Browse publications by year: 2015

KSR1 regulates BRCA1 degradation and inhibits breast cancer growth

Stebbing J, Zhang H, Xu Y, Lit LC, Green AR, Grothey A, et al.

Oncogene, 2015 Apr 16;34(16):2103-14.
PMID: 24909178 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2014.129

Kinase suppressor of Ras-1 (KSR1) facilitates signal transduction in Ras-dependent cancers, including pancreatic and lung carcinomas but its role in breast cancer has not been well studied. Here, we demonstrate for the first time it functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer in contrast to data in other tumors. Breast cancer patients (n>1000) with high KSR1 showed better disease-free and overall survival, results also supported by Oncomine analyses, microarray data (n=2878) and genomic data from paired tumor and cell-free DNA samples revealing loss of heterozygosity. KSR1 expression is associated with high breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1), high BRCA1-associated ring domain 1 (BARD1) and checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) levels. Phospho-profiling of major components of the canonical Ras-RAF-mitogen-activated protein kinases pathway showed no significant changes after KSR1 overexpression or silencing. Moreover, KSR1 stably transfected cells formed fewer and smaller size colonies compared to the parental ones, while in vivo mouse model also demonstrated that the growth of xenograft tumors overexpressing KSR1 was inhibited. The tumor suppressive action of KSR1 is BRCA1 dependent shown by 3D-matrigel and soft agar assays. KSR1 stabilizes BRCA1 protein levels by reducing BRCA1 ubiquitination through increasing BARD1 abundance. These data link these proteins in a continuum with clinical relevance and position KSR1 in the major oncoprotein pathways in breast tumorigenesis.

MeSH terms: Animals; Breast Neoplasms/genetics; Breast Neoplasms/mortality; Breast Neoplasms/pathology*; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics; Female; Humans; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Transplantation; Protein Kinases/biosynthesis; Protein Kinases/genetics*; Protein Kinases/metabolism*; Transplantation, Heterologous; Signal Transduction/genetics; Disease-Free Survival; BRCA1 Protein/metabolism*; MAP Kinase Signaling System/genetics; Tumor Suppressor Proteins/genetics; Tumor Suppressor Proteins/metabolism*; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism*; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation/genetics; Mice; Ubiquitination; Proteolysis; MCF-7 Cells; Checkpoint Kinase 1
An automated technique for carotid far wall classification using grayscale features and wall thickness variability

Acharya UR, Sree SV, Molinari F, Saba L, Nicolaides A, Suri JS

J Clin Ultrasound, 2015 Jun;43(5):302-11.
PMID: 24909942 DOI: 10.1002/jcu.22183

To test a computer-aided diagnostic method for differentiating symptomatic from asymptomatic carotid B-mode ultrasonographic images.

MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Carotid Arteries/ultrasonography*; Female; Humans; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted/methods*; Male; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Reproducibility of Results; Atherosclerosis/ultrasonography*; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness*; Support Vector Machine
A comprehensive survey of fruit grading systems for tropical fruits of Maharashtra

Khoje SA, Bodhe SK

Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2015;55(12):1658-71.
PMID: 24915312 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2012.698662

It is said that the backbone of Indian economy is agriculture. The contribution of the agriculture sector to the national GDP (Gross Domestic Products) was 14.6% in the year 2010. To attain a growth rate equivalent to that of industry (viz., about 9%), it is highly mandatory for Indian agriculture to modernize and use automation at various stages of cultivation and post-harvesting techniques. The use of computers in assessing the quality of fruits is one of the major activities in post-harvesting technology. As of now, this assessment is majorly done manually, except for a few fruits. Currently, the fruit quality assessment by machine vision in India is still at research level. Major research has been carried out in countries like China, Malaysia, UK, and Netherlands. To suit the Indian market and psychology of Indian farmers, it is necessary to develop indigenous technology. This paper is the first step toward evaluating the research carried out by the research community all over world for tropical fruits. For the purpose of survey, we have concentrated on the tropical fruits of the state of Maharashtra, while keeping in focus of the review image processing algorithms.

MeSH terms: Algorithms; Citrus; Fruit*; India; Surveys and Questionnaires; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Musa; Carica; Citrullus; Mangifera; Punicaceae; Food Quality*
Umami taste components and their sources in Asian foods

Hajeb P, Jinap S

Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2015;55(6):778-91.
PMID: 24915349 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2012.678422

Umami, the fifth basic taste, is the inimitable taste of Asian foods. Several traditional and locally prepared foods and condiments of Asia are rich in umami. In this part of world, umami is found in fermented animal-based products such as fermented and dried seafood, and plant-based products from beans and grains, dry and fresh mushrooms, and tea. In Southeast Asia, the most preferred seasonings containing umami are fish and seafood sauces, and also soybean sauces. In the East Asian region, soybean sauces are the main source of umami substance in the routine cooking. In Japan, the material used to obtain umami in dashi, the stock added to almost every Japanese soups and boiled dishes, is konbu or dried bonito. This review introduces foods and seasonings containing naturally high amount of umami substances of both animal and plant sources from different countries in Asia.

MeSH terms: Agaricales; Animals; Asia; Edible Grain; Cooking; Fermentation; Fishes; Flavoring Agents*; Soybeans; Tea; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Interface stress in socket/residual limb with transtibial prosthetic suspension systems during locomotion on slopes and stairs

Eshraghi A, Abu Osman NA, Gholizadeh H, Ali S, Abas WA

Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 2015 Jan;94(1):1-10.
PMID: 24919079 DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000000134

This study aimed to compare the effects of different suspension methods on the interface stress inside the prosthetic sockets of transtibial amputees when negotiating ramps and stairs.

MeSH terms: Adult; Amputation/rehabilitation*; Amputation Stumps/physiopathology*; Artificial Limbs*; Biomechanical Phenomena; Humans; Male; Pain Measurement; Prospective Studies; Prosthesis Design; Stress, Mechanical*; Tibia/physiopathology*; Weight-Bearing*
Sedentary behaviour and social anxiety in obese individuals: the mediating role of body esteem

Abdollahi A, Abu Talib M

Psychol Health Med, 2015;20(2):205-9.
PMID: 24922119 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2014.913799

Given that the prevalence of social anxiety in obese individuals is high, it is necessary that we increase our knowledge about the related factors that cause social anxiety in obese individuals. The present study sought to examine the role of body esteem as a mediator between sedentary behaviour and social anxiety. The participants were 207 overweight and obese individuals who completed the self-report measures. The structural equation modelling displayed that obese individuals with sedentary behaviour and poor body esteem were more likely to show social anxiety. Body esteem partially mediated between sedentary behaviour and social anxiety. Our results highlight the role of sedentary behaviour and body esteem as promising avenues for reducing social anxiety in obese individuals.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Body Image/psychology*; Female; Humans; Male; Obesity/psychology*; Phobic Disorders/psychology*; Self Concept*; Young Adult; Sedentary Lifestyle*
Establishing and managing a periodontal biobank for research: the sharing of experience

Vaithilingam RD, Safii SH, Baharuddin NA, Karen-Ng LP, Saub R, Ariffin F, et al.

Oral Dis, 2015 Jan;21(1):e62-9.
PMID: 24930489 DOI: 10.1111/odi.12267

Periodontal bio-repositories, which allow banking of clinically validated human data and biological samples, provide an opportunity to derive biomarkers for periodontal diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic activities which are expected to improve patient management. This article presents the establishing of the Malaysian Periodontal Database and Biobank System (MPDBS) which was initiated in 2011 with the aim to facilitate periodontal research. Partnerships were established with collaborating centres. Policies on specimen access, authorship and acknowledgement policies were agreed upon by all participating centres before the initiation of the periodontal biobank. Ethical approval for the collection of samples and data were obtained from institutional ethics review boards. A broad-based approach for informed consent was used, which covered areas related to quality of life impacts, genetics and molecular aspects of periodontal disease. Sample collection and processing was performed using a standardized protocol. Biobanking resources such as equipment and freezers were shared with the Malaysian Oral Cancer Database and Tissue Bank System (MOCDTBS). In the development of the MPDBS, challenges that were previously faced by the MOCDTBS were considered. Future challenges in terms of ethical and legal issues will be faced when international collaborations necessitate the transportation of specimens across borders.

MeSH terms: Authorship; Ethics, Institutional; Gingival Diseases; Humans; Informed Consent; Mouth Neoplasms; Periodontal Diseases; Prognosis; Quality of Life; Tissue Banks; Transportation; Biomarkers; Biological Specimen Banks
Partner's engagement in community-based health promotion programs: a case study of professional partner's experiences and perspectives in Iran

Bahraminejad N, Ibrahim F, Riji HM, Majdzadeh R, Hamzah A, Keshavarz Mohammadi N

Health Promot Int, 2015 Dec;30(4):963-75.
PMID: 24934454 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/dau043

Community-based health promotion requires effective participation and partnership of diverse and numerous stakeholders from community as well as external professional organizations. Although effective partnership of stakeholders is often the key for success of health promotion practice and research, but this has proved to be a complex and challenging task. This study is an exploratory study to identify professional stakeholder's perspectives and experiences toward the partner's engagement challenges in community-based participatory research conducted in Population Research Centers in Iran. A qualitative study design with in-depth semi-structured interviews as data collection method was chosen. Using purposeful sampling technique, policy-makers and managers (mainly academics) involved in community-based participatory research in these centers were invited to be interviewed. Data were collected to the point where no new information was forthcoming. All interviews were taped and transcribed. To provide answers for research questions, qualitative content analysis was employed to extract emerging main themes from numerous cods. Findings were categorized in three main themes as Partnership's relationship and trust issues, Partnership's individual issues and Partnership's system issues. Although community-based participatory research in Iran benefits from more than a decade history and some physical infrastructures, but it seems that public health experts and researchers and other partner organizations are lagging behind in terms of capacities and competencies required to effectively utilize the available structure and opportunities. Hence, capacity development, both among professional partners and community may be the main way forward to tackling the future challenges for strengthening community actions but should include both levels of individuals and systems.

MeSH terms: Animals; Health Promotion; Humans; Iran; Public Health; Qualitative Research; Gadiformes; Community-Based Participatory Research
The association between vaginal parity and hiatal dimensions: a retrospective observational study in a tertiary urogynaecological centre

Kamisan Atan I, Gerges B, Shek KL, Dietz HP

BJOG, 2015 May;122(6):867-872.
PMID: 24942229 DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.12920

OBJECTIVE: Vaginal childbirth has a substantial effect on pelvic organ supports, which may be mediated by levator ani (LA) avulsion or hiatal overdistension. Although the impact of a first vaginal delivery on the hiatus has been investigated, little is known about the effect of subsequent births. This study was designed to evaluate the association between vaginal parity and hiatal dimension.
DESIGN: Retrospective observational study.
SETTING: A tertiary urogynaecological unit in Australia.
POPULATION: A total of 780 archived data sets of women seen for symptoms of lower urinary tract and pelvic floor dysfunction.
METHODS: Standardised in-house interview and assessment using the International Continence Society (ICS) pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q), and four-dimensional translabial ultrasound. Offline analysis for hiatal dimensions was undertaken blinded to history and clinical examination.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hiatal area on maximum Valsalva.
RESULTS: Of 780 women, 64 were excluded because of missing ultrasound volumes, leaving 716 for analysis: 96% (n = 686) were parous, with a median parity of three (interquartile range, IQR 2-3), and 91.2% (n = 653) were vaginally parous. Levator avulsion was found in 21% (n = 148). The mean hiatal area on Valsalva was 29 cm(2) (SD 9.4 cm(2) ). On one-way anova, vaginal parity was significantly associated with hiatal area (P < 0.001). Most of the effect seems to occur with the first delivery. Subsequent deliveries do not seem to have any significant effect on hiatal dimensions. This remained true after controlling for potential confounding factors using multivariate regression analysis (P = 0.0123).
CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal parity was strongly associated with hiatal area on Valsalva. Most of this effect seems to be associated with the first vaginal delivery.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Parity*; Pregnancy; Retrospective Studies; Ultrasonography; Urinary Incontinence, Stress/etiology*; Urinary Incontinence, Stress/pathology; Vagina; Valsalva Maneuver; Linear Models; Pelvic Floor/pathology*; Young Adult; Pelvic Organ Prolapse/etiology*; Pelvic Organ Prolapse/pathology; Tertiary Care Centers
Effect of Influenza Vaccination on Acute Respiratory Symptoms in Malaysian Hajj Pilgrims

Hasan H, Deris ZZ, Sulaiman SA, Abdul Wahab MS, Naing NN, Ab Rahman Z, et al.

J Immigr Minor Health, 2015 Aug;17(4):1114-9.
PMID: 24946936 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-014-0059-y

Respiratory illness were a major problem and caused high hospital admission during hajj seasons. One of the contributing cause to this illness is infection. Various measures had been implemented to reduce respiratory infections. The aim on the study is to determine the effect of influenza vaccination against acute respiratory illness among Malaysian Hajj pilgrims. This is an observational cohort study. Influenza vaccination was given to pilgrims at least 2 weeks prior to departure. The occurrence of symptoms for respiratory illness such as cough, fever, sore throat and runny nose was monitored daily for 6 weeks during pilgrimage using a health diary. A total of 65 vaccinated hajj pilgrims and 41 controls were analyzed. There was no significant difference in pattern of occurrence of symptoms of respiratory illness by duration of pilgrimage as well as the number of symptoms between both groups. Hajj pilgrims have frequent respiratory symptoms. We were unable to document benefit from influenza vaccination, but our study was limited by a small sample size and lack of laboratory testing for influenza.

MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Influenza, Human/epidemiology; Influenza, Human/prevention & control; Influenza Vaccines/therapeutic use*; Islam; Malaysia/ethnology; Male; Middle Aged; Respiratory Tract Diseases/epidemiology*; Respiratory Tract Diseases/prevention & control; Saudi Arabia/epidemiology; Travel/statistics & numerical data*; Young Adult
Solidarity by demand? Exit and voice in international medical travel - the case of Indonesia

Ormond M

Soc Sci Med, 2015 Jan;124:305-12.
PMID: 24947552 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.06.007

Globally, more patients are intentionally travelling abroad as consumers for medical care. However, while scholars have begun to examine international medical travel's (IMT) impacts on the people and places that receive medical travellers, study of its impacts on medical travellers' home contexts has been negligible and largely speculative. While proponents praise IMT's potential to make home health systems more responsive to the needs of market-savvy healthcare consumers, critics identify it as a way to further de-politicise the satisfaction of healthcare needs. This article draws from work on political consumerism, health advocacy and social movements to argue for a reframing of IMT not as a 'one-off' statement about or an event external to struggles over access, rights and recognition within medical travellers' home health systems but rather as one of a range of critical forms of on-going engagement embedded within these struggles. To do this, the limited extant empirical work addressing domestic impacts of IMT is reviewed and a case study of Indonesian medical travel to Malaysia is presented. The case study material draws from 85 interviews undertaken in 2007-08 and 2012 with Indonesian and Malaysian respondents involved in IMT as care recipients, formal and informal care-providers, intermediaries, promoters and policy-makers. Evidence from the review and case study suggests that IMT may effect political and social change within medical travellers' home contexts at micro and macro levels by altering the perspectives, habits, expectations and accountability of, and complicity among, medical travellers, their families, communities, formal and informal intermediaries, and medical providers both within and beyond the container of the nation-state. Impacts are conditioned by the ideological foundations underpinning home political and social systems, the status of a medical traveller's ailment or therapy, and the existence of organised support for recognition and management of these in the home context.

MeSH terms: Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Indonesia/ethnology; Malaysia/epidemiology; Politics; Social Change*; Sociology, Medical; Internationality*; Medical Tourism/trends*; Patient Preference
Fulltext HLA-A SNPs and amino acid variants are associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Malaysian Chinese

Chin YM, Mushiroda T, Takahashi A, Kubo M, Krishnan G, Yap LF, et al.

Int J Cancer, 2015 Feb 1;136(3):678-87.
PMID: 24947555 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.29035

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) arises from the mucosal epithelium of the nasopharynx and is constantly associated with Epstein-Barr virus type 1 (EBV-1) infection. We carried out a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 575,247 autosomal SNPs in 184 NPC patients and 236 healthy controls of Malaysian Chinese ethnicity. Potential association signals were replicated in a separate cohort of 260 NPC patients and 245 healthy controls. We confirmed the association of HLA-A to NPC with the strongest signal detected in rs3869062 (p = 1.73 × 10(-9)). HLA-A fine mapping revealed associations in the amino acid variants as well as its corresponding SNPs in the antigen peptide binding groove (p(HLA-A-aa-site-99) = 3.79 × 10(-8), p(rs1136697) = 3.79 × 10(-8)) and T-cell receptor binding site (p(HLA-A-aa-site-145) = 1.41 × 10(-4), p(rs1059520) = 1.41 × 10(-4)) of the HLA-A. We also detected strong association signals in the 5'-UTR region with predicted active promoter states (p(rs41545520) = 7.91 × 10(-8)). SNP rs41545520 is a potential binding site for repressor ATF3, with increased binding affinity for rs41545520-G correlated with reduced HLA-A expression. Multivariate logistic regression diminished the effects of HLA-A amino acid variants and SNPs, indicating a correlation with the effects of HLA-A*11:01, and to a lesser extent HLA-A*02:07. We report the strong genetic influence of HLA-A on NPC susceptibility in the Malaysian Chinese.

MeSH terms: Amino Acids/analysis; Genotype; Humans; Malaysia; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/genetics*; HLA-A Antigens/genetics*; Cohort Studies; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Genome-Wide Association Study
Fulltext Laparoscopic management of symptomatic urachal remnants in adulthood

Siow SL, Mahendran HA, Hardin M

Asian J Surg, 2015 Apr;38(2):85-90.
PMID: 24947766 DOI: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2014.04.009

The traditional surgical approach to the excision of persistent urachal remnants is a lower midline laparotomy or semicircular infraumbilical incision. The aim of this study is to report our experience with laparoscopic urachus excision as a minimally invasive diagnostic and surgical technique.

MeSH terms: Laparotomy; Laparoscopy; Urachal Cyst; Urachus; Urinary Tract; Surgical Wound
Localization of RANK, RANKL and osteoprotegerin during healing of surgically created periodontal defects in sheep

Baharuddin NA, Coates DE, Cullinan M, Seymour G, Duncan W

J Periodontal Res, 2015 Apr;50(2):211-9.
PMID: 24948035 DOI: 10.1111/jre.12196

Modeling of periodontal bone regeneration in a large animal enables better examination of the spatial and temporal regulation of osteogenesis and the remodeling of the healing defect. RANK, RANKL and osteoprotegerin (OPG) are known to be important regulators of bone healing. The aim of this study was to create periodontal defects surgically in a large animal model and to examine bone regeneration and the expression of RANK, RANKL and OPG proteins in the defect site during bone regeneration.
Wasted tongue in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders due to hypoglossal nerve involvement

Viswanathan S

Mult Scler, 2015 Apr;21(4):488-91.
PMID: 24948685 DOI: 10.1177/1352458514537698

We report two cases of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with hypoglossal nerve involvement resulting in a wasted tongue associated with other brainstem symptoms of hypogeusia, hypersalivation, hiccough, increased sweating, hyperemesis and myelitis (in the second patient). This occurred due to involvement of the hypoglossal, tractus solitarius and dorsal vagal nuclei. Though the myelitis and other brainstem signs recovered the hypoglossal nerve involvement resulting in a unilateral wasted tongue did not. It is important to consider neuromyelitis optica and its spectrum disorders in the differential diagnosis of a wasted tongue though its occurrence is rare.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Neuromyelitis Optica/complications*; Tongue Diseases/etiology*; Hypoglossal Nerve Diseases/etiology*
Degradation behavior of biodegradable Fe35Mn alloy stents

Sing NB, Mostavan A, Hamzah E, Mantovani D, Hermawan H

J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater, 2015 Apr;103(3):572-7.
PMID: 24954069 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.33242

This article reports a degradation study that was done on stent prototypes made of biodegradable Fe35Mn alloy in a simulated human coronary arterial condition. The stent degradation was observed for a short-term period from 0.5 to 168 h, which simulates the early period of stenting procedure. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to quantify degradation rate and surface property of the stents. Results showed that signs of degradation were visible on both crimped and expanded stents after 1 h of test, mostly located on the stent's curvatures. The degradation rate of stent was higher compared to that of the original alloy, indicating the surface altering effect of stent fabrication processing to degradation. A single oxide layer was formed and detected as a porous structure with capacitive behavior. Expanded stents exhibited lower polarization resistance compared to the nonexpanded ones, indicating the cold work effect of expansion procedure to degradation.

MeSH terms: Alloys/chemistry*; Calcium/analysis; Materials Testing; Oxides/analysis; Phosphorus/analysis; Potentiometry; Chemical Precipitation; Rheology; Solutions; Surface Properties; Stents*; Porosity; Absorbable Implants*; Electric Capacitance; Shear Strength; Dielectric Spectroscopy; In Vitro Techniques
Isolation, screening, and identification of potential cellulolytic and xylanolytic producers for biodegradation of untreated oil palm trunk and its application in saccharification of lemongrass leaves

Ang SK, Yahya A, Abd Aziz S, Md Salleh M

Prep Biochem Biotechnol, 2015;45(3):279-305.
PMID: 24960316 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2014.923443

This study presents the isolation and screening of fungi with excellent ability to degrade untreated oil palm trunk (OPT) in a solid-state fermentation system (SSF). Qualitative assay of cellulases and xylanase indicates notable secretion of both enzymes by 12 fungal strains from a laboratory collection and 5 strains isolated from a contaminated wooden board. High production of these enzymes was subsequently quantified in OPT in SSF. Aspergillus fumigates SK1 isolated from cow dung gives the highest xylanolytic activity (648.448 U g(-1)), generally high cellulolytic activities (CMCase: 48.006, FPase: 6.860, beta-glucosidase: 16.328 U g(-1)) and moderate lignin peroxidase activity (4.820 U/g), and highest xylanolytic activity. The xylanase encoding gene of Aspergillus fumigates SK1 was screened using polymerase chain reaction by a pair of degenerate primers. Through multiple alignment of the SK1 strain's xylanase nucleotide sequences with other published xylanases, it was confirmed that the gene belonged to the xylanase glycoside hydrolase family 11 (GH11) with a protein size of 24.49 kD. Saccharification of lemongrass leaves using crude cellulases and xylanase gives the maximum reducing sugars production of 6.84 g/L with glucose as the major end product and traces of phenylpropanic compounds (vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferulic acid).

MeSH terms: Aspergillus fumigatus/enzymology*; Base Sequence; beta-Glucosidase/metabolism; Cellulose/metabolism*; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Peroxidases/metabolism; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics; Xylans/metabolism*; Polymerase Chain Reaction; DNA Primers; Plant Leaves/metabolism*; Cymbopogon/metabolism*; Carbohydrate Metabolism*
Automation of anaesthesia: a review on multivariable control

Chang JJ, Syafiie S, Kamil R, Lim TA

J Clin Monit Comput, 2015 Apr;29(2):231-9.
PMID: 24961365 DOI: 10.1007/s10877-014-9590-6

Anaesthesia is a multivariable problem where a combination of drugs are used to induce desired hypnotic, analgesia and immobility states. The automation of anaesthesia may improve the safety and cost-effectiveness of anaesthesia. However, the realization of a safe and reliable multivariable closed-loop control of anaesthesia is yet to be achieved due to a manifold of challenges. In this paper, several significant challenges in automation of anaesthesia are discussed, namely model uncertainty, controlled variables, closed-loop application and dependability. The increasingly reliable measurement device, robust and adaptive controller, and better fault tolerance strategy are paving the way for automation of anaesthesia.

MeSH terms: Algorithms; Anesthetics/administration & dosage*; Anesthetics/pharmacokinetics*; Computer Simulation; Consciousness/drug effects*; Drug Therapy, Computer-Assisted/methods*; Electroencephalography/drug effects; Humans; Models, Biological*; Multivariate Analysis; Drug Monitoring/methods*; Feedback, Physiological/drug effects
Strategy for ventricular septal defect closure after prior gastric pull-through

Sivalingam S, Krishnasamy S, Yakub MA

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann, 2015 Jun;23(5):612-4.
PMID: 24962807 DOI: 10.1177/0218492314540667

A 9-year-old boy was referred with a perimembranous ventricular septal defect. At birth, he had undergone a right thoracotomy with ligation of a tracheoesophageal fistula, cervical esophagostomy, and feeding gastrostomy. At 2 years of age, he had gastric tube reconstruction with a pull-through retrosternally, anterior to the heart, and an end-to-end esophagogastric anastomosis. Via a right anterolateral thoracotomy through the previous scar, the entire gastric tube was mobilized away from the sternum to facilitate a median sternotomy. With the patient supine, a median sternotomy was performed without difficulty, and the ventricular septal defect was closed under cardiopulmonary bypass.

MeSH terms: Cardiopulmonary Bypass/methods*; Child; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular/surgery*; Cardiac Surgical Procedures/methods; Humans; Male; Thoracotomy/methods*; Sternotomy/methods*
The effect of Dermo and Seal-In X5 prosthetic liners on pressure distributions and reported satisfaction during ramp ambulation in persons with transtibial limb loss

Ali S, Osman NA, Razak A, Hussain S, Wan Abas WA

Eur J Phys Rehabil Med, 2015 Feb;51(1):31-7.
PMID: 24963603

Lower limb amputee's are greatly affected in dealing with the environmental barriers such as ramps and stairs and reported high interface pressure between the residual limb and socket/liner. Interface pressure between the residual limb and socket/liner can affect the satisfaction and use of the prosthesis. Until now, little attention has been paid to interface pressure between socket and stump during ramp negotiation and its effect on amputee's satisfaction.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Amputation Stumps; Artificial Limbs*; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pressure; Prosthesis Design*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tibia; Patient Satisfaction*

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