Tariq Abdul Razak

Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) gene as genetic markers of schizophrenia susceptibility

Abstract Introduction There are substantial evidences that suggest DISC1 function in neurodevelopment thus support the locus as candidate gene of schizophrenia and potential target for the treatment of schizophrenia. Objectives: The aim of the study is to assess the association of DISC1 gene as genetic susceptibility marker of schizophrenia. Methods This is an unmatched case control study with the total of 225 unrelated schizophrenia patients and 350 control healthy individuals. Seventeenth SNPs within DISC1 gene were selected based on HapMap data constructed using the Haploview. The SNPs were genotyped using PCR-RFLP assay. Results & Discussion We found significant differences in genotypes and allele frequencies between patients and controls for two SNPs, rs4658971 [p=0.0303,OR=1.435(1.035–1.990)] and rs1538979 [p=0.036, OR=1.351(1.02–1.79)]. Conclusion The study provided significant evidence of DISC1 gene as a marker of schizophrenia susceptibility.

Knowledge of Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Prevention: Development of Questionnaire and Validation of Results

Bacground: Atrial fibrillation (AF) patients are 5 times more likely to have stroke than non-AF patients. Stroke prevention (SP) using anticoagulation therapy was recommended in AF patients. Knowledge about AF and SP (KAFSP) is one of the essential factors that can improve patients’ adherence. Yet no established studies were found to determine patients’ KAFSP among AF patients. Objectives: To develop and validate the questionnaire used to measure KAFSP. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 4 hospitals in Malaysia. The psychometric of the KAFSP Questionnaire (KAFSP-Q) were performed using content validity index (CVI), internal consistency, test-retest, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and sensitivity test. Results: A total of 304 patients completed a face-to-face interview to answer the KAFSP-Q. Content and face validity was assessed by 6 experts who are knowledgeable in this field and 15 AF patients, respectively. The KAFSP-Q had good CVI and were well understood by AF patients. The KAFSP-Q also had good reliability and stability with Cronbach’s α of .83 and intraclass correlation coefficient values in test-retest for stability of .9. The EFA results indicated that there were 6 factors with factor loadings above .30. The low correlations between subscales ranged between .01 and .48, which indicated that good discriminant and construct validity were achieved. The scale was able to differentiate between patients’ knowledge levels before and after counseling given. Conclusions: The KAFSP-Q is reliable and valid to measure patients’ KAFSP. Further validation studies are recommended to validate the KAFSP-Q in different contexts and in other languages.

A Highly Efficient Activated Carbon by Chemical Activation Method for Adsorption of Paraquat (Toxin)

The optimum condition for preparing a highly efficient activated carbon has been investigated in this work. The effects of different activation temperatures on the pore structure and surface morphology of highly efficient activated carbon (AC) derived from waste palm shell by chemical activation method using phosphoric acid as activating agent were studied. For activation, different activation temperatures in the range of 550 °C-650 °C were carried out. Activated carbon with well developed pore size were produced at activation temperature of 600 °C for 2 hours. At this temperature the Brunauer , Emmett and Teller (BET) surface areas are 1287 m2g-1, the total pore volume for adsorption and desorption are 0.742 cm3 g-1. Scanning Electron Microscope also confirmed the porosity of the highly efficient activated carbon. Finally it was tested in vitro to determine its adsorbing capacity for paraquat as a toxin. For optimum adsorption ability of activated carbon for paraquat, 0.9% NaCl solution is the most suitable solvent. The paraquat preferentially adsorbed onto the activated carbon in NaCl solution. The adsorption ability of the activated carbon (the amount adsorbed) for paraquat observed to be 99.9 mg g-1.