Displaying publications 101 - 120 of 152 in total

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  1. Fulltext RT-LAMP CRISPR-Cas12/13-Based SARS-CoV-2 Detection Methods
    Selvam K, Najib MA, Khalid MF, Mohamad S, Palaz F, Ozsoz M, et al.
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2021 Sep 08;11(9).
    PMID: 34573987 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11091646
    Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has attracted public attention. The gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19 is reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). However, RT-qPCR can only be performed in centralized laboratories due to the requirement for advanced laboratory equipment and qualified workers. In the last decade, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology has shown considerable promise in the development of rapid, highly sensitive, and specific molecular diagnostic methods that do not require complicated instrumentation. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, there has been growing interest in using CRISPR-based diagnostic techniques to develop rapid and accurate assays for detecting SARS-CoV-2. In this work, we review and summarize reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) CRISPR-based diagnostic techniques for detecting SARS-CoV-2.
  2. Fulltext A Thermostabilized, One-Step PCR Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae
    Khazani NA, Noor NZ, Yean Yean C, Hasan H, Suraiya S, Mohamad S
    J Trop Med, 2017;2017:7210849.
    PMID: 28386286 DOI: 10.1155/2017/7210849
    Klebsiella pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae are two common pathogens associated with respiratory tract infections. The identification of these pathogens using conventional molecular diagnostic tests requires trained personnel, cold-chain transportation, and storage-dependance, which does not render them user-friendly. The aim of this study was to develop a thermostabilized, cold-chain-free, one-step multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of K. pneumoniae and H. influenzae. The multiplex PCR assay was designed to amplify the php gene of K. pneumoniae (202 bp) and p6 gene of H. influenzae (582 bp). In addition, the specific primer to amplify glm gene of Helicobacter pylori (105 bp) was included as an internal amplification control. Subsequently, the designed primers and all PCR reagents were thermostabilized by lyophilization. The stability of the thermostabilized PCR was evaluated using the Q(10) method. The sensitivity and specificity of performances for thermostabilized PCR were evaluated using 127 clinical isolates and were found to be 100% sensitive and specific. The thermostabilized PCR mix was found to be stable for 30 days and the Q10 accelerated stability was found to be 3.02 months. A cold-chain-free, PCR assay for easy, rapid, and simultaneous detection of K. pneumoniae and H. influenzae was successfully developed in this study.
  3. Combination of Cyclodextrin and Ionic Liquid in Analytical Chemistry: Current and Future Perspectives
    Hui BY, Raoov M, Zain NNM, Mohamad S, Osman H
    Crit Rev Anal Chem, 2017 Sep 03;47(5):454-467.
    PMID: 28453309 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2017.1320936
    The growth in driving force and popularity of cyclodextrin (CDs) and ionic liquids (ILs) as promising materials in the field of analytical chemistry has resulted in an exponentially increase of their exploitation and production in analytical chemistry field. CDs belong to the family of cyclic oligosaccharides composing of α-(1,4) linked glucopyranose subunits and possess a cage-like supramolecular structure. This structure enables chemical reactions to proceed between interacting ions, radical or molecules in the absence of covalent bonds. Conversely, ILs are an ionic fluids comprising of only cation and anion often with immeasurable vapor pressure making them as green or designer solvent. The cooperative effect between CD and IL due to their fascinating properties, have nowadays contributed their footprints for a better development in analytical chemistry nowadays. This comprehensive review serves to give an overview on some of the recent studies and provides an analytical trend for the application of CDs with the combination of ILs that possess beneficial and remarkable effects in analytical chemistry including their use in various sample preparation techniques such as solid phase extraction, magnetic solid phase extraction, cloud point extraction, microextraction, and separation techniques which includes gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis as well as applications of electrochemical sensors as electrode modifiers with references to recent applications. This review will highlight the nature of interactions and synergic effects between CDs, ILs, and analytes. It is hoped that this review will stimulate further research in analytical chemistry.
  4. Fulltext Novel Palm Fatty Acid Functionalized Magnetite Nanoparticles for Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction of Trace Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Environmental Samples
    Rozi SKM, Nodeh HR, Kamboh MA, Manan NSA, Mohamad S
    J Oleo Sci, 2017 Jul 01;66(7):771-784.
    PMID: 28626137 DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess17016
    A novel adsorbent, palm fatty acid coated magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNP-FA) was successfully synthesized with immobilization of the palm fatty acid onto the surface of MNPs. The successful synthesis of MNP-FA was further confirmed by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses and water contact angle (WCA) measurement. This newly synthesized MNP-FA was applied as magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) adsorbent for the enrichment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), namely fluoranthene (FLT), pyrene (Pyr), chrysene (Cry) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) from environmental samples prior to High Performance Liquid Chromatography- Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis. The MSPE method was optimized by several parameters such as amount of sorbent, desorption solvent, volume of desorption solvent, extraction time, desorption time, pH and sample volume. Under the optimized conditions, MSPE method provided a low detection limit (LOD) for FLT, Pyr, Cry and BaP in the range of 0.01-0.05 ng mL(-1). The PAHs recoveries of the spiked leachate samples ranged from 98.5% to 113.8% with the RSDs (n = 5) ranging from 3.5% to 12.2%, while for the spiked sludge samples, the recoveries ranged from 81.1% to 119.3% with the RSDs (n = 5) ranging from 3.1% to 13.6%. The recyclability study revealed that MNP-FA has excellent reusability up to five times. Chromatrographic analysis demonstrated the suitability of MNP-FA as MSPE adsorbent for the efficient extraction of PAHs from environmental samples.
  5. Fabrication of calixarene-grafted bio-polymeric magnetic composites for magnetic solid phase extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in water samples
    Syed Yaacob SFF, Mohd Jamil AK, Kamboh MA, Wan Ibrahim WA, Mohamad S
    PeerJ, 2018;6:e5108.
    PMID: 30002963 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5108
    Calixarene framework functionalized bio-polymeric magnetic composites (MSp-TDI-calix) were synthesized and utilized as magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) sorbent for the extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), namely indoprofen (INP), ketoprofen (KTP), ibuprofen (IBP) and fenoprofen (FNP), from environmental water samples. MSp-TDI-calix was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, FESEM, EDX, VSM and BET analysis, and the results were compared with Sp-TDI and Sp-TDI-calix. To maximize the extraction performance of MSp-TDI-calix decisive MSPE affective parameters such as sorbent amount, extraction time, sample volume, type of organic eluent, volume of organic eluent, desorption time and pH were comprehensively optimized prior to HPLC-DAD determination. The analytical validity of the proposed MSPE method was evaluated under optimized conditions and the following figures of merit were acquired: linearity with good determination coefficient (R2 ≥ 0.991) over the concentration range of 0.5-500 µg/L, limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.06-0.26 µg/L and limits of quantitation (LOQ) between 0.20-0.89 µg/L. Excellent reproducibility and repeatability under harsh environment with inter-day and intra-day relative standard deviations were obtained in the range of 2.5-3.2% and 2.4-3.9% respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for analysis of NSAIDs in tap water, drinking water and river water with recovery efficiency ranging from 88.1-115.8% with %RSD of 1.6-4.6%.
  6. Application of experimental designs and response surface methods in screening and optimization of reverse micellar extraction
    Sy Mohamad SF, Mohd Said F, Abdul Munaim MS, Mohamad S, Azizi Wan Sulaiman WM
    Crit Rev Biotechnol, 2020 May;40(3):341-356.
    PMID: 31931631 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2020.1712321
    Reverse micellar extraction (RME) has emerged as a versatile and efficient tool for downstream processing (DSP) of various biomolecules, including structural proteins and enzymes, due to the substantial advantages over conventional DSP methods. However, the RME system is a complex dependency of several parameters that influences the overall selectivity and performance of the RME system, hence this justifies the need for optimization to obtain higher possible extraction results. For the last two decades, many experimental design strategies for screening and optimization of RME have been described in literature. The objective of this article is to review the use of different experimental designs and response surface methodologies that are currently used to screen and optimize the RME system for various types of biomolecules. Overall, this review provides the rationale for the selection of appropriate screening or optimization techniques for the parameters associated with both forward and backward extraction during the RME of biomolecules.
  7. Molecular Detection of Glycophorins A and B Variant Phenotypes and their Clinical Relevance
    Hassan SN, Thirumulu Ponnuraj K, Mohamad S, Hassan R, Wan Ab Rahman WS
    Transfus Med Rev, 2019 04;33(2):118-124.
    PMID: 30910255 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2019.02.003
    Crossover or conversion between the homologous regions of glycophorin A (GYPA) and glycophorin B (GYPB) gives rise to several different hybrid glycophorin genes encoding a number of different glycophorin variant phenotypes which bear low prevalence antigens in the MNS blood group system. GP.Mur is the main glycophorin variant phenotype which causes hemolytic transfusion reaction (HTR) and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) in East and Southeast Asians. The detection of glycophorin variant phenotypes using serological methods is limited to phenotyping reagents that are not commercially available. Moreover, the red blood cells used for antibody identification are usually of the GP.Mur phenotype. The current Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based methods and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) are available alternatives to phenotyping that allow for the specific detection of glycophorin variant phenotypes. This review highlights the molecular detection method for glycophorins A and B variant phenotypes and their clinical relevance.
  8. Poly(cyclodextrin-ionic liquid) based ferrofluid: A new class of magnetic colloid for dispersive liquid phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from food samples prior to GC-FID analysis
    Yih Hui B, Mohamad Zain NN, Mohamad S, Varanusupakul P, Osman H, Raoov M
    Food Chem, 2020 Jun 01;314:126214.
    PMID: 31972404 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126214
    Poly(β-cyclodextrin-ionic liquid) grafted magnetic nanoparticles combined with 1-octanol as supramolecular solvents (SUPRASs) presenting new ferrofluid was developed and successfully applied in the dispersive liquid-phase microextraction of seven representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. One variable at-a-time (OVAT) analysis and response surface methodology (RSM) were used for efficient optimization of the main variables. The calibration curves were found to be linear in the range of 0.1-150 ng mL-1 with correlation of determinations (R2) ranging from 0.9944 to 0.9986. Detection limits ranged at 0.02-0.07 ng mL-1 for all studied PAHs. The intra and inter-day precision values (RSD %) were in the range of 1.80%-7.56% and 2.97%-8.23%, respectively. The ferrofluid showed a satisfactory reproducibility between 1.72% and 5.90%, and acceptable recovery values at 84%-110% were obtained for the real samples analysis. The optimized method was successfully applied to access the content safety of the PAHs studied in a variety of commercial food and beverages available in Malaysia.
  9. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis among Hemato-oncology patients in Kelantan
    Kholib-Jati AK, Wan-Ahmad WMA, Mohamad S, Wan-Mahmood WH, Husin A, Wan-Ab-Rahman WS
    Trop Biomed, 2020 Mar 01;37(1):218-226.
    PMID: 33612733
    Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii that is prevalent in humans and animals. This study was aimed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among hemato-oncology patients and its association with sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) involving 56 blood samples from hemato-oncology patients. Anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies and IgG avidity were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The association of T. gondii exposure, sociodemographic, and behavioural characteristics were assessed by a questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. Twenty-eight (50%) patients were seropositive for T. gondii antibodies, where 27 (48.21%) patients were IgG+/IgM- and one patient (1.79%) was IgG+/IgM+ with high avidity index, indicating infection of more than 20 weeks. A univariate analysis showed that age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, educational level, employment status, stem cell transplant, blood transfusion, close contact with cats, water supply, and consumption of undercooked meat were not significantly associated with Toxoplasma seropositivity (p < 0.05). Our study has demonstrated, for the first time, the serological evidence of T. gondii exposure among hemato-oncology patients in Hospital USM. Our findings indicated that latent toxoplasmosis was relatively prevalence among our patients. Therefore, serological screening tests should be considered for immunocompromised patients as well as the implementation of health education programmes to encourage a healthy lifestyle and the consumption of healthy food among them.
  10. Fulltext Introgression of bacterial leaf blight (BLB) resistant gene, Xa7 into MARDI elite variety, MR219 by marker assisted backcrossing (MABC) approach
    Yazid SN, Ahmad K, Razak MSFA, Rahman ZA, Ramachandran K, Mohamad SNA, et al.
    Braz J Biol, 2021;84:e248359.
    PMID: 34730685 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.248359
    Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) is one of the major rice diseases in Malaysia. This disease causes substantial yield loss as high as 70%. Development of rice varieties which inherited BLB resistant traits is a crucial approach to promote and sustain rice industry in Malaysia. Hence, this study aims were to enhance BLB disease resistant characters of high yielding commercial variety MR219 through backcross breeding approach with supporting tool of marker-assisted selection (MAS). Broad spectrum BLB resistance gene, Xa7 from donor parent IRBB7 were introgressed into the susceptible MR219 (recurrent parent) using two flanking markers ID7 and ID15. At BC3F4, we managed to generate 19 introgressed lines with homozygous Xa7 gene and showed resistant characteristics as donor parent when it was challenged with Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae through artificial inoculation. Recurrent parent MR219 and control variety, MR263 were found to be severely infected by the disease. The improved lines exhibited similar morphological and yield performance characters as to the elite variety, MR219. Two lines, PB-2-107 and PB-2-34 were chosen to be potential lines because of their outstanding performances compared to parent, MR219. This study demonstrates a success story of MAS application in development of improved disease resistance lines of rice against BLB disease.
  11. Fulltext Towards a systematic description of the field using bibliometric analysis: malware evolution
    Mat SRT, Ab Razak MF, Kahar MNM, Arif JM, Mohamad S, Firdaus A
    Scientometrics, 2021;126(3):2013-2055.
    PMID: 33583978 DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03834-6
    Malware is a blanket term for Trojan, viruses, spyware, worms, and other files that are purposely created to harm computers, mobile devices, or computer networks. Malware commonly steals, encrypts, damages, and causes a mess in these devices. The growth of malware attacks has a consequence on the growth and attractiveness of mobile features in mobile devices. Most malware research aims to probe the different methods of preventing, analysing, and detecting malware attacks. This paper aims to demonstrate an exhaustive knowledge map of the Android malware by collecting a ten (10) year dataset from the Web of Science database. A bibliometric analysis was employed for analysing articles published between 2010 and 2019. Using the keyword "malware", 5622 articles were retrieved. After scrutinising with the keywords of "Android malware", 1278 articles were then collected. This study provides an overview of the articles, productivity, research area, the Web of Science categories, authors, high-cited articles, institutions, and impact journals examining malware. Research activities are continued by placing terms in the classification of malware detection systems that outline important areas in malware research. From the analysis, it can be concluded that the highest number of publications focusing on malware studies came from the continent of Asia. Additionally, this study discusses the challenges of malware studies in the recent research studies as well as the future direction.
  12. Polyaniline-dicationic ionic liquid coated with magnetic nanoparticles composite for magnetic solid phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples
    Shahriman MS, Ramachandran MR, Zain NNM, Mohamad S, Manan NSA, Yaman SM
    Talanta, 2018 Feb 01;178:211-221.
    PMID: 29136814 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2017.09.023
    In this present study, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) nanocomposites modified with polyaniline (PANI) coated newly synthesised dicationic ionic liquid (DICAT) forming MNP-PANI-DICAT were successfully synthesised as new generation material for magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE). MNP-PANI-DICAT was characterised by FT-IR NMR, CHN, BET, SEM, TEM, and VSM techniques and the results were compared with MNP-PANI and native MNP. This new material was applied as a magnetic adsorbent for the pre-concentration and separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to the π-π interaction between polyaniline shell and dicationic ionic liquid (DICAT) with PAHs compounds. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed method was evaluated and applied for the analysis of PAHs in environmental samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The validation method showed good linearity (0.005-500µgL-1) with the coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.999. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of the developed method (MNP-PANI-DICAT-MSPE) were in the range of 0.0008-0.2086µgL-1and 0.0024-0.6320µgL-1, respectively. The enrichment factor (EF) of PAHs on MNP-PANI-DICAT-MSPE were in the range of 7.546-29.632. The extraction recoveries of natural water, sludge, and soil samples were ranged from 80.2% to 111.9% with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 5.6%. The newly synthesised MNP-PANI-DICAT possess good sensitivity, reusability, and fast extraction of PAHs under the MSPE procedure in various environmental samples.
  13. Fulltext Transcriptome profiling of monocytes from XLA patients revealed the innate immune function dysregulation due to the BTK gene expression deficiency
    Mirsafian H, Ripen AM, Leong WM, Chear CT, Bin Mohamad S, Merican AF
    Sci Rep, 2017 07 28;7(1):6836.
    PMID: 28754963 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06342-5
    X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a rare genetic disorder, caused by mutations in BTK (Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase) gene. Deep high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) approach was utilized to explore the possible differences in transcriptome profiles of primary monocytes in XLA patients compared with healthy subjects. Our analysis revealed the differences in expression of 1,827 protein-coding genes, 95 annotated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 20 novel lincRNAs between XLA patients and healthy subjects. GO and KEGG pathway analysis of differentially expressed (DE) protein-coding genes showed downregulation of several innate immune-related genes and upregulation of oxidative phosphorylation and apoptosis-related genes in XLA patients compared to the healthy subjects. Moreover, the functional prediction analysis of DE lncRNAs revealed their potential role in regulating the monocytes cell cycle and apoptosis in XLA patients. Our results suggested that BTK mutations may contribute to the dysregulation of innate immune system and increase susceptibility to apoptosis in monocytes of XLA patients. This study provides significant finding on the regulation of BTK gene in monocytes and the potential for development of innovative biomarkers and therapeutic monitoring strategies to increase the quality of life in XLA patients.
  14. Fulltext Antituberculosis activity, phytochemical identification of Costus speciosus (J. Koenig) Sm., Cymbopogon citratus (DC. Ex Nees) Stapf., and Tabernaemontana coronaria (L.) Willd. and their effects on the growth kinetics and cellular integrity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv
    Mohamad S, Ismail NN, Parumasivam T, Ibrahim P, Osman H, A Wahab H
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2018 Jan 08;18(1):5.
    PMID: 29310671 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-2077-5
    BACKGROUND: Costus speciosus, Cymbopogon citratus, and Tabernaemontana coronaria are herbal plants traditionally used as remedies for symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) including cough. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the in vitro anti-TB activity of different solvent partitions of these plants, to identify the phytochemical compounds, and to assess the effects of the most active partitions on the growth kinetics and cellular integrity of the tubercle organism.

    METHODS: The in vitro anti-TB activity of different solvent partitions of the plant materials was determined against M. tuberculosis H37Rv using a tetrazolium colorimetric microdilution assay. The phytochemical compounds in the most active partition of each plant were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The effects of these partitions on the growth kinetics of the mycobacteria were evaluated over 7-day treatment period in a batch culture system. Their effects on the mycobacterial cellular integrity were observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

    RESULTS: The respective n-hexane partition of C. speciosus, C. citratus, and T. coronaria exhibited the highest anti-TB activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 100-200 μg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 200 μg/mL. GC-MS phytochemical analysis of these active partitions revealed that majority of the identified compounds belonged to lipophilic fatty acid groups. The active partitions of C. speciosus and T. coronaria exhibited high cidal activity in relation to time, killing more than 99% of the cell population. SEM observations showed that these active plant partitions caused multiple structural changes indicating massive cellular damages.

    CONCLUSIONS: The n-hexane partition of the plant materials exhibited promising in vitro anti-TB activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Their anti-TB activity was supported by their destructive effects on the integrity of the mycobacterial cellular structure.

  15. Fulltext A Missed Diagnosis of Laryngotracheal Injury Secondary to Emergency Intubation: Lessons Learned
    Dam VSKE, Mohamad S, Hassan NFHN, Mazlan MZ
    Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove), 2022;65(3):112-117.
    PMID: 36735889 DOI: 10.14712/18059694.2022.27
    Iatrogenic laryngotracheal trauma is a potentially fatal complication of endotracheal intubation, especially in an emergency setting. Symptoms are almost always related to speech, breathing, and swallowing. Hoarseness being the commonest symptom, while shortness of breath and stridor always signify more devastating injury. We present a case of iatrogenic subglottic and tracheal stenosis, which was misdiagnosed in the emergency department during the first visit. This case report highlights the importance of salient history and thorough examination with a high index of suspicion in a stridorous case with a recent history of intubation. Early detection and management are vital to avoid a life-threatening event.
  16. Synthesis of piperazine functionalized magnetic sporopollenin: a new organic-inorganic hybrid material for the removal of lead(II) and arsenic(III) from aqueous solution
    Ahmad NF, Kamboh MA, Nodeh HR, Halim SNBA, Mohamad S
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2017 Sep;24(27):21846-21858.
    PMID: 28776296 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9820-9
    The present work describes the successful functionalization/magnetization of bio-polymeric spores of Lycopodium clavatum (sporopollenin) with 1-(2-hydroxyethyl) piperazine. Analytical techniques, i.e., Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), were used to confirm the formation of 1-(2-hydroxyethyl) piperazine-functionalized magnetic sporopollenin (MNPs-Sp-HEP). The proposed adsorbent (MNPs-Sp-HEP) was used for the removal of noxious Pb(II) and As(III) metal ions from aqueous media through a batch-wise method. Different experimental parameters were optimized for the effective removal of selected noxious metal ions. Maximum adsorption capacity (q m ) 13.36 and 69.85 mg g-1 for Pb(II) and As(III), respectively, were obtained. Thermodynamic parameters such as free energy (ΔG°), entropy (ΔS°), and enthalpy (ΔH°) were also studied from the adsorption results and were used to elaborate the mechanism of their confiscation. The obtained results indicated that newly adsorbent can be successfully applied for the decontamination of noxious Pb(II) and As(III) from the aqueous environment.
  17. Managing Different Spectrums of Tuberous Sclerosis Facial Angiofibroma: A Report of Two Cases
    Mustaqim K, Mohd Ghazi AFN, Harun Nor Rashid SA, Mohamad S
    Cureus, 2023 Feb;15(2):e35200.
    PMID: 36960246 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.35200
    Tuberous sclerosis is one of the rarest genetically linked disorders that can affect a multitude of body systems in various forms. Patients with facial angiofibroma may face issues arising from the various modalities and approaches that can be applied. Moreover, surgeons also face challenges in preparing patients for specific interventions. Here, we are reporting the two spectrums of this condition that may present, along with how we managed patients in our center. The first case is a severe form of tuberous sclerosis involving the skin as well as neurological manifestation, while the second case is a milder form. Both were treated with serial excision and electrosurgery, respectively. Facial angiofibroma in tuberous sclerosis can present in various spectrums. Serial excision and electrosurgery are deemed acceptable. Few advancements have been made in the management of this condition, and combination therapies have shown favorable outcomes. Optimizing patient comorbidities is imperative before intervention and multidisciplinary team involvement would ensure patient safety.
  18. Fulltext Diagnostic performance of an in-house multiplex PCR assay and the retrospective surveillance of bacterial respiratory pathogens at a teaching hospital, Kelantan, Malaysia
    Nik Zuraina NMN, Mohamad S, Hasan H, Goni MD, Suraiya S
    Pathog Glob Health, 2023 Feb;117(1):63-75.
    PMID: 35331083 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2022.2028378
    Respiratory tract infections (RTIs), including pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis, are among the leading causes of death worldwide. The use of accurate diagnostic tests is crucial to initiate proper treatment and therapy to reduce the mortality rates for RTIs. A PCR assay for simultaneous detection of six respiratory bacteria: Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae, was developed in our lab. The current study aimed to evaluate the performance of this assay along with the retrospective surveillance of respiratory pathogens at a teaching hospital in Kelantan, Malaysia. Leftover sputa (n = 200) from clinical laboratories were collected and undergone DNA template preparation for PCR analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the PCR assay were determined in comparison with the gold standard sputum culture. Overall, the accuracy performance of this assay was 94.67% (95% CI: 90.87% to 97.21%) with sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 100%, 91.67%, 87.1% and 100%, respectively. Based on the organisms detected from sputa, K. pneumoniae ranked as the top isolate (n = 48), followed by P. aeruginosa (n = 13) and H. influenzae (n = 10). Surveillance among the patients showed that the associations of bacterial positive with gender and means of acquisition were found significant (p values = 0.049 and 0.001, respectively). Besides the promising performance of this ready-to-use molecular-based assay for the rapid detection of selected bacteria pathogens, this study also highlighted significant spread of K. pneumoniae RTIs in the community.
  19. Periodontal health status, Porphyromonas gingivalis and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies among rheumatoid arthritis patients
    Wan Jiun T, Taib H, Majdiah Wan Mohamad W, Mohamad S, Syamimee Wan Ghazali W
    Int Immunopharmacol, 2023 Nov;124(Pt B):110940.
    PMID: 37722261 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110940
    Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is the primary periodontal pathogen involved in protein citrullination, which triggers the production of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies, exacerbating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aims to evaluate the amount of P. gingivalis and its association with anti-CCP antibodies in RA patients with periodontitis. This cross-sectional study involves 100 RA patients with a mean age of 52.36 (SD 13.90) years. Smokers and patients with other uncontrolled systemic diseases were excluded. Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS-28) was used to determine RA disease severity. Periodontal parameters were examined to determine periodontal status. Subsequently, plaque samples were collected from the subgingival periodontal pocket for assessment of P. gingivalis bacterial load using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification method. Blood samples (5 ml) were obtained from all participants to analyse anti-CCP antibody levels. Data was analysed by using SPSS version 24.0. Most participants were female (85.0%) and had low RA disease severity (62%). The mean RA disease duration was 7.77 (SD 6.3) years, with a mean DAS-28 of 3.17 (SD 1.0). Forty-seven per cent of participants had periodontitis, but all periodontal parameters were not associated with RA disease activity (P = 0.38). P. gingivalis bacterial load ranged from 10 to 109 copies/μl. Fifty-five per cent of the collected samples showed positive anti-CCP antibody levels, but no significant association was observed with the P. gingivalis bacterial load (P = 0.58). Considering the study's limitations, although periodontitis is prevalent among RA patients, there is a lack of association between P. gingivalis bacterial load and anti-CCP antibody levels, which should be investigated further.
  20. Fulltext Phytochemical Compounds of Raw Versus Methanol-Extracted Kelulut, Tualang, and Manuka Honeys
    Chu LI, Berahim Z, Mohamad S, Shahidan WNS, Yhaya MF, Zainuddin SLA
    Cureus, 2023 Apr;15(4):e38297.
    PMID: 37255896 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.38297
    Honey has been widely used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. It is produced by stinging bees or stingless bees by processing the collected nectar or plant sap in their bodies into raw honey. Extraction of honey will result in the pooling of crude volatile bioactive materials that could enhance its benefits. This work aims to compare the phytochemical characteristics of raw and methanol-extracted honeys in the Kelulut, Tualang and Manuka honeys. All types of raw honey samples were extracted by using the methanol extraction method and both groups were analysed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) at the National Poison Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia. The findings showed that 23 compounds were identified in raw Kelulut honey and 18 compounds in methanol-extracted Kelulut honey; 28 compounds were identified in raw Tualang honey and 29 compounds in methanol-extracted Tualang honey; 19 compounds in raw Manuka honey and 22 compounds in methanol-extracted Manuka honey. There were differences in the phytochemical substances detected in raw and methanol-extracted honeys. The major compounds in raw honeys were mostly from the ketone, alcohol, and ester groups, whereas the ketone group was dominant in methanol-extracted honeys. Most bioactive substances identified in the methanol-extracted variant of honeys were more concentrated than the raw variant. A majority of these substances have antimicrobial characteristics.
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