Analysis of Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer in Malay Cohorts using Immunohistochemical Screening

Juhari, Wan Khairunnisa Wan,Rahman, Wan Faiziah Wan Abdul,Sidek, Ahmad Shanwani Mohd,Hassan, Muhammad Radzi Abu,Noordin, Khairul Bariah Ahmad Amin,Zakaria, Andee Dzulkarnaen,Macrae, Finlay,Zilfalil, B Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.9

Background: Lynch syndrome (LS) is an inherited predisposition to colorectal, endometrial (uterine) and other cancers. Although most cancers are not inherited, about 5 percent (%) of people who have colorectal or endometrial cancer have the Lynch syndrome. It involves the alteration of mismatch repair (MMR) genes; MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 or PMS2. In this study, we analyzed the expression of MMR proteins in colorectal cancer in a Malay cohort by immunohistochemistry. Materials and Methods: A total of 17 patients were selected fulfilling one of the Bethesda criteria: colorectal cancer diagnosed in a patient aged less than 50 years old, having synchronous and metachronous colorectal cancer or with a strong family history. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on paraffin embedded tumour tissue samples using four antibodies: MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. Results: Twelve out of 17 patients (70.6%) were noted to have a family history. A total of 41% (n=7) of the patients had abnormal immunohistochemical staining with one or more of the four antibodies. Loss of expression were noted in 13 tumour tissues with a negative staining score <4. Of 13 tumour tissues, four showed loss expression of MLH1. For PMS2, loss of expression were noted in five cases. Both MSH2 and MSH6 showed loss of expression in two tumour tissues respectively. Conclusions: Revised Bethesda criteria and immunohistochemical analysis constituted a convenient approach and is recommended to be a first-line screening for Lynch syndrome in Malay cohorts.

Photovoltaic characteristics of hybrid MEH-PPV-nanoparticles compound

A.H. Reshak,M.M. Shahimin,N. Juhari,R. Vairavan 한국물리학회 2013 Current Applied Physics Vol.13 No.9

Organic solar cell research has vastly developed in recent years. These organic solar cells however are still limited to low power conversion efficiencies. This has led to the generation of photovoltaic cells based on hybrid nanoparticle-organic polymer materials. The hybrid solar cell has the potential of bridging the efficiency gap which is present in organic and inorganic semiconductor materials. This paper focuses on characterization of fabricated hybrid active layer consisting of organic polymer infused with semiconductor nanoparticles. The active layer was deposited on the substrate using the spin coating technique. Materials used in the active layer are poly (2-methoxy, 5-(2-ethyl hexyloxy) p-phenyl vinylene)MEH-PPV, cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium sulphide (CdS). The fabricated solar cells with active layer of MEH-PPV only were found to have a power conversion efficiency of 0.1% for 1 W, hybrid cell with active layer of MEH-PPV/CdTe has power conversion efficiency of 0.15% for 1 Wand hybrid cell with active layer of MEH-PPV/CdTe/CdS has power conversion efficiency of 0.18% for 1 W.

Managing COVID-19 Pandemic in the Community: A Primary Health Clinic Experience

Nurul Azreen Yusof,Siti Norazlina Juhari,Norwati Daud,Mohd Faeiz Pauzi,Najwa Diyana Ngah 대한가정의학회 2022 Korean Journal of Family Medicine Vol.43 No.4

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected several countries worldwide, including Malaysia, with the first reported case occurring in January 2020. Terengganu, a state on the east coast of Malaysia, is finding it challenging to contain the disease by aggressively instituting all public health measures to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases and community transmission. Our primary health clinic, which is situated in a semi-rural district in Terengganu, is also involved in the implementation of containment measures, community risk measurement, and the initial management of COVID-19 cases. The health clinic changed the clinic system for the delivery of healthcare services to avoid overcrowding of patients and adapted innovative ways of providing medical services, such as telemedicine and “drive-through” pharmacy. It also provided continuous health education and awareness regarding COVID-19 to both patients and clinic attendees. The essential element of combating the infection is the effective control of infection in a small, isolated clinic in which space and adequate facilities are known challenges. This study aimed to highlight the flow of COVID-19 management starting from screening, triaging, and manage-ment based on protocol, implementation of infection control measures, and training of healthcare workers in our health clinic. The mental health of these workers was managed by the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Unit, as recommended by the Ministry of Health Malaysia. The role of primary care clinics in the ongoing pandem-ic is currently increasing. Hence, higher authority and the government must increase the number of facilities, hu-man resources, and financial budget to ensure that all initiatives can be implemented effectively.

Freeform 3D printing of soft matters: recent advances in technology for biomedical engineering

Chen Shengyang,Tan Wen See,Bin Juhari Muhammad Aidil,Shi Qian,Cheng Xue Shirley,Chan Wai Lee,Song Juha 대한의용생체공학회 2020 Biomedical Engineering Letters (BMEL) Vol.10 No.4

In the last decade, an emerging three-dimensional (3D) printing technique named freeform 3D printing has revolutionized the biomedical engineering field by allowing soft matters with or without cells to be printed and solidified with high precision regardless of their poor self-supportability. The key to this freeform 3D printing technology is the supporting matrices that hold the printed soft ink materials during omnidirectional writing and solidification. This approach not only overcomes structural design restrictions of conventional layer-by-layer printing but also helps to realize 3D printing of low-viscosity or slow-curing materials. This article focuses on the recent developments in freeform 3D printing of soft matters such as hydrogels, cells, and silicone elastomers, for biomedical engineering. Herein, we classify the reported freeform 3D printing systems into positive, negative, and functional based on the fabrication process, and discuss the rheological requirements of the supporting matrix in accordance with the rheological behavior of counterpart inks, aiming to guide development and evaluation of new freeform printing systems. We also provide a brief overview of various material systems used as supporting matrices for freeform 3D printing systems and explore the potential applications of freeform 3D printing systems in different areas of biomedical engineering.

Recyclable and biocompatible microgel-based supporting system for positive 3D freeform printing of silicone rubber

Tan Wen See,Shi Qian,Chen Shengyang,Bin Juhari Muhammad Aidil,Song Juha 대한의용생체공학회 2020 Biomedical Engineering Letters (BMEL) Vol.10 No.4

Additive manufacturing (AM) of biomaterials has evolved from a rapid prototyping tool into a viable approach for the manufacturing of patient-specific implants over the past decade. It can tailor to the unique physiological and anatomical criteria of the patient’s organs or bones through precise controlling of the structure during the 3D printing. Silicone elastomers, which is a major group of materials in many biomedical implants, have low viscosities and can be printed with a special AM platform, known as freeform 3D printing systems. The freeform 3D printing systems are composed of a supporting bath and a printing material. Current supporting matrices that are either commercially purchased or synthesized were usually disposed of after retrieval of the printed part. In this work, we proposed a new and improved supporting matrix comprises of synthesized calcium alginate microgels produced via encapsulation which can be recycled, reused, and recovered for multiple prints, hence minimizing wastage and cost of materials. The dehydration tolerance of the calcium alginate microgels was improved through physical means by the addition of glycerol and chemical means by developing new calcium alginate microgels encapsulated with glycerol. The recyclability of the heated calcium alginate microgels was also enhanced by a rehydration step with sodium chloride solution and a recovery step with calcium chloride solution via the ion exchange process. We envisaged that our reusable and recyclable biocompatible calcium alginate microgels can save material costs, time, and can be applied in various freeform 3D printing systems.

Evaluation of the antinociceptive activities of natural propolis extract derived from stingless bee Trigona thoracica in mice

Nurul Alina Muhamad Suhaini,Mohd Faeiz Pauzi,Siti Norazlina Juhari,Noor Azlina Abu Bakar,Jee Youn Moon 대한통증학회 2024 The Korean Journal of Pain Vol.37 No.2

Background: Stingless bee propolis is a popular traditional folk medicine and has been employed since ancient times. This study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive activities of the chemical constituents of aqueous propolis extract (APE) collected by Trigona thoracica in a nociceptive model in mice. Methods: The identification of chemical constituents of APE was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Ninety-six male Swiss mice were administered APE (400 mg/kg, 1,000 mg/kg, and 2,000 mg/kg) before developing nociceptive pain models. Then, the antinociceptive properties of each APE dose were evaluated in acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction, hot plate test, and formalin-induced paw licking test. Administration of normal saline, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, 100 mg/kg, orally), and morphine (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) were used for the experiments. Results: HPLC revealed that the APE from Trigona thoracica contained p-coumaric acid (R2 = 0.999) and caffeic acid (R2 = 0.998). Although all APE dosages showed inhibition of acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction, only 2,000 mg/kg was comparable to the result of ASA (68.7% vs. 73.3%, respectively). In the hot plate test, only 2,000 mg/ kg of APE increased the latency time significantly compared to the control. In the formalin test, the durations of paw licking were significantly reduced at early and late phases in all APE groups with a decrease from 45.1% to 53.3%. Conclusions: APE from Trigona thoracica, containing p-coumaric acid and caffeic acid, exhibited antinociceptive effects, which supports its potential use in targeting the prevention or reversal of central and peripheral sensitization that may produce clinical pain conditions.