Browse publications by year: 2016

Fulltext Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Enhance Salinity Stress Tolerance in Okra through ROS-Scavenging Enzymes

Habib SH, Kausar H, Saud HM

Biomed Res Int, 2016;2016:6284547.
PMID: 26951880 DOI: 10.1155/2016/6284547

Salinity is a major environmental stress that limits crop production worldwide. In this study, we characterized plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase and examined their effect on salinity stress tolerance in okra through the induction of ROS-scavenging enzyme activity. PGPR inoculated okra plants exhibited higher germination percentage, growth parameters, and chlorophyll content than control plants. Increased antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, APX, and CAT) and upregulation of ROS pathway genes (CAT, APX, GR, and DHAR) were observed in PGPR inoculated okra plants under salinity stress. With some exceptions, inoculation with Enterobacter sp. UPMR18 had a significant influence on all tested parameters under salt stress, as compared to other treatments. Thus, the ACC deaminase-containing PGPR isolate Enterobacter sp. UPMR18 could be an effective bioresource for enhancing salt tolerance and growth of okra plants under salinity stress.
Training in dialysis access - charting future success

Davidson I, Dolmatch B, Gallieni M, Ho P, Kraines K, Liew NC, et al.

J Vasc Access, 2016 Mar 7;17 Suppl 1:47-52.
PMID: 26951904 DOI: 10.5301/jva.5000528

Medical education and training in dialysis access skills remains complex and inadequate as learners come from diverse backgrounds and from various specialties so that appropriate training is limited. As a result, a system of progressive education including live lectures, and hands on training has emerged, but there is controversy as to what constitutes the best educational model.
Fulltext Vitamin D level and its association with adiposity among multi-ethnic adults in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: a cross sectional study

Shafinaz IS, Moy FM

BMC Public Health, 2016 Mar 07;16:232.
PMID: 26951992 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-2924-1

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in both temperate as well as tropical countries. Obesity is one of the factors contributing to vitamin D deficiency. As our country has a high prevalence of overweight and obesity, we aimed to study serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and its association with adiposity using various adiposity indicators; and to study other risk factors that affect serum 25(OH)D level among multi-ethnic adults in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted with a multistage sampling. All permanent teachers working in government secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur were invited for the study. The data collection included serum 25(OH)D, Parathyroid Hormone (PTH), body fat percentage, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure. Demographic characteristics, sun avoidance, sun exposure and physical activity were enquired from the participants using a self-administered questionnaire. The data was analyzed using a complex sample analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 858 participants were recruited. Majority of them were Malays, females and had tertiary education. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml) was 67.4 %. Indian participants (80.9 %) had the highest proportion of vitamin D deficiency, followed by Malays (75.6 %), others (44.9 %) and Chinese (25.1 %). There was a significant negative association between serum 25(OH)D level with BMI (β = -0.23) and body fat percentage (β = -0.14). In the multivariate linear regression analysis, Malays, Indians and females (p

MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethnic Groups/statistics & numerical data*; Female; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Skin Pigmentation; Vitamin D/analogs & derivatives*; Vitamin D/blood; Vitamin D Deficiency/ethnology*; Prevalence; Sex Distribution; Adiposity/ethnology*
Fulltext Biotin-Streptavidin Competition Mediates Sensitive Detection of Biomolecules in Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Lakshmipriya T, Gopinath SC, Tang TH

PLoS One, 2016;11(3):e0151153.
PMID: 26954237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151153

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) is the gold standard assay for detecting and identifying biomolecules using antibodies as the probe. Improving ELISA is crucial for detecting disease-causing agents and facilitating diagnosis at the early stages of disease. Biotinylated antibody and streptavidin-conjugated horse radish peroxide (streptavidin-HRP) often are used with ELISA to enhance the detection of various kinds of targets. In the present study, we used a competition-based strategy in which we pre-mixed free biotin with streptavidin-HRP to generate high-performance system, as free biotin occupies some of the biotin binding sites on streptavidin, thereby providing more chances for streptavidin-HRP to bind with biotinylated antibody. ESAT-6, which is a protein secreted early during tuberculosis infection, was used as the model target. We found that 8 fM of free biotin mixed with streptavidin-HRP anchored the higher detection level of ESAT-6 by four-fold compared with detection without free biotin (only streptavidin-HRP), and the limit of detection of the new method was 250 pM. These results suggest that biotin-streptavidin competition can be used to improve the diagnosis of analytes in other types of sensors.

MeSH terms: Antibodies; Antigens, Bacterial/immunology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods*; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/standards; Humans; Sensitivity and Specificity
Fulltext An Efficacious Multi-Objective Fuzzy Linear Programming Approach for Optimal Power Flow Considering Distributed Generation

Warid W, Hizam H, Mariun N, Abdul-Wahab NI

PLoS One, 2016;11(3):e0149589.
PMID: 26954783 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149589

This paper proposes a new formulation for the multi-objective optimal power flow (MOOPF) problem for meshed power networks considering distributed generation. An efficacious multi-objective fuzzy linear programming optimization (MFLP) algorithm is proposed to solve the aforementioned problem with and without considering the distributed generation (DG) effect. A variant combination of objectives is considered for simultaneous optimization, including power loss, voltage stability, and shunt capacitors MVAR reserve. Fuzzy membership functions for these objectives are designed with extreme targets, whereas the inequality constraints are treated as hard constraints. The multi-objective fuzzy optimal power flow (OPF) formulation was converted into a crisp OPF in a successive linear programming (SLP) framework and solved using an efficient interior point method (IPM). To test the efficacy of the proposed approach, simulations are performed on the IEEE 30-busand IEEE 118-bus test systems. The MFLP optimization is solved for several optimization cases. The obtained results are compared with those presented in the literature. A unique solution with a high satisfaction for the assigned targets is gained. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MFLP technique in terms of solution optimality and rapid convergence. Moreover, the results indicate that using the optimal DG location with the MFLP algorithm provides the solution with the highest quality.

MeSH terms: Algorithms; Personal Satisfaction; Programming, Linear; Socioeconomic Factors; Cohort Effect; Physical Phenomena
Fulltext Myeloma Associated Primary Systemic Amyloidosis

Kamal WS, Taib T, Noor NM, Jong TJ

Indian J Dermatol, 2016 Jan-Feb;61(1):124.
PMID: 26955151 DOI: 10.4103/0019-5154.174166
Fulltext Failure to replicate the internal structure of Greek-specific thalassemia quality of life instrument in adult thalassemia patients in Sabah

Keowmani T, Lee LW

Patient Prefer Adherence, 2016;10:205-11.
PMID: 26955264 DOI: 10.2147/PPA.S96880

PURPOSE: To study the validity and reliability of the Malay version of the Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument (STQOLI) in Sabah's adult thalassemia patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was done at Thalassemia Treatment Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Sabah, Malaysia. Eighty-two adult thalassemia patients who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were conveniently selected for participation in the study. The English version of STQOLI was translated into Malay by using forward and back translations. The content of the questionnaire was validated by the chief hematologist of the hospital. The construct validity of the 40-item questionnaire was assessed by principal component analysis with varimax rotation and the scale reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha.
RESULTS: The study failed to replicate the internal structure of the Greek STQOLI. Instead, 12 factors have been identified from the exploratory factor analysis, which accounted for 72.2% of the variance. However, only eight factors were interpretable. The factors were iron chelation pump impact, transfusion impact, time spent on treatment and its impact on work and social life, sex life, side effects of treatment, cardiovascular problems, psychology, and iron chelation pill impact. The overall scale reliability was 0.913.
CONCLUSION: This study was unable to replicate the internal structure of the Greek STQOLI in Sabah's adult thalassemia patients. Instead, a new structure has emerged that can be used as a guide to develop a questionnaire specific for adult thalassemia patients in Sabah. Future research should focus on the eight factors identified from this study.
KEYWORDS: Malay; STQOLI; reliability; transfusion; validity

MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Factor VIII; Factor XII; Greece; Humans; Iron; Malaysia; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Rotation; Thalassemia; Translating; Translations; Reproducibility of Results; Principal Component Analysis
Fulltext Pathogenesis and Diagnostic Approaches of Avian Infectious Bronchitis

Bande F, Arshad SS, Omar AR, Bejo MH, Abubakar MS, Abba Y

Adv Virol, 2016;2016:4621659.
PMID: 26955391 DOI: 10.1155/2016/4621659

Infectious bronchitis (IB) is one of the major economically important poultry diseases distributed worldwide. It is caused by infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and affects both galliform and nongalliform birds. Its economic impact includes decreased egg production and poor egg quality in layers, stunted growth, poor carcass weight, and mortality in broiler chickens. Although primarily affecting the respiratory tract, IBV demonstrates a wide range of tissues tropism, including the renal and reproductive systems. Thus, disease outcome may be influenced by the organ or tissue involved as well as pathotypes or strain of the infecting virus. Knowledge on the epidemiology of the prevalent IBV strains in a particular region is therefore important to guide control and preventions. Meanwhile previous diagnostic methods such as serology and virus isolations are less sensitive and time consuming, respectively; current methods, such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), and sequencing, offer highly sensitive, rapid, and accurate diagnostic results, thus enabling the genotyping of new viral strains within the shortest possible time. This review discusses aspects on pathogenesis and diagnostic methods for IBV infection.
Systematic review of red yeast rice compared with simvastatin in dyslipidaemia

Ong YC, Aziz Z

J Clin Pharm Ther, 2016 Apr;41(2):170-9.
PMID: 26956355 DOI: 10.1111/jcpt.12374

Red yeast rice is believed to be a useful alternative in the management of dyslipidaemia. However, the comparative effectiveness of red yeast rice and simvastatin for the management of dyslipidaemia is unknown. This review assesses the efficacy and safety of red yeast rice versus simvastatin in dyslipidaemia.

MeSH terms: Biological Products; Simvastatin; Dyslipidemias
Inhibitory cueing effects following manual and saccadic responses to arrow cues

Ding Y, He T, Satel J, Wang Z

Atten Percept Psychophys, 2016 05;78(4):1020-9.
PMID: 26956560 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-016-1079-6

With two cueing tasks, in the present study we examined output-based inhibitory cueing effects (ICEs) with manual responses to arrow targets following manual or saccadic responses to arrow cues. In all experiments, ICEs were observed when manual localization responses were required to both the cues and targets, but only when the cue-target onset asynchrony (CTOA) was 2,000 ms or longer. In contrast, when saccadic responses were made in response to the cues, ICEs were only observed with CTOAs of 2,000 ms or less-and only when an auditory cue-back signal was used. The present study also showed that the magnitude of ICEs following saccadic responses to arrow cues decreased with time, much like traditional inhibition-of-return effects. The magnitude of ICEs following manual responses to arrow cues, however, appeared later in time and had no sign of decreasing even 3 s after cue onset. These findings suggest that ICEs linked to skeletomotor activation do exist and that the ICEs evoked by oculomotor activation can carry over to the skeletomotor system.

MeSH terms: Cues*; Female; Humans; Inhibition (Psychology)*; Male; Psychomotor Performance/physiology*; Reaction Time/physiology; Saccades/physiology*; Young Adult; Healthy Volunteers
Fulltext Myeloid sarcoma: An unusual and rare laryngeal presentation

Tan SN, Gendeh HS, Sani A, Mat-Baki M

Int J Surg Case Rep, 2016;21:99-103.
PMID: 26957189 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2016.02.012

Myeloid Sarcoma (MS) or Granulocytic Sarcoma is an uncommon laryngeal malignancy. It may arise from myelodysplastic syndromes, malignancy or de novo. Presentation in the larynx is rare and some may present with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) whereby the later may be asymptomatic.
Fulltext Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences

Jamshed SQ

J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2016 Jan-Mar;8(1):1.
PMID: 26957861 DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.173860
Fulltext Knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicines among pharmacy students of a Malaysian public university

Jamshed SQ, Khan MU, Ahmad A, Elkalmi RM

J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2016 3 10;8(1):34-8.
PMID: 26957866 DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.171686

BACKGROUND: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is consistently on the rise worldwide. Consumers often consider pharmacists as a major source of information about CAM products and their safety. Due to the limitation of data, it is worth exploring the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of pharmacy students toward CAM.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of pharmacy students regarding the use of CAM in Malaysia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 3 months among Bachelor of Pharmacy students in a public sector University of Malaysia. A pretested, self-administered questionnaire, comprised four sections, was used to collect the data from 440 participants. Descriptive analysis was used, and Chi-square test was used to test the association between dependent and independent variables.
RESULTS: Of 440 questionnaire distributed, 287 were returned giving a response rate of (65.2%). The results showed that 38.6% participants gave correct answers when asked about the use of herbal products with digoxin. Majority of the participants were knowledgeable about supplementary therapy (25.3%) while the lack of knowledge was mostly evident in traditional Chinese medicines (73.7%). Majority of the students were either neutral (49.5%) or disagreed that (42.8%) CAM use is unsafe. Females were more in disagreement to the statements than males (P = 0.007). Majority of students also agreed to use CAM therapies for their health and well-being (51.2%).
CONCLUSION: The study revealed that pharmacy students did not have adequate knowledge of CAM though their attitudes and perceptions were relatively positive.

MeSH terms: Complementary Therapies*; Attitude; Cross-Sectional Studies; Digoxin; Female; Malaysia; Male; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Perception; Pharmacists; Surveys and Questionnaires; Students, Pharmacy; Universities; Public Sector
Fulltext A cross-sectional assessment of health-related quality of life among type 2 diabetic patients in Pakistan

Nazir SU, Hassali MA, Saleem F, Bashir S, Hashmi F, Aljadhey H

J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2016 Jan-Mar;8(1):64-8.
PMID: 26957872 DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.171734

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) profile of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) population attending outpatient clinics in Sargodha City, Pakistan.
METHODS: The study was designed as a cross-sectional descriptive survey. T2DM patients attending a tertiary care institute in Sargodha, Pakistan were targeted for the study. The EuroQol EQ-5D was used for the assessment of HRQoL and was scored using values derived from the UK general population survey. Descriptive statistics were used for the elaboration of sociodemographic characteristics. The Chi-square test was used to depict the possible association between study variables and HRQoL. Where significant associations were noted, Phi/Cramer's V was used for data interpretation accordingly. SPSS version 21 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analysis and P < 0.05 was taken as significant.
RESULTS: Three hundred and ninety-two patients were approached for the study. The cohort was dominated by males (n = 222, 56.60%) with 5.58 ± 4.09 years of history of T2DM. The study highlighted poor HRQoL among the study participants (0.471 ± 0.336). Gender, marital status, education, monthly income, occupation, location and duration of the disease were reported to be significantly associated with HRQoL (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: T2DM imposes a negative effect on HRQoL of the patients. Attention is needed to highlight determinants of HRQoL and to implement policies for better management of T2DM, particularly in early treatment phases where improving HRQoL is still possible.
KEYWORDS: EQ-5D; Pakistan; health-related quality of life; type 2 diabetes mellitus

MeSH terms: Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2*; Hospitals; Humans; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; Pakistan; Quality of Life*
Fulltext Effectiveness of posthemodialysis administration of pregabalin (75 mg) in treatment resistance uremia pruritus

Khan TM, Aziz A, Suleiman AK

J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2016 3 10;8(1):74-6.
PMID: 26957874 DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.171736

Uremic pruritus (UP) is one of the complications faced by majority of the patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Due to complex pathophysiology of UP, most of the anti-inflammatory and tropical lubricants often not provide a long lasting control over pruritus. Recently the uses of certain anti-epileptics are found to demonstrate promising relief to UP. To test the effect of 75 mg pregabalin in patients with treatment resistance pruritus. Data was prospectively collected from a patient with ESRD and suffering from treatment resistance pruritus. Intensity of pruritus was recorded using 5D-itching scale (5D-IS) and visual analogue scale (VAS). Pre and post assessment was done for this patient, on initial assess the parathyroid hormone level of the patient was 70.5 pg/ml with a serum phosphate level of 2.61 mmol/L. Upon initial assess the VAS score was 8 and 5D-IS score was twenty. After the duration of four weeks of pregabalin 75 mg post hemodialysis, 5D-IS score reduced to 8 and VAS score move down to 3. Pregabalin 75 mg post hemodialysis was found to reduce the intensity of UP. Pregabalin 75 mg post hemodialysis can be another option to treat UP.

MeSH terms: Pregabalin; Anticonvulsants; Renal Dialysis; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Parathyroid Hormone; Phosphates; Pruritus; Lubricants; Visual Analog Scale
Investigating the Contextual Interference Effect Using Combination Sports Skills in Open and Closed Skill Environments

Cheong JP, Lay B, Razman R

J Sports Sci Med, 2016 Mar;15(1):167-75.
PMID: 26957940

This study attempted to present conditions that were closer to the real-world setting of team sports. The primary purpose was to examine the effects of blocked, random and game-based training practice schedules on the learning of the field hockey trap, close dribble and push pass that were practiced in combination. The secondary purpose was to investigate the effects of predictability of the environment on the learning of field hockey sport skills according to different practice schedules. A game-based training protocol represented a form of random practice in an unstable environment and was compared against a blocked and a traditional random practice schedule. In general, all groups improved dribble and push accuracy performance during the acquisition phase when assessed in a closed environment. In the retention phase, there were no differences between the three groups. When assessed in an open skills environment, all groups improved their percentage of successful executions for trapping and passing execution, and improved total number of attempts and total number of successful executions for both dribbling and shooting execution. Between-group differences were detected for dribbling execution with the game-based group scoring a higher number of dribbling successes. The CI effect did not emerge when practicing and assessing multiple sport skills in a closed skill environment, even when the skills were practiced in combination. However, when skill assessment was conducted in a real-world situation, there appeared to be some support for the CI effect. Key pointsThe contextual interference effect was not supported when practicing several skills in combination when the sports skills were assessed in a closed skill environment.There appeared to be some support for the contextual interference effect when sports skills were assessed in an open skill environment, which were similar to a real game situation.A game-based training schedule can be used as an alternative practice schedule as it displayed superior learning compared to a blocked practice schedule when assessed by the game performance test (real-world setting). The game-based training schedule also matched the blocked and random practice schedules in the other tests.
Fulltext Bis[N-(2-hy-droxy-eth-yl)-N-iso-propyl-dithio-carbamato-κ(2) S,S'](piperazine-κN)cadmium: crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis

Safbri SA, Halim SN, Jotani MM, Tiekink ER

Acta Crystallogr E Crystallogr Commun, 2016 Feb 1;72(Pt 2):158-63.
PMID: 26958378 DOI: 10.1107/S2056989016000165

The title compound, [Cd(C6H12NOS2)2(C4H10N2)], features a distorted square-pyramidal coordination geometry about the central Cd(II) atom. The di-thio-carbamate ligands are chelating, forming similar Cd-S bond lengths and define the approximate basal plane. One of the N atoms of the piperazine mol-ecule, which adopts a chair conformation, occupies the apical site. In the crystal, supra-molecular layers propagating in the ac plane are formed via hy-droxy-O-H⋯O(hy-droxy), hy-droxy-O-H⋯N(terminal-piperazine) and coordinated-piperazine-N-H⋯O(hy-droxy) hydrogen bonds; the layers also feature methine-C-H⋯S inter-actions and S⋯S [3.3714 (10) Å] short contacts. The layers stack along the b-axis direction with very weak terminal-piperazine-N-H⋯O(hy-droxy) inter-actions between them. An evaluation of the Hirshfeld surfaces confirms the importance of inter-molecular inter-actions involving oxygen and sulfur atoms.

MeSH terms: Cadmium; Carbamates; Chelating Agents; Heterocyclic Compounds; Hydrogen Bonding; Ligands; Molecular Conformation; Oxygen; Sulfur
Fulltext Crystal structures of (2,2'-bipyridyl-κ(2) N,N')bis-[N,N-bis-(2-hydroxy-eth-yl)di-thio-carbamato-κ(2) S,S']zinc dihydrate and (2,2'-bipyridyl-κ(2) N,N')bis-[N-(2-hydroxy-eth-yl)-N-iso-propyl-dithio-carbamato-κ(2) S,S']zinc

Safbri SA, Halim SN, Tiekink ER

Acta Crystallogr E Crystallogr Commun, 2016 Feb 1;72(Pt 2):203-8.
PMID: 26958388 DOI: 10.1107/S2056989016000700

The common feature of the title compounds, [Zn(C5H10NO2S2)2(C10H8N2)]·2H2O, (I), and [Zn(C6H12NOS2)2(C10H8N2)], (II), is the location of the Zn(II) atoms on a twofold rotation axis. Further, each Zn(II) atom is chelated by two symmetry-equivalent and symmetrically coordinating di-thio-carbamate ligands and a 2,2'-bi-pyridine ligand. The resulting N2S4 coordination geometry is based on a highly distorted octa-hedron in each case. In the mol-ecular packing of (I), supra-molecular ladders mediated by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding are found whereby the uprights are defined by {⋯HO(water)⋯HO(hy-droxy)⋯} n chains parallel to the a axis and with the rungs defined by 'Zn[S2CN(CH2CH2)2]2'. The water mol-ecules connect the ladders into a supra-molecular layer parallel to the ab plane via water-O-H⋯S and pyridyl-C-H⋯O(water) inter-actions, with the connections between layers being of the type pyridyl-C-H⋯S. In (II), supra-molecular layers parallel to the ab plane are sustained by hy-droxy-O-H⋯S hydrogen bonds with connections between layers being of the type pyridyl-C-H⋯S.

MeSH terms: Carbamates; Chelating Agents; Hydrogen Bonding; Ligands; Pyridines; Rotation; Water; Zinc; Physical Phenomena
Fulltext 2-({[(Pyridin-1-ium-2-ylmeth-yl)carbamo-yl]form-amido}-meth-yl)pyridin-1-ium bis-(3,5-di-carb-oxy-benzoate): crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis

Jotani MM, Syed S, Halim SN, Tiekink ER

Acta Crystallogr E Crystallogr Commun, 2016 Feb 01;72(Pt 2):241-8.
PMID: 26958398 DOI: 10.1107/S2056989016000980

The asymmetric unit of the title salt, C14H16N4O2 (2+)·2C9H5O6 (-), comprises half a dication, being located about a centre of inversion, and one anion, in a general position. The central C4N2O2 group of atoms in the dication are almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.009 Å), and the carbonyl groups lie in an anti disposition to enable the formation of intra-molecular amide-N-H⋯O(carbon-yl) hydrogen bonds. To a first approximation, the pyridinium and amide N atoms lie to the same side of the mol-ecule [Npy-C-C-Namide torsion angle = 34.8 (2)°], and the anti pyridinium rings are approximately perpendicular to the central part of the mol-ecule [dihedral angle = 68.21 (8)°]. In the anion, one carboxyl-ate group is almost coplanar with the ring to which it is connected [Cben-Cben-Cq-O torsion angle = 2.0 (3)°], whereas the other carboxyl-ate and carb-oxy-lic acid groups are twisted out of the plane [torsion angles = 16.4 (3) and 15.3 (3)°, respectively]. In the crystal, anions assemble into layers parallel to (10-4) via hy-droxy-O-H⋯O(carbon-yl) and charge-assisted hy-droxy-O-H⋯O(carboxyl-ate) hydrogen bonds. The dications are linked into supra-molecular tapes by amide-N-H⋯O(amide) hydrogen bonds, and thread through the voids in the anionic layers, being connected by charge-assisted pyridinium-N-O(carboxyl-ate) hydrogen bonds, so that a three-dimensional architecture ensues. An analysis of the Hirshfeld surface points to the importance of O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding in the crystal structure.
Fulltext Short-term acute effects of gutkha chewing on heart rate variability among young adults: A cross-sectional study

Itagi AB, Arora D, Patil NA, Bailwad SA, Yunus GY, Goel A

Int J Appl Basic Med Res, 2016 Jan-Mar;6(1):45-9.
PMID: 26958522 DOI: 10.4103/2229-516X.174008

An increase in the consumption of smokeless tobacco has been noticed among high school, college students, and adults. Despite the antiquity and popularity of chewing tobacco in India, its effects have not been investigated systematically in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate acute effects of gutkha chewing on heart rate variability (HRV) among healthy young adults.

MeSH terms: Adult; Heart Rate; Humans; India; Mastication; Physiological Phenomena; Schools; Students; Tobacco, Smokeless; Young Adult

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