Metabolomic approach for understanding phenolic compounds and melanoidin roles on antioxidant activity of Indonesia robusta and arabica coffee extracts

Muhammad Fakih Kurniawan,Nuri Andarwulan,Nur Wulandari,Mohamad Rafi 한국식품과학회 2017 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.26 No.6

Our experiments investigated roles of phenolic compounds and melanoidins on antioxidant activity of Indonesia robusta and arabica coffee extracts. The 2,2,- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and a ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method were used to determine the antioxidant activity. An increase in the roasting degree (green, light, medium, and dark) reduced phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity of coffee extracts, but enhanced melanoidin content. Principle component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that phenolic compounds showed stronger effects on antioxidant activity of coffee extracts in comparison with melanoidins. This finding was supported by the results of metabolomic fingerprint by partial least square (PLS), which describes the correlation of functional groups of coffee extracts on antioxidant activity. Based on the PLS analysis, hydroxyl groups (O–H) were observed to show a positive correlation, but carbonyl (C=O) and amine (N–H) groups were attributed to a negative correlation on antioxidant activity of coffee extracts.

Dietary Application for the Management of Patients with Hemodialysis: A Formative Development Study

Cosette Fakih El Khoury,Mirey Karavetian,Ruud J.G. Halfens,Rik Crutzen,Dayana El Chaar,Jos M. G. A. Schols 대한의료정보학회 2019 Healthcare Informatics Research Vol.25 No.4

Objectives: To describe the step-by-step person-centered, theory-based development of the KELA.AE app for Arabic speaking hemodialysis patients. Methods: A step-by-step person-driven theory-based approach was conducted to develop a self-monitoring and educational dietary app for hemodialysis patients. The development follows the Integration, Design, Assessment, and Sharing (IDEAS) framework. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 6 hemodialysis patients and 6 healthcare practitioners (dietitians and nephrologists) were performed to assess the need for an app, the willingness to use an app, and features desired in an app. Results: The KELA.AE app, which includes a self-monitoring feature, CKD-friendly recipes, and a theory-based, evidence-based educational feature was developed. Qualitative analysis of interviews revealed two predominant themes from patient interviews ‘Experience with the diet’, ‘App evaluation’, and one theme from interviews with healthcare practitioners ‘App evaluation’. Patients expressed frustration with current accessibility of dietary information along with the need for educational materials in the app. The review of the KELA.AE prototype was positive overall, and patients reported a willingness to use the app. Healthcare practitioners considered the app accurate, simple, and culturally sensitive but expressed concerns about app misuse and the replacement of healthcare practitioners. Conclusions: The KELA.AE app was found to be satisfactory and supportive of the participants’ needs. Changes were made to the app as suggested during the interviews.

The relationships between economic growth, financial deepening, and information and communication technology: Empirical evidence from Lebanon

( Salah Abosedra ),( Ali Fakih ) 한양대학교 경제연구소 2014 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH Vol.19 No.1

The impact of financial deepening and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in Lebanon`s economy is empirically investigated by estimating a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) using data from 1993 to 2009. In the short-run, our empirical results show that neither financial deepening nor ICT seems to impact economic growth. However, there is a unidirectional causality running from economic growth to financial deepening implying that the `demand-following` hypothesis, in which financial development is a by-product of growth, is supported in the case of Lebanon. In the long-run, economic growth is found to be strongly related to financial deepening and ICT levels. This suggests the absence of evidence for a dampening effect from either financial deepening or ICT developments on cyclical fluctuations in the shortrun, but strong effects in the long-run growth in Lebanon. A major implication of our results is that growth volatility reductions in Lebanon expected from developments of financial markets, or ICT will be slow to materialize.

Surveillance Study of Acute Gastroenteritis Etiologies in Hospitalized Children in South Lebanon (SAGE study)

Ghassan Ghssein,Ali Salami,Lamis Salloum,Pia Chedid,Wissam H Joumaa,Hadi Fakih 대한소아소화기영양학회 2018 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.21 No.3

Purpose: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a major cause of morbidity and remains a major cause of hospitalization. Following the Syrian refugee crisis and insufficient clean water in the region, this study reviews the etiological and epidemiological data in Lebanon.Methods: We prospectively analyzed demographic, clinical and routine laboratory data of 198 children from the age of 1 month to 10 years old who were admitted with the diagnosis of AGE to a private tertiary care hospital located in the district of Nabatieh in south Lebanon.Results: Males had a higher incidence of AGE (57.1%). Pathogens were detected in 57.6% (n=114) of admitted pa-tients, among them single pathogens were found in 51.0% (n=101) of cases that consisted of: Entamoeba histolytica26.3% (n=52), rotavirus 18.7% (n=37), adenovirus 6.1% (n=12) and mixed co-pathogens found in 6.6% (n=13). Breast-fed children were significantly less prone to rotavirus (p=0.041). Moreover, children who had received the rota-virus vaccine were significantly less prone to rotavirus (p=0.032).Conclusion: Our findings highlight the high prevalence of E. histolytica infection as the major cause of pediatric gastro-enteritis in hospitalized children, during the summer period likely reflecting the insanitary water supplies and lack of hygiene. Moreover the 42.4% of unidentified causative pathogens should prompt us to widen our diagnostic laboratory arsenal by adopting new diagnostic technologies.

Cinnamon Plant Extract as Corrosion Inhibitor for Steel Used in Waste Water Treatment Plants and Its Biological Effect on Escherichia coli

Fouda, Abd El-Aziz S.,Nazeer, Ahmed Abdel,El-Khateeb, Ayman Y.,Fakih, Mohamed Korean Chemical Society 2014 대한화학회지 Vol.58 No.4

The inhibition effect of cinnamon plant extract as a green corrosion inhibitor for steel in sulfide polluted salt water was studied by potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrochemical frequency modulation (EFM). The results showed that cinnamon plant extract in sulfide polluted salt water is a good corrosion inhibitor with inhibition efficiency reached to 80% at 250 ppm of the plant extract. The adsorption of cinnamon obeys Temkin adsorption isotherm, and acts as a mixed-type of inhibitor but dominantly as a cathodic inhibitor in sulfide polluted salt water.

Surveillance Study of Acute Gastroenteritis Etiologies in Hospitalized Children in South Lebanon (SAGE study)

Ghssein, Ghassan,Salami, Ali,Salloum, Lamis,Chedid, Pia,Joumaa, Wissam H,Fakih, Hadi The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2018 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.21 No.3

Purpose: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a major cause of morbidity and remains a major cause of hospitalization. Following the Syrian refugee crisis and insufficient clean water in the region, this study reviews the etiological and epidemiological data in Lebanon. Methods: We prospectively analyzed demographic, clinical and routine laboratory data of 198 children from the age of 1 month to 10 years old who were admitted with the diagnosis of AGE to a private tertiary care hospital located in the district of Nabatieh in south Lebanon. Results: Males had a higher incidence of AGE (57.1%). Pathogens were detected in 57.6% (n=114) of admitted patients, among them single pathogens were found in 51.0% (n=101) of cases that consisted of: Entamoeba histolytica 26.3% (n=52), rotavirus 18.7% (n=37), adenovirus 6.1% (n=12) and mixed co-pathogens found in 6.6% (n=13). Breast-fed children were significantly less prone to rotavirus (p=0.041). Moreover, children who had received the rotavirus vaccine were significantly less prone to rotavirus (p=0.032). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the high prevalence of E. histolytica infection as the major cause of pediatric gastroenteritis in hospitalized children, during the summer period likely reflecting the insanitary water supplies and lack of hygiene. Moreover the 42.4% of unidentified causative pathogens should prompt us to widen our diagnostic laboratory arsenal by adopting new diagnostic technologies.

Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Urinary Tract Infection among Neonates Presenting with Unexplained Hyperbilirubinemia in Lebanon: A Retrospective Study

Harb Alya,Yassine Viviane,Ghssein Ghassan,Salami Ali,Fakih Hadi 대한감염학회 2023 Infection and Chemotherapy Vol.55 No.2

Background: Neonatal jaundice is commonly seen in term and preterm newly born babies. It could be either physiologic or secondary to multiple underlying pathologies like urinary tract infection (UTI). Our main objective was to confirm the relationship between neonatal jaundice without apparent cause like hemolysis and the presence of UTI. Materials and Methods: We, retrospectively over a period extended from 2017 to 2020, included 496 babies admitted for elevated indirect hyperbilirubinemia for whom demographic, clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic data were collected through a detailed questionnaire. Results: Our study included 496 neonates and showed a prevalence of UTI in 8.9% of neonates. The two most common microorganisms in urine culture were Escherichia coli (65.9%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (25.0%). A multivariate logistic analysis showed that UTI was associated with male neonates (odds ratio [OR] = 2.366, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.173 – 4.774; P = 0.016), history of prenatal UTI (OR = 5.378, 95% CI: 2.369 – 12.209; P <0.001), poor feeding (OR = 3.687, 95% CI: 1.570 – 8.661; P = 0.003), and positive urine culture in catheter (OR = 2.704, 95% CI: 1.255 – 5.826; P = 0.011). The mean length of stay was higher in patients with positive UTI (Median = 216 hours) compared to patients with negative UTI (Median = 48 hours) (P <0.001).

Ginger Extract as Green Corrosion Inhibitor for Steel in Sulfide Polluted Salt Water

Fouda, Abd El-Aziz S.,Nazeer, Ahmed Abdel,Ibrahim, Mohamed,Fakih, Mohamed Korean Chemical Society 2013 대한화학회지 Vol.57 No.2

Extract of ginger has been evaluated as a green inhibitor for the corrosion of steel in sulfide polluted NaCl solution using potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical frequency modulation (EFM) techniques. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements showed that this extract acts as a mixed type inhibitor but mainly inhibits the cathodic reaction. The inhibition efficiency was found to increase with inhibitor concentration reaching to approximately 83.9% using 250 ppm of ginger. Nyquist plots show a single capacitive loop in uninhibited and inhibited solutions. From EFM the causality factors are very close to theoretical values which indicate that the measured data are of good quality. The adsorption process of the studied extract on steel surface obeys Temkin adsorption isotherm. The results obtained from the different electrochemical techniques were in good agreement which prove the validity of these tools in measurement of corrosion rate. Ginger extract has no effect on Escherichia Coli and can be applied safely on waste water treatment plants.

Use of Smoke-less Tobacco Amongst the Staff of Tertiary Care Hospitals in the Largest City of Pakistan

Valliani, Arif,Ahmed, Bilawal,Nanji, Kashmira,Valliani, Salimah,Zulfiqar, Beenish,Fakih, Misbah,Mehdi, Mehwish,Khan, Anam,Sheikh, Sana Arshad,Fatima, Nida,Ahmad, Sobia,Farah, Fariya,Saleem, Shaheera,A Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

Background: Use of smoke-less tobacco (SLT) is very common in South and South-East Asian countries. It is significantly associated with various types of cancers. The objectives of this study were to assess the proportion of hospital staff that use SLT, and to identify the factors associated with its use and their practices. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 560 staff of two tertiary care hospitals were interviewed in the year 2009. Nurses, ward boys and technicians were counted as a paramedic staff while drivers, peons, security guards and housekeeping staff were labeled as non-paramedic staff. SLT use was considered as usage of any of the following: betel quid (paan) with or without tobacco, betel nuts with or without tobacco (gutkha) and snuff (naswar). Results: About half (48.6%) of the hospital staff were using at least one type of SLT. Factors found to be statistically significant with SLT were being a male (OR=2.5; 95% CI=1.8-3.7); having no/fewer years of education (OR=1.7; 95% CI=1.2-2.4) and working as non-paramedic staff (OR=2.6; 95% CI=1.8-3.8). Majority of SLT users were using it on regular basis, for > 5 years and keeping the tobacco products in the oral cavity for >30 minutes. About half of the users started due to peer pressure and had tried to quit this habit but failed. Conclusion: In this study, about half of the study participants were using SLT in different forms. We suggest educational and behavioral interventions for control of SLT usage.

Greening industrial applications with magnetic-based deep eutectic solvents: A promising future

Mohamad Hamdi Zainal-Abidin,Maan Hayyan,Juan Matmin,Abdo Mohammed Al-Fakih,Naharullah Jamaluddin,Wan M. Asyraf Wan Mahmood,Roswanira Abdul Wahab,Faizuan Abdullah 한국공업화학회 2023 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.124 No.-

The field of green technology is evolving rapidly to address new industrial challenges, and deep eutecticsolvents (DESs) have emerged as a potential alternative to traditional organic compounds and ionic liquids. Among their main classes, magnetic DESs (MagDESs) have gained significant attention due to theirunique magnetic properties resulting from the presence of magnetic ions in the solvent. The unique magneticproperties of MagDESs, combined with their stability and compatibility, make them suitable for variousapplications, including magnetic separation and purification. The ease of separation of MagDESsfrom their respective mixtures via the application of an external magnetic field distinguishes them asa desirable solution, enabling quick extraction and easy collection without centrifugation. Moreover,DESs can serve to endow magnetic materials with new functionalities for a wide range of applications. Utilizing DESs enables the functionalization of magnetic materials without the use of volatile organic solventsor extended processing periods. MagDESs are expected to be used in the extraction of various compounds,but there are some limitations that must be considered, such as compatibility issues, recoverydifficulty, and also long-term stability and sustainability of MagDESs in different environments and applications. Further research and development are necessary to fully understand and optimize the benefitsand limitations of MagDESs.