Browse publications by year: 2016

  1. Mani S, Joseph LH, Sharma S
    J Telemed Telecare, 2016 06;22(4):264-5.
    PMID: 26362563 DOI: 10.1177/1357633X15601524
    MeSH terms: Child; Humans; Rural Population; Telephone; Telemedicine*; Pediatric Obesity*
  2. Moradi A, Ataollahi F, Sayar K, Pramanik S, Chong PP, Khalil AA, et al.
    J Biomed Mater Res A, 2016 Jan;104(1):245-56.
    PMID: 26362913 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.35561
    Extracellular matrices have drawn attention in tissue engineering as potential biomaterials for scaffold fabrication because of their bioactive components. Noninvasive techniques of scaffold fabrication and cross-linking treatments are believed to maintain the integrity of bioactive molecules while providing proper architectural and mechanical properties. Cartilage matrix derived scaffolds are designed to support the maintenance of chondrocytes and provide proper signals for differentiation of chondroinducible cells. Chondroinductive potential of bovine articular cartilage matrix derived porous scaffolds on human dermal fibroblasts and the effect of scaffold shrinkage on chondrogenesis were investigated. An increase in sulfated glycosaminoglycans production along with upregulation of chondrogenic genes confirmed that physically treated cartilage matrix derived scaffolds have chondrogenic potential on human dermal fibroblasts.
  3. Nurulnadia MY, Koyama J, Uno S, Amano H
    Chemosphere, 2016 Feb;144:185-92.
    PMID: 26363319 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.08.059
    We evaluated the potential for biomagnification of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP), bisphenol A (BP), and natural estrogens such as estrone (E1) and 17β-estradiol (E2) in a benthic fish, Pleuronectes yokohamae. The assimilation efficiencies (AE) of most EDCs ranged from 88 to 96% suggesting that they were efficiently incorporated and assimilated into P. yokohamae, except for NP (50%). However, the biomagnification factor (BMF) values were <1.0 suggesting that the compounds were not biomagnifying. Additionally, three of the target EDCs were not detected (BP, E1 and E2). Glucuronidation activity towards BP (11.44 ± 2.5 nmol/mg protein/min) and E2 (12.41 ± 3.2 nmol/mg protein/min) was high in the intestine suggesting that EDCs were glucuronidated prior to excretion into bile. Thus, we conclude that biomagnification of dietary EDCs is reduced in P. yokohamae because of effective glucuronidation.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Benzhydryl Compounds; Bile; Estradiol; Estrogens; Estrone; Fishes; Flounder; Intestines; Phenols; Estradiol Congeners; Endocrine Disruptors
  4. Raylu N, Oei TP, Loo JM, Tsai JS
    J Gambl Stud, 2016 Jun;32(2):773-88.
    PMID: 26363793 DOI: 10.1007/s10899-015-9567-5
    Currently, cognitive behavioral therapies appear to be one of the most studied treatments for gambling problems and studies show it is effective in treating gambling problems. However, cognitive behavior models have not been widely tested using statistical means. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the validity of the pathways postulated in the cognitive behavioral theory of gambling behavior using structural equation modeling (AMOS 20). Several questionnaires assessing a range of gambling specific variables (e.g., gambling urges, cognitions and behaviors) and gambling correlates (e.g., psychological states, and coping styles) were distributed to 969 participants from the community. Results showed that negative psychological states (i.e., depression, anxiety and stress) only directly predicted gambling behavior, whereas gambling urges predicted gambling behavior directly as well as indirectly via gambling cognitions. Avoidance coping predicted gambling behavior only indirectly via gambling cognitions. Negative psychological states were significantly related to gambling cognitions as well as avoidance coping. In addition, significant gender differences were also found. The results provided confirmation for the validity of the pathways postulated in the cognitive behavioral theory of gambling behavior. It also highlighted the importance of gender differences in conceptualizing gambling behavior.
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Cognition; Female; Gambling/psychology*; Gambling/therapy*; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Models, Theoretical*; Psychotherapy, Group/methods*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Cognitive Therapy/methods*; Young Adult
  5. Rasool S, Mohamed R
    Protoplasma, 2016 Sep;253(5):1197-209.
    PMID: 26364028 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-015-0884-4
    Cytochrome P450s constitute the largest family of enzymatic proteins in plants acting on various endogenous and xenobiotic molecules. They are monooxygenases that insert one oxygen atom into inert hydrophobic molecules to make them more reactive and hydro-soluble. Besides for physiological functions, the extremely versatile cytochrome P450 biocatalysts are highly demanded in the fields of biotechnology, medicine, and phytoremediation. The nature of reactions catalyzed by P450s is irreversible, which makes these enzymes attractions in the evolution of plant metabolic pathways. P450s are prime targets in metabolic engineering approaches for improving plant defense against insects and pathogens and for production of secondary metabolites such as the anti-neoplastic drugs taxol or indole alkaloids. The emerging examples of P450 involvement in natural product synthesis in traditional medicinal plant species are becoming increasingly interesting, as they provide new alternatives to modern medicines. In view of the divergent roles of P450s, we review their classification and nomenclature, functions and evolution, role in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and use as tools in pharmacology.
    MeSH terms: Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological Products; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/classification*; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism*; Oryza/metabolism*; Terpenes/metabolism*; Arabidopsis/metabolism*; Plant Preparations/therapeutic use*
  6. Mohd Romlay FR, Wan Yusoff WA, Mat Piah KA
    Ultrasonics, 2016 Jan;64:177-85.
    PMID: 26364739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2015.09.002
    Current traveling wave ultrasonic motor (TWUSM) utilizes comb-teeth structure as deflection amplifier. The position of the stator neutral axis to the stator contact surface is one of the factors that influences the deflection amplifier. Stator deflection directly effects on motor performance. In this study, the modification of the comb-teeth stator design is proposed to see its effect on motor efficiency. The modification is done so that the neutral axis position is further distance from the stator top contact surface. The proposed solution is to remove a selected mass element from the comb-teeth structure. Modeling, simulation and experimental work of the proposed concept is carried out utilizing Shinsei USR60 as the chosen TWUSM. The modeling and analyses are conducted through multi-physic finite element simulation MSC Marc Mentat. The results of the analyses and experimental work reveal that the modified comb-teeth stator increases the position of the neutral axis from the stator top surface. Due to the neutral axis shifting, the results also confirm that the proposed modified motor has higher efficiency compared to the non-modified motor.
  7. Polseela R, Jaturas N, Thanwisai A, Sing KW, Wilson JJ
    Mitochondrial DNA A DNA Mapp Seq Anal, 2016 09;27(5):3795-801.
    PMID: 26370580 DOI: 10.3109/19401736.2015.1082085
    Sandflies vary in their distributions and role in pathogen transmission. Attempts to record distributions of sandflies in Thailand have faced difficulties due to their high abundance and diversity. We aim to provide an insight into the diversity of sandflies in Thailand by (i) conducting a literature review, and (ii) DNA barcoding sandflies collected from Wihan Cave where eight morphologically characterized species were recorded. DNA barcodes generated for 193 sandflies fell into 13 distinct species clusters under four genera (Chinius, Idiophlebotomus, Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia). Five of these species could be assigned Linnaean species names unambiguously and two others corresponded to characterized morphospecies. Two species represented a complex under the name Sergentomyia barraudi while the remaining four had not been recognized before in any form. The resulting species checklist and DNA barcode library contribute to a growing set of records for sandflies which is useful for monitoring and vector control.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Base Sequence; Phylogeny; Psychodidae/genetics*; Thailand; Genetic Variation; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Genes, Insect; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Insect Proteins/genetics; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; Caves; Animal Distribution
  8. Lo TS, Nawawi EA, Wu PY, bt Karim N, Al-Kharabsheh A
    Int Urogynecol J, 2016 Mar;27(3):399-406.
    PMID: 26373869 DOI: 10.1007/s00192-015-2837-z
    INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective of this study was to identify the predictors for persistent urodynamic stress incontinence (P-USI) in women following extensive pelvic reconstructive surgery (PRS) with and without midurethral sling (MUS).

    MMETHODS: A total of 1,017 women who underwent pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery from January 2005 to December 2013 in our institutions were analyzed. We included 349 USI women who had extensive PRS for POP stage III or more of whom 209 underwent concomitant MUS.

    RESULTS: Of the women who underwent extensive PRS without MUS, 64.3 % (90/140) developed P-USI compared to only 10.5 % (22/209) of those who had concomitant MUS. Those with concomitant MUS and PRS alone were at higher risk of developing P-USI if they had overt USI [odds ratio (OR) 2.2, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.3-4.0, p = 0.014 and OR 4.7, 95 % CI 2.0-11.3, p 

    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications/etiology*; Retrospective Studies; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures*; Urinary Incontinence, Stress/etiology*; Urodynamics; Suburethral Slings; Pelvic Organ Prolapse/surgery
  9. Madani B, Mirshekari A, Yahia E
    J Sci Food Agric, 2016 Jul;96(9):2963-8.
    PMID: 26374618 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.7462
    BACKGROUND: There have been no reports on the effects of preharvest calcium application on anthracnose disease severity, antioxidant activity and cellular changes during ambient storage of papaya, and therefore the objective of this study was to investigate these effects.

    RESULTS: Higher calcium concentrations (1.5 and 2% w/v) increased calcium concentration in the peel and pulp tissues, maintained firmness, and reduced anthracnose incidence and severity. While leakage of calcium-treated fruit was lower for 1.5 and 2% calcium treatments compared to the control, microscopic results confirmed that pulp cell wall thickness was higher after 6 days in storage, for the 2% calcium treatment compared to the control. Calcium-treated fruit also had higher total antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds during storage.

    CONCLUSION: Calcium chloride, especially at higher concentrations, is effective in maintaining papaya fruit quality during ambient storage. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

    MeSH terms: Crop Production; Aerosols; Antioxidants/analysis*; Antioxidants/metabolism; Antioxidants/chemistry; Calcium Chloride/adverse effects; Calcium Chloride/metabolism; Calcium Chloride/chemistry*; Calcium, Dietary/analysis*; Cell Wall/metabolism; Cell Wall/ultrastructure; Food Preservation; Fruit/growth & development; Fruit/metabolism; Fruit/ultrastructure; Fruit/chemistry*; Humans; Malaysia; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Nutritive Value; Phenols/analysis; Phenols/metabolism; Phenols/agonists; Crops, Agricultural/growth & development; Crops, Agricultural/metabolism; Crops, Agricultural/ultrastructure; Crops, Agricultural/chemistry; Carica/growth & development; Carica/metabolism; Carica/ultrastructure; Carica/chemistry*; Mechanical Phenomena; Food Storage*; Food Quality; Absorption, Physiological
  10. Obón-Santacana M, Freisling H, Peeters PH, Lujan-Barroso L, Ferrari P, Boutron-Ruault MC, et al.
    Int J Cancer, 2016 Mar 01;138(5):1129-38.
    PMID: 26376083 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.29853
    Acrylamide, classified in 1994 by IARC as "probably carcinogenic to humans," was discovered in 2002 in some heat-treated, carbohydrate-rich foods. Four prospective studies have evaluated the association between dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer (EC) risk with inconsistent results. The purpose of this nested case-control study, based on the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort, was to evaluate, for the first time, the association between hemoglobin adducts of acrylamide (HbAA) and glycidamide (HbGA) and the risk of developing EC in non-smoking postmenopausal women. Hemoglobin adducts were measured in red blood cells by HPLC/MS/MS. Four exposure variables were evaluated: HbAA, HbGA, their sum (HbAA+HbGA), and their ratio (HbGA/HbAA). The association between hemoglobin adducts and EC was evaluated using unconditional multivariable logistic regression models, and included 383 EC cases (171 were type-I EC), and 385 controls. Exposure variables were analyzed in quintiles based on control distributions. None of the biomarker variables had an effect on overall EC (HRHbAA;Q5vsQ1 : 0.84, 95%CI: 0.49-1.48; HRHbGA;Q5vsQ1 : 0.94, 95%CI: 0.54-1.63) or type-I EC risk. Additionally, none of the subgroups investigated (BMI 
    MeSH terms: Epoxy Compounds/metabolism*; Female; Hemoglobins/metabolism*; Humans; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Risk; Biomarkers/blood; Case-Control Studies; Endometrial Neoplasms/etiology*; Postmenopause; Acrylamide/metabolism*
  11. Lee TY, Muniandy L, Teh LK, Abdullah M, George E, Sathar J, et al.
    Turk J Haematol, 2016 Mar 05;33(1):15-20.
    PMID: 26377036 DOI: 10.4274/tjh.2014.0197
    The diverse clinical phenotype of hemoglobin E (HbE)/β-thalassemia has not only confounded clinicians in matters of patient management but has also led scientists to investigate the complex mechanisms involved in maintaining the delicate red cell environment where, even with apparent similarities of α- and β-globin genotypes, the phenotype tells a different story. The BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) protein is known to regulate α- and β-globin gene transcriptions during the terminal differentiation of erythroid cells. With the mutations involved in HbE/β-thalassemia disorder, we studied the role of BACH1 in compensating for the globin chain imbalance, albeit for fine-tuning purposes.
    MeSH terms: Adaptation, Physiological/genetics; Adult; China/ethnology; Erythropoiesis/genetics; Female; Gene Expression Regulation*; Genotype; Globins/biosynthesis; Globins/genetics*; Heme/physiology; Hemoglobin E/biosynthesis; Hemoglobin E/genetics*; Hemoglobinuria/genetics; Hemoglobinuria/metabolism; Hemoglobinuria/epidemiology; Homeostasis; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Reticulocytes/metabolism; RNA, Messenger/blood; RNA, Messenger/genetics; beta-Thalassemia/genetics*; beta-Thalassemia/metabolism; beta-Thalassemia/epidemiology; Oxidative Stress; Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors/biosynthesis; Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors/genetics*; Heme Oxygenase-1/biosynthesis; Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics; Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group Proteins/biosynthesis; Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group Proteins/genetics*; Young Adult
  12. Cheah CK, Ramanujam S, Mohd Noor N, Gandhi C, D Souza BA, Gun SC
    Lupus, 2016 Feb;25(2):214-6.
    PMID: 26377236 DOI: 10.1177/0961203315606441
    Pseudo-pseudo Meigs' syndrome (PPMS) has been reported to be a rare presentation of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, such a presentation is not common in other forms of connective tissue disease. We presented a case of gross ascites, pleural effusion, and marked elevation of CA-125 level (PPMS-like features) that led to a diagnosis of MCTD. The patient responded to systemic steroid therapy.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Hospitals, General; Humans; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/pathology; Malaysia; Meigs Syndrome/diagnosis*; Meigs Syndrome/drug therapy; Meigs Syndrome/pathology; Meigs Syndrome/radiography; Methylprednisolone/administration & dosage; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease*; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease/diagnosis*; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease/drug therapy; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease/pathology; Prednisolone/administration & dosage; Raynaud Disease/pathology*
  13. Hashim JH, Hashim Z
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2016 Mar;28(2 Suppl):8S-14S.
    PMID: 26377857 DOI: 10.1177/1010539515599030
    The Asia Pacific region is regarded as the most disaster-prone area of the world. Since 2000, 1.2 billion people have been exposed to hydrometeorological hazards alone through 1215 disaster events. The impacts of climate change on meteorological phenomena and environmental consequences are well documented. However, the impacts on health are more elusive. Nevertheless, climate change is believed to alter weather patterns on the regional scale, giving rise to extreme weather events. The impacts from extreme weather events are definitely more acute and traumatic in nature, leading to deaths and injuries, as well as debilitating and fatal communicable diseases. Extreme weather events include heat waves, cold waves, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tropical cyclones, heavy rain, and snowfalls. Globally, within the 20-year period from 1993 to 2012, more than 530 000 people died as a direct result of almost 15 000 extreme weather events, with losses of more than US$2.5 trillion in purchasing power parity.
    MeSH terms: Asia; Disasters/statistics & numerical data*; Humans; Pacific Islands; Public Health/statistics & numerical data*; Weather*; Climate Change*
  14. Acquah C, Danquah MK, Agyei D, Moy CK, Sidhu A, Ongkudon CM
    Crit Rev Biotechnol, 2016 Dec;36(6):1010-1022.
    PMID: 26381238
    The genome of virulent strains may possess the ability to mutate by means of antigenic shift and/or antigenic drift as well as being resistant to antibiotics with time. The outbreak and spread of these virulent diseases including avian influenza (H1N1), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-Corona virus), cholera (Vibrio cholera), tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola Virus) and AIDS (HIV-1) necessitate urgent attention to develop diagnostic protocols and assays for rapid detection and screening. Rapid and accurate detection of first cases with certainty will contribute significantly in preventing disease transmission and escalation to pandemic levels. As a result, there is a need to develop technologies that can meet the heavy demand of an all-embedded, inexpensive, specific and fast biosensing for the detection and screening of pathogens in active or latent forms to offer quick diagnosis and early treatments in order to avoid disease aggravation and unnecessary late treatment costs. Nucleic acid aptamers are short, single-stranded RNA or DNA sequences that can selectively bind to specific cellular and biomolecular targets. Aptamers, as new-age bioaffinity probes, have the necessary biophysical characteristics for improved pathogen detection. This article seeks to review global pandemic situations in relation to advances in pathogen detection systems. It particularly discusses aptameric biosensing and establishes application opportunities for effective pandemic monitoring. Insights into the application of continuous polymeric supports as the synthetic base for aptamer coupling to provide the needed convective mass transport for rapid screening is also presented.
    MeSH terms: Bacteria/genetics; Humans; Viruses/genetics; Biosensing Techniques*; Aptamers, Nucleotide*; Pandemics*
  15. Ahmed HM, Luddin N, Kannan TP, Mokhtar KI, Ahmad A
    Scanning, 2016 07;38(4):303-16.
    PMID: 26382064 DOI: 10.1002/sca.21270
    White Portland cement (WPC) has generated research interests in the field of endodontics. This study compared between the properties of two formulations of white Portland cement (WPC) of different origin (Malaysia [MA] and Egypt [EG]). WPCs with and without calcium chloride dihydrate were prepared. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray micro-analysis, and X-ray diffraction were used for surface morphology evaluation, elemental, and phase analysis, respectively. After the preparation of optimized serial dilutions, the cytotoxicity was evaluated on human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLFs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) using methyl-thiazol-diphenyltetrazolium assay after 24 and 72 h. Cell attachment properties were examined under SEM after 24 and 72 h. Results showed that the surface morphology and chemical composition of both formulations demonstrated detectable variations. The cytotoxicity evaluation showed different cellular responses of HPLFs compared to DSPCs. Both formulations favored the viability of HPLFs. However, the fast set formulations demonstrated severe cytotoxicity on DPSCs. Significant differences between EGWPC and MAWPC were identified (p 
  16. Ng SC, Zeng Z, Niewiadomski O, Tang W, Bell S, Kamm MA, et al.
    Gastroenterology, 2016 Jan;150(1):86-95.e3; quiz e13-4.
    PMID: 26385074 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2015.09.005
    BACKGROUND & AIMS: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in Asia, but little is known about disease progression in this region. The Asia-Pacific Crohn's and Colitis Epidemiology Study was initiated in 2011, enrolling subjects from 8 countries in Asia (China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand) and Australia. We present data from this ongoing study.
    METHODS: We collected data on 413 patients diagnosed with IBD (222 with ulcerative colitis [UC], 181 with Crohn's disease [CD], 10 with IBD unclassified; median age, 37 y) from 2011 through 2013. We analyzed the disease course and severity and mortality. Risks for medical and surgical therapies were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis.
    RESULTS: The cumulative probability that CD would change from inflammatory to stricturing or penetrating disease was 19.6%. The cumulative probabilities for use of immunosuppressants or anti-tumor necrosis factor agents were 58.9% and 12.0% for patients with CD, and 12.7% and 0.9% for patients with UC, respectively. Perianal CD was associated with an increased risk of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy within 1 year of its diagnosis (hazard ratio, 2.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-8.09). The cumulative probabilities for surgery 1 year after diagnosis were 9.1% for patients with CD and 0.9% for patients with UC. Patients with CD and penetrating disease had a 7-fold increase for risk of surgery, compared with patients with inflammatory disease (hazard ratio, 7.67; 95% confidence interval, 3.93-14.96). The overall mortality for patients with IBD was 0.7%.
    CONCLUSIONS: In a prospective population-based study, we found that the early course of disease in patients with IBD in Asia was comparable with that of the West. Patients with CD frequently progress to complicated disease and have accelerated use of immunosuppressants. Few patients with early stage UC undergo surgery in Asia. Increasing our understanding of IBD progression in different populations can help optimize therapy and improve outcomes.
    KEYWORDS: ACCESS; Natural History; Risk Factor; Treatment
    MeSH terms: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Asia/epidemiology; Australia/epidemiology; Colectomy/methods; Cross-Sectional Studies; Education, Medical, Continuing; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use; International Cooperation; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/diagnosis; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/epidemiology*; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/therapy*; Cohort Studies; Incidence; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome; Risk Assessment; Early Diagnosis; Young Adult
  17. Lee ZY, Barakatun-Nisak MY, Noor Airini I, Heyland DK
    Nutr Clin Pract, 2016 Feb;31(1):68-79.
    PMID: 26385874 DOI: 10.1177/0884533615601638
    Nutrition support is an integral part of care among critically ill patients. However, critically ill patients are commonly underfed, leading to consequences such as increased length of hospital and intensive care unit stay, time on mechanical ventilation, infectious complications, and mortality. Nevertheless, the prevalence of underfeeding has not resolved since the first description of this problem more than 15 years ago. This may be due to the traditional conservative feeding approaches. A novel feeding protocol (the Enhanced Protein-Energy Provision via the Enteral Route Feeding Protocol in Critically Ill Patients [PEP uP] protocol) was proposed and proven to improve feeding adequacy significantly. However, some of the components in the protocol are controversial and subject to debate. This article is a review of the supporting evidences and some of the controversy associated with each component of the PEP uP protocol.
    MeSH terms: Critical Care/methods*; Critical Care/standards; Dietary Proteins/administration & dosage*; Dietary Proteins/standards; Enteral Nutrition/methods*; Food, Formulated/standards*; Humans; Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  18. Toh PY, Tai WY, Ahmad AL, Lim JK, Chan DJ
    Int J Phytoremediation, 2016 Jun 2;18(6):643-50.
    PMID: 26389846 DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2015.1086300
    This study investigates the toxicity of bare iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and surface functionalization iron oxide nanoparticles (SF-IONPs) to the growth of freshwater microalgae Chlorella sp. This study is important due to the increased interest on the application of the magnetic responsive IONPs in various fields, such as biomedical, wastewater treatment, and microalgae harvesting. This study demonstrated that the toxicity of IONPs was mainly contributed by the indirect light shading effect from the suspending nanoparticles which is nanoparticles concentration-dependent, direct light shading effect caused by the attachment of IONPs on cell and the cell aggregation, and the oxidative stress from the internalization of IONPs into the cells. The results showed that the layer of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) tended to mask the IONPs and hence eliminated oxidative stress toward the protein yield but it in turn tended to enhance the toxicity of IONPs by enabling the IONPs to attach on cell surfaces and cause cell aggregation. Therefore, the choice of the polymer that used for surface functionalize the IONPs is the key factor to determine the toxicity of the IONPs.
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