Browse publications by year: 2010

  1. Parasites found from the feces of Bornean orangutans in Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia, with a redescription of Pongobius hugoti and the description of a new species of Pongobius (Nematoda: Oxyuridae)
    Kuze N, Kanamori T, Malim TP, Bernard H, Zamma K, Kooriyama T, et al.
    J Parasitol, 2010 Oct;96(5):954-60.
    PMID: 20950104 DOI: 10.1645/GE-2379.1
    In order to obtain basic data on parasitic infections of Bornean orangutans, Pongo pygmaeus morio (Owen, 1837), in Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia, fecal examinations were conducted. Based on a total of 73 fecal samples from 25 individuals, cysts of Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba spp., and Chilomastix mesnili, cysts and trophozoites of Balantidium coli, and eggs of Trichuris sp. or spp., unknown strongylid(s), Strongyloides fuelleborni, and an unknown oxyurid, plus a rhabditoid larva of Strongyloides sp., were found. Mature and immature worms of Pongobius hugoti Baruš et al., 2007 and Pongobius foitovae n. sp. (Oxyuridae: Enterobiinae) were recovered from fecal debris and described. Pongobius foitovae is readily distinguished from P. hugoti by having a much longer esophageal corpus, a longer and distally hooked spicule in males, and a more posteriorly positioned vulva in female. Presence of plural species of non- Enterobius pinworms is a remarkable feature of the orangutan-pinworm relationship, which may reflect speciation process of the orangutans, host switching, and coevolution by pinworms.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Borneo/epidemiology; Feces/parasitology; Female; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Oxyuriasis/epidemiology; Oxyuriasis/parasitology; Oxyuriasis/veterinary*; Oxyuroidea/anatomy & histology; Oxyuroidea/classification*; Oxyuroidea/isolation & purification; Parasitic Diseases, Animal/epidemiology; Parasitic Diseases, Animal/parasitology*; Pongo pygmaeus/parasitology*; Ape Diseases/epidemiology; Ape Diseases/parasitology*
  2. Fulltext Histopathology and biochemistry analysis of the interaction between sunitinib and paracetamol in mice
    Lim AY, Segarra I, Chakravarthi S, Akram S, Judson JP
    BMC Pharmacol., 2010;10:14.
    PMID: 20950441 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2210-10-14
    BACKGROUND: Sunitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor to treat GIST and mRCC may interact with paracetamol as both undergo P450 mediated biotransformation and P-glycoprotein transport. This study evaluates the effects of sunitinib-paracetamol coadministration on liver and renal function biomarkers and liver, kidney, brain, heart and spleen histopathology. ICR male mice (n = 6 per group/dose) were administered saline (group-A) or paracetamol 500 mg/kg IP (group-B), or sunitinib at 25, 50, 80, 100, 140 mg/kg PO (group-C) or coadministered sunitinib at 25, 50, 80, 100, 140 mg/kg PO and paracetamol IP at fixed dose 500 mg/kg (group-D). Paracetamol was administered 15 min before sunitinib. Mice were sacrificed 4 h post sunitinib administration.
    RESULTS: Group-A serum ALT and AST levels were 14.29 ± 2.31 U/L and 160.37 ± 24.74 U/L respectively and increased to 249.6 ± 222.7 U/L and 377.1 ± 173.6 U/L respectively in group-B; group-C ALT and AST ranged 36.75-75.02 U/L and 204.4-290.3 U/L respectively. After paracetamol coadministration with low sunitinib doses (group-D), ALT and AST concentrations ranged 182.79-221.03 U/L and 259.7-264.4 U/L respectively, lower than group-B. Paracetamol coadministration with high sunitinib doses showed higher ALT and AST values (range 269.6-349.2 U/L and 430.2-540.3 U/L respectively), p < 0.05. Hepatic histopathology showed vascular congestion in group-B; mild congestion in group-C (but lesser than in group-B and D). In group-D, at low doses of sunitinib, lesser damage than in group-B occurred but larger changes including congestion were observed at high sunitinib doses. BUN levels were higher (p < 0.05) for group-B (33.81 ± 5.68 mg/dL) and group-D (range 35.01 ± 6.95 U/L to 52.85 ± 12.53 U/L) compared to group-A (15.60 ± 2.17 mg/dL) and group-C (range 17.50 ± 1.25 U/L to 26.68 ± 6.05 U/L). Creatinine remained unchanged. Renal congestion and necrosis was lower in group-C than group-B but was higher in group-D (p > 0.05). Mild cardiotoxicity occurred in groups B, C and D. Brain vascular congestion occurred at high doses of sunitinib administered alone or with paracetamol. Hepatic and renal biomarkers correlated with histopathology signs.
    CONCLUSIONS: Paracetamol and sunitinib coadministration may lead to dose dependent outcomes exhibiting mild hepatoprotective effect or increased hepatotoxicity. Sunitinib at high doses show renal, cardiac and brain toxicity. Liver and renal function monitoring is recommended.
    MeSH terms: Acetaminophen/toxicity*; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents/toxicity*; Brain/drug effects; Brain/pathology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions; Hyperemia/chemically induced; Indoles/administration & dosage; Indoles/toxicity*; Kidney/drug effects; Kidney/metabolism; Kidney/pathology; Liver/drug effects; Liver/metabolism; Liver/pathology; Male; Mice, Inbred ICR; Necrosis/chemically induced; Pyrroles/administration & dosage; Pyrroles/toxicity*; Random Allocation; Biomarkers/blood; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic/toxicity*; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/administration & dosage; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/toxicity*; Mice; Drug-Induced Liver Injury/blood; Drug-Induced Liver Injury/metabolism*; Drug-Induced Liver Injury/pathology*; Antipyretics/toxicity
  3. Mohs micrographic surgery at the Skin and Cancer Foundation Australia, 10 years later (1997 vs 2007)
    Lim P, Paver R, Peñas PF
    J Am Acad Dermatol, 2010 Nov;63(5):832-5.
    PMID: 20950738 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2009.12.026
    BACKGROUND: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) provides a combination of high cure rate and tissue conservation. Epidemiologic factors and changes in techniques may affect the way MMS is performed.
    OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate changes over time in the type of patients and skin cancers that are treated using MMS, and the repairs used to close the defects.
    METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on patients treated with MMS at the Skin and Cancer Foundation Australia, Westmead, in 1997 against those treated in 2007. Patient demographics (age, sex), pathology of tumor, anatomic site of the tumor, preoperative tumor size, postoperative defect size, and repair method were analyzed.
    RESULTS: There was a 260% increase in the number of procedures (596 in 1997 vs 1587 in 2007). The 2007 cohort was a little older (62 vs 64 years), but there were no differences in sex, anatomic site, rate of basal/squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma histologic subtypes, or preoperative tumor size. However, there were fewer superficial basal cell carcinomas, and the postoperative defect size was smaller in 2007 (P < .0001). There was also a decrease in the use of grafts and second-intention healing to close the defects and an increase in the number of side-to-side closures (P < .0001).
    LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study at one institution is a limitation.
    CONCLUSION: Although tumor size and the percentage of tumors in each anatomic site did not change over 10 years, the size of the defect created after MMS has become smaller. This reduction in defect size may explain why more defects are now repaired by side-to-side closure and flap repairs whereas fewer defects are repaired by skin grafting.
    MeSH terms: Aged; Australia; Carcinoma, Basal Cell/epidemiology; Carcinoma, Basal Cell/surgery*; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/epidemiology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/surgery*; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Skin Neoplasms/epidemiology; Skin Neoplasms/surgery*; Surgical Flaps/utilization; Surgical Flaps/statistics & numerical data; Cohort Studies; Mohs Surgery/utilization*; Mohs Surgery/statistics & numerical data*; Skin Transplantation/utilization; Skin Transplantation/statistics & numerical data
  4. Screening of tetrodotoxin in puffers using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
    Man CN, Noor NM, Harn GL, Lajis R, Mohamad S
    J Chromatogr A, 2010 Nov 19;1217(47):7455-9.
    PMID: 20950812 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2010.09.064
    Tetrodotoxin (TTX), a toxic compound found in some puffers can cause death to humans through consumption. We have developed a simplified method for the screening of TTX in puffers using GC-MS. A puffer tissue of 0.5g was treated with 5mL of 0.1% acetic acid, followed by alkaline hydrolysis, LLE or liquid-liquid extraction and N-methyl-N-TMS-trifluoroacetamide derivatization. The developed method used only a small sample and solvent, simplified LLE and derivatization procedures and short chromatographic analysis (8.2min). All of these contribute to cost-saving, enhanced sample throughput and high sensitivity of the screening assay. The developed method was validated and proved to be within the acceptable range.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/economics; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods*; Tetrodotoxin/analysis*; Tetrodotoxin/metabolism
  5. Substituted spiro [2.3'] oxindolespiro [3.2″]-5,6-dimethoxy-indane-1″-one-pyrrolidine analogue as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase
    Ali MA, Ismail R, Choon TS, Yoon YK, Wei AC, Pandian S, et al.
    Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 2010 Dec 1;20(23):7064-6.
    PMID: 20951037 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2010.09.108
    Series of pyrolidine analogues were synthesized and examined as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. Among the compounds, compounds 4k and 6k were the most potent inhibitors of the series. Compound 4k, showed potent inhibitory activity against acetyl cholinesterase enzyme with IC(50) 0.10 μmol/L. Pyrolidine analogues might be potential acetyl cholinesterase agents for AD.
    MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy; Cholinesterase Inhibitors/pharmacology; Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemistry*; Humans; Pyrrolidines/chemical synthesis*; Pyrrolidines/pharmacology*; Spiro Compounds; Structure-Activity Relationship; Molecular Structure; Inhibitory Concentration 50
  6. A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of fumonisins B1 and B2 in food and feed using monolithic column and positive confirmation by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry
    Khayoon WS, Saad B, Salleh B, Ismail NA, Abdul Manaf NH, Abdul Latiff A
    Anal Chim Acta, 2010 Oct 29;679(1-2):91-7.
    PMID: 20951862 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2010.09.008
    The development of a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography fluorescence method for the determination of the mycotoxins fumonisin B(1) and fumonisin B(2) by using silica-based monolithic column is described. The samples were first extracted using acetonitrile:water (50:50, v/v) and purified by using a C(18) solid phase extraction-based clean-up column. Then, pre-column derivatization for the analyte using ortho-phthaldialdehyde in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol was carried out. The developed method involved optimization of mobile phase composition using methanol and phosphate buffer, injection volume, temperature and flow rate. The liquid chromatographic separation was performed using a reversed phase Chromolith(®) RP-18e column (100 mm × 4.6 mm) at 30 °C and eluted with a mobile phase of a mixture of methanol and phosphate buffer pH 3.35 (78:22, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min(-1). The fumonisins separation was achieved in about 4 min, compared to approximately 20 min by using a C(18) particle-packed column. The fluorescence excitation and emission were at 335 nm and 440 nm, respectively. The limits of detections were 0.01-0.04 μg g(-1) fumonisin B(1) and fumonisin B(2), respectively. Good recoveries were found for spiked samples (0.1, 0.5, 1.5 μg g(-1) fumonisins B(1) and B(2)), ranging from 84.0 to 106.0% for fumonisin B(1) and from 81.0 to 103.0% for fumonisin B(2). Fifty-three samples were analyzed including 39 food and feeds and 14 inoculated corn and rice. Results show that 12.8% of the food and feed samples were contaminated with fumonisin B(1) (range, 0.01-0.51 μg g(-1)) and fumonisin B(2) (0.05 μg g(-1)). The total fumonisins in these samples however, do not exceed the legal limits established by the European Union of 0.8 μg g(-1). Of the 14 inoculated samples, 57.1% contained fumonisin B(1) (0.16-41.0 μg g(-1)) and fumonisin B(2) (range, 0.22-50.0 μg g(-1)). Positive confirmation of selected samples was carried out using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, using triple quadrupole analyzer and operated in the multiple reaction monitoring mode.
    MeSH terms: Animal Feed/analysis*; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods; Fluorescent Dyes; Fluorometry/methods; Food Contamination/analysis*; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization/methods; Fumonisins/analysis*; Analytic Sample Preparation Methods/methods*; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods; Chromatography, Reverse-Phase/methods*; Limit of Detection
  7. Fulltext Accumulation of soil carbon and phosphorus contents of a rehabilitated forest
    Haruna Ahmed O, Aainaa Hasbullah N, Ab Majid NM
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2010 Oct 12;10:1988-95.
    PMID: 20953548 DOI: 10.1100/tsw.2010.196
    The world's tropical rainforests are decreasing at an alarming rate as they are converted to agricultural land, pasture, and plantations. Decreasing tropical forests affect global warming. As a result, afforestation progams have been suggested to mitigate this problem. The objective of this study was to determine the carbon and phosphorus accumulation of a rehabilitated forest of different ages. The size of the study area was 47.5 ha. Soil samples were collected from the 0-, 6-, 12-, and 17-year-old rehabilitated forest. Twenty samples were taken randomly with a soil auger at depths of 0-20 and 20-40 cm. The procedures outlined in the Materials and Methods section were used to analyze the soil samples for pH, total C, organic matter, total P, C/P ratio, yield of humic acid (HA), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The soil pH decreased significantly with increasing age of forest rehabilitation regardless of depth. Age did not affect CEC of the rehabilitated forest. Soil organic matter (SOM), total C, and total P contents increased with age. However, C/P ratio decreased with time at 0-20 cm. Accumulation of HA with time and soil depth was not consistent. The rehabilitated forest has shown signs of being a C and P sink.
    MeSH terms: Agriculture; Analysis of Variance; Carbon/analysis*; Carbon/metabolism; Environmental Monitoring/methods; Phosphorus/analysis*; Phosphorus/metabolism; Time Factors; Trees/growth & development; Trees/metabolism*; Tropical Climate; Ecosystem
  8. Fulltext Comparing BRIN-BD11 culture producing insulin using different type of microcarriers
    Mel M, Karim MI, Yusuf SA, Hashim YZ, Ahmad Nor Y
    Cytotechnology, 2010 Oct;62(5):423-30.
    PMID: 20953703 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-010-9294-9
    This research was conducted to examine the growth profile, growth kinetics, and insulin-secretory responsiveness of BRIN-BD11 cells grown in optimized medium on different types of microcarriers (MCs). Comparisons were made on modified polystyrene (Hillex(®) II) and crosslinked polystyrene Plastic Plus (PP) from Solohill Engineering. The cell line producing insulin was cultured in a 25 cm(2) T-flask as control while MCs based culture was implemented in a stirred tank bioreactor with 1 L working volume. For each culture type, the viable cell number, glucose, lactate, glutamate, and insulin concentrations were measured and compared. Maximum viable cell number was obtained at 1.47 × 10(5) cell/mL for PP microcarrier (PPMCs) culture, 1.35 × 10(5) cell/mL Hillex(®) II (HIIMCs) culture and 0.95 × 10(5) cell/mL for T-flask culture, respectively. The highest insulin concentration has been produced in PPMCs culture (5.31 mg/L) compared to HIIMCs culture (2.01 mg/L) and T-flask culture (1.99 mg/L). Therefore overall observation suggested that PPMCs was likely preferred to be used for BRIN-BD11 cell culture as compared with Hillex(®) II MCs.
  9. For God (or) country: the hydraulic relation between government instability and belief in religious sources of control
    Kay AC, Shepherd S, Blatz CW, Chua SN, Galinsky AD
    J Pers Soc Psychol, 2010 Nov;99(5):725-39.
    PMID: 20954784 DOI: 10.1037/a0021140
    It has been recently proposed that people can flexibly rely on sources of control that are both internal and external to the self to satisfy the need to believe that their world is under control (i.e., that events do not unfold randomly or haphazardly). Consistent with this, past research demonstrates that, when personal control is threatened, people defend external systems of control, such as God and government. This theoretical perspective also suggests that belief in God and support for governmental systems, although seemingly disparate, will exhibit a hydraulic relationship with one another. Using both experimental and longitudinal designs in Eastern and Western cultures, the authors demonstrate that experimental manipulations or naturally occurring events (e.g., electoral instability) that lower faith in one of these external systems (e.g., the government) lead to subsequent increases in faith in the other (e.g., God). In addition, mediation and moderation analyses suggest that specific concerns with order and structure underlie these hydraulic effects. Implications for the psychological, sociocultural, and sociopolitical underpinnings of religious faith, as well as system justification theory, are discussed.
    MeSH terms: Canada; Female; Government*; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Politics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Religion*; Religion and Psychology; Social Control, Formal*; Personal Autonomy
  10. Fulltext Expression of an organic solvent stable lipase from Staphylococcus epidermidis AT2
    Rahman RN, Kamarudin NH, Yunus J, Salleh AB, Basri M
    Int J Mol Sci, 2010;11(9):3195-208.
    PMID: 20957088 DOI: 10.3390/ijms11093195
    An organic solvent tolerant lipase gene from Staphylococcus epidermidis AT2 was successfully cloned and expressed with pTrcHis2 in E. coli TOP10. Sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame (ORF) of 1,933 bp in length which coded for a polypeptide of 643 amino acid residues. The polypeptide comprised of a signal peptide (37 amino acids), pro-peptide and a mature protein of 390 amino acids. Expression of AT2 lipase resulted in an 18-fold increase in activity, upon the induction of 0.6 mM IPTG after a 10 h incubation period. Interestingly, this lipase was stable in various organic solvents (25% (v/v), mainly toluene, octanol, p-xylene and n-hexane). Literature shows that most of the organic solvent stable bacterial lipases were produced by Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp., but very few from Staphylococcus sp. This lipase demonstrates great potential to be employed in various industrial applications.
    MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence; Bacterial Proteins/genetics; Bacterial Proteins/chemistry*; Base Sequence; Lipase/genetics; Lipase/chemistry*; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Solvents/chemistry; Staphylococcus epidermidis/enzymology*; Protein Stability
  11. Fulltext Microbial contamination of orthodontic buccal tubes from manufacturers
    Purmal K, Chin S, Pinto J, Yin WF, Chan KG
    Int J Mol Sci, 2010 Sep 16;11(9):3349-56.
    PMID: 20957099 DOI: 10.3390/ijms11093349
    This study aimed to test the sterility of new unused orthodontic buccal tubes received from manufacturers. Four different types of buccal tubes were used straight from the manufactures package without any additional sterilizing step. Of these buccal tubes tested, three genera of bacteria, implicated as opportunistic pathogens, namely Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus were recovered from these buccal tubes. Our data showing microbial contamination on buccal tubes highlights the need of sterilization before clinical use. We also suggest that manufacturers should list the sterility state of orthodontic buccal tubes on their packaging or instructions stating the need for sterilization.
    MeSH terms: Equipment Contamination*; Orthodontic Appliances/microbiology*; Acinetobacter calcoaceticus/isolation & purification; Micrococcus luteus/isolation & purification; Staphylococcus haemolyticus/isolation & purification
  12. Fulltext Removal of parabens from aqueous solution using β-cyclodextrin cross-linked polymer
    Chin YP, Mohamad S, Abas MR
    Int J Mol Sci, 2010 Sep 20;11(9):3459-71.
    PMID: 20957106 DOI: 10.3390/ijms11092459
    The removal of four parabens, methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and benzyl-paraben, by β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) polymer from aqueous solution was studied. Different β-CD polymers were prepared by using two cross-linkers, i.e., hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) and toluene-2,6-diisocyanate (TDI), with various molar ratios of cross-linker. β-CD-HMDI polymer with molar ratio of 1:7 and β-CD-TDI polymer with ratio 1:4 gave the highest adsorption of parabens among the β-CD-HMDI and β-CD-TDI series, and were subsequently used for further studies. The adsorption capacity of β-CD-HMDI is 0.0305, 0.0376, 0.1854 and 0.3026 mmol/g for methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and benzyl-paraben, respectively. β-CD-TDI have higher adsorption capacities compared with β-CD-HMDI, the adsorption capacity are 0.1019, 0.1286, 0.2551, and 0.3699 mmol/g methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and benzyl-paraben respectively. The parameters studied were adsorption capacity, water retention, and reusability. Role of both cross-linker in adsorption, hydrophobicity of polymers, and adsorption capacity of different parabens were compared and discussed. All experiments were conducted in batch adsorption technique. These polymers were applied to real samples and showed positive results.
    MeSH terms: Adsorption; Cross-Linking Reagents/chemistry*; Parabens/chemistry*; beta-Cyclodextrins/chemistry*
  13. The influence of maternal ethnic group and diet on breast milk fatty acid composition
    Su LL, S K TC, Lim SL, Chen Y, Tan EA, Pai NN, et al.
    Ann Acad Med Singap, 2010 Sep;39(9):675-5.
    PMID: 20957301
    INTRODUCTION: Breast milk fatty acids play a major role in infant development. However, no data have compared the breast milk composition of different ethnic groups living in the same environment. We aimed to (i) investigate breast milk fatty acid composition of three ethnic groups in Singapore and (ii) determine dietary fatty acid patterns in these groups and any association with breast milk fatty acid composition.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study conducted at a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Healthy pregnant women with the intention to breastfeed were recruited. Diet profile was studied using a standard validated 3-day food diary. Breast milk was collected from mothers at 1 to 2 weeks and 6 to 8 weeks postnatally. Agilent gas chromatograph (6870N) equipped with a mass spectrometer (5975) and an automatic liquid sampler (ALS) system with a split mode was used for analysis.

    RESULTS: Seventy-two breast milk samples were obtained from 52 subjects. Analysis showed that breast milk ETA (Eicosatetraenoic acid) and ETA:EA (Eicosatrienoic acid) ratio were significantly different among the races (P = 0.031 and P = 0.020), with ETA being the highest among Indians and the lowest among Malays. Docosahexaenoic acid was significantly higher among Chinese compared to Indians and Malays. No difference was demonstrated in n3 and n6 levels in the food diet analysis among the 3 ethnic groups.

    CONCLUSIONS: Differences exist in breast milk fatty acid composition in different ethnic groups in the same region, although no difference was demonstrated in the diet analysis. Factors other than maternal diet may play a role in breast milk fatty acid composition.

    MeSH terms: Arachidonic Acids/metabolism; Breast Feeding/ethnology*; Diet*; Docosahexaenoic Acids/metabolism; Ethnic Groups; Fatty Acids/metabolism*; Female; Humans; India/ethnology; Malaysia/ethnology; Maternal Welfare*; Milk, Human/chemistry*; Nutritional Status; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Singapore; Eicosapentaenoic Acid/metabolism; Diet Records; Statistics, Nonparametric; Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*
  14. Distribution and normalization of some metals in surface sediments from South Caspian Sea
    Sohrabi T, Ismail A, Nabavi MB
    Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 2010 Nov;85(5):502-8.
    PMID: 20957347 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-010-0112-z
    Surface sediments along the south of Caspian Sea were collected to evaluate the contamination of heavy metals. The result ranged (μg/g, Fe% dw): Pb(13.06-33.48); Ni(18.01-69.63); Cd(0.62-1.5); Zn(30.11-87.88); Cu(5.86-26.37) and Fe(1.8-4%) respectively. Cadmium showed higher EF when compared to other sites. Geoaccumulation Index value for Cd in most stations was classified as moderately contaminated and moderately to strongly contaminated, as well as the average of I(geo) of Cd (1.77 ± 0.35) suggested that surface sediments of Caspian coast were moderately polluted by this metal. The result of the Pearson correlation showed that there were significant positive associations between Ni, Cd and Zn (r = 0.44-0.76; p < 0.01).
    MeSH terms: Environmental Monitoring*; Fresh Water/chemistry*; Metals/analysis*; Oceans and Seas; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis*; Geologic Sediments/chemistry*
  15. Enhanced secretory production of hemolysin-mediated cyclodextrin glucanotransferase in Escherichia coli by random mutagenesis of the ABC transporter system
    Low KO, Mahadi NM, Abdul Rahim R, Rabu A, Abu Bakar FD, Abdul Murad AM, et al.
    J Biotechnol, 2010 Dec;150(4):453-9.
    PMID: 20959127 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.10.001
    The hemolysin transport system was found to mediate the release of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) into the extracellular medium when it was fused to the C-terminal 61 amino acids of HlyA (HlyAs(61)). To produce an improved-secretion variant, the hly components (hlyAs, hlyB and hlyD) were engineered by directed evolution using error-prone PCR. Hly mutants were screened on solid LB-starch plate for halo zone larger than the parent strain. Through screening of about 1 × 10(4) Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) transformants, we succeeded in isolating five mutants that showed a 35-217% increase in the secretion level of CGTase-HlyAs(61) relative to the wild-type strain. The mutation sites of each mutant were located at HlyB, primarily along the transmembrane domain, implying that the corresponding region was important for the improved secretion of the target protein. In this study we describe the finding of novel site(s) of HlyB responsible for enhancing secretion of CGTase in E. coli.
    MeSH terms: Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Escherichia coli/enzymology*; Glucosyltransferases/secretion*; Hemolysin Proteins/metabolism*; Oligonucleotides/genetics; Plasmids/genetics; Blotting, Western; Protein Engineering/methods; Mutagenesis; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters/genetics*; Directed Molecular Evolution; Mutation, Missense/genetics; Escherichia coli Proteins/metabolism*
  16. Validation of the procedure for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxins ochratoxin A and zearalenone in cereals using HPLC-FLD
    Rahmani A, Jinap S, Soleimany F
    Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess, 2010 Dec;27(12):1683-93.
    PMID: 20960359 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2010.514951
    Method validation for quantitative analysis of aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEA) in cereals using HPLC with fluorescence detector (FLD) is described. Mycotoxins were extracted with methanol : water (80 : 20) and purified with a multifunctional AOZ immunoaffinity column before HPLC analysis. The validation of the analytical method was performed to establish the following parameters: specificity, selectivity, linearity, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), accuracy, precision (within- and between-day variability), stability, robustness, measurement of performance, and measurement of uncertainty. Calibration curves were linear (r > 0.999) over the concentration range, from the LOQ to 26, 40 and 400 ng/g for AFs, OTA and ZEA, respectively. LOD and LOQ were 0.0125 and 0.05 ng/g for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and G1 (AFG1), 0.0037 and 0.015 ng/g for aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) and G2 (AFG2), as well as 0.05 and 0.2 ng/g for OTA and 0.5 and 2 ng/g for ZEA, respectively. The mean recovery values were 77-104% for different concentrations of AFs, OTA and ZEA in spiked cereal samples. Both intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were within acceptable limits. This method was successfully applied for the simultaneous determination of mycotoxins for 60 cereal samples collected from Malaysian markets. Fifty per cent of the cereal samples were contaminated with at least one of these mycotoxins, at a level greater than the LOD. Only one wheat sample and two rice samples were contaminated with levels greater than the European Union regulatory limits for AFs and OTA (4 and 5 ng/g). The means and ranges of mycotoxins obtained for the cereal samples were 0.4 ng/g and 0.01-5.9 ng/g for total AFs; 0.18 ng/g and 0.03-5.3 ng/g for OTA; and 2.8 ng/g and 2.4-73.1 ng/g for ZEA, respectively. The results indicate that the method is suitable for the simultaneous determination of AFs, OTA and ZEA in cereals and is suitable for routine analysis.
    MeSH terms: Aflatoxins/analysis*; Calibration; Edible Grain/chemistry*; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Food Contamination*; Malaysia; Ochratoxins/analysis*; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Zearalenone/analysis*; Reproducibility of Results; Limit of Detection
  17. Fulltext Social sciences research in neglected tropical diseases 1: the ongoing neglect in the neglected tropical diseases
    Allotey P, Reidpath DD, Pokhrel S
    Health Res Policy Syst, 2010 Oct 21;8:32.
    PMID: 20961461 DOI: 10.1186/1478-4505-8-32
    Centuries of scientific advances and developments in biomedical sciences have brought us a long way to understanding and managing disease processes, by reducing them to simplified cause-effect models. For most of the infectious diseases known today, we have the methods and technology to identify the causative agent, understand the mechanism by which pathology is induced and develop the treatment (drugs, vaccines, medical or surgical procedures) to cure, manage or control.Disease, however, occurs within a context of lives fraught with complexity. For any given infectious disease, who gets it, when, why, the duration, the severity, the outcome, the sequelae, are bound by a complex interplay of factors related as much to the individual as it is to the physical, social, cultural, political and economic environments. Furthermore each of these factors is in a dynamic state of change, evolving over time as they interact with each other. Simple solutions to infectious diseases are therefore rarely sustainable solutions. Sustainability would require the development of interdisciplinary sciences that allow us to acknowledge, understand and address these complexities as they occur, rather than rely solely on a form of science based on reducing the management of disease to simple paradigms.In this review we examine the current global health responses to the 'neglected' tropical diseases, which have been prioritised on the basis of an acknowledgment of the complexity of the poverty-disease cycle. However research and interventions for neglected tropical diseases, largely neglect the social and ecological contextual, factors that make these diseases persist in the target populations, continuing instead to focus on the simple biomedical interventions. We highlight the gaps in the approaches and explore the potential of enhanced interdisciplinary work in the development of long term solutions to disease control.
    MeSH terms: Communicable Diseases; Ecology; Poverty; Research; Tropical Medicine; Vaccines; Global Health
  18. Fulltext Pulmonary embolectomy in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis? Safety of heparin use
    Sachithanandan A
    Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg, 2010 Nov;11(5):681.
    PMID: 20962169 DOI: 10.1510/icvts.2010.247460A
    MeSH terms: Anticoagulants/administration & dosage; Anticoagulants/adverse effects*; Cardiopulmonary Bypass; Female; Heart Arrest, Induced; Heparin/administration & dosage; Heparin/adverse effects*; Humans; Polysaccharides/administration & dosage; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/etiology; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/surgery*; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/ultrasonography; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Pulmonary Embolism/etiology; Pulmonary Embolism/surgery*; Pulmonary Embolism/ultrasonography; Thrombocytopenia/chemically induced*; Tyrosine/administration & dosage; Tyrosine/analogs & derivatives; Warfarin/administration & dosage; Treatment Outcome; Embolectomy*; Enoxaparin/administration & dosage; Risk Assessment; Venous Thrombosis/complications; Venous Thrombosis/drug therapy*
  19. Water balance: case study of a constructed wetland as part of the bio-ecological drainage system (BIOECODS)
    Ayub KR, Zakaria NA, Abdullah R, Ramli R
    Water Sci Technol, 2010;62(8):1931-6.
    PMID: 20962410 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2010.473
    The Bio-ecological Drainage System, or BIOECODS, is an urban drainage system located at the Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia. It consists of a constructed wetland as a part of the urban drainage system to carry storm water in a closed system. In this closed system, the constructed wetland was designed particularly for further treatment of storm water. For the purpose of studying the water balance of the constructed wetland, data collection was carried out for two years (2007 and 2009). The results show that the constructed wetland has a consistent volume of water storage compared to the outflow for both years with correlation coefficients (R(2)) of 0.99 in 2007 and 0.86 in 2009.
    MeSH terms: Drainage, Sanitary/methods*; Environmental Monitoring/methods*; Malaysia; Water Movements*; Ecosystem*; Water Purification/methods*; Wetlands*; Hydrodynamics
  20. Fulltext Entire genome characterization of Chikungunya virus from the 2008-2009 outbreaks in Thailand
    Pongsiri P, Auksornkitti V, Theamboonlers A, Luplertlop N, Rianthavorn P, Poovorawan Y
    Trop Biomed, 2010 Aug;27(2):167-76.
    PMID: 20962712 MyJurnal
    The resurgence of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the southern, northeastern and northern parts of Thailand, inflicting approximately 46,000 reported cases since October 2008 until December 2009, has raised public health concerns. In the present study, we characterized nearly complete genome sequences of four CHIKV isolates obtained from 2008 to 2009 outbreaks in Thailand. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to determine the relationships of the study viruses with previously reported isolates. Results showed that 2008-2009 Thailand isolates belonged to the East, Central and South African genotype and were most closely related to isolates detected in Malaysia and Singapore in 2008. This was in contrast to isolates from all previous outbreaks in Thailand which were caused by an Asian genotype. We describe several novel mutations in Thailand isolates that warrants further investigation on characterization of CHIKV from different parts of the country to better understand the molecular epidemiology of Chikungunya fever outbreaks in Thailand.
    MeSH terms: Chikungunya virus/genetics*; Disease Outbreaks*; Genotype; Humans; Phylogeny; Thailand/epidemiology; Genome, Viral*; Alphavirus Infections/epidemiology; Alphavirus Infections/virology; Chikungunya Fever
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