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Synthesis of bis-indolylmethanes as new potential inhibitors of β-glucuronidase and their molecular docking studies

Taha M, Ullah H, Al Muqarrabun LMR, Khan MN, Rahim F, Ahmat N, et al.

Eur J Med Chem, 2018 Jan 01;143:1757-1767.
PMID: 29133042 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.10.071

Thirty-two (32) bis-indolylmethane-hydrazone hybrids 1-32 were synthesized and characterized by 1HNMR, 13CNNMR and HREI-MS. All compounds were evaluated in vitro for β-glucuronidase inhibitory potential. All analogs showed varying degree of β-glucuronidase inhibitory potential ranging from 0.10 ± 0.01 to 48.50 ± 1.10 μM when compared with the standard drug d-saccharic acid-1,4-lactone (IC50 value 48.30 ± 1.20 μM). Derivatives 1-32 showed the highest β-glucuronidase inhibitory potentials which is many folds better than the standard drug d-saccharic acid-1,4-lactone. Further molecular docking study validated the experimental results. It was proposed that bis-indolylmethane may interact with some amino acid residues located within the active site of β-glucuronidase enzyme. This study has culminated in the identification of a new class of potent β-glucuronidase inhibitors.
Fulltext Molecular profiling of bacterial blight resistance in Malaysian rice cultivars

Javed MA, Ali SW, Ashfaq M, Tabassam J, Ali M, IhsanUllah M, et al.

Braz J Biol, 2022;82:e256189.
PMID: 36541981 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.256189

Bacteria blight is one of the most serious bacterial diseases of rice worldwide. The identification of genetic potential against bacterial blight in the existing rice resources is a prerequisite to develop multigenic resistance to combat the threat of climate change. This investigation was conducted to evaluate alleles variation in 38 Malaysian cultivars using thirteen Simple Sequences Repeats markers and one Sequence Tagged Sites (STS) marker which were reported to be linked with the resistance to bacterial blight. Based on molecular data, a dendrogram was constructed which classified the rice cultivars into seven major clusters at 0.0, 0.28 and 0.3 of similarity coefficient. Cluster 5 was the largest group comprised of ten rice cultivars where multiple genes were identified. However, xa13 could not be detected in the current rice germplasm, whereas xa2 was detected in 25 cultivars. Molecular analysis revealed that Malaysian rice cultivars possess multigenic resistance.
Psychometric properties of the Malay-version beck anxiety inventory among adolescent students in Malaysia

Ismail NH, Nik Jaafar NR, Woon LS, Mohd Ali M, Dahlan R, Baharuddin ANAP

Front Psychiatry, 2022;13:989079.
PMID: 36762292 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.989079

BACKGROUND: The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) is a common tool for screening anxiety symptoms. In Malaysia, the Malay-version 21-item BAI has been previously validated in the Malaysian adult population. However, information regarding its reliability and validity among adolescents below 18 years old is still lacking. The objective of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of the Malay-version BAI in this population.
METHODS: The Malay versions of the BAI and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) were administered among a sample of lower secondary school students (n = 329, age range: 13-14 years) in Selangor, Malaysia. Cronbach's alpha value for the internal consistency of the Malay-version BAI was determined. The correlation coefficient between the BAI score and DASS anxiety subscale score was calculated to examine convergent validity. The factor structure of the Malay-version BAI was identified by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal axis factoring.
RESULTS: The study included 329 respondents, who were predominantly female (58.7%) and Malay (79.9%). The mean Malay-version BAI score was 14.46 (SD = 12.39). The Malay-version BAI showed a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.948) and convergent validity with the DASS anxiety subscale score (r = 0.80, p < 0.001). The EFA suggested a one-factor solution, with the factor loading of all items on the single factor ranging between 0.48 and 0.81.
CONCLUSION: The Malay-version BAI demonstrated good psychometric properties. It can be a valid and reliable screening instrument for anxiety among Malaysian adolescents.
Fulltext Self care interventions for sexual and reproductive health and rights: costs, benefits, and financing

Remme M, Narasimhan M, Wilson D, Ali M, Vijayasingham L, Ghani F, et al.

BMJ, 2019 Apr 01;365:l1228.
PMID: 30936210 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l1228

Michelle Remme and colleagues argue that if costs to users are considered and their financing is right, self care interventions for sexual and reproductive health can improve equity and efficiency
Does green finance and institutional quality play an important role in air quality

Çitil M, İlbasmış M, Olanrewaju VO, Barut A, Karaoğlan S, Ali M

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Apr;30(18):53962-53976.
PMID: 36869955 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26016-2

As the negative repercussions of environmental devastation, such as global warming and climate change, become more apparent, environmental consciousness is growing across the world, forcing nations to take steps to mitigate the damage. Thus, the current study assesses the effect of green investments, institutional quality, and political stability on air quality in the G-20 countries for the period 2004-2020. The stationarity of the variables was examined with the Pesaran (J Appl Econ 22:265-312, 2007) CADF, the long-term relationship between the variables by Westerlund (Oxf Bull Econ Stat 69(6):709-748, 2007), the long-run relationship coefficients with the MMQR method proposed by Machado and Silva (Econ 213(1):145-173, 2019), and the causality relationship between the variables by Dumitrescu and Hurlin (Econ Model 29(4):1450-1460, 2012) panel causality. The study findings revealed that green finance investments, institutional quality and political stability increased the air quality, while total output and energy consumption decreased air quality. The panel causality reveals a unidirectional causality from green finance investments, total output, energy consumption and political stability to air quality, and a bidirectional causality between institutional quality and air quality. According to these findings, it has been found that in the long term, green finance investments, total output, energy consumption, political stability, and institutional quality affect air quality. Based on these results, policies implications were proposed.
Fulltext Recent Advances in Traffic Sign Recognition: Approaches and Datasets

Lim XR, Lee CP, Lim KM, Ong TS, Alqahtani A, Ali M

Sensors (Basel), 2023 May 11;23(10).
PMID: 37430587 DOI: 10.3390/s23104674

Autonomous vehicles have become a topic of interest in recent times due to the rapid advancement of automobile and computer vision technology. The ability of autonomous vehicles to drive safely and efficiently relies heavily on their ability to accurately recognize traffic signs. This makes traffic sign recognition a critical component of autonomous driving systems. To address this challenge, researchers have been exploring various approaches to traffic sign recognition, including machine learning and deep learning. Despite these efforts, the variability of traffic signs across different geographical regions, complex background scenes, and changes in illumination still poses significant challenges to the development of reliable traffic sign recognition systems. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in the field of traffic sign recognition, covering various key areas, including preprocessing techniques, feature extraction methods, classification techniques, datasets, and performance evaluation. The paper also delves into the commonly used traffic sign recognition datasets and their associated challenges. Additionally, this paper sheds light on the limitations and future research prospects of traffic sign recognition.
An experimental workflow to assess the applicability of microemulsions for conformance improvement in oil-bearing reservoir

Pal N, Alzahid Y, AlSofi AM, Ali M, Yekeen N, Hoteit H

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e17667.
PMID: 37539136 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17667

A comprehensive workflow approach is necessary to link multiple experimental tasks and identify microemulsion (ME) formulations with 'optimal' stability, displacement behavior and technical feasibility in the petroleum industry. In this paper, a systematic approach is described with the aid of a case study which involves the formulation of an anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate-based microemulsion. The design of such ME systems requires a proper methodology, substantial laboratory work, and functional assessment from research/industrial viewpoints. The surfactant has been screened in terms of its micellization potential, followed by phase behavior analysis and Winsor classification of prepared microemulsions. The desired composition(s) are characterized via several tools to determine droplet size, morphology, oil/water solubilization potentials and salinity scan results. The suitability of the microemulsion system for conformance improvement technology (CIT) is proposed to be assessed via physicochemical evaluation studies encompassing two attributes: rheology and stability. For a favorable 'conforming' drive, the microemulsion must exhibit phase stability, sufficient injectivity, and moderate-to-high viscosity under shear. Technical assessment by the industry and research team must also include factors related to cost, availability of chemicals, environmental degradation, and reservoir considerations. The article demonstrates a comprehensive all-inclusive workflow methodology to design and formulate surfactant-stabilized microemulsions via case study analysis for application in CIT. This represents a sound approach to identifying efficient, cost-effective injection fluid systems and provides a framework to identify useful parameters for ME formulation design and employ the proposed (effective) strategy for conformance control.
Antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Curcuma longa and Syzygium aromaticum against multiple drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria

Zeshan MQ, Ashraf M, Omer MO, Anjum AA, Ali MA, Najeeb M, et al.

Trop Biomed, 2023 Jun 01;40(2):174-182.
PMID: 37650404 DOI: 10.47665/tb.40.2.008

The present study was conducted to investigate the antimicrobial potential of essential oils of Curcuma longa and Syzygium aromaticum against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Four identified bacterial isolates including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii were selected and their antibiotic sensitivity was checked by disc diffusion assay. C. longa and S. aromaticum were subjected to steam distillation to obtain their essential oils. The crude essential oils were fractioned by employing column chromatography. Crude essential oils and their fractions were evaluated for their antibacterial activity by agar well diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentrations were calculated. All the selected bacterial isolates showed resistance to three or more than three antibiotic groups and were declared as multidrugresistant (MDRs). Crude essential oils of C. longa and S. aromaticum exhibited antimicrobial activity against all selected isolates but S. aromaticum activity was better than the C. longa with a maximum 19.3±1.50 mm zone of inhibition against A. baumannii at 1.04 µL/mL MIC. GC/MS analysis revealed the abundance of components including eugenol, eugenyl acetate, b- caryophyllene, and a- Humulene in both crude oil and fractions of S. aromaticum. While the main components of C. longa essential oil were Ar-tumerone, a-tumerone, b- Tumerone, I-Phellandrene, a-zingibirene, b- sesquiphellandrene, and p- Cymene. This study highlights that plant-based essential oils could be a promising alternative to antibiotics for which pathogens have developed resistance. C. longa and S. aromaticum carry compounds that have antimicrobial potential against multiple drug-resistant bacteria including MRSA. E. coli, K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii.
Experimental feasibility study of estimation of the normalized central blood pressure waveform from radial photoplethysmogram

Zahedi E, Sohani V, Ali MA, Chellappan K, Beng GK

J Healthc Eng, 2015;6(1):121-44.
PMID: 25708380 DOI: 10.1260/2040-2295.6.1.121

The feasibility of a novel system to reliably estimate the normalized central blood pressure (CBPN) from the radial photoplethysmogram (PPG) is investigated. Right-wrist radial blood pressure and left-wrist PPG were simultaneously recorded in five different days. An industry-standard applanation tonometer was employed for recording radial blood pressure. The CBP waveform was amplitude-normalized to determine CBPN. A total of fifteen second-order autoregressive models with exogenous input were investigated using system identification techniques. Among these 15 models, the model producing the lowest coefficient of variation (CV) of the fitness during the five days was selected as the reference model. Results show that the proposed model is able to faithfully reproduce CBPN (mean fitness = 85.2% ± 2.5%) from the radial PPG for all 15 segments during the five recording days. The low CV value of 3.35% suggests a stable model valid for different recording days.
Machine Learning Based Diabetes Classification and Prediction for Healthcare Applications

Butt UM, Letchmunan S, Ali M, Hassan FH, Baqir A, Sherazi HHR

J Healthc Eng, 2021;2021:9930985.
PMID: 34631003 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9930985

The remarkable advancements in biotechnology and public healthcare infrastructures have led to a momentous production of critical and sensitive healthcare data. By applying intelligent data analysis techniques, many interesting patterns are identified for the early and onset detection and prevention of several fatal diseases. Diabetes mellitus is an extremely life-threatening disease because it contributes to other lethal diseases, i.e., heart, kidney, and nerve damage. In this paper, a machine learning based approach has been proposed for the classification, early-stage identification, and prediction of diabetes. Furthermore, it also presents an IoT-based hypothetical diabetes monitoring system for a healthy and affected person to monitor his blood glucose (BG) level. For diabetes classification, three different classifiers have been employed, i.e., random forest (RF), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and logistic regression (LR). For predictive analysis, we have employed long short-term memory (LSTM), moving averages (MA), and linear regression (LR). For experimental evaluation, a benchmark PIMA Indian Diabetes dataset is used. During the analysis, it is observed that MLP outperforms other classifiers with 86.08% of accuracy and LSTM improves the significant prediction with 87.26% accuracy of diabetes. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the proposed approach is also performed with existing state-of-the-art techniques, demonstrating the adaptability of the proposed approach in many public healthcare applications.
Fulltext Effect of wheat straw ash as cementitious material on the mechanical characteristics and embodied carbon of concrete reinforced with coir fiber

Bheel N, Kumar S, Kirgiz MS, Ali M, Almujibah HR, Ahmad M, et al.

Heliyon, 2024 Jan 30;10(2):e24313.
PMID: 38298623 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24313

The use of supplementary cementitious materials has been widely accepted due to increasing global carbon emissions resulting from demand and the consequent production of Portland cement. Moreover, researchers are also working on complementing the strength deficiencies of concrete; fiber reinforcement is one of those techniques. This study aims to assess the influence of recycling wheat straw ash (WSA) as cement replacement material and coir/coconut fibers (CF) as reinforcement ingredients together on the mechanical properties, permeability and embodied carbon of concrete. A total of 255 concrete samples were prepared with 1:1.5:3 mix proportions at 0.52 water-cement ratio and these all-concrete specimens were cured for 28 days. It was revealed that the addition of 10 % WSA and 2 % CF in concrete were recorded the compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strengths by 33 MPa, 3.55 MPa and 5.16 MPa which is greater than control mix concrete at 28 days respectively. Moreover, it was also observed that the permeability of concrete incorporating 4 % of coir fiber and 20 % of WSA was reduced by 63.40 % than that of the control mix after 28 days which can prevent the propagation of major and minor cracks. In addition, the embodied carbon of concrete is getting reduced when the replacement level of cement with WSA along with CF increases in concrete. Furthermore, based on the results obtained, the optimum amount of WSA was suggested to be 10 % and that of coir fiber reinforcement was suggested to be 2 % for improved results.
Molecular dynamics simulation and structural analysis of aquaporin Z from an Antarctic Pseudomonas sp. strain AMS3

Balakrishnan S, Rahman RNZRA, Noor NDM, Latip W, Ali MSM

J Biomol Struct Dyn, 2023;41(21):11498-11509.
PMID: 36598349 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2164519

Aquaporin is a water channel protein that facilitates the movement of water across the cell membrane. Aquaporin from the Antarctic region has been noted for its psychrophilic properties and its ability to perform at a lower temperature but there remains limited understanding of the water mechanism of Antarctic Pseudomonas sp. strain AMS3 However, studies regarding aquaporin isolated from psychrophilic Pseudomonas sp. are still scattered. Recently, the genome sequence of an Antarctic Pseudomonas sp. strain AMS3 revealed a gene sequence encoding for a putative aquaporin designated as AqpZ1 AMS3. In this study, structure analysis and a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of a predicted model of a fully hydrated aquaporin tetramer embedded in a lipid bilayer was performed at different temperatures for structural flexibility and stability analysis. The MD simulation results revealed that the structures were able to remain stable at low to medium temperatures. The protein was observed to have high flexibility in the loop region as compared to the helices region throughout the simulated temperatures. The selectivity filter and NPA motifs play a major role in solute selectivity and the pore radius of the protein. The structural and functional characterization of this psychrophilic aquaporin provides new insights for the future applications of this protein.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Platelet enhancement by Carica papaya L. leaf fractions in cyclophosphamide induced thrombocytopenic rats is due to elevated expression of CD110 receptor on megakaryocytes

Nandini C, Madhunapantula SV, Bovilla VR, Ali M, Mruthunjaya K, Santhepete MN, et al.

J Ethnopharmacol, 2021 Jul 15;275:114074.
PMID: 33831466 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114074

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Carica papaya leaf juice/decoction has been in use in folk medicine in Srilanka, Malaysia and in few parts of India for enhancing the platelet counts in dengue. In Siddha medicine, a traditional form of medicine in India, papaya leaf juice has been used for increasing the platelet counts. Papaya leaf has been reported to enhance blood volume in ancient Ayurveda books in India. Carica papaya leaf is well known for its platelet enhancement activity. Although many preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the ability of papaya leaf juice for platelet enhancement, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear.
AIM OF THE STUDY: The study is aimed at identifying the key ingredients of papaya leaf extract and elucidate the mechanism (s) of action of the identified potent component in mitigating thrombocytopenia (Thp).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: C. papaya leaf juice was subjected for sequential fractionation to identify the anti-thrombocytopenic phytochemicals. In vivo, stable thrombocytopenia was induced by subcutaneous injection of 70 mg/kg cyclophosphamide (Cyp). After induction, rats were treated with 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight papaya leaf juice and with identified fractions for 14 days. Serum thrombopoietin level was estimated using ELISA. CD110/cMpl, a receptor for thrombopoietin on platelets was measured by western blotting.
RESULTS: Administration of cyclophosphamide for 6 days induced thrombocytopenia (210.4 ± 14.2 × 103 cells/μL) in rats. Treating thrombocytopenic rats with papaya leaf juice and butanol fraction for 14 days significantly increased the platelet count to 1073.50 ± 29.6 and 1189.80 ± 36.5 × 103 cells/μL, respectively. C.papaya extracts normalized the elevated bleeding and clotting time and decreased oxidative markers by increasing endogenous antioxidants. A marginal increase in the serum thrombopoietin (TPO) level was observed in Cyp treated group compared to normal and treatment groups. Low expression of CD110/cMpl receptor found in Cyp treated group was enhanced by C. papaya extracts (CPJ) and CPJ-BT. Furthermore, examination of the morphology of bone marrow megakaryocytes, histopathology of liver and kidneys revealed the ability of CPJ and fractions in mitigating Cyp-induced thrombocytopenia in rats.
CONCLUSION: C. papaya leaf juice enhances the platelet count in chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia by increasing the expression of CD110 receptor on the megakaryocytes. Hence, activating CD110 receptor might be a viable strategy to increase the platelet production in individuals suffering from thrombocytopenia.
Night eating and its relationship with BMI, stress, sleep quality and duration of study among university students

Emmy HKI, Boleh NC, Ali MS, Jakiwa J, Mardiyati NL, Ahmad MF

Med J Malaysia, 2024 Mar;79(Suppl 1):134-139.
PMID: 38555898

INTRODUCTION: Night eating is a very common dietary behaviour among university students. This study aims to investigate the relationship between night eating and BMI, stress, sleep quality and duration of study among university students.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 385 university students including foundation and undergraduate students took part in this study. Self-administered online surveys were used to obtain sociodemographic data, and anthropometry measurements including weight and height, night eating during studying, duration of the study, opinion on eating and academic performance, sleep quality, level of depression, anxiety, and stress of the respondents. Questionnaires were validated and IBM SPSS Statistics Software version 26.0 was used to analyse categorical and continuous variables.
RESULTS: The findings showed that there was an association between night eaters and coffee consumption with BMI (p<0.001) and sleep quality (p<0.05). However, there was no association (p>0.05) found between the types of food eaten during night studying and the mean duration of the study. The results showed drinking coffee had an association with depression, anxiety, and stress (p<0.05) among Malaysian university students.
CONCLUSION: Coffee consumption was common among undergraduate students during studying. Awareness of the risk of overconsumption of caffeine intake should be implemented in the future. However, this study did not include all types of food choices and drinks. Thus, frequency of eating energy dense food during night studying among students should be conducted in the future.
Fulltext Dietary Patterns and Determinants of Changing Diets in Bangladesh from 1985 to 2010

Waid JL, Sinharoy SS, Ali M, Stormer AE, Thilsted SH, Gabrysch S

Curr Dev Nutr, 2019 Apr;3(4):nzy091.
PMID: 30993255 DOI: 10.1093/cdn/nzy091

BACKGROUND: The government of Bangladesh has implemented multiple policies since 1971 to provide the population with more diverse and nutritious diets.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the drivers of dietary change over time and the roles agriculture and economic development have played.
METHODS: We used principal component analysis to derive dietary patterns from 7 cross-sectional rounds of the Bangladesh Household [Income and] Expenditure Survey. We then used linear probability models to estimate associations of adherence to dietary patterns with socio-economic characteristics of households, and with agricultural production on the household and regional level. For dietary patterns that increased or decreased over time, Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition was used to assess factors associated with these changes.
RESULTS: Seven dietary patterns were identified: modern, traditional, festival, winter, summer, monotonous, and spices. All diets were present in all survey rounds. In 1985, over 40% of households had diets not associated with any identified pattern, which declined to 12% by 2010. The proportion of the population in households adhering to the modern, winter, summer, and monotonous diets increased over time, whereas the proportion adhering to the traditional diet decreased. Although many factors were associated with adherence to dietary patterns in the pooled sample, changes in observed factors only explained a limited proportion of change over time due to variation in coefficients between periods. Increased real per capita expenditure was the largest driver of elevated adherence to dietary patterns over time, whereas changes in the agricultural system increased adherence to less diverse dietary patterns.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the need for both diversified agricultural production and a continued reduction in poverty in order to drive dietary improvement. This study lays the groundwork for further analysis of the impact of changing diets on health and nutrition.
Advances in guided bone regeneration membranes: a comprehensive review of materials and techniques

Ali M, Mohd Noor SNF, Mohamad H, Ullah F, Javed F, Abdul Hamid ZA

Biomed Phys Eng Express, 2024 Apr 17;10(3).
PMID: 38224615 DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/ad1e75

Guided tissue/bone regeneration (GTR/GBR) is a widely used technique in dentistry to facilitate the regeneration of damaged bone and tissue, which involves guiding materials that eventually degrade, allowing newly created tissue to take its place. This comprehensive review the evolution of biomaterials for guided bone regeneration that showcases a progressive shift from non-resorbable to highly biocompatible and bioactive materials, allowing for more effective and predictable bone regeneration. The evolution of biomaterials for guided bone regeneration GTR/GBR has marked a significant progression in regenerative dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. Biomaterials used in GBR have evolved over time to enhance biocompatibility, bioactivity, and efficacy in promoting bone growth and integration. This review also probes into several promising fabrication techniques like electrospinning and latest 3D printing fabrication techniques, which have shown potential in enhancing tissue and bone regeneration processes. Further, the challenges and future direction of GTR/GBR are explored and discussed.
Fulltext A review on chloride induced corrosion in reinforced concrete structures: lab and in situ investigation

Ali M, Shams MA, Bheel N, Almaliki AH, Mahmoud AS, Dodo YA, et al.

RSC Adv, 2024 Nov 19;14(50):37252-37271.
PMID: 39575378 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra05506c

Reinforced concrete (RC) constructions are seriously threatened by chloride-induced corrosion (CIC) and carbonation, which can result in structural degradation, safety issues, and financial losses. Electrochemical methods and microstructural analysis tests are some of the laboratory techniques used to examine key elements of CIC, such as the impact of different variables and the efficacy of mitigation solutions. In situ studies that make use of non-destructive testing, chloride profiling, and half-cell potential measurements offer important new insights into the long-term performance and causes of RC structure deterioration in real-world circumstances. Non-destructive approaches for CIC detection are emerging these days and provide fruitful results. Studies have focused on the use of these approaches for CIC detection on small specimens in the lab as well as on full-scale experiments in the field. This review covers both in situ monitoring and laboratory studies to provide a thorough analysis of CIC.
Fulltext High proportion of knowlesi malaria in recent malaria cases in Malaysia

Yusof R, Lau YL, Mahmud R, Fong MY, Jelip J, Ngian HU, et al.

Malar J, 2014;13:168.
PMID: 24886266 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-168

Plasmodium knowlesi is a simian parasite that has been recognized as the fifth species causing human malaria. Naturally-acquired P. knowlesi infection is widespread among human populations in Southeast Asia. The aim of this epidemiological study was to determine the incidence and distribution of malaria parasites, with a particular focus on human P. knowlesi infection in Malaysia.
Fulltext Antituberculosis: synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of novel benzimidazole derivatives

Keng Yoon Y, Ashraf Ali M, Choon TS, Ismail R, Chee Wei A, Suresh Kumar R, et al.

Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:926309.
PMID: 24381946 DOI: 10.1155/2013/926309

A total of seven novel benzimidazoles were synthesized by a 4-step reaction starting from 4-fluoro-3-nitrobenzoic acid under relatively mild reaction conditions. The synthesized compounds were screened for their antimycobacterial activity against M. tuberculosis H₃₇Rv (MTB-H₃₇Rv) and INH-resistant M. tuberculosis (INHR-MTB) strains using agar dilution method. Three of them displayed good activity with MIC of less than 0.2 μM. Compound ethyl 1-(2-(4-(4-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2-aminophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)-2-(4-(5-(4-fluorophenyl)pyridin-3-ylphenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-5-carboxylate (5 g) was found to be the most active with MIC of 0.112 μM against MTB-H₃₇Rv and 6.12 μM against INHR-MTB, respectively.
Fulltext Usage of traditional and complementary medicine (T & CM): Prevalence, practice and perception among post stroke patients attending conventional stroke rehabilitation in a teaching hospital in Malaysia

Ali MF, Abdul Aziz AF, Rashid MR, Che Man Z, Amir AA, Lim YS, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2015 Feb;70(1):18-23.
PMID: 26032524

INTRODUCTION: The lack of evidence that proves the benefit of traditional and complementary medicines (T & CM) in treating chronic medical conditions does not deter its usage among patients worldwide. Prevalence of usage among post-stroke patients in Malaysia especially is unknown. This study aims to determine the prevalence, practice and perception of T & CM use among stroke survivors attending an outpatient rehabilitation program in a teaching hospital.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 104 post stroke patients attending an outpatient rehabilitation program. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients, as well as types of therapy used and perception on T & CM usage. Descriptive analysis was done, and bivariate analysis was used to determine associations between categorical data.
RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 62 years (SD 12.2), 54% were Chinese and 75% of the patients had ischaemic stroke. Mean age of T & CM users was younger compared to non- T & CM users (61 years vs. 66 years, p=0.04). Two-thirds (66%) of patients admitted to concurrent T & CM usage while attending conventional post stroke rehabilitation. Acupuncture (40.4%), massage (40.4%) and traditional Chinese medicine (11.5%) were the most common T & CM used. Positive perception was recorded in terms of ability of T & CM usage to relieve post stroke symptoms (68%), and it was safe to use because it was made from 'natural sources'. Negative perception recorded: T & CM caused significant adverse effects (57.6%) and was not safe to be used in combination with other conventional medicines (62.5%).
CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent T & CM usage among post-stroke patients attending structured outpatient rehabilitation program is widely practised especially acupuncture, massage and traditional Chinese medicines. Overall the perception towards its use is favourable.
Study site: Medical Rehabilitation Services Department, Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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