Browse publications by year: 2017

  1. Zahari SN, Latif MJA, Rahim NRA, Kadir MRA, Kamarul T
    J Healthc Eng, 2017;2017:9618940.
    PMID: 29065672 DOI: 10.1155/2017/9618940
    The present study was conducted to examine the effects of body weight on intradiscal pressure (IDP) and annulus stress of intervertebral discs at lumbar spine. Three-dimensional finite element model of osseoligamentous lumbar spine was developed subjected to follower load of 500 N, 800 N, and 1200 N which represent the loads for individuals who are normal and overweight with the pure moments at 7.5 Nm in flexion and extension motions. It was observed that the maximum IDP was 1.26 MPa at L1-L2 vertebral segment. However, the highest increment of IDP was found at L4-L5 segment where the IDP was increased to 30% in flexion and it was more severe at extension motion reaching to 80%. Furthermore, the maximum annulus stress also occurred at the L1-L2 segment with 3.9 MPa in extension motion. However, the highest increment was also found at L4-L5 where the annulus stress increased to 17% in extension motion. Based on these results, the increase of physiological loading could be an important factor to the increment of intradiscal pressure and annulus fibrosis stress at all intervertebral discs at the lumbar spine which may lead to early intervertebral disc damage.
    MeSH terms: Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology; Humans; Intervertebral Disc/physiology*; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiology*; Male; Spinal Fusion; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Weight-Bearing/physiology*; Finite Element Analysis*; Young Adult
  2. Al-Abd NM, Nor ZM, Junaid QO, Mansor M, Hasan MS, Kassim M
    Pathog Glob Health, 2017 Oct;111(7):388-394.
    PMID: 29065795 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2017.1380946
    Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a vector borne disease caused by parasitic worms such as Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and B. timori, which are transmitted by mosquitoes. Current therapeutics to treat LF are mainly microfilarcidal, and lack activity against adult worms. This set back, poses a challenge for the control and elimination of filariasis. Thus, in this study the activities of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) against the filarial worm B. pahangi and its bacterial endosymbiont, Wolbachia were evaluated. Different concentrations (2, 5, 10, 15, 20 μg/ml) of CAPE were used to assess its effects on motility, viability and microfilarial (mf) production of B. pahangi in vitro. Anti-Wolbachial activity of CAPE was measured in worms by quantification of Wolbachial wsp gene copy number using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our findings show that CAPE was found to significantly reduce adult worm motility, viability, and mf release both in vitro and in vivo. 20 μg/ml of CAPE halts the release of mf in vitro by day 6 of post treatment. Also, the number of adult worms recovered in vivo were reduced significantly during and after treatment with 50 mg/kg of CAPE relative to control drugs, diethylcarbamazine and doxycycline. Real time PCR based on the Wolbachia ftsZ gene revealed a significant reduction in Wolbachia copy number upon treatment. Anti-Wolbachia and antifilarial properties of CAPE require further investigation as an alternative strategy to treat LF.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Caffeic Acids/administration & dosage; Caffeic Acids/therapeutic use*; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Filariasis/drug therapy*; Filariasis/parasitology; Gerbillinae; Humans; Male; Phenylethyl Alcohol/administration & dosage; Phenylethyl Alcohol/analogs & derivatives*; Phenylethyl Alcohol/therapeutic use; Brugia pahangi/drug effects*; Wolbachia/drug effects
  3. Si LY, Ali SAM, Latip J, Fauzi NM, Budin SB, Zainalabidin S
    Life Sci, 2017 Dec 15;191:157-165.
    PMID: 29066253 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2017.10.030
    AIMS: Obesity increase the risks of hypertension and myocardial infarction (MI) mediated by oxidative stress. This study was undertaken to investigate the actions of roselle aqueous extract (R) on cardiotoxicity in obese (OB) rats and thereon OB rats subjected to MI.

    MAIN METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with either normal diet or high-fat diet for 8weeks. Firstly, OB rats were divided into (1) OB and (2) OB+R (100mg/kg, p.o, 28days). Then, OB rats were subjected to MI (ISO, 85mg/kg, s.c, 2days) and divided into three groups: (1) OB+MI, (2) OB+MI+R and (3) OB+MI+enalapril for another 4weeks.

    KEY FINDINGS: Roselle ameliorated OB and OB+MI's cardiac systolic dysfunction and reduced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. The increased oxidative markers and decreased antioxidant enzymes in OB and OB+MI groups were all attenuated by roselle.

    SIGNIFICANCE: These observations indicate the protective effect of roselle on cardiac dysfunction in OB and OB+MI rats, which suggest its potential to be developed as a nutraceutical product for obese and obese patients with MI in the future.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Anthocyanins/isolation & purification; Anthocyanins/therapeutic use*; Anthocyanins/chemistry; Antioxidants/therapeutic use*; Cardiotonic Agents/therapeutic use*; Heart/drug effects; Heart/physiopathology; Male; Myocardial Infarction/complications*; Myocardial Infarction/drug therapy*; Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology; Obesity/complications*; Obesity/etiology; Plant Extracts/isolation & purification; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Oxidative Stress/drug effects; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects
  4. Goh KGK, Phan MD, Forde BM, Chong TM, Yin WF, Chan KG, et al.
    mBio, 2017 10 24;8(5).
    PMID: 29066548 DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01558-17
    Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a major cause of urinary tract and bloodstream infections and possesses an array of virulence factors for colonization, survival, and persistence. One such factor is the polysaccharide K capsule. Among the different K capsule types, the K1 serotype is strongly associated with UPEC infection. In this study, we completely sequenced the K1 UPEC urosepsis strain PA45B and employed a novel combination of a lytic K1 capsule-specific phage, saturated Tn5 transposon mutagenesis, and high-throughput transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS) to identify the complement of genes required for capsule production. Our analysis identified known genes involved in capsule biosynthesis, as well as two additional regulatory genes (mprA and lrhA) that we characterized at the molecular level. Mutation of mprA resulted in protection against K1 phage-mediated killing, a phenotype restored by complementation. We also identified a significantly increased unidirectional Tn5 insertion frequency upstream of the lrhA gene and showed that strong expression of LrhA induced by a constitutive Pcl promoter led to loss of capsule production. Further analysis revealed loss of MprA or overexpression of LrhA affected the transcription of capsule biosynthesis genes in PA45B and increased sensitivity to killing in whole blood. Similar phenotypes were also observed in UPEC strains UTI89 (K1) and CFT073 (K2), demonstrating that the effects were neither strain nor capsule type specific. Overall, this study defined the genome of a UPEC urosepsis isolate and identified and characterized two new regulatory factors that affect UPEC capsule production.IMPORTANCE Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in humans and are primarily caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Many UPEC strains express a polysaccharide K capsule that provides protection against host innate immune factors and contributes to survival and persistence during infection. The K1 serotype is one example of a polysaccharide capsule type and is strongly associated with UPEC strains that cause UTIs, bloodstream infections, and meningitis. The number of UTIs caused by antibiotic-resistant UPEC is steadily increasing, highlighting the need to better understand factors (e.g., the capsule) that contribute to UPEC pathogenesis. This study describes the original and novel application of lytic capsule-specific phage killing, saturated Tn5 transposon mutagenesis, and high-throughput transposon-directed insertion site sequencing to define the entire complement of genes required for capsule production in UPEC. Our comprehensive approach uncovered new genes involved in the regulation of this key virulence determinant.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antigens, Bacterial/biosynthesis*; Coliphages/genetics; DNA Transposable Elements; Humans; Polysaccharides, Bacterial/biosynthesis*; Virulence; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Mutagenesis, Insertional; Mutagenesis; Bacterial Capsules/genetics*; Bacterial Capsules/metabolism; Genome, Bacterial*; Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics*; Escherichia coli Proteins/isolation & purification; Escherichia coli Proteins/metabolism; Virulence Factors/genetics; Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/genetics*; Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/metabolism; Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/pathogenicity; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  5. Obayashi Y, Wei Bong C, Suzuki S
    Front Microbiol, 2017;8:1952.
    PMID: 29067013 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01952
    Microbial extracellular hydrolytic enzymes that degrade organic matter in aquatic ecosystems play key roles in the biogeochemical carbon cycle. To provide linkages between hydrolytic enzyme activities and genomic or metabolomic studies in aquatic environments, reliable measurements are required for many samples at one time. Extracellular proteases are one of the most important classes of enzymes in aquatic microbial ecosystems, and protease activities in seawater are commonly measured using fluorogenic model substrates. Here, we examined several concerns for measurements of extracellular protease activities (aminopeptidases, and trypsin-type, and chymotrypsin-type activities) in seawater. Using a fluorometric microplate reader with low protein binding, 96-well microplates produced reliable enzymatic activity readings, while use of regular polystyrene microplates produced readings that showed significant underestimation, especially for trypsin-type proteases. From the results of kinetic experiments, this underestimation was thought to be attributable to the adsorption of both enzymes and substrates onto the microplate. We also examined solvent type and concentration in the working solution of oligopeptide-analog fluorogenic substrates using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 2-methoxyethanol (MTXE). The results showed that both 2% (final concentration of solvent in the mixture of seawater sample and substrate working solution) DMSO and 2% MTXE provide similarly reliable data for most of the tested substrates, except for some substrates which did not dissolve completely in these assay conditions. Sample containers are also important to maintain the level of enzyme activity in natural seawater samples. In a small polypropylene containers (e.g., standard 50-mL centrifugal tube), protease activities in seawater sample rapidly decreased, and it caused underestimation of natural activities, especially for trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases. In conclusion, the materials and method for measurements should be carefully selected in order to accurately determine the activities of microbial extracellular hydrolytic enzymes in aquatic ecosystems; especially, low protein binding materials should be chosen to use at overall processes of the measurement.
    MeSH terms: Adsorption; Aminopeptidases; Chymotrypsin; Dimethyl Sulfoxide; Ethylene Glycols; Fluorescent Dyes; Fluorometry; Peptide Hydrolases; Polypropylenes; Polystyrenes; Protein Binding; Trypsin; Ecosystem; Carbon Cycle
  6. Taqi M, Razak IA, Ab-Murat N
    Pak J Med Sci, 2017 Jul-Aug;33(4):948-952.
    PMID: 29067071 DOI: 10.12669/pjms.334.13106
    OBJECTIVE: To estimate the percentage of children with low, moderate and high caries risk; and to determine the predictors of caries risk amongst 11-12 year old Pakistani school children.

    METHODS: Subjects' caries risk was assessed using the Cariogram programme. The survey was done among school children in Bhakkar district of Punjab, Pakistan. Caries and plaque level were assessed using the DMFT and Sillnes and Loe indices respectively, while diet content and frequency were assessed using a three-day diet diary.

    RESULTS: A total of 226 children participated in this study, giving a response rate of 75%. Most subjects (39.8%) were in the low risk category with DMFT score of 0. The overall mean DMFT score was 1.49 (±0.63). Linear and multiple regressions were performed to evaluate the predictability of caries risk. Previous experience of dental caries was found to be the most relevant predictor of caries risk (40%).

    CONCLUSION: The levels of caries risk amongst Pakistani 11-12 year old school children were generally low. Past caries experience was the most significant factor in predicting future caries lesion in this sample population.
    MeSH terms: Child; Dental Caries*; Humans; Pakistan
  7. Lim CTS, Lee SE
    Pak J Med Sci, 2017 10 27;33(4):1047-1049.
    PMID: 29067090 DOI: 10.12669/pjms.334.13112
    Ralstonia mannitolilytica is a gram negative soil bacterium. Ralstonia infection though rare, has become the emerging nosocomial pathogens in hospital settings. Various clinical manifestations had been described as well as the mode of transmission. Despite its low virulence factor, it is able to survive under harsh condition and this may potentially cause significant morbidity and mortality especially in immunocompromised patients. Outbreak of Ralstonia mannitolilytica infections in the hospital are typically associated with contaminated medical supplies or instruments. We described here a case of Ralstonia mannitolilytica infection in a dialysis patient that occurred during the municipal reservoir water contamination crisis. In this report, we will also describe the behaviour of Ralstonia genus and its 4 main species, namely R. pickettii, R. solanacearum, R. insidiosa, and R. mannitolilytica and the choices of antibiotic therapy based on literature review.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cross Infection; Disease Outbreaks; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Renal Dialysis; Hospitals; Humans; Soil; Water Pollution; Immunocompromised Host; Virulence Factors; Ralstonia
  8. Jannoo Z, Wah YB, Lazim AM, Hassali MA
    J Clin Transl Endocrinol, 2017 Sep;9:48-54.
    PMID: 29067270 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcte.2017.07.003
    AIMS: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) has been increasing attention in health outcome studies. Factors that individually influence HRQoL, diabetes self-care behaviors, and medication adherence have been widely investigated; however, most previous studies have not tested an integrated association between multiple health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to formulate a hypothetical structural equation model linking HRQoL, diabetes distress, diabetes self-care activities, medication adherence and diabetes-dependent QoL in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).
    METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed, and 497 patients with T2DM were recruited from outpatient clinics in three public hospitals and one government clinic. The patients completed a series of questionnaires. The hypothetical model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis.
    RESULTS: The values of the multiple fit indices indicated that the proposed model provided a good fit to the data. SEM results showed that medication adherence (MMAS) had a significant direct effect on diabetes distress (PAID) (Beta = -0.20). The self-care activities (SDSCA) construct was significantly related to PAID (Beta = -0.24). SDSCA was found to have a significant relationship with HRQoL (SF-36) (Beta = 0.11). Additionally, diabetes distress had a significant effect (Beta = -0.11) on HRQoL of patients. Finally, ADDQoL had a significant effect on HRQoL (Beta = 0.12).
    CONCLUSIONS: The various health outcome indicators such as self-care behaviors, diabetes distress, medication adherence and diabetes-dependent QoL need to be considered in clinical practice for enhancing HRQoL in those patients.
    Study site: Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah, Hospital Sungai Buloh and Hospital Serdang; Klinik Kesihatan Botanic, Kelang, Selangor, Malaysia
    MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Hospitals; Humans; Malaysia; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; Quality of Life; Self Care
  9. Kamaruddin MA, Yusoff MS, Rui LM, Isa AM, Zawawi MH, Alrozi R
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2017 Dec;24(35):26988-27020.
    PMID: 29067615 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0303-9
    Currently, generation of solid waste per capita in Malaysia is about 1.1 kg/day. Over 26,500 t of solid waste is disposed almost solely through 166 operating landfills in the country every day. Despite the availability of other disposal methods, landfill is the most widely accepted and prevalent method for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in developing countries, including Malaysia. This is mainly ascribed to its inherent forte in terms cost saving and simpler operational mechanism. However, there is a downside. Environmental pollution caused by the landfill leachate has been one of the typical dilemmas of landfilling method. Leachate is the liquid produced when water percolates through solid waste and contains dissolved or suspended materials from various disposed materials and biodecomposition processes. It is often a high-strength wastewater with extreme pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), inorganic salts and toxicity. Its composition differs over the time and space within a particular landfill, influenced by a broad spectrum of factors, namely waste composition, landfilling practice (solid waste contouring and compacting), local climatic conditions, landfill's physico-chemical conditions, biogeochemistry and landfill age. This paper summarises an overview of landfill operation and leachate treatment availability reported in literature: a broad spectrum of landfill management opportunity, leachate parameter discussions and the way forward of landfill leachate treatment applicability.
    MeSH terms: Malaysia; Refuse Disposal/methods*; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis*; Water Purification/methods*; Solid Waste/analysis*; Waste Disposal Facilities*
  10. Wan Osman WN, Lau SF, Mohamed S
    Phytother Res, 2017 Dec;31(12):1954-1961.
    PMID: 29067744 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5949
    The effect of scopoletin-standardized Morinda elliptica leaf extract against osteoarthritis was investigated in ex vivo explant culture and preclinical rodent model. Thirty male rats were grouped (n = 6) into untreated osteoarthritis (OA), OA + Diclofenac (5 mg/kg), and OA + extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) and compared with healthy control. Monosodium iodoacetate were injected into the right intra-articular knee joints to induce OA. The rats were evaluated for OA severity via physical (micro-CT and histological observations), biochemical, ELISA, and mRNA expression analysis (for inflammation and cartilage degradation biomarkers), after 28 days of treatment. The extract suppressed glycosaminoglycan release from the cartilage explant in the presence of Interleukin-1β. The 200 mg/kg dose appeared better than 400 mg/kg dose, at reducing cartilage and subchondral bone erosions in OA-induced rats, by significantly down-regulating the collagenases and aggrecanase. The extract dose-dependently reduced serum inflammation biomarkers and increased bone formation biomarkers to near normal levels in the OA-induced rats. M. elliptica leaf scopoletin-standardised extract alleviated OA progression and articular cartilage structure, by ameliorating cartilage degradation, nitric oxide levels, inflammation, bone /cartilage homeostasis, collagenase/aggrecanase activities, chondrocytes survival, subchondral bone structure and integrity.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Cartilage, Articular/drug effects*; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Humans; Inflammation/metabolism*; Male; Middle Aged; Osteoarthritis/drug therapy*; Osteoarthritis/pathology; Scopoletin/chemistry*; Morinda/chemistry*; Rats
  11. Adhikary AK
    J Med Microbiol, 2017 Nov;66(11):1616-1622.
    PMID: 29068283 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000625
    Recently, human adenovirus type 3 (HAdV-3) has become the most isolated HAdV worldwide. Restriction endonuclease analysis of globally isolated strains of HAdV-3 has uncovered 51 genome types to date. Information on the genome type is important to the epidemiological study of HAdV-3. In this study, analysis of 75 isolates of HAdV- 3 collected over a 24-year period in Fukui revealed: (1) the emergence of three novel genome types (HAdV-3a52, HAdV-3a53 and HAdV-3a54) and two known genome types (HAdV-3a and HAdV-3a54); (2) the spectrum of diseases caused by individual genome types and their major involvement in the paediatric age population; and (3) the co-circulation and replacement of genome types as a usual phenomenon. The rising number of HAdV-3 genome types indicates that the genetic variation of HAdV-3 is more than other HAdVs. Considering the clinical importance of HAdV-3 infection, its genetic diversity underscores the need for its continuous surveillance and genetic characterization.
    MeSH terms: Adenovirus Infections, Human/epidemiology*; Adenovirus Infections, Human/virology*; Adenoviruses, Human/classification*; Adenoviruses, Human/genetics*; Humans; Japan/epidemiology; Population Surveillance; Genetic Variation*; Genome, Viral*
  12. Alexander JA, Surajudeen A, Aliyu EU, Omeiza AU, Zaini MAA
    Water Sci Technol, 2017 Oct;76(7-8):2232-2241.
    PMID: 29068353 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2017.391
    The present work was aimed at evaluating the multi-metals column adsorption of lead(II), cadmium(II) and manganese(II) ions onto natural bentonite. The bentonite clay adsorbent was characterized for physical and chemical properties using X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and cation exchange capacity. The column performance was evaluated using adsorbent bed height of 5.0 cm, with varying influent concentrations (10 mg/L and 50 mg/L) and flow rates (1.4 mL/min and 2.4 mL/min). The result shows that the breakthrough time for all metal ions ranged from 50 to 480 minutes. The maximum adsorption capacity was obtained at initial concentration of 10 mg/L and flow rate of 1.4 mL/min, with 2.22 mg/g of lead(II), 1.71 mg/g of cadmium(II) and 0.37 mg/g of manganese(II). The order of metal ions removal by natural bentonite is lead(II) > cadmium(II) > manganese(II). The sorption performance and the dynamic behaviour of the column were predicted using Adams-Bohart, Thomas, and Yoon-Nelson models. The linear regression analysis demonstrated that the Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models fitted well with the column adsorption data for all metal ions. The natural bentonite was effective for the treatment of wastewater laden with multi-metals, and the process parameters obtained from this work can be used at the industrial scale.
    MeSH terms: Adsorption; Bentonite/chemistry*; Cadmium/chemistry*; Lead/chemistry*; Manganese/chemistry*; Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods; Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry*; X-Ray Diffraction; Water Purification/methods; Waste Water/chemistry
  13. Nazir MH, Khan ZA, Saeed A, Bakolas V, Braun W, Bajwa R, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2017 Oct 25;10(11).
    PMID: 29068395 DOI: 10.3390/ma10111225
    A study has been presented on the effects of intrinsic mechanical parameters, such as surface stress, surface elastic modulus, surface porosity, permeability and grain size on the corrosion failure of nanocomposite coatings. A set of mechano-electrochemical equations was developed by combining the popular Butler-Volmer and Duhem expressions to analyze the direct influence of mechanical parameters on the electrochemical reactions in nanocomposite coatings. Nanocomposite coatings of Ni with Al₂O₃, SiC, ZrO₂ and Graphene nanoparticles were studied as examples. The predictions showed that the corrosion rate of the nanocoatings increased with increasing grain size due to increase in surface stress, surface porosity and permeability of nanocoatings. A detailed experimental study was performed in which the nanocomposite coatings were subjected to an accelerated corrosion testing. The experimental results helped to develop and validate the equations by qualitative comparison between the experimental and predicted results showing good agreement between the two.
    MeSH terms: Aluminum Oxide; Corrosion; Graphite; Permeability; Zirconium; Porosity; Nanoparticles; Nanocomposites; Elastic Modulus
  14. Shanmugapriya, Chen Y, Kanwar JR, Sasidharan S
    Nutr Cancer, 2017 10 25;69(8):1308-1324.
    PMID: 29068745 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2017.1367944
    This study was conducted to investigate the anticancer effects and mechanism of Calophyllum inophyllum fruit extract against MCF-7 cells. C. inophyllum fruit extract was found to have markedly cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner with the IC50 for 24 h of 23.59 µg/mL. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that C. inophyllum fruit extract mediated cell cycle at G0/G1 and G2/M phases, and MCF-7 cells entered the early phase of apoptosis. The expression of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 was decreased whereas the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax, cytochrome C and p53 were increased after treatment. C. inophyllum fruit extract led to apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via the mitochondrial pathway in a dose dependent manner. This is evidenced by the elevation of intracellular ROS, the loss of mitochondria membrane potential (Δψm), and activation of caspase-3. Meanwhile, dose-dependent genomic DNA fragmentation was observed after C. inophyllum fruits extract treatment by comet assay. This study shows that C. inophyllum fruits extract-induced apoptosis is primarily p53 dependent and mediated through the activation of caspase-3. C. inophyllum fruit extract could be an excellent source of chemopreventive agent in the treatment of breast cancer and has potential to be explored as green anticancer agent.
    MeSH terms: Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*; Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy; Female; Fruit/chemistry*; Humans; Mitochondria/drug effects; Mitochondria/metabolism; Plant Extracts/pharmacology*; Apoptosis/drug effects; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Comet Assay; Calophyllum/chemistry*; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/genetics; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial/drug effects; Caspase 3/genetics; Caspase 3/metabolism; DNA Fragmentation/drug effects; Polyphenols/pharmacology*; MCF-7 Cells
  15. Chin KY, Low NY, Kamaruddin AAA, Dewiputri WI, Soelaiman IN
    Ther Clin Risk Manag, 2017;13:1333-1341.
    PMID: 29070951 DOI: 10.2147/TCRM.S145519
    BACKGROUND: Calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a useful tool in osteoporosis screening. However, QUS device may not be available at all primary health care settings. Osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) is a simple algorithm for osteoporosis screening that does not require any sophisticated instruments. This study explored the possibility of replacing QUS with OSTA by determining their agreement in identifying individuals at risk of osteoporosis.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit Malaysian men and women aged ≥50 years. Their bone health status was measured using a calcaneal QUS device and OSTA. The association between OSTA and QUS was determined using Spearman's correlation and their agreement was assessed using Cohen Kappa and receiver-operating curve.

    RESULTS: All QUS indices correlated significantly with OSTA (p<0.05). The agreement between QUS and OSTA was minimal but statistically significant (p<0.05). The performance of OSTA in identifying subjects at risk of osteoporosis according to QUS was poor-to-fair in women (p<0.05), but not statistically significant for men (p>0.05). Changing the cut-off values improved the performance of OSTA in women but not in men.

    CONCLUSION: The agreement between QUS and OSTA is minimal in categorizing individuals at risk of osteoporosis. Therefore, they cannot be used interchangeably in osteoporosis screening.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Hospitals, University; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Osteoporosis*; Sensitivity and Specificity*; Ultrasonography
  16. Galati F, Marzocca F, Bassetti E, Luciani ML, Tan S, Catalano C, et al.
    Breast care (Basel, Switzerland), 2017 Sep;12(4):218-222.
    PMID: 29070984 DOI: 10.1159/000477537
    BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the added value of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) when combined with digital mammography (DM) in BI-RADS assessment and follow-up management.

    METHODS: From February 2014 to January 2015, 214 patients underwent DM and DBT, acquired with a Siemens Mammomat Inspiration unit. 2 expert readers independently reviewed the studies in 2 steps: DM and DM+DBT, according to BI-RADS rate. Patients with BI-RADS 0, 3, 4, and 5 were recalled for work-up. Inter-reader agreement for BI-RADS rate and work-up rate were evaluated using Cohen's kappa.

    RESULTS: Inter-reader agreement (κ value) for BI-RADS classification was 0.58 for DM and 0.8 for DM+DBT. DM+DBT increased the number of BI-RADS 1, 2, 4, 5 and reduced the number of BI-RADS 0 and 3 for both readers compared to DM alone. Regarding work-up rate agreement, κ was poor for DM and substantial (0.7) for DM+DBT. DM+DBT also reduced the work-up rate for both Reader 1 and Reader 2.

    CONCLUSION: DM+DBT increased the number of negative and benign cases (BI-RADS 1 and 2) and suspicious and malignant cases (BI-RADS 4 and 5), while it reduced the number of BI-RADS 0 and 3. DM+DBT also improved inter-reader agreement and reduced the overall recall for additional imaging or short-interval follow-up.

    MeSH terms: Breast Neoplasms; Diagnostic Tests, Routine; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Mammography; Radiographic Image Enhancement
  17. Mohd Ridah LJ, A Talib N, Muhammad N, Hussain FA, Zainuddin N
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2017 10 26;18(10):2781-2785.
    PMID: 29072413
    Introduction: p16 gene plays an important role in the normal cell cycle regulation. Methylation of p16 has been reported to be one of the epigenetic events contributing to the pathogenesis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) which occurring at varying frequency. DLBCL is an aggressive and high-grade malignancy which accounts for approximately 30% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases. However, little is known regarding the epigenetic alterations of p16 gene in DLBCL cases in Malaysia. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the status of p16 methylation in DLBCL. Methods: A total of 88 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded DLBCL tissues retrieved from two hospitals located in the east coast of Malaysia, namely Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA) Pahang and Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) Kelantan, were chosen for this study. DNA specimens were isolated and subsequently subjected to bisulfite treatment prior to methylation specific-PCR. Two pairs of primers were used to amplify methylated and unmethylated regions of p16 gene. The PCR products were then separated using agarose gel electrophoresis and visualised under UV illumination. SPSS version 12.0 was utilised to perform all statistical analysis. Result: p16 methylation was detected in 65 of 88 (74%) samples. There was a significant association between p16 methylation status and patients aged >50 years old (p=0.04). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that methylation of p16 tumor suppressor gene in our DLBCL cases is common and significantly increased among patients aged 50 years and above. Aging is known to be an important risk factor in the development of cancers and we speculate that this might be due to the increased transformation of malignant cells in aging cell population. However, this has yet to be confirmed with further research and correlate the findings with clinicopathological parameters.
    MeSH terms: Cell Cycle; DNA; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; Humans; Lighting; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Malaysia; Methylation; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Sulfites; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Paraffin Embedding; DNA Primers; Genes, p16
  18. Toozandehjani M, Matori KA, Ostovan F, Abdul Aziz S, Mamat MS
    Materials (Basel), 2017 Oct 26;10(11).
    PMID: 29072632 DOI: 10.3390/ma10111232
    The effect of milling time on the morphology, microstructure, physical and mechanical properties of pure Al-5 wt % Al₂O₃ (Al-5Al₂O₃) has been investigated. Al-5Al₂O₃ nanocomposites were fabricated using ball milling in a powder metallurgy route. The increase in the milling time resulted in the homogenous dispersion of 5 wt % Al₂O₃ nanoparticles, the reduction of particle clustering, and the reduction of distances between the composite particles. The significant grain refining during milling was revealed which showed as a reduction of particle size resulting from longer milling time. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the nanocomposite powders also showed that designated ball milling contributes to the crystalline refining and accumulation of internal stress due to induced severe plastic deformation of the particles. It can be argued that these morphological and microstructural variations of nanocomposite powders induced by designated ball milling time was found to contribute to an improvement in the density, densification, micro-hardness (HV), nano-hardness (HN), and Young's modulus (E) of Al-5Al₂O₃ nanocomposites. HV, HN, and E values of nanocomposites were increased by ~48%, 46%, and 40%, after 12 h of milling, respectively.
    MeSH terms: Aluminum Oxide; Hardness; Metallurgy; Particle Size; Plastics; Powders; X-Ray Diffraction; Cluster Analysis; Nanoparticles; Nanocomposites; Elastic Modulus
  19. Htet AS, Bjertness MB, Oo WM, Kjøllesdal MK, Sherpa LY, Zaw KK, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2017 10 26;17(1):847.
    PMID: 29073891 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4870-y
    BACKGROUND: Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and little is known about trends in prevalence, awareness, treatment and the control of hypertension in Myanmar. This study aims at evaluating changes from 2004 to 2014 in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the Yangon Region, Myanmar, and to compare associations between hypertension and selected socio-demographic, behavioural- and metabolic risk factors in 2004 and 2014.

    METHODS: In 2004 and 2014, household-based cross-sectional studies were conducted in urban and rural areas of Yangon Region using the WHO STEPS protocol. Through a multi-stage cluster sampling method, a total of 4448 and 1486 participated in 2004 and 2014, respectively, with the response rates above 89%.

    RESULTS: From 2004 to 2014, there was a significant increase in the age-standardized prevalence of hypertension from 26.7% (95% CI:24.4-29.1) - 34.6% (32.2-37.1), as well as an awareness from 19.4% (17.2-21.9) to 27.8% (24.9-31.0), while treatment and control rates did not change. The age-standardized mean systolic blood pressure increased from 122.8 (SE) ± 0.82 mmHg in 2004 to 128.1 ± 0.53 mmHg in 2014, whereas diastolic blood pressure increased from 76.2 ± 0.35 mmHg to 80.9 ± 0.53 mmHg. In multivariate analyses, hypertension was significantly associated with age, alcohol consumption, overweight and diabetes in both 2004 and 2014, and additionally associated with low physical activity and hypercholesterolemia in 2004. Combining all data, a significant association between study-year and hypertension persisted in different models with an adjustment for socio-demographic variables and behavioural variables, but not when adjusting for a combination of socio-demographic variables, the metabolic variables, BMI and hypercholesterolemia.

    CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension has risen from 2004 to 2014 in both urban and rural areas of the Yangon Region, while, the awareness, treatment and control rate of hypertension remains low in urban and rural areas among both males and females. It is likely that changes in the metabolic variables, BMI and hypercholesterolemia have contributed to an increase in the prevalence of hypertension from 2004 to 2014. Factors associated with hypertension in both study years were age, alcohol consumption, overweight and diabetes. A national hypertension control programme should be implemented in order to reduce premature deaths in Myanmar.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Myanmar/epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Hypertension/epidemiology*; Hypertension/prevention & control; Hypertension/therapy*; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*; Male; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data; Urban Population/statistics & numerical data; Prevalence
External Links