Significance of Triazole in Medicinal Chemistry: Advancement in Drug Design, Reward and Biological Activity.

One of the triazole tautomers, 1,2,4-triazole derivatives, has a wide range of biological activities that suggest its potential therapeutic utility in medicinal chemistry. These actions include anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-tuberculosis, and anti-diabetic effects. The review highlights anti-inflammatory effect of 1,2,4-triazoles in relation to their ability to disrupt significant inflammatory mediators and pathways. We present in-silico data that illuminate the triazoles capacity to inhibit cell division, encourage apoptosis, and stop metastasis in a range of cancer models. This review looks at the bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives, with a focus on their potential efficacy against multi-drug resistant bacterial infections and their usage in tuberculosis therapy. In order to better understand these substances' potential anti-diabetic benefits, this review also looks at how they affect glucose metabolism regulation and insulin responsiveness. Based on information provided, it can be concluded that 1,2,4-triazole derivatives are a promising class of diverse therapeutic agents with potential utility in a range of disorders. Their development and improvement might herald a new era of medical care that will be immensely advantageous to both patients and medical community as a whole. Additionally, this study encourages more research into these substances and their enhancement for use in pharmaceutical development.

Association of low serum 25-Hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH) d] with hepatic encephalopathy in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The mechanism of hepatic encephalopathy is complex and has not been conclusively established. Recent studies support lower serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D [25(OH) D] levels in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum 25(OH) D and hepatic encephalopathy in patients with decompensated cirrhosis of liver. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 70 cirrhosis patients (35 cases of hepatic encephalopathy and 35 patients without encephalopathy as control, mean age 53.07 ± 12.99 years, 67 % male) were recruited for this study. Assessment of the severity of cirrhosis was done by using a model for end-stage liver disease(MELD) and Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP) scores, and assessment of the severity of hepatic encephalopathy was done according to West Haven criteria. Serum 25 (OH) D level was measured by Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immuno Assay(CMIA). RESULTS: The mean serum 25(OH) D level among hepatic encephalopathy patients was significantly lower in comparison to the control group without encephalopathy (18.76 ± 8.84 nmol/L vs 31.19 ± 13.9 nmol/L, P<0.0001). 91.4 % of hepatic encephalopathy patients had moderate to severe 25(OH)D deficiency as compared to 51.4 % in the control group. There was a significant correlation observed between the severity of the 25 (OH) D deficiency and the severity of liver disease (r =  - 0.35, P = 0.002). No statistically significant difference in serum 25(OH) D levels was found among patients with different hepatic encephalopathy grades (P = 0.416). CONCLUSION: A significant association was found between a low serum 25(OH) D leveland hepatic encephalopathy. It requires further large-scale multicenter studies to establish it as a risk factor and predictor of hepatic encephalopathy.

Genetic diversity and forensic statistical support for the 12 X-STR markers in the Malaysian Indian population using Qiagen Investigator® Argus X-12 QS kit.

X-chromosome short tandem repeats (X-STRs) are useful for human identification, especially in complex kinship scenarios. Since forensic statistical parameters vary among populations and the X-STRs population data for the diverse population of Peninsular Malaysia's are unavailable, this attempt for Indians (n = 201) appears forensically relevant to support the 12 X-STRs markers' evidential value for human identification in Malaysia. The Qiagen Investigator® Argus X-12 QS kit showed that DXS10135 was the most polymorphic locus with high genetic diversity, polymorphism information richness, heterozygosity, and exclusion power. Based on allele frequencies, the strength of discrimination and mean exclusion chance (MECKrüger, MECKishida, MECDesmarais, and MECDesmaraisDuo) values for the Malaysian Indians were ≥0.999997790686228. As for haplotype frequencies, the overall discrimination power and mean exclusion probability (MECKrüger, MECKishida, MECDesmarais, and MECDesmaraisDuo) were ≥0.9999984801951. The genetic distance, neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree, and principal component analysis also supported the evidential value of the 12 X-STRs markers for forensic practical caseworks in Malaysia.

Forecasting New Tuberculosis Cases in Malaysia: A Time-Series Study Using the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Model.

Background The application of the Box-Jenkins autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model has been widely employed in predicting cases of infectious diseases. It has shown a positive impact on public health early warning surveillance due to its capability in producing reliable forecasting values. This study aimed to develop a prediction model for new tuberculosis (TB) cases using time-series data from January 2013 to December 2018 in Malaysia and to forecast monthly new TB cases for 2019. Materials and methods The ARIMA model was executed using data gathered between January 2013 and December 2018 in Malaysia. Subsequently, the well-fitted model was employed to make projections for new TB cases in the year 2019. To assess the efficacy of the model, two key metrics were utilized: the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and stationary R-squared. Furthermore, the sufficiency of the model was validated via the Ljung-Box test. Results The results of this study revealed that the ARIMA (2,1,1)(0,1,0)12 model proved to be the most suitable choice, exhibiting the lowest MAPE value of 6.762. The new TB cases showed a clear seasonality with two peaks occurring in March and December. The proportion of variance explained by the model was 55.8% with a p-value (Ljung-Box test) of 0.356. Conclusions The application of the ARIMA model has developed a simple, precise, and low-cost forecasting model that provides a warning six months in advance for monitoring the TB epidemic in Malaysia, which exhibits a seasonal pattern.

Elucidation of the Mechanism of Occasional Anterior Longitudinal Ligament Rupture with Posterior Correction Procedure for Adult Spinal Deformity Using LLIF-Finite Element Analysis of the Impact of the Lordotic Angle of Intervertebral LLIF Cage.

Background and Objectives: There are several advantages of using lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) for correction surgeries for adult spinal deformity (ASD); however, we currently have unresolved new issues, including occasional anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) rupture during the posterior correction procedure. When LLIF was initially introduced, only less lordotic cages were available and ALL rupture was more frequently experienced compared with later periods when more lordotic cages were available. We performed finite element analysis (FEA) regarding the mechanism of ALL rupture during a posterior correction procedure. Methods: A spring (which mimics ALL) was introduced at the location of ALL in the FEA and an LLIF cage with two different lordotic angles, 6 and 12 degrees (6DC/12DC), was employed. To assess the extent of burden on the ALL, the extension length of the spring during the correction procedure was measured and the location of the rotation center was examined. Results: We observed a significantly higher degree of length extension of the spring during the correction procedure in the FEA model with 6DC compared with that of 12DC. We also observed that the location of the rotation center was shifted posteriorly in the FEA model with 6DC compared with that of 12DC. Conclusions: It is considered that the posterior and rostral edge of the less lordotic angle cage became a hinge, and the longer lever arm increased the burden on ALL as the principle of leverage. It is important to use an LLIF cage with a sufficient lordotic angle, that is compatible with the degree of posterior osteotomy in ASD correction.

Field data on pre-season rice straw degradation using a microbial substrate and the effects on methane emissions during rice cultivation.

Rice straw is one of the most abundant biomass wastes derived from rice cultivation activities. The current rice straw management practice during the wet (rainy) season in Malaysia involves the integration of straw into the soil. This practice offers both advantages and disadvantages to rice farmers and the environment. Straw integration may improve nutrient availability while concurrently causing high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the increase in soil carbon activity. In this work, the use of microbial substrate to enhance the degradation of straw was compared to an existing technique that used no additional inputs during soil integration. The data collected consisted of overall microbial enzyme production, soil organic carbon, soil nitrogen content, seasonal greenhouse gas emissions, plant characteristics, and crop yield. In brief, these data can be used as means of demonstrating the effects of improved straw degradation during the pre-season on the overall GHG emissions during the planting season.

Internal validation of reduced PCR reaction volume of the Qiagen Investigator® Argus X-12 QS Kit from blood samples on FTA cards.

The onus of proof in criminal cases is beyond any reasonable doubt, and the issue on the lack of complete internal validation data can be manipulated when it comes to justifying the validity and reliability of the X-chromosomal short tandem repeats analysis for court representation. Therefore, this research evaluated the efficiency of the optimized 60% reduced volumes for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using the Qiagen Investigator® Argus X-12 QS Kit, as well as the capillary electrophoresis (CE) sample preparation for blood samples on Flinder's Technology Associates (FTA) cards. Good-quality DNA profile (3000-12,000 RFU) from the purified blood sample on FTA card (1.2 mm) were obtained using the optimized PCR (10.0 µL of PCR reaction volume and 21 cycles) and CE (9.0 µL Hi-Di™ Formamide and 0.3 µL DNA Size Standard 550 [BTO] and 27 s injection time) conditions. The analytical and stochastic thresholds were 100 and 200 RFU, respectively. Hence, the internal validation data supported the use of the optimized 60% reduced PCR amplification reaction volume of the Qiagen Investigator® Argus X-12 QS Kit as well as the CE sample preparation for producing reliable DNA profiles that comply with the quality assurance standards for forensic DNA testing laboratories, while optimizing the analytical cost.

C-Arm a Useful Tool for Surgeons in Reduction of Zygomatic Complex Fracture: A Comparative Study: Article Type-Original Research.

Introduction: Reduction of zygomaticomaxillary (ZMC) fracture is often difficult to evaluate intraoperatively because of it peculiar anatomy and limited accessibility. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of use of C-arm as a tool for intraoperative monitoring of ZMC fracture reduction. Materials and Methods: Group I (C-Arm) and Group II (control group) comprised of patients with isolated unilateral displaced Zygomatic complex (ZMC) fractures and having orbital volume change. The efficacy of use of C-arm intra-operatively was evaluated to analyse the reduction of fracture. Results: It was observed that mean change in ocular volume was around 1.07cm2 for Group I and 1.51cm2 in Group II. Thus post-operative eye volume was near to normal in Group I than Group II. The change in ocular volume post-operatively was observed to be statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) in both the groups. Post HOC Tukey statistical analysis determined the intergroup relation in change in eye volume between normal, pre- and post-operative and was found to be statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). The intergroup comparison between Group I and Group II was done using ANOVA statistical analysis and was found to be statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). Discussion: Our study revealed that C-arm is definitively an effective tool in the oral and maxillofacial surgery armamentarium, giving better results with minimal surgical exposure and by eliminating operator related error. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-022-03221-y.

Exploring the potential of Bornean polypore fungi as biological control agents against pathogenic Ganoderma boninense causing basal stem rot in oil palm.

Basal stem rot due to a fungal pathogen, Ganoderma boninense, is one of the most devastating diseases in oil palm throughout the major palm oil producer countries. This study investigated the potential of polypore fungi as biological control agents against pathogenic G. boninense in oil palm. In vitro antagonistic screening of selected non-pathogenic polypore fungi was performed. Based on in planta fungi inoculation on oil palm seedlings, eight of the 21 fungi isolates tested (GL01, GL01, RDC06, RDC24, SRP11, SRP12, SRP17, and SRP18) were non-pathogenic. In vitro antagonistic assays against G. boninense revealed that the percentage inhibition of radial growth (PIRG) in dual culture assay for SRP11 (69.7%), SRP17 (67.3%), and SRP18 (72.7%) was relatively high. Percentage inhibition of diameter growth (PIDG) in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in dual plate assay of SRP11, SRP17, and SRP18 isolates were 43.2%, 51.6%, and 52.1%, respectively. Molecular identification using the internal transcribed spacer gene sequences of SRP11, SRP17, and SRP18 isolates revealed that they were Fomes sp., Trametes elegans, and Trametes lactinea, respectively.

Automated Diagnosis of Diabetic Retinopathy Using Deep Learning: On the Search of Segmented Retinal Blood Vessel Images for Better Performance.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most significant retinal diseases that can lead to blindness. As a result, it is critical to receive a prompt diagnosis of the disease. Manual screening can result in misdiagnosis due to human error and limited human capability. In such cases, using a deep learning-based automated diagnosis of the disease could aid in early detection and treatment. In deep learning-based analysis, the original and segmented blood vessels are typically used for diagnosis. However, it is still unclear which approach is superior. In this study, a comparison of two deep learning approaches (Inception v3 and DenseNet-121) was performed on two different datasets of colored images and segmented images. The study's findings revealed that the accuracy for original images on both Inception v3 and DenseNet-121 equaled 0.8 or higher, whereas the segmented retinal blood vessels under both approaches provided an accuracy of just greater than 0.6, demonstrating that the segmented vessels do not add much utility to the deep learning-based analysis. The study's findings show that the original-colored images are more significant in diagnosing retinopathy than the extracted retinal blood vessels.

COVID-19 Pandemic Fatigue and Its Sociodemographic, Mental Health Status, and Perceived Causes: A Cross-Sectional Study Nearing the Transition to an Endemic Phase in Malaysia.

This study aimed to explore the socio-demographic characteristics, mental health status, and perceived causes of pandemic fatigue with COVID-19 pandemic fatigue among the general population of Malaysia. The data was collected online during the transition from the COVID-19 pandemic phase to the endemic phase in Malaysia from 1 to 30 April 2022. Sociodemographic data, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), perceived causes of pandemic fatigue, and the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) were included in the survey. The chi-square test and a simple logistic regression analysis were used to identify predictors of pandemic fatigue. The completed survey (N = 775) included individuals aged 18 years or above [mean 31.98 (SD = 12.16)] from all states in Malaysia. Pandemic fatigue prevalence was 54.2%. Severe to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were detected in 11.2%, 14.9%, and 9.1% of the participants, respectively. Younger age, non-Malay ethnicity, living alone, and higher income categories were significantly higher in the fatigued group. Higher DASS-21 scores on all domains were associated with higher FAS scores. Meanwhile, high scores for perceived tiredness from complying with the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), perceived risk of infection from COVID-19, perceived hardship due to the pandemic, perceived public complacency during the pandemic, and perceived changes due to the pandemic were associated with a higher FAS score. This study provides valuable information for policymakers and mental health professionals worldwide on pandemic fatigue and its associated factors, including mental health status in Malaysia.

Emotional State Classification from MUSIC-Based Features of Multichannel EEG Signals.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)-based emotion recognition is a computationally challenging issue in the field of medical data science that has interesting applications in cognitive state disclosure. Generally, EEG signals are classified from frequency-based features that are often extracted using non-parametric models such as Welch's power spectral density (PSD). These non-parametric methods are not computationally sound due to having complexity and extended run time. The main purpose of this work is to apply the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) model, a parametric-based frequency-spectrum-estimation technique to extract features from multichannel EEG signals for emotional state classification from the SEED dataset. The main challenge of using MUSIC in EEG feature extraction is to tune its parameters for getting the discriminative features from different classes, which is a significant contribution of this work. Another contribution is to show some flaws of this dataset for the first time that contributed to achieving high classification accuracy in previous research works. This work used MUSIC features to classify three emotional states and achieve 97% accuracy on average using an artificial neural network. The proposed MUSIC model optimizes a 95-96% run time compared with the conventional classical non-parametric technique (Welch's PSD) for feature extraction.

Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Administration on the Intervertebral Disc in Low Back Pain Patients with Modic Type 1 Change: Report of Two Cases.

Background and Objectives: Modic type 1 is known to be associated with lower back pain (LBP), but at present, a treatment has not been fully established. Meanwhile, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used for tissue regeneration and repair in the clinical setting. There is no clinical PRP injection trial for the intervertebral disc of LBP patients with Modic type 1. Thus, this study aimed to verify PRP injection safety and efficacy in LBP patients with Modic type 1. As a preliminary experiment, two LBP cases with Modic type 1 are presented. Materials and Methods: PRP was administered intradiscally to two LBP patients with Modic type 1. PRP was obtained from the patients' anticoagulated blood. Primary endpoints were physical condition, laboratory data, and X-ray for safety evaluation. Secondary endpoints were pain scores using the visual analog scale (VAS), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) to evaluate PRP efficacy. The observation period was 24 weeks after the PRP injection. In addition, changes in Modic type 1 using MRI were evaluated. Results: This study assessed two LBP patients with Modic type 1. There were no adverse events in physical condition, laboratory data, or lumbar X-rays after injection. Follow-up MRI showed a decrease of high signal intensity on T2WI compared to before PRP administration. The pain scores tended to improve after the injection. Conclusions: PRP injection into the intervertebral disc of LBP patients with Modic type 1 might be safe and effective. This analysis will be continued as a prospective study to establish the efficacy.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individuals With Hearing Loss and Audiology Practice in a Developing Country.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the challenges faced by individuals with hearing loss at a time when many nations were attempting to move from the COVID-19 pandemic to endemic. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on Malaysian adults with hearing loss to determine the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on hearing aid management, communication difficulties, psychosocial challenges, and access to audiological services. STUDY SAMPLE: One hundred forty-six individuals aged 18 years old and above with hearing loss were recruited from hearing health care centers to participate in the survey. RESULTS: Many of the participants (54.2%) reported significant difficulties communicating with people wearing face masks. For hearing aid management, repairing (36.3%) and fine-tuning devices (30.2%) were considered more challenging than obtaining a battery (21.3%). The COVID-19 pandemic had a serious psychosocial impact on a small portion of the individuals surveyed. Remote services were rarely offered by the audiologists, and most participants preferred in-person treatment. However, the majority perceived that creating awareness and training on telehealth was important. CONCLUSIONS: Effective management for people with hearing loss needs to consider the challenges faced by them, as the world prepares to live with the coronavirus. Clinical protocols should consider providing a service that is helpful for the clients as well as safe and sustainable in future pandemics.

Discovery of Novel Isonipecotic Acid-Based Heteroaryl Amino Acid Derivatives as Potential Anticonvulsant Agents: Design, Synthesis, In-Silico ADME Study, and Molecular Docking Studies.

Background: Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by anomalous brain activity, convulsions, and odd behavior. Several substituted-(naphthalen-2-yl)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl) allyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-4-carboxylic acid derivatives (5a-j) were intended to be produced in the current research effort to reduce convulsions and seizures. Materials and Methods: The newly developed compounds were produced by the prescribed process. Numerous methods (infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass, elemental analysis, etc.) were used to characterize these substances. Several models were used to test each of these molecules for anticonvulsant activity. By using the rotarod and ethanol potentiation techniques, neurotoxicity was also evaluated. The study meticulously examined each parameter and showed absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) predictions for each of the 10 congeners that were produced. In addition, studies on molecular docking employed the gamma amino butyric acid (GABA)-A target protein. Results: Anticonvulsant screening results identified compounds 5f, 5h, 5d, and 5b as the most efficacious of the series. All synthesized equivalents largely passed the neurotoxicity test. The results of molecular docking revealed significant interactions at the active site of GABA-A with LEU B: 99, TYR A: 62, Ala A: 174, and THR B: 202, and the outcomes were good and in agreement with in vivo findings. Conclusions: The study's findings showed that some substances had promising anticonvulsant properties that were comparable to those of the standard drug. The highly active novel anticonvulsant analogs may therefore represent a possible lead, and additional studies may result in a potential new drug candidate.

Nipah and Hendra Viruses: Deadly Zoonotic Paramyxoviruses with the Potential to Cause the Next Pandemic.

Nipah and Hendra viruses are deadly zoonotic paramyxoviruses with a case fatality rate of upto 75%. The viruses belong to the genus henipavirus in the family Paramyxoviridae, a family of negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. The natural reservoirs of NiV and HeV are bats (flying foxes) in which the virus infection is asymptomatic. The intermediate hosts for NiV and HeV are swine and equine, respectively. In humans, NiV infections result in severe and often fatal respiratory and neurological manifestations. The Nipah virus was first identified in Malaysia and Singapore following an outbreak of encephalitis in pig farmers and subsequent outbreaks have been reported in Bangladesh and India almost every year. Due to its extreme pathogenicity, pandemic potential, and lack of established antiviral therapeutics and vaccines, research on henipaviruses is highly warranted so as to develop antivirals or vaccines that could aid in the prevention and control of future outbreaks.

Is the facial nerve at risk following surgical correction of mandibular condylar fracture: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To review the literature on the effect of different surgical approaches on facial nerve injuries. The present systematic review addresses the following focus question: Is the facial nerve at risk following surgical correction of mandibular condylar fracture? Electronic and manual literature searches were conducted on databases:PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google scholar,Cochrane and clinicaltrials.gov for studies published until July 2020 to collect information about the effect of different surgical approaches on facial nerve injuries. Systematic literature review was performed following the prisma guidelines to identify studies. Quantitative retrospective and prospective studies,controlled trials,controlled clinical trials were included;case reports and review articles were excluded from this systematic review. 1500 articles published till July 2020 was identified. 116 articles met inclusion criteria. After applying exclusion criteria seven articles were shortlisted. The level of heterogeneity was observed to be less than 50%, between all parameters for all studies making publication bias to be minimum. On comparing various studies statistically using Z-test for all parameters,it was observed that level of significance was significant for various findings like Displacement/Dislocation of fracture and transient facial nerve weakness was found to be statistically significant between all studies (p-value <0.05). Odd ratio, relative ratio and 95% CI was derived for all parameters recorded for various studies. Due to less number of subjective studies, and variability in study designs and lack of reporting on confounding factors,definitive conclusions on effect of various surgical approaches on facial nerve injury cannot be drawn Future well-designed long-term randomized controlled trials are necessary to reveal the necessary correlation between both the parameters.

Perceptions of Quality of Life during the Pandemic: A Case Study on B40 Single Mothers.

During the pandemic, the lives of B40 single mothers were severely affected, especially in terms of social, economic, and psychological factors. The reduction of income caused by the crisis has forced single mothers and their children to live frugally and without luxury. They also had to perform more than one job at a time during the pandemic to meet their children's needs. A qualitative study has been conducted to explore the perceptions of quality of life during the pandemic among B40 single mothers. Respondents were selected based on demographic characteristics established before the study. A focus group discussion has been conducted on ten (10) B40 single mothers in Balik Pulau, Penang. Single mothers were selected based on purposive sampling. They had to meet the inclusive criteria required to participate in the study, specifically: aged between 20 and 60 years old, belonged to the B40 income category, had children under 18 years old living together, and became single mothers due to divorce or death of husbands. The focused group discussion explored issues related to qualities of life during the pandemic. B40 single mothers expressed their concern about access to health facilities, security in residence, children's education, and economic stability. These areas of life quality have been significantly affected especially during Movement Control Order (MCO). In short, the quality of life of these single mothers has been significantly affected by the pandemic. Their vulnerability towards stress, anxiety, and depression have worsened due to financial issues. Besides the need for emotional and social support, this study found that these single mothers entail financial support.

Vesicular Rash Following Immunisation With BTN162b2 Messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 Vaccine: Vaccine Related or Coincidence?

The introduction of the COVID-19 vaccines has led to an immense sense of relief for the global population. However, since the introduction of these vaccines, there have been several reports related to the side effects. A young woman presented to her primary care doctor with a vesicular rash three days after the BNT162b2 messenger RNA (mRNA) Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was preceded by a low-grade fever for one day. Our case report highlights the challenges in diagnosing a vesicular rash post the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Identifying the cause of a vesicular rash following vaccination has remained a challenge among primary care practitioners.

Design and Optimization of ECG Modeling for Generating Different Cardiac Dysrhythmias.

The electrocardiogram (ECG) has significant clinical importance for analyzing most cardiovascular diseases. ECGs beat morphologies, beat durations, and amplitudes vary from subject to subject and diseases to diseases. Therefore, ECG morphology-based modeling has long-standing research interests. This work aims to develop a simplified ECG model based on a minimum number of parameters that could correctly represent ECG morphology in different cardiac dysrhythmias. A simple mathematical model based on the sum of two Gaussian functions is proposed. However, fitting more than one Gaussian function in a deterministic way has accuracy and localization problems. To solve these fitting problems, two hybrid optimization methods have been developed to select the optimal ECG model parameters. The first method is the combination of an approximation and global search technique (ApproxiGlo), and the second method is the combination of an approximation and multi-start search technique (ApproxiMul). The proposed model and optimization methods have been applied to real ECGs in different cardiac dysrhythmias, and the effectiveness of the model performance was measured in time, frequency, and the time-frequency domain. The model fit different types of ECG beats representing different cardiac dysrhythmias with high correlation coefficients (>0.98). Compared to the nonlinear fitting method, ApproxiGlo and ApproxiMul are 3.32 and 7.88 times better in terms of root mean square error (RMSE), respectively. Regarding optimization, the ApproxiMul performs better than the ApproxiGlo method in many metrics. Different uses of this model are possible, such as a syntactic ECG generator using a graphical user interface has been developed and tested. In addition, the model can be used as a lossy compression with a variable compression rate. A compression ratio of 20:1 can be achieved with 1 kHz sampling frequency and 75 beats per minute. These optimization methods can be used in different engineering fields where the sum of Gaussians is used.