Displaying publications 1321 - 1340 of 1777 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext Patterns of polysubstance use among adults in Malaysia-A latent class analysis
    Rodzlan Hasani WS, Robert Lourdes TG, Ganapathy SS, Ab Majid NL, Abd Hamid HA, Mohd Yusoff MF
    PLoS One, 2023;18(1):e0264593.
    PMID: 36649298 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264593
    INTRODUCTION: Polysubstance use is the use of more than one non-prescribed licit or illicit substance at one time. This is a common phenomenon, but little is known about the severity and the various substances used by adults in Malaysia.

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern of polysubstance use and its associated factors among general adults in Malaysia.

    METHODOLOGY: This was a secondary data analysis from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019), a cross-sectional population survey with a two-stage stratified random sampling design. A total of 10,472 Malaysians aged 18 years and above participated in this survey. Polysubstance use was defined as concurrent use of more than one substance, either alcohol, tobacco, or drugs (opioids, marijuana, amphetamine/ methamphetamine or kratom). A latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify the membership of polysubstance groups. The association of class membership with demographic profiles was examined using Multinomial Logistic Regression analysis.

    RESULTS: Fit indices (AIC = 16458.9, BIC = 16443.6) from LCA supported 3 classes solution: Class 1; "moderate-drug" group primarily combination used of tobacco and alcohol (2.4%), Class 2; "high-drug" group using multiple substance including kratom (0.3%) and Class 3; "low-drug" group reporting minimal alcohol and tobacco use or non-user (97.3%). The multinomial model showed young adults (18-40 years) had a higher likelihood of being polysubstance users both for moderate-drug class (OR = 4.1) and high-drug class (OR = 3.9) compared to older age (≥60 years). Chinese (OR = 18.9), Indian (OR = 23.3), Indigenous Sabah & Sarawak (OR = 34.6) and others ethnicity (OR = 8.9) showed higher odds of being moderate-drug users than Malays. The greater odds of moderate-drug use for males (OR = 35.5), working groups (OR = 1.5) and low education level group (OR = 3.2).

    CONCLUSION: Our study highlights patterns and demographics related to the use of polysubstances among adults in Malaysia. These results would help formulate specific prevention programmes for these high-risk groups.

  2. Fulltext Dominant phytoplankton groups as the major source of polyunsaturated fatty acids for hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) in the Meghna estuary Bangladesh
    Shaha DC, Hasan J, Kundu SR, Yusoff FM, Salam MA, Khan M, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2022 Dec 05;12(1):20980.
    PMID: 36470973 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24500-2
    The tropical estuarine ecosystem is fascinating for studying the dynamics of water quality and phytoplankton diversity due to its frequently changing hydrological conditions. Most importantly, phytoplankton is the main supplier of ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the coastal food web for fish as they could not synthesize PUFA. This study evaluated seasonal variations of water quality parameters in the Meghna River estuary (MRE), explored how phytoplankton diversity changes according to hydro-chemical parameters, and identified the major phytoplankton groups as the main source of PUFA for hilsa fish. Ten water quality indicators including temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN = nitrate, nitrite, ammonia) and phosphorus, dissolved silica and chlorophyll-a were evaluated. In addition, phytoplankton diversity was assessed in the water and hilsa fish gut. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the spatio-temporal changes in the water quality conditions, and the driving factors in the MRE. Four main components were extracted and explained 75.4% variability of water quality parameters. The most relevant driving factors were dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, and DIN (nitrate, nitrite and ammonia). These variabilities in physicochemical parameters and dissolved inorganic nutrients caused seasonal variations in two major groups of phytoplankton. Peak abundance of Chlorophyta (green algae) occurred in water in nutrient-rich environments (nitrogen and phosphorus) during the wet (36%) season, while Bacillariophyta (diatoms) were dominant during the dry (32%) season that depleted dissolved silica. Thus, the decrease of green algae and the increase of diatoms in the dry season indicated the potential link to seasonal changes of hydro-chemical parameters. The green algae (53.7%) were the dominant phytoplankton group in the hilsa gut content followed by diatoms (22.6%) and both are contributing as the major source of PUFAs for hilsa fish according to the electivity index as they contain the highest amounts of PUFAs (60 and 28% respectively).
  3. Fulltext Metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk among patients with schizophrenia receiving antipsychotics in Malaysia
    Said MA, Sulaiman AH, Habil MH, Das S, Bakar AK, Yusoff RM, et al.
    Singapore Med J, 2012 Dec;53(12):801-7.
    PMID: 23268153
    INTRODUCTION:This study aimed to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with schizophrenia receiving antipsychotics in Malaysia.
    METHODS:This cross-sectional study, conducted at multiple centres, involved 270 patients who fulfilled the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, were on antipsychotic medications for at least one year, and were screened for metabolic syndrome. Patients receiving mood stabilisers were excluded. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III criteria modified for Asian waist circumference. Risk for cardiovascular disease was assessed by using Framingham function (all ten-year CHD events).
    RESULTS:The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 46.7% (126/270). Among all the antipsychotics used, atypical antipsychotics (monotherapy) were most commonly used in both the metabolic and non-metabolic syndrome groups (50.8% vs. 58.3%). The ten-year risk for CHD was significantly higher in patients with metabolic syndrome. The proportion of patients with high/very high risk for CHD (Framingham ≥ 10%) was greater in patients with metabolic syndrome than in those with non-metabolic syndrome (31.5% vs. 11.0%, odds ratio 3.9, 95% confidence interval 2.0-7.6; p < 0.001). The mean body mass index was higher in patients with metabolic syndrome than in those without (29.4 ± 5.1 kg/m2 vs. 25.0 ± 5.6 kg/m2; p < 0.001).
    CONCLUSION:Patients with schizophrenia receiving antipsychotics in Malaysia have a very high incidence of metabolic syndrome and increased cardiovascular risk. Urgent interventions are needed to combat these problems in patients.
  4. Enhancement of simultaneous batik wastewater treatment and electricity generation in photocatalytic fuel cell
    Khalik WF, Ho LN, Ong SA, Voon CH, Wong YS, Yusuf SY, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2018 Dec;25(35):35164-35175.
    PMID: 30328543 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3414-z
    The objective of this study was to investigate several operating parameters, such as open circuit, different external resistance, pH, supporting electrolyte, and presence of aeration that might enhance the degradation rate as well as electricity generation of batik wastewater in solar photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC). The optimum degradation of batik wastewater was at pH 9 with external resistor 250 Ω. It was observed that open circuit of PFC showed only 17.2 ± 7.5% of removal efficiency, meanwhile the degradation rate of batik wastewater was enhanced to 31.9 ± 15.0% for closed circuit with external resistor 250 Ω. The decolorization of batik wastewater in the absence of photocatalyst due to the absorption of light irradiation by dye molecules and this process was known as photolysis. The degradation of batik wastewater increased as the external resistor value decreased. In addition, the degradation rate of batik wastewater also increased at pH 9 which was 74.4 ± 34.9% and at pH 3, its degradation rate was reduced to 19.4 ± 8.7%. The presence of aeration and sodium chloride as supporting electrolyte in batik wastewater also affected its degradation and electricity generation. The maximum absorbance of wavelength (λmax) of batik wastewater at 535 nm and chemical oxygen demand gradually decreased as increased in irradiation time; however, batik wastewater required prolonged irradiation time to fully degrade and mineralize in PFC system.
  5. Influence of supporting electrolyte in electricity generation and degradation of organic pollutants in photocatalytic fuel cell
    Khalik WF, Ong SA, Ho LN, Wong YS, Voon CH, Yusuf SY, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2016 Aug;23(16):16716-21.
    PMID: 27184147 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6840-9
    This study investigated the effect of different supporting electrolyte (Na2SO4, MgSO4, NaCl) in degradation of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) and generation of electricity. Zinc oxide (ZnO) was immobilized onto carbon felt acted as photoanode, while Pt-coated carbon paper as photocathode was placed in a single chamber photocatalytic fuel cell, which then irradiated by UV lamp for 24 h. The degradation and mineralization of RB5 with 0.1 M NaCl rapidly decreased after 24-h irradiation time, followed by MgSO4, Na2SO4 and without electrolyte. The voltage outputs for Na2SO4, MgSO4 and NaCl were 908, 628 and 523 mV, respectively, after 24-h irradiation time; meanwhile, their short-circuit current density, J SC, was 1.3, 1.2 and 1.05 mA cm(-2), respectively. The power densities for Na2SO4, MgSO4 and NaCl were 0.335, 0.256 and 0.245 mW cm(-2), respectively. On the other hand, for without supporting electrolyte, the voltage output and short-circuit current density was 271.6 mV and 0.055 mA cm(-2), respectively. The supporting electrolyte NaCl showed greater performance in degradation of RB5 and generation of electricity due to the formation of superoxide radical anions which enhance the degradation of dye. The mineralization of RB5 with different supporting electrolyte was measured through spectrum analysis and reduction in COD concentration.
  6. Degradation and transformation of anthracene by white-rot fungus Armillaria sp. F022
    Hadibarata T, Zubir MM, Rubiyatno, Chuang TZ, Yusoff AR, Salim MR, et al.
    Folia Microbiol (Praha), 2013 Sep;58(5):385-91.
    PMID: 23307571 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-013-0221-2
    Characterization of anthracene metabolites produced by Armillaria sp. F022 was performed in the enzymatic system. The fungal culture was conducted in 100-mL Erlenmeyer flask containing mineral salt broth medium (20 mL) and incubated at 120 rpm for 5-30 days. The culture broth was then centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 45 min to obtain the extract. Additionally, the effect of glucose consumption, laccase activity, and biomass production in degradation of anthracene were also investigated. Approximately, 92 % of the initial concentration of anthracene was degraded within 30 days of incubation. Dynamic pattern of the biomass production was affected the laccase activity during the experiment. The biomass of the fungus increased with the increasing of laccase activity. The isolation and characterization of four metabolites indicated that the structure of anthracene was transformed by Armillaria sp. F022 in two routes. First, anthracene was oxidized to form anthraquinone, benzoic acid, and second, converted into other products, 2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid and coumarin. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis also revealed that the molecular structure of anthracene was transformed by the action of the enzyme, generating a series of intermediate compounds such as anthraquinone by ring-cleavage reactions. The ligninolytic enzymes expecially free extracellular laccase played an important role in the transformation of anthracene during degradation period.
  7. Fulltext Association of CCL2, CCR5, ELMO1, and IL8 Polymorphism with Diabetic Nephropathy in Malaysian Type 2 Diabetic Patients
    Yahya MJ, Ismail PB, Nordin NB, Akim ABM, Yusuf WSBM, Adam NLB, et al.
    Int J Chronic Dis, 2019;2019:2053015.
    PMID: 30713847 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2053015
    The unique variants or biomarkers of individuals help to understand the pathogenesis as well as the potential risk of individuals or patients to diabetic nephropathy (DN). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of a genetic polymorphism of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (CCL2-rs3917887), chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5-rs1799987), engulfment and cell mortality (ELMO1-rs74130), and interleukin-8 (IL8-rs4073) with the development of DN among Malaysian type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. More than one thousand diabetic patients were examined and a total of 652 T2DM patients were tested comprising 227 Malays (nonnephrotic=96 and nephrotic=131), 203 Chinese (nonnephrotic=95 and nephrotic=108), and 222 Indians (nonnephrotic=136 and nephrotic=86). DNA Sequenom mass ARRAY was employed to identify polymorphisms in CCL2, CCR5, ELMO1, and IL8 genes. DNA was extracted from the secondary blood samples taken from the T2DM patients. The alleles and genotypes were tested using four genetic models and the best mode of inheritance was chosen. CCR5 rs1799987 (G>A) showed strong association with the development of diabetic nephropathy only among the Chinese with OR=6.71 (2.55-17.68) 95% CI while IL8 rs4073 (T>A) showed association with nephropathy only among the Indians with OR=1.57 (0.66-3.71) 95% CI. The additive model was the best model for the mode of inheritance of all the genes. The contribution of genetic variants differs across ethnic groups or background. Further studies which involve environmental risk factors should be taken into consideration.
  8. 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.
  9. Fulltext Baseline treatments and metabolic control of 288,913 type 2 diabetes patients in a 10-year retrospective cohort in Malaysia
    Wan KS, Mustapha F, Chandran A, Ganapathy SS, Zakariah N, Ramasamy S, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2023 Oct 13;13(1):17338.
    PMID: 37833402 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44564-y
    Diabetes is one of the quickest-growing global health emergencies of the twenty-first century, and data-driven care can improve the quality of diabetes management. We aimed to describe the formation of a 10-year retrospective open cohort of type 2 diabetes patients in Malaysia. We also described the baseline treatment profiles and HbA1c, blood pressure, and lipid control to assess the quality of diabetes care. We used 10 years of cross-sectional audit datasets from the National Diabetes Registry and merged 288,913 patients with the same identifying information into a 10-year open cohort dataset. Treatment targets for HbA1c, blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides were based on Malaysian clinical practice guidelines. IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0 was used, and frequencies and percentages with 95% confidence intervals were reported. In total, 288,913 patients were included, with 62.3% women and 54.1% younger adults. The commonest diabetes treatment modality was oral hypoglycaemic agents (75.9%). Meanwhile, 19.3% of patients had ≥ 3 antihypertensive agents, and 71.2% were on lipid-lowering drugs. Metformin (86.1%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (49.6%), and statins (69.2%) were the most prescribed antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and lipid-lowering medications, respectively. The mean HbA1c was 7.96 ± 2.11, and 31.2% had HbA1c > 8.5%. Only 35.8% and 35.2% attained blood pressure 
  10. Composition of deposited sediment and its temporal variation in a disturbed tropical catchment in the Kelantan river basin, Peninsular Malaysia
    Sugumaran D, Blake WH, Millward GE, Yusop Z, Mohd Yusoff AR, Mohamad NA, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jun;30(28):71881-71896.
    PMID: 35411514 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19904-6
    Pristine tropical river systems are coming under increasing pressure from the development of economic resources such as forestry and mining for valuable elements. The Lebir catchment, north eastern Malaysia, is now under development as a result of unregulated tree felling and mining for essential and rare metals. Two sediment cores, one in the upstream reaches and the other from the downstream reaches, were taken from flood prone area of the Lebir River, Malaysia, and analysed for their elemental composition by XRF, specifically Al, Si, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, Mn, V, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr, Zn, As, Th and U. Activities of fallout radionuclides, 137Cs and 210Pb were also determined to from a geochronological context. The elemental concentrations in the soils were assessed in terms of their enrichment factor and Si, Ca, K, Mg, Mn, V, Cu, Ni and Zn were found not to be enriched, whereas As, Th and U had elevated enrichment factors. The Th and U were particularly enriched in the downstream core indicating inputs from a tributary that drains a catchment with known deposits of Th and possibly U. The results suggest that the growth in economic development is fostering the transport of contaminants by the major rivers which, in turn, is contaminating the riverine floodplains. This points to the need for a more integrated and holistic approach to river basin management to maintain the environmental quality of these fragile aquatic systems.
  11. Fulltext Pure ballistic sonic pressure wave lung injury on computed tomography (CT) and plain radiograph
    Hanapiah FM, Jamali AAM, Aziz ME, Mohktar MS, Ismail ZKA, Husin MH, et al.
    Radiol Case Rep, 2023 Aug;18(8):2673-2676.
    PMID: 37287721 DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2023.04.058
    Sonic pressure wave should be taken into consideration in all ballistic injury. We review a young gentleman with ballistic injury of his lateral chest wall. The bullet trajectory passed through the lateral chest wall. Chest radiograph shows a wedge-shaped consolidation adjacent to the wound with blunted right costophrenic angle. Subsequent CT scan confirms the consolidation adjacent to the bullet trajectory. This case report emphasizes on value of CT in ballistic chest trauma and indirect injury caused by the sonic pressure wave of the bullet.
  12. Fulltext Bioactive Compounds from Marine Sponges: Fundamentals and Applications
    Varijakzhan D, Loh JY, Yap WS, Yusoff K, Seboussi R, Lim SE, et al.
    Mar Drugs, 2021 Apr 27;19(5).
    PMID: 33925365 DOI: 10.3390/md19050246
    Marine sponges are sessile invertebrates that can be found in temperate, polar and tropical regions. They are known to be major contributors of bioactive compounds, which are discovered in and extracted from the marine environment. The compounds extracted from these sponges are known to exhibit various bioactivities, such as antimicrobial, antitumor and general cytotoxicity. For example, various compounds isolated from Theonella swinhoei have showcased various bioactivities, such as those that are antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. In this review, we discuss bioactive compounds that have been identified from marine sponges that showcase the ability to act as antibacterial, antiviral, anti-malarial and antifungal agents against human pathogens and fish pathogens in the aquaculture industry. Moreover, the application of such compounds as antimicrobial agents in other veterinary commodities, such as poultry, cattle farming and domesticated cats, is discussed, along with a brief discussion regarding the mode of action of these compounds on the targeted sites in various pathogens. The bioactivity of the compounds discussed in this review is focused mainly on compounds that have been identified between 2000 and 2020 and includes the novel compounds discovered from 2018 to 2021.
  13. Fulltext Machine learning-based technique for gain and resonance prediction of mid band 5G Yagi antenna
    Haque MA, Rahman MA, Al-Bawri SS, Yusoff Z, Sharker AH, Abdulkawi WM, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2023 Aug 03;13(1):12590.
    PMID: 37537201 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39730-1
    In this study, we present our findings from investigating the use of a machine learning (ML) technique to improve the performance of Quasi-Yagi-Uda antennas operating in the n78 band for 5G applications. This research study investigates several techniques, such as simulation, measurement, and an RLC equivalent circuit model, to evaluate the performance of an antenna. In this investigation, the CST modelling tools are used to develop a high-gain, low-return-loss Yagi-Uda antenna for the 5G communication system. When considering the antenna's operating frequency, its dimensions are [Formula: see text]. The antenna has an operating frequency of 3.5 GHz, a return loss of [Formula: see text] dB, a bandwidth of 520 MHz, a maximum gain of 6.57 dB, and an efficiency of almost 97%. The impedance analysis tools in CST Studio's simulation and circuit design tools in Agilent ADS software are used to derive the antenna's equivalent circuit (RLC). We use supervised regression ML method to create an accurate prediction of the frequency and gain of the antenna. Machine learning models can be evaluated using a variety of measures, including variance score, R square, mean square error, mean absolute error, root mean square error, and mean squared logarithmic error. Among the nine ML models, the prediction result of Linear Regression is superior to other ML models for resonant frequency prediction, and Gaussian Process Regression shows an extraordinary performance for gain prediction. R-square and var score represents the accuracy of the prediction, which is close to 99% for both frequency and gain prediction. Considering these factors, the antenna can be deemed an excellent choice for the n78 band of a 5G communication system.
  14. Fulltext Worldwide Prevalence of Epstein-Barr Virus in Patients with Burkitt Lymphoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Al-Khreisat MJ, Ismail NH, Tabnjh A, Hussain FA, Mohamed Yusoff AA, Johan MF, et al.
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2023 Jun 15;13(12).
    PMID: 37370963 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13122068
    Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a form of B-cell malignancy that progresses aggressively and is most often seen in children. While Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a double-stranded DNA virus that has been linked to a variety of cancers, it can transform B lymphocytes into immortalized cells, as shown in BL. Therefore, the estimated prevalence of EBV in a population may assist in the prediction of whether this population has a high risk of increased BL cases. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus in patients with Burkitt lymphoma. Using the appropriate keywords, four electronic databases were searched. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tool. The results were reported as percentages with a 95% confidence interval using a random-effects model (CI). PROSPERO was used to register the protocol (CRD42022372293), and 135 studies were included. The prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus in patients with Burkitt lymphoma was 57.5% (95% CI: 51.5 to 63.4, n = 4837). The sensitivity analyses demonstrated consistent results, and 65.2% of studies were of high quality. Egger's test revealed that there was a significant publication bias. EBV was found in a significantly high proportion of BL patients (more than 50% of BL patients). This study recommends EBV testing as an alternative for predictions and the assessment of the clinical disease status of BL.
  15. Risk assessment of bisphenol analogues towards mortality, heart rate and stress-mediated gene expression in cladocerans Moina micrura
    Razak MR, Aris AZ, Yusoff FM, Yusof ZNB, Abidin AAZ, Kim SD, et al.
    Environ Geochem Health, 2023 Jun;45(6):3567-3583.
    PMID: 36450975 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-022-01442-2
    Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known endocrine-disrupting compound that causes several toxic effects on human and aquatic organisms. The restriction of BPA in several applications has increased the substituted toxic chemicals such as bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS). A native tropical freshwater cladoceran, Moina micrura, was used as a bioindicator to assess the adverse effects of bisphenol analogues at molecular, organ, individual and population levels. Bisphenol analogues significantly upregulated the expressions of stress-related genes, which are the haemoglobin and glutathione S-transferase genes, but the sex determination genes such as doublesex and juvenile hormone analogue genes were not significantly different. The results show that bisphenol analogues affect the heart rate and mortality rate of M. micrura. The 48-h lethal concentration (LC50) values based on acute toxicity for BPA, BPF and BPS were 611.6 µg L-1, 632.0 µg L-1 and 819.1 µg L-1, respectively. The order of toxicity based on the LC50 and predictive non-effect concentration values were as follows: BPA > BPF > BPS. Furthermore, the incorporated method combining the responses throughout the organisation levels can comprehensively interpret the toxic effects of bisphenol analogues, thus providing further understanding of the toxicity mechanisms. Moreover, the output of this study produces a comprehensive ecotoxicity assessment, which provides insights for the legislators regarding exposure management and mitigation of bisphenol analogues in riverine ecosystems.
  16. The effect of calcium hydroxide addition on enhancing ammonia recovery during thermophilic composting in a self-heated pilot-scale reactor
    Tie HO, Che Man H, Koyama M, Syukri F, Md Yusoff F, Toda T, et al.
    Waste Manag, 2023 Jul 01;166:194-202.
    PMID: 37178588 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.04.046
    A modified outdoor large-scale nutrient recycling system was developed to compost organic sludge and aimed to recover clean nitrogen for the cultivation of high-value-added microalgae. This study investigated the effect of calcium hydroxide addition on enhancing NH3 recovery in a pilot-scale reactor self-heated by metabolic heat of microorganisms during thermophilic composting of dewatered cow dung. 350 kg-ww of compost was prepared at the ratio of 5: 14: 1 (dewatered cowdung: rice husk: compost-seed) in a 4 m3 cylindrical rotary drum composting reactor for 14 days of aerated composting. High compost temperature up to 67 °C was observed from day 1 of composting, proving that thermophilic composting was achieved through the self-heating process. The temperature of compost increases as microbial activity increases and temperature decreases as organic matter decreases. The high CO2 evolution rate on day 0-2 (0.02-0.08 mol/min) indicated that microorganisms are most active in degrading organic matter. The increasing conversion of carbon demonstrated that organic carbon was degraded by microbial activity and emitted as CO2. The nitrogen mass balance revealed that adding calcium hydroxide to the compost and increasing the aeration rate on day 3 volatilized 9.83 % of the remaining ammonium ions in the compost, thereby improving the ammonia recovery. Moreover, Geobacillus was found to be the most dominant bacteria under elevated temperature that functions in the hydrolysis of non-dissolved nitrogen for better NH3 recovery. The presented results show that by thermophilic composting 1 ton-ds of dewatered cowdung for NH3 recovery, up to 11.54 kg-ds of microalgae can be produced.
  17. Fulltext Bacterial communities associated with silage of different forage crops in Malaysian climate analysed using 16S amplicon metagenomics
    Hisham MB, Hashim AM, Mohd Hanafi N, Abdul Rahman N, Abdul Mutalib NE, Tan CK, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2022 May 02;12(1):7107.
    PMID: 35501317 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08819-4
    Silage produced in tropical countries is prone to spoilage because of high humidity and temperature. Therefore, determining indigenous bacteria as potential inoculants is important to improve silage quality. This study aimed to determine bacterial community and functional changes associated with ensiling using amplicon metagenomics and to predict potential bacterial additives associated with silage quality in the Malaysian climate. Silages of two forage crops (sweet corn and Napier) were prepared, and their fermentation properties and functional bacterial communities were analysed. After ensiling, both silages were predominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and they exhibited good silage quality with significant increment in lactic acid, reductions in pH and water-soluble carbohydrates, low level of acetic acid and the absence of propionic and butyric acid. LAB consortia consisting of homolactic and heterolactic species were proposed to be the potential bacterial additives for sweet corn and Napier silage fermentation. Tax4fun functional prediction revealed metabolic pathways related to fermentation activities (bacterial division, carbohydrate transport and catabolism, and secondary metabolite production) were enriched in ensiled crops (p 
  18. Differential Protein Expression Patterns of HOXA13 and HOXB13 Are Associated with Bladder Cancer Progression
    Chin FW, Hussin H, Chau DM, Ong TA, Yunus R, Abdul Razack AH, et al.
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2023 Aug 09;13(16).
    PMID: 37627895 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13162636
    Bladder cancer is a common urological cancer and has the highest recurrence rate of any cancer. The aim of our study was to profile and characterize the protein expression of homeobox A13 (HOXA13) and homeobox B13 (HOXB13) genes in Malaysian bladder cancer patients. The protein expression of HOXA13 and HOXB13 in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) bladder cancer tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The association between HOXA13/HOXB13 protein expression and demographic/clinicopathological characteristics of the bladder cancer patients was determined by chi-square analysis. Approximately 63.6% of the bladder cancer tissues harbored high HOXA13 expression. High HOXA13 expression was significantly associated with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, lower tumor grade, higher number of lymph node metastases, and recurrence risk. In contrast, low HOXB13 expression (including those with negative expression) was observed in 71.6% of the bladder cancer tissues analyzed. Low HOXB13 expression was significantly associated with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, higher tumor stage, tumor grade, and metastatic risk. Both HOXA13 and HOXB13 protein expression were found to be associated with bladder tumorigenesis. The putative oncogenic and tumor suppressive roles of HOXA13 and HOXB13, respectively, suggest their potential utility as biomarkers in bladder cancer.
  19. Fulltext The Photocatalytic Effects of Modified Hydrothermal Nanotitania Extraction on the Skin and Behavior of Sprague-Dawley Rats
    Harun AM, Awang H, Noor NFM, Makhatar NM, Yusoff ME, Affandi NDN, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2021;2021:6173143.
    PMID: 34859102 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6173143
    BACKGROUND: Potential antibacterial substances, such as titanium dioxide (TiO2), are being extensively studied throughout the research world. A modified hydrothermal nanotitania extraction was shown to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus growth in the laboratory. However, the toxicity effect of the extract on rats is unknown. In this study, we observed the effects of a modified hydrothermal nanotitania extraction on the skin and behavior of Sprague-Dawley rats.

    METHODS: Sprague-Dawley (Rattus norvegicus) rats were used as the experimental animals. The skin around the dorsum of the tested animals was shaved and pasted with 0.1 mg and 0.5 mg of the nanotitania extraction. The color and condition of the pasted area and the behavior of the animals were observed.

    RESULTS: 0.1 mg nanotitania extraction application on the dorsum of the rat produced no skin color changes at day 1, day 3, day 5, or day 7 postapplication. There were no changes in their behavior up to day 7 with no skin rashes or skin scratches seen or fur changes. However, 0.5 mg of nanotitania extraction resulted in redness and less fur regrowth at day 7.

    CONCLUSIONS: A 0.1 mg modified nanotitania extraction was observed to have no effect on the skin of Sprague-Dawley rats.

  20. Platelet Additive Solutions as an Alternative Storage Medium of Apheresis Platelets to Reduce ABO Antibody Titer for ABO-Incompatibility Platelet Transfusion
    Adzahar S, Hassan MN, Zulkafli Z, Mohd Noor NH, Ramli M, Mohamed Yusoff S, et al.
    Cureus, 2023 Aug;15(8):e44012.
    PMID: 37746385 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44012
    Introduction Platelet additive solutions (PASs) are nutrient media commonly used to replace and reduce the need for storage plasma. They are an alternative medium to maintain high-quality platelets lasting longer on the shelf for about seven days. Platelets with high titer of ABO antibody can pose a hemolytic transfusion reaction (HTR) risk if units are given across the ABO barrier. The risk of complication is greater when group O platelet is released to non-group O patients. The PAS has been known as a safe medium, where the titer of ABO antibodies is expected to be diluted. In this study, we compared the anti-A and anti-B antibody titers of apheresis platelets in PAS and non-PAS (plasma) as the suspending media. Methods A total of 20 apheresis platelet donors were selected, with seven from blood group A, eight from blood group B, and five from blood group O. The platelets were collected using an Amicus cell separator. They were suspended in PAS and plasma before being stored at a temperature range of 22-24º C. Anti-A (blood group B and O) and Anti-B (blood group A and O) antibody titers were measured and compared between the two suspending media. Wilcoxon signed-rank test is used for statistical analysis, and a p-value <0.05 is considered significant. Results The median titer of the anti-A antibody of apheresis platelets showed a significant difference between suspended in PAS (2.50) and plasma (4.00), p=0.002. Similar findings were also seen with the median titer of the anti-B antibody of apheresis platelet, in which it showed a significant difference between suspended in PAS (2.00) and plasma (4.00), p=0.004. It was observed that there was a significant reduction in both anti-A and anti-B antibody titers in the PAS as compared to the plasma group. Conclusion The decrease in ABO antibody titer in apheresis platelets stored with PAS can be beneficial for patients. This reduces the risk of HTRs if ABO-incompatible platelet units need to be issued. Thus, using PAS as a storage medium significantly improves platelet inventory management without compromising patient safety.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

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

External Links