Displaying publications 141 - 160 of 456 in total

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  1. Fulltext Cardiovascular and Diabetes Diseases Classification Using Ensemble Stacking Classifiers with SVM as a Meta Classifier
    Khan A, Khan A, Khan MM, Farid K, Alam MM, Su'ud MBM
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2022 Oct 26;12(11).
    PMID: 36359438 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12112595
    Cardiovascular disease includes coronary artery diseases (CAD), which include angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack), and coronary heart diseases (CHD), which are marked by the buildup of a waxy material called plaque inside the coronary arteries. Heart attacks are still the main cause of death worldwide, and if not treated right they have the potential to cause major health problems, such as diabetes. If ignored, diabetes can result in a variety of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. Machine learning methods can be used to identify and diagnose diabetes and other illnesses. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease both can be diagnosed using several classifier types. Naive Bayes, K-Nearest neighbor (KNN), linear regression, decision trees (DT), and support vector machines (SVM) were among the classifiers employed, although all of these models had poor accuracy. Therefore, due to a lack of significant effort and poor accuracy, new research is required to diagnose diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study developed an ensemble approach called "Stacking Classifier" in order to improve the performance of integrated flexible individual classifiers and decrease the likelihood of misclassifying a single instance. Naive Bayes, KNN, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and Decision Tree (DT) are just a few of the classifiers used in this study. As a meta-classifier, Random Forest and SVM are used. The suggested stacking classifier obtains a superior accuracy of 0.9735 percent when compared to current models for diagnosing diabetes, such as Naive Bayes, KNN, DT, and LDA, which are 0.7646 percent, 0.7460 percent, 0.7857 percent, and 0.7735 percent, respectively. Furthermore, for cardiovascular disease, when compared to current models such as KNN, NB, DT, LDA, and SVM, which are 0.8377 percent, 0.8256 percent, 0.8426 percent, 0.8523 percent, and 0.8472 percent, respectively, the suggested stacking classifier performed better and obtained a higher accuracy of 0.8871 percent.
  2. Fulltext Primary percutaneous coronary intervention in CAD patients: A comparison of major adverse cardiovascular events of second- and third-generation drug-eluting stents
    Bibi S, Khan A, Khan AH, Khan MN, Mushtaq S, Rashid SA
    Front Pharmacol, 2022;13:900798.
    PMID: 36467026 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.900798
    Background: Biodegradable polymer (BP) drug-eluting stents (DES) have been introduced as a novel solution to the problems of durable polymer (DP) stents. In Pakistan, very few studies are available for the treatment intervention in post-primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) patients. Our study will compare the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and their predictors in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing PPCI with second- or third-generation DES. Methodology: An observational, retrospective, cohort study was carried out on CAD patients undergoing PPCI with either second- (DP-XIENCE Prime/XIENCE Xpedition) or third-generation (BP-BioMatrix NeoFlex/BioMatrix Alpha) DES. MACEs were assessed after 1 year of PPCI procedure in 341 patients and screened as per inclusion/exclusion criteria (167 in the second-generation group and 174 in the third-generation group). Results: The number of male patients (86.2%) was more than female patients in our study population. MACEs were reported in 4.19% patients after 1 year duration, and the percentage of MACEs was more in the second-generation DES group (4.77%) than in the third-generation group (3.44%); however, statistical analysis has not found any significant difference (p = 0.534). The rate of myocardial infarction (1.19% vs. 0.57%) and stent thrombosis (1.8% vs. 1.15%) was more in the second-generation DES group. However, restenosis (1.19% vs. 1.15%) and cardiac death (0.59% vs. 0.57%) were almost same in both groups. A significant association was found between MACEs and diabetes mellitus (p = 0.025), hypertension (p = 0.035), smoking (p = 0.008), and a family history of CAD (p = 0.018). Conclusion: BP-BioMatrix and DP-XIENCE DES have comparable clinical outcomes. Findings of the current study will assist the policy makers and healthcare providers in the rationalization of scarce resources and evidence-based patient care. However, longer follow-up studies are required for convincing results.
  3. Deciphering Mutational Impacts on c-Src-HK2 Interaction in Colorectal Cancer Progression, and Identification of Potential Phytocompounds Inhibitors: A Molecular Simulation and Free Energy Calculation Approach
    Suleman M, Faizullah, Khan A, Mohammad Sayaf A, Alghamdi A, Alghamdi SA, et al.
    Curr Med Chem, 2024 Aug 27.
    PMID: 39253929 DOI: 10.2174/0109298673311962240815055821
    BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) stands as the third most widespread cancer worldwide in both men and women, witnessing a concerning rise, especially in younger demographics. Abnormal activation of the Non-Receptor Tyrosine Kinase c-Src has been linked to the advancement of several human cancers, including colorectal, breast, lung, and pancreatic ones. The interaction between c-Src and Hexokinase 2 (HK2) triggers enzyme phosphorylation, significantly boosting glycolysis, and ultimately contributing to the development of CRC.

    OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to examine the influence of newly identified mutations on the interaction between c-Src and the HK2 enzyme and to discover potent phytocompounds capable of disrupting this interaction.

    METHODS: In this study, we utilized molecular docking to check the effect of the identified mutation on the binding of c-Src with HK2. Virtual drug screening, MD simulation, and binding free energy were employed to identify potent drugs against the binding interface of c-Src and HK2.

    RESULTS: Among these mutations, six (W151C, L272P, A296S, A330D, R391H, and P434A) were observed to significantly disrupt the stability of the c-Src structure. Additionally, through molecular docking analysis, we demonstrated that the mutant forms of c-Src exhibited high binding affinities with HK2. The wildtype showed a docking score of -271.80 kcal/mol, while the mutants displayed scores of -280.77 kcal/mol, -369.01 kcal/mol, -324.41 kcal/mol, -362.18 kcal/mol, 266.77 kcal/mol, and -243.28 kcal/mol for W151C, L272P, A296S, A330D, R391H, and P434A respectively. Furthermore, we identified five lead phytocompounds showing strong potential to impede the binding of c-Src with HK2 enzyme, essential for colon cancer progression. These compounds exhibit robust bonding with c-Src with docking scores of -7.37 kcal/mol, -7.26 kcal/mol, -6.88 kcal/mol, -6.81 kcal/mol, and -6.73 kcal/mol. Moreover, these compounds demonstrate dynamic stability, structural compactness, and the lowest residual fluctuation during MD simulation. The binding free energies for the top five hits (-42.44±0.28 kcal/mol, -28.31±0.25 kcal/mol, -34.95±0.44 kcal/mol, -38.92±0.25 kcal/mol, and -30.34±0.27 kcal/mol), further affirm the strong interaction of these drugs with c-Src which might impede the cascade of events that drive the progression of colon cancer.

    CONCLUSION: Our findings serve as a promising foundation, paving the way for future discoveries in the fight against colorectal cancer.

  4. Fulltext Impact of COVID-19 on nephropathy in diabetes mellitus type-II patients: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis
    Azim T, Khan AH, Sadiq F, Sulaiman SAS, Khan A, Ain Q
    BMC Nephrol, 2024 Nov 06;25(1):399.
    PMID: 39506723 DOI: 10.1186/s12882-024-03821-6
    BACKGROUND: Recent reports have revealed that nephropathy leading to kidney injury (KI) is a prevalent complication of COVID-19 and is linked to high mortality and morbidity in diabetes mellitus type II (DM-T-II) patients. This systematic literature review and meta-analysis aimed to critically analyze existing studies and evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on nephropathy and kidney injury in diabetes mellitus type II (DM-T-II) patients.

    METHOD: A systematic search was conducted in the Web of Science (WoS), PubMed and Cochrane databases for relevant studies published between March 2020 and July 2023. To ensure the integrity of the systematic literature review and meta-analysis, observational studies that specifically reported post-COVID-19 kidney injury in DM-T2 patients were included, whereas we did not include articles in the press, meta-analyses, case reports, case series, Diabetes Type-I articles or non-English papers. The primary outcome was kidney injury in patients with type II diabetes after contracting COVID-19. The protocol for this study was published on PROSPERO (registration number CRD42023413887).

    RESULTS: Initially, 6,339 articles were included in the search, from which only 6 observational studies were selected by following the 2020 PRISMA statement. The quality of the evidence was assessed by a tool provided by the National Institutes of Health (observational studies). The total number of participants included in the studies was 14,723. Our systematic literature review and meta-analysis provide compelling evidence that kidney injury is a prevalent complication of COVID-19 infection in the type II diabetes population, with a pooled odds ratio of 2.27 (95% CI: 2.05-2.51; p 

  5. Pharmaceutical residues in the ecosystem: Antibiotic resistance, health impacts, and removal techniques
    Husain Khan A, Abdul Aziz H, Palaniandy P, Naushad M, Cevik E, Zahmatkesh S
    Chemosphere, 2023 Oct;339:139647.
    PMID: 37516325 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139647
    Hospital wastewater has emerged as a major category of environmental pollutants over the past two decades, but its prevalence in freshwater is less well documented than other types of contaminants. Due to compound complexity and improper operations, conventional treatment is unable to remove pharmaceuticals from hospital wastewater. Advanced treatment technologies may eliminate pharmaceuticals, but there are still concerns about cost and energy use. There should be a legal and regulatory framework in place to control the flow of hospital wastewater. Here, we review the latest scientific knowledge regarding effective pharmaceutical cleanup strategies and treatment procedures to achieve that goal. Successful treatment techniques are also highlighted, such as pre-treatment or on-site facilities that control hospital wastewater where it is used in hospitals. Due to the prioritization, the regulatory agencies will be able to assess and monitor the concentration of pharmaceutical residues in groundwater, surface water, and drinking water. Based on the data obtained, the conventional WWTPs remove 10-60% of pharmaceutical residues. However, most PhACs are eliminated during the secondary or advanced therapy stages, and an overall elimination rate higher than 90% can be achieved. This review also highlights and compares the suitability of currently used treatment technologies and identifies the merits and demerits of each technology to upgrade the system to tackle future challenges. For this reason, pharmaceutical compound rankings in regulatory agencies should be the subject of prospective studies.
  6. Pharmacogenetics: a perspective and preparedness of Pharm-D and medical students in Jordan
    Zawiah M, Yousef AM, Al-Ashwal FY, Abduljabbar R, Al-Jamei S, Hayat Khan A, et al.
    Pharmacogenet Genomics, 2021 Aug 01;31(6):125-132.
    PMID: 34187984 DOI: 10.1097/FPC.0000000000000430
    BACKGROUND: Pharmacogenetics (PGx) science has evolved significantly with a huge number of studies exploring the effect of genetic variants on interindividual variability of drug response. In this study, we assessed the knowledge, attitudes and preparedness of Pharm-D vs. medical students toward PGx.

    METHOD: A paper-based cross-sectional survey was performed. A pilot-tested questionnaire consisting of 21 questions (demographics 5, knowledge 6, attitude 6, and preparedness 4) was administered to 900 healthcare students at different years of study. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used.

    RESULTS: Out of the 900 students approached, 852 (94.7%) completed the questionnaire. The overall students' mean (SD) percentage knowledge score (PKS) was poor [46.7% (18.7)]. The mean (SD) attitude and preparedness scores for all students were 4.68 (1.32), and 1.9 (1.40), respectively, indicating overall positive attitudes, but low preparedness to apply PGx to clinical care. Pharm-D students' overall PKS was significantly higher than medical students (P 

  7. Healthcare-associated infections among neonates and children in Pakistan: findings and the implications from a point prevalence survey
    Mustafa ZU, Khan AH, Salman M, Harun SN, Meyer JC, Godman B, et al.
    J Hosp Infect, 2023 Nov;141:142-151.
    PMID: 37774930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.09.011
    BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) increase morbidity, mortality and costs. The overall prevalence of HAIs is greater in low- and middle-income countries due to poor resources and infrastructure, with the incidence of HAIs greater among neonates and children. There is a need to understand the current situation in Pakistan including key drivers to improve future care.

    METHODS: Point prevalence survey (PPS) of HAIs in the children's wards of 19 public sector secondary- and tertiary-care hospitals of Pakistan and associated key drivers.

    RESULTS: A total of 1147 children were included in the PPS. 35.7% were neonates with 32.8% aged >1-5 years. 35.2% were admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs). Peripheral, central venous and urinary catheters were present in 48%, 2.9% and 5.6% of the patients, respectively. A total of 161 HAIs from various pathogens were observed in 153 cases, giving a prevalence of 13.3%. The majority of HAIs were caused by Staphylococcus aureus (31.7%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (22.9%) and Escherichia coli (17.4%). Bloodstream infections were identified in 42 cases followed by lower-respiratory-tract infections in 35. Increased length of hospital stays and being admitted to the ICU, 'rapidly fatal' patients under the McCabe and Jackson criteria, central and peripheral catheterization, and invasive mechanical ventilation were, associated with higher HAIs (P<0.001). 99.7% of HAI patients fully recovered and were discharged from the hospital.

    CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of HAIs among neonates and children admitted to health facilities in Pakistan. Infection prevention and control measures should be implemented to help prevent future HAIs.

  8. A review of recent developments in kenaf fiber/polylactic acid composites research
    Khan A, Sapuan SM, Siddiqui VU, Zainudin ES, Zuhri MYM, Harussani MM
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 5):127119.
    PMID: 37776930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127119
    Kenaf fiber has recently garnered exponential interest as reinforcement in composite materials across diverse industries owing to its superior mechanical attributes, ease of manufacture, and inherent biodegradability. In the discourse of this review, various methods of manufacturing kenaf/Polylactic acid (PLA) composites have been discussed meticulously, as delineated in recently published scientific literatures. This paper delves into the chemical modification of kenaf fiber, examining its consequential impact on tensile strength and thermal stability of the kenaf/PLA composites. Further, this review illuminates the role of innovative 3D printing techniques and fiber orientation in augmenting the mechanical robustness of the kenaf/PLA composites. Simultaneously, recent insightful explorations into the acoustic properties of the kenaf/PLA composites, underscoring their potential as sustainable alternative to conventional materials have been reviewed. Serving as a comprehensive repository of knowledge, this review paper holds immense value for researchers aiming to utilize the capabilities of kenaf fiber reinforced PLA composites.
  9. Fulltext Social media reporting on agricultural adaptation to climate change in Pakistan: Measures and implications for sustainability
    Javed MN, Adnan HM, Hanan MA, Sarmiti NZ, Adeeb H, Khan A, et al.
    Heliyon, 2023 Nov;9(11):e21579.
    PMID: 38027868 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21579
    The agricultural sector is the backbone and single-largest sector of the Pakistani economy. Pakistan's agricultural productivity is suffering due to climate change. The study aimed at finding how social media reporting can change patterns of attitudes among farmers to cope with sudden weather changes. A correlation-experimental research design was used to find the relationships and effects of climate change on agriculture in Punjab (Pakistan) and the mediating effect of social media reporting. A purposive sampling technique was used to collect samples from 120 male farmers. Online surveys, with the help of Google Docs, were used to collect participants' responses about the type of behavior they used to adopt when getting information about climate change through social media. After determining their reliability and validity through piloting, two self-constructed questionnaires were used: (i) Measuring Farmers' Behavior Influenced by Social Media Reporting of Climate Change and (ii) Effects of Social Media Reporting of Climate Change on Agriculture. Data were analyzed using SPSS-21, and correlation analysis was done to find out the relationship between social media reporting and farmers' behavior. Linear regression was used to measure the functional relationship between social media reporting about climate change and farmers' attitudes towards adopting precautions to increase annual yield. The coefficient of social media reporting was positively and significantly related to farmers' attitudes towards the selection of crops, land management, and water storage. Based on the findings, the social media reports significantly predicted patterns of farmers' behavior towards the adaptation of advanced measures to select crops, reduce pest attacks, manage land, and store water.
  10. Fulltext Intelligent prediction modeling for flexural capacity of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete beams using machine learning algorithms
    Khan M, Khan A, Khan AU, Shakeel M, Khan K, Alabduljabbar H, et al.
    Heliyon, 2024 Jan 15;10(1):e23375.
    PMID: 38169887 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23375
    Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) are widely utilized to improve the efficiency and durability of concrete structures, either through external bonding or internal reinforcement. However, the response of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) members, both in field applications and experimental settings, often deviates from the estimation based on existing code provisions. This discrepancy can be attributed to the limitations of code provisions in fully capturing the nature of FRP-strengthened RC members. Accordingly, machine learning methods, including gene expression programming (GEP) and multi-expression programming (MEP), were utilized in this study to predict the flexural capacity of the FRP-strengthened RC beam. To develop data-driven estimation models, an extensive collection of experimental data on FRP-strengthened RC beams was compiled from the experimental studies. For the assessment of the accuracy of developed models, various statistical indicators were utilized. The machine learning (ML) based models were compared with empirical and conventional linear regression models to substantiate their superiority, providing evidence of enhanced performance. The GEP model demonstrated outstanding predictive performance with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.98 for both the training and validation phases, accompanied by minimal mean absolute errors (MAE) of 4.08 and 5.39, respectively. In contrast, the MEP model achieved a slightly lower accuracy, with an R of 0.96 in both the training and validation phases. Moreover, the ML-based models exhibited notably superior performances compared to the empirical models. Hence, the ML-based models presented in this study demonstrated promising prospects for practical implementation in engineering applications. Moreover, the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method was used to interpret the feature's importance and influence on the flexural capacity. It was observed that beam width, section effective depth, and the tensile longitudinal bars reinforcement ratio significantly contribute to the prediction of the flexural capacity of the FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete beam.
  11. Immunoinformatics-driven In silico vaccine design for Nipah virus (NPV): Integrating machine learning and computational epitope prediction
    Shahab M, Iqbal MW, Ahmad A, Alshabrmi FM, Wei DQ, Khan A, et al.
    Comput Biol Med, 2024 Mar;170:108056.
    PMID: 38301512 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108056
    The Nipah virus (NPV) is a highly lethal virus, known for its significant fatality rate. The virus initially originated in Malaysia in 1998 and later led to outbreaks in nearby countries such as Bangladesh, Singapore, and India. Currently, there are no specific vaccines available for this virus. The current work employed the reverse vaccinology method to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the entire proteome of the NPV virus. The aim was to identify and choose the most promising antigenic proteins that could serve as potential candidates for vaccine development. We have also designed B and T cell epitopes-based vaccine candidate using immunoinformatics approach. We have identified a total of 5 novel Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL), 5 Helper T Lymphocytes (HTL), and 6 linear B-cell potential antigenic epitopes which are novel and can be used for further vaccine development against Nipah virus. Then we performed the physicochemical properties, antigenic, immunogenic and allergenicity prediction of the designed vaccine candidate against NPV. Further, Computational analysis indicated that these epitopes possessed highly antigenic properties and were capable of interacting with immune receptors. The designed vaccine were then docked with the human immune receptors, namely TLR-2 and TLR-4 showed robust interaction with the immune receptor. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated robust binding and good dynamics. After numerous dosages at varied intervals, computational immune response modeling showed that the immunogenic construct might elicit a significant immune response. In conclusion, the immunogenic construct shows promise in providing protection against NPV, However, further experimental validation is required before moving to clinical trials.
  12. Fulltext Sestrin2 Suppression Promotes Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Exacerbates Methylglyoxal-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction
    Abdelsalam SS, Zahid MA, Ghanem SK, Khan A, Parray A, Agouni A
    Int J Mol Sci, 2024 Dec 16;25(24).
    PMID: 39769227 DOI: 10.3390/ijms252413463
    Sestrin2 (SESN2) is a stress-inducible protein known for its cytoprotective functions, but its role in diabetic vascular complications remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of SESN2 on methylglyoxal (MGO)-induced endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Human endothelial cells were transfected with SESN2 siRNA duplexes to silence SESN2 expression, followed by MGO treatment. SESN2 knockdown significantly exacerbated MGO-induced oxidative stress, as evidenced by the reduced expression of antioxidant markers. Furthermore, SESN2 silencing enhanced the inflammatory response to MGO, demonstrated by the increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Notably, SESN2 deficiency promoted EndMT, a key process in diabetes-induced cardiovascular complications, as shown by the increased expression of mesenchymal markers and the decreased expression of endothelial markers. These findings suggest that SESN2 plays a critical protective role in endothelial cells against MGO-induced damage. The study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic cardiovascular complications and identifies SESN2 as a potential therapeutic target for preventing endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. Our results indicate that SESN2 downregulation may contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular complications by promoting EndMT, increased oxidative stress, and inflammation.
  13. Fulltext Infective Endocarditis and Chronic Kidney Disease: How to Deal with Complications
    Habib Khan Y, Sarriff A, Hayat Khan A, Azreen Syazril A, Mallhi TH
    Malays J Med Sci, 2015 Jul-Aug;22(4):73-5.
    PMID: 26715911 MyJurnal
    Infective endocarditis (IE) is the one of the most important causes of increased mortality and morbidity among haemodialysis patients. The reason for this increasing prevalence of infection among these patients is the use of haemodialysis catheters during dialysis, as these patients are highly susceptible to infections that are easily transmitted via blood access points. The present case was a geriatric end stage renal disease (ESRD) patient who was readmitted to the hospital two days after her scheduled haemodialysis session with symptoms of nosocomial endocarditis. Her concurrent medical complications were hypertension, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease. Based on her previous medical history and current examination, the patient was suspected to have IE due to catheter related infection. The goal of therapy is to manage the comorbidities and infection by provision of appropriate treatment based on close monitoring of the patient condition.
  14. Fulltext Pharmacoeconomic evaluation and burden of illness of acute exacerbation of COPD in patients in Malaysia. [Abstract]
    Iqbal MS, Iqbal MZ, Barua A, Veettil SK, Wei LY, Kit LW, et al.
    Value Health, 2014 Nov;17(7):A594.
    PMID: 27202037 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2014.08.2046
    OBJECTIVES. Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) appears to be the main reason of hospitalization in COPD patients. Since substantial economic burden of COPD have not been previously studied in Malaysia, this study aimed at estimating and identifying different costs and related burden of illness in patients receiving treatment of AECOPD in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia.
    METHODS. A prospective follow-up study was performed in Department of Accident and Emergency and Respiratory Medicine of the hospital. Data were derived on the basis of per exacerbation episode. Relationship between direct medical costs and disease severity was analyzed using various descriptive and inferential statistical approaches.
    RESULTS. Median actual direct medical costs and out-of-pocket costs were RM 457.68 (US$ 141.97) and RM 28.25 (US$ 8.76) per exacerbation respectively. Drug cost (41%) was the leading cost driver, followed by unit cost of treatment per bed (33.6%) and lab investigation cost (25.4%). However, food cost (44.2%) represented the largest proportion in out-of-pocket costs. More than 90% of actual direct medical costs were supported by the Government of Malaysia in the patients studied.
    CONCLUSIONS. Impacts of AECOPD in health care resources are worthy of attention. Cost information from pharmacoeconomic studies is important in decision making for health care professionals and policy makers in order to improve health care outcome and minimize costs.
  15. Fulltext Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of acute exacerbation of asthma in patients in Malaysia. [Abstract]
    Iqbal MS, Iqbal MZ, Barua A, Veettil SK, Ling TK, Yong NB, et al.
    Value Health, 2014 Nov;17(7):A594.
    PMID: 27202038 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2014.08.2045
    Objectives: The cost of acute exacerbations of asthma had not been well studied in literature. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the (average) cost of moderate and severe exacerbations of asthma in patients attending tertiary-care setup in Malaysia. The related burden of exacerbations was also calculated.
    Methods: The costs including lab investigation charges, unit costs of treatment per bed, medication charges, food costs, transportation costs and loss of productivity were calculated per asthma episode. Data was analysed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18.0 using various descriptive and inferential statistical tests.
    Results: A median medical cost of acute exacerbation of asthma under Ministry of Health’s (MOH) perspective was USD 105.00 (RM338.47) per episode. Medication cost comprised the majority (52.38%) of the total medical costs. A median medical cost of acute exacerbation of asthma under patient’s perspective was USD 1.55 (RM4.99) per episode. ConclusionsAsthma exacerbation and length of stay in the hospital were proportional to the direct medical costs. In Malaysia, a substantial proportion of the direct medical cost of asthma treatment is heavily subsidised for the locals.
  16. Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of thiobarbituric acid derivatives as potent inhibitors of urease
    Khan KM, Rahim F, Khan A, Shabeer M, Hussain S, Rehman W, et al.
    Bioorg Med Chem, 2014 Aug 1;22(15):4119-23.
    PMID: 24986232 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.05.057
    A series of thiobarbituric acid derivatives 1-27 were synthesized and evaluated for their urease inhibitory potential. Exciting results were obtained from the screening of these compounds 1-27. Compounds 5, 7, 8, 11, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24 showed excellent urease inhibition with IC50 values 18.1 ± 0.52, 16.0 ± 0.45, 16.0 ± 0.22, 14.3 ± 0.27, 6.7 ± 0.27, 10.6 ± 0.17, 19.2 ± 0.29, 18.2 ± 0.76 and 1.61 ± 0.18 μM, respectively, much better than the standard urease inhibitor thiourea (IC₅₀=21 ± 0.11 μM). Compound 3, 4, 10, and 26 exhibited comparable activities to the standard with IC₅₀ values 21.4 ± 1.04 and 21.5 ± 0.61 μM, 22.8 ± 0.32, 25.2 ± 0.63, respectively. However the remaining compounds also showed prominent inhibitory potential The structure-activity relationship was established for these compounds. This study identified a novel class of urease inhibitors. The structures of all compounds were confirmed through spectroscopic techniques such as EI-MS and (1)H NMR.
  17. Fulltext Global Warming: Predicting OPEC Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Petroleum Consumption Using Neural Network and Hybrid Cuckoo Search Algorithm
    Chiroma H, Abdul-kareem S, Khan A, Nawi NM, Gital AY, Shuib L, et al.
    PLoS One, 2015;10(8):e0136140.
    PMID: 26305483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136140
    Global warming is attracting attention from policy makers due to its impacts such as floods, extreme weather, increases in temperature by 0.7°C, heat waves, storms, etc. These disasters result in loss of human life and billions of dollars in property. Global warming is believed to be caused by the emissions of greenhouse gases due to human activities including the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from petroleum consumption. Limitations of the previous methods of predicting CO2 emissions and lack of work on the prediction of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) CO2 emissions from petroleum consumption have motivated this research.
  18. Metabolomics - the complementary field in systems biology: a review on obesity and type 2 diabetes
    Abu Bakar MH, Sarmidi MR, Cheng KK, Ali Khan A, Suan CL, Zaman Huri H, et al.
    Mol Biosyst, 2015 Jul;11(7):1742-74.
    PMID: 25919044 DOI: 10.1039/c5mb00158g
    Metabolomic studies on obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus have led to a number of mechanistic insights into biomarker discovery and comprehension of disease progression at metabolic levels. This article reviews a series of metabolomic studies carried out in previous and recent years on obesity and type 2 diabetes, which have shown potential metabolic biomarkers for further evaluation of the diseases. Literature including journals and books from Web of Science, Pubmed and related databases reporting on the metabolomics in these particular disorders are reviewed. We herein discuss the potential of reported metabolic biomarkers for a novel understanding of disease processes. These biomarkers include fatty acids, TCA cycle intermediates, carbohydrates, amino acids, choline and bile acids. The biological activities and aetiological pathways of metabolites of interest in driving these intricate processes are explained. The data from various publications supported metabolomics as an effective strategy in the identification of novel biomarkers for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Accelerating interest in the perspective of metabolomics to complement other fields in systems biology towards the in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the diseases is also well appreciated. In conclusion, metabolomics can be used as one of the alternative approaches in biomarker discovery and the novel understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms in obesity and type 2 diabetes. It can be foreseen that there will be an increasing research interest to combine metabolomics with other omics platforms towards the establishment of detailed mechanistic evidence associated with the disease processes.
  19. Xanthenone-based hydrazones as potent α-glucosidase inhibitors: Synthesis, solid state self-assembly and in silico studies
    Tariq QU, Malik S, Khan A, Naseer MM, Khan SU, Ashraf A, et al.
    Bioorg Chem, 2019 03;84:372-383.
    PMID: 30530108 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2018.11.053
    Xanthenone based hydrazone derivatives (5a-n) have been synthesized as potential α-glucosidase inhibitors. All synthesized compounds (5a-n) are characterized by their FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS, and in case of 5g also by X-ray crystallographic technique. The compounds unveiled a varying degree of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity when compared with standard acarbose (IC50 = 375.38 ± 0.12 µM). Amongst the series, compound 5l (IC50 = 62.25 ± 0.11 µM) bearing a trifluoromethyl phenyl group is found to be the most active compound. Molecular modelling is performed to establish the binding pattern of the more active compound 5l, which revealed the significance of substitution pattern. The pharmacological properties of molecules are also calculated by MedChem Designer which determines the ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) properties of molecules. The solid state self-assembly of compound 5g is discussed to show the conformation and role of iminoamide moiety in the molecular packing.
  20. Fulltext Enhancement of mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of electrodeposited Ni-P-TiC composite coatings
    Fayyaz O, Khan A, Shakoor RA, Hasan A, Yusuf MM, Montemor MF, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 Mar 05;11(1):5327.
    PMID: 33674680 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84716-6
    In the present study, the effect of concentration of titanium carbide (TiC) particles on the structural, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of Ni-P composite coatings was investigated. Various amounts of TiC particles (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g L-1) were co-electrodeposited in the Ni-P matrix under optimized conditions and then characterized by employing various techniques. The structural analysis of prepared coatings indicates uniform, compact, and nodular structured coatings without any noticeable defects. Vickers microhardness and nanoindentation results demonstrate the increase in the hardness with an increasing amount of TiC particles attaining its terminal value (593HV100) at the concentration of 1.5 g L-1. Further increase in the concentration of TiC particles results in a decrease in hardness, which can be ascribed to their accumulation in the Ni-P matrix. The electrochemical results indicate the improvement in corrosion protection efficiency of coatings with an increasing amount of TiC particles reaching to ~ 92% at 2.0 g L-1, which can be ascribed to a reduction in the active area of the Ni-P matrix by the presence of inactive ceramic particles. The favorable structural, mechanical, and corrosion protection characteristics of Ni-P-TiC composite coatings suggest their potential applications in many industrial applications.
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