Browse publications by year: 2016

  1. Mobility Studies of (14)C-Chlorpyrifos in Malaysian Oil Palm Soils
    Halimah M, Ismail BS, Nashriyah M, Maznah Z
    Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 2016 Jan;96(1):120-4.
    PMID: 26546229 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-015-1685-3
    The mobility of (14)C-chlorpyrifos using soil TLC was investigated in this study. It was found that chlorpyrifos was not mobile in clay, clay loam and peat soil. The mobility of (14)C-chlorpyrifos and non-labelled chlorpyrifos was also tested with silica gel TLC using three types of developing solvent hexane (100%), hexane:ethyl acetate (95:5, v/v); and hexane:ethyl acetate (98:2, v/v). The study showed that both the (14)C-labelled and non-labelled chlorpyrifos have the same Retardation Factor (Rf) for different developing solvent systems. From the soil column study on mobility of chlorpyrifos, it was observed that no chlorpyrifos residue was found below 5 cm depth in three types of soil at simulation rainfall of 20, 50 and 100 mm. Therefore, the soil column and TLC studies have shown similar findings in the mobility of chlorpyrifos.
    MeSH terms: Acetates; Aluminum Silicates; Chlorpyrifos; Hexanes; Soil; Solvents; Silica Gel
  2. Comparative Effectiveness of Insecticides for Use Against the House Fly (Diptera: Muscidae): Determination of Resistance Levels on a Malaysian Poultry Farm
    Ong SQ, Ahmad H, Jaal Z, Rus AC
    J Econ Entomol, 2016 Feb;109(1):352-9.
    PMID: 26546486 DOI: 10.1093/jee/tov326
    In this study, the toxicology of two commercial larvicides--cyromazine (Neporex 50SP) and ChCy (combination of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin, Naga 505)--and five commercial adulticides--thiamethoxam (Agita 10WG), cyfluthrin (Responsar WP), lambda-cyhalothrin (Icon 2.8EC), fipronil (Regent 50SC), and imidacloprid (Toxilat 10WP)--was examined against the WHO/VCRU (World Health Organization/ Vector Control Research Unit) susceptible strain and the AYTW (Ayer Tawar) field strain of house fly, Musca domestica L. These pesticides were administered topically, in the diet, or as a dry residue treatment on plywood. Probit analysis using at least five concentrations and the concentration that was lethal to 50% (LC(50)) of the organisms was applied to compare the toxicology and resistance levels of the AYTW population to different insecticides. In the larvicide laboratory study, ChCy was more effective than cyromazine, with a significantly lower LC(50) value when administered topically or in the diet, although the AYTW population was susceptible to both larvicides with a resistance ratio (RR) <10. For the adulticide laboratory study, cyfluthrin and fipronil exhibited the lowest LC50 values of the adulticides, indicating that they are both effective at controlling adult flies, although lambda-cyhalothrin showed moderate resistance (RR = 11.60 by topical application; 12.41 by plywood treatment). Further investigation of ChCy, cyromazine, cyfluthrin, and fipronil under field conditions confirmed that ChCy and cyromazine strikingly reduced larval density, and surprisingly, ChCy also exhibited adulticidal activity, which significantly reduced adult fly numbers compared with the control group. Cyfluthrin and fipronil were also confirmed to be effective, with a significant reduction in adult fly numbers compared with the control group.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Husbandry; Chickens; Houseflies*; Housing, Animal; Insecticide Resistance*; Insecticides*; Malaysia
  3. De novo assembly and characterization of foot transcriptome and microsatellite marker development for Paphia textile
    Chen X, Li J, Xiao S, Liu X
    Gene, 2016 Jan 15;576(1 Pt 3):537-43.
    PMID: 26546834 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.11.001
    Paphia textile is an important, aquaculture bivalve clam species distributed mainly in China, Philippines, and Malaysia. Recent studies of P. textile have focused mainly on artificial breeding and nutrition analysis, and the transcriptome and genome of P. textile have rarely been reported. In this work, the transcriptome of P. textile foot tissue was sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 platform. A total of 20,219,795 reads were generated, resulting in 4.08 Gb of raw data. The raw reads were cleaned and assembled into 54,852 unigenes with an N50 length of 829 bp. Of these unigenes, 38.92% were successfully annotated based on their matches to sequences in seven public databases. Among the annotated unigenes, 14,571 were assigned Gene Ontology terms, 5448 were classified to Clusters of Orthologous Groups categories, and 6738 were mapped to 228 pathways in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. For functional marker development, 5605 candidate simple sequence repeats were identified in the transcriptome and 80 primer pairs were selected randomly and amplified in a wild population of P. textile. A total of 36 loci that exhibited obvious repeat length polymorphisms were detected. The transcriptomic data and microsatellite markers will provide valuable resources for future functional gene analyses, genetic map construction, and quantitative trait loci mapping in P. textile.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Genetic Markers*; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics*; Bivalvia/genetics*; Transcriptome*
  4. A Comprehensive Review on L-Asparaginase and Its Applications
    Batool T, Makky EA, Jalal M, Yusoff MM
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2016 Mar;178(5):900-23.
    PMID: 26547852 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-015-1917-3
    L-asparaginase (LA) catalyzes the degradation of asparagine, an essential amino acid for leukemic cells, into ammonia and aspartate. Owing to its ability to inhibit protein biosynthesis in lymphoblasts, LA is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Different isozymes of this enzyme have been isolated from a wide range of organisms, including plants and terrestrial and marine microorganisms. Pieces of information about the three-dimensional structure of L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli and Erwinia sp. have identified residues that are essential for catalytic activity. This review catalogues the major sources of L-asparaginase, the methods of its production through the solid state (SSF) and submerged (SmF) fermentation, purification, and characterization as well as its biological roles. In the same breath, this article explores both the past and present applications of this important enzyme and discusses its future prospects.
    MeSH terms: Amino Acids, Essential; Ammonia; Asparaginase; Asparagine; Aspartic Acid; Catalysis; Erwinia; Escherichia coli; Fermentation; Isoenzymes; Protein Biosynthesis; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma
  5. Ictal EEG Source Imaging for Presurgical Evaluation of Refractory Focal Epilepsy
    Habib MA, Ibrahim F, Mohktar MS, Kamaruzzaman SB, Rahmat K, Lim KS
    World Neurosurg, 2016 Apr;88:576-585.
    PMID: 26548833 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2015.10.096
    BACKGROUND: Electroencephalography source imaging (ESI) is a promising tool for localizing the cortical sources of both ictal and interictal epileptic activities. Many studies have shown the clinical usefulness of interictal ESI, but very few have investigated the utility of ictal ESI. The aim of this article is to examine the clinical usefulness of ictal ESI for epileptic focus localization in patients with refractory focal epilepsy, especially extratemporal lobe epilepsy.

    METHODS: Both ictal and interictal ESI were performed by the use of patient-specific realistic forward models and 3 different linear distributed inverse models. Lateralization as well as concordance between ESI-estimated focuses and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) focuses were assessed.

    RESULTS: All the ESI focuses (both ictal and interictal) were found lateralized to the same hemisphere as ictal SPECT focuses. Lateralization results also were in agreement with the lesion sides as visualized on magnetic resonance imaging. Ictal ESI results, obtained from the best-performing inverse model, were fully concordant with the same cortical lobe as SPECT focuses, whereas the corresponding concordance rate is 87.50% in case of interictal ESI.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that ictal ESI gives fully lateralized and highly concordant results with ictal SPECT and may provide a cost-effective substitute for ictal SPECT.

    MeSH terms: Drug Resistant Epilepsy/diagnosis*; Drug Resistant Epilepsy/surgery*; Adolescent; Adult; Brain Mapping/methods*; Child; Electroencephalography/methods*; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Preoperative Care/methods*; Retrospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Reproducibility of Results; Surgery, Computer-Assisted/methods*; Young Adult
  6. The Mechanisms of Inhibition of Advanced Glycation End Products Formation through Polyphenols in Hyperglycemic Condition
    Khangholi S, Majid FA, Berwary NJ, Ahmad F, Aziz RB
    Planta Med, 2016 Jan;82(1-2):32-45.
    PMID: 26550791 DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1558086
    Glycation, the non-enzymatic binding of glucose to free amino groups of an amino acid, yields irreversible heterogeneous compounds known as advanced glycation end products. Those products play a significant role in diabetic complications. In the present article we briefly discuss the contribution of advanced glycation end products to the pathogenesis of diabetic complications, such as atherosclerosis, diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and wound healing. Then we mention the various mechanisms by which polyphenols inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products. Finally, recent supporting documents are presented to clarify the inhibitory effects of polyphenols on the formation of advanced glycation end products. Phytochemicals apply several antiglycation mechanisms, including glucose metabolism, amelioration of oxidative stress, scavenging of dicarbonyl species, and up/down-regulation of gene expression. To utilize polyphenols in order to remedy diabetic complications, we must explore, examine and clarify the action mechanisms of the components of polyphenols.
    MeSH terms: Amino Acids; Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetic Retinopathy; Gene Expression Regulation; Glucose; Glycosylation; Wound Healing; Oxidative Stress; Atherosclerosis; Polyphenols; Phytochemicals
  7. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Formulation--the Present and Future Development in Diabetes Treatment
    Lee CY
    Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol, 2016 Mar;118(3):173-80.
    PMID: 26551045 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.12524
    Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that has become the fourth leading cause of death in the developed countries. The disorder is characterized by pancreatic β-cells dysfunction, which causes hyperglycaemia leading to several other complications. Treatment by far, which focuses on insulin administration and glycaemic control, has not been satisfactory. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) is an endogenous peptide that stimulates post-prandial insulin secretion. Despite being able to mimic the effect of insulin, GLP1 has not been the target drug in diabetes treatment due to the peptide's metabolic instability. After a decade-long effort to improve the pharmacokinetics of GLP1, a number of GLP1 analogues are currently available on the market. The current Minireview does not discuss these drugs but presents strategies that were undertaken to address the weaknesses of the native GLP1, particularly drug delivery techniques used in developing GLP1 nanoparticles and modified GLP1 molecule. The article highlights how each of the selected preparations has improved the efficacy of GLP1, and more importantly, through an overview of these studies, it will provide an insight into strategies that may be adopted in the future in the development of a more effective oral GLP1 formulation.
    MeSH terms: Blood Glucose; Cause of Death; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Hyperglycemia; Insulin; Drug Delivery Systems; Developed Countries; Insulin-Secreting Cells; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; Nanoparticles; Insulin, Regular, Human
  8. Long-term impact of biochar on the immobilisation of nickel (II) and zinc (II) and the revegetation of a contaminated site
    Shen Z, Som AM, Wang F, Jin F, McMillan O, Al-Tabbaa A
    Sci Total Environ, 2016 Jan 15;542(Pt A):771-6.
    PMID: 26551277 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.10.057
    A field remediation treatment was carried out to examine the long-term effect of biochar on the immobilisation of metals and the revegetation of a contaminated site in Castleford, UK. The extracted concentrations of nickel (Ni) (II) and zinc (Zn) (II) in the carbonic acid leaching tests were reduced by 83-98% over three years. The extracted Ni (II) and Zn (II) concentrations three years after the treatment were comparable to a cement-based treatment study carried out in a parallel manner on the same site. The sequential extraction results indicated that biochar addition (0.5-2%) increased the residue fractions of Ni (II) (from 51% to 61-66%) and Zn (II) (from 7% to 27-35%) in the soils through competitive sorption, which may have resulted in the reduction of leachabilities of Ni (II) (from 0.35% to 0.12-0.15%) and Zn (II) (from 0.12% to 0.01%) in the plots with biochar compared with that without biochar three years after the treatment. The germination of grass in the plots on site failed. Further laboratory pot study suggested that larger amounts of biochar (5% or more) and compost (5% or more) were needed for the success of revegetation on this site. This study suggests the effectiveness and potential of biochar application in immobilising heavy metals in contaminated site in the long term.
    MeSH terms: Carbonic Acid; Charcoal; Poaceae; Nickel; Soil; Time; Zinc; Germination; Metals, Heavy
  9. Fulltext A leadless intracardiac transcatheter pacing system
    Reynolds D, Duray GZ, Omar R, Soejima K, Neuzil P, Zhang S, et al.
    N Engl J Med, 2016 Feb 11;374(6):533-41.
    PMID: 26551877 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1511643
    BACKGROUND: A leadless intracardiac transcatheter pacing system has been designed to avoid the need for a pacemaker pocket and transvenous lead.
    METHODS: In a prospective multicenter study without controls, a transcatheter pacemaker was implanted in patients who had guideline-based indications for ventricular pacing. The analysis of the primary end points began when 300 patients reached 6 months of follow-up. The primary safety end point was freedom from system-related or procedure-related major complications. The primary efficacy end point was the percentage of patients with low and stable pacing capture thresholds at 6 months (≤2.0 V at a pulse width of 0.24 msec and an increase of ≤1.5 V from the time of implantation). The safety and efficacy end points were evaluated against performance goals (based on historical data) of 83% and 80%, respectively. We also performed a post hoc analysis in which the rates of major complications were compared with those in a control cohort of 2667 patients with transvenous pacemakers from six previously published studies.
    RESULTS: The device was successfully implanted in 719 of 725 patients (99.2%). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the rate of the primary safety end point was 96.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.9 to 97.3; P<0.001 for the comparison with the safety performance goal of 83%); there were 28 major complications in 25 of 725 patients, and no dislodgements. The rate of the primary efficacy end point was 98.3% (95% CI, 96.1 to 99.5; P<0.001 for the comparison with the efficacy performance goal of 80%) among 292 of 297 patients with paired 6-month data. Although there were 28 major complications in 25 patients, patients with transcatheter pacemakers had significantly fewer major complications than did the control patients (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.75; P=0.001).
    CONCLUSIONS: In this historical comparison study, the transcatheter pacemaker met the prespecified safety and efficacy goals; it had a safety profile similar to that of a transvenous system while providing low and stable pacing thresholds. (Funded by Medtronic; Micra Transcatheter Pacing Study ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02004873.).
    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Arrhythmias, Cardiac/therapy*; Electrodes, Implanted; Equipment Design; Equipment Safety; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Young Adult
  10. Divergence of the dengue virus type 2 Cosmopolitan genotype associated with two predominant serotype shifts between 1 and 2 in Surabaya, Indonesia, 2008-2014
    Kotaki T, Yamanaka A, Mulyatno KC, Churrotin S, Sucipto TH, Labiqah A, et al.
    Infect Genet Evol, 2016 Jan;37:88-93.
    PMID: 26553170 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2015.11.002
    Indonesia is one of the biggest dengue endemic countries, and, thus, is an important place to investigate the evolution of dengue virus (DENV). We have continuously isolated DENV in Surabaya, the second biggest city in Indonesia, since 2008. We previously reported sequential changes in the predominant serotype from DENV type 2 (DENV-2) to DENV type 1 (DENV-1) in November 2008 and from DENV-1 to DENV-2 in July 2013. The predominance of DENV-2 continued in 2014, but not in 2015. We herein phylogenetically investigated DENV-2 transitions in Surabaya between 2008 and 2014 to analyze the divergence and evolution of DENV-2 concomitant with serotype shifts. All DENV-2 isolated in Surabaya were classified into the Cosmopolitan genotype, and further divided into 6 clusters. Clusters 1-3, dominated by Surabaya strains, were defined as the "Surabaya lineage". Clusters 4-6, dominated by strains from Singapore, Malaysia, and many parts of Indonesia, were the "South East Asian lineage". The most recent common ancestor of these strains existed in 1988, coinciding with the time that an Indonesian dengue outbreak took place. Cluster 1 appeared to be unique because no other DENV-2 isolate was included in this cluster. The predominance of DENV-2 in 2008 and 2013-14 were caused by cluster 1, whereas clusters 2 and 3 sporadically emerged in 2011 and 2012. The characteristic amino acids of cluster 1, E-170V and E-282Y, may be responsible for its prevalence in Surabaya. No amino acid difference was observed in the envelope region between strains in 2008 and 2013-14, suggesting that the re-emergence of DENV-2 in Surabaya was due to the loss or decrease of herd immunity in the 5-year period when DENV-2 subsided. The South East Asian lineage primarily emerged in Surabaya in 2014, probably imported from other parts of Indonesia or foreign countries.
    MeSH terms: Dengue/epidemiology*; Dengue/virology; Dengue Virus/classification*; Dengue Virus/genetics*; Dengue Virus/isolation & purification; Genotype; Humans; Indonesia/epidemiology; Phylogeny; RNA, Viral/genetics*; Evolution, Molecular; Phylogeography; Serogroup
  11. Thromboembolism and anticoagulation management in the preterm infant
    Rajagopal R, Cheah FC, Monagle P
    Semin Fetal Neonatal Med, 2016 Feb;21(1):50-6.
    PMID: 26553525 DOI: 10.1016/j.siny.2015.10.005
    The incidence of preterm thromboembolism has been increasing due to advances in diagnostic imaging which allow better detection of thrombi in sick preterm infants. At the same time, improvement in neonatal intensive care unit supportive care has increased the number of surviving and living preterm infants with thromboembolic risk factors. Disruption in the fine balance of hemostasis with potential risk factors, specifically septicemia and indwelling catheters, increase the occurrence of thromboembolic events. Treatment strategies in preterm infants are challenging due to limited data.
  12. Aging in Multi-ethnic Malaysia
    Tey NP, Siraj SB, Kamaruzzaman SB, Chin AV, Tan MP, Sinnappan GS, et al.
    Gerontologist, 2016 08;56(4):603-9.
    PMID: 26553738 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnv153
    Multiethnic Malaysia provides a unique case study of divergence in population aging of different sociocultural subgroups within a country. Malaysia represents 3 major ethnicities in Asia-the Malay, Chinese, and Indian. The 3 ethnic groups are at different stages of population aging, as they have undergone demographic transition at different pace amidst rapid social and economic changes. Between 1991 and 2010, the Malaysian population aged 60 and over has more than doubled from about 1 million to 2.2 million, and this is projected to rise to about 7 million or 17.6% of the projected population of 40 million by 2040. In 2010, the aging index ranged from 22.8% among the Bumiputera (Malays and other indigenous groups), to 31.4% among the Indians and 55.0% among the Chinese. Population aging provides great challenges for Malaysia's social and economic development. The increasing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases in older adults, coupled with the erosion of the traditional family support system has increased demands on health care services with an overwhelming need for multidisciplinary and specialized geriatric care. Following the adoption of the National Policy for the Elderly in 1995, issues of population aging have gained increasing attention, especially among researchers. There is an urgent need to increase public awareness, develop infrastructure, as well as support action oriented research that will directly translate to comprehensive and cohesive social strategies, policies, and legislation to protect not just the current older Malaysians but the future of all Malaysians.
    MeSH terms: Aged; China/ethnology; Ethnic Groups*; Health Policy*; Health Services for the Aged*; Humans; India/ethnology; Malaysia/epidemiology; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Population Dynamics; Socioeconomic Factors; Urbanization; European Continental Ancestry Group; Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
  13. Three new species of Physalacria from China, with a key to the Asian taxa
    Qin J, Yang ZL
    Mycologia, 2016 Jan-Feb;108(1):215-26.
    PMID: 26553778 DOI: 10.3852/15-166
    Three new and one previously described species of Physalacria (Physalacriaceae, Agaricales) are reported from China. Specimens of two additional species described from Malaysia and North America were studied for comparison. Placements of these species were corroborated based on morphological observations and molecular evidence from partial sequences of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) and the 28S D1-D3 region, and genes for translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1α) and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2). These new species of Physalacria distributed in subtropical China were found on rotten wood of broadleaf trees or bamboo and possess stipitate-capitate basidiomata with four-spored basidia, clamp connections and smooth, inamyloid basidiospores. To facilitate studies of the genus in Asia, a key is provided for all Physalacria species reported from this region.
    MeSH terms: Agaricales/classification*; Agaricales/cytology; Agaricales/genetics; Base Sequence; China; DNA, Fungal/genetics; DNA, Fungal/chemistry; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Spores, Fungal; Sequence Analysis, DNA; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/chemistry; Fruiting Bodies, Fungal
  14. Fulltext InterRNA: a database of base interactions in RNA structures
    Appasamy SD, Hamdani HY, Ramlan EI, Firdaus-Raih M
    Nucleic Acids Res, 2016 Jan 4;44(D1):D266-71.
    PMID: 26553798 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1186
    A major component of RNA structure stabilization are the hydrogen bonded interactions between the base residues. The importance and biological relevance for large clusters of base interactions can be much more easily investigated when their occurrences have been systematically detected, catalogued and compared. In this paper, we describe the database InterRNA (INTERactions in RNA structures database-http://mfrlab.org/interrna/) that contains records of known RNA 3D motifs as well as records for clusters of bases that are interconnected by hydrogen bonds. The contents of the database were compiled from RNA structural annotations carried out by the NASSAM (http://mfrlab.org/grafss/nassam) and COGNAC (http://mfrlab.org/grafss/cognac) computer programs. An analysis of the database content and comparisons with the existing corpus of knowledge regarding RNA 3D motifs clearly show that InterRNA is able to provide an extension of the annotations for known motifs as well as able to provide novel interactions for further investigations.
    MeSH terms: Hydrogen Bonding; Nucleic Acid Conformation; RNA/chemistry*; Databases, Nucleic Acid*; Molecular Sequence Annotation
  15. Fulltext Gender-Specific Molecular and Clinical Features Underlie Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
    De Rienzo A, Archer MA, Yeap BY, Dao N, Sciaranghella D, Sideris AC, et al.
    Cancer Res, 2016 Jan 15;76(2):319-28.
    PMID: 26554828 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-0751
    Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer that occurs more frequently in men, but is associated with longer survival in women. Insight into the survival advantage of female patients may advance the molecular understanding of MPM and identify therapeutic interventions that will improve the prognosis for all MPM patients. In this study, we performed whole-genome sequencing of tumor specimens from 10 MPM patients and matched control samples to identify potential driver mutations underlying MPM. We identified molecular differences associated with gender and histology. Specifically, single-nucleotide variants of BAP1 were observed in 21% of cases, with lower mutation rates observed in sarcomatoid MPM (P < 0.001). Chromosome 22q loss was more frequently associated with the epithelioid than that nonepitheliod histology (P = 0.037), whereas CDKN2A deletions occurred more frequently in nonepithelioid subtypes among men (P = 0.021) and were correlated with shorter overall survival for the entire cohort (P = 0.002) and for men (P = 0.012). Furthermore, women were more likely to harbor TP53 mutations (P = 0.004). Novel mutations were found in genes associated with the integrin-linked kinase pathway, including MYH9 and RHOA. Moreover, expression levels of BAP1, MYH9, and RHOA were significantly higher in nonepithelioid tumors, and were associated with significant reduction in survival of the entire cohort and across gender subgroups. Collectively, our findings indicate that diverse mechanisms highly related to gender and histology appear to drive MPM.
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms/genetics*; Lung Neoplasms/pathology; Male; Mesothelioma/genetics*; Mesothelioma/pathology; Middle Aged; Pleural Neoplasms/genetics*; Pleural Neoplasms/pathology; Sex Factors; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics; Case-Control Studies; Young Adult
  16. Fulltext A pathogenic role for tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
    Haw TJ, Starkey MR, Nair PM, Pavlidis S, Liu G, Nguyen DH, et al.
    Mucosal Immunol, 2016 Jul;9(4):859-72.
    PMID: 26555706 DOI: 10.1038/mi.2015.111
    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a life-threatening inflammatory respiratory disorder, often induced by cigarette smoke (CS) exposure. The development of effective therapies is impaired by a lack of understanding of the underlining mechanisms. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a cytokine with inflammatory and apoptotic properties. We interrogated a mouse model of CS-induced experimental COPD and human tissues to identify a novel role for TRAIL in COPD pathogenesis. CS exposure of wild-type mice increased TRAIL and its receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and protein levels, as well as the number of TRAIL(+)CD11b(+) monocytes in the lung. TRAIL and its receptor mRNA were also increased in human COPD. CS-exposed TRAIL-deficient mice had decreased pulmonary inflammation, pro-inflammatory mediators, emphysema-like alveolar enlargement, and improved lung function. TRAIL-deficient mice also developed spontaneous small airway changes with increased epithelial cell thickness and collagen deposition, independent of CS exposure. Importantly, therapeutic neutralization of TRAIL, after the establishment of early-stage experimental COPD, reduced pulmonary inflammation, emphysema-like alveolar enlargement, and small airway changes. These data provide further evidence for TRAIL being a pivotal inflammatory factor in respiratory diseases, and the first preclinical evidence to suggest that therapeutic agents that target TRAIL may be effective in COPD therapy.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Humans; Inflammation/immunology*; Lung/immunology*; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Monocytes/immunology*; RNA, Messenger/genetics*; Smoking/adverse effects; Up-Regulation; Apoptosis; Mice, Knockout; Inflammation Mediators/metabolism; Respiratory Mucosa/physiology*; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/immunology*; Mice; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/genetics; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/metabolism*
  17. Optimization of Manganese Reduction in Biotreated POME onto 3A Molecular Sieve and Clinoptilolite Zeolites
    Jami MS, Rosli NS, Amosa MK
    Water Environ Res, 2016 Jun;88(6):566-76.
    PMID: 26556067 DOI: 10.2175/106143015X14362865227157
    Availability of quality-certified water is pertinent to the production of food and pharmaceutical products. Adverse effects of manganese content of water on the corrosion of vessels and reactors necessitate that process water is scrutinized for allowable concentration levels before being applied in the production processes. In this research, optimization of the adsorption process conditions germane to the removal of manganese from biotreated palm oil mill effluent (BPOME) using zeolite 3A subsequent to a comparative adsorption with clinoptilolite was studied. A face-centered central composite design (FCCCD) of the response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted for the study. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for response surface quadratic model revealed that the model was significant with dosage and agitation speed connoting the main significant process factors for the optimization. R(2) of 0.9478 yielded by the model was in agreement with predicted R(2). Langmuir and pseudo-second-order suggest the adsorption mechanism involved monolayer adsorption and cation exchanging.
    MeSH terms: Adsorption; Analysis of Variance; Cations; Corrosion; Manganese; Water; Zeolites; Water Quality
  18. Monashia flava gen. nov., sp. nov., an actinobacterium of the family Intrasporangiaceae
    Azman AS, Zainal N, Mutalib NA, Yin WF, Chan KG, Lee LH
    Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2016 Feb;66(2):554-561.
    PMID: 26556816 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.000753
    A novel actinobacterial strain, MUSC 78T, was isolated from a mangrove soil collected from Peninsular Malaysia. The taxonomic status of this strain was determined using a polyphasic approach. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain MUSC 78T represented a novel lineage within the class Actinobacteria. Strain MUSC 78T formed a distinct clade in the family Intrasporangiaceae and was related most closely to members of the genera Terrabacter (98.3-96.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Intrasporangium (98.2-96.8 %), Humibacillus (97.2 %), Janibacter (97.0-95.3 %), Terracoccus (96.8 %), Kribbia (96.6 %), Phycicoccus (96.2-94.7 %), Knoellia (96.1-94.8 %), Tetrasphaera (96.0-94.9 %) and Lapillicoccus (95.9 %). Cells were irregular rod-shaped or cocci and stained Gram-positive. The cell-wall peptidoglycan type was A3γ, with ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The main cell-wall sugar was mannose and lower amounts of galactose and rhamnose were present. The predominant menaquinone was MK-8(H4). The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphoglycolipid. The predominant fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The DNA G+C content was 73.1 mol%. Based on this polyphasic study, MUSC 78T exhibited phylogenetic and phenotypic differences from members of the genera of the family Intrasporangiaceae, and therefore a novel species of a new genus, Monashia flava gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain of Monashia flava is MUSC 78T ( = DSM 29621T = MCCC 1K00454T = NBRC 110749T).
    MeSH terms: Base Composition; Cardiolipins; Diaminopimelic Acid; Fatty Acids; Galactose; Mannose; Peptidoglycan; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Phosphatidylinositols; Phylogeny; Rhamnose; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Soil; Vitamin K 2
  19. Fulltext Is hardship during migration a determinant of HIV infection? Results from the ANRS PARCOURS study of sub-Saharan African migrants in France
    Desgrees-du-Lou A, Pannetier J, Ravalihasy A, Le Guen M, Gosselin A, Panjo H, et al.
    AIDS, 2016 Feb 20;30(4):645-56.
    PMID: 26558722 DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000000957
    In Europe, sub-Saharan African migrants are a key population for HIV infection. We analyse how social hardships during settlement in France shape sexual partnerships and HIV risk.
    MeSH terms: Africa, Northern; Europe; France; Sexual Partners; Transients and Migrants; HIV Infections; Africa South of the Sahara
  20. Effects of dietary supplementation of selenium and iodine on growth performance, carcass characteristics and histology of thyroid gland in goats
    Aghwan ZA, Sazili AQ, Kadhim KK, Alimon AR, Goh YM, Adeyemi KD
    Anim Sci J, 2016 May;87(5):690-6.
    PMID: 26560071 DOI: 10.1111/asj.12484
    This study assessed the effects of dietary selenium (Se), iodine (I) and a combination of both on growth performance, thyroid gland activity, carcass characteristics and the concentration of iodine and selenium in Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle in goats. Twenty-four bucks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: control (CON), basal diet without supplementation, basal diet + 0.6 mg Se/kg dry matter (DM) (SS), 0.6 mg I/kg DM (IP), or combination of 0.6 mg/kg DM Se and 0.6 mg/kg DM I (SSIP) and fed for 100 days. Animals fed diet SSIP exhibited higher (P < 0.05) body weight and better feed conversion ratio (FCR) than those fed other diets. Dressing percentage of goats fed the supplemented diets was higher (P < 0.05) than that of the control. Carcasses from the IP group had higher (P < 0.05) total fat proportion than the SSIP group. The levels of both elements were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in LL muscle in supplemented goats. Thyroid follicular epithelial cells of IP and SSIP animals were significantly higher than those of CON and SS groups. The study demonstrated that the combined Se and I dietary supplementation improves growth performance, carcass dressing percentage and increases the retention of Se and I in goat meat.
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