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Kinetics and mechanism of the alkaline hydrolysis of securinine

Lajis NH, Noor HM, Khan MN

J Pharm Sci, 1995 Jan;84(1):126-30.
PMID: 7714735

The hydroxide ion-catalyzed hydrolysis of securinine involves the ring opening of the lactone moiety. The rate of hydrolysis is insensitive to the ionic strength. The observed pseudo-first-order rate constants reveal a decrease of approximately 4-fold due to the increase in the MeCN content from 4 to 50% (v/v) in mixed aqueous solvent. The temperature dependence of the rate of hydrolysis follows the Eyring equation, which yields delta H* and delta S* as 11.0 kcal mol-1 and -34.5 cal deg-1 mol-1, respectively. The hydroxyl carboxylate product of the alkaline hydrolysis of securinine is shown to undergo cyclization in acidic medium to yield securinine. The observed pseudo-first-order rate constants for cyclization increase linearly with an increase in [H+]. The change in the content of MeCN from 3.8 to 47.2% (v/v) in mixed aqueous solvents does not show an effect on the rate of the cyclization reaction. The most plausible mechanisms for alkaline hydrolysis and acid cyclization reactions are also discussed.
Fulltext A Missed Late Presentation of a Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation as a Large Infected Bulla

Lee CY, Osman SS, Noor HM, Isa NSA

Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J, 2018 Nov;18(4):e541-e544.
PMID: 30988978 DOI: 10.18295/squmj.2018.18.04.020

A congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is a rare cystic anomaly that may occur during development of the fetal airways. The vast majority of CPAMs are detected in neonates; as such, it is unusual for diagnosis to occur in adulthood. We report a 21-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department of the Hospital Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2015 with chest pain, breathlessness and tachypnoea. Based on an initial chest X-ray, the patient was misdiagnosed with pneumothorax and underwent urgent chest tube insertion; however, his condition deteriorated over the course of the next three days. Further imaging was suggestive of infected bullae or an undiagnosed CPAM. The patient therefore underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, during which a large infected bulla was resected. A diagnosis of an infected CPAM was confirmed by histopathological examination. Following the surgery, the patient recovered quickly and no bullae remnants were found at a one-month follow-up.
Fulltext Peripheral blood gene expression profile of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease in patients of different ethnicity in Malaysia

Abdullah MH, Othman Z, Noor HM, Arshad SS, Yusof AK, Jamal R, et al.

J Cardiol, 2012 Sep;60(3):192-203.
PMID: 22738689 DOI: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2012.05.009

The molecular basis of coronary artery disease (CAD) has been widely studied in the western world but there is no published work on the Malaysian population. This study looked at the global gene expression profiling of the peripheral blood of patients with CAD from the 3 main ethnic groups in Malaysia. Male subjects selected were based on angiographically confirmed CAD (≥50% stenosis) and normal control subjects (0% stenosis) with age range of 55.6±5.3 and 51.0±5.5 years, respectively. The global gene expression of 12 angiographically documented CAD patients and 11 matched control subjects were performed. The combined group samples identified 6 up regulated differential expression (DE) genes (GHRL, LTA, CBS, HP, ITGA2B, and OLR1) and 12 down regulated DE genes (IL18R1, ITGA2B, IL18RAP, HP, OLR1, SOD2 ITGB3, IL1B, MMP9, PLA2G7, UTS2, and CBS) to be involved in CAD at the fold change of 1.3 with fault discovery rate (FDR) of 1%. Three genes, MMP9, IL1B, and SOD2 were down regulated in all the 3 ethnic groups making them potential biomarker candidates for CAD across all three ethnicities. Further verification in a cohort study is needed.
Fulltext Biorational control programme for the German cockroach (Blattaria: Blattellidae) in selected urban communities

Shahraki G, Bin Ibrahim Y, Noor HM, Rafinejad J, Shahar MK

Trop Biomed, 2010 Aug;27(2):226-35.
PMID: 20962720 MyJurnal

This study assessed the effectiveness of a biorational control approach using 2% hydramethylnon gel bait on German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.) in some residential and hospital buildings in South Western Iran. In total, three buildings consisting of 150 apartment units and 101 hospital units were monitored weekly via sticky trap for German cockroach infestations over a period of eight months. These infested units were randomly subjected to intervention and control treatments. Pamphlets and posters were provided and lectures were given to support the educational programmes as a tactic of the biorational system. Survey on cockroach index for intervention units showed 67-94% recovery to achieve clean level of infestation for intervention units of the residential buildings and 83% for the hospital. Mean percentage reductions for treatment groups throughout the 15-week treatment period were 76.8% for the residential buildings and 88.1% for the hospital, showing significant differences compared to the control groups. Linear regression of infestation rates were recorded weekly after treatment and their negative slope for treatment groups substantiated significant reductions for interventions. The results of this study showed that biorational control method, using gel bait, educational programmes and sanitation, is an effective way to manage German cockroach infestation.
Fulltext Species Diversity and Distribution of Non-volant Small Mammal between Restoration, Boundary, Disturbed and Undisturbed Area in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Baharudin NS, Tah MMTM, Zulkifli SZ, Ab Ghani NI, Noor HM, Sabar Sabal NH

Trop Life Sci Res, 2023 Mar;34(1):151-183.
PMID: 37065795 DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2023.34.1.10

Deforestation in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia has increased significantly in the past few years to accommodate the growing population of Cameron Highlands. This led to a rapid urbanisation in Cameron Highlands which increased anthropogenic activities, causing degradation of the natural environment. Such environmental changes highlight the necessity of wildlife and resource inventories of available forested areas to improve existing conservation and management plans, especially for threatened taxa such as the non-volant small mammals. However, very few studies are known to focus on the effect of deforestation on non-volant small mammals, especially in the adjacent forest. This survey aimed to document non-volant small mammals from four habitat types (restoration areas, boundary, disturbed and undisturbed areas) of Terla A and Bertam, and undisturbed forest of Bukit Bujang Forest Reserve, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. Samplings were conducted in two phases between August 2020 to January 2021. A total of 80 live traps were deployed along the transect lines in all three study sites, and 10 camera traps were set randomly in each forested area. Results demonstrated that species diversity (H') is higher at Terla A Forest Reserve compared to Bertam and Bukit Bujang Forest Reserve. In contrast, species diversity in the boundary area (S = 8, H' = 2.025) and disturbed forest area (S = 8, H' = 1.992) had similar number of species (S) compared to others study habitat; restoration area had the lowest species diversity (S = 3, H' = 0.950). Berylmys bowersi was the most captured species from trappings and Lariscus insignis was the most frequently recorded species from camera trappings for all study sites. The results of the survey provided new information on non-volant small mammals in Cameron Highlands for future research, conservation, and management.
Fulltext Unlocking insights: A comprehensive dataset analysis on the acceptance of computational thinking skills among undergraduate university students through the lens of extended technology acceptance model, HTMT, covariance-based SEM, and SmartPLS

Rosli MS, Awalludin MFN, Han CT, Saleh NS, Noor HM

Data Brief, 2024 Jun;54:110463.
PMID: 38725547 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110463

In light of the increasing importance digital economy, the significance of computational thinking has grown exponentially, becoming imperative in both workplace and academic settings such as universities. This article addresses the critical need to comprehend the factors influencing the acceptance of computational thinking. The dataset introduces an extensive questionnaire comprising five constructs and 25 items, rooted in the extended Technology Acceptance Model. Notably, the model incorporates facilitating conditions and subjective norm, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding acceptance. Data collection involved 132 undergraduate university students sampled through purposive sampling, specifically targeting courses with a focus on computational thinking. The resulting dataset serves as a valuable resource for future research, offering detailed insights into the factors determining the acceptance of technology in educational contexts beyond mere thinking skills. Given the scarcity of research on technology acceptance in developing nations, this dataset holds particular significance, serving as a foundation for potential cross-cultural comparisons. The dataset contributes to the field by presenting a robust acceptance model, explaining 74.2 per cent of the variance in behavioural intention, 60.2 per cent in perceived usefulness, and 56.1 per cent in perceived ease of use. This high explanatory power positions the dataset as a superior resource for replication, benchmarking, and broader applicability in diverse contexts, thereby enhancing the understanding of computational thinking acceptance across different populations and settings. This dataset stands among the pioneering efforts to assess the novel covariance-based structural equation model algorithm within SmartPLS 4, presenting a valuable resource for future research employing the same mechanism.
Fulltext Anthropometric analysis of mandible: an important step for sex determination

Alias A, Ibrahim A, Abu Bakar SN, Swarhib Shafie M, Das S, Abdullah N, et al.

Clin Ter, 2018 11 6;169(5):e217-e223.
PMID: 30393808 DOI: 10.7417/CT.2018.2082

INTRODUCTION: The first step in the forensic identification is sex determination followed by age and stature estimation, as both are sex-dependent. The mandible is the largest, strongest and most durable bone in the face. Mandible is important for sex confirmation in absence of a complete pelvis and skull.
AIM: The aim of the present study was to determine sex of human mandible from morphology, morphometric measurements as well as discriminant function analysis from the CT scan.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present retrospective study comprised 79 subjects (48 males, 31 females), with age group between 18 and 74 years, and were obtained from the post mortem computed tomography data in the Hospital Kuala Lumpur. The parameters were divided into three morphologic and nine morphometric parameters, which were measured by using Osirix MD Software 3D Volume Rendering.
RESULTS: The Chi-square test showed that men were significantly association with square-shaped chin (92%), prominent muscle marking (85%) and everted gonial glare, whereas women had pointed chin (84%), less prominent muscle marking (90%) and inverted gonial glare (80%). All parameter measurements showed significantly greater values in males than in females by independent t-test (p< 0.01). By discriminant analysis, the classification accuracy was 78.5%, the sensitivity was 79.2% and the specificity was 77.4%. The discriminant function equation was formulated based on bigonial breath and condylar height, which were the best predictors.
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the mandible could be distinguished according to the sex. The results of the study can be used for identification of damaged and/or unknown mandible in the Malaysian population.
Fulltext Development and validation of D-PATH website to improve hypertension management among hypertensive patients in Malaysia

Ab Hamid MR, Buhari SS, Noor HM, Azizan N', Malek KA, Mohd Asmawi UM, et al.

Digit Health, 2024;10:20552076241242661.
PMID: 38596405 DOI: 10.1177/20552076241242661

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at developing and validating a web application on hypertension management called the D-PATH website.
METHODS: The website development involved three stages: content analysis, web development, and validation. The model of Internet Intervention was used to guide the development of the website, in addition to other learning and multimedia theories. The content was developed based on literature reviews and clinical guidelines on hypertension. Then, thirteen experts evaluated the website using Fuzzy Delphi Technique.
RESULTS: The website was successfully developed and contains six learning units. Thirteen experts rated the website based on content themes, presentation, interactivity, and instructional strategies. All experts reached a consensus that the web is acceptable to be used for nutrition education intervention.
CONCLUSION: D-PATH is a valid web-based educational tool ready to be used to help disseminate information on dietary and physical activity to manage hypertension. This web application was suitable for sharing information on dietary and physical activity recommendations for hypertension patients.