Browse publications by year: 2016

Fulltext The association between psychosocial and structural-level stressors and HIV injection drug risk behavior among Malaysian fishermen: A cross-sectional study

Michalopoulos LM, Jiwatram-Negrón T, Choo MK, Kamarulzaman A, El-Bassel N

BMC Public Health, 2016 06 02;16:464.
PMID: 27250497 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3125-7

BACKGROUND: Malaysian fishermen have been identified as a key-affected HIV population with HIV rates 10 times higher than national rates. A number of studies have identified that psychosocial and structural-level stressors increase HIV injection drug risk behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to examine psychosocial and structural-level stressors of injection drug use and HIV injection drug risk behaviors among Malaysian fishermen.
METHODS: The study employs a cross-sectional design using respondent driven sampling methods. The sample includes 406 fishermen from Pahang state, Malaysia. Using multivariate logistic regressions, we examined the relationship between individual (depression), social (adverse interactions with the police), and structural (poverty-related) stressors and injection drug use and risky injection drug use (e.g.., receptive and non-receptive needle sharing, frontloading and back-loading, or sharing drugs from a common container).
RESULTS: Participants below the poverty line had significantly lower odds of injection drug use (OR 0.52, 95 % CI: 0.27-0.99, p = 0.047) and risky injection drug use behavior (OR 0.48, 95 % CI: 0.25-0.93, p = 0.030). In addition, participants with an arrest history had higher odds of injection use (OR 19.58, 95 % CI: 9.81-39.10, p

MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Fisheries*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Occupations; Risk-Taking*; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress, Psychological*; HIV Infections/epidemiology*; HIV Infections/psychology; Substance Abuse, Intravenous/epidemiology*; Substance Abuse, Intravenous/psychology; Needle Sharing
Fulltext Withaferin A protects against palmitic acid-induced endothelial insulin resistance and dysfunction through suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation

Batumalaie K, Amin MA, Murugan DD, Sattar MZ, Abdullah NA

Sci Rep, 2016 06 02;6:27236.
PMID: 27250532 DOI: 10.1038/srep27236

Activation of inflammatory pathways via reactive oxygen species (ROS) by free fatty acids (FFA) in obesity gives rise to insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. Withaferin A (WA), possesses both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and therefore would be a good strategy to suppress palmitic acid (PA)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation and hence, insulin resistance and dysfunction in the endothelium. Effect of WA on PA-induced insulin resistance in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was determined by evaluating insulin signaling mechanisms whilst effect of this drug on PA-induced endothelial dysfunction was determined in acetylcholine-mediated relaxation in isolated rat aortic preparations. WA significantly inhibited ROS production and inflammation induced by PA. Furthermore, WA significantly decreased TNF-α and IL-6 production in endothelial cells by specifically suppressing IKKβ/NF-κβ phosphorylation. WA inhibited inflammation-stimulated IRS-1 serine phosphorylation and improved the impaired insulin PI3-K signaling, and restored the decreased nitric oxide (NO) production triggered by PA. WA also decreased endothelin-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 levels, and restored the impaired endothelium-mediated vasodilation in isolated aortic preparations. These findings suggest that WA inhibited both ROS production and inflammation to restore impaired insulin resistance in cultured endothelial cells and improve endothelial dysfunction in rat aortic rings.

MeSH terms: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage*; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology; Cell Survival/drug effects; Endothelium/drug effects*; Endothelium/immunology; Endothelium/pathology; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Phosphorylation/drug effects; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism; Interleukin-6/metabolism; NF-kappa B/metabolism; Oxidative Stress/drug effects*; Palmitic Acid/adverse effects*; Rats; I-kappa B Kinase/metabolism; Withanolides/administration & dosage*; Withanolides/pharmacology; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate of human blood exposed to low-level laser

Al Musawi MS, Jaafar MS, Al-Gailani B, Ahmed NM, Suhaimi FM, Bakhsh M

Lasers Med Sci, 2016 Jun 1.
PMID: 27250712 DOI: 10.1007/s10103-016-1972-1

This study is designed to investigate in vitro low-level laser (LLL) effects on rheological parameter, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), of human blood. The interaction mechanism between LLL radiation and blood is unclear. Therefore, research addresses the effects of LLL irradiation on human blood and this is essential to understanding how laser radiation interacts with biological cells and tissues. The blood samples were collected through venipuncture into EDTA-containing tubes as an anticoagulant. Each sample was divided into two equal aliquots to be used as a non-irradiated sample (control) and an irradiated sample. The aliquot was subjected to doses of 36, 54, 72 and 90 J/cm(2) with wavelengths of 405, 589 and 780 nm, with a radiation source at a fixed power density of 30 mW/cm(2). The ESR and red blood cell count and volume are measured after laser irradiation and compared with the non-irradiated samples. The maximum reduction in ESR is observed with radiation dose 72 J/cm(2) delivered with a 405-nm wavelength laser beam. Moreover, no hemolysis is observed under these irradiation conditions. In a separate protocol, ESR of separated RBCs re-suspended in irradiated plasma (7.6 ± 2.3 mm/h) is found to be significantly lower (by 51 %) than their counterpart re-suspended in non-irradiated plasma (15.0 ± 3.7 mm/h). These results indicate that ESR reduction is mainly due to the effects of LLL on the plasma composition that ultimately affect whole blood ESR.
Transcript, methylation and molecular docking analyses of the effects of HDAC inhibitors, SAHA and Dacinostat, on SMN2 expression in fibroblasts of SMA patients

Mohseni J, Al-Najjar BO, Wahab HA, Zabidi-Hussin ZA, Sasongko TH

J Hum Genet, 2016 Sep;61(9):823-30.
PMID: 27251006 DOI: 10.1038/jhg.2016.61

Several histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are known to increase Survival Motor Neuron 2 (SMN2) expression for the therapy of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). We aimed to compare the effects of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and Dacinostat, a novel HDACi, on SMN2 expression and to elucidate their acetylation effects on the methylation of the SMN2. Cell-based assays using type I and type II SMA fibroblasts examined changes in transcript expressions, methylation levels and protein expressions. In silico methods analyzed the intermolecular interactions between each compound and HDAC2/HDAC7. SMN2 mRNA transcript levels and SMN protein levels showed notable increases in both cell types, except for Dacinostat exposure on type II cells. However, combined compound exposures showed less pronounced increase in SMN2 transcript and SMN protein level. Acetylation effects of SAHA and Dacinostat promoted demethylation of the SMN2 promoter. The in silico analyses revealed identical binding sites for both compounds in HDACs, which could explain the limited effects of the combined exposure. With the exception on the effect of Dacinostat in Type II cells, we have shown that SAHA and Dacinostat increased SMN2 transcript and protein levels and promoted demethylation of the SMN2 gene.

MeSH terms: Cell Line; Cell Survival/drug effects; Cell Survival/genetics; Cells, Cultured; Fibroblasts/drug effects; Fibroblasts/metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects; Humans; Hydroxamic Acids/pharmacology; Hydroxamic Acids/chemistry*; Infant; Male; Models, Molecular; Molecular Conformation; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/drug therapy; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/genetics*; Promoter Regions, Genetic; RNA, Messenger/genetics; RNA, Messenger/metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Gene Expression*; Alternative Splicing; DNA Methylation; Survival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein/genetics*; Survival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein/metabolism; Survival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein/chemistry*; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/pharmacology; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/chemistry*; Molecular Docking Simulation*
Fulltext Biohydrogen Production from Hydrolysates of Selected Tropical Biomass Wastes with Clostridium Butyricum

Dan Jiang, Fang Z, Chin SX, Tian XF, Su TC

Sci Rep, 2016 06 02;6:27205.
PMID: 27251222 DOI: 10.1038/srep27205

Biohydrogen production has received widespread attention from researchers in industry and academic fields. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to evaluate the effects of several key variables in anaerobic fermentation of glucose with Clostridium butyrium, and achieved the highest production rate and yield of hydrogen. Highest H2 yield of 2.02 mol H2/mol-glucose was achieved from 24 h bottle fermentation of glucose at 35 °C, while the composition of medium was (g/L): 15.66 glucose, 6.04 yeast extract, 4 tryptone, 3 K2HPO4, 3 KH2PO4, 0.05 L-cysteine, 0.05 MgSO4·7H2O, 0.1 MnSO4·H2O and 0.3 FeSO4·7H2O, which was very different from that for cell growth. Sugarcane bagasse and Jatropha hulls were selected as typical tropical biomass wastes to produce sugars via a two-step acid hydrolysis for hydrogen production. Under the optimized fermentation conditions, H2 yield (mol H2/mol-total reducing sugar) was 2.15 for glucose, 2.06 for bagasse hydrolysate and 1.95 for Jatropha hull hydrolysate in a 3L fermenter for 24 h at 35 °C, with H2 purity of 49.7-64.34%. The results provide useful information and basic data for practical use of tropical plant wastes to produce hydrogen.

MeSH terms: Fermentation; Hydrogen/metabolism*; Biomass; Bioreactors/microbiology; Clostridium butyricum/growth & development*; Clostridium butyricum/metabolism; Biofuels/microbiology*
Fulltext Green Synthesis of Magnetite (Fe3O4) Nanoparticles Using Seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii) Extract

Yew YP, Shameli K, Miyake M, Kuwano N, Bt Ahmad Khairudin NB, Bt Mohamad SE, et al.

Nanoscale Res Lett, 2016 Dec;11(1):276.
PMID: 27251326 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-016-1498-2

In this study, a simple, rapid, and eco-friendly green method was introduced to synthesize magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs) successfully. Seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii (K. alvarezii) was employed as a green reducing and stabilizing agents. The synthesized Fe3O4-NPs were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The X-ray diffraction planes at (220), (311), (400), (422), (511), (440), and (533) were corresponding to the standard Fe3O4 patterns, which showed the high purity and crystallinity of Fe3O4-NPs had been synthesized. Based on FT-IR analysis, two characteristic absorption peaks were observed at 556 and 423 cm(-1), which proved the existence of Fe3O4 in the prepared nanoparticles. TEM image displayed the synthesized Fe3O4-NPs were mostly in spherical shape with an average size of 14.7 nm.
Association of Eating Behavior With Nutritional Status and Body Composition in Primary School-Aged Children

Tay CW, Chin YS, Lee ST, Khouw I, Poh BK, SEANUTS Malaysia Study Group

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2016 07;28(5 Suppl):47S-58S.
PMID: 27252248 DOI: 10.1177/1010539516651475

Problematic eating behaviors during childhood may lead to positive energy balance and obesity. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association of eating behaviors with nutritional status and body composition in Malaysian children aged 7 to 12 years. A total of 1782 primary schoolchildren were randomly recruited from 6 regions in Malaysia. The multidimensional Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) was reported by parents to determine the 8 different dimensions of eating styles among children. Body mass index (BMI), BMI-for-age Z-score, waist circumference, and body fat percentage were assessed. Linear regression analyses revealed that both food responsiveness and desire to drink subscales were positively associated with a child's body adiposity, whereas satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, and emotional undereating subscales were negatively associated with adiposity (all P < .05). A multidimensional eating style approach based on the CEBQ is needed to promote healthy eating behaviors in order to prevent excessive weight gain and obesity problems among Malaysian children.

MeSH terms: Body Composition*; Child; Feeding Behavior*; Female; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Nutritional Status*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Schools; Body Mass Index; Linear Models; Waist Circumference; Pediatric Obesity/epidemiology; Pediatric Obesity/psychology*
Fulltext Asymmetrical bone loss in a patient with poliomyelitis: an indication for anti-osteoporotic therapy

Ratnasingam J, Ibrahim L, Paramasivam S, Lim LL, Boon AT, Vethakkan S

Clin Cases Miner Bone Metab, 2016 05 11;13(1):61-3.
PMID: 27252750 DOI: 10.11138/ccmbm/2016.13.1.061

BACKGROUND: Poliomyelitis survivors suffer from post-myelitic complications including osteoporosis that are often overlooked.
METHODS: We report a case of a 49-year-old lady with history of poliomyelitis with resultant flaccid paralysis of the involved limb.
RESULTS: The bone mineral density revealed asymmetrical severe osteoporosis in the poliomyelitic limb. Given the risk of falls and fractures, she was commenced on oral bisphosphonate therapy.
CONCLUSION: Poliomyelitis is an important acquired risk factor for regional osteoporosis. This condition should be detected and treated in this cohort of patients who are clearly at higher risk of fractures.

MeSH terms: Accidental Falls; Diphosphonates; Female; Humans; Osteoporosis; Poliomyelitis; Risk Factors; Cohort Studies; Bone Density; Survivors; Fractures, Bone
Construct Validity of Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) in Patients with Drug Addiction and Diabetes, and Normal Population

Ardakani A, Seghatoleslam T, Habil H, Jameei F, Rashid R, Zahirodin A, et al.

Iran J Public Health, 2016 Apr;45(4):451-9.
PMID: 27252914

Given that validity is the baseline of psychological assessments, there is a need to provide evidence-based data for construct validity of such scales to advance the clinicians for evaluating psychiatric morbidity in psychiatric and psychosomatic setting.

MeSH terms: Data Collection; Morbidity; Psychoneuroimmunology; Psychophysiologic Disorders
Package of Office Exercise Training as a New Idea for Office Workers

Shariat A, Bahri Mohd Tamrin S, Arumugam M, Ramasamy R, Danaee M

Iran J Public Health, 2016 Apr;45(4):544-5.
PMID: 27252928
Automated screening system for retinal health using bi-dimensional empirical mode decomposition and integrated index

Acharya UR, Mookiah MR, Koh JE, Tan JH, Bhandary SV, Rao AK, et al.

Comput Biol Med, 2016 08 01;75:54-62.
PMID: 27253617 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2016.04.015

Posterior Segment Eye Diseases (PSED) namely Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), glaucoma and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are the prime causes of vision loss globally. Vision loss can be prevented, if these diseases are detected at an early stage. Structural abnormalities such as changes in cup-to-disc ratio, Hard Exudates (HE), drusen, Microaneurysms (MA), Cotton Wool Spots (CWS), Haemorrhages (HA), Geographic Atrophy (GA) and Choroidal Neovascularization (CNV) in PSED can be identified by manual examination of fundus images by clinicians. However, manual screening is labour-intensive, tiresome and time consuming. Hence, there is a need to automate the eye screening. In this work Bi-dimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition (BEMD) technique is used to decompose fundus images into 2D Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) to capture variations in the pixels due to morphological changes. Further, various entropy namely Renyi, Fuzzy, Shannon, Vajda, Kapur and Yager and energy features are extracted from IMFs. These extracted features are ranked using Chernoff Bound and Bhattacharyya Distance (CBBD), Kullback-Leibler Divergence (KLD), Fuzzy-minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (FmRMR), Wilcoxon, Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve (ROC) and t-test methods. Further, these ranked features are fed to Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier to classify normal and abnormal (DR, AMD and glaucoma) classes. The performance of the proposed eye screening system is evaluated using 800 (Normal=400 and Abnormal=400) digital fundus images and 10-fold cross validation method. Our proposed system automatically identifies normal and abnormal classes with an average accuracy of 88.63%, sensitivity of 86.25% and specificity of 91% using 17 optimal features ranked using CBBD and SVM-Radial Basis Function (RBF) classifier. Moreover, a novel Retinal Risk Index (RRI) is developed using two significant features to distinguish two classes using single number. Such a system helps to reduce eye screening time in polyclinics or community-based mass screening. They will refer the patients to main hospitals only if the diagnosis belong to the abnormal class. Hence, the main hospitals will not be unnecessarily crowded and doctors can devote their time for other urgent cases.

MeSH terms: Diabetic Retinopathy; Fundus Oculi; Glaucoma; Humans; Macular Degeneration; Retina; ROC Curve; Entropy; Choroidal Neovascularization; Geographic Atrophy; Support Vector Machine; Microaneurysm
Construction of a genetic linkage map and QTL analysis in bambara groundnut

Ahmad NS, Redjeki ES, Ho WK, Aliyu S, Mayes K, Massawe F, et al.

Genome, 2016 Jul;59(7):459-72.
PMID: 27253730 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2015-0153

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is an indigenous underutilized legume that has the potential to improve food security in semi-arid Africa. So far, there are a lack of reports of controlled breeding populations that could be used for variety development and genetic studies. We report here the construction of the first genetic linkage map of bambara groundnut using a F3 population derived from a "narrow" cross between two domesticated landraces (Tiga Nicuru and DipC) with marked divergence in phenotypic traits. The map consists of 238 DArT array and SSR based markers in 21 linkage groups with a total genetic distance of 608.3 cM. In addition, phenotypic traits were evaluated for a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis over two generations. A total of 36 significant QTLs were detected for 19 traits. The phenotypic effect explained by a single QTL ranged from 11.6% to 49.9%. Two stable QTLs were mapped for internode length and growth habit. The identified QTLs could be useful for marker-assisted selection in bambara groundnut breeding programmes.

MeSH terms: Breeding; Chromosome Mapping; Crosses, Genetic; Genetic Markers; Genotype; Fabaceae/genetics*; Fabaceae/growth & development; Genetic Linkage; Phenotype; Polymorphism, Genetic; Species Specificity; Genetic Variation; Cluster Analysis; Chromosomes, Plant; Quantitative Trait Loci
Fulltext EVALUATION OF SUBLETHAL EFFECTS OF Ipomoea cairica LINN. EXTRACT ON LIFE HISTORY TRAITS OF DENGUE VECTORS

Zuharah WF, Ahbirami R, Dieng H, Thiagaletchumi M, Fadzly N

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo, 2016;58:44.
PMID: 27253746 DOI: 10.1590/S1678-9946201658044

Plant derived insecticides have considerable potential for mosquito control because these products are safer than conventional insecticides. This study aimed to investigate sublethal activities of Ipomoea carica or railway creeper crude acethonilic extract against life history trait of dengue vectors, Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. The late third instar larvae of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti were exposed to a sublethal dose at LC50 and larvae that survived were further cultured. Overall, Ipomea cairica crude extracts affected the whole life history of both Aedes species. The study demonstrated significantly lower egg production (fecundity) and eggs hatchability (fertility) in Ae. albopictus. The sublethal dose of crude extracts reduced significantly the width of larval head capsule and the wing length of both sexes in both Aedes species. The significance of sublethal effects of I. cairica against Aedes mosquitoes was an additional hallmark to demonstrate further activity of this plant despite its direct toxicity to the larvae. The reduced reproductive capacity as well as morphological and physiological anomalies are some of the effects that make I. cairica a potential candidate to be used as a new plant-based insecticide to control dengue vectors.

MeSH terms: Aedes/drug effects*; Animals; Dengue/transmission; Female; Fertility/drug effects; Insect Vectors/drug effects*; Larva/drug effects; Lethal Dose 50; Male; Oviposition/drug effects*; Plant Extracts/pharmacology; Ipomoea/chemistry*
Autoregressive linear least square single scanning electron microscope image signal-to-noise ratio estimation

Sim KS, NorHisham S

Scanning, 2016 Nov;38(6):771-782.
PMID: 27253888 DOI: 10.1002/sca.21327

A technique based on linear Least Squares Regression (LSR) model is applied to estimate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. In order to test the accuracy of this technique on SNR estimation, a number of SEM images are initially corrupted with white noise. The autocorrelation function (ACF) of the original and the corrupted SEM images are formed to serve as the reference point to estimate the SNR value of the corrupted image. The LSR technique is then compared with the previous three existing techniques known as nearest neighbourhood, first-order interpolation, and the combination of both nearest neighborhood and first-order interpolation. The actual and the estimated SNR values of all these techniques are then calculated for comparison purpose. It is shown that the LSR technique is able to attain the highest accuracy compared to the other three existing techniques as the absolute difference between the actual and the estimated SNR value is relatively small. SCANNING 38:771-782, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fulltext Active inductor based fully integrated CMOS transmit/ receive switch for 2.4 GHz RF transceiver

Bhuiyan MA, Zijie Y, Yu JS, Reaz MB, Kamal N, Chang TG

An Acad Bras Cienc, 2016 May 31;88(2):1089-98.
PMID: 27254443 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201620150123

Modern Radio Frequency (RF) transceivers cannot be imagined without high-performance (Transmit/Receive) T/R switch. Available T/R switches suffer mainly due to the lack of good trade-off among the performance parameters, where high isolation and low insertion loss are very essential. In this study, a T/R switch with high isolation and low insertion loss performance has been designed by using Silterra 0.13µm CMOS process for 2.4GHz ISM band RF transceivers. Transistor aspect ratio optimization, proper gate bias resistance, resistive body floating and active inductor-based parallel resonance techniques have been implemented to achieve better trade-off. The proposed T/R switch exhibits 0.85dB insertion loss and 45.17dB isolation in both transmit and receive modes. Moreover, it shows very competitive values of power handling capability (P1dB) and linearity (IIP3) which are 11.35dBm and 19.60dBm, respectively. Due to avoiding bulky inductor and capacitor, the proposed active inductor-based T/R switch became highly compact occupying only 0.003mm2 of silicon space; which will further trim down the total cost of the transceiver. Therefore, the proposed active inductor-based T/R switch in 0.13µm CMOS process will be highly useful for the electronic industries where low-power, high-performance and compactness of devices are the crucial concerns.
Effects of production conditions on yield and physicochemical properties of biochars produced from rice husk and oil palm empty fruit bunches

Yavari S, Malakahmad A, Sapari NB

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2016 Sep;23(18):17928-40.
PMID: 27255313 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6943-3

Biochar is the bio-solid material produced by pyrolysis. The biochar properties are controlled by feedstock and pyrolysis variables. In this study, the impacts of these production variables on biochar yield and physicochemical properties including pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), total organic carbon (TOC) content, surface area, and pore volume and size were investigated. Rice husk (RH) and oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) were used as biomass. The biochars were produced at temperature range of 300 to 700 °C, heating rate of 3 to 10 °C/min and retention time of 1 to 3 h. The pyrolysis conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) technique to maximize the values of the responses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the results demonstrated that the data fitted well to the linear and quadratic equations. Temperature was found to be the most effective parameter on the responses followed by retention time and heating rate, sequentially. CEC, TOC, surface area, and pore characteristics were evaluated as biochar properties determining their sorption potential. The optimum conditions for the maximum values of the properties were temperatures of 700 and 493.44 °C and time of 3 and 1 h for RH and EFB biochars, respectively. Heating rate at 3 °C/min was found to be the best rate for both biochars. The structure of EFB biomass was more sensitive to heating than rice husk. The biomass type and the production variables were demonstrated as the direct effective factors on biochar yield and physicochemical properties.

MeSH terms: Charcoal/chemistry*; Fruit/chemistry*; Hot Temperature; Plant Oils/chemistry*; Oryza/chemistry*; Temperature; Biomass; Chemical Phenomena
Fulltext Phytochemical profiles and inhibitory effects of Tiger Milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) extract on ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation in a rodent model of asthma

Johnathan M, Gan SH, Ezumi MF, Faezahtul AH, Nurul AA

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2016;16(1):167.
PMID: 27255587 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1141-x

Lignosus rhinocerus (L. rhinocerus), which is known locally as Tiger Milk mushroom, is traditionally used in the treatment of asthma by indigenous communities in Malaysia. However, to date, its efficacy on asthma has not been confirmed by scientific studies and there is also sparse information available on its active constituents. In this study, the volatile constituent of L. rhinocerus hot water extract was investigated using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The potential effects of L. rhinocerus extract for anti-asthmatic activity was further investigated on ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized asthmatic Sprague Dawley rats.

MeSH terms: Animals; Asthma; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
The rubber tree genome reveals new insights into rubber production and species adaptation

Tang C, Yang M, Fang Y, Luo Y, Gao S, Xiao X, et al.

Nat Plants, 2016 05 23;2(6):16073.
PMID: 27255837 DOI: 10.1038/nplants.2016.73

The Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is an economically important tropical tree species that produces natural rubber, an essential industrial raw material. Here we present a high-quality genome assembly of this species (1.37 Gb, scaffold N50 = 1.28 Mb) that covers 93.8% of the genome (1.47 Gb) and harbours 43,792 predicted protein-coding genes. A striking expansion of the REF/SRPP (rubber elongation factor/small rubber particle protein) gene family and its divergence into several laticifer-specific isoforms seem crucial for rubber biosynthesis. The REF/SRPP family has isoforms with sizes similar to or larger than SRPP1 (204 amino acids) in 17 other plants examined, but no isoforms with similar sizes to REF1 (138 amino acids), the predominant molecular variant. A pivotal point in Hevea evolution was the emergence of REF1, which is located on the surface of large rubber particles that account for 93% of rubber in the latex (despite constituting only 6% of total rubber particles, large and small). The stringent control of ethylene synthesis under active ethylene signalling and response in laticifers resolves a longstanding mystery of ethylene stimulation in rubber production. Our study, which includes the re-sequencing of five other Hevea cultivars and extensive RNA-seq data, provides a valuable resource for functional genomics and tools for breeding elite Hevea cultivars.
Fulltext Abundance of sulfur-degrading bacteria in a benthic bacterial community of shallow sea sediment in the off-Terengganu coast of the South China Sea

Marziah Z, Mahdzir A, Musa MN, Jaafar AB, Azhim A, Hara H

Microbiologyopen, 2016 12;5(6):967-978.
PMID: 27256005 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.380

This study for the first time provides insight into the bacterial community in the benthic region of the Off-Terengganu Coastline, which is considered to be anthropogenically polluted due to heavy fishing vessel commotion. Subsurface bacteria were randomly collected from two locations at different depths and were examined using the 16S rDNA V3-V4 marker gene on the Illumina™ Miseq platform. In addition, the physiochemical parameters of the sediment were also measured. Surprisingly, the results show a high diversity of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in the surveyed area, where Sulfurovum sp. was identified to predominate the overall bacterial community. The physiochemical parameters reveal insufficient evidence of hydrothermal vents in the surveyed area. However, there are traces of hydrocarbon pollutants such as gasoline, diesel, and mineral oil in this area. It is assumed that sediment accumulation in the lee of breakwater plays an important role in trapping the runoff from the nearby harbor, which includes oil spills. Based on the common knowledge, Sulvurofum sp. is a native bacterium that exists in deep hydrothermal vents and volcanic territories. Although the reason for the abundance of Sulfurovum sp. in the surveyed area is still unclear, there is a possibility that metabolic adaptation plays an important role in regulating hydrocarbon pollutants for survival. The work presented in this paper therefore has profound implications for future studies on Sulfurovum sp. versatility. However, future research is needed to strengthen the findings of this study and to provide a better evidence regarding the metabolic response of this bacterium toward hydrocarbon pollutants.

MeSH terms: Base Sequence; China; DNA, Bacterial/genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics; Seawater/microbiology*; Sulfur/metabolism*; Water Microbiology; Water Pollutants, Chemical/metabolism; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Geologic Sediments/microbiology*; Epsilonproteobacteria/classification; Epsilonproteobacteria/genetics; Epsilonproteobacteria/isolation & purification*; Epsilonproteobacteria/metabolism*; Petroleum Pollution*; Hydrothermal Vents/microbiology
Fulltext RE: The value of testicular ultrasound in the prediction of the type and size of testicular tumors

Kamarulzaman MN, Mohamed SK

Int Braz J Urol, 2016 Mar-Apr;42(2):397-8.
PMID: 27256199 DOI: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2015.0728

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