Browse publications by year: 2017

  1. Fahmy O, Khairul-Asri MG, Schubert T, Renninger M, Stenzl A, Gakis G
    J Urol, 2017 02;197(2):385-390.
    PMID: 27569436 DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2016.08.088
    PURPOSE: There is controversy in the literature about the oncologic significance of incidental prostate cancer detected at radical cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online search was done for studies reporting incidental prostate cancer in cystoprostatectomy specimens. After following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines we identified a total of 34 reports containing 13,140 patients who underwent radical cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer with no previous history of prostate cancer. A cumulative analysis was performed on the available data regarding prevalence, clinicopathological features and oncologic outcomes. RevMan, version 5.3 was used for data meta-analysis.

    RESULTS: Of the 13,140 patients incidental prostate cancer was detected in 3,335 (24.4%). Incidental prostate cancer was significantly associated with greater age (Z = 3.81, p = 0.0001, d = 0.27, 95% CI -0.14-0.68), lymphovascular invasion of bladder cancer (Z = 2.07, p = 0.04, r = 0.14, 95% CI 0.09-0.18) and lower 5-year overall survival (Z = 2.2, p = 0.03). Among patients with clinically significant and insignificant prostate cancer those with clinically significant prostate cancer significantly more frequently showed a positive finding on digital rectal examination (Z = 3.12, p = 0.002, r = 0.10, 95% CI 0-0.19) and lower 5-year overall survival (Z = 2.49, p = 0.01) whereas no effect of age was observed (p = 0.15). Of 1,320 patients monitored for biochemical recurrence prostate specific antigen recurrence, defined as prostate specific antigen greater than 0.02 ng/ml, developed in 25 (1.9%) at between 3 and 102 months.

    CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggests that incidental prostate cancer detected during histopathological examination of radical cystoprostatectomy specimens might be linked with adverse characteristics and outcomes in patients with invasive bladder cancer.

    MeSH terms: Adenocarcinoma/epidemiology; Adenocarcinoma/pathology*; Adenocarcinoma/surgery; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/surgery*; Humans; Male; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology; Prognosis; Prostate/pathology; Prostatectomy/methods*; Prostatic Neoplasms/epidemiology; Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology*; Prostatic Neoplasms/surgery; Cystectomy/methods*; Survival Rate; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Incidental Findings; Digital Rectal Examination
  2. Akram Z, Rahim ZH, Taiyeb-Ali TB, Shahdan MS, Baharuddin NA, Vaithilingam RD, et al.
    Arch Oral Biol, 2017 Jan;73:311-320.
    PMID: 27567495 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2016.08.016
    OBJECTIVES: To determine the serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of resistin between individuals with chronic periodontitis (CP) and those without CP, and to evaluate the role of resistin in CP.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The addressed focused question was "Is there a difference in the resistin levels between individuals with CP and those without CP?" four electronic databases: Medline, PubMed (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda), EMBASE, and Science direct databases from 1977 up to March 2016 for appropriate articles addressing the focused question. EMBASE and Medline were accessed using OVID interface which facilitated simultaneous search of text words, MeSH or Emtree. Unpublished studies (gray literature) were identified by searching the Open-GRAY database and references of the included studies (cross referencing) were performed to obtain new studies. In-vitro studies, animal studies, studies that reported levels of other cytokines but not resistin, letters to the editor and review papers were excluded.

    RESULTS: Ten studies were included. Nine studies compared resistin levels between CP and periodontally healthy (H) individuals and reported higher mean serum and GCF levels of resistin in CP patients than the H controls. Two studies showed comparable resistin levels from GCF and serum between diabetes mellitus with CP (DMCP) and CP groups. Three studies included obese subjects and showed comparable serum and GCF resistin levels between obese subjects with CP (OBCP) and CP subjects.

    CONCLUSIONS: CP patients were presented with elevated levels of GCF or serum resistin as compared with H individuals. Resistin modulates inflammation in chronic periodontal disease and may be used as surrogate measure to identify subjects at risk for periodontitis. Resistin levels in patients with CP and systemic inflammatory disorders such as diabetes, obesity, or rheumatoid arthritis was not significantly higher than the levels in patients with only CP.

    MeSH terms: Gingival Crevicular Fluid/metabolism; Humans; Biomarkers/blood; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Cytokines/blood; Resistin/blood*; Chronic Periodontitis/blood*; Chronic Periodontitis/metabolism
  3. Lambuk L, Jafri AJ, Arfuzir NN, Iezhitsa I, Agarwal R, Rozali KN, et al.
    Neurotox Res, 2017 01;31(1):31-45.
    PMID: 27568334 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-016-9658-9
    Glutamate excitotoxicity plays a major role in the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in glaucoma. The toxic effects of glutamate on RGCs are mediated by the overstimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Accordingly, NMDA receptor antagonists have been suggested to inhibit excitotoxicity in RGCs and delay the progression and visual loss in glaucoma patients. The purpose of the present study was to examine the potential neuroprotective effect of Mg acetyltaurate (MgAT) on RGC death induced by NMDA. MgAT was proposed mainly due to the combination of magnesium (Mg) and taurine which may provide neuroprotection by dual mechanisms of action, i.e., inhibition of NMDA receptors and antioxidant effects. Rats were divided into 5 groups and were given intravitreal injections. Group 1 (PBS group) was injected with vehicle; group 2 (NMDA group) was injected with NMDA while groups 3 (pre-), 4 (co-), and 5 (post-) treatments were injected with MgAT, 24 h before, in combination or 24 h after NMDA injection respectively. NMDA and MgAT were injected in PBS at doses 160 and 320 nmol, respectively. Seven days after intravitreal injection, the histological changes in the retina were evaluated using hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining. Optic nerves were dissected and stained in Toluidine blue for grading on morphological neurodegenerative changes. The extent of apoptosis in retinal tissue was assessed by TUNEL assay and caspase-3 immunohistochemistry staining. The estimation of neurotrophic factor, oxidative stress, pro/anti-apoptotic factors and caspase-3 activity in retina was done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. The retinal morphometry showed reduced thickness of ganglion cell layer (GCL) and reduction in the number of retinal cells in GCL in NMDA group compared to the MgAT-treated groups. TUNEL and caspase-3 staining showed increased number of apoptotic cells in inner retina. The results were further corroborated by the estimation of neurotrophic factor, oxidative stress, pro/anti-apoptotic factors, and caspase-3 activity in retina. In conclusion, current study revealed that intravitreal MgAT prevents retinal and optic nerve damage induced by NMDA. Overall, our data demonstrated that the pretreatment with MgAT was more effective than co- and posttreatment. This protective effect of MgAT against NMDA-induced retinal cell apoptosis could be attributed to the reduction of retinal oxidative stress and activation of BDNF-related neuroprotective mechanisms.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Female; Male; Optic Nerve/drug effects; Optic Nerve/metabolism; Optic Nerve/pathology; Random Allocation; Retinal Ganglion Cells/drug effects*; Retinal Ganglion Cells/metabolism; Retinal Ganglion Cells/pathology; Taurine/analogs & derivatives*; Taurine/pharmacology; Time Factors; N-Methylaspartate/toxicity*; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Apoptosis/drug effects; Oxidative Stress/drug effects; Oxidative Stress/physiology; Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists/toxicity; Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology*; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism; Intravitreal Injections
  4. Sawangjit R, Khan TM, Chaiyakunapruk N
    Addiction, 2017 02;112(2):236-247.
    PMID: 27566970 DOI: 10.1111/add.13593
    AIMS: To appraise the evidence critically for effectiveness of pharmacy-based needle/syringe exchange programmes (pharmacy-based NSPs) on risk behaviours (RBs), HIV/HCV prevalence and economic outcomes among people who inject drugs (PWID).

    DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

    SETTING: Primary care setting.

    PARTICIPANTS: Of 1568 studies screened, 14 studies with 7035 PWID were included.

    MEASURES: PubMed, Embase, Web of Sciences, CENTRAL and Cochrane review databases were searched without language restriction from their inception to 27 January 2016. All published study designs with control groups that reported the effectiveness of pharmacy-based NSP on outcomes of interest were included. Outcomes of interest are risk behaviour (RB), HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence and economic outcomes. The estimates of pooled effects of these outcomes were calculated as pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 and χ2 tests.

    FINDINGS: Most studies (nine of 14, 64.3%) were rated as having a serious risk of bias, while 28.6 and 7.1% were rated as having a moderate risk and low risk of bias, respectively. For sharing-syringe behaviour, pharmacy-based NSPs were significantly better than no NSPs for both main (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.34-0.73; I2  = 59.6%) and sensitivity analyses, excluding studies with a serious risk of bias (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.32-0.84; I2  = 41.4%). For safe syringe disposal and HIV/HCV prevalence, the evidence for pharmacy-based NSPs compared with other NSP or no NSP was unclear, as few of the studies reported this and most of them had a serious risk of bias. Compared with the total life-time cost of US$55 640 for treating a person with HIV infection, the HIV prevalence among PWID has to be at least 0.8% (for pharmacy-based NSPs) or 2.1% (for other NSPs) to result in cost-savings.

    CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacy-based needle/syringe exchange programmes appear to be effective for reducing risk behaviours among people who inject drugs, although their effect on HIV/HCV prevalence and economic outcomes is unclear.

    MeSH terms: Community Pharmacy Services*; Humans; Program Evaluation/methods*; Substance Abuse, Intravenous*; Needle-Exchange Programs/methods*; Needle-Exchange Programs/statistics & numerical data
  5. Low KF, Zain ZM, Yean CY
    Biosens Bioelectron, 2017 Jan 15;87:256-263.
    PMID: 27567251 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2016.08.064
    A novel enzyme/nanoparticle-based DNA biosensing platform with dual colorimetric/electrochemical approach has been developed for the sequence-specific detection of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of acute diarrheal disease in cholera. This assay platform exploits the use of shelf-stable and ready-to-use (shelf-ready) reagents to greatly simplify the bioanalysis procedures, allowing the assay platform to be more amenable to point-of-care applications. To assure maximum diagnosis reliability, an internal control (IC) capable of providing instant validation of results was incorporated into the assay. The microbial target, single-stranded DNA amplified with asymmetric PCR, was quantitatively detected via electrochemical stripping analysis of gold nanoparticle-loaded latex microspheres as a signal-amplified hybridization tag, while the incorporated IC was analyzed using a simplified horseradish peroxidase enzyme-based colorimetric scheme by simple visual observation of enzymatic color development. The platform showed excellent diagnostic sensitivity and specificity (100%) when challenged with 145 clinical isolate-spiked fecal specimens. The limits of detection were 0.5ng/ml of genomic DNA and 10 colony-forming units (CFU)/ml of bacterial cells with dynamic ranges of 0-100ng/ml (R(2)=0.992) and log10 (1-10(4) CFU/ml) (R(2)=0.9918), respectively. An accelerated stability test revealed that the assay reagents were stable at temperatures of 4-37°C, with an estimated ambient shelf life of 200 days. The versatility of the biosensing platform makes it easily adaptable for quantitative detection of other microbial pathogens.
    MeSH terms: Cholera/diagnosis*; Cholera/microbiology; Colorimetry/instrumentation; Colorimetry/methods; DNA, Bacterial/analysis; DNA, Bacterial/genetics; Equipment Design; Feces/microbiology*; Gold/chemistry; Humans; Nucleic Acid Hybridization/methods; Vibrio cholerae/genetics; Vibrio cholerae/isolation & purification*; Reproducibility of Results; Biosensing Techniques/instrumentation; Biosensing Techniques/methods*; Point-of-Care Systems; Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry; Electrochemical Techniques/instrumentation; Electrochemical Techniques/methods*
  6. Abdullah SA, Jamil S, Basar N, Abdul Lathiff SM, Mohd Arriffin N
    Nat Prod Res, 2017 May;31(10):1113-1120.
    PMID: 27564208 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2016.1222387
    A new dihydrochalcone, 2',4'-dihydroxy-3,4-(2″,2″-dimethylchromeno)-3'-prenyldihydrochalcone (1) together with 4-hydroxyonchocarpin (2), isobavachalcone (3), 4',5-dihydroxy-6,7-(2,2-dimethylpyrano)-2'-methoxy-8-γ,γ-dimethylallyflavone (4), artocarpin (5) and cycloheterophyllin (6) were successfully isolated from the leaves and heartwoods of Artocarpus lowii King (Moraceae). The structures of these compounds were fully characterised using spectroscopic methods and by direct comparison with published data. These compounds were tested for their antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities. Compound (1) displayed moderate antioxidant activity towards DPPH and tyrosinase inhibitory activities with SC50 value of 223.8 μM and IC50 value of 722.5 μM, respectively. Among the isolated compounds, cycloheterophyllin (6) showed the most potential antioxidant activity with SC50 value of 320.0 and 102.8 μM for ABTS and DPPH radicals scavenging activities, respectively, and also exhibited highest FRAP equivalent value of 4.7 ± 0.09 mM. Compound (6) showed tyrosinase inhibitory activity with the IC50 value of 104.6 μM.
    MeSH terms: Antioxidants; Flavonoids; Sulfonic Acids; Monophenol Monooxygenase; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Moraceae; Artocarpus; Plant Lectins; Chalcones; Benzothiazoles
  7. Tan JC, Chuah CH, Cheng SF
    J Sci Food Agric, 2017 Apr;97(6):1784-1789.
    PMID: 27470073 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.7975
    BACKGROUND: Conventional palm oil milling involves multiple stages after fruit collection; in particular, oil clarification introduces water into the pressed oil, which results in a large quantity of wastewater.

    RESULTS: A combined process of microwave pretreatment and solvent extraction to mill crude palm oil, without introducing water or steam, is described. An excellent yield (up to 30%) of oil was obtained with pretreatment in a 42 L, 1000 W and 2450 MHz microwave oven followed by hexane extraction. The optimum conditions (10 min microwave pretreatment and 12 h solvent extraction) yielded an oil with a low free fatty acid content (<1.0%) and an acceptable anisidine value (<3.0 meq kg(-1) ). The oil had a fatty acid composition not resembling those of conventional crude palm oil and crude palm kernel oil. In the pretreatment, the leached oil had 6.3% lauric acid whereas the solvent extracted oil had only 1.5% lauric acid. Among the factors affecting the oil quality, microwave pretreatment affected the oil quality significantly; however, an optimised duration that would ensure high efficiency in solvent extraction also resulted in ruptured fruitlets, although not to the extent of causing excessive oxidation. In fact, microwave pretreatment should exceed 12 min; after only 15 min, the oil had 1-methylcyclopentanol (12.96%), 1-tetradecanol (9.44%), 1-nonadecene (7.22%), nonanal (7.13%) and 1-tridecene (5.09%), which probably arose from the degradation of fibres.

    CONCLUSION: Microwave pretreatment represents an alternative milling process for crude palm oil compared with conventional processes in the omission of wet treatment with steam. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

    MeSH terms: Fatty Acids/isolation & purification; Fatty Acids/chemistry; Chemical Fractionation/methods*; Fruit/chemistry*; Microwaves; Oxidation-Reduction; Plant Oils/isolation & purification*; Plant Oils/chemistry*; Arecaceae/chemistry*
  8. Koay CL, Quo MJ, Subrayan V
    Int Ophthalmol, 2017 Jun;37(3):655-671.
    PMID: 27558260 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-016-0306-4
    The purpose of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of choroidal thickness measurements in normal subjects on 3 spectral domain optical coherence tomography instruments, namely: Zeiss Cirrus HD-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, CA), Heidelberg Spectralis (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany), and Optovue RTVue (Optovue Inc., Fremont, CA). This cross-sectional non-interventional study was performed in a single institution. Images were obtained in 47 eyes of 47 healthy volunteers which age ranged between 23 and 72 without ocular pathology. All subjects were imaged on the fovea using Cirrus HD 1-line raster, Spectralis enhanced depth imaging, and RTVue retina-cross. The choroid was measured subfoveally and at intervals of 500 µm from the fovea nasally and temporally up to 2500 µm. Paired t test, modified Bland-Altman plot, and Pearson's correlation were used to compare the results. There is no significant difference between the systems for any measurement within 2500 µm either side of the fovea for most points. Inter-observer correlation was strong for RTVue, and moderate in both Cirrus and Spectralis.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Choroid/cytology*; Cross-Sectional Studies; Equipment Design; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Reference Values; Reproducibility of Results; Tomography, Optical Coherence/instrumentation*; Young Adult
  9. Al-Qirby LM, Radiman S, Siong CW, Ali AM
    Ultrason Sonochem, 2017 Sep;38:640-651.
    PMID: 27553194 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2016.08.016
    For the first time, a sonochemical process has been used to synthesis cobalt oxide Co3O4nanoflowers and nanorods morphology in the presence of the ionic liquid 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [EMIM][BF4] as reaction media and morphology template. Different sonication time periods and different molar ratios of the ionic liquid (IL) were used to investigate their effects on the structural, optical, chemical and magnetic properties of the produced Co3O4nanoparticles. During synthesis process brown powder contains cobalt hydroxide Co(OH)2and cobalt oxyhydroxide (Cobalt hydroxide oxide) CoO(OH) was formed, after calcination in air for 4h at 400°C a black powder of Co3O4nanoparticles was produced. The produced Co3O4nanoparticles properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FTIR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). To explain the formation mechanism of Co3O4NPs some investigations were carried on the brown powder before calcination.
  10. Ong SQ, Ahmad H, Jaal Z, Rus A, Fadzlah FH
    J Med Entomol, 2017 Jan;54(1):24-29.
    PMID: 28082628 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjw140
    Determining the control threshold for a pest is common prior to initiating a pest control program; however, previous studies related to the house fly control threshold for a poultry farm are insufficient for determining such a threshold. This study aimed to predict the population changes of house fly population by comparing the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) for different house fly densities in a simulated system. This study first defined the knee points of a known population growth curve as a control threshold by comparing the rm of five densities of house flies in a simulated condition. Later, to understand the interactions between the larval and adult populations, the correlation between larval and adult capacity rate (rc) was studied. The rm values of 300- and 500-fly densities were significantly higher compared with the rm values at densities of 50 and 100 flies. This result indicated their representative indices as candidates for a control threshold. The rc of larval and adult populations were negatively correlated with densities of fewer than 300 flies; this implicated adult populations with fewer than 300 flies as declining while the larval population was growing; therefore, control approaches should focus on the immature stages. The results in the present study suggest a control threshold for house fly populations. Future works should focus on calibrating the threshold indices in field conditions.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Female; Houseflies/growth & development; Houseflies/physiology*; Insect Control/methods*; Larva/growth & development; Larva/physiology; Male; Models, Biological; Population Density; Population Growth
  11. Park KS, Seon JK, Lee KB, Kim SK, Chan CK, Yoon TR
    J Arthroplasty, 2017 02;32(2):503-509.
    PMID: 27546473 DOI: 10.1016/j.arth.2016.07.010
    BACKGROUND: This study aims at determining the average long-term result of revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) using the acetabular reinforcement ring with a hook (ARRH) and bone grafting in severe acetabular bony defect. Expected 15-year survival of ARRH in revision THA is included in the study.

    METHODS: Retrospective review of 48 patients (48 hips) with follow-up duration of average 11.4 years (range, 6.1-21.4 years) was conducted. At each follow-up, Harris hip score was used to assess functional outcome, and radiographic acetabular component osteolysis was measured by DeLee and Charnley classification. Bone defects were assessed preoperatively and intraoperatively using American academy of orthopedic surgeons and Paprosky classification. The common modes of ARRH failures were evaluated. Bone consolidation, presence of heterotopic ossification, and complications such as infection and dislocation were recorded.

    RESULTS: The bone defects were varied and included cavitary, segmental, and combined defects without any pelvic discontinuity. Mean Harris hip score improved from 52.6 points preoperatively to 82.0 points postoperatively. Nine acetabular revisions and 3 stem revisions (2 concurrent with acetabular revisions and 1 isolated stem revision) were performed. There were 5 infected cases and 1 patient with recurrent dislocation. The 11.4-year survival of revision THA with ARRH was 71% as the end point for acetabular revision surgery for any reason. The expected 15-year survival of revision THA with ARRH was 60%. The most common failure mode of ARRH was superomedial migration followed by lateral migration.

    CONCLUSION: ARRH combined with bone grafting produces relatively good average long-term clinical results.

    MeSH terms: Acetabulum/surgery*; Adult; Aged; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hip Prosthesis/statistics & numerical data*; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prosthesis Design; Prosthesis Failure; Radiography; Reoperation/instrumentation*; Retrospective Studies; Bone Transplantation; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/instrumentation*
  12. Shrestha R, Weikum D, Copenhaver M, Altice FL
    AIDS Behav, 2017 Apr;21(4):1070-1081.
    PMID: 27544515 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-016-1526-3
    Prior research has widely recognized neurocognitive impairment (NCI), depression, and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) as important negative predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people living with HIV (PLWH). No studies to date, however, have explored how these neuropsychological factors operate together and affect HRQoL. Incarcerated male PLWH (N = 301) meeting criteria for opioid dependence were recruited from Malaysia's largest prison. Standardized scales for NCI, depression, alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and HRQoL were used to conduct a moderated mediation model to explore the extent to which depression mediated the relationship between NCI, HRQoL, and AUDs using an ordinary least squares regression-based path analytic framework. Results showed that increasing levels of NCI (B = -0.1773, p 
    MeSH terms: Adult; Depression/epidemiology; Depression/psychology*; Depressive Disorder/epidemiology; Depressive Disorder/psychology*; Health Status*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Opioid-Related Disorders/epidemiology; Opioid-Related Disorders/psychology*; Prisoners/psychology*; Prisoners/statistics & numerical data; Quality of Life/psychology*; Regression Analysis; HIV Infections/epidemiology; HIV Infections/psychology*; Least-Squares Analysis; Alcohol-Related Disorders/complications; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Young Adult; Mild Cognitive Impairment/epidemiology; Mild Cognitive Impairment/psychology*
  13. Goh KM, Lai OM, Abas F, Tan CP
    Food Chem, 2017 Jan 15;215:200-8.
    PMID: 27542468 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.07.146
    Soy sauce fermentation was simulated in a laboratory and subjected to 10min of sonication. A full factorial design, including different cycles, probe size, and amplitude was used. The composition of 17 free-amino acids (FAAs) was determined by the AccQ-Tag method with fluorescent detection. Main effect plots showed total FAAs extraction was favoured under continuous sonication at 100% amplitude using a 14mm diameter transducer probe, reaching 1214.2±64.3mg/100ml of total FAAs. Moreover, after 7days of fermentation, sonication treatment caused significantly higher levels (p<0.05) of glutamic acids (343.0±22.09mg/100g), total FAAs (1720.0±70.6mg/100g), and essential FAAs (776.3±7.0mg/100g) 3days sooner than the control. Meanwhile, enzymatic and microbial behaviours remained undisturbed. Collectively, the sonication to moromi resulted in maturation 57% faster than the untreated control.
  14. Bhat R, Goh KM
    Food Chem, 2017 Jan 15;215:470-6.
    PMID: 27542500 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.07.160
    Hand-pressed strawberry juice samples were subjected to sonication treatments (0, 15 and 30min at 20°C, 25kHz frequency). Physicochemical properties (°Brix, pH, water activity, viscosity, titratable acidity, cloud assessment and turbidity), antioxidant compounds and activity (total phenolics, ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, free radical scavenging activity), polyphenoloxidase enzyme activity, browning degree and microbial load were evaluated. Results showed non-significant changes for °Brix, pH, water activity, titratable acidity and colour parameters in sonicated samples compared to control (0min). Sonication treatments resulted in reduced viscosity and increased cloudiness and turbidity. Overall, treatment for 30min showed significant enhancement in bioactive compounds under study. Besides, sonication treatment imparted non-significant changes in polyphenoloxidase activity and in browning degree. However, sonication was incompetent in reducing microbial load. Results generated from this study were encouraging and this is expected to provide platform for future commercial applications on a pilot scale.
  15. Ng BC, Smith PA, Nestler F, Timms D, Cohn WE, Lim E
    Ann Biomed Eng, 2017 03;45(3):567-579.
    PMID: 27543069 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-016-1706-3
    The successful clinical applicability of rotary left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) has led to research interest in devising a total artificial heart (TAH) using two rotary blood pumps (RBPs). The major challenge when using two separately controlled LVADs for TAH support is the difficulty in maintaining the balance between pulmonary and systemic blood flows. In this study, a starling-like controller (SLC) hybridized with an adaptive mechanism was developed for a dual rotary LVAD TAH. The incorporation of the adaptive mechanism was intended not only to minimize the risk of pulmonary congestion and atrial suction but also to match cardiac demand. A comparative assessment was performed between the proposed adaptive starling-like controller (A-SLC) and a conventional SLC as well as a constant speed controller. The performance of all controllers was evaluated by subjecting them to three simulated scenarios [rest, exercise, head up tilt (HUT)] using a mock circulation loop. The overall results showed that A-SLC was superior in matching pump flow to cardiac demand without causing hemodynamic instabilities. In contrast, improper flow regulation by the SLC resulted in pulmonary congestion during exercise. From resting supine to HUT, overpumping of the RBPs at fixed speed (FS) caused atrial suction, whereas implementation of SLC resulted in insufficient flow. The comparative study signified the potential of the proposed A-SLC for future TAH implementation particularly among outpatients, who are susceptible to variety of clinical scenarios.
    MeSH terms: Heart-Assist Devices*; Heart, Artificial*; Humans
  16. Mohd Nor NH, Berahim Z, Ahmad A, Kannan TP
    Curr Stem Cell Res Ther, 2017;12(1):52-60.
    PMID: 27538403
    Oral mucosa is a mucous membrane lining the oral cavity. Its main function is to protect the deeper structures against the external factors; thermal, chemical, mechanical and biological stimuli. Apart from that, it also plays a significant role during mastication, deglutition and speech. Some oral diseases or injuries to oral mucosa lead to impairment of the oral functions and aesthetics which eventually result in permanent defect of oral mucosa. In order to overcome this defect, different approaches for the development of reconstructed oral mucosa models have been employed including skin/autologous grafts, guided tissue replacement, vestibuloplasty etc. However, the finding of an acceptable source for the transplantations or autologous grafts seems a bit challenging. To overcome this problem, the development of oral mucosa using tissue engineering approach has been widely studied involving various cell lines from different sources. This paper aims to highlight various cell sources used in the development of tissueengineered oral mucosa models based on articles retrieved from PubMed and MEDLINE databases using the search terms "oral mucosa tissue engineering", regardless of time when published.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Humans; Models, Biological*; Mouth Mucosa/cytology*; Stem Cells/cytology; Tooth/cytology; Tissue Engineering/methods*
  17. Baraya YS, Wong KK, Yaacob NS
    Anticancer Agents Med Chem, 2017;17(6):770-783.
    PMID: 27539316 DOI: 10.2174/1871520616666160817111242
    Breast cancer has continued to cause high cancer death rates among women worldwide. The use of plants' natural products in breast cancer treatment has received more attention in recent years due to their potentially wider safety margin and the potential to complement conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. Plantbased products have demonstrated anticancer potential through different biological pathways including modulation of the immune system. Immunomodulatory properties of medicinal plants have been shown to mitigate breast cancer cell growth. Different immune cell types participate in this process especially cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells, and cytokines including chemokines and tumor necrosis factor-α. Medicinal plants such as Glycyrrhiza glabra, Uncaria tomentosa, Camellia sinensis, Panax ginseng, Prunus armenaica (apricot), Allium sativum, Arctium lappa and Curcuma longa were reported to hold strong potential in breast cancer treatment in various parts of the world. Interestingly, research findings have shown that these plants possess bioactive immunomodulators as their main constituents producing the anticancer effects. These immunomodulatory compounds include ajoene, arctigenin, β-carotene, curcumin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, ginsan, glabridin and quinic acid. In this review, we discussed the ability of these eight immunomodulators in regulating the immune system potentially applicable in breast cancer treatment via anti-inflammatory (curcumin, arctigenin, glabridin and ajoene) and lymphocytes activation (β-carotene, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, quinic acid and ginsan) properties, as well as future research direction in their use for breast cancer treatment.
    MeSH terms: Adjuvants, Immunologic/therapeutic use*; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use; Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy*; Breast Neoplasms/immunology; Breast Neoplasms/pathology; Humans; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use*; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*; Cell Line, Tumor
  18. Wafa SW, Aziz NN, Shahril MR, Halib H, Rahim M, Janssen X
    J Trop Pediatr, 2017 04 01;63(2):98-103.
    PMID: 27539845 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fmw052
    This study describes the patterns of objectively measured sitting, standing and stepping in obese children using the activPALTM and highlights possible differences in sedentary levels and patterns during weekdays and weekends. Sixty-five obese children, aged 9-11 years, were recruited from primary schools in Terengganu, Malaysia. Sitting, standing and stepping were objectively measured using an activPALTM accelerometer over a period of 4-7 days. Obese children spent an average of 69.6% of their day sitting/lying, 19.1% standing and 11.3% stepping. Weekdays and weekends differed significantly in total time spent sitting/lying, standing, stepping, step count, number of sedentary bouts and length of sedentary bouts (p < 0.05, respectively). Obese children spent a large proportion of their time sedentarily, and they spent more time sedentarily during weekends compared with weekdays. This study on sedentary behaviour patterns presents valuable information for designing and implementing strategies to decrease sedentary time among obese children, particularly during weekends.
    MeSH terms: Activities of Daily Living; Child; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Motor Activity/physiology*; Obesity/diagnosis; Obesity/physiopathology*; Posture; Health Behavior*; Walking; Monitoring, Ambulatory/instrumentation*; Sedentary Lifestyle*; Accelerometry/instrumentation*
  19. Yap FB
    J Cosmet Dermatol, 2017 Sep;16(3):348-352.
    PMID: 27539948 DOI: 10.1111/jocd.12268
    INTRODUCTION: Low-dose isotretinoin is used to reduce side effects albeit higher relapse. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of fixed-dose 10 mg daily isotretinoin for the treatment of acne.

    METHODS: This prospective study was performed between 2011 and 2015. All 150 patients were given 10 mg daily isotretinoin until a cumulative dose of 90-110 mg/kg.

    RESULTS: The mean age was 26.6 years with 64.7% moderate acne, 29.3% severe, and 6% very severe. The mean cumulative dose was 98.8 ± 6.05 mg/kg. All 150 patients had total clearance with a mean time to clearance of 24.0 weeks. Patients with severe/very severe acne had higher cumulative dosage (102.1 vs. 97.0, P 

    MeSH terms: Acne Vulgaris/drug therapy*; Acne Vulgaris/metabolism; Adult; Dermatologic Agents/administration & dosage*; Dermatologic Agents/adverse effects; Female; Humans; Lipids/blood; Liver/enzymology; Malaysia; Male; Prospective Studies; Recurrence; Skin Diseases/chemically induced; Isotretinoin/administration & dosage*; Isotretinoin/adverse effects
External Links