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Differences in protein changes between stress-induced premature senescence and replicative senescence states

Aan GJ, Hairi HA, Makpol S, Rahman MA, Karsani SA

Electrophoresis, 2013 Aug;34(15):2209-17.
PMID: 23712505 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201300086

Replicative senescence and stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) cells are known to share certain traits. However, whether these cells are different at the protein level is unclear. Thus, this study has utilized proteomics to identify differences in the proteomes of replicative senescence and SIPS cells compared to normal cells. Replicative senescence was induced by serial passage of normal cells in culture. SIPS was established by exposure to H2 O2 at a subcytotoxic concentration of 20 μM for two weeks. Following 2DE, protein profiles were compared and protein spots that changed in abundance were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was then performed to evaluate the transcript expression of selected altered proteins. A total of 24 and 10 proteins were found to have changed in abundance in replicative senescence and SIPS cells, respectively, when compared to young cells. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that nine genes showed the same direction of change as observed in the proteomics analysis. Very little overlap was observed between proteins that changed in replicative senescence and SIPS cells, suggesting that although both SIPS and replicative senescence cells share hallmarks of cellular senescence, they were different in terms of proteins that changed in abundance.
Fulltext Development of a predictive model for estimating the specific heat capacity of metallic oxides/ethylene glycol-based nanofluids using support vector regression

Alade IO, Abd Rahman MA, Bagudu A, Abbas Z, Yaakob Y, Saleh TA

Heliyon, 2019 Jun;5(6):e01882.
PMID: 31304407 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01882

The specific heat capacity of nanofluids ( C P n f ) is a fundamental thermophysical property that measures the heat storage capacity of the nanofluids. C P n f is usually determined through experimental measurement. As it is known, experimental procedures are characterised with some complexities, which include, the challenge of preparing stable nanofluids and relatively long periods to conduct experiments. So far, two correlations have been developed to estimate the C P n f . The accuracies of these models are still subject to further improvement for many nanofluid compositions. This study presents a four-input support vector regression (SVR) model hybridized with a Bayesian algorithm to predict the specific heat capacity of metallic oxides/ethylene glycol-based nanofluids. The bayesian algorithm was used to obtain the optimum SVR hyperparameters. 189 experimental data collected from published literature was used for the model development. The proposed model exhibits low average absolute relative deviation (AARD) and a high correlation coefficient (r) of 0.40 and 99.53 %, respectively. In addition, we analysed the accuracies of the existing analytical models on the considered nanofluid compositions. The model based on the thermal equilibrium between the nanoparticles and base fluid (model II) show good agreement with experimental results while the model based on simple mixing rule (model I) overestimated the specific heat capacity of the nanofluids. To further validate the superiority of the proposed technique over the existing analytical models, we compared various statistical errors for the three models. The AARD for the BSVR, model II, and model I are 0.40, 0.82 and 4.97, respectively. This clearly shows that the model developed has much better prediction accuracy than existing models in predicting the specific heat capacity of metallic oxides/ethylene glycol-based nanofluids. We believe the presented model will be important in the design of nanofluid-based applications due to its improved accuracy.
Fulltext Development and validation of the medical professionals resilience scale

Rahman MA, Yusoff MSB, Roslan NS, Mohammad JA, Ahmad A

BMC Health Serv Res, 2021 May 21;21(1):482.
PMID: 34016095 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06542-w

PURPOSE: Most of the resilience scales were developed for the non-medical population, therefore the purpose of this study was developing and validating a resilience scale for medical professionals - namely Medical Professionals Resilience Scale (MeRS).
METHODS: A questionnaire development and validation study was conducted. The resilience domains and items were identified and generated through a literature review. The content validation was carried out by content experts and the content validity index (CVI) was calculated. The face validation was performed by medical officers and the face validity index (FVI) was calculated. The final MeRS was administered to 167 medical officers, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis were performed to assess MeRS's factorial structure and internal consistency.
RESULTS: Four domains with 89 items of medical professionals' resilience were developed. Following that, the content and face validation was conducted, and a total of 41-items remained for construct validation. EFA extracted four factors, namely growth, control, involvement, and resourceful, with a total of 37 items. The items' CVI and FVI values were more than 0.80. The final MeRS's items had factor loading values ranged from 0.41 to 0.76, and the Cronbach's alpha values of the resilience domains ranged from 0.72 to 0.89.
CONCLUSIONS: MeRS is a promising scale for measuring medical professionals' resilience as it showed good psychometric properties. This study provided validity evidence in terms of content, response process, and internal structure that supported the validity of MeRS in the measurement of resilience domains among medical professionals.
Fulltext Determination of mineral, trace element, and pesticide levels in honey samples originating from different regions of Malaysia compared to manuka honey

Moniruzzaman M, Chowdhury MA, Rahman MA, Sulaiman SA, Gan SH

Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:359890.
PMID: 24982869 DOI: 10.1155/2014/359890

The present study was undertaken to determine the content of six minerals, five trace elements, and ten pesticide residues in honeys originating from different regions of Malaysia. Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), while sodium (Na) and potassium (K) were analyzed by flame emission spectrometry (FAES). Trace elements such as arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and cobalt (Co) were analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) following the microwave digestion of honey. High mineral contents were observed in the investigated honeys with K, Na, Ca, and Fe being the most abundant elements (mean concentrations of 1349.34, 236.80, 183.67, and 162.31 mg/kg, resp.). The concentrations of the trace elements were within the recommended limits, indicating that the honeys were of good quality. Principal component analysis reveals good discrimination between the different honey samples. The pesticide analysis for the presence of organophosphorus and carbamates was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). No pesticide residues were detected in any of the investigated honey samples, indicating that the honeys were pure. Our study reveals that Malaysian honeys are rich sources of minerals with trace elements present within permissible limits and that they are free from pesticide contamination.
Fulltext Data-driven dynamic clustering framework for mitigating the adverse economic impact of Covid-19 lockdown practices

Rahman MA, Zaman N, Asyhari AT, Al-Turjman F, Alam Bhuiyan MZ, Zolkipli MF

Sustain Cities Soc, 2020 Nov;62:102372.
PMID: 32834935 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102372

The COVID-19 disease has once again reiterated the impact of pandemics beyond a biomedical event with potential rapid, dramatic, sweeping disruptions to the management, and conduct of everyday life. Not only the rate and pattern of contagion that threaten our sense of healthy living but also the safety measures put in place for containing the spread of the virus may require social distancing. Three different measures to counteract this pandemic situation have emerged, namely: (i) vaccination, (ii) herd immunity development, and (iii) lockdown. As the first measure is not ready at this stage and the second measure is largely considered unreasonable on the account of the gigantic number of fatalities, a vast majority of countries have practiced the third option despite having a potentially immense adverse economic impact. To mitigate such an impact, this paper proposes a data-driven dynamic clustering framework for moderating the adverse economic impact of COVID-19 flare-up. Through an intelligent fusion of healthcare and simulated mobility data, we model lockdown as a clustering problem and design a dynamic clustering algorithm for localized lockdown by taking into account the pandemic, economic and mobility aspects. We then validate the proposed algorithms by conducting extensive simulations using the Malaysian context as a case study. The findings signify the promises of dynamic clustering for lockdown coverage reduction, reduced economic loss, and military unit deployment reduction, as well as assess potential impact of uncooperative civilians on the contamination rate. The outcome of this work is anticipated to pave a way for significantly reducing the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 spreading. Moreover, the idea can be exploited for potentially the next waves of corona virus-related diseases and other upcoming viral life-threatening calamities.
Contemporary evidence of workplace violence against the primary healthcare workforce worldwide: a systematic review

Yusoff HM, Ahmad H, Ismail H, Reffin N, Chan D, Kusnin F, et al.

Hum Resour Health, 2023 Oct 13;21(1):82.
PMID: 37833727 DOI: 10.1186/s12960-023-00868-8

Violence against healthcare workers recently became a growing public health concern and has been intensively investigated, particularly in the tertiary setting. Nevertheless, little is known of workplace violence against healthcare workers in the primary setting. Given the nature of primary healthcare, which delivers essential healthcare services to the community, many primary healthcare workers are vulnerable to violent events. Since the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978, the number of epidemiological studies on workplace violence against primary healthcare workers has increased globally. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review summarising the significant results from previous studies has not been published. Thus, this systematic review was conducted to collect and analyse recent evidence from previous workplace violence studies in primary healthcare settings. Eligible articles published in 2013-2023 were searched from the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed literature databases. Of 23 included studies, 16 were quantitative, four were qualitative, and three were mixed method. The extracted information was analysed and grouped into four main themes: prevalence and typology, predisposing factors, implications, and coping mechanisms or preventive measures. The prevalence of violence ranged from 45.6% to 90%. The most commonly reported form of violence was verbal abuse (46.9-90.3%), while the least commonly reported was sexual assault (2-17%). Most primary healthcare workers were at higher risk of patient- and family-perpetrated violence (Type II). Three sub-themes of predisposing factors were identified: individual factors (victims' and perpetrators' characteristics), community or geographical factors, and workplace factors. There were considerable negative consequences of violence on both the victims and organisations. Under-reporting remained the key issue, which was mainly due to the negative perception of the effectiveness of existing workplace policies for managing violence. Workplace violence is a complex issue that indicates a need for more serious consideration of a resolution on par with that in other healthcare settings. Several research gaps and limitations require additional rigorous analytical and interventional research. Information pertaining to violent events must be comprehensively collected to delineate the complete scope of the issue and formulate prevention strategies based on potentially modifiable risk factors to minimise the negative implications caused by workplace violence.
Fulltext Clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients in Malaysia during the first wave: A multi-center observational study (COVIDICU-MY)

Ab Rahman NI, Yunos NM, Atan R, Mariapun J, Ab Rahman MA, Ismail AJ, et al.

Front Med (Lausanne), 2022;9:1086288.
PMID: 36698832 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1086288

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged with a wide range of clinical presentations; Malaysia was not spared from its impact. This study describes the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care unit, their clinical course, management, and hospital outcomes.
METHODS: COVIDICU-MY is a retrospective analysis of COVID-19 patients from 19 intensive care units (ICU) across Malaysia from 1 March 2020 to 31 May 2020. We collected epidemiological history, demographics, clinical comorbidities, laboratory investigations, respiratory and hemodynamic values, management, length of stay and survival status. We compared these variables between survival and non-survival groups.
RESULTS: A total of 170 critically ill patients were included, with 77% above 50 years of age [median age 60, IQR (51-66)] and 75.3% male. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, chronic cardiac disease, and chronic kidney disease were most common among patients. A high Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II score [median 45, IQR (34-49)] and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score [median 8, IQR (6-11)] were associated with mortality. Patients were profoundly hypoxic with a median lowest PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 150 (IQR 99-220) at admission. 91 patients (53.5%) required intubation on their first day of admission, out of which 38 died (73.1% of the hospital non-survivors). Our sample had more patients with moderate Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), 58 patients (43.9%), compared to severe ARDS, 33 patients (25%); with both ARDS classification groups contributing to 25 patients (54.4%) and 11 patients (23.9%) of the non-survival group, respectively. Cumulative fluid balance over 24 h was higher in the non-survival group with significant differences on Day 3 (1,953 vs. 622 ml, p < 0.05) and Day 7 of ICU (3,485 vs. 830 ml, p < 0.05). Patients with high serum creatinine, urea, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and d-dimer, and low lymphocyte count throughout the stay also had a higher risk of mortality. The hospital mortality rate was 30.6% in our sample.
CONCLUSION: We report high mortality amongst critically ill patients in intensive care units in Malaysia, at 30.6%, during the March to May 2020 period. High admission SAPS II and SOFA, and severe hypoxemia and high cumulative fluid balance were associated with mortality. Higher creatinine, urea, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and d-dimer, and lymphopenia were observed in the non-survival group.
Cleistopholine isolated from Enicosanthellum pulchrum exhibits apoptogenic properties in human ovarian cancer cells

Nordin N, Majid NA, Mohan S, Dehghan F, Karimian H, Rahman MA, et al.

Phytomedicine, 2016 Apr 15;23(4):406-16.
PMID: 27002411 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2016.02.016

Cleistopholine is a natural alkaloid present in plants with numerous biological activities. However, cleistopholine has yet to be isolated using modern techniques and the mechanism by which this alkaloid induces apoptosis in cancer cells remains to be elucidated.
Fulltext Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for 29 Cancer Groups From 2010 to 2019: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Global Burden of Disease 2019 Cancer Collaboration, Kocarnik JM, Compton K, Dean FE, Fu W, Gaw BL, et al.

JAMA Oncol, 2022 Mar 01;8(3):420-444.
PMID: 34967848 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.6987

IMPORTANCE: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) provided systematic estimates of incidence, morbidity, and mortality to inform local and international efforts toward reducing cancer burden.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate cancer burden and trends globally for 204 countries and territories and by Sociodemographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 2010 to 2019.
EVIDENCE REVIEW: The GBD 2019 estimation methods were used to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2019 and over the past decade. Estimates are also provided by quintiles of the SDI, a composite measure of educational attainment, income per capita, and total fertility rate for those younger than 25 years. Estimates include 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs).
FINDINGS: In 2019, there were an estimated 23.6 million (95% UI, 22.2-24.9 million) new cancer cases (17.2 million when excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 10.0 million (95% UI, 9.36-10.6 million) cancer deaths globally, with an estimated 250 million (235-264 million) DALYs due to cancer. Since 2010, these represented a 26.3% (95% UI, 20.3%-32.3%) increase in new cases, a 20.9% (95% UI, 14.2%-27.6%) increase in deaths, and a 16.0% (95% UI, 9.3%-22.8%) increase in DALYs. Among 22 groups of diseases and injuries in the GBD 2019 study, cancer was second only to cardiovascular diseases for the number of deaths, years of life lost, and DALYs globally in 2019. Cancer burden differed across SDI quintiles. The proportion of years lived with disability that contributed to DALYs increased with SDI, ranging from 1.4% (1.1%-1.8%) in the low SDI quintile to 5.7% (4.2%-7.1%) in the high SDI quintile. While the high SDI quintile had the highest number of new cases in 2019, the middle SDI quintile had the highest number of cancer deaths and DALYs. From 2010 to 2019, the largest percentage increase in the numbers of cases and deaths occurred in the low and low-middle SDI quintiles.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The results of this systematic analysis suggest that the global burden of cancer is substantial and growing, with burden differing by SDI. These results provide comprehensive and comparable estimates that can potentially inform efforts toward equitable cancer control around the world.
CT Reconstruction Algorithm and Low Contrast Detectability of Phantom Study: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Adibah Yusof NA, Abdul Karim MK, Asikin NM, Paiman S, Awang Kechik MM, Abdul Rahman MA, et al.

Curr Med Imaging, 2023;19(10):1105-1113.
PMID: 35975862 DOI: 10.2174/1573405618666220816160544

BACKGROUND: For almost three decades, computed tomography (CT) has been extensively used in medical diagnosis, which led researchers to conduct linking of CT dose exposure with image quality.
METHODS: In this study, a systematic review and a meta-analysis study were conducted on CT phantom for resolution study especially based on the low contrast detectability (LCD). Furthermore, the association between the CT parameter such as tube voltage and the type of reconstruction algorithm, the amount of phantom scanning affecting the image quality and the exposure dose were also investigated in this study. We utilize PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Scopus databases to search related published articles from the year 2011 until 2020. The notable keywords comprise "computed tomography", "CT phantom", and "low contrast detectability". Of 52 articles, 20 articles are within the inclusion criteria in this systematic review.
RESULTS: The dichotomous outcomes were chosen to represent the results in terms of risk ratio as per meta-analysis study. Notably, the noise in iterative reconstruction (IR) reduced by 24%, 33% and 36% with the use of smooth, medium and sharp filters, respectively. Furthermore, adaptive iterative dose reduction (AIDR 3D) improved image quality and the visibility of smaller less dense objects compared to filtered back-projection. Most of the researchers used 120 kVp tube voltage to scan phantom for quality assurance study.
CONCLUSION: Hence, optimizing primary factors such as tube potential reduces the dose exposure significantly, and the optimized IR technique could substantially reduce the radiation dose while maintaining the image quality.
Fulltext COVID-19: Factors associated with psychological distress, fear, and coping strategies among community members across 17 countries

Rahman MA, Islam SMS, Tungpunkom P, Sultana F, Alif SM, Banik B, et al.

Global Health, 2021 10 01;17(1):117.
PMID: 34598720 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-021-00768-3

BACKGROUND: The current pandemic of COVID-19 impacted the psychological wellbeing of populations globally.
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the extent and identify factors associated with psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study across 17 countries during Jun-2020 to Jan-2021. Levels of psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale), and coping (Brief Resilient Coping Scale) were assessed.
RESULTS: A total of 8,559 people participated; mean age (±SD) was 33(±13) years, 64% were females and 40% self-identified as frontline workers. More than two-thirds (69%) experienced moderate-to-very high levels of psychological distress, which was 46% in Thailand and 91% in Egypt. A quarter (24%) had high levels of fear of COVID-19, which was as low as 9% in Libya and as high as 38% in Bangladesh. More than half (57%) exhibited medium to high resilient coping; the lowest prevalence (3%) was reported in Australia and the highest (72%) in Syria. Being female (AOR 1.31 [95% CIs 1.09-1.57]), perceived distress due to change of employment status (1.56 [1.29-1.90]), comorbidity with mental health conditions (3.02 [1.20-7.60]) were associated with higher levels of psychological distress and fear. Doctors had higher psychological distress (1.43 [1.04-1.97]), but low levels of fear of COVID-19 (0.55 [0.41-0.76]); nurses had medium to high resilient coping (1.30 [1.03-1.65]).
CONCLUSIONS: The extent of psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping varied by country; however, we identified few higher risk groups who were more vulnerable than others. There is an urgent need to prioritise health and well-being of those people through well-designed intervention that may need to be tailored to meet country specific requirements.
Fulltext COVID-19 Related Psychological Distress, Fear and Coping: Identification of High-Risk Groups in Bangladesh

Rahman MA, Rahman S, Wazib A, Arafat SMY, Chowdhury ZZ, Uddin BMM, et al.

Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:718654.
PMID: 34484005 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.718654

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed psychological distress and fear across the globe; however, factors associated with those issues or the ways people cope may vary by country or context. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with psychological distress, fear, and coping strategies for people living in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in August-September 2020 using online platforms in Bangladesh. People residing in Bangladesh, aged ≥18 years, who were proficient in English and able to respond to online questionnaire. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale was used to assess the psychological stress. Level of fear was assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and strategies to cope were assessed using the Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Results: Of the 962 participants, half of them were aged between 30 and 59 years. Being born in Bangladesh, having graduate education, perceived distress due to employment change, effect of COVID-19 on financial situation, having multiple comorbidities, and visiting a healthcare provider in the last 4 weeks were associated with higher levels of both psychological distress and fear of COVID-19. Furthermore, higher psychological distress was associated with being a female (AOR 1.81, 95% CI 1.33-2.47, p < 0.001), being a frontline worker (AOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.04-2.15, p < 0.05), having pre-existing psychiatric problems (AOR 4.03, 95% CI 1.19-13.7, p < 0.05), being a smoker (AOR 2.02, 95% CI 1.32-3.09, p < 0.01), providing care to a known/suspected COVID-19 patient (AOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.40-2.72, p < 0.001), having a recent overseas travel history and being in self-quarantine (AOR 4.59, 95% CI 1.23-17.2, p < 0.05), self-isolation without COVID-19 (AOR 2.63, 95% CI 1.68-4.13, p < 0.001) or being COVID-19 positive (AOR 2.53, 95% CI 1.19-5.34, p < 0.05), and having high levels of fear of COVID-19 (AOR 3.27, 95% CI 2.29-4.66, p < 0.001). A higher level of fear was associated with moderate to high levels of psychological distress (AOR 3.29, 95% CI 2.31-4.69, p < 0.001). People with pre-existing mental health problems were less likely to be resilient (AOR 0.25, 95% CI 0.11-0.54, p < 0.01), whereas those with having an income were more likely to be resilient (AOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.02-2.11, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Effective interventions to support the vulnerable groups including improved access to mental health services are of utmost importance during the pandemic.
Fulltext Burden of injury along the development spectrum: associations between the Socio-demographic Index and disability-adjusted life year estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Haagsma JA, James SL, Castle CD, Dingels ZV, Fox JT, Hamilton EB, et al.

Inj Prev, 2020 Oct;26(Supp 1):i12-i26.
PMID: 31915273 DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043296

BACKGROUND: The epidemiological transition of non-communicable diseases replacing infectious diseases as the main contributors to disease burden has been well documented in global health literature. Less focus, however, has been given to the relationship between sociodemographic changes and injury. The aim of this study was to examine the association between disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from injury for 195 countries and territories at different levels along the development spectrum between 1990 and 2017 based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 estimates.
METHODS: Injury mortality was estimated using the GBD mortality database, corrections for garbage coding and CODEm-the cause of death ensemble modelling tool. Morbidity estimation was based on surveys and inpatient and outpatient data sets for 30 cause-of-injury with 47 nature-of-injury categories each. The Socio-demographic Index (SDI) is a composite indicator that includes lagged income per capita, average educational attainment over age 15 years and total fertility rate.
RESULTS: For many causes of injury, age-standardised DALY rates declined with increasing SDI, although road injury, interpersonal violence and self-harm did not follow this pattern. Particularly for self-harm opposing patterns were observed in regions with similar SDI levels. For road injuries, this effect was less pronounced.
CONCLUSIONS: The overall global pattern is that of declining injury burden with increasing SDI. However, not all injuries follow this pattern, which suggests multiple underlying mechanisms influencing injury DALYs. There is a need for a detailed understanding of these patterns to help to inform national and global efforts to address injury-related health outcomes across the development spectrum.
Fulltext Brain proteomics links oxidative stress with metabolic and cellular stress response proteins in behavioural alteration of Alzheimer's disease model rats

Rahman MA, Hossain S, Abdullah N, Aminudin N

AIMS Neurosci, 2019;6(4):299-315.
PMID: 32341985 DOI: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2019.4.299

Alzheimer's disease (AD) impairs memory and learning related behavioural performances of the affected person. Compared with the controls, memory and learning related behavioural performances of the AD model rats followed by hippocampal proteomics had been observed in the present study. In the eight armed radial maze, altered performance of the AD rats had been observed. Using liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), 822 proteins had been identified with protein threshold at 95.0%, minimum peptide of 2 and peptide threshold at 0.1% FDR. Among them, 329 proteins were differentially expressed with statistical significance (P < 0.05). Among the significantly regulated (P < 0.05) 329 proteins, 289 met the criteria of fold change (LogFC of 1.5) cut off value. Number of proteins linked with AD, oxidative stress (OS) and hypercholesterolemia was 59, 20 and 12, respectively. Number of commonly expressed proteins was 361. The highest amount of proteins differentially expressed in the AD rats were those involved in metabolic processes followed by those linked with OS. Most notable was the perturbed state of the cholesterol metabolizing proteins in the AD group. Current findings suggest that proteins associated with oxidative stress, glucose and cholesterol metabolism and cellular stress response are among the mostly affected proteins in AD subjects. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches targeting these proteins could be strategized to withstand the ever increasing global AD burden.
Blood parasites of domestic fowl in Malaysia

Colley FC, Rahman MA, Omar IB

Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 1971 Mar;2(1):84-5.
PMID: 5165246
Fulltext Bird species diversity in the padawan limestone area, sarawak

Mansor MS, Sah SA, Koon LC, Rahman MA

Trop Life Sci Res, 2011 Dec;22(2):65-80.
PMID: 24575218 MyJurnal

Bird surveys were conducted in the Padawan Limestone Area for seven days at each of two study sites, Giam and Danu, from August to December 2008. The purpose of the study was to compare the area's bird species richness and abundance of bird species in other limestone areas and in other forest types. The study also compared the species richness and relative abundance of birds in undisturbed and disturbed areas at both study sites. Twenty mist nets were deployed for 12 hours daily. During this study period, direct observations of birds were also made. In all, 80 species from 34 families were recorded at both sites. At Giam, 120 birds were mist-netted. These birds represented 31 species from 16 families. The direct observations at Giam recorded 13 species from 11 families. In the undisturbed area, 21 species from 13 families were mist-netted, whereas in the disturbed area, 21 species from 10 families were mist-netted. In Danu, a total of 48 birds, representing 25 species from 12 families, were mist-netted. The observations at Danu recorded 34 species from 19 families. Twelve species from 7 families were mist-netted in the undisturbed area, whereas 18 species from 11 families were mist-netted in the disturbed area. Statistical analysis showed that the species diversity index differed significantly between undisturbed and disturbed areas.
Biological Activities of Virgin Coconut and Virgin Olive Oil Mixture against Oral Primary Colonizers: An In Vitro Study

Ng YM, Sockalingam SNM, Shafiei Z, Zakaria ASI, Mahyuddin A, Rahman MA

J Contemp Dent Pract, 2024 Mar 19;25(3):260-266.
PMID: 38690700 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10024-3645

AIM AND BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the potential synergistic interaction of virgin coconut oil (VCO) and virgin olive oil (VOO) mixture against Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus mutans, and Lactobacillus casei in a single and mixture species through the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), antiadherence, and antibiofilm activities.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The broth microdilution technique was used to individually determine the MIC of both oils and an oil mixture (in the ratio of 1:1) in a 96-well microtiter plate. As for the MBC, the subcultured method was used. The fractional inhibitory concentration index (ΣFIC) was determined to identify the interaction types between both oils. The oil mixture at its MIC was then tested on its antibiofilm and antiadherence effect.
RESULTS: The MIC of the oil mixture against the tested microbiota was 50-100%. The oil mixture was bactericidal at 100% concentration for all the mentioned microbes except S. mutans. The ΣFIC value was 2 to 4, indicating that the VCO and VOO acted additively against the microbiota. Meanwhile, the oil mixture at MIC (50% for S. sanguinis and L. casei; 100% for S. mutans and mixture species) exhibited antiadherence and antibiofilm activity toward the microbiota in mixture species.
CONCLUSION: The oil mixture possesses antibacterial, antibiofilm, and antiadherence properties toward the tested microbiota, mainly at 50-100% concentration of oil mixture. There was no synergistic interaction found between VCO and VOO.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Children and individuals with special care may benefit from using the oil mixture, primarily to regulate the biofilm formation and colonization of the bacteria. Furthermore, the oil mixture is natural and nontoxic compared to chemical-based oral healthcare products. How to cite this article: Ng YM, Sockalingam SNMP, Shafiei Z, et al. Biological Activities of Virgin Coconut and Virgin Olive Oil Mixture against Oral Primary Colonizers: An In Vitro Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(3):260-266.
Fulltext Bioactive metabolites of Blumea lacera attenuate anxiety and depression in rodents and computer-aided model

Hossen MA, Ali Reza ASM, Amin MB, Nasrin MS, Khan TA, Rajib MHR, et al.

Food Sci Nutr, 2021 Jul;9(7):3836-3851.
PMID: 34262741 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.2362

Blumea lacera is an edible plant with imperative medicinal values. However, the anxiolytic and antidepressant roles of B. lacera have not been well-explained. Therefore, the current study aims to explore the impending bioactive metabolites and roles of B. lacera methanol leaf extract (Me-BLL) in attenuating anxiety and depression through several experimental and computer-aided approaches. The chemical characterization of Me-BLL was performed through standard phytochemical and GC-MS analyses. To explore the neuropharmacological insights, Swiss albino mice were treated with Me-BLL at doses of 200-400 mg/kg, p.o. The anxiolytic effects were observed employing elevated plus maze (EPM), light-dark box (LDB), and hole-board (HBT) tests, while antidepressant effects were evaluated using forced swimming (FST) and tail suspension tests (TST). Diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.) and fluoxetine HCl (20 mg/kg, p.o.) were used as the reference standard. The phytochemical analyses revealed several bioactive metabolites, including higher contents of total phenolics and flavonoids. The EPM and LDB tests demonstrated an increased time spent in open arms and light box, and the HBT showed an increased number of head dipping, indicating the anxiolytic effects of Me-BLL. The TST and FST revealed a decrease in immobility time, meaning the persuasive antidepressant effects. The antioxidative effects of Me-BLL have also been observed prominently. Correspondingly, the computer-aided investigation confirmed several bioactive lead molecules. Specifically, thymol and cuminol revealed potential anxiolytic and antioxidant effects, while stigmast-5-en-3.beta.-ol and gamma-sitosterol possessed promising antidepressant effects. Taken these results as a base, the plant has imperative potentials in managing anxiety and depression-like disorders.
Fulltext Association of Radiation Doses and Cancer Risks from CT Pulmonary Angiography Examinations in Relation to Body Diameter

Harun HH, Abdul Karim MK, Abbas Z, Abdul Rahman MA, Sabarudin A, Ng KH

Diagnostics (Basel), 2020 Sep 09;10(9).
PMID: 32917029 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10090681

In this study, we aimed to estimate the probability of cancer risk induced by CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) examinations concerning effective body diameter. One hundred patients who underwent CTPA examinations were recruited as subjects from a single institution in Kuala Lumpur. Subjects were categorized based on their effective diameter size, where 19-25, 25-28, and >28 cm categorized as Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The mean value of the body diameter of the subjects was 26.82 ± 3.12 cm, with no significant differences found between male and female subjects. The risk of cancer in breast, lung, and liver organs was 0.009%, 0.007%, and 0.005% respectively. The volume-weighted CT dose index (CTDIvol) was underestimated, whereas the size-specific dose estimates (SSDEs) provided a more accurate description of the radiation dose and the risk of cancer. CTPA examinations are considered safe but it is essential to implement a protocol optimized following the As Low as Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle.
Fulltext Artonin E Induces Apoptosis via Mitochondrial Dysregulation in SKOV-3 Ovarian Cancer Cells

Rahman MA, Ramli F, Karimian H, Dehghan F, Nordin N, Ali HM, et al.

PLoS One, 2016;11(3):e0151466.
PMID: 27019365 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151466

Artonin E is a prenylated flavonoid isolated from the stem bark of Artocarpus elasticus Reinw.(Moraceae). This study aimed to investigate the apoptotic mechanisms induced by artonin E in a metastatic human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3 in vitro. MTT assay, clonogenic assay, acridine orange and propidium iodide double staining, cell cycle and annexin V analyses were performed to explore the mode of artonin E-induced cell death at different time points. DNA laddering, activation of caspases-3, -8, and -9, multi-parametric cytotoxicity-3 analysis by high-content screening, measurement of reactive oxygen species generation, and Western blot were employed to study the pathways involved in the apoptosis. MTT results showed that artonin E inhibited the growth of SKOV-3 cells, with IC50 values of 6.5±0.5 μg/mL after 72 h treatment, and showed less toxicity toward a normal human ovarian cell line T1074, with IC50 value of 32.5±0.5 μg/mL. Results showed that artonin E induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the S phase. This compound also promoted the activation of caspases-3, -8, and -9. Further investigation into the depletion of mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome c revealed that artonin E treatment induced apoptosis via regulation of the expression of pro-survival and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members. The expression levels of survivin and HSP70 proteins were also down regulated in SKOV-3 cells treated with artonin E. We propose that artonin E induced an antiproliferative effect that led to S phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through dysregulation of mitochondrial pathways, particularly the pro- and anti-apoptosis signaling pathways.

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