Browse publications by year: 2016

  1. Lee ST, Wong JE, Ong WW, Ismail MN, Deurenberg P, Poh BK
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2016 07;28(5 Suppl):21S-34S.
    PMID: 27026634 DOI: 10.1177/1010539516638155
    Children's physical activity has been correlated with child characteristics and social or physical environment. This study aimed to compare preschoolers' physical activity among various sociodemographic characteristics and to determine barriers, motivators, and environmental factors for active play. A total of 835 preschoolers were included in this analysis. Time spent on active play, quiet play, and screen time was reported by parents. Boys spent significantly more time on active play and screen time than girls. Time spent on quiet play was highest in East Coast Peninsular Malaysia and lowest in Sarawak. Some 40% of children achieved active play recommendation while 27% exceeded daily screen time recommendation. Most parents reported that their child played actively in the house area; and that the main barrier and motivator to active play were safety and child's enjoyment, respectively. These findings demonstrate that sociodemographic characteristics and environment should be considered in designing physical activity intervention programs.
    MESH: screen time
    MeSH terms: Child; Child, Preschool; Computers/utilization; Environment*; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Motivation*; Play and Playthings/psychology*; Residence Characteristics/statistics & numerical data; Safety; Sex Factors; Television/utilization; Time Factors; Exercise*; Guidelines as Topic; Guideline Adherence/statistics & numerical data
  2. Dilokthornsakul P, Thoopputra T, Patanaprateep O, Kongsakon R, Chaiyakunapruk N
    SAGE Open Med, 2016;4:2050312116637026.
    PMID: 27026801 DOI: 10.1177/2050312116637026
    BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine the impacts of medication adherence on hospitalization and direct healthcare cost in patients with schizophrenia in Thailand.
    METHODS: A retrospective study was undertaken. Patients with schizophrenia aged 18-65 years who visited a University hospital and received antipsychotics from April 2011 to October 2011 were included. Propensity score-adjusted logistic regression was used to determine the impacts of medication adherence on schizophrenia-related and all-cause hospitalizations.
    RESULTS: A total of 582 patients were included. Three out of 224 patients (1.3%) were hospitalized with schizophrenia in optimal adherence group, while 10 of 140 (7.1%) were hospitalized in under-adherence group, and 7 of 218 (3.2%) were hospitalized in over-adherence group. Based on propensity score-adjusted multivariate logistic regression, the adjusted odds ratio was 5.86 (95% confidence interval = 1.53-22.50) for schizophrenia-related hospitalization and 8.04 (95% confidence interval = 2.20-29.40) for all-cause hospitalization. The average annual direct healthcare costs in patients with optimal adherence, under-adherence, and over-adherence were US$371 ± US$836, US$386 ± US$734, and US$508 ± US$2168, respectively.
    CONCLUSION: An initiation of interventions to maintain optimal adherence in patients with schizophrenia would significantly impact the healthcare system.
    KEYWORDS: Adherence; antipsychotics; cost; hospitalization
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Hospitalization; Humans; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Schizophrenia; Thailand; Antipsychotic Agents; Confidence Intervals; Logistic Models; Odds Ratio; Health Care Costs; Medication Adherence; Young Adult; Propensity Score
  3. Mkpojiogu EO, Hashim NL
    Springerplus, 2016;5:197.
    PMID: 27026893 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-016-1860-y
    Customer satisfaction is the result of product quality and viability. The place of the perceived satisfaction of users/customers for a software product cannot be neglected especially in today competitive market environment as it drives the loyalty of customers and promotes high profitability and return on investment. Therefore understanding the importance of requirements as it is associated with the satisfaction of users/customers when their requirements are met is worth the pain considering. It is necessary to know the relationship between customer satisfactions when their requirements are met (or their dissatisfaction when their requirements are unmet) and the importance of such requirement. So many works have been carried out on customer satisfaction in connection with the importance of requirements but the relationship between customer satisfaction scores (coefficients) of the Kano model and users/customers self-stated requirements importance have not been sufficiently explored. In this study, an attempt is made to unravel the underlying relationship existing between Kano model's customer satisfaction indexes and users/customers self reported requirements importance. The results of the study indicate some interesting associations between these considered variables. These bivariate associations reveal that customer satisfaction index (SI), and average satisfaction coefficient (ASC) and customer dissatisfaction index (DI) and average satisfaction coefficient (ASC) are highly correlated (r = 96 %) and thus ASC can be used in place of either SI or DI in representing customer satisfaction scores. Also, these Kano model's customer satisfaction variables (SI, DI, and ASC) are each associated with self-stated requirements importance (IMP). Further analysis indicates that the value customers or users place on requirements that are met or on features that are incorporated into a product influences the level of satisfaction such customers derive from the product. The worth of a product feature is indicated by the perceived satisfaction customers get from the inclusion of such feature in the product design and development. The satisfaction users/customers derive when a requirement is fulfilled or when a feature is placed in the product (SI or ASC) is strongly influenced by the value the users/customers place on such requirements/features when met (IMP). However, the dissatisfaction users/customers received when a requirement is not met or when a feature is not incorporated into the product (DI), even though related to self-stated requirements importance (IMP), does not have a strong effect on the importance/worth (IMP) of that given requirement/feature as perceived by the users or customers. Therefore, since customer satisfaction is proportionally related to the perceived requirements importance (worth), it is then necessary to give adequate attention to user/customer satisfying requirements (features) from elicitation to design and to the final implementation of the design. Incorporating user or customer satisfying requirements in product design is of great worth or value to the future users or customers of the product.
  4. Tan MP, Jamsari AF, Siti Azizah MN
    J Fish Biol, 2016 May;88(5):1932-48.
    PMID: 27027270 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12956
    Genetic variability and differences in wild striped snakehead Channa striata from Malaysia were analysed by genotyping nine novel nuclear microsatellite loci. Analysis revealed moderate-to-high genetic diversity in most of the populations, indicative of large effective population sizes. The highly diversified populations are admixed populations and, therefore, can be recommended as potential candidates for selective breeding and conservation since they each contain most of the alleles found in their particular region. Three homogenous groups of the wild populations were identified, apparently separated by effective barriers, in accordance with contemporary drainage patterns. The highest population pairwise FST found between members of the same group reflects the ancient population connectivity; yet prolonged geographical isolation resulted in adaptation of alleles to local contemporary environmental change. A significant relationship between genetic distance and geographical isolation was observed (r = 0·644, P < 0·01). Anthropogenic perturbations indicated apparent genetic proximity between distant populations.
    MeSH terms: Alleles; Animals; Genotype; Geography; Malaysia; Perciformes/genetics*; Genetic Variation*; Microsatellite Repeats*; Gene Flow; Phylogeography; Genotyping Techniques
  5. Sanagi MM, Loh SH, Wan Ibrahim WN, Pourmand N, Salisu A, Wan Ibrahim WA, et al.
    J Sep Sci, 2016 Mar;39(6):1152-9.
    PMID: 27027592 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201501207
    Recently, there has been considerable interest in the use of miniaturized sample preparation techniques before the chromatographic monitoring of the analytes in unknown complex compositions. The use of biopolymer-based sorbents in solid-phase microextraction techniques has achieved a good reputation. A great variety of polysaccharides can be extracted from marine plants or microorganisms. Seaweeds are the major sources of polysaccharides such as alginate, agar, agarose, as well as carrageenans. Agarose and alginate (green biopolymers) have been manipulated for different microextraction approaches. The present review is focused on the classification of biopolymer and their applications in multidisciplinary research. Besides, efforts have been made to discuss the state-of-the-art of the new microextraction techniques that utilize commercial biopolymer interfaces such as agarose in liquid-phase microextraction and solid-phase microextraction.
    MeSH terms: Agar; Alginates; Biopolymers; Carrageenan; Hexuronic Acids; Seaweed; Sepharose; Glucuronic Acid; Solid Phase Microextraction; Liquid Phase Microextraction
  6. Chan CY, Lim CY, Shahnaz Hasan M, Kwan MK
    Eur Spine J, 2016 05;25 Suppl 1:245-50.
    PMID: 27028615 DOI: 10.1007/s00586-016-4538-9
    PURPOSE: Patients with Fontan circulation have increased cardio-respiratory risk during major spinal surgery. We report a case of severe scoliosis with a Cobb angle of 123.3° in a 16-year-old boy with Fontan circulation treated with single stage posterior segmental pedicle screw instrumentation and fusion.

    METHODS: Case report.

    RESULTS: The use pre-operative halo-ring traction for a duration of 6 weeks in this case lead to improvement in cobb angle from 123.3°, kyphotic angle 87.1° to cobb angle of 78.0°, kyphotic angle 57.2° (on bending and stress films). The operation was completed in 150 min, blood loss 1050 ml (25 ml/kg), and cell salvage of 490 ml. He was immediately extubated post correction, but monitored in ICU for a day. Total length of stay was 8 days without any perioperative morbidity or allogeneic blood transfusion. Final post-operative radiograph showed a cobb angle of 44.2°, kyphotic angle 22.8°. Follow up at 27 months showed solid union with no significant loss of correction.

    CONCLUSION: From this case experience, pre-operative halo traction is a useful surgical strategy in patients with Fontan circulation with severe kyposcoliosis to achieve adequate correction without additional osteotomies to minimize the risk of surgical correction.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Humans; Kyphosis/pathology; Kyphosis/surgery; Male; Postoperative Period; Preoperative Care/methods; Risk Factors; Scoliosis/pathology; Scoliosis/surgery*; Spinal Fusion/adverse effects; Spinal Fusion/methods*; Traction/methods*; Treatment Outcome; Fontan Procedure/adverse effects*; Pedicle Screws
  7. Govindaraju R, Narayanan P
    N Engl J Med, 2016 Mar 31;374(13):e15.
    PMID: 27028934 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMicm1509943
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Blepharoptosis/etiology; Carotid Sinus/radiography; Cavernous Sinus/radiography; Cerebral Angiography; Humans; Male; Ophthalmoplegia/etiology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula/complications; Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula/radiography*
  8. Samudhram A, Siew EG, Sinnakkannu J, Yeow PH
    Appl Ergon, 2016 Mar 27.
    PMID: 27029522 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2016.03.004
    Technoeconomic paradigms based economic growth theories suggest that waves of technological innovations drove the economic growth of advanced economies. Widespread economic degradation and pollution is an unintended consequence of such growth. Tackling environmental and social issues at firm levels would help us to overcome such issues at macro-levels. Consequently, the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting approach promotes firm level economic, environmental and social performances. Incorporating Zink's (2014) 3-pillar presentation model, this paper indicates that economic, social and environmental performances tend to be reported at firm level. All three pillars are not covered evenly at the activity levels. Thus, a loophole is identified whereby excellent environmental performance at activity levels could potentially leave poor social performance undisclosed. A refinement of the TBL paradigm, whereby all three pillars are covered at the activity level, is suggested, to enhance sustainability reporting.
    MeSH terms: Biological Phenomena; Environment; Environmental Pollution; Paper; Economic Development; Inventions
  9. Jiménez-Castellanos JC, Wan Ahmad Kamil WN, Cheung CH, Tobin MS, Brown J, Isaac SG, et al.
    J Antimicrob Chemother, 2016 Jul;71(7):1820-5.
    PMID: 27029850 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkw088
    OBJECTIVES: In Klebsiella pneumoniae, overproduction of RamA and RarA leads to increased MICs of various antibiotics; MarA and SoxS are predicted to perform a similar function. We have compared the relative effects of overproducing these four AraC-type regulators on envelope permeability (a combination of outer membrane permeability and efflux), efflux pump and porin production, and antibiotic susceptibility in K. pneumoniae.

    METHODS: Regulators were overproduced using a pBAD expression vector. Antibiotic susceptibility was measured using disc testing. Envelope permeability was estimated using a fluorescent dye accumulation assay. Porin and efflux pump production was quantified using proteomics and validated using real-time quantitative RT-PCR.

    RESULTS: Envelope permeability and antibiotic disc inhibition zone diameters both reduced during overproduction of RamA and to a lesser extent RarA or SoxS, but did not change following overproduction of MarA. These effects were associated with overproduction of the efflux pumps AcrAB (for RamA and SoxS) and OqxAB (for RamA and RarA) and the outer membrane protein TolC (for all regulators). Effects on porin production were strain specific.

    CONCLUSIONS: RamA is the most potent regulator of antibiotic permeability in K. pneumoniae, followed by RarA then SoxS, with MarA having very little effect. This observed relative potency correlates well with the frequency at which these regulators are reportedly overproduced in clinical isolates.

    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology*; Bacterial Proteins/biosynthesis*; Biological Transport, Active; Cell Membrane/physiology; Genes, Regulator*; Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects*; Klebsiella pneumoniae/genetics*; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Permeability; Gene Expression*; Porins/metabolism; Proteome/analysis; Gene Expression Profiling; Drug Resistance, Bacterial*; Proteomics; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  10. Jelen MM, Chen Z, Kocjan BJ, Hošnjak L, Burt FJ, Chan PKS, et al.
    J Virol, 2016 Jun 01;90(11):5503-5513.
    PMID: 27030261 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.03149-15
    Human papillomavirus 11 (HPV11) is an etiological agent of anogenital warts and laryngeal papillomas and is included in the 4-valent and 9-valent prophylactic HPV vaccines. We established the largest collection of globally circulating HPV11 isolates to date and examined the genomic diversity of 433 isolates and 78 complete genomes (CGs) from six continents. The genomic variation within the 2,800-bp E5a-E5b-L1-upstream regulatory region was initially studied in 181/207 (87.4%) HPV11 isolates collected for this study. Of these, the CGs of 30 HPV11 variants containing unique single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), indels (insertions or deletions), or amino acid changes were fully sequenced. A maximum likelihood tree based on the global alignment of 78 HPV11 CGs (30 CGs from our study and 48 CGs from GenBank) revealed two HPV11 lineages (lineages A and B) and four sublineages (sublineages A1, A2, A3, and A4). HPV11 (sub)lineage-specific SNPs within the CG were identified, as well as the 208-bp representative region for CG-based phylogenetic clustering within the partial E2 open reading frame and noncoding region 2. Globally, sublineage A2 was the most prevalent, followed by sublineages A1, A3, and A4 and lineage B.

    IMPORTANCE: This collaborative international study defined the global heterogeneity of HPV11 and established the largest collection of globally circulating HPV11 genomic variants to date. Thirty novel complete HPV11 genomes were determined and submitted to the available sequence repositories. Global phylogenetic analysis revealed two HPV11 variant lineages and four sublineages. The HPV11 (sub)lineage-specific SNPs and the representative region identified within the partial genomic region E2/noncoding region 2 (NCR2) will enable the simpler identification and comparison of HPV11 variants worldwide. This study provides an important knowledge base for HPV11 for future studies in HPV epidemiology, evolution, pathogenicity, prevention, and molecular assay development.

    MeSH terms: Genotype; Humans; Phylogeny; Genetic Variation*; Likelihood Functions; Open Reading Frames; Sequence Alignment; Genome, Viral*; Evolution, Molecular; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Genomics; Papillomavirus Infections/virology*; Human papillomavirus 11/classification; Human papillomavirus 11/genetics*; Human papillomavirus 11/isolation & purification; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  11. Hasanpourghadi M, Karthikeyan C, Pandurangan AK, Looi CY, Trivedi P, Kobayashi K, et al.
    J Exp Clin Cancer Res, 2016;35(1):58.
    PMID: 27030360 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-016-0332-0
    Microtubule Targeting Agents (MTAs) including paclitaxel, colchicine and vinca alkaloids are widely used in the treatment of various cancers. As with most chemotherapeutic agents, adverse effects and drug resistance are commonly associated with the clinical use of these agents. Methyl 2-(5-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H- benzo[d]imidazole-5-carboxylate (MBIC), a benzimidazole derivative displays greater toxicity against various cancer compared to normal human cell lines. The present study, focused on the cytotoxic effects of MBIC against HeLa cervical cancer cells and possible actions on the microtubule assembly.
    MeSH terms: Antineoplastic Agents; Benzimidazoles; Carboxylic Acids; Cell Line; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Colchicine; Drug Resistance; Female; Humans; Imidazoles; Microtubules; Vinca Alkaloids; Paclitaxel
  12. Khalid S, Aris MS
    BMJ Case Rep, 2016 Mar 30;2016.
    PMID: 27030452 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2015-213165
    A 25-year-old gravida 2 para 1 with 12-week amenorrhoea presented a second time for recurrent vomiting in pregnancy. She was diagnosed to have a missed miscarriage following absent fetal heart seen in an early scan. She opted for conservative management. However, on the third presentation, her vomiting continued. Repeated transvaginal ultrasound scan showed a fetus with a crown rump length of 19 mm, which is equivalent to 8 weeks and 4 days, with absence of fetal heart pulsation. Thyroid function tests and β human chorionic gonadotropin were then requested. Results showed that the patient's serum β human chorionic gonadotropin level was markedly raised to 147,000. A molar pregnancy was suspected. Her thyroid function tests came back normal. Suction curettage was performed and histopathology confirmed a partial molar pregnancy. On follow-up, the β human chorionic gonadotropin level was normal by 7 weeks after the curettage.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Hydatidiform Mole/complications; Hydatidiform Mole/therapy; Pregnancy; Recurrence; Vacuum Curettage; Vomiting/etiology*; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Treatment Outcome; Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human/blood
  13. Wee WY, Tan TK, Jakubovics NS, Choo SW
    PLoS One, 2016;11(3):e0152682.
    PMID: 27031249 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152682
    Mycobacterium brisbanense is a member of Mycobacterium fortuitum third biovariant complex, which includes rapidly growing Mycobacterium spp. that normally inhabit soil, dust and water, and can sometimes cause respiratory tract infections in humans. We present the first whole-genome analysis of M. brisbanense UM_WWY which was isolated from a 70-year-old Malaysian patient. Molecular phylogenetic analyses confirmed the identification of this strain as M. brisbanense and showed that it has an unusually large genome compared with related mycobacteria. The large genome size of M. brisbanense UM_WWY (~7.7Mbp) is consistent with further findings that this strain has a highly variable genome structure that contains many putative horizontally transferred genomic islands and prophage. Comparative analysis showed that M. brisbanense UM_WWY is the only Mycobacterium species that possesses a complete set of genes encoding enzymes involved in the urea cycle, suggesting that this soil bacterium is able to synthesize urea for use as plant fertilizers. It is likely that M. brisbanense UM_WWY is adapted to live in soil as its primary habitat since the genome contains many genes associated with nitrogen metabolism. Nevertheless, a large number of predicted virulence genes were identified in M. brisbanense UM_WWY that are mostly shared with well-studied mycobacterial pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium abscessus. These findings are consistent with the role of M. brisbanense as an opportunistic pathogen of humans. The whole-genome study of UM_WWY has provided the basis for future work of M. brisbanense.
    MeSH terms: Mycobacterium/genetics*; Mycobacterium/pathogenicity*; Phylogeny*; Soil Microbiology*; Genome, Bacterial*; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  14. Hisham R, Liew SM, Ng CJ, Mohd Nor K, Osman IF, Ho GJ, et al.
    PLoS One, 2016;11(3):e0152649.
    PMID: 27031700 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152649
    BACKGROUND: Evidence-based medicine is the integration of individual clinical expertise, best external evidence and patient values which was introduced more than two decades ago. Yet, primary care physicians in Malaysia face unique barriers in accessing scientific literature and applying it to their clinical practice.
    AIM: This study aimed to explore the views and experiences of rural doctors' about evidence-based medicine in their daily clinical practice in a rural primary care setting.
    METHODS: Qualitative methodology was used. The interviews were conducted in June 2013 in two rural health clinics in Malaysia. The participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Four focus group discussions with 15 medical officers and three individual in-depth interviews with family medicine specialists were carried out. All interviews were conducted using a topic guide and were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, checked and analyzed using a thematic approach.
    RESULTS: Key themes identified were: (1) doctors viewed evidence-based medicine mainly as statistics, research and guidelines, (2) reactions to evidence-based medicine were largely negative, (3) doctors relied on specialists, peers, guidelines and non-evidence based internet sources for information, (4) information sources were accessed using novel methods such as mobile applications and (5) there are several barriers to evidence-based practice, including doctor-, evidence-based medicine-, patient- and system-related factors. These included inadequacies in knowledge, attitude, management support, time and access to evidence-based information sources. Participants recommended the use of online services to support evidence-based practice in the rural settings.
    CONCLUSION: The level of evidence-based practice is low in the rural setting due to poor awareness, knowledge, attitude and resources. Doctors use non-evidence based sources and access them through new methods such as messaging applications. Further research is recommended to develop and evaluate interventions to overcome the identified barriers.
    Study site: Klinik Kesihatan, Malaysia
    MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities; Female; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Malaysia; Male; Primary Health Care; Rural Population; Focus Groups; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Rural Health Services; Evidence-Based Medicine*; Qualitative Research; Physicians, Primary Care/psychology*
  15. Qureshi MA, Noor RM, Shamim A, Shamshirband S, Raymond Choo KK
    PLoS One, 2016;11(3):e0152727.
    PMID: 27031989 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152727
    Radio propagation models (RPMs) are generally employed in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) to predict path loss in multiple operating environments (e.g. modern road infrastructure such as flyovers, underpasses and road tunnels). For example, different RPMs have been developed to predict propagation behaviour in road tunnels. However, most existing RPMs for road tunnels are computationally complex and are based on field measurements in frequency band not suitable for VANET deployment. Furthermore, in tunnel applications, consequences of moving radio obstacles, such as large buses and delivery trucks, are generally not considered in existing RPMs. This paper proposes a computationally inexpensive RPM with minimal set of parameters to predict path loss in an acceptable range for road tunnels. The proposed RPM utilizes geometric properties of the tunnel, such as height and width along with the distance between sender and receiver, to predict the path loss. The proposed RPM also considers the additional attenuation caused by the moving radio obstacles in road tunnels, while requiring a negligible overhead in terms of computational complexity. To demonstrate the utility of our proposed RPM, we conduct a comparative summary and evaluate its performance. Specifically, an extensive data gathering campaign is carried out in order to evaluate the proposed RPM. The field measurements use the 5 GHz frequency band, which is suitable for vehicular communication. The results demonstrate that a close match exists between the predicted values and measured values of path loss. In particular, an average accuracy of 94% is found with R2 = 0.86.
    MeSH terms: Communication; Data Collection; Motor Vehicles
  16. Halim NHA, Zakaria N, Satar NA, Yahaya BH
    Methods Mol Biol, 2016;1516:371-388.
    PMID: 27032945 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2016_326
    Cancer is a major health problem worldwide. The failure of current treatments to completely eradicate cancer cells often leads to cancer recurrence and dissemination. Studies have suggested that tumor growth and spread are driven by a minority of cancer cells that exhibit characteristics similar to those of normal stem cells, thus these cells are called cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are believed to play an important role in initiating and promoting cancer. CSCs are resistant to currently available cancer therapies, and understanding the mechanisms that control the growth of CSCs might have great implications for cancer therapy. Cancer cells are consist of heterogeneous population of cells, thus methods of identification, isolation, and characterisation of CSCs are fundamental to obtain a pure CSC populations. Therefore, this chapter describes in detail a method for isolating and characterizing a pure population of CSCs from heterogeneous population of cancer cells and CSCs based on specific cell surface markers.
    MeSH terms: Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology*; Cell Separation/methods*; Humans; Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology*; Cell Culture Techniques/methods*; Cell Lineage; A549 Cells
  17. Wong SP, Chong KW, Lim KH, Lim SH, Low YY, Kam TS
    Org. Lett., 2016 Apr 1;18(7):1618-21.
    PMID: 27033525 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.6b00478
    Two new monoterpene indole alkaloids, characterized by previously unencountered natural product skeletons, viz., arborisidine (1), incorporating indolizidine and cyclohexanone moieties fused to an indole unit, and arbornamine (2), incorporating an unprecedented 6/5/6/5/6 "arbornane" skeleton (distinct from the eburnan or tacaman skeleton), were isolated from a Malayan Kopsia arborea. The structures of the alkaloids were determined based on analysis of the NMR and MS data. Possible biogenetic pathways to these alkaloids from a common pericine precursor (3) are presented.
  18. Farsi E, Esmailli K, Shafaei A, Moradi Khaniabadi P, Al Hindi B, Khadeer Ahamed MB, et al.
    Drug Chem Toxicol, 2016 Oct;39(4):461-73.
    PMID: 27033971 DOI: 10.3109/01480545.2016.1157810
    CONTEXT: Clinacanthus nutans (CN) is used traditionally for treating various illnesses. Robust safety data to support its use is lacking.

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the adverse effects of aqueous extract of CN leaves (AECNL).

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The oral toxicity of the AECNL was tested following Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines. Mutagenicity (Ames test) of AECNL was evaluated using TA98 and TA100 Salmonella typhimurium strains.

    RESULTS: No mortality or morbidity was found in the animals upon single and repeated dose administration. However, significant body weight loss was observed at 2000 mg/kg during sub-chronic (90 d) exposure. In addition, increased eosinophil at 500 mg/kg and decreased serum alkaline phosphatase levels at 2000 mg/kg were observed in male rats. Variations in glucose and lipid profiles in treated groups were also observed compared to control. Ames test revealed no evidence of mutagenic or carcinogenic effects at 500 μg/well of AECNL.

    CONCLUSION: The median lethal dose (LD50) of the AECNL is >5000 mg/kg and the no-observed-adverse-effect level is identified to be greater than 2000 mg/kg/day in 90-d study.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Female; Lethal Dose 50; Male; Mutagenicity Tests; Plant Extracts/toxicity*; Salmonella typhimurium/drug effects*; Salmonella typhimurium/genetics; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Plant Leaves/chemistry*; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; Toxicity Tests, Acute; Acanthaceae/chemistry*; Toxicity Tests, Chronic
  19. Chong WY, Lim WH, Yap YK, Lai CK, De La Rue RM, Ahmad H
    Sci Rep, 2016 Apr 01;6:23813.
    PMID: 27034015 DOI: 10.1038/srep23813
    Increased absorption of transverse-magnetic (TM)-polarised light by a graphene-oxide (GO) coated polymer waveguide has been observed in the presence of transverse-electric (TE)-polarised light. The GO-coated waveguide exhibits very strong photo-absorption of TE-polarised light--and acts as a TM-pass waveguide polariser. The absorbed TE-polarised light causes a significant temperature increase in the GO film and induces thermal reduction of the GO, resulting in an increase in optical-frequency conductivity and consequently increased optical propagation loss. This behaviour in a GO-coated waveguide gives the action of an inverted optical switch/modulator. By varying the incident TE-polarised light power, a maximum modulation efficiency of 72% was measured, with application of an incident optical power level of 57 mW. The GO-coated waveguide was able to respond clearly to modulated TE-polarised light with a pulse duration of as little as 100 μs. In addition, no wavelength dependence was observed in the response of either the modulation (TE-polarised light) or the signal (TM-polarised light).
    MeSH terms: Animals; Blindness; Electric Conductivity; Electricity; Graphite; Oxides; Polymers; Temperature; Mice; Physical Phenomena
  20. Safi SZ, Batumalaie K, Qvist R, Mohd Yusof K, Ismail IS
    PMID: 27034691 DOI: 10.1155/2016/5843615
    Purpose. Type 2 diabetes consists of progressive hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, which could result from glucose toxicity, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress. In the present study we investigated the effect of Gelam honey and quercetin on the oxidative stress-induced inflammatory pathways and the proinflammatory cytokines. Methods. HIT-T15 cells were cultured and preincubated with the extract of Gelam honey (20, 40, 60, and 80 μg/mL), as well as quercetin (20, 40, 60, and 80 μM), prior to stimulation by 20 and 50 mM glucose. Results. HIT-T15 cells cultured under hyperglycemic condition showed a significant increase in the inflammatory pathways by phosphorylating JNK, IKK-β, and IRS-1 at Ser307 (p < 0.05). There was a significant decrease in the phosphorylation of Akt at Ser473 (p < 0.05). Pretreatment with Gelam honey and quercetin reduced the expression of phosphorylated JNK, IKK-β, and IRS-1, thereby significantly reducing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β (p < 0.05). At the same time there was a significant increase in the phosphorylated Akt showing the protective effects against inflammation and insulin resistance (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our data suggest the potential use of the extract from Gelam honey and quercetin in modulating the inflammation induced insulin signaling pathways.
    MeSH terms: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Glucose; Honey; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Phosphorylation; Quercetin; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Interleukin-6; Cytokines; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; I-kappa B Kinase; Interleukin-1beta; Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins
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