bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Addendum: Aisami and Gusmanizar. Characterization of an Acrylamide-degrading Bacterium Isolated from Hydrocarbon Sludge. Bioremediation Science and Technology Research, 2019, Vol 7, No 2, 15-19.
Authors: Aisami Abubakar , Gusmanizar Neni , Shukor Mohd Yunus
Published: April 2022

One of the authors has been unintentionally left out and the list of authors and affiliation should be added as follows.

Abubakar Aisami 1* Neni Gusmanizar2 and Mohd Yunus Shukor3

1Department of Biochemistry, Gombe State University, P.M.B. 127, Tudun Wada,

Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria.

2Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University,

Padang, 25163, Indonesia.

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

 

*Corresponding author address

Dr Abubakar Aisami

Department of Biochemistry,

Gombe State University,

P.M.B. 127, Tudun Wada,

Gombe, Gombe State,

Nigeria.

Emel: abubakar.aisami05@gmail.com

 The Acknowledgement section (p.19) has been left out, and it should be added as follows.

 Acknowledgment

 We acknowledge the help of Mr Kesavan in isolating the bacterium and the late Dr Neni Gusmanizar (author) who helped to identify the bacterium, of which this manuscript is dedicated to her.
Test of the Randomness of Residuals for the Pseudo-1st Order Kinetic Modelling of Adsorption of the Brominated Flame Retardant 4-bromodiphenyl Ether onto Biochar-immobilized Sphingomonas sp.
Authors: Umar Garba
Published: April 2022

Test of the Randomness of Residuals for the Pseudo-1st Order Kinetic Modelling of Adsorption of the Brominated Flame Retardant 4-bromodiphenyl Ether onto Biochar-immobilized Sphingomonas sp.
The Development Of An Inhibitive Assay For Heavy Metals Using The Acetylcholinesterase From Periophtalmodon schlosseri
Authors: Siti Aqlima Ahmad
Published: April 2022

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) assay is among the most rapid, simplest and economic assay in existence. AChE is known to be inhibited strongly by heavy metals aside from insecticides. Its use as an inhibitive assay for heavy metals is less well known. We report on the AChE from Periophtalmodon schlosseri as a sensitive assay for heavy metal ions. Heavy metals exhibited exponential decay type inhibition curves with calculated IC50 for copper, mercury, chromium and arsenic at 0.088, 0.371, 0.112 and 0.141 mg l-1, respectively. The LOD for copper, mercury, chromium and arsenic were 0.093, 0.126, 0.099 and 0.127 mg l-1, respectively. The LOQ for copper, mercury, chromium and arsenic were 0.001, 0.209, 0.103 and 0.219 mg l-1, respectively. The IC50sfor these heavy metals are lower than the values for immobilised urease, Daphnia magna, MicrotoxTM,rainbow trout, papain and bromelain assays.
Test for the Presence of Autocorrelation in the Buchanan-three-phase Model used in the Growth of Paracoccus sp. SKG on Acetonitrile
Authors: Ahmad S.A. , Shukor M.S. , Masdor N.A. , Shamaan N.A. , Roslan M.A.H , Shukor M.Y.
Published: April 2022

Millions of tonnes of organonitriles are produced annually for use in industry. They are carcinogenic and mutagenic. Bioremediation of acetonitrile, an organonitrile, has been touted as a more economical and feasible method compared to physical and chemical approaches. In this work, we model the growth of growth of Paracoccus sp. SKG on acetonitrile from publishedliterature to obtain vital growth constants. We discovered that the Buchanan-three-phase model via nonlinear regression utilizing the least square method was the very best model to explain the growth curve. Nonlinear regression utilizing the least square method typically utilizes the idea that data points usually do not depend upon each other or the value of a data point is notdetermined by the value of previous or proceeding data points or usually do not display autocorrelation. In this work, the Durbin-Watson statistic to check for the presence of autocorrelation in the growth model was carried out.
Modelling the Effect of Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI), Biochar (BC) and Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron/Biochar (nZVI/BC) on the Adsorption/Reduction of Nitrobenzene (NB)
Authors: Dan-Iya Bilal Ibrahim , Shukor Mohd Yunus
Published: April 2022

In most instances, there exists an inaccuracy in interpretation of adsorption/reduction of substances using linear technique as it can only provide an approximate value of the measured parameter; the specific adsorption rate. This paper provides for the first-time modelling of the effect of nZVI/BC, nZVI and Biochar (BC) on the adsorption/reduction of nitrobenzene as modelled using Pseudo-1st order (PFO), Pseudo-2nd Order (PSO), Elovich and Avrami models. Pseudo-1st Order was the best model for nZVIBCg, whereas Pseudo-2nd Order was the best model for nZVI and BC on Nitrobenzene (NB) removal based on statistical dependencies that were used such as root-mean-squire error (RMSE), bias factor (BF), Akaike information criterion (AICc) and the adjusted coefficient of determination. Justifiably from the results, coupling nZVI and BC together will help in reducing more of NB than when individual compounds are used.
Analysis of Heavy Metals Levels in Locally produced Rice Fumigated with Cypermethrin (Pyrethroid) Pesticide Grown in Auyo Rice Field of Jigawa State
Authors: Uba Garba , Abdulhadi Yakubu , Baiwa Fatima I , Shehu Zaharadden , Abdulganiyyu Ibrahim A.
Published: April 2022

There is a growing public concern over the potential accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soils owing to rapid urban and industrial development and increasing reliance on agrochemicals in the last several decades. Excessive accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soils may not only result in environmental contamination, but elevated heavy metal uptake by crops may also affect food quality and safety. The present study aims to study heavy metal concentrations in rice parts (root, stem, leaf, seed and corresponding soils in the Auyo rice field. Specimens of rice plant parts from different locations in 10 Ã— 10 m were sampled with their corresponding soils. Soil and plant specimens were analysed by using Atomic Absorption spectrometry. It was found that metal concentration in soil was highly variable while the concentration of metals in plants directly depends on the concentration of metal-based pesticide applied. Roots showed the highest metal concentration, followed by leaves, stem and seeds. The physicochemical parameters of the soil from the study area revealed that the pH of the soil sample is within the alkaline range. Similarly, the electrical conductivity was less than 4 (0.51 to 0.65 dSm-1), indicating the presence of soluble salts within average, dissolved Nitrogen at a range of 179.4 to 221 kg/Ha, showing low in nitrogen content, Phosphorus levels in the study region range from 29.00 to 42.33 kg/ha, while potassium level in the soil varies from 126.22 to 250 kg/ha. In general, the soil in the study area was found to be very rich and fertile for the cultivation of rice. The accumulation of some heavy metals in some rice parts may be due to the effects of cypermethrin pesticides.
A novel method for the determination of mercury in herbal preparation using an inhibitive assay based on the protease papain
Authors: Wahab S.M.A. , Gunasekaran Baskaran , Shaharuddin Noor Azmi , Johari W.L.W. , Halmi M.I.E. , Said N.A.M. , Shukor M.Y. , Masdor N.A.
Published: April 2022

Herbal products are a major source of mercury contaminant in the diet of humans. Currently, monitoring of mercury is carried out by instrument such as Flow Injection Mercury System which utilizes the cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectroscopic technique. The handling and operation of these instruments are costly, time consuming and need skilled operators. In this work, the use of the papain assay to determine mercury in digested herbal samples after neutralization is demonstrated. About 20% of the samples tested showed positive results for mercury at levels higher than the maximum permissibility limit (MPL) and the results were validated using FIMS. The papain assay is low in cost, rapid and could be carried out in a microplate format. The papain assay can be the preliminary screening assay and only positive samples are sent for instrumental validation. This marriage between enzyme-based assay and instrumental method could increase monitoring frequency and results could be obtained faster
Statistical Diagnostic Tests of the Luong Model in fitting Molybdenum Reduction from the bacterium Bacillus sp. strain A.rzi
Authors: Shukor M.S. , Shukor M.Y.
Published: April 2022

Of all heavy metals, molybdenum is one of the very toxic metals ions to ruminants with level as low as several parts per million could cause death. It is an emerging pollutant. It is also toxic to the spermatogenesis process with several animal model showed its toxic property and hence, is of great concern. Previously, a molybdenum-reducing bacterium Bacillus sp. strain A.rzi has been isolated and its kinetics of reduction studied with the best model to fit the curve is the Luong model. The use of this and other nonlinear regression model and further statistical analyses to find the best model relies on the facts that the residuals (difference between observed and predicted data) followed a normal distribution and that the data must be free of outliers and the variance homogenous (homoscedasticity). If all of these assumptions are satisfied, the test is said to be robust. In this work we perform statistical diagnostics to the residuals to satisfy the requirements above and found that the residuals conformed to all of the requirements above indicating the Luong model is a robust model for modelling molybdenum reduction in the bacterium.
Assay for Heavy Metals Using an Inhibitive Assay Based on the Acetylcholinesterase from Puntius schwanenfeldii
Authors: Abdulrasheed Mansur , Ahmad Siti Aqlima
Published: April 2022

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is frequently used as an inhibitive assay for insecticides. Relatively little is known about AChE inhibition properties on heavy metals. This present study assesses the potential of the AChE from the brain of Puntius schwanenfeldii, which forms as a waste from the aquaculture industry, as an inhibitive assay for heavy metals. The results of the study revealed that Ag+, Cu2+, and Hg2+ completely inhibited AChE activity during initial screening. Furthermore, when tested at various concentrations, the heavy metals demonstrated exponential decay type inhibition curves. The calculated IC50 for the heavy metals Ag+, Cu2+, and Hg2+ were observed to be 0.2498, 0.2427 and 0.2255 mg/L, respectively. The present assay for copper was comparable in sensitivity to assay methods such as immobilized urease, 15-min MicrotoxTM,48-h Daphnia magna, 96-h Rainbow trout, papain and bromelain assays while the present assay for mercury was significantly more sensitive than immobilized urease, equivalent in sensitivity to the rest of the assays, but less sensitive than the papain and bromelain assays. The present assay for silver was more sensitive to all of the assays with the exception of the rainbow trout assay. In conclusion, the findings in this study indicate that the assay, which can be carried out in less than 30 minutes at ambient temperature can be a useful assay for monitoring both insecticides and heavy metals pollution.
Grubbâ€™s Test for the Presence of Outlier in the Four-parameter Logistic Model Used in Obtaining the IC50 Value for Salvia officinalis Extract Against Aeromonas hydrophila
Authors: Rusnam . , Gunasekaran Baskaran
Published: April 2022

The current trend in treating fish infection is to reduce the dependency to antibiotics. Active compounds from plants are being intensively studied as potential antibacterial to treat or to prevent infections caused by fish pathogens. A nonlinear regression exercise using the four-parameter dose response variable slope of the inhibition curve of the bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila using solvent extracts from the plant Salvia officinalis is checked for the presence of an outlier [at 95 or 99% of confidence). A potential outlier in a nonlinear regression is actually an extreme data point that is most certainly too extreme. This is normally done using the Grubb's test, which is the focus of this study. Grubbâ€™s statistical tests for the residuals indicated that the nonlinear regression model i.e. the four-parameter logistic model is adequate in finding the IC50 value as there was no outlier present.
Mathematical Modelling of the Growth of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and SARS-CoV (SARS) Viruses in Vero E6 Cells
Authors: Shukor Mohd Yunus , Alam Mohammad Shafiul
Published: April 2022

COVID-19 is caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 which shares genetic similarity to the agent for the SARS virus (SARS-CoV). The growth of these two viruses in Vero E6 cells shows sigmoidicity and hence various primary growth models can be applied to extract useful growth parameters. The overlapping of the 95% confidence intervals for the parameters A (lower asymptote value of virus titer) and ï­m (maximum specific viral titer) in the modified Logistics model indicates no significant differences between these two parameters. However, the ymax or viral titer log (PFU/mL) upper asymptote values did not overlap suggesting significant differences between the two values with viral titer values for SARS-CoV (SARS) value higher than SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). The result obtained in this study warrants further study to the infection rate for both viruses that can be useful in studying potential similarity and differences between the two viruses.
Thermodynamic Study on the Biosorptive Removal of Lead (II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions using Acid-treated Cystoseira tricta Biomass
Authors: Yahuza Salihu , Sabo Ibrahim Alhaji , Abubakar Abdussamad , Shukor Mohd Yunus
Published: April 2022

Thermodynamic studies on adsorption process play a vital role in the estimation of adsorptive mechanisms (both physical and chemical). Estimating the accuracy of thermodynamic parameters is dependent upon the equilibrium constants between two phases (KL: dimensionless). In this study, thermodynamic parameters were calculated from the KL constant derived from the adsorption of Langmuir isotherms of Pb(II) on an sulphuric acid-treated brown algae Cystoseira stricta biomass at different temperatures. The conversion of the KL values to the dimensionless Kc values based on the Langmuir model was then assessed for thermodynamic parameters via the Vanâ€™t Hoffâ€™s equation. The Pb(II) adsorption process onto the Cystoseira stricta biomass was spontaneous and feasible with DG values at 25, 30, 35 and 40 oC of -24.56 (95% C.I., -24.00 to -25.03), -22.60 (95% C.I.,-21.95 to -23.12), -20.90 (95% C.I.,-18.87 to -22.01) and -17.17 (95% C.I.,-17.71 to -21.41), respectively, and occurred in an endothermic nature (DH= -0.30 kJ/mol (95% C.I., -194.34 to 193.74) with an increased in randomness (DS= -299.47 J/molÃ—K (95% C.I., -553.60 to -45.35) kJ/mol). To confirm the accuracy and precision of the asymptotatic 95% confidence interval, Monte Carlo simulation may be carried out in the future.
Mathematical Modeling of the Effect of Adiantum philippense Extracts on Biofilms Formation, Adhesion with E. coli Activities Against Foodborne Pathogens
Authors: Uba Garba , Ginsau Muhammad A. , Zandam Nuhu Danladi , Shukor Mohd Yunus
Published: April 2022

In the quest for novel bioactive metabolites, which can also be used as therapeutic agents, Adiantum philippense (A. philippense), an ethnomedical important fern, has become a fascinating herb. In this study, the predictive mathematical modelling of A. philippense crude extract was tested against E. coli, a common food pathogen for its phytochemical constituents, antagonistic ability, and effect on bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation was calculated. For the first time in this paper we present various kinetics models such as von Bertalanffy, Baranyi-Roberts, modified Schnute, Modified Richards, Modified Gompertz, Modified Logistics and Huang were used to get values for the above kinetic constants or parameters. von Bertalanffy of the entire model was found to be the best model with the highest adjusted R2 value with the lowest RMSE value. The accuracy and bias factors values were close to unity (1.0). The parameters obtained from Von Bertalanffy model for E. coli and chloramphenicol when compared with control values were the K 1.146 (95% C.I. 1.050 - 1.241) and 0.912 (95% C.I. 0.783 â€“ 1.041), A 0.831 (95% C.I. 0.669 â€“ 0.994) and 0.699 (95% C.I. 0.519 â€“ 0.880) Km 1.146 (95% C.I. 0.746 â€“ 1.546) and 1.210 (95% C.I. 0.478 â€“ 1.942) respectively. This shows that A. philippense was active against E. coli.
Arrhenius Plot Analysis, Temperature Coefficient and Q10 Value Estimation for the Effect of Temperature on the Rate of Molybdenum Reduction by Serratia marcescens strain DRY6
Authors: Abubakar Aisami
Published: April 2022

Molybdenum is a micronutrient that serves as a co-factor for over 50 enzymes and catalyses a variety of hydroxylation and redox transfer activities in animal and plant physiology. When its concentration is elevated, it poses a great danger as it can interfere with the processes of spermatogenesis and oogenesis in several animals including fish. Its remediation using molybdenum-reducing bacterium is an emerging important tool. One of the parameters that are important in governing molybdenum reduction is temperature. Several models may be used to simulate the growth rate of microorganisms on various media as a function of temperature. Arrhenius is one of the very popular models since it has minimal parameters. Temperature generally affects microbial growth and metabolic activity on their substrates. The small nature of microbes makes them susceptible to change in the surrounding temperature. Growth on molybdenum by Serratia marcescens strain DRY6 is described, with a discontinuous chevron-like graph of apparent activation energy with a breakpoint at 26.25 oC. Regression analysis resulted in two activation energies: 15-25 oC and 30â€“40 oC with the activation energies of 52.7 kJ/mol and 13.33 kJ/mol, respectively. For the examined temperature range (15-25 oC), a Q10 value of 2.08 and a theta value of 1.02 was calculated. This is study is very useful in predicting the breakdown of molybdenum and the movement of molybdenum during bioremediation.
Flow cytometric evaluation of apoptosis on the effect of mirazid on gentamicin-induced renal damage in rats
Authors: AbdEl-Mongy Mahmoud , Nasr Mohamed Y. , Elsayed Ibrahim H. , Soliman Asmaa M.
Published: April 2022

The present study evaluates the effect of mirazid (mz) cd95 and cell cycle in rats of gentamicin (gm) induced renal damage for the detection of apoptosis. Albino male rats (rattus norvegicus), weighing 40â€“50 g were divided into 6 groups; normal saline, orally treated mirazid 10 mg/kg, gm i.p) for 10 days, mz at 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, per oral for 10 days with the same concentration of gm, mz administered concurrently with gm for 10 days. Gm treatment caused nephrotoxicity as evidenced by marked elevation in serum creatinine and urea (152.3 Â± 8.6 mg/dl, 1.6 Â± 0.12 mg/dl resp) when compared to the saline treated group. Gm cause significant increase in both sub g1 (apoptosis) and cd95, marker of apoptosis, when compared to saline control whereas mz give significant decrease in cd95 (fas and fas ligand detection) and sub g1 (apoptosis).
Preterm intraamniotic infection and inflammation: Search for protein biomarkers via proteomics approach
Authors: Tan Niu Jin , Mohd Jamil Amilia Afzan , Mohtarrudin Norhafizah , Raksha Sunhare , Thilakavathy Karuppiah
Published: April 2022

Preterm delivery (PTD) is commonly caused by intraamniotic infection and inflammation (IAI)Â and is one of the leading causes of maternal and neonatal morbidity or mortality worldwide. IAIÂ in pregnant women with high risk of PTD can be classified according to the membrane status;Â preterm labour with intact membranes (PLIM) and preterm pre-labour rupture of membranesÂ (PPROM). At present, the treatment for PTD-associated IAI is principally based on antibiotictherapy. However, this therapy is found to be only beneficial to PPROM. Several IAI relatedÂ protein biomarkers have been identified. Unfortunately, most of the studies that discovered theÂ biomarkers focused on categorising term delivery and PTD-associated IAI, and to a lesser extentÂ on the membrane status. Therefore, identifying a panel of highly sensitive and specific proteinÂ biomarkers that are able to discriminate IAI pregnant women at high risk of PTD with PLIMÂ from PPROM are urgently needed to improve the treatment benefits. Over the past decade,Â proteomics technologies have been applied widely in identifying PTD-associated IAI biomarkers.Â This review brings together information on PTD-associated IAI protein biomarkers and touchesÂ on the combination of multivariable biomarkers to develop a more sensitive and specificÂ biomarkers to discriminate PTD-associated IAI with PLIM from PPROM. ProteomicsÂ technologies and its workflow on protein biomarkers discovery are also included in this review.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) production from complex polymer organic waste using anaerobic and aerobic sequence batch reactor
Authors: Salmiati . , Salim Mohd Razman , Ujang Zaini , Dahalan Farrah Aini , Olsson Gustaf
Published: April 2022

A novel method was developed to convert complex polymer organic waste intoÂ polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Palm oil mill effluent (POME) was used as carbon sourceÂ within this study. The designed laboratory scale system includes two coupled reactors; anÂ anaerobic fermenter for volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production followed by an aerobicÂ sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to obtain PHA. During fermentation, VFAs was produced in theÂ range of 5 to 7g/L and the COD reduction was up to 80% from 65g/L at a sludge retention timeÂ (SRT) of 6 days. Acetic acid was the predominant component of the fermentative VFAs. In theÂ succeeding aerobic SBR with a mixed culture, microaerophilic-aerobic conditions increase theÂ PHA production. PHA, analyzed as PHB, reached up to 4.0 x 10-2 g/gVSS. The maximum PHAÂ content observed was only 40% of cell dried weight (CDW). The indication is that the PHAÂ production and process performance will benefit from a mixed microbial culture.
Potential role of interleukin 28B-gene polymorphism and natural immune enhancer treatment response in chronic HCV patients
Authors: Nasr Mohamed Y. , Hameed Alaa R. , Badra Gamal , El Sayed Ibrahim H. , Sheir Zaki
Published: April 2022

HCV infection is a major health problem in Egypt. Studies using safe natural products BlueÂ greenÂ® tablet showed its antiviral effect. Polymorphisms in the interleukin-28B (IL28B) geneÂ are associated with outcomes from infection with HCV. The rationale of the present study is toÂ evaluate the potential role of interleukin 28B gene polymorphism (IL28B) and natural immuneenhancer treatment response in chronic HCV patients. This study included 100 chronic HCVÂ patients. Patients were classified into two groups: Group I, fifty patients with cirrhosis andÂ advanced liver disease. Patients were unfit INF/ Ribavirin: Group II, fifty patients who refusedÂ INF/Ribavirin. Patients were treated with combination of natural products of Blue greenÂ® tabletÂ (4 tablets daily which equivalent to 100 mg AFA/30 kg BW), vitamin D, tea spoon field paste ofÂ black seeds, olive oil and honey. Alanine Aminotransferase (AST), Aspartate AminotransferaseÂ (ALT), complete blood count (CBC) were measured in the two groups. Detection of HCV-RNAÂ level by quantitative PCR was done before & after 3, 6, 12 and 18 months of treatment. GenomicÂ DNA extracted from all the 100 patientâ€™s blood samples was analyzed for the rs12979860 SNPof IL28B using a real-time polymerase chain technique incorporating SYBR Green. The resultsÂ showed that, the activities of hepatic marker enzymes (AST and ALT), complete blood picturesÂ (Hb, WBCs and Platelets), HCV RNA PCR, IL 28-B gene polymorphism were non-significantlyÂ (p>0.05) differences when compared untreated patients (Group I) and treated patients (Group )were CC genotype before treatment was 8 (34%) & was 13 (26%) after treatment, CT genotypeÂ before treatment was 26 (52%) & was 28 (56%) after treatment, TT genotype before treatmentÂ was 7 (14%) & was 9 (18%) after treatment. Also, there were non-significant (p>0.05)Â differences between responder & non-responder in treated patients. In conclusion, the treatmentwith natural immune enhancer in chronic HCV patients showed no significance correlation withÂ IL 28 gene polymorphism
Expression of recombinant E1 Glycoprotein of Chikungunya virus in Baculovirus expression system
Authors: Henry Sum Magdline Sia , Andrew Anna , Maling Milda Aren
Published: April 2022

Chikungunya is an acute febrile illness caused by chikungunya virus (CHIKV). In this study, theÂ envelope E1 gene of CHIKV was cloned and expressed in a baculovirus system. TheÂ recombinant E1 protein with N-term 6-His residues protein was successfully expressed andÂ purified as confirmed by SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis. The seroreactivity of theÂ recombinant protein was evaluated in immunoassay for anti-CHIKV IgM and IgG antibodies.Â The recombinant antigen showed 69% sensitivity and 100% specificity for anti-CHIKV IgG byÂ dot blot assay. Detection of anti-CHIKV IgM by dot assay showed 79% sensitivity and 100%Â specificity. No cross reactivity of the antigen was observed with anti-dengue virus serumÂ samples. The results strongly support that the recombinant E1 protein has potential to be used asÂ diagnostic antigen. The used of the antigen in a dot blot assay gives an advantage for laboratoryÂ detection without the need of any specialised equipment.
Effect of exogenous emulsifier on growth performance, fat digestibility, apparent metabolisable energy in broiler chickens
Authors: Tan Hui San , Zulkifli Idrus , Farjam Abdoreza Soleimani , Goh Yong Meng , Croes Evi , Partha Sarathi Karmakar , Tee Ah Kiat
Published: April 2022

This research was done to evaluate the effect of a commercial exogenous emulsifier (polyethylene glycol ricinoleate (PEGR)) with high hydrophilic-to-lipophilic balance (HLB) supplementation to broiler chicken diets on growth performance, digestibility of fat and apparent metabolisable energy (AME) content in week 1, 3 and 5. A total of 360 one-day-old male Cobb broiler chicks were assigned in groups of 30 to 12 battery cages. The chicks were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments, with 6 replicate cages per treatment. The diets were either standard broiler starter and finisher, with rice bran oil (RBO) as supplemented fat source or similar diets + 0.05% emulsifier (RBOV). Feed intakes of RBOV groups significantly increased compared to those of RBO groups from week 2 till 4 while body weights of RBOV diets significantly increased in week 4 and 5. Both RBOV and RBO groups had similar FCR except for week 5. Addition of this strongly hydrophilic emulsifier showed no significant difference in fat digestibility of both RC and RV groups but higher AME was noted for the treatment than for the control groups at week 5. Therefore, supplementing the exogenous emulsifier into a broiler diet enriched with rice bran oil improved body weight and AME content at week 5 with minimal effect on fat digestibility
Rapid and simultaneous detection of Î²- thalassemia point mutations by reverse hybridization strip assay among Egyptian patients
Authors: Shalaan Osama , Sakr Moustafa , Daif Ahmed , Elhalfawy Khalil
Published: April 2022

Thalassemia is a wide range hereditary disease with high incidence in Egypt along with the high frequency of consanguineous marriages. Investigation the heterogeneity, molecular basis, and natural history are the most effective methods to deal with the thalassemia to develop effective method for management and prevention including the prenatal diagnosis. The current study aims to detect the most common Î² -globin gene mutations in Egypt among Î²-thalassemic patients by using PCR based reverse hybridization method (StripAssay) for the most prevalent 22 Î²-globin gene mutations in the Mediterranean population in an attempt to estimate the incidence of each mutation, and an attempt to improve our control strategy of Î²- thalassemia. This study included a total of 37 confirmed Î²- thalassemia ethnic Egyptian patients (23 males and 14 females) out of them 17 patients were a thalassemia major and 20 were a thalassemia intermediate. Evaluation of Î²-thalassemia mutations revealed that, the presence of 9 different Î²-globin mutations. The most frequent mutation was IVS 1-110[34%], IVS 1-6(23.5%), IVS 1-1(19%), Codon 27[6.5%], IVS 2-848[6.5%], IVS 2-745[2.1%] and IVS 2.1 [2.5%], Codon 39[4%]), and IVS 1.5 [1.5%]. IVS 1-110[G>A] is the commonest homozygous mutation found in 6 out of 14 homozygous cases accounting for about 43% of homozygous mutations while, IVS 1-110[G>A]/ IVS 1-6[T>C] is the commonest heterozygous mutation found in 6 out of 23 heterozygous cases accounting for about 26% of heterozygous mutations. In conclusion, Î²-Globin Strip Assay is useful rapid screening method for Î²-globin gene mutations which can provide an insight into the detection of individual patients, to take the proper measurement, and thus could be used as a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis.
Antioxidant activity and phytochemical components of Jatropha curcas Linn. root extract
Authors: Osman Shahirah Atiqah , Norhani Abdullah Norhani , Ahmad Syahida
Published: April 2022

Jatropha curcas Linn. is a multipurpose plant in the Euphorbiaceae family. Numerous reportshave indicated the antioxidant properties of phenolics and flavonoids present in J. curcas rootmethanolic extract. In the present study, 80% methanolic extract of J. curcas root was preparedand used for extraction of bioactive compounds with five solvents (hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, n-butanol and water) by liquid-liquid fractionation. The fractions were evaluated fortotal phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activities by usingthe 2-2â€™-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing/antioxidant potential (FRAP) and2,2â€²-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) assays. The phytochemicalcompounds present in each fraction were identified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry(LCMS) analysis. The TPC of ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions were 34.0 Â± 0.02 Î¼g GAE/gDW and 33.1Â± 0.01 Î¼g GAE /g DW, respectively, while the TFC were 9.2 Â± 0.04 Î¼g CE/g DWand 10.1 Â± 0.01 Î¼g CE/g DW, respectively. The free radical scavenging activity varied with thesolvents used. Ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest inhibition for DPPH (48.7%) and FRAP(79.6%) assays, while n-butanol fraction showed the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity(94.8%). The LCMS analysis showed the compounds present in the various fractions werephenolic and flavonoid derivatives such as coumaric acid, epigenin, quercetin, leuteolin and pcoumaroylquinicacid. The results showed that TPC, TFC and antioxidant activity for ethylacetate and n-butanol fractions were higher compared to the other solvent fractions.
The Occurrence of Aspergillus Species and Aflatoxin in Groundnut Sold in Gombe Metropolis
Authors: Mansur Abdulrasheed , Isiaka Ibrahim Hussein , Jauro Hadiza A. , Maigari Fatima U. , Sani Alhassan , Ibrahim Salihu
Published: April 2022

The production of groundnut is constrained by several factors, among which is the contamination with Aspergillus sp. In addition to causing quantitative losses, some of the Aspergillus sp. produce highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical substances known as aflatoxins. Aflatoxin contamination of groundnut has gained global significance due to deleterious effects the contaminant has on human and animal health. This study aimed at investigating the occurrence of Aspergillus sp. in different groundnut samples as well as analyzing the samples chemically to detect the presence of aflatoxin in the groundnut samples. Thirty (30) samples of groundnuts were collected from five local markets in Gombe metropolis, namely: Gombe main market, Gombe old market, Riyal, Tashan Dukku, and Arawa market. The kernels were examined for the occurrence of Aspergillus sp. and contamination with aflatoxins. All samples were subjected to microbiological analysis by culturing them on suitable growth medium followed by chemical analysis by Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) technique. Twenty-four samples (80%) gave positive readings with TLC technique, and in culture, Aspergillus flavus was isolated from nineteen samples (63%). The concentrations of aflatoxin in these samples were ranged from low to very high, in range of (23.67 â€“ 134.66 Î¼g/Kg kernel).
Production of Chitosan from Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 and Application as Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Mohammed A.B. Abeer
Published: April 2022

Chitosan synthesized from Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404, may display potential antibacterial activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of chitosan against various microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. The physicochemical properties were analyzed by FTIR. Lower antibacterial activity was exhibited for chitosan concentrations of between10 and 60 Âµg/ml compared to that of between 70 and 100 ï­g/ml of chitosan for all bacteria, whilst chitosan concentrations of above 70 ï­g/ml exhibited strong inhibition for the bacteria Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 with a slightly lower inhibition was observed for Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 indicating the higher antibacterial activity of chitosan for Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. Results show that chitosan could inhibit the growth of different bacteria tested.
Determination of the Median Effective Concentration of Nano-Zero Valent Iron to the Marine Phytoplankton Species Isochrysis galbana
Authors: Othman Ahmad Razi
Published: April 2022

Nano zero valent iron (nZVI) is often used in the remediation of organic and inorganic contaminant and has been hailed as an emerging remediation tool. Unfortunately, were few studies has been done on the toxicity of nZVI on organisms especially aquatic organisms. In this study, the toxicity of commercial forms (uncoated, organic coating, and iron oxide coating) of nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) to the marine phytoplankton Isochrysis galbana is revisited in terms of the determination of the EC50 or median effective concentration using nonlinear regression. Based on the four-parameter logistics equation, the median effective concentration for Nanofer 25S, Fe2+ and Fe3+ were 5.46 mg/L (95% confidence interval of 4.84 to 6.16), 70.89 mg/L (95% confidence interval of 37.26 to 134.9), 64.29 mg/L (95% confidence interval of 44.92 to 92.02). The results indicate that Nanofer 25S was the most toxic.
PASD1 Expression in Malaysian Hematological Malignancies Patients
Authors: Johdi Nor Adzimah , Mohd Said Hanif Zulkhairi , Jamal Rahman , Mohd Idris Mohd Razif , Ismail Nor Azimah , Wan Jamaludin Wan Fariza , Abd Wahid S. Fadila , Mustangin Muaatamarulain , Tizen Laim Nur Maya Sabrina
Published: April 2022

Per ARNT SIM domain containing 1 (PASD1) protein belongs to the Cancer Testis Antigen (CTA) family. It shows restricted expression in normal tissues but are highly expressed in cancer tissues. This study aims to further investigate PASD1 expression in Malaysian hematological malignancies patients as a potential biomarker for disease progression and vaccine development. Formalin-fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens from hematological malignancies patients were labeled with anti-PASD1-1 and anti-PASD1-2 antibodies using immunohistochemistry method. Our results show that among DLBCL patients, 7 samples were positive for PASD1-1, 2 samples were positive for PASD1-2 while 3 samples were positive for both of the antibodies. In addition, only 1 sample from T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (TLL) showed positive staining with PASD1-1. Other classes of hematological malignancies did not show any positive staining with either antibody. Antibody PASD1-1 stained the membrane and cytoplasm of the tumor cells strongly. Moderate nuclear labeling was also observed in some cases of DLBCL with PASD1-2. PASD1-1 staining was more frequent compared to PASD1-2 in most of the samples. Positive PASD1 staining was observed in patients with age range between 36-71 years old, higher in male cases than female by 54% and higher in Malay patients compared to Chinese by 77%.  Due to its frequency, the PASD1_v1 protein may play a role in the DLBCL initiation and progression. A higher number of PASD1 staining in DLBCL samples compared to other lymphoma subtypes may suggest that PASD1 may represent a potential for DLBCL subtyping marker.
Electroduction on Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 and Chromobacterium violaceum
Authors: Loke Wai Keong , Saud Halimi Mohd
Published: April 2022

Electroduction is a fast, simple and very efficient transformation method with a wider range of bacteria strains which involved physical process by exposing to high electricity. A successful transfer of a 21.6 kb cosmid vector pLAFR1 into Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 and Chromobacterium violaceum was achieved with the maximum efficiency of about 35 X 102 and 24 X 102 transformants, respectively, at the electrical field strength of 5kV/cm with longer pulse length range between 8.3 and 8.5 milliseconds. Doubling the pulse length and a decrease or increase in the electrical field strength of 5kV/cm resulted in a reduction in the total number of transformants. The electroduction parameters were very important to make this transformation method works efficiently.
Biodiesel Production from Cassia tora Seed Oil Through Acid-Base Catalysed Method
Authors: Abubakar Hayatuddeen , Hammari Abubakar Muhammad , Abubakar Aisami , Maiwada Amina
Published: April 2022

Biodiesel produced from different triglyceride sources is an alternative fuel to petro-diesel. An investigation was carried out with Cassia tora seed oil. The oil was esterified to reduce the FFA content in the oil and trans-esterification of the oil was carried out which involves making use of methanol and sodium hydroxide pellets in a base-catalyzed trans-esterification reaction. 187g Cassia tora oil was trans-esterified with 20 g of methanol and 0.7 g of NaOH pellets at 55Â°C operating temperature. The outcome was a percentage conversion of 90.53 per cent for Cassia tora feedstock and a by-product of 15.20 g of glycerol (i.e. soap). The physical features of the oil, such as smell and colour, were retained in the biodiesel produced. The density of biodiesel made from Cassia tora oil was determined to be 848.0 kg/m3. The flashpoint was determined to be 135 oC and the acid value and water content were 0.16 (MgKOH/g) and 0.04 (per cent mass), respectively. The kinematic and dynamic viscosities of the generated biodiesel were 4.2mm2/s and 6.49 x 10-3kgm-1s-1, respectively. The pour point was also discovered to be -6 oC. The biodiesel was evaluated using American testing and material standards (ASTM Values). Based on the comparison of measured characteristics with ASTM values, Cassia tora seed oil could be a promising option for biodiesel production
Adsorption Equilibrium and Kinetics Studies of Congo Red Dye Using Groundnut Shell and Sorghum Husk Biosorbent
Authors: Hammari Abubakar M. , Misau Muhammad I. , Aroke Umar O. , Hamza Usman D. , Yusuf Abdulkarim A.
Published: April 2022

Groundnut Shell (GS) and Sorghum Husk (SH) were utilised as adsorbents for the adsorption of Congo Red dye. The adsorbent underwent proximate analysis and was characterised using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The effects of several experimental conditions on the adsorption extent were studied, including initial dye concentration and contact time. Spectrophotometry was used to determine the dye concentration. The equilibrium data was represented using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Harkins, and Jura models. The Freundlich model represented the equilibrium data for Congo Red with GS better than SH. The maximal adsorption capacity of GS was determined to be 4.3660 mg/g, while SH was less efficient. The pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order kinetic equations, power function, and Elovich models were used to model adsorption data. The pseudo-second-order kinetic equation was found to best represent the sorption kinetics for all adsorption processes, as qe experimental and qe theoretical are nearly identical.
Role of Molecular Diagnostics in The Early Diagnosis of Tuberculous Meningitis
Authors: Pavan D. , Ravish H. , Nagarathna S. , Nethravathi M. , Seshagiri K Sangeetha
Published: April 2022

Although tuberculosis (TB), caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, affects the lungs in the majority of cases, it can also affect other parts of the body. It is most common in young children and HIV-infected patients, but it can also be found in adults with the condition. The most severe form of tuberculosis, tuberculous meningitis (TBM), is associated with the highest mortality and morbidity rates when compared to other forms of tuberculosis. Despite anti-tuberculosis treatment, tuberculosis-related mortality (TBM) remains a leading cause of death. TBM is difficult to diagnose early using immune-based and molecular-based methods because of the non-specific symptoms that occur in the disease and the low number of bacteria present in the target area, particularly the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). TBM patients have a high sensitivity and specificity for tuberculosis, but there is currently no established diagnostic method that can detect the infection with high accuracy in a timely manner. In addition, the emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains complicates the diagnosis and treatment regimen for tuberculous bronchitis. It is the purpose of this review to summarise the difficulties associated with the currently employed molecular-based diagnostic methods as well as the potential future application of molecular diagnostic methods for TBM.
THE GLOBAL COMPETITION IN THE DIGITAL SOCIETY 5.0 ERA: THE CHALLENGES OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION
Authors: Apdillah Dicky , Panjaitan Khairunnisak , Stefanny Nandika Tiara Puteri , Surbakti Febby Andriana
Published: April 2022

The millennial generation has rapidly taken over the workforce, posing new challenges to global competition in the era of Digital Society 5.0. According to surveys, millennials are technologically savvy. The ability of businesses to consistently enhance performance is contingent on their ability to retain and develop the millennial generation. The development of high-quality human resources (HR) among the millennial generation is a challenge in the era of digital society's global competition. 5.0. The millennial generation is inextricably linked to the Industrial Revolution 4.0, often known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Hence, it can be stated that human resource development is critical in current era, where the revolution is centered on the pattern of digitalization and automation in all spheres of human life. A good and excellent education system, particularly in terms of educational quality and relevance to community and work demands, is a major priority for creating human resources for the millennial generation.
Global, WHO Regional, and Continental Prevalence of Self-medication from 2000 to 2018: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Ghasemyani Shabnam , Roohravan Benis Mahshid , Hosseinifard Hossein , Jahangiri Reza , Aryankhesal Aidin , Shabaninejad Hosein , Rafiei Sima , Ghashghaee Ahmad
Published: April 2022

Background: Nowadays, with regard to the availability of medicines and populations’ increased knowledge of medical sciences, self-medication has increased which is a challenging issue for the healthcare system. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of self-medication, comprehensively at a global level. In addition, effective factors in this regard, including the motives of self-medication, diversity of medicines used, the supply resources, and type of the resulted disease were evaluated.Materials: English language articles published during 2000-2018 were systematically searched in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to find relevant research. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated independently by two researchers the relevant articles were examined based on the prevalence of the phenomenon and factors such as setting of study, common reasons for self-medication, and common drugs used.Results: From 951 primarily revealed articles, 69 papers were entered for the final analysis. Overall, 41620 individuals were included in the selected papers, 67% of whom (N=27890) had at least one experience of self-medication. Among the continents, Europe (Eastern) had the highest incidence rate of self-medication (74%, 95% CI, 56%-86%). In terms of supply resources, 71% of the subjects purchased drugs from pharmacies (95% CI, 61-80%). Regarding the condition that led to self-medication, 48% of the patients turned to self-medication due to neurological problems (95% CI, 40-55%). Among the causes of self-medication, “a previous history” and “minor nature of the disease” were the most common reasons for self-medication.Conclusion: According to the results of the study, the mean incidence of self-medication was higher in Eastern Europe and Asian countries, compared to other parts of the world. This could be a considerable note for policy-makers of this field. In general, self-medication can lead to short and long-term harmful consequences for the society and the healthcare systems, resulting in huge costs for countries.
Diagnosis Alopesia Areata Pada Anak: Kasus Serial
Authors: Toena Haken Tennizar , Danarti Retno
Published: April 2022

Alopesia areata (AA) merupakan penyakit autoimun yang ditandai dengan alopesia non-sikatrisial. Kondisi ini merupakan dermatosis yang umum ditemui pada anak. Gambaran klinisnya berupa alopesia non-sikatrisial fokal, perlu dibedakan dari kondisi dapatan serupa lainnya, terutama yang sering terjadi pada anak. Kami melaporkan 5 kasus AA pada anak berusia di bawah 18 tahun. Diagnosis berdasarkan pemeriksaan klinis dan penunjang. Pemahaman karakteristik AA perlu diketahui untuk diagnosis, terutama pada pasien anak.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by non-scarring alopecia. It is one of the most commonly found dermatosis in pediatric population. The clinical manifestations of focal non-scarring alopecia must be differentiated from other acquired focal non-scarring alopecia, especially those in children. This paper report 5 AA cases in children. Diagnosis was based on clinical and supporting examinations. Understanding the characteristics of AA, particularly in children, is important to make correct diagnosis.
Probiotik sebagai Pencegahan Diare terkait Antibiotik pada Anak
Authors: Hadiyanto Marissa Leviani , Wahyudi Sedyo
Published: April 2022

Hampir setiap antibiotik berpotensi menyebabkan diare, antibiotik spektrum luas yang menargetkan bakteri anaerob memiliki insiden diare terkait antibiotik lebih tinggi. Diare terkait antibiotik muncul ketika antibiotik mengganggu keseimbangan ekologi mikrobiota dalam saluran cerna, dengan mengubah keragaman dan jumlah bakteri di usus. Gambaran klinis diare terkait antibiotik pada anak bervariasi, mulai dari diare ringan encer menyemprot terkadang disertai darah, hingga kolitis hemoragik disertai toksemia. Probiotik telah diusulkan untuk pencegahan diare terkait antibiotik pada anak, di antaranya Lactobacillus sp., Saccharomyces sp., Streptococcus sp., Bifidobacterium sp, dan Bacillus sp.

Every antibiotic has the potential to cause diarrhea, broad-spectrum antibiotics that target anaerobic bacteria have a higher incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Antibiotic- associated diarrhea occurs when antibiotics disrupt the ecology of the intestinal microbiota by altering the diversity and numbers of bacteria in the gut. The clinical features of pediatric antibiotic-associated diarrhea are variable, ranging from mild self-limited diarrhea through explosive watery diarrhea with occasional blood to severe hemorrhagic colitis and toxemia. Probiotics have been proposed for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children, including Lactobacillus sp., Saccharomyces sp., Streptococcus sp., Bifidobacterium sp., and Bacillus sp.