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SLC1A2 is a gene encoded for the excitatory amino acid transporter 2 which is responsible for glutamate reuptake from the synaptic cleft in the central nervous system. Recent studies have suggested that polymorphisms on glutamate transporters can affect drug dependence, leading to the development of neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders. Our study investigated the association of rs4755404 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the SLC1A2 gene with methamphetamine (METH) dependence and METH-induced psychosis and mania in a Malaysian population. The rs4755404 gene polymorphism was genotyped in METH-dependent male subjects (n = 285) and male control subjects (n = 251). The subjects consisted of the four ethnic groups in Malaysia (Malay, Chinese, Kadazan-Dusun, and Bajau). Interestingly, there was a significant association between rs4755404 polymorphism and METH-induced psychosis in the pooled METH-dependent subjects in terms of genotype frequency (p = 0.041). However, there was no significant association between rs4755404 polymorphism and METH dependence. Also, the rs455404 polymorphism was not significantly associated with METH-induced mania for both genotype frequencies and allele frequencies in the METH-dependent subjects, regardless of stratification into the different ethnicities. Our study suggests that the SLC1A2 rs4755404 gene polymorphism confers some susceptibility to METH-induced psychosis, especially for those who carry the GG homozygous genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ganoderma species are common wood-rotting fungi that cause root and stem rot in most monocots, dicots, and gymnosperms. It influences plantation crops such as oil palm and rubber in Malaysia, but the effects vary greatly within the genus. Because of the complex chemistry of Ganoderma, extracting and identifying the physiologically active chemicals is often time-consuming and necessitates extensive bioassays. This study investigated the specific identification of the most infectious Ganoderma species using a sub-20-nm gold electrode. Three electrodes were created using chemically controlled etching (2, 10, and 20 nm). An AutoCAD mask containing nanogap pad electrodes was used to create a chrome glass surface, which was then translated and built. Following the successful construction of the device, the sensor was evaluated using a combination of conventional photolithography and a size reduction technique to imprint the nanogap design onto the gold surface. Ganoderma boninense target DNA was synthesised and surface-modified to enable interaction at extremely low molecular concentrations. The proposed device has a detection limit of 0.001 mol/L, which is seven times lower than the detection limits of currently available devices. The capacitance, conductivity, and permittivity of complementary, non-complementary, single mismatched, and targeted biomolecules changed during hybridization. This sensor correctly differentiated between all samples. The sensor's performance is further validated by comparing experimental data from the sensor to theoretical data from the sensor's corresponding circuit model. The two data sets are very similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorine is widely used in the disinfection process of water supply systems to eliminate pathogens. However, a complication that occurs during the disinfection process is the formation of by-products that include volatile organic compounds such as chloroform and other trihalomethanes. This study is intended to assess the risk of trihalomethanes in tap water. Water samples were taken from end-user tap water near wastewater treatment plants in various locations in Perlis, Malaysia. Following the standard procedure and calculation method proposed by the US EPA, the exposure dose (mg/kg day)) for oral ingestion, dermal absorption and inhalation was calculated. A total of 90 independent data were obtained from the Perlis regions. Risk assessments were calculated and three groups were formed to represent three separate waste water treatment plants. The assessment of cancer risk in the Timah Tasoh area by ingestion routes for dibromochloromethane, bromo-dichloromethane and chloroform was 3.04 × 10–5, 1.73 × 10–4, and 2.67 × 10–5, while for the dermal pathway it was 6.65 × 10–4, 3.97 × 10–4, and 7.19 × 10–5 and inhalation for dibromochloromethane, bromodichloromethane, bromoform and chloroform—1.33 × 10–3, 1.02 × 10–3, 1.38 × 10–3, and 6.32 × 10–5. Another study area, Kuala Sungai Baru, has the lowest trihalomethane content. Obviously, the lowest risk as some of the compounds were found to be below the US EPA limit. The combined risk of cancer in these three study areas for the ingestion method was 1.23 × 10–5, 1.07 × 10–4, and 1.11 × 10–5. The results showed that the carcinogenic risk assessed for chloroform, bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane was within the established limit in some areas, but exceeded the acceptable level in other areas of the study. In addition, the greatest risk from trihalomethanes appears to arise from inhalation followed by ingestion and skin contact. This study made the Perlis Exploration Area Warning as a reference point for other nearby areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keratinases are proteolytic enzymes predominantly active when keratin substrates are available that attack disulfide bridges in the keratin to convert them from complex to simplified forms. Keratinases are essential in preparation of animal nutrients, protein supplements, leather manufacture, textile processing, detergent formulation, feather meal processing for feed and fertilizer, the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries, and waste management. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop a method for continuous production of keratinase from reliable sources that can be easily managed. Microbial keratinase is less expensive than conventionally produced keratinase and can be obtained from fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes. In this overview, the expansion of information about microbial keratinases and important considerations in keratinase production are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemical method to synthesize amorphous silica nanoparticles from the incinerated paddy straw has been introduced. The synthesis was conducted through the hydrolysis by alkaline-acidic treatments. As a result, silica particles produced with the sizes were ranging at 60-90 nm, determined by high-resolution microscopy. The crystallinity was confirmed by surface area electron diffraction. Apart from that, chemical and diffraction analyses for both rice straw ash and synthesized silica nanoparticles were conducted by X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The percentage of silica from the incinerated straw was calculated to be 28.3. The prominent surface chemical bonding on the generated silica nanoparticles was with Si-O-Si, stretch of Si-O and symmetric Si-O bonds at peaks of 1090, 471, and 780 cm -1 , respectively. To confirm the impurities of the elements in the produced silica, were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The stability of silica nanoparticles was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis and zeta potential. The measured size from zeta potential analysis was 411.3-493 nm and the stability of mass reduction was located at 200 °C with final amount of mass reduced ∼88% and an average polydispersity Index was 0.195-0.224.