via gastric intubation 14 days after priming with 10 mg OVA alone, or co-administered with 10 microg CT or with 10 mg, 1 mg or 0.1 mg STE. One week later all mice were killed and organs obtained for analysis of the immune response. Intestinal, faecal and pulmonary OVA-specific sIgA concentration was significantly increased (p<0.05) in mice that received booster combinations of OVA/CT and OVA with all extract doses (p<0.05). Specific serum IgG titres did not differ significantly between groups. It is concluded that STE can significantly enhance secretory immunity in the intestine to OVA with mucosal homing to the lungs. The adjuvant effect of STE is comparable to that of CT.
  20. Fulltext Antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Zingiber zerumbet methanol extract in experimental model systems
    Zakaria ZA, Mohamad AS, Chear CT, Wong YY, Israf DA, Sulaiman MR
    Med Princ Pract, 2010;19(4):287-94.
    PMID: 20516705 DOI: 10.1159/000312715
    OBJECTIVE: The present study was carried out to determine the antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities of a methanol extract of Zingiber zerumbet rhizomes (MEZZ) using various experimental model systems.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MEZZ was prepared by macerating oven-dried (50 degrees C) powdered rhizomes (1.2 kg) of Z. zerumbet in 80% methanol in a ratio of 1:20 (w/v) for 48 h. The supernatant was collected, filtered and evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure (50 degrees C) yielding approximately 21.0 g of the crude dried extract. The crude dried extract was stored at -20 degrees C prior to use and was dissolved in normal saline (0.9% NaCl) immediately before administration at concentrations required to produce doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg.

    RESULTS: All dosages of MEZZ showed significant (p < 0.05) antiedema activity when assessed using the carrageenan-induced paw edema test and the cotton-pellet-induced granuloma test. The MEZZ exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antinociceptive activity when assessed by the writhing, hot plate and formalin tests. Pretreatment with naloxone (5 mg/kg) significantly decreased the latency of discomfort produced by the 100 mg/kg dose of MEZZ in the hot plate test.

    CONCLUSION: MEZZ produced antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities which may involve the inhibition of bradykinin-, prostaglandin-, histamine- and opioid-mediated processes.

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