Browse publications by year: 2017

  1. Fulltext Trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, and myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome: an update
    Khan M, Nishi SE, Hassan SN, Islam MA, Gan SH
    Pain Res Manag, 2017;2017:7438326.
    PMID: 28827979 DOI: 10.1155/2017/7438326
    Neuropathic pain is a common phenomenon that affects millions of people worldwide. Maxillofacial structures consist of various tissues that receive frequent stimulation during food digestion. The unique functions (masticatory process and facial expression) of the maxillofacial structure require the exquisite organization of both the peripheral and central nervous systems. Neuralgia is painful paroxysmal disorder of the head-neck region characterized by some commonly shared features such as the unilateral pain, transience and recurrence of attacks, and superficial and shock-like pain at a trigger point. These types of pain can be experienced after nerve injury or as a part of diseases that affect peripheral and central nerve function, or they can be psychological. Since the trigeminal and glossopharyngeal nerves innervate the oral structure, trigeminal and glossopharyngeal neuralgia are the most common syndromes following myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome. Nevertheless, misdiagnoses are common. The aim of this review is to discuss the currently available diagnostic procedures and treatment options for trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, and myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome.
    MeSH terms: Fibromyalgia/diagnosis; Fibromyalgia/physiopathology*; Fibromyalgia/therapy; Humans; Trigeminal Neuralgia/diagnosis; Trigeminal Neuralgia/physiopathology*; Trigeminal Neuralgia/therapy; Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases/diagnosis; Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases/physiopathology*; Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases/therapy
  2. Anticonvulsant effect of liraglutide, GLP-1 agonist by averting a change in GABA and brain glutathione level on picrotoxin-induced seizures
    Gupta G, Dahiya R, Dua K, Chellappan DK, Tiwari J, Narayan Sharma G, et al.
    EXCLI J, 2017;16:752-754.
    PMID: 28827991 DOI: 10.17179/excli2017-283
  3. Fulltext RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) of lymph node, spleen, and thymus transcriptome from wild Peninsular Malaysian cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis)
    Ee Uli J, Yong CSY, Yeap SK, Rovie-Ryan JJ, Mat Isa N, Tan SG, et al.
    PeerJ, 2017;5:e3566.
    PMID: 28828235 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3566
    The cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) is an extensively utilised nonhuman primate model for biomedical research due to its biological, behavioural, and genetic similarities to humans. Genomic information of cynomolgus macaque is vital for research in various fields; however, there is presently a shortage of genomic information on the Malaysian cynomolgus macaque. This study aimed to sequence, assemble, annotate, and profile the Peninsular Malaysian cynomolgus macaque transcriptome derived from three tissues (lymph node, spleen, and thymus) using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology. A total of 174,208,078 paired end 70 base pair sequencing reads were obtained from the Illumina Hi-Seq 2500 sequencer. The overall mapping percentage of the sequencing reads to the M. fascicularis reference genome ranged from 53-63%. Categorisation of expressed genes to Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway categories revealed that GO terms with the highest number of associated expressed genes include Cellular process, Catalytic activity, and Cell part, while for pathway categorisation, the majority of expressed genes in lymph node, spleen, and thymus fall under the Global overview and maps pathway category, while 266, 221, and 138 genes from lymph node, spleen, and thymus were respectively enriched in the Immune system category. Enriched Immune system pathways include Platelet activation pathway, Antigen processing and presentation, B cell receptor signalling pathway, and Intestinal immune network for IgA production. Differential gene expression analysis among the three tissues revealed 574 differentially expressed genes (DEG) between lymph and spleen, 5402 DEGs between lymph and thymus, and 7008 DEGs between spleen and thymus. Venn diagram analysis of expressed genes revealed a total of 2,630, 253, and 279 tissue-specific genes respectively for lymph node, spleen, and thymus tissues. This is the first time the lymph node, spleen, and thymus transcriptome of the Peninsular Malaysian cynomolgus macaque have been sequenced via RNA-Seq. Novel transcriptomic data will further enrich the present M. fascicularis genomic database and provide future research potentials, including novel transcript discovery, comparative studies, and molecular markers development.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Humans; Immunoglobulin A; Lymph Nodes; Macaca fascicularis; Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; Spleen; Platelet Activation; Genome; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Antigen Presentation; Base Pairing; Genomics; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Transcriptome; Gene Ontology
  4. Fulltext Report of the Second Asian Prostate Cancer (A-CaP) Study Meeting
    Kim CS, Lee JY, Chung BH, Kim WJ, Fai NC, Hakim L, et al.
    Prostate Int, 2017 Sep;5(3):95-103.
    PMID: 28828352 DOI: 10.1016/j.prnil.2017.03.006
    The Asian Prostate Cancer (A-CaP) Study is an Asia-wide initiative that has been developed over the course of 2 years. The study was launched in December 2015 in Tokyo, Japan, and the participating countries and regions engaged in preparations for the study during the course of 2016, including patient registration and creation of databases for the purpose of the study. The Second A-CaP Meeting was held on September 8, 2016 in Seoul, Korea, with the participation of members and collaborators from 12 countries and regions. Under the study, each participating country or region will begin registration of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients and conduct prognostic investigations. From the data gathered, common research themes will be identified, such as comparisons among Asian countries of background factors in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. This is the first Asia-wide study of prostate cancer and has developed from single country research efforts in this field, including in Japan and Korea. At the Second Meeting, participating countries and regions discussed the status of preparations and discussed various issues that are being faced. These issues include technical challenges in creating databases, promoting participation in each country or region, clarifying issues relating to data input, addressing institutional issues such as institutional review board requirements, and the need for dedicated data managers. The meeting was positioned as an opportunity to share information and address outstanding issues prior to the initiation of the study. In addition to A-CaP-specific discussions, a series of special lectures was also delivered as a means of providing international perspectives on the latest developments in prostate cancer and the use of databases and registration studies around the world.
  5. Globalisation and its effect on pollution in Malaysia: the role of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement
    Solarin SA, Al-Mulali U, Sahu PK
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2017 Oct;24(29):23096-23113.
    PMID: 28828733 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9950-0
    The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of the globalisation (Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement in particular) on air pollution in Malaysia. To achieve this goal, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, Johansen cointegration test and fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) methods are utilised. CO2 emission is used as an indicator of pollution while GDP per capita and urbanisation serve as its other determinants. In addition, this study uses Malaysia's total trade with 10 TPP members as an indicator of globalisation and analyse its effect on CO2 emission in Malaysia. The outcome of this research shows that the variables are cointegrated. Additionally, GDP per capita, urbanisation and trade between Malaysia and its 10 TPP partners have a positive impact on CO2 emissions in general. Based on the outcome of this research, important policy implications are provided for the investigated country.
    MeSH terms: Air Pollution/analysis*; Carbon Dioxide/analysis*; International Cooperation*; Malaysia; Urbanization*; Economic Development*
  6. Diversity of microbiota associated with symptomatic and non-symptomatic bacterial wilt-diseased banana plants determined using 16S rRNA metagenome sequencing
    Suhaimi NSM, Goh SY, Ajam N, Othman RY, Chan KG, Thong KL
    World J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2017 Aug 21;33(9):168.
    PMID: 28828756 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-017-2336-0
    Banana is one of the most important fruits cultivated in Malaysia, and it provides many health benefits. However, bacterial wilt disease, which attacks bananas, inflicts major losses on the banana industry in Malaysia. To understand the complex interactions of the microbiota of bacterial wilt-diseased banana plants, we first determined the bacterial communities residing in the pseudostems of infected (symptomatic) and diseased-free (non-symptomatic) banana plants. We characterized the associated microorganisms using the targeted 16S rRNA metagenomics sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Taxonomic classifications revealed 17 and nine known bacterial phyla in the tissues of non-symptomatic and symptomatic plants, respectively. Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria (accounted for more than 99% of the 16S rRNA gene fragments) were the two most abundant phyla in both plants. The five major genera found in both plant samples were Ralstonia, Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, Flavobacterium, and Pseudomonas. Ralstonia was more abundant in symptomatic plant (59% out of the entire genera) as compared to those in the non-symptomatic plant (only 36%). Our data revealed that 102 bacterial genera were only assigned to the non-symptomatic plant. Overall, this study indicated that more diverse and abundant microbiota were associated with the non-symptomatic bacterial wilt-diseased banana plant as compared to the symptomatic plant. The higher diversity of endophytic microbiota in the non-symptomatic banana plant could be an indication of pathogen suppression which delayed or prevented the disease expression. This comparative study of the microbiota in the two plant conditions might provide caveats for potential biological control strategies.
    MeSH terms: Cyanobacteria/classification; Cyanobacteria/genetics; Cyanobacteria/isolation & purification; Bacteria/classification*; Bacteria/genetics; Bacteria/isolation & purification; DNA, Bacterial/genetics; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics; Fusarium; Malaysia; Phylogeny; Plant Diseases/microbiology*; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods; Proteobacteria/classification; Proteobacteria/genetics; Proteobacteria/isolation & purification; Musa/microbiology*; Metagenomics/methods*; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods
  7. Randomized Controlled Trial of Topical Insulin for Healing Corneal Epithelial Defects Induced During Vitreoretinal Surgery in Diabetics
    Fai S, Ahem A, Mustapha M, Mohd Noh UK, Bastion MC
    Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila), 2017;6(5):418-424.
    PMID: 28828764 DOI: 10.22608/APO.201780
    PURPOSE: To determine the effect of topical insulin of 3 concentrations [0.5, 1, and 2 units per drop 4 times per day (QID)] on postoperative corneal epithelial wound healing in diabetic patients.

    DESIGN: A double blind randomized controlled hospital-based study involving diabetic patients with postoperative corneal epithelial defect after vitreoretinal surgery.

    METHODS: Diabetic patients were randomized to 3 different concentrations of topical insulin (DTI 0.5, DTI 1, and DTI 2) or placebo in the control group (DNS). Primary outcome measure was the rate of corneal epithelial wound healing (mm² per hour) over pre-set interval and time from baseline to minimum size of epithelial defect on fluorescein stained anterior segment digital camera photography. Secondary outcome measure was any adverse effect of topical insulin. Follow-up was 1 month.

    RESULTS: Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients undergoing intraoperative corneal debridement with resultant epithelial defect (8 eyes per group) were analyzed. DTI 0.5 was superior to other concentrations achieving 100% healing rate within 72 hours of treatment compared with 62.5% in DNS, 75% in DTI 1, and 62.5% in DTI 2. Statistically, DTI 0.5 achieved significant results (P = 0.036) compared with the diabetic control group (DNS) in terms of mean rate of corneal epithelial wound healing from maximum to minimum defect size. No adverse effect of topical insulin was reported.

    CONCLUSIONS: Topical insulin 0.5 units QID is most effective for healing corneal epithelial defect in diabetic patients after vitrectomy surgery compared with placebo and higher concentrations. Topical insulin is safe for human ocular usage.

    MeSH terms: Administration, Topical; Adult; Aged; Corneal Diseases/drug therapy*; Corneal Diseases/etiology; Debridement/adverse effects; Diabetes Mellitus*; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents/administration & dosage*; Insulin/administration & dosage*; Male; Middle Aged; Wound Healing/drug effects; Diabetes Complications/drug therapy*; Vitreoretinal Surgery/adverse effects*
  8. Comparative ultrastructural hepatic alterations induced by free and liposome-encapsulated mefenamic acid
    Jarrar QB, Hakim MN, Cheema MS, Zakaria ZA
    Ultrastruct Pathol, 2017 8 23;41(5):335-345.
    PMID: 28829237 DOI: 10.1080/01913123.2017.1349850
    Mefenamic acid (MFA) is used as an anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antipyretic agent for treatment of a wide range of pathological disorders. While the uncertainty of its safety and the poor oral bioavailability constitute the major limiting factors of its medical use, considerable efforts including liposomal encapsulation are needed to achieve maximum therapeutic advantages. The current work was conducted to investigate the ultrastructural alterations in the liver induced by free MFA and its liposomal preparation. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with daily oral doses of either free MFA or MFA entrapped in Tween 80 inoculated liposomes at the concentration of 80 mg/kg for 28 days. Ultrathin sections were prepared from biopsies taken from the liver of each member of all animals under study and subjected to examination by transmission electron microscopy. The liver of rats that were exposed to liposomal MFA showed more ultrastructural alterations than the rats treated with the free drug. While both groups of rats demonstrated sinusoidal dilatation, Kupffer cell hyperplasia, mitochondrial damage, and nuclear alterations, rats treated with liposome-encapsulated MFA induced an increase in the multiple lysosomes formation, hepatocytic steatosis, and apoptotic activity than free MFA-treated rats. The ultrastructural findings of the present study indicate that the use of liposomal MFA induces more hepatic damage than the use of free MFA.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Female; Liposomes/pharmacology*; Liver/drug effects*; Liver/ultrastructure; Mefenamic Acid/pharmacology*; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Hepatocytes/drug effects; Hepatocytes/ultrastructure*; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission/methods
  9. Genetic diversity analysis in Malaysian giant prawns using expressed sequence tag microsatellite markers for stock improvement program
    Atin KH, Christianus A, Fatin N, Lutas AC, Shabanimofrad M, Subha B
    Genet. Mol. Res., 2017 Aug 17;16(3).
    PMID: 28829885 DOI: 10.4238/gmr16035685
    The Malaysian giant prawn is among the most commonly cultured species of the genus Macrobrachium. Stocks of giant prawns from four rivers in Peninsular Malaysia have been used for aquaculture over the past 25 years, which has led to repeated harvesting, restocking, and transplantation between rivers. Consequently, a stock improvement program is now important to avoid the depletion of wild stocks and the loss of genetic diversity. However, the success of such an improvement program depends on our knowledge of the genetic variation of these base populations. The aim of the current study was to estimate genetic variation and differentiation of these riverine sources using novel expressed sequence tag-microsatellite (EST-SSR) markers, which not only are informative on genetic diversity but also provide information on immune and metabolic traits. Our findings indicated that the tested stocks have inbreeding depression due to a significant deficiency in heterozygotes, and FIS was estimated as 0.15538 to 0.31938. An F-statistics analysis suggested that the stocks are composed of one large panmictic population. Among the four locations, stocks from Johor, in the southern region of the peninsular, showed higher allelic and genetic diversity than the other stocks. To overcome inbreeding problems, the Johor population could be used as a base population in a stock improvement program by crossing to the other populations. The study demonstrated that EST-SSR markers can be incorporated in future marker assisted breeding to aid the proper management of the stocks by breeders and stakeholders in Malaysia.
    MeSH terms: Selective Breeding; Animals; Malaysia; Polymorphism, Genetic*; Microsatellite Repeats*; Expressed Sequence Tags*; Palaemonidae/genetics*
  10. Effects of eutrophication on diatom abundance, biovolume and diversity in tropical coastal waters
    Lim JH, Lee CW
    Environ Monit Assess, 2017 Aug 03;189(9):432.
    PMID: 28823015 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-6147-4
    Diatom abundance, biovolume and diversity were measured over a 2-year period along the Straits of Malacca at two stations with upper (Klang) and lower (Port Dickson) states of eutrophication. Diatom abundance, which ranged from 0.2 × 10(4) to 21.7 × 10(4) cells L(-1) at Klang and 0.9 × 10(3)- 41.3 × 10(3) cells L(-1) at Port Dickson, was influenced partly by nutrient concentrations. At Klang, the diatoms were generally smaller and less diverse (H' = 0.77 ± 0.48) and predominated by Skeletonema spp. (60 ± 32% of total diatom biomass). In contrast, diatoms were larger and more diverse (H' = 1.40 ± 0.67) at Port Dickson. Chaetoceros spp. were the most abundant diatoms at Port Dickson but attributed only 48 ± 30% of total diatom biomass. Comparison of both Klang and Port Dickson showed that their diatom community structure differed and that eutrophication reduced diatom diversity at Klang. We also observed how Si(OH)4 affected the abundance of Skeletonema spp. which in turn influenced the temporal variation of diatom community at Klang. Our results highlighted how eutrophication affects diatom diversity and community structure.
    MeSH terms: Environmental Monitoring; Eutrophication*; Malaysia; Tropical Climate; Biomass
  11. Acanthamoeba castellanii interactions with Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes
    Siddiqui R, Yee Ong TY, Jung SY, Khan NA
    Exp Parasitol, 2017 Dec;183:128-132.
    PMID: 28823705 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2017.08.005
    Among the genus Streptococcus, S. pyogenes and S. pneumoniae are the major causes of pharyngitis, impetigo, pneumonia and meningitis in humans. Streptococcus spp. are facultative anaerobes that are nutritionally fastidious, yet survive in the environment and target the predisposed population. Antibacterial disinfectants have been partially effective only, indicating the need for novel preventative measures and to understand mechanisms of bacterial resistance. Acanthamoeba is a free-living protist that is known to harbour microbial pathogens, provide shelter, and assist in their transmission to susceptible population. The overall aim of this study was to determine whether S. pyogenes and S. pneumoniae can interact with A. castellanii by associating, invading, and surviving inside trophozoites and cysts. It was observed that both S. pyogenes and S. pneumoniae were able to associate as well as invade and/or taken up by the phagocytic A. castellanii trophozoite. Notably, S. pyogenes and S. pneumoniae survived the encystation process, avoided phagocytosis, multiplied, and exhibited higher recovery from the mature cysts, compared with the trophozoite stage (approximately 2 bacteria per amoebae ratio for cyst stage versus 0.02 bacteria per amoeba ration for trophozoite stage). As Acanthamoeba cysts are resilient and can disperse through the air, A. castellanii can act as a vector in providing shelter, facilitating growth and possibly genetic exchanges. In addition, these interactions may contribute to S. pyogenes and S. pneumoniae survival in harsh environments, and transmission to susceptible population and possibly affecting their virulence. Future studies will determine the molecular mechanisms associated with Acanthamoeba interactions with Streptococcus and the evolution of pathogenic bacteria and in turn expedite the discovery of novel therapeutic and/or preventative measures.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Streptococcal Infections/microbiology; Streptococcal Infections/transmission; Streptococcus pneumoniae/growth & development; Streptococcus pneumoniae/physiology*; Streptococcus pyogenes/growth & development; Streptococcus pyogenes/physiology*; Acanthamoeba castellanii/growth & development; Acanthamoeba castellanii/microbiology*; Acanthamoeba castellanii/physiology*; Trophozoites
  12. Leptospirosis: Molecular trial path and immunopathogenesis correlated with dengue, malaria and mimetic hemorrhagic infections
    Priya SP, Sakinah S, Sharmilah K, Hamat RA, Sekawi Z, Higuchi A, et al.
    Acta Trop, 2017 Dec;176:206-223.
    PMID: 28823908 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.08.007
    Immuno-pathogenesis of leptospirosis can be recounted well by following its trail path from entry to exit, while inducing disastrous damages in various tissues of the host. Dysregulated, inappropriate and excessive immune responses are unanimously blamed in fatal leptospirosis. The inherent abilities of the pathogen and inabilities of the host were debated targeting the severity of the disease. Hemorrhagic manifestation through various mechanisms leading to a fatal end is observed when this disease is unattended. The similar vascular destructions and hemorrhage manifestations are noted in infections with different microbes in endemic areas. The simultaneous infection in a host with more than one pathogen or parasite is referred as the coinfection. Notably, common endemic infections such as leptospirosis, dengue, chikungunya, and malaria, harbor favorable environments to flourish in similar climates, which is aggregated with stagnated water and aggravated with the poor personal and environmental hygiene of the inhabitants. These factors aid the spread of pathogens and parasites to humans and potential vectors, eventually leading to outbreaks of public health relevance. Malaria, dengue and chikungunya need mosquitoes as vectors, in contrast with leptospirosis, which directly invades human, although the environmental bacterial load is maintained through other mammals, such as rodents. The more complicating issue is that infections by different pathogens exhibiting similar symptoms but require different treatment management. The current review explores different pathogens expressing specific surface proteins and their ability to bind with array of host proteins with or without immune response to enter into the host tissues and their ability to evade the host immune responses to invade and their affinity to certain tissues leading to the common squeal of hemorrhage. Furthermore, at the host level, the increased susceptibility and inability of the host to arrest the pathogens' and parasites' spread in different tissues, various cytokines accumulated to eradicate the microorganisms and their cellular interactions, the antibody dependent defense and the susceptibility of individual organs bringing the manifestation of the diseases were explored. Lastly, we provided a discussion on the immune trail path of pathogenesis from entry to exit to narrate the similarities and dissimilarities among various hemorrhagic fevers mentioned above, in order to outline future possibilities of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of coinfections, with special reference to endemic areas.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Climate; Dengue/immunology; Dengue/epidemiology*; Dengue/transmission; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; Leptospirosis/immunology; Leptospirosis/epidemiology*; Leptospirosis/transmission; Malaria/immunology; Malaria/epidemiology*; Malaria/transmission; Culicidae/microbiology; Public Health; Bacterial Load; Coinfection; Chikungunya Fever/immunology; Chikungunya Fever/epidemiology*; Chikungunya Fever/transmission
  13. Fulltext Presence of anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
    Islam MA, Alam F, Kamal MA, Gan SH, Sasongko TH, Wong KK
    Front Aging Neurosci, 2017;9:250.
    PMID: 28824414 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00250
    Growing evidences are supporting towards the involvement of antiphospholipid antibodies [aPLs e.g., lupus anticoagulant (LA), anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2-GPI) antibodies] in various neurological manifestations including migraine, epilepsy and dementia in the presence or absence of autoimmune diseases such as antiphospholipid syndrome or systemic lupus erythematosus. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the presence of aPLs in dementia patients without a diagnosis of any autoimmune disease. Electronic databases (e.g., PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar) were searched without any year or language restrictions and based on the inclusion criteria, nine prospective case-control studies assessing only aCL were included involving 372 dementia patients and 337 healthy controls. No studies were found to assess the presence of both LA or anti-β2-GPI. The study-specific odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effects model. We observed the prevalence of aCL in dementia was higher (32.80%) than that of controls (9.50%) e.g., 3.45 times higher risk of presenting with dementia than the controls, and significant presence of aCL antibodies was detected in dementia patients compared to controls (OR: 4.94, 95% CI: 2.66 - 9.16, p < 0.00001; I2 = 32%, p = 0.16). Publication bias was not observed from Egger's (p = 0.081) and Begg's tests (p = 0.180). Based on the study quality assessment using modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for case-control studies, seven of nine studies were of high methodological quality scoring ≥ 7 (median value). In summary, aCL antibodies were significantly present in dementia patients suggesting that aCL antibodies are generated due to the autoimmune-derived effects of dementia or there might be a potential causative role of this autoantibody in dementia pathogenesis.
    MeSH terms: Dementia*; Humans; Antiphospholipid Syndrome*
  14. Fulltext The Crux of the Medicine Prices' Controversy in Pakistan
    Lee KS, Shahidullah A, Zaidi STR, Patel RP, Ming LC, Tariq MH, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2017;8:504.
    PMID: 28824429 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00504
  15. Fulltext Zebrafish as a Model for Epilepsy-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction: A Pharmacological, Biochemical and Behavioral Approach
    Kundap UP, Kumari Y, Othman I, Shaikh MF
    Front Pharmacol, 2017;8:515.
    PMID: 28824436 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00515
    Epilepsy is a neuronal disorder allied with distinct neurological and behavioral alterations characterized by recurrent spontaneous epileptic seizures. Impairment of the cognitive performances such as learning and memory is frequently observed in epileptic patients. Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are efficient to the majority of patients. However, 30% of this population seems to be refractory to the drug treatment. These patients are not seizure-free and frequently they show impaired cognitive functions. Unfortunately, as a side effect, some AEDs could contribute to such impairment. The major problem associated with conducting studies on epilepsy-related cognitive function is the lack of easy, rapid, specific and sensitive in vivo testing models. However, by using a number of different techniques and parameters in the zebrafish, we can incorporate the unique feature of specific disorder to study the molecular and behavior basis of this disease. In the view of current literature, the goal of the study was to develop a zebrafish model of epilepsy induced cognitive dysfunction. In this study, the effect of AEDs on locomotor activity and seizure-like behavior was tested against the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizures in zebrafish and epilepsy associated cognitive dysfunction was determined using T-maze test followed by neurotransmitter estimation and gene expression analysis. It was observed that all the AEDs significantly reversed PTZ induced seizure in zebrafish, but had a negative impact on cognitive functions of zebrafish. AEDs were found to modulate neurotransmitter levels, especially GABA, glutamate, and acetylcholine and gene expression in the drug treated zebrafish brains. Therefore, combination of behavioral, neurochemical and genenetic information, makes this model a useful tool for future research and discovery of newer and safer AEDs.
    MeSH terms: Acetylcholine; Animals; Cognition; Epilepsy; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; Goals; Humans; Locomotion; Memory; Pentylenetetrazole; Seizures; Zebrafish; Neurotransmitter Agents; Glutamic Acid; Maze Learning
  16. Fulltext Comparison of the Microbiological Quality and Safety between Conventional and Organic Vegetables Sold in Malaysia
    Kuan CH, Rukayadi Y, Ahmad SH, Wan Mohamed Radzi CWJ, Thung TY, Premarathne JMKJK, et al.
    Front Microbiol, 2017;8:1433.
    PMID: 28824567 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01433
    Given the remarkable increase of public interest in organic food products, it is indeed critical to evaluate the microbiological risk associated with consumption of fresh organic produce. Organic farming practices including the use of animal manures may increase the risk of microbiological contamination as manure can act as a vehicle for transmission of foodborne pathogens. This study aimed to determine and compare the microbiological status between organic and conventional fresh produce at the retail level in Malaysia. A total of 152 organic and conventional vegetables were purchased at retail markets in Malaysia. Samples were analyzed for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, and total coliforms using conventional microbiological methods. Combination methods of most probable number-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (MPN-mPCR) were used to detect and quantify foodborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Salmonella Enteritidis. Results indicated that most types of organic and conventional vegetables possessed similar microbial count (P > 0.05) of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, and total coliforms. E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium were not detected in any sample analyzed in this study. Among the 152 samples tested, only the conventional lettuce and organic carrot were tested positive for STEC and S. Enteritidis, respectively. L. monocytogenes were more frequently detected in both organic (9.1%) and conventional vegetables (2.7%) as compared to E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and S. Enteritidis. Overall, no trend was shown that either organically or conventionally grown vegetables have posed greater microbiological risks. These findings indicated that one particular type of farming practices would not affect the microbiological profiles of fresh produce. Therefore, regardless of farming methods, all vegetables should be subjected to appropriate post-harvest handling practices from farm to fork to ensure the quality and safety of the fresh produce.
  17. Fulltext The Importance of the Expendable: Toxin-Antitoxin Genes in Plasmids and Chromosomes
    Díaz-Orejas R, Espinosa M, Yeo CC
    Front Microbiol, 2017;8:1479.
    PMID: 28824602 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01479
    Toxin-antitoxin (TA) genes were first reported in plasmids and were considered expendable genetic cassettes involved in the stable maintenance of the plasmid replicon by interfering with growth and/or viability of bacteria in which the plasmid was lost. TAs were later found in bacterial chromosomes and also in integrated mobile genetic elements; they were proposed to be involved in the bacterial response to stressful situations. At present, 100s of TAs have been identified and classified in up to six families (I to VI), with those belonging to the type II (constituted by two protein components) being the most studied. Based on well-characterized examples of several type II TAs, we discuss in this review that irrespective of their locations in plasmids or chromosomes, TAs functionally overlap as indicated by: (i) in both locations they can mediate the maintenance of genetic elements to which they are physical linked, and (ii) they can induce persistence or virulence in response to stress situations. Examples of functional confluences in homologous TA systems with different locations are also given. We also consider whether the physiological role of TAs is due to their genetic organization as operons or to their inherent properties, like the short lifespan of the antitoxin component.
    MeSH terms: Antitoxins; Bacteria; Chromosomes, Bacterial; Longevity; Operon; Plasmids; Replicon; Virulence; Interspersed Repetitive Sequences
  18. Fulltext De Novo Assembly of Complete Chloroplast Genomes from Non-model Species Based on a K-mer Frequency-Based Selection of Chloroplast Reads from Total DNA Sequences
    Izan S, Esselink D, Visser RGF, Smulders MJM, Borm T
    Front Plant Sci, 2017;8:1271.
    PMID: 28824658 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01271
    Whole Genome Shotgun (WGS) sequences of plant species often contain an abundance of reads that are derived from the chloroplast genome. Up to now these reads have generally been identified and assembled into chloroplast genomes based on homology to chloroplasts from related species. This re-sequencing approach may select against structural differences between the genomes especially in non-model species for which no close relatives have been sequenced before. The alternative approach is to de novo assemble the chloroplast genome from total genomic DNA sequences. In this study, we used k-mer frequency tables to identify and extract the chloroplast reads from the WGS reads and assemble these using a highly integrated and automated custom pipeline. Our strategy includes steps aimed at optimizing assemblies and filling gaps which are left due to coverage variation in the WGS dataset. We have successfully de novo assembled three complete chloroplast genomes from plant species with a range of nuclear genome sizes to demonstrate the universality of our approach: Solanum lycopersicum (0.9 Gb), Aegilops tauschii (4 Gb) and Paphiopedilum henryanum (25 Gb). We also highlight the need to optimize the choice of k and the amount of data used. This new and cost-effective method for de novo short read assembly will facilitate the study of complete chloroplast genomes with more accurate analyses and inferences, especially in non-model plant genomes.
  19. Economic evaluation of pharmacist-led medication reviews in residential aged care facilities
    Hasan SS, Thiruchelvam K, Kow CS, Ghori MU, Babar ZU
    Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res, 2017 Oct;17(5):431-439.
    PMID: 28825502 DOI: 10.1080/14737167.2017.1370376
    INTRODUCTION: Medication reviews is a widely accepted approach known to have a substantial impact on patients' pharmacotherapy and safety. Numerous options to optimise pharmacotherapy in older people have been reported in literature and they include medication reviews, computerised decision support systems, management teams, and educational approaches. Pharmacist-led medication reviews are increasingly being conducted, aimed at attaining patient safety and medication optimisation. Cost effectiveness is an essential aspect of a medication review evaluation. Areas covered: A systematic searching of articles that examined the cost-effectiveness of medication reviews conducted in aged care facilities was performed using the relevant databases. Pharmacist-led medication reviews confer many benefits such as attainment of biomarker targets for improved clinical outcomes, and other clinical parameters, as well as depict concrete financial advantages in terms of decrement in total medication costs and associated cost savings. Expert commentary: The cost-effectiveness of medication reviews are more consequential than ever before. A critical evaluation of pharmacist-led medication reviews in residential aged care facilities from an economical aspect is crucial in determining if the time, effort, and direct and indirect costs involved in the review rationalise the significance of conducting medication reviews for older people in aged care facilities.
    MeSH terms: Aged; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Homes for the Aged/economics; Homes for the Aged/organization & administration; Humans; Nursing Homes/economics; Nursing Homes/organization & administration; Pharmaceutical Services/economics; Pharmaceutical Services/organization & administration*; Pharmacists/economics; Pharmacists/organization & administration*; Drug Costs; Cost Savings; Professional Role; Medication Therapy Management/economics; Medication Therapy Management/organization & administration*
  20. Lung disease stratification using amalgamation of Riesz and Gabor transforms in machine learning framework
    Than JCM, Saba L, Noor NM, Rijal OM, Kassim RM, Yunus A, et al.
    Comput Biol Med, 2017 10 01;89:197-211.
    PMID: 28825994 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2017.08.014
    Lung disease risk stratification is important for both diagnosis and treatment planning, particularly in biopsies and radiation therapy. Manual lung disease risk stratification is challenging because of: (a) large lung data sizes, (b) inter- and intra-observer variability of the lung delineation and (c) lack of feature amalgamation during machine learning paradigm. This paper presents a two stage CADx cascaded system consisting of: (a) semi-automated lung delineation subsystem (LDS) for lung region extraction in CT slices followed by (b) morphology-based lung tissue characterization, thereby addressing the above shortcomings. LDS primarily uses entropy-based region extraction while ML-based lung characterization is mainly based on an amalgamation of directional transforms such as Riesz and Gabor along with texture-based features comprising of 100 greyscale features using the K-fold cross-validation protocol (K = 2, 3, 5 and 10). The lung database consisted of 96 patients: 15 normal and 81 diseased. We use five high resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) levels representing different anatomy landmarks where disease is commonly seen. We demonstrate the amalgamated ML stratification accuracy of 99.53%, an increase of 2% against the conventional non-amalgamation ML system that uses alone Riesz-based feature embedded with feature selection based on feature strength. The robustness of the system was determined based on the reliability and stability that showed a reliability index of 0.99 and the deviation in risk stratification accuracies less than 5%. Our CADx system shows 10% better performance when compared against the mean of five other prominent studies available in the current literature covering over one decade.
    MeSH terms: Machine Learning*; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*; Male; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*; Databases, Factual*; Risk Assessment/methods
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