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Aim: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of Nuvastatic™ (C5OSEW5050ESA) in improving cancer-related fatigue (CRF) among cancer patients., Methods: This multicenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 trial included 110 solid malignant tumor patients (stage II-IV) undergoing chemotherapy. They were randomly selected and provided oral Nuvastatic™ 1000 mg (N = 56) or placebo (N = 54) thrice daily for 9 weeks. The primary outcomes were fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI)) and Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue (VAS-F)) scores measured before and after intervention at baseline and weeks 3, 6, and 9. The secondary outcomes were mean group difference in the vitality subscale of the Medical Outcome Scale Short Form-36 (SF-36) and urinary F2-isoprostane concentration (an oxidative stress biomarker), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores, adverse events, and biochemical and hematologic parameters. Analysis was performed by intention-to-treat (ITT). Primary and secondary outcomes were assessed by two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (mixed ANOVA)., Results: The Nuvastatic™ group exhibited an overall decreased fatigue score compared with the placebo group. Compared with the placebo group, the Nuvastatic™ group significantly reduced BFI-fatigue (BFI fatigue score, F (1.4, 147) = 16.554, p < 0.001, partial η 2  = 0.333). The Nuvastatic™ group significantly reduced VAS-F fatigue (F (2, 210) = 9.534, p < 0.001, partial η 2  = 0.083), improved quality of life (QoL) (F (1.2, 127.48) = 34.07, p < 0.001, partial η 2  = 0.243), and lowered urinary F2-IsoP concentrations (mean difference (95% CI) = 55.57 (24.84, 86.30)), t (55) = 3.624, p < 0.001, Cohen's d (95% CI) = 0.48 (0.20, 0.75)). Reported adverse events were vomiting (0.9%), fever (5.4%), and headache (2.7%)., Conclusion: Nuvastatic™ is potentially an effective adjuvant for CRF management in solid tumor patients and worthy of further investigation in larger trials., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov ID: NCT04546607. Study registration date (first submitted): 11-05-2020., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The Temengor Reservoir is the second largest reservoir in Peninsular Malaysia. Located in the northwestern state of Perak, it was selected to develop a large-scale tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) aquaculture facility within the Aquaculture Industrial Zone (AIZ) in 2008 due to its favourable environmental conditions. No record of tilapia has ever been reported in the natural waters prior to this. However, a post-establishment study recorded tilapia sightings in the natural waters of this lake. The cultured tilapia was easily recognizable with the elongated mouth and body, and long caudal fin. It is postulated that these were escapees from the floating cages that had invaded the natural waters and would negatively impact the native fish species. To test our hypothesis, we investigated the impact of the aquaculture facility on native fish diversity through a spatial design., Methods: The study was focused on assessing the impact of tilapia culture at sites nearer to the AIZ vs more distant sites, the former with a greater likelihood of receiving escapees. Two major sites were chosen; within 5 km (near-cage) and within 5-15 km (far-cage) radii from the AIZ. Fish sampling was conducted using multiple mesh sizes of gill nets (3.7, 5.1, 6.5, 7.6, and 10.2 cm) deployed at the littoral zone of the sampling points. Species diversity, abundance, dietary habits, and habitat preference were investigated., Results: The CPUE (individual/hour) of native fish species at the far-cage site of the AIZ Reservoir was found to be significantly higher ( p < 0.05) than that at the near-cage site. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on diet and habitat preferences showed that the tilapia, O. niloticus had almost overlapping diet resources and habitat with native fish species., Conclusion: We conclude that there is a correlation between the reduced catches of native species (based on CPUE) and the high presence of tilapia. Thus, appropriate actions must be implemented for strategic and effective planning in terms of native fish conservation., Competing Interests: Izwandy Idris is an Academic Editor for PeerJ. The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2023 Abd Hamid et al.)

This study aims to determine the level of nine trace elements - As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in liver, gill and muscle of Oreochromis niloticus in Bukit Merah Lake (BML). The concentration of trace elements was measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometers (ICP-OES). Cd and Ni were found below the detection level, while Cr was only detected in gill and muscle tissues. The Metal Pollution Index (MPI) established were liver > gill > muscle. The ranking order of trace elements in the gills was Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > As > Cu > Cr. For the liver, the ranking order was Fe > Cu > Zn > As > Mn > Pb, while in the muscle, the ranking order was Fe > Zn > Pb > As > Cu > Mn > Cr. The estimated daily intake (EDI) for all the trace elements in this study was calculated based on 168 g.day -1 of Malaysians' fish consumption, indicating no potential risk. From the human health point of view, there was no significant non-carcinogenic risk of individual trace elements as evaluated by Target Hazard Quotient (THQ). As indicated by the Hazardous Index (HI), the cumulative effect of all trace elements also suggested no potential of non-carcinogenic risk. The carcinogenic risks assessed from Pb and As were also neglectable and there was no likelihood of getting cancer during one's life span., (© Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2022.)

An investigation study was conducted in Bukit Merah Reservoir (BMR) for the assessment of arsenic concentration in the surface sediment in 23 sampling stations. The sediment samples were digested and analysed for arsenic using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Sediment parameters such as pH (4.42 ± 0.71), redox potential (121.77 ± 42.45 mV), conductivity (205.7 ± 64.07 μS cm -1 ) and organic matter (25.35 ± 9.34%) were also examined. The main objectives of this study are to determine the arsenic distribution and concentration and at the same time to assess the enrichment of arsenic using the geoaccumulation index ( I geo ) and enrichment factor (EF). This study shows the total arsenic concentration in the surface sediment of BMR is 4.302 ± 2.43 mg kg -1 and found to be below the threshold value of Canadian Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines (ISQG). High arsenic concentration is recorded near the southern part of the lake where anthropogenic activities are prevalent. Based on I geo , 13% of sampling stations are categorised as moderately polluted, 52.2% as unpolluted to moderately polluted and the rest is categorised as unpolluted. EF shows 78.3% stations are classified as extremely high enrichment and the rest as very high enrichment. This finding provides important information on the status of arsenic contamination in BMR and creating awareness concerning the conservation and management of the reservoir in the future., (© Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2020.)

Gracilaria red algae are notable for their economic importance as agrophytes, sold as salad vegetable, and used as the base for selected food and nonalcoholic beverages. A wild population of Gracilaria exists in coastal areas of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, but there is only limited knowledge on species diversity and its abundance leaving the untapped economic potential of this resource. This study was carried out to determine diversity of wild Gracilaria populations in Lawas, Santubong, and Asajaya, Sarawak, using the combination of morphological character examination and 5' region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1-5P) gene analysis. Identification of the species using morphological characters revealed three species, namely, Gracilaria changii , G. blodgettii , and G. arcuata , had been collected from the sampling sites. However, based on 672 bp CO1-5P gene sequence analysis, all the three species were identified as G. blodgettii ; besides, low genetic divergence values (0.17%-0.34%) were scored between samples in this study with the same species in GenBank. In the phylogenetic trees, all samples in this study group together with other G. blodgettii have high bootstrap values; thus, this species is monophyletic. This study implies that species identification of Gracilaria and other seagrass taxa which have a phenotypic plasticity problem should include the CO1-5P gene analysis as it is a reliable gene marker for species diversity assessment.

Although freshwater biomes cover less than 1% of the Earth's surface, they have disproportionate ecological significances. Attempts to study the taxonomy and function of freshwater microbiota are currently limited to samples collected from temperate lakes. In this study, we investigated samples from the photic and aphotic of an aquaculture site (disturbed) of Temengor Lake, a tropical lake in comparison with the undisturbed site of the lake using 16S rRNA amplicon and shotgun metagenomic approaches. Vertical changes in bacterial community composition and function of the Temengor Lake metagenomes were observed. The photic water layer of Temengor Lake was dominated by typical freshwater assemblages consisting of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Cyanobacteria lineages. On the other hand, the aphotic water featured in addition to Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and two more abundant bacterial phyla that are typically ubiquitous in anoxic habitats (Chloroflexi and Firmicutes). The aphotic zone of Temengor Lake exhibited genetic potential for nitrogen and sulfur metabolisms for which terminal electron acceptors other than oxygen are used in the reactions. The aphotic water of the disturbed site also showed an overrepresentation of genes associated with the metabolism of carbohydrates, likely driven by the enrichment of nutrient resulting from aquaculture activities at the site. The results presented in this study can serve as a basis for understanding the structure and functional capacity of the microbial communities in the photic and aphotic zones/water layers of tropical man-made lakes.

One of the oldest reservoirs in Peninsular Malaysia, Bukit Merah Reservoir, is a place in which locals participate in fishing activities. Inland fisheries are important to individuals, society and the environment; whereby they generate a source of income and food security. It is essential to gauge the nutrition value of fish caught in this location as food source, especially in terms of fatty acid composition, to better demonstrate its potential towards the betterment of human health and general well-being. From an initial list of 47 fish species available in Bukit Merah Reservoir, a total of seven edible freshwater fish species were identified, namely tinfoil barb ( Barbonymus schwanenfeldii ), Javanese barb ( Barbonymus gonionotus ), hampala barb ( Hampala macrolepidota ), beardless barb ( Cyclocheilichthys apogon ), glassfish ( Oxygaster anomalura ), striped snakehead ( Channa striata ) and horseface loach ( Acantopsis dialuzona ), and muscle fatty acid content was analysed to determine their nutritional value. Muscle of cyprinid fish contained substantial amount of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) compared to fish from Channidae and Cobitidae families. Javanese and tinfoil barbs muscle recorded the highest levels of combined eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) indicating the highest nutritional value comparatively. Unexpectedly, the striped snakehead, a predatory carnivore, contained lower levels of LC-PUFA compared to detrivorous/herbivorous fishes. This further justifies that the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content in fish muscle varies according to their feeding habits. Even though it has been recommended that marine fish be consumed to improve health to a certain extent, there still are benefits of consuming freshwater fish, as there are several species which contain considerable amounts of beneficial omega-3 PUFA.

Red seaweed Gracilaria , one of the largest genus in Division Rhodophyta inhabits Sarawak coastal water. This study was designed to identify the species of Gracilaria using morphological approach and to assess selected water quality parameters in Gracilaria habitats. Three field samplings were carried out in Santubong and Asajaya, Sarawak from November 2013 to December 2014. Overall, three species were identified namely Gracilaria changii , G. blodgettii and G. coronopifolia , attached to net of cage culture in Santubong and root of mangrove trees in Asajaya. In addition, three different taxa of aquatic macroinvertebrates (polychaete, small crab, bivalve) and single species of red seaweed ( Acanthophora sp.) were observed in Gracilaria assemblages. An estimate of 37% to 40% of the upper part of the cage net in Santubong was covered by seaweeds and only 16% to 20% in Asajaya's mangrove. The study had provided better information on identification of Gracilaria and their habitat in Sarawak. Future work involving DNA barcoding of each species is in progress.

In this paper, we studied some biological aspects of big eye scad ( Selar crumenophthalmus ) from Maldives. The fish sample was collected from the local fish market at Bangaa Faru, Male, Maldives. The length of the samples were ranged from 7.7 cm to 24.5 cm (mean value = 16.85 ± 2.82 cm) in fork length. Body weight ranged between 8 g to 255.6 g (mean value = 87.76 ± 40.41 g). The exponent values (b slope) of lengthweight relationship of S. crumenophthalmus are 2.9838 for females and 2.7687 for males; indicating negative allometric growth pattern for both sexes. Synchronous reproductive behaviour was observed in both sexes and a pronounced peak of Gonadosomatic index was observed in females in January 2013. It is estimated that length at first maturity (L 50 ) for females is at 19.39 cm FL and for males at 21.76 cm FL. Our result also suggest that big eye scad have a reduced swimming capability, resulting the species to be easily caught. Careful planning and management should be implemented to prevent the big eye scad from being overfished.

A study was conducted at five selected rivers around Bukit Merah Reservoir, Perak, Malaysia for eight weeks in order to determine the fish diversity and distribution. A total of 28 species comprised of 9 families were identified. The study depicted that there were significant changes to the fish composition when compared to previous study which had captured 36 species due to different areas covered and different types of sampling gear used between both studies.

A total of 37 fish species from 14 families were observed during surveys conducted from January to March 2005 at 8 selected streams near the Gunung Jerai Forest Reserve. The list includes two species (Rasbora trilineata and Systomus partipentazona) that were visually identified at the lower part of the Sungai Teroi stream. Single specimens of Leiocassis micropogon, Clarias macrocephalus and Hampala macrolepidota were also obtained at certain sampling stations. Devario regina and Systomus binotatus were the most abundant species at all sampling stations. However, the list is still incomplete as the study was carried out over a short time period and there are large areas that have not yet been surveyed. The presence of exotic species (Carassius auratus) at Sungai Badak indicates anthropogenic influences. Therefore, a long-term monitoring program for Gunung Jerai Forest Reserve streams should be planned and carried out to assess the impacts of future development on fish biodiversity and water quality.