Browse publications by year: 2017

  1. Karim S, Bae S, Greenwood D, Hanna K, Singhal N
    Water Res, 2017 11 15;125:32-41.
    PMID: 28826034 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.08.029
    The catalytic properties of nanoparticles (e.g., nano zero valent iron, nZVI) have been used to effectively treat a wide range of environmental contaminants. Emerging contaminants such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are susceptible to degradation by nanoparticles. Despite extensive investigations, questions remain on the transformation mechanism on the nZVI surface under different environmental conditions (redox and pH). Furthermore, in terms of the large-scale requirement for nanomaterials in field applications, the effect of polymer-stabilization used by commercial vendors on the above processes is unclear. To address these factors, we investigated the degradation of a model EDC, the steroidal estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), by commercially sourced nZVI at pH 3, 5 and 7 under different oxygen conditions. Following the use of radical scavengers, an assessment of the EE2 transformation products shows that under nitrogen purging direct reduction of EE2 by nZVI occurred at all pHs. The radicals transforming EE2 in the absence of purging and upon air purging were similar for a given pH, but the dominant radical varied with pH. Upon air purging, EE2 was transformed by the same radical species as the non-purged system at the same respective pH, but the degradation rate was lower with more oxygen - most likely due to faster nZVI oxidation upon aeration, coupled with radical scavenging. The dominant radicals were OH at pH 3 and O2- at pH 5, and while neither radical was involved at pH 7, no conclusive inferences could be made on the actual radical involved at pH 7. Similar transformation products were observed without purging and upon air purging.
    MeSH terms: Ethinyl Estradiol/chemistry*; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Iron/chemistry*; Nitrogen/chemistry; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxygen/chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry*; X-Ray Diffraction; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Endocrine Disruptors/chemistry; Nanoparticles/chemistry
  2. Taha M, Tariq Javid M, Imran S, Selvaraj M, Chigurupati S, Ullah H, et al.
    Bioorg Chem, 2017 10;74:179-186.
    PMID: 28826047 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2017.08.003
    α-Amylase is a target for type-2 diabetes mellitus treatment. However, small molecule inhibitors of α-amylase are currently scarce. In the course of developing small molecule α-amylase inhibitors, we designed and synthesized thiadiazole quinoline analogs (1-30), characterized by different spectroscopic techniques such as 1HNMR and EI-MS and screened for α-amylase inhibitory potential. Thirteen analogs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 30 showed outstanding α-amylase inhibitory potential with IC50 values ranges between 0.002±0.60 and 42.31±0.17μM which is many folds better than standard acarbose having IC50 value 53.02±0.12μM. Eleven analogs 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19 and 24 showed good to moderate inhibitory potential while seven analogs 8, 13, 16, 20, 21 and 29 were found inactive. Our study identifies novel series of potent α-amylase inhibitors for further investigation. Structure activity relationship has been established.
    MeSH terms: alpha-Amylases/antagonists & inhibitors*; alpha-Amylases/metabolism; Animals; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis; Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology*; Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry; Quinolines/chemical synthesis; Quinolines/pharmacology*; Quinolines/chemistry; Structure-Activity Relationship; Swine; Thiadiazoles/chemical synthesis; Thiadiazoles/pharmacology*; Thiadiazoles/chemistry; Molecular Structure; Molecular Docking Simulation
  3. Dalia AM, Loh TC, Sazili AQ, Jahromi MF, Samsudin AA
    BMC Vet Res, 2017 Aug 18;13(1):254.
    PMID: 28821244 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1159-4
    BACKGROUND: Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral in broilers, which has several important roles in biological processes. Organic forms of Se are more efficient than inorganic forms and can be produced biologically via Se microbial reduction. Hence, the possibility of using Se-enriched bacteria as feed supplement may provide an interesting source of organic Se, and benefit broiler antioxidant system and other biological processes. The objective of this study was to examine the impacts of inorganic Se and different bacterial organic Se sources on the performance, serum and tissues Se status, antioxidant capacity, and liver mRNA expression of selenoproteins in broilers.

    RESULTS: Results indicated that different Se sources did not significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affect broiler growth performance. However, bacterial organic Se of T5 (basal diet +0.3 mg /kg feed ADS18 Se), T4 (basal diet +0.3 mg /kg feed ADS2 Se), and T3 (basal diet +0.3 mg /kg feed ADS1 Se) exhibited significantly (P ≤ 0.05) highest Se concentration in serum, liver, and kidney respectively. Dietary inorganic Se and bacterial organic Se were observed to significantly affect broiler serum ALT, AST, LDH activities and serum creatinine level. ADS18 supplemented Se of (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia) bacterial strain showed the highest GSH-Px activity with the lowest MDA content in serum, and the highest GSH-Px and catalase activity in the kidney, while bacterial Se of ADS2 (Klebsiella pneumoniae) resulted in a higher level of GSH-Px1 and catalase in liver. Moreover, our study showed that in comparison with sodium selenite, only ADS18 bacterial Se showed a significantly higher mRNA level in GSH-Px1, GSH-Px4, DIO1, and TXNDR1, while both ADS18 and ADS2 showed high level of mRNA of DIO2 compared to sodium selenite.

    CONCLUSIONS: The supplementation of bacterial organic Se in broiler chicken, improved tissue Se deposition, antioxidant status, and selenoproteins gene expression, and can be considered as an effective alternative source of Se in broiler chickens.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Antioxidants/metabolism*; Chickens/growth & development*; Chickens/metabolism; Diet/veterinary; Female; Klebsiella pneumoniae/metabolism; Selenium/analysis; Selenium/blood; Selenium/pharmacology*; Gene Expression/drug effects; Enterobacter cloacae/metabolism; Dietary Supplements; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia/metabolism; Selenoproteins/genetics; Selenoproteins/metabolism*
  4. Karimi G, Jamaluddin R, Mohtarrudin N, Ahmad Z, Khazaai H, Parvaneh M
    Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2017 Oct;27(10):910-918.
    PMID: 28821417 DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2017.06.020
    BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recent studies have reported beneficial effects of specific probiotics on obesity. However, the difference in the anti-obesity effects of probiotics as single species and dual species is still uncertain. Therefore, we aimed to compare the efficacy of single and dual species of bacteria on markers of obesity in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

    METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of five groups of varying diets as follows: standard diet, high fat diet (HFD), HFD supplemented with Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota, HFD supplemented with Bifidobacterium longum and HFD supplemented with a mixture of these two bacterial species. After 15 weeks of supplementation, the animals were examined for changes in body weight, body fat, total count of bacteria in fecal, blood serum lipid profile, leptin, adiponectin and inflammatory biomarkers. Histological analysis of the liver and adipose tissue was performed and the hepatic mRNA expression levels of genes related to lipid metabolism were measured. It was found that probiotic supplementation of either B. longum or a mixture of B. longum and LcS bacteria significantly reduced weight and triglycerides in the HFD groups. Supplementation of B. longum bacteria showed better results in terms of modulating leptin level, fat mass, adipocyte size and lipoprotein lipase expression, as well as increasing adiponectin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-γ expression compared to dual species of bacteria. No significant differences were observed in the total count of fecal bacteria, glucose and inflammatory biomarker levels between supplemented groups.

    CONCLUSIONS: B. longum supplementation in obesity was more beneficial in metabolic profile changes than the mixture species.

    MeSH terms: Gastrointestinal Microbiome*; Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Feces/microbiology; Gene Expression Regulation; Intestines/microbiology*; Lactobacillus casei/growth & development*; Lipids/blood; Male; Obesity/blood; Obesity/microbiology; Obesity/physiopathology; Obesity/therapy*; Time Factors; Biomarkers/blood; Weight Loss*; Cytokines/blood; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Inflammation Mediators/blood; Probiotics/administration & dosage*; Adiposity/drug effects; Adipokines/blood; Diet, High-Fat; Bifidobacterium longum/growth & development*
  5. Chong SL, Khan UR, Santhanam I, Seo JS, Wang Q, Jamaluddin SF, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2017 Aug 18;7(8):e015759.
    PMID: 28821516 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015759
    OBJECTIVE: We aim to examine the mechanisms of head-injured children presenting to participating centres in the Pan Asian Trauma Outcomes Study (PATOS) and to evaluate the association between mechanism of injury and severe outcomes.

    DESIGN AND SETTING: We performed a retrospective review of medical records among emergency departments (EDs) of eight PATOS centres, from September 2014 - August 2015.

    PARTICIPANTS: We included children <16 years old who presented within 24 hours of head injury and were admitted for observation or required a computed tomography (CT) of the brain from the ED. We excluded children with known coagulopathies, neurological co-morbidities or prior neurosurgery. We reviewed the mechanism, intent, location and object involved in each injury, and the patients' physical findings on presentation.

    OUTCOMES: Primary outcomes were death, endotracheal intubation or neurosurgical intervention. Secondary outcomes included hospital and ED length of stay.

    RESULTS: 1438 children were analysed. 953 children (66.3%) were male and the median age was 5.0 years (IQR 1.0-10.0). Falls predominated especially among children younger than 2 years (82.9%), while road traffic injuries were more likely to occur among children 2 years and above compared with younger children (25.8% vs 11.1%). Centres from upper and lower middle-income countries were more likely to receive head injured children from road traffic collisions compared with those from high-income countries (51.4% and 40.9%, vs 10.9%, p<0.0001) and attended to a greater proportion of children with severe outcomes (58.2% and 28.4%, vs 3.6%, p<0.0001). After adjusting for age, gender, intent of injury and gross national income, traffic injuries (adjusted OR 2.183, 95% CI 1.448 to 3.293) were associated with severe outcomes, as compared with falls.

    CONCLUSIONS: Among children with head injuries, traffic injuries are independently associated with death, endotracheal intubation and neurosurgery. This collaboration among Asian centres holds potential for future prospective childhood injury surveillance.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Asia; Child; Child, Preschool; Developing Countries; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Craniocerebral Trauma/etiology; Craniocerebral Trauma/mortality; Hospitals; Humans; Income; Infant; Intubation, Intratracheal; Length of Stay; Male; Medical Records; Neurosurgery; Retrospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Trauma Centers; Developed Countries
  6. Ahmad S, Valli H, Edling CE, Grace AA, Jeevaratnam K, Huang CL
    Pflugers Arch, 2017 Dec;469(12):1579-1590.
    PMID: 28821956 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-017-2054-3
    A range of chronic clinical conditions accompany cardiomyocyte energetic dysfunction and constitute independent risk factors for cardiac arrhythmia. We investigated pro-arrhythmic and arrhythmic phenotypes in energetically deficient C57BL mice with genetic ablation of the mitochondrial promoter peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1β (Pgc-1β), a known model of ventricular arrhythmia. Pro-arrhythmic and cellular action potential (AP) characteristics were compared in intact Langendorff-perfused hearts from young (12-16 week) and aged (> 52 week), wild-type (WT) and Pgc-1β -/- mice. Simultaneous electrocardiographic and intracellular microelectrode recordings were made through successive trains of 100 regular stimuli at progressively incremented heart rates. Aged Pgc-1β -/- hearts displayed an increased incidence of arrhythmia compared to other groups. Young and aged Pgc-1β -/- hearts showed higher incidences of alternans in both AP activation (maximum AP upshoot velocity (dV/dt)max and latency), recovery (action potential duration (APD90) and resting membrane potential (RMP) characteristics compared to WT hearts. This was particularly apparent at lower pacing frequencies. These findings accompanied reduced (dV/dt)max and increased AP latency values in the Pgc-1β -/- hearts. APs observed prior to termination of the protocol showed lower (dV/dt)max and longer AP latencies, but indistinguishable APD90 and RMPs in arrhythmic compared to those in non-arrhythmic hearts. APD restitution analysis showed that Pgc-1β -/- and WT hearts showed similar limiting gradients. However, Pgc-1β -/- hearts had shortened plateau AP wavelengths, particularly in aged Pgc-1β -/- hearts. Pgc-1β -/- hearts therefore show pro-arrhythmic instabilities attributable to altered AP conduction and activation rather than recovery characteristics.
    MeSH terms: Action Potentials/physiology; Aging/metabolism*; Animals; Arrhythmias, Cardiac/metabolism*; Arrhythmias, Cardiac/physiopathology; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; Heart Ventricles/metabolism*; Heart Ventricles/physiopathology; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Phenotype; Mice; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha/deficiency*
  7. Al-Fakih E, Arifin N, Pirouzi G, Mahamd Adikan FR, Shasmin HN, Abu Osman NA
    J Biomed Opt, 2017 Aug;22(8):1-8.
    PMID: 28822140 DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.22.8.087001
    This paper presents a fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-instrumented prosthetic silicone liner that provides cushioning for the residual limb and can successfully measure interface pressures inside prosthetic sockets of lower-limb amputees in a simple and practical means of sensing. The liner is made of two silicone layers between which 12 FBG sensors were embedded at locations of clinical interest. The sensors were then calibrated using a custom calibration platform that mimics a real-life situation. Afterward, a custom gait simulating machine was built to test the liner performance during an amputee's simulated gait. To validate the findings, the results were compared to those obtained by the commonly used F-socket mats. As the statistical findings reveal, both pressure mapping methods measured the interface pressure in a consistent way, with no significant difference (P-values ≥0.05). This pressure mapping technique in the form of a prosthetic liner will allow prosthetics professionals to quickly and accurately create an overall picture of the interface pressure distribution inside sockets in research and clinical settings, thereby improving the socket fit and amputee's satisfaction.
    MeSH terms: Amputees*; Artificial Limbs*; Humans; Leg; Pressure*; Prosthesis Design; Protective Devices*; Silicones*; Optical Fibers
  8. Umar S, Shinkafi SH, Hudu SA, Neela V, Suresh K, Nordin SA, et al.
    Ann Parasitol, 2017;63(2):133-139.
    PMID: 28822206 DOI: 10.17420/ap6302.97
    Schistosomiasis is the major source of morbidity in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. It is estimated that 207 million people are infected, of which 97% are in Africa. The aim of this study was the determining of prevalence as well as the phylogeny of S. haematobium among school children in Argungu Emirate, Kebbi State Nigeria. A total of 325 urine samples was collected from school children between 7 to 14 years. S. heamatobium eggs was examined under dissecting microscope and DNA was extracted from urine sample and COX1 gene was amplified by nested PCR. The PCR products were purified, sequenced and analysed. This study showed a prevalence of 32.09%, with male pupils having the highest prevalence. S. haematobium infections in children who fetch water in the river have 24 times higher risk of being infected while those who bath in the river have 158 times higher risk of being infected. Our sequences were phylogenetically related to S. haematobium isolate U82266 from Kenya and consistence with the predominant species in Africa. This was the first S. haematobium and S. mansoni co-infection reported in Nigeria. S. haematobium infection is prevalent among school age and significantly associated with water contact.
    MeSH terms: Asia; Base Sequence; Baths; Child; DNA; Humans; Kenya; Male; Morbidity; Nigeria; Phylogeny; Schistosomiasis; Water; Prevalence; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Rivers; Coinfection
  9. Petrovic M, Tangiisuran B, Rajkumar C, van der Cammen T, Onder G
    Drugs Aging, 2017 02;34(2):135-142.
    PMID: 28000156 DOI: 10.1007/s40266-016-0428-4
    BACKGROUND: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in older people are often preventable, indicating that screening and prevention programs aimed at reducing their rate are needed in this population.

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to externally validate the GerontoNet ADR risk score and to assess its validity in specific subpopulations of older inpatients.

    METHODS: Data from the prospective CRIteria to assess appropriate Medication use among Elderly complex patients (CRIME) cohort were used. Dose-dependent and predictable ADRs were classified as type A, probable or definite ADRs were defined according to the Naranjo algorithm, and diagnostic accuracy was tested using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for a cut-off point of 4.

    RESULTS: The mean age of the 1075 patients was 81.4 years (standard deviation 7.4) and the median number of drugs was 10 (range 7-13). At least one ADR was observed in 70 patients (6.5%); ADRs were classified as type A in 50 patients (4.7%) and defined as probable or definite in 41 patients (3.8%). Fair diagnostic accuracy to predict both type A and probable or definite ADRs was found in subpopulations aged <70 or ≥80 years with heart failure, diabetes, or a previous ADR. Good accuracy to predict type A ADRs was found in patients with a low body mass index (BMI; >18.5 kg/m2) and a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of >24/30 points, as well as in patients with osteoarthritis. The cut-off point of 4 points yielded very good sensitivity but poor specificity results in these subpopulations.

    CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the GerontoNet ADR risk score might represent a pragmatic approach to identifying specific subpopulations of older inpatients at increased risk of an ADR with a fair to good diagnostic accuracy.

    MeSH terms: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Algorithms; Female; Humans; Inpatients/statistics & numerical data; Male; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sensitivity and Specificity; Reproducibility of Results; Geriatric Assessment/methods*; Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems/standards*; Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems/statistics & numerical data; Risk Assessment
  10. Tan ETT, Al Jassim R, D'Arcy BR, Fletcher MT
    J Agric Food Chem, 2017 Aug 30;65(34):7528-7534.
    PMID: 28787565 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b02492
    The known accumulation of the hepatotoxin indospicine in tissues of camels and cattle grazing Indigofera pasture plants is unusual in that free amino acids would normally be expected to be degraded during the fermentation processes in these foregut fermenters. In this study, in vitro experiments were carried out to examine the degradability of indospicine of Indigofera spicata by camel and cattle foregut microbiota. In the first experiment, a 48 h in vitro incubation was carried out using foregut fluid samples that were collected from 15 feral camels and also a fistulated cow. Degradability of indospicine ranged between 97% and 99%, with the higher value of 99% for camels. A pooled sample of foregut fluids from three camels that were on a roughage diet was used in a second experiment to examine the time-dependent degradation of indospicine present in the plant materials. Results indicated that camels' foregut fluids have the ability to biodegrade ∼99% of the indospicine in I. spicata within 48 h of incubation and produced 2-aminopimelamic acid and 2-aminopimelic acid. The time-dependent degradation analysis showed rapid indospicine degradation (65 nmol/h) during the first 8-18 h of incubation followed by a slower degradation rate (12 nmol/h) between 18 and 48 h. Indospicine degradation products were also degraded toward the end of the experiment. The results of these in vitro degradation studies suggest that dietary indospicine may undergo extensive degradation in the foregut of the camel, resulting in trace levels after 48 h. The retention time for plant material in the camel foregut varies depending on feed quality, and the results of this study together with the observed accumulation of indospicine in camel tissues suggest that, although indospicine can be degraded by foregut fermentation, this degradation is not complete before the passage of the digesta into the intestine.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Feed/analysis*; Animal Feed/toxicity; Camels/metabolism*; Cattle/metabolism*; Digestive System/metabolism*; Models, Biological; Norleucine/analogs & derivatives*; Norleucine/metabolism; Norleucine/toxicity; Norleucine/chemistry; Rumen/metabolism; Indigofera/metabolism*; Indigofera/toxicity; Indigofera/chemistry
  11. Zulkapli R, Abdul Razak F, Zain RB
    Integr Cancer Ther, 2017 09;16(3):414-425.
    PMID: 28818030 DOI: 10.1177/1534735416675950
    Cancers involving the oral cavity, head, and neck regions are often treated with cisplatin. In cancer therapy, the main target is to eliminate unwanted cancerous cells. However, reports on the nonselective nature of this drug have raised few concerns. Incorrect nutritional habits and lifestyle practices have been directly linked to cancer incidence. Nutrients with antioxidant activity inhibit cancer cells development, destroying them through oxidative stress and apoptosis. α-tocopherol, the potent antioxidant form of vitamin E is a known scavenger of free radicals. In vitro study exhibited effective antitumor activity of α-tocopherol on ORL-48 at 2.5 ± 0.42 µg/mL. Cisplatin exhibited stronger activity at 1.0 ± 0.15 µg/mL, but unlike α-tocopherol it exhibited cytotoxicity on normal human epidermal keratinocytes at very low concentration (<0.1 µg/mL). Despite the lower potency of α-tocopherol, signs of apoptosis such as the shrinkage of cells and appearance of apoptotic bodies were observed much earlier than cisplatin in time lapse microscopy. No apoptotic vesicles were formed with cisplatin, instead an increased population of cells in the holoclone form which may suggest different induction mechanisms between both agents. High accumulation of cells in the G0/G1 phase were observed through TUNEL and annexin V-biotin assays, while the exhibition of ultrastructural changes of the cellular structures verified the apoptotic mode of cell death by both agents. Both cisplatin and α-tocopherol displayed cell cycle arrest at the Sub G0 phase. α-tocopherol thus, showed potential as an antitumour agent for the treatment of oral cancer and merits further research.
    MeSH terms: Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*; Antioxidants/metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/drug therapy*; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism; Cisplatin/pharmacology; Humans; Vitamin E/pharmacology*; G0 Phase/drug effects; G1 Phase/drug effects; Apoptosis/drug effects; Annexin A5/metabolism; Oxidative Stress/drug effects; alpha-Tocopherol/pharmacology*; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Cycle Checkpoints/drug effects
  12. Ratanabanangkoon K, Simsiriwong P, Pruksaphon K, Tan KY, Eursakun S, Tan CH, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2017 08 17;7(1):8545.
    PMID: 28819275 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08962-3
    Snake envenomation is an important medical problem. One of the hurdles in antivenom development is the in vivo assay of antivenom potency which is expensive, gives variable results and kills many animals. We report a novel in vitro assay involving the specific binding of the postsynaptic neurotoxins (PSNTs) of elapid snakes with purified Torpedo californica nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). The potency of an antivenom is determined by its antibody ability to bind and neutralize the PSNT, thus preventing it from binding to nAChR. The PSNT of Naja kaouthia (NK3) was immobilized on microtiter wells and nAChR was added to bind with it. The in vitro IC50 of N. kaouthia venom that inhibited 50% of nAChR binding to the immobilized NK3 was determined. Varying concentrations of antisera against N. kaouthia were separately pre-incubated with 5xIC50 of N. kaouthia venom. The remaining free NK3 were incubated with nAChR before adding to the NK3 coated plates. The in vitro and in vivo median effective ratio, ER50s of 12 batches of antisera showed correlation (R 2) of 0.9809 (p 
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antibody Affinity/immunology; Antivenins/immunology; Antivenins/metabolism; Immune Sera/immunology*; Immune Sera/metabolism; Protein Binding/immunology; Receptors, Nicotinic/immunology*; Receptors, Nicotinic/metabolism; Snake Bites/immunology; Snake Venoms/immunology; Snake Venoms/metabolism; Thailand; Torpedo/metabolism; Fish Proteins/immunology*; Fish Proteins/metabolism
  13. Zhang WJ, Chen C, Zhou ZH, Gao ST, Tee TJ, Yang LQ, et al.
    J Cancer, 2017;8(10):1818-1825.
    PMID: 28819379 DOI: 10.7150/jca.19057
    Background: Hypoxia was a common feature for accelerating tumor metastasis by both inducting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tumor cells and polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). The association and roles between hypoxia, EMT and TAMs in the biological behavior of gastric cancer (GC) for the time being recurrence is unclear. Material and methods: hypoixa by expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), polarized functional status of infiltrated TAMs by immunohistochemical staining of CD68 and CD163, and the expression of E-cadherin as EMT property had been evaluated in 236 patients consecutive with histologically confirmed GC. Clinical significance was assessed for all these patients. Results: High expression of HIF-1α was found in patients with aggressive features, especially for recurrent patients. High infiltration of TAMs and abnormal expression of EMT-marker were also related to aggressive characteristics and predicted poor prognosis in GC. Meanwwhile, there existed a significant correlation among expression of HIF-1α, infiltration of TAMs and EMT marker in GC tissues. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that high expression of HIF-1α combined TAMs infiltration were independent prognostic factors for disease-specific survival rate. Conclusion: HIF-1α is an unfavorable indicator for prognosis, may promote tumor progression through the induction of EMT and establishment of a pro-tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Further investigation into the therapeutic effects of blocking hypoxia is possible a potential strategy for GC treatment.
  14. Zreaqat M, Hassan R, Hanoun AF
    Case Rep Dent, 2017;2017:1583403.
    PMID: 28819572 DOI: 10.1155/2017/1583403
    Stainless steel alloys containing 8% to 12% nickel and 17% to 22% chromium are generally used in orthodontic appliances. A major concern has been the performance of alloys in the environment in which they are intended to function in the oral cavity. Biodegradation and metal release increase the risk of hypersensitivity and cytotoxicity. This case report describes for the first time a CAD/CAM zirconium bar as a bonded mandibular fixed retainer with 2-year follow-up in a patient who is subjected to long-term treatment with fixed orthodontic appliance and suspected to have metal hypersensitivity as shown by the considerable increase of nickel and chromium concentrations in a sample of patient's unstimulated saliva. The CAD/CAM design included a 1.8 mm thickness bar on the lingual surface of lower teeth from canine to canine with occlusal rests on mesial side of first premolars. For better retention, a thin layer of feldspathic ceramic was added to the inner surface of the bar and cemented with two dual-cured cement types. The patient's complaint subsided 6 weeks after cementation. Clinical evaluation appeared to give good functional value where the marginal fit of digitized CAD/CAM design and glazed surface offered an enhanced approach of fixed retention.
  15. Ravikumar A, Panneerselvam P, Radhakrishnan K, Morad N, Anuradha CD, Sivanesan S
    J Fluoresc, 2017 Nov;27(6):2101-2109.
    PMID: 28819702 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-017-2149-4
    A label -free DNAzyme amplified biosensor is found to be highly selective and sensitive towards fluorescent detection of Pb2+ ions in aqueous media. The DNAzyme complex has designed by the hybridization of the enzyme and substrate strand. In the presence of Pb2+, the DNAzyme activated and cleaved the substrate strand of RNA site (rA) into two oligonucleotide fragments. Further, the free fragment was hybridized with a complementary strand on the surface of MBs. After magnetic separation, SYBER Green I was added and readily intercalate with the dsDNA to gives a bright fluorescence signal with intensity directly proportional to the concentration of Pb2+ions. A detection limit of 5 nM in Pb2+ the detection range 0 to 500 nM was obtained. This label- free fluorescent biosensor has been successfully applied to the determination of environmental water samples. Then results open up the possibility for real-time quantitative detection of Pb2+ with convenient potential applications in the biological and environmental field. Graphical Abstract.
    MeSH terms: Fluorescence*; Lead/analysis*; Water/chemistry*; Biosensing Techniques/methods*; DNA, Catalytic/chemistry*; Limit of Detection
  16. Lee CK, Chan CYW, Gani SMA, Kwan MK
    Eur Spine J, 2017 11;26(11):2951-2960.
    PMID: 28819799 DOI: 10.1007/s00586-017-5266-5
    PURPOSE: This study aimed at studying the accuracy and safety of extra-pedicular screw insertion for dysplastic pedicles in AIS comparing cannulated screw system versus conventional screw system.

    METHODS: 104 AIS patients with 1524 pedicle screws were evaluated using CT scan. 302 screws were inserted in dysplastic pedicles using fluoroscopic guidance technique. 155 screws were inserted using a cannulated system (Group 1), whereas 147 screws were inserted using standard screws (Group 2). The pedicle perforations were assessed using a classification by Rao et al.; G0: no violation; G1: <2 mm perforation; G2: 2-4 mm perforation; and G3: >4 mm perforation). For anterior perforations, the pedicle perforations were assessed using a modified grading system (Grade 0: no violation, Grade 1: less than 4 mm perforation; Grade 2: 4 mm to 6 mm perforation; and Grade 3: more than 6 mm perforation).

    RESULTS: The perforation rate in Group 1 was 4.5% and in Group 2 was 15.6% (p = 0.001). Most of the perforations were anterior perforations (53.3%). The anterior perforation rate in Group 1 was 1.9% compared to 8.8% in Group 2 (p = 0.009). Group 1 has a medial perforation rate of 1.3% compared to Group 2, 6.1% (p = 0.031). The rate of critical pedicle perforation in Group 1 was 2.6% and in Group 2 was 6.8% (p = 0.102). In Group 1, there were no critical medial perforation but there was one G2 lateral perforation, one G2 superior perforation and two G3 anterior perforations. In Group 2, there were three G2 medial perforations, one G2 lateral perforation, one G2 anterior perforation and five G3 anterior perforations.

    CONCLUSION: Usage of cannulated screw system significantly increases the accuracy of pedicle screw insertion in dysplastic pedicles in AIS.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Humans; Spine/surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Pedicle Screws/statistics & numerical data*
  17. Tanaka R, Cleenwerck I, Mizutani Y, Iehata S, Bossier P, Vandamme P
    Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2017 Aug;67(8):3050-3056.
    PMID: 28820118 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.002080
    A Gram-negative, aerobic, polar-flagellated and rod-shaped, sometimes slightly curved bacterium, designated MA5T, was isolated from the gut of an abalone of the species Haliotis gigantea collected in Japan. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA, gyrB, hsp60 and rpoB gene sequences placed strain MA5T in the genus Arcobacter in an independent phylogenetic line. Comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of this strain with those of the type strains of the established Arcobacter species revealed A. nitrofigilis (95.1 %) as nearest neighbour. Strain MA5T grew optimally at 25 °C, pH 6.0 to 9.0 and in the presence of 2 to 5 % (w/v) NaCl under both aerobic and microaerobic conditions. The predominant fatty acids found were summed feature 3 (iso-C15 : 0 2-OH and/or C16 : 1 ω7c), C12 : 0 3-OH and C18 : 1 ω7c. Menaquinone-6 (MK-6) and menaquinone-7 (MK-7) were found as the major respiratory quinones. The major polar lipids detected were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. Strain MA5T could be differentiated phenotypically from the phylogenetic closest Arcobacter species by its ability to grow on 0.05 % safranin and 0.01 % 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC), but not on 0.5 % NaCl. The obtained DNA G+C content of strain MA5T was 27.9 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic distinctiveness of MA5T, this strain is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Arcobacter, for which the name Arcobacter haliotis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MA5T (=LMG 28652T=JCM 31147T).
    MeSH terms: Animals; Base Composition; DNA, Bacterial/genetics; Fatty Acids/chemistry; Genes, Bacterial; Japan; Phosphatidylethanolamines/chemistry; Phosphatidylglycerols/chemistry; Phylogeny*; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Arcobacter/classification*; Arcobacter/genetics; Arcobacter/isolation & purification; Vitamin K 2/analogs & derivatives; Vitamin K 2/chemistry; Gastropoda/microbiology*
  18. Chua SL, Foo LK
    Sensors (Basel), 2017 Aug 18;17(8).
    PMID: 28820438 DOI: 10.3390/s17081902
    Activity recognition in smart homes aims to infer the particular activities of the inhabitant, the aim being to monitor their activities and identify any abnormalities, especially for those living alone. In order for a smart home to support its inhabitant, the recognition system needs to learn from observations acquired through sensors. One question that often arises is which sensors are useful and how many sensors are required to accurately recognise the inhabitant's activities? Many wrapper methods have been proposed and remain one of the popular evaluators for sensor selection due to its superior accuracy performance. However, they are prohibitively slow during the evaluation process and may run into the risk of overfitting due to the extent of the search. Motivated by this characteristic, this paper attempts to reduce the cost of the evaluation process and overfitting through tree alignment. The performance of our method is evaluated on two public datasets obtained in two distinct smart home environments.
    MeSH terms: Data Collection; Monitoring, Physiologic; Trees
  19. Singh K, Carson K, Akbar Ali O, Jayasinghe R, Dick A, Glover C, et al.
    J. Heart Valve Dis., 2017 03;26(2):139-145.
    PMID: 28820542
    BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an effective treatment for severe aortic stenosis in high-risk patients. Several complications related to the TAVI procedure, including aortic regurgitation (AR), cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and the requirement for permanent pacemaker (PPM), are thought to be secondary to balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) before TAVI. The aim of the present review was to evaluate any beneficial role of the direct TAVI approach over BAVTAVI.

    METHODS: A comprehensive search of major databases was performed. Only studies comparing TAVI with and without BAV were included. A total of nine full length articles was included in the analysis.

    RESULTS: Among 2,650 patients, 1,043 underwent 'direct TAVI' without pre-BAV, while 1,607 underwent TAVI following BAV. Overall, there was no difference between the 30-day all-cause mortality (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.63-1.47, p = 0.86), CVA (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.34-1.92, p = 0.63) and PPM implantation (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.66- 1.05, p = 0.12) between the two approaches. The rate of moderate to severe AR was significantly lower with direct TAVI implantation (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.20-0.96, p = 0.04). In the case of self-expandable valves, direct TAVI was associated with a lower device success (OR 5.15, 95% CI 1.33-19.9, p = 0.02).

    CONCLUSIONS: No difference was identified in mortality between direct TAVI and BAV-TAVI. However, direct TAVI is associated with a lower incidence of AR, a finding that would only be confirmed by conducting further randomized studies.

  20. Saidin S, Othman N, Noordin R
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2017 Oct;97(4):1204-1213.
    PMID: 28820699 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0132
    Adverse effects and resistance to metronidazole have motivated the search for new antiamoebic agents against Entamoeba histolytica. Control of amoeba growth may be achieved by inhibiting the function of the glycolytic enzyme and pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK). In this study, we screened 10 compounds using an in vitro PPDK enzyme assay. These compounds were selected from a virtual screening of compounds in the National Cancer Institute database. The antiamoebic activity of the selected compounds was also evaluated by determining minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and IC50 values using the nitro-blue tetrazolium reduction assay. Seven of the 10 compounds showed inhibitory activities against the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)/inorganic phosphate binding site of the ATP-grasp domain. Two compounds, NSC349156 (pancratistatin) and NSC228137 (7-ethoxy-4-[4-methylphenyl] sulfonyl-3-oxido-2, 1, 3-benzoxadiazol-3-ium), exhibited inhibitory effects on the growth of E. histolytica trophozoites with MIC values of 25 and 50 μM, and IC50 values of 14 and 20.7 μM, respectively.
    MeSH terms: Entamoeba histolytica/drug effects*; Entamoeba histolytica/enzymology*; Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology*; Isoquinolines/pharmacology*; Isoquinolines/chemistry; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Oxadiazoles/pharmacology*; Oxadiazoles/chemistry; Pyruvate, Orthophosphate Dikinase/antagonists & inhibitors*; Pyruvate, Orthophosphate Dikinase/genetics; Pyruvate, Orthophosphate Dikinase/metabolism; Sulfones/pharmacology*; Sulfones/chemistry; Molecular Structure; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids/pharmacology*; Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids/chemistry
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