Browse publications by year: 2014

  1. Fulltext Cytotoxic activity of Alpinia murdochii Ridl.: A mountain ginger species from Peninsular Malaysia
    Sim KS, Ibrahim H, Malek SN, Syamsir DR, Awang K
    Pharmacogn Mag, 2014 Jan;10(37):70-2.
    PMID: 24695515 DOI: 10.4103/0973-1296.126666
    Alpinia murdochii (Zingiberaceae) is a wild ginger species restricted to mountain areas of Peninsular Malaysia. Due to rapid development and deforestation activities, this species is becoming rare. This is the first report of the cytotoxic activity of A. murdochii.
  2. Fulltext Predicting survival of de novo metastatic breast cancer in Asian women: systematic review and validation study
    Miao H, Hartman M, Bhoo-Pathy N, Lee SC, Taib NA, Tan EY, et al.
    PLoS One, 2014;9(4):e93755.
    PMID: 24695692 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093755
    BACKGROUND: In Asia, up to 25% of breast cancer patients present with distant metastases at diagnosis. Given the heterogeneous survival probabilities of de novo metastatic breast cancer, individual outcome prediction is challenging. The aim of the study is to identify existing prognostic models for patients with de novo metastatic breast cancer and validate them in Asia.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a systematic review to identify prediction models for metastatic breast cancer. Models were validated in 642 women with de novo metastatic breast cancer registered between 2000 and 2010 in the Singapore Malaysia Hospital Based Breast Cancer Registry. Survival curves for low, intermediate and high-risk groups according to each prognostic score were compared by log-rank test and discrimination of the models was assessed by concordance statistic (C-statistic).
    RESULTS: We identified 16 prediction models, seven of which were for patients with brain metastases only. Performance status, estrogen receptor status, metastatic site(s) and disease-free interval were the most common predictors. We were able to validate nine prediction models. The capacity of the models to discriminate between poor and good survivors varied from poor to fair with C-statistics ranging from 0.50 (95% CI, 0.48-0.53) to 0.63 (95% CI, 0.60-0.66).
    CONCLUSION: The discriminatory performance of existing prediction models for de novo metastatic breast cancer in Asia is modest. Development of an Asian-specific prediction model is needed to improve prognostication and guide decision making.
    MeSH terms: Breast Neoplasms/mortality*; Breast Neoplasms/pathology; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Neoplasm Metastasis/pathology*; Oligonucleotides; Prognosis; Singapore; Asian Continental Ancestry Group
  3. Fulltext Age estimation of an Indian population by using the Kim's scoring system of occlusal tooth wear
    Telang LA, Patil K, Mahima VG
    J Forensic Dent Sci, 2014 Jan;6(1):16-24.
    PMID: 24695780 DOI: 10.4103/0975-1475.127765
    Age is one of the prime factors employed to establish the identity of an individual and the use of teeth for this purpose has been considered reliable. Tooth wear is widely accepted as a physiological consequence of aging and evaluation of tooth wear can be a simple and convenient tool to estimate age in adults.
  4. Fulltext Combining parasite lactate dehydrogenase-based and histidine-rich protein 2-based rapid tests to improve specificity for diagnosis of malaria Due to Plasmodium knowlesi and other Plasmodium species in Sabah, Malaysia
    Grigg MJ, William T, Barber BE, Parameswaran U, Bird E, Piera K, et al.
    J Clin Microbiol, 2014 Jun;52(6):2053-60.
    PMID: 24696029 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00181-14
    Plasmodium knowlesi causes severe and fatal malaria in Malaysia. Microscopic misdiagnosis is common and may delay appropriate treatment. P. knowlesi can cross-react with "species-specific" parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) monoclonal antibodies used in rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to detect P. falciparum and P. vivax. At one tertiary-care hospital and two district hospitals in Sabah, we prospectively evaluated two combination RDTs for malaria diagnosis by using both a pan-Plasmodium-pLDH (pan-pLDH)/P. falciparum-specific-pLDH (Pf-pLDH) RDT (OptiMAL-IT) and a non-P. falciparum VOM-pLDH/Pf-HRP2 RDT (CareStart). Differential cross-reactivity among these combinations was hypothesized to differentiate P. knowlesi from other Plasmodium monoinfections. Among 323 patients with PCR-confirmed P. knowlesi (n = 193), P. falciparum (n = 93), and P. vivax (n = 37) monoinfections, the VOM-pLDH individual component had the highest sensitivity for nonsevere (35%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 27 to 43%) and severe (92%; CI, 81 to 100%) P. knowlesi malaria. CareStart demonstrated a P. knowlesi sensitivity of 42% (CI, 34 to 49%) and specificity of 74% (CI, 65 to 82%), a P. vivax sensitivity of 83% (CI, 66 to 93%) and specificity of 71% (CI, 65 to 76%), and a P. falciparum sensitivity of 97% (CI, 90 to 99%) and specificity of 99% (CI, 97 to 100%). OptiMAL-IT demonstrated a P. knowlesi sensitivity of 32% (CI, 25 to 39%) and specificity of 21% (CI, 15 to 29%), a P. vivax sensitivity of 60% (CI, 42 to 75%) and specificity of 97% (CI, 94 to 99%), and a P. falciparum sensitivity of 82% (CI, 72 to 89%) and specificity of 39% (CI, 33 to 46%). The combination of CareStart plus OptiMAL-IT for P. knowlesi using predefined criteria gave a sensitivity of 25% (CI, 19 to 32%) and specificity of 97% (CI, 92 to 99%). Combining two RDT combinations was highly specific for P. knowlesi malaria diagnosis; however, sensitivity was poor. The specificity of pLDH RDTs was decreased for P. vivax and P. falciparum because of P. knowlesi cross-reactivity and cautions against their use alone in areas where P. knowlesi malaria is endemic. Sensitive P. knowlesi-specific RDTs and/or alternative molecular diagnostic tools are needed in areas where P. knowlesi malaria is endemic.
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antigens, Protozoan/analysis*; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross Reactions; Female; Humans; Immunoassay/methods; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/analysis*; Malaria/diagnosis*; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Plasmodium/isolation & purification*; Plasmodium/chemistry; Prospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Protozoan Proteins/analysis*; Point-of-Care Systems*; Young Adult
  5. The effects of season and sand mining activities on thermal regime and water quality in a large shallow tropical lake
    Sharip Z, Zaki AT
    Environ Monit Assess, 2014 Aug;186(8):4959-69.
    PMID: 24696283 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-014-3751-4
    Thermal structure and water quality in a large and shallow lake in Malaysia were studied between January 2012 and June 2013 in order to understand variations in relation to water level fluctuations and in-stream mining activities. Environmental variables, namely temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, chlorophyll-A and transparency, were measured using a multi-parameter probe and a Secchi disk. Measurements of environmental variables were performed at 0.1 m intervals from the surface to the bottom of the lake during the dry and wet seasons. High water level and strong solar radiation increased temperature stratification. River discharges during the wet season, and unsustainable sand mining activities led to an increased turbidity exceeding 100 NTU, and reduced transparency, which changed the temperature variation and subsequently altered the water quality pattern.
    MeSH terms: Chlorophyll/analysis; Environment; Environmental Monitoring; Malaysia; Mining*; Seasons; Silicon Dioxide; Temperature; Lakes/chemistry*; Water Quality/standards*
  6. Fulltext Systemic VEGF-A neutralization ameliorates diet-induced metabolic dysfunction
    Wu LE, Meoli CC, Mangiafico SP, Fazakerley DJ, Cogger VC, Mohamad M, et al.
    Diabetes, 2014 Aug;63(8):2656-67.
    PMID: 24696450 DOI: 10.2337/db13-1665
    The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of cytokines are important regulators of angiogenesis that have emerged as important targets for the treatment of obesity. While serum VEGF levels rise during obesity, recent studies using genetic models provide conflicting evidence as to whether VEGF prevents or accelerates metabolic dysfunction during obesity. In the current study, we sought to identify the effects of VEGF-A neutralization on parameters of glucose metabolism and insulin action in a dietary mouse model of obesity. Within only 72 h of administration of the VEGF-A-neutralizing monoclonal antibody B.20-4.1, we observed almost complete reversal of high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance principally due to improved insulin sensitivity in the liver and in adipose tissue. These effects were independent of changes in whole-body adiposity or insulin signaling. These findings show an important and unexpected role for VEGF in liver insulin resistance, opening up a potentially novel therapeutic avenue for obesity-related metabolic disease.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Feed/analysis; Antibodies/pharmacology; Dietary Fats/administration & dosage; Dietary Fats/adverse effects*; Glucose/metabolism*; Homeostasis/physiology; Immunoglobulin G/pharmacology; Insulin/metabolism; Insulin Resistance; Liver/metabolism; Male; Obesity; Signal Transduction; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism*; Adiposity/physiology; Mice
  7. Fulltext Crude ethyl acetate extract of marine microalga, Chaetoceros calcitrans, induces Apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells
    Goh SH, Alitheen NB, Yusoff FM, Yap SK, Loh SP
    Pharmacogn Mag, 2014 Jan;10(37):1-8.
    PMID: 24696543 DOI: 10.4103/0973-1296.126650
    Marine brown diatom Chaetoceros calcitrans and green microalga Nannochloropsis oculata are beneficial materials for various applications in the food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries.
  8. Fulltext A cross-sectional online survey of compulsive internet use and mental health of young adults in Malaysia
    Kutty NA, Sreeramareddy CT
    J Family Community Med, 2014 Jan;21(1):23-8.
    PMID: 24696631 DOI: 10.4103/2230-8229.128770
    BACKGROUND: The last decade has seen the emergence of the internet as the prime communication medium changing the way people live and interact. Studies from various countries have reported on internet addiction and its association with mental health, but none have come from Malaysia.
    OBJECTIVES: We aimed at assessing the frequency of the use of various internet applications and exploring the association of compulsive internet use with mental health and socio-demographic factors.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among participants registered for the monthly opinion poll survey of University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia. The questionnaire contained socio-demographic information, the use of various internet applications on a five-point Likert scale, compulsive internet use scale (CIUS) and 12 item general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). Correlations and linear regression analyzes were carried out.
    RESULTS: Of the 330 respondents, 182 were females and 148 were males. The mean age was 23.17 (SD = 3.84). Mean CIUS score was 19.85 (SD = 10.57) and mean GHQ score was 15.47 (SD = 6.29). Correlation coefficients of CIUS score with age, years of use and daily hours of internet use were -0.118 (P = 0.03), -0.014 (P = 0.81) and 0.242 (P < 0.001) respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age (β = -0.111, P = 0.033) and marital status (β = -0.124, P = 0.018) were negatively associated with CIUS scores whereas daily hours of internet use (β = 0.269, P = 0.001) and GHQ score (β = 0.259, P = 0.001) were positively associated with the CIUS score.
    CONCLUSIONS: Compulsive internet use was correlated with GHQ score. More research is needed to confirm our results. Psychologists may consider assessing internet addiction when evaluating young psychiatric patients.
    KEYWORDS: Internet addiction; mental health; well-being
  9. Fulltext Cloud service selection using multicriteria decision analysis
    Whaiduzzaman M, Gani A, Anuar NB, Shiraz M, Haque MN, Haque IT
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:459375.
    PMID: 24696645 DOI: 10.1155/2014/459375
    Cloud computing (CC) has recently been receiving tremendous attention from the IT industry and academic researchers. CC leverages its unique services to cloud customers in a pay-as-you-go, anytime, anywhere manner. Cloud services provide dynamically scalable services through the Internet on demand. Therefore, service provisioning plays a key role in CC. The cloud customer must be able to select appropriate services according to his or her needs. Several approaches have been proposed to solve the service selection problem, including multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). MCDA enables the user to choose from among a number of available choices. In this paper, we analyze the application of MCDA to service selection in CC. We identify and synthesize several MCDA techniques and provide a comprehensive analysis of this technology for general readers. In addition, we present a taxonomy derived from a survey of the current literature. Finally, we highlight several state-of-the-art practical aspects of MCDA implementation in cloud computing service selection. The contributions of this study are four-fold: (a) focusing on the state-of-the-art MCDA techniques, (b) highlighting the comparative analysis and suitability of several MCDA methods, (c) presenting a taxonomy through extensive literature review, and (d) analyzing and summarizing the cloud computing service selections in different scenarios.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms*; Computing Methodologies*; Decision Making, Computer-Assisted*; Decision Support Techniques*; Information Storage and Retrieval/methods*; Internet*
  10. Fulltext Binary effect of fly ash and palm oil fuel ash on heat of hydration aerated concrete
    Mehmannavaz T, Ismail M, Radin Sumadi S, Rafique Bhutta MA, Samadi M, Sajjadi SM
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:461241.
    PMID: 24696646 DOI: 10.1155/2014/461241
    The binary effect of pulverized fuel ash (PFA) and palm oil fuel ash (POFA) on heat of hydration of aerated concrete was studied. Three aerated concrete mixes were prepared, namely, concrete containing 100% ordinary Portland cement (control sample or Type I), binary concrete made from 50% POFA (Type II), and ternary concrete containing 30% POFA and 20% PFA (Type III). It is found that the temperature increases due to heat of hydration through all the concrete specimens especially in the control sample. However, the total temperature rises caused by the heat of hydration through both of the new binary and ternary concrete were significantly lower than the control sample. The obtained results reveal that the replacement of Portland cement with binary and ternary materials is beneficial, particularly for mass concrete where thermal cracking due to extreme heat rise is of great concern.
    MeSH terms: Air/analysis*; Construction Materials/analysis*; Hot Temperature; Materials Testing; Plant Oils/chemistry*; Thermal Conductivity; Water/chemistry*; Coal Ash/chemistry*
  11. Fulltext Printed wide-slot antenna design with bandwidth and gain enhancement on low-cost substrate
    Samsuzzaman M, Islam MT, Mandeep JS, Misran N
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:804068.
    PMID: 24696661 DOI: 10.1155/2014/804068
    This paper presents a printed wide-slot antenna design and prototyping on available low-cost polymer resin composite material fed by a microstrip line with a rotated square slot for bandwidth enhancement and defected ground structure for gain enhancement. An I-shaped microstrip line is used to excite the square slot. The rotated square slot is embedded in the middle of the ground plane, and its diagonal points are implanted in the middle of the strip line and ground plane. To increase the gain, four L-shaped slots are etched in the ground plane. The measured results show that the proposed structure retains a wide impedance bandwidth of 88.07%, which is 20% better than the reference antenna. The average gain is also increased, which is about 4.17 dBi with a stable radiation pattern in the entire operating band. Moreover, radiation efficiency, input impedance, current distribution, axial ratio, and parametric studies of S11 for different design parameters are also investigated using the finite element method-based simulation software HFSS.
    MeSH terms: Composite Resins/economics; Composite Resins/chemistry*; Wireless Technology*
  12. Fulltext Evaluation of SLE susceptibility genes in Malaysians
    Molineros JE, Chua KH, Sun C, Lian LH, Motghare P, Kim-Howard X, et al.
    Autoimmune Dis, 2014;2014:305436.
    PMID: 24696779 DOI: 10.1155/2014/305436
    Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a clinically heterogeneous autoimmune disease with strong genetic and environmental components. Our objective was to replicate 25 recently identified SLE susceptibility genes in two distinct populations (Chinese (CH) and Malays (MA)) from Malaysia. We genotyped 347 SLE cases and 356 controls (CH and MA) using the ImmunoChip array and performed an admixture corrected case-control association analysis. Associated genes were grouped into five immune-related pathways. While CH were largely homogenous, MA had three ancestry components (average 82.3% Asian, 14.5% European, and 3.2% African). Ancestry proportions were significantly different between cases and controls in MA. We identified 22 genes with at least one associated SNP (P < 0.05). The strongest signal was at HLA-DRA (P Meta = 9.96 × 10(-9); P CH = 6.57 × 10(-8), P MA = 6.73 × 10(-3)); the strongest non-HLA signal occurred at STAT4 (P Meta = 1.67 × 10(-7); P CH = 2.88 × 10(-6), P MA = 2.99 × 10(-3)). Most of these genes were associated with B- and T-cell function and signaling pathways. Our exploratory study using high-density fine-mapping suggests that most of the established SLE genes are also associated in the major ethnicities of Malaysia. However, these novel SNPs showed stronger association in these Asian populations than with the SNPs reported in previous studies.
    MeSH terms: Adult; China/ethnology; Humans; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic*; Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  13. Fulltext Physical, chemical, and biological methods for the removal of arsenic compounds
    Lim KT, Shukor MY, Wasoh H
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:503784.
    PMID: 24696853 DOI: 10.1155/2014/503784
    Arsenic is a toxic metalloid which is widely distributed in nature. It is normally present as arsenate under oxic conditions while arsenite is predominant under reducing condition. The major discharges of arsenic in the environment are mainly due to natural sources such as aquifers and anthropogenic sources. It is known that arsenite salts are more toxic than arsenate as it binds with vicinal thiols in pyruvate dehydrogenase while arsenate inhibits the oxidative phosphorylation process. The common mechanisms for arsenic detoxification are uptaken by phosphate transporters, aquaglyceroporins, and active extrusion system and reduced by arsenate reductases via dissimilatory reduction mechanism. Some species of autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms use arsenic oxyanions for their regeneration of energy. Certain species of microorganisms are able to use arsenate as their nutrient in respiratory process. Detoxification operons are a common form of arsenic resistance in microorganisms. Hence, the use of bioremediation could be an effective and economic way to reduce this pollutant from the environment.
    MeSH terms: Arsenicals/isolation & purification*; Bacteria/metabolism; Biodegradation, Environmental; Environmental Pollution/analysis; Environmental Restoration and Remediation/methods*
  14. Cellular uptake of Nigella sativa oil-PLGA microparticle by PC-12 cell line
    Doolaanea AA, Mansor N', Mohd Nor NH, Mohamed F
    J Microencapsul, 2014;31(6):600-8.
    PMID: 24697178 DOI: 10.3109/02652048.2014.898709
    The aim of this study is to investigate the cell uptake of Nigella sativa oil (NSO)-PLGA microparticle by neuron-like PC-12 cells in comparison to surfactants; hydrophilic (Tween 80 & Triton X100) and hydrophobic (Span 80). Solvent evaporation was used to precisely control the size, zeta potential and morphology of the particle. The results revealed varying efficiencies of the cell uptake by PC-12 cells, which may be partially attributed to the surface hydrophobicity of the microparticles. Interestingly, the uptake efficiency of PC-12 cells was higher with the more hydrophilic microparticle. NSO microparticle showed evidence of being preferably internalised by mitotic cells. Tween 80 microparticle showed the highest cell uptake efficiency with a concentration-dependent pattern suggesting its use as uptake enhancer for non-scavenging cells. In conclusion, PC-12 cells can take up NSO-PLGA microparticle which may have potential in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Hexoses/pharmacokinetics; Hexoses/pharmacology; Hexoses/chemistry; Polyglycolic Acid*; Polysorbates/pharmacokinetics; Polysorbates/pharmacology; Polysorbates/chemistry; Surface-Active Agents/pharmacokinetics; Surface-Active Agents/pharmacology; Surface-Active Agents/chemistry; PC12 Cells; Octoxynol/pharmacokinetics; Octoxynol/pharmacology; Octoxynol/chemistry; Lactic Acid*; Neurodegenerative Diseases/drug therapy*; Rats
  15. A new triterpenoid from Sapium baccatum (Euphorbiaceae)
    Al Muqarrabun LM, Ahmat N, Aris SR, Norizan N, Shamsulrijal N, Yusof FZ, et al.
    Nat Prod Res, 2014;28(13):1003-9.
    PMID: 24697194 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2014.903396
    A new triterpene, malaytaraxerate (1), and four known compounds, taraxerol (2), taraxerone (3), docosyl isoferulate (4) and docosanoic acid 2',3'-dihydroxypropyl ester (5), were isolated from the acetone extract of Sapium baccatum stem bark. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined using several spectroscopic methods, including UV-Vis, FT-IR, 1D and 2D NMR, and mass spectrometry. Major isolated compounds were assayed for cytotoxicity. The chemotaxonomic significance of this plant was also studied.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification*; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Humans; Oleanolic Acid/analogs & derivatives; Oleanolic Acid/isolation & purification; Oleanolic Acid/chemistry; Triterpenes/isolation & purification*; Triterpenes/pharmacology; Triterpenes/chemistry; Molecular Structure; 3T3 Cells; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Plant Stems/chemistry; HT29 Cells; Sapium/chemistry*; Mice
  16. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) dependence, withdrawal symptoms and craving in regular users
    Singh D, Müller CP, Vicknasingam BK
    Drug Alcohol Depend, 2014 Jun 1;139:132-7.
    PMID: 24698080 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.03.017
    BACKGROUND: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) preparations have been traditionally used in Southeast Asia for its medicinal properties. Lately, Kratom use has spread to Europe and the US, where abuse potential and health hazards increasingly emerge. This study is the first to measure systematically Kratom dependence, withdrawal symptoms, and drug craving in regular Kratom users in Malaysia.
    METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 293 regular Kratom users was conducted in the community across three northern peninsular states of Malaysia. The Leeds Dependence Questionnaire, Marijuana Withdrawal Checklist, and Marijuana Craving Questionnaire-Short Form were used to measure Kratom dependence, withdrawal and craving.
    RESULTS: More than half of the regular users (>6 month of use) developed severe Kratom dependence problems, while 45% showed a moderate Kratom dependence. Physical withdrawal symptoms commonly experienced include muscle spasms and pain, sleeping difficulty, watery eyes/nose, hot flashes, fever, decreased appetite, and diarrhoea. Psychological withdrawal symptoms commonly reported were restlessness, tension, anger, sadness, and nervousness. The average amount of the psychoactive compound, mitragynine, in a single dose of a Kratom drink was 79mg, suggesting an average daily intake of 276.5mg. Regular users who consumed ≥3 glasses Kratom per day, had higher odds of developing severe Kratom dependence, withdrawal symptoms, and inability to control Kratom craving.
    CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study show that regular Kratom use is associated with drug dependency, development of withdrawal symptoms, and craving. These symptoms become more severe with prolonged use and suggest a stronger control of the drug.
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Surveys and Questionnaires; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/diagnosis; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/epidemiology*; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/psychology; Substance-Related Disorders/diagnosis; Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology*; Substance-Related Disorders/psychology; Mitragyna*; Young Adult; Checklist
  17. Enhanced rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa USM-AR2 via fed-batch cultivation based on maximum substrate uptake rate
    Noh NA, Salleh SM, Yahya AR
    Lett Appl Microbiol, 2014 Jun;58(6):617-23.
    PMID: 24698293 DOI: 10.1111/lam.12236
    A fed-batch strategy was established based on the maximum substrate uptake rate (MSUR) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa USM-AR2 grown in diesel to produce rhamnolipid. This strategy matches the substrate feed rates with the substrate demand based on the real-time measurements of dissolved oxygen (DO). The MSUR was estimated by determining the time required for consumption of a known amount of diesel. The MSUR trend paralleled the biomass profile of Ps. aeruginosa USM-AR2, where the MSUR increased throughout the exponential phase indicating active substrate utilization and then decreased when cells entered stationary phase. Rhamnolipid yield on diesel was enhanced from 0·047 (g/g) in batch to 0·110 (g/g) in pulse-pause fed-batch and 0·123 (g/g) in MSUR fed-batch. Rhamnolipid yield on biomass was also improved from 0·421 (g/g) in batch, 3·098 (g/g) in pulse-pause fed-batch to 3·471 (g/g) using MSUR-based strategy. Volumetric productivity increased from 0·029 g l(-1) h(-1) in batch, 0·054 g l(-1) h(-1) in pulse-pause fed-batch to 0·076 g l(-1) h(-1) in MSUR fed-batch.
    MeSH terms: Culture Media; Fermentation; Gasoline; Glycolipids/biosynthesis*; Oxygen/chemistry; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/growth & development; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/metabolism*; Bioreactors
  18. Supervisors' experiences of workplace supervision of nursing and paramedic students in rural settings: a scoping review
    Trede F, McEwen C, Kenny A, O'Meara P
    Nurse Educ Today, 2014 May;34(5):783-8.
    PMID: 24698307 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2013.10.003
    OBJECTIVES: We present our findings from a scoping review that sought to identify what is known about nursing and paramedic clinical supervisors' experiences of their supervision practices in rural settings. Our interest in these two groups is based on the central role that nurses and paramedics play in rural health care.

    DESIGN: Scoping reviews support identification of a broad range of literature, including all types of study designs. We adopted Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage approach: identifying the research question; identifying relevant studies; study selection; charting the data; and collating, summarising and reporting results.

    DATA SOURCES: Databases searched included Academic Search Complete, Springer, Factiva, ProQuest, Ebsco, Informit, VOCEDplus and Scopus.

    REVIEW METHOD: Based on our research question and inclusion and exclusion criteria we selected relevant literature and summarised and reported it using Arksey and O'Malley's framework.

    RESULTS: The review yielded five articles from four countries: Sweden, Belgium, Malaysia and Australia.

    CONCLUSION: From this scoping review, we identified key themes related to supervisors' experiences, including clarification of expectations, support from managers and colleagues, the need for shared understanding between university, students and supervisors and required skills and competence in supervising students.

    MeSH terms: Administrative Personnel*; Allied Health Personnel/education*; Students, Nursing*; Workplace*; Rural Health Services*
  19. Pyrosequencing-based characterization of gastrointestinal bacteria of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) within a commercial mariculture system
    Zarkasi KZ, Abell GC, Taylor RS, Neuman C, Hatje E, Tamplin ML, et al.
    J Appl Microbiol, 2014 Jul;117(1):18-27.
    PMID: 24698479 DOI: 10.1111/jam.12514
    The relationship of Atlantic salmon gastrointestinal (GI) tract bacteria to environmental factors, in particular water temperature within a commercial mariculture system, was investigated.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Diet; Feces/microbiology; Lactobacillaceae/classification*; Lactobacillaceae/genetics; Lactobacillaceae/isolation & purification; Phylogeny*; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics; Seasons; Tasmania; Vibrionaceae/classification*; Vibrionaceae/genetics; Vibrionaceae/isolation & purification; Salmo salar/microbiology*; Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology*; Microbial Consortia/genetics; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  20. Current trends in polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) biosynthesis: insights from the recombinant Escherichia coli
    Leong YK, Show PL, Ooi CW, Ling TC, Lan JC
    J Biotechnol, 2014 Jun 20;180:52-65.
    PMID: 24698847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2014.03.020
    Pursuing the current trend, the "green-polymers", polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) which are degradable and made from renewable sources have been a potential substitute for synthetic plastics. Due to the increasing concern towards escalating crude oil price, depleting petroleum resource and environmental damages done by plastics, PHAs have gained more and more attractions, both from industry and research. From the view point of Escherichia coli, a microorganism that used in the biopolymer large scale production, this paper describes the backgrounds of PHA and summarizes the current advances in PHA developments. In the short-chain-length (scl) PHAs section, the study of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] [P(3HB)] as model polymer, ultra-high-molecular-weight P(3HB) which rarely discussed, and P(3HB-co-3HV), another commercialized PHA polymer are included. Other than that, this review also shed some light on the new members of PHA family, lactate-based PHAs and P(3HP) with topics such as block copolymers and invention of novel biopolymers. Flexibility of microorganisms in utilizing different carbon sources to accumulate medium-chain-length (mcl) PHAs and lastly, the promising scl-mcl-PHAs with interesting properties are also discussed.
    MeSH terms: Metabolic Engineering/trends*
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