Browse publications by year: 2018

  1. Lim V, Schneider E, Wu H, Pang IH
    Nutrients, 2018 Oct 26;10(11).
    PMID: 30373159 DOI: 10.3390/nu10111580
    Cataract is an eye disease with clouding of the eye lens leading to disrupted vision, which often develops slowly and causes blurriness of the eyesight. Although the restoration of the vision in people with cataract is conducted through surgery, the costs and risks remain an issue. Botanical drugs have been evaluated for their potential efficacies in reducing cataract formation decades ago and major active phytoconstituents were isolated from the plant extracts. The aim of this review is to find effective phytoconstituents in cataract treatments in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. A literature search was synthesized from the databases of Pubmed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus using different combinations of keywords. Selection of all manuscripts were based on inclusion and exclusion criteria together with analysis of publication year, plant species, isolated phytoconstituents, and evaluated cataract activities. Scientists have focused their attention not only for anti-cataract activity in vitro, but also in ex vivo and in vivo from the review of active phytoconstituents in medicinal plants. In our present review, we identified 58 active phytoconstituents with strong anti-cataract effects at in vitro and ex vivo with lack of in vivo studies. Considering the benefits of anti-cataract activities require critical evaluation, more in vivo and clinical trials need to be conducted to increase our understanding on the possible mechanisms of action and the therapeutic effects.
    MeSH terms: Cataract/prevention & control*; Humans; Plant Extracts/pharmacology*; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Phytochemicals/pharmacology*; Phytochemicals/chemistry
  2. Kunalan S, Othman I, Syed Hassan S, Hodgson WC
    Toxins (Basel), 2018 Oct 26;10(11).
    PMID: 30373186 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10110434
    Calloselasma rhodostoma (CR) and Ophiophagus hannah (OH) are two medically important snakes found in Malaysia. While some studies have described the biological properties of these venoms, feeding and environmental conditions also influence the concentration and distribution of snake venom toxins, resulting in variations in venom composition. Therefore, a combined proteomic approach using shotgun and gel filtration chromatography, analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry, was used to examine the composition of venoms from these Malaysian snakes. The analysis revealed 114 proteins (15 toxin families) and 176 proteins (20 toxin families) in Malaysian Calloselasma rhodostoma and Ophiophagus hannah species, respectively. Flavin monoamine oxidase, phospholipase A₂, phosphodiesterase, snake venom metalloproteinase, and serine protease toxin families were identified in both venoms. Aminopeptidase, glutaminyl-peptide cyclotransferase along with ankyrin repeats were identified for the first time in CR venom, and insulin, c-type lectins/snaclecs, hepatocyte growth factor, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor together with tumor necrosis factor were identified in OH venom for the first time. Our combined proteomic approach has identified a comprehensive arsenal of toxins in CR and OH venoms. These data may be utilized for improved antivenom production, understanding pathological effects of envenoming, and the discovery of biologically active peptides with medical and/or biotechnological value.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Crotalid Venoms/chemistry*; Elapid Venoms/chemistry*; Malaysia; Reptilian Proteins/analysis*; Proteomics
  3. Sawalmeh A, Othman NS, Shakhatreh H
    Sensors (Basel), 2018 Oct 26;18(11).
    PMID: 30373204 DOI: 10.3390/s18113640
    In this paper, the efficient 3D placement of UAV as an aerial base station in providing wireless coverage for users in a small and large coverage area is investigated. In the case of providing wireless coverage for outdoor and indoor users in a small area, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and K-means with Ternary Search (KTS) algorithms are invoked to find an efficient 3D location of a single UAV with the objective of minimizing its required transmit power. It was observed that a single UAV at the 3D location found using the PSO algorithm requires less transmit power, by a factor of 1/5 compared to that when using the KTS algorithm. In the case of providing wireless coverage for users in three different shapes of a large coverage area, namely square, rectangle and circular regions, the problems of finding an efficient placement of multiple UAVs equipped with a directional antenna are formulated with the objective to maximize the coverage area and coverage density using the Circle Packing Theory (CPT). Then, the UAV efficient altitude placement is formulated with the objective of minimizing its required transmit power. It is observed that the large number of UAVs does not necessarily result in the maximum coverage density. Based on the simulation results, the deployment of 16, 19 and 26 UAVs is capable of providing the maximum coverage density of 78.5%, 82.5% and 80.3% for the case of a square region with the dimensions of 2 km × 2 km, a rectangle region with the dimensions of 6 km × 1.8 km and a circular region with the radius of 1.125 km, respectively. These observations are obtained when the UAVs are located at the optimum altitude, where the required transmit power for each UAV is reasonably small.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms; Altitude; Bandages; Goals; Radius; Tongue Diseases
  4. Shahar S, Jan Bin Jan Mohamed H, de Los Reyes F, Amarra MS
    Nutrients, 2018 Oct 28;10(11).
    PMID: 30373303 DOI: 10.3390/nu10111584
    The present study examined the best available evidence regarding energy and macronutrient intake during adulthood (age 19 to 59 years) in Malaysia and assessed whether intakes adhere to national recommendations, in order to develop recommendations for dietary improvement based on population consumption patterns. A literature review and meta-analysis evaluated intake based on the following characteristics, using information from food balance sheets, national surveys, and individual studies: (1) levels of intake, (2) proportion of the population whose diets adhere to/exceed/fail to meet Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) levels, and (3) sources of macronutrients observed in these studies. Food balance data suggested high levels of available energy, animal source protein, vegetable fat, and refined carbohydrates. Twenty studies (five nationwide, 15 individual) indicated that Malaysian adults generally met or exceeded recommendations for fat and protein, but were inconsistent with respect to energy and carbohydrates. Information on dietary sources was limited. Due to methodological limitations, insufficient evidence exists regarding energy and macronutrient intakes of Malaysian adults. Improved dietary assessment methods (including use of biomarkers), better data analysis, and updated food composition data, will provide more reliable information on which to base policy decisions and recommendations for improvement.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Energy Intake*; Humans; Malaysia; Nutritional Status*; Nutrition Policy*
  5. Al-Mishmish H, Akhayyat A, Rahim HA, Hammood DA, Ahmad RB, Abbasi QH
    Sensors (Basel), 2018 Oct 28;18(11).
    PMID: 30373314 DOI: 10.3390/s18113661
    Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) are single-hop network systems, where sensors gather the body's vital signs and send them directly to master nodes (MNs). The sensors are distributed in or on the body. Therefore, body posture, clothing, muscle movement, body temperature, and climatic conditions generally influence the quality of the wireless link between sensors and the destination. Hence, in some cases, single hop transmission ('direct transmission') is not sufficient to deliver the signals to the destination. Therefore, we propose an emergency-based cooperative communication protocol for WBAN, named Critical Data-based Incremental Cooperative Communication (CD-ICC), based on the IEEE 802.15.6 CSMA standard but assuming a lognormal shadowing channel model. In this paper, a complete study of a system model is inspected in the terms of the channel path loss, the successful transmission probability, and the outage probability. Then a mathematical model is derived for the proposed protocol, end-to-end delay, duty cycle, and average power consumption. A new back-off time is proposed within CD-ICC, which ensures the best relays cooperate in a distributed manner. The design objective of the CD-ICC is to reduce the end-to-end delay, the duty cycle, and the average power transmission. The simulation and numerical results presented here show that, under general conditions, CD-ICC can enhance network performance compared to direct transmission mode (DTM) IEEE 802.15.6 CSMA and benchmarking. To this end, we have shown that the power saving when using CD-ICC is 37.5% with respect to DTM IEEE 802.15.6 CSMA and 10% with respect to MI-ICC.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms; Communication*; Computer Communication Networks*; Computer Simulation; Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; Probability; Wireless Technology*
  6. Park YC, Yang SY, Chong MY, Kanba S, Sartorius N, Shinfuku N, et al.
    Psychiatry Investig, 2018 Oct;15(10):1007-1008.
    PMID: 30373360 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2018.09.06
    The REAP-AP study recruited 3,746 patients with schizophrenia, in March and April 2016, from 71 centers in 15 Asian countries/territories namely Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Our findings reveal a trend according to which high dose antipsychotic prescription is more prevalent in Eastern Asia (especially, Japan and Korea) than in other regions of Asia. This historical factor may be associated with our finding of an Eastern Asian preponderance of high dose antipsychotic prescription.
    MeSH terms: Bangladesh; Myanmar; China; Far East; Hong Kong; Humans; India; Indonesia; Japan; Malaysia; Pakistan; Schizophrenia; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Taiwan; Thailand; Antipsychotic Agents; Vietnam; Republic of Korea
  7. Ja'afar JN, Bhore SJ, Phua KK
    BMC Res Notes, 2018 Oct 29;11(1):766.
    PMID: 30373642 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3870-z
    OBJECTIVE: Identification of Salmonella Typhi by conventional culture techniques is labour-intensive, time consuming, and lack sensitivity and specificity unlike high-throughput epidemiological markers that are highly specific but are not affordable for low-resource settings. SCAR, obtained from RAPD technique, is an affordable, reliable and reproducible method for developing genetic markers. Hence, this study investigated the use of SCAR as an alternative molecular epidemiological marker for easy identification of S. Typhi in low-resource settings.

    RESULTS: One hundred and twenty RAPD primers were screened through RAPD-PCR against a panel of common enterobacteriaceae for the best RAPD band pattern discrimination to develop SCAR primers that were used to develop a RAPD-SCAR PCR. Of this number, 10 were selected based on their calculated indices of discrimination. Four RAPD primers, SBSA02, SBSA03, SBSD08 and SBSD11 produced suitable bands ranging from 900 to 2500 bp. However, only SBSD11 was found to be specific for S. Typhi, and was cloned, sequenced and used to design new SCAR primers. The primers were used to amplify a panel of organisms to evaluate its specificity. However, the amplified regions were similar to other non-Typhi genomes denoting a lack of specificity of the primers as a marker for S. Typhi.

  8. Gradoni G, Russer J, Baharuddin MH, Haider M, Russer P, Smartt C, et al.
    Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci, 2018 Oct 29;376(2134).
    PMID: 30373944 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2017.0455
    This paper reviews recent progress in the measurement and modelling of stochastic electromagnetic fields, focusing on propagation approaches based on Wigner functions and the method of moments technique. The respective propagation methods are exemplified by application to measurements of electromagnetic emissions from a stirred, cavity-backed aperture. We discuss early elements of statistical electromagnetics in Heaviside's papers, driven mainly by an analogy of electromagnetic wave propagation with heat transfer. These ideas include concepts of momentum and directionality in the realm of propagation through confined media with irregular boundaries. We then review and extend concepts using Wigner functions to propagate the statistical properties of electromagnetic fields. We discuss in particular how to include polarization in this formalism leading to a Wigner tensor formulation and a relation to an averaged Poynting vector.This article is part of the theme issue 'Celebrating 125 years of Oliver Heaviside's 'Electromagnetic Theory''.
    MeSH terms: Biometry; Electromagnetic Fields; Hot Temperature; Motion; Torso; Electromagnetic Radiation
  9. Zihad SMNK, Bhowmick N, Uddin SJ, Sifat N, Rahman MS, Rouf R, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2018;9:1164.
    PMID: 30374304 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01164
    Present study was undertaken to evaluate the analgesic activity of the ethanol extract of Chrysopogon aciculatus. In addition to bioassays in mice, chemical profiling was done by LC-MS and GC-MS to identify phytochemicals, which were further docked on the catalytic site of COX-2 enzymes with a view to suggest the possible role of such phytoconstituents in the observed analgesic activity. Analgesic activity of C. aciculatus was evaluated by acetic acid induced writhing reflex method and hot plate technique. Phytochemical profiling was conducted using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In docking studies, homology model of human COX-2 enzyme was prepared using Easy Modeler 4.0 and the identified phytoconstituents were docked using Autodock Vina. Preliminary acute toxicity test of the ethanol extract of C. aciculatus showed no sign of mortality at the highest dose of 4,000 mg/kg. The whole plant extract significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited acetic acid induced writhing in mice at the doses of 500 and 750 mg/kg. The extract delayed the response time in hot plate test in a dose dependent manner. LC-MS analysis of the plant extract revealed the presence of aciculatin, nudaphantin and 5α,8α-epidioxyergosta-6,22-diene-3β-ol. Three compounds namely citronellylisobutyrate; 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one and nudaphantin were identified in the n-hexane fraction by GC-MS. Among these compounds, six were found to be interacting with the binding site for arachidonic acid in COX-2 enzyme. Present study strongly supports the traditional use of C. aciculatus in the management of pain. In conclusion, compounds (tricin, campesterol, gamma oryzanol, and citronellyl isobutyrate) showing promising binding affinity in docking studies, along with previously known anti-inflammatory compound aciculatin can be held responsible for the observed activity.
    MeSH terms: Ethanol; Animals; Chromatography, Liquid; Humans; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Arachidonic Acid; Acetic Acid; Catalytic Domain; Mice; Cyclooxygenase 2; Isobutyrates
  10. Ibrahim U, Wan-Puteh SE
    Pan Afr Med J, 2018;30:150.
    PMID: 30374396 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2018.30.150.15851
    Introduction: This study sets out to assess the roles of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in post donor health project sustainability in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), the case of the Bauchi State, Nigeria. This study equally investigated the CSOs strategies and roles in health project sustainability.

    Methods: For quantitative data collection, the random, purposive, and convenient sampling techniques were used and 156 respondents selected from relevant organizations operating in Bauchi state, Nigeria, and 15 respondents for Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). A Semi-structured questionnaire was the study instrument, and consent from the participants as well as ethical clearances were duly obtained.

    Results: The study revealed that 87.8% of the respondents indicate un-friendly operational policies, while 88.9% of them identified lack of resources (human, money and machineries) as impediments to project sustainability. Also, 74.3% of the respondents said partnership among key stakeholders and 86.6% of them affirmed that community participation and use of available (local) resources ensure health project sustainability. The study further revealed that CSOs fund health projects, support government efforts and encourage development of project sustainability road map in the state.

    Conclusion: Hence, health project sustainability plan should form part of a project right from inception through the donor period and thereafter. In addition to the above, internal income framework, community involvement, enabling policies and partnership among stakeholders, especially with the host government, should always guide project implementation, because without these in place, project sustainability will remain a mirage.

    MeSH terms: Consumer Participation*; Delivery of Health Care/organization & administration*; Developing Countries; Government; Humans; Nigeria; Organizations/organization & administration*; Surveys and Questionnaires
  11. Pourshahrestani S, Kadri NA, Zeimaran E, Towler MR
    Biomater Sci, 2018 Dec 18;7(1):31-50.
    PMID: 30374499 DOI: 10.1039/c8bm01041b
    Immediate control of uncontrolled bleeding and infection are essential for saving lives in both combat and civilian arenas. Inorganic well-ordered mesoporous silica and bioactive glasses have recently shown great promise for accelerating hemostasis and infection control. However, to date, there has been no comprehensive report assessing their specific mechanism of action in accelerating the hemostasis process and exerting an antibacterial effect. After providing a brief overview of the hemostasis process, this review presents a critical overview of the recently developed inorganic mesoporous silica and bioactive glass-based materials proposed for hemostatic clinical applications and specifically investigates their unique characteristics that render them applicable for hemostatic applications and preventing infections. This article also identifies promising new research directions that should be undertaken to ascertain the effectiveness of these materials for hemostatic applications.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Biocompatible Materials/pharmacology; Biocompatible Materials/chemistry*; Glass/chemistry*; Hemostasis/drug effects*; Hemostatics/pharmacology; Hemostatics/chemistry*; Humans; Models, Molecular; Silicon Dioxide/pharmacology; Silicon Dioxide/chemistry*; Wound Healing/drug effects; Porosity
  12. Mohsin AH, Zaidan AA, Zaidan BB, Ariffin SAB, Albahri OS, Albahri AS, et al.
    J Med Syst, 2018 Oct 29;42(12):245.
    PMID: 30374820 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-018-1103-6
    In real-time medical systems, the role of biometric technology is significant in authentication systems because it is used in verifying the identity of people through their biometric features. The biometric technology provides crucial properties for biometric features that can support the process of personal identification. The storage of biometric template within a central database makes it vulnerable to attack which can also occur during data transmission. Therefore, an alternative mechanism of protection becomes important to develop. On this basis, this study focuses on providing a detailed analysis of the extant literature (2013-2018) to identify the taxonomy and research distribution. Furthermore, this study also seeks to ascertain the challenges and motivations associated with biometric steganography in real-time medical systems to provide recommendations that can enhance the efficient use of real-time medical systems in biometric steganography and its applications. A review of articles on human biometric steganography in real-time medical systems obtained from three main databases (IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect and Web of Science) is conducted according to an appropriate review protocol. Then, 41 related articles are selected by using exclusion and inclusion criteria. Majority of the studies reviewed had been conducted in the field of data-hiding (particularly steganography) technologies. In this review, various steganographic methods that have been applied in different human biometrics are investigated. Thereafter, these methods are categorised according to taxonomy, and the results are presented on the basis of human steganography biometric real-time medical systems, testing and evaluation methods, significance of use and applications and techniques. Finally, recommendations on how the challenges associated with data hiding can be addressed are provided to enhance the efficiency of using biometric information processed in any authentication real-time medical system. These recommendations are expected to be immensely helpful to developers, company users and researchers.
    MeSH terms: Biometry/methods*; Computer Systems; Confidentiality; Humans; Time Factors; Computer Security*; Health Information Systems/organization & administration*; Health Information Systems/standards
  13. Alkhader E, Roberts CJ, Rosli R, Yuen KH, Seow EK, Lee YZ, et al.
    J Biomater Sci Polym Ed, 2018 12;29(18):2281-2298.
    PMID: 30376409 DOI: 10.1080/09205063.2018.1541500
    Curcumin, the active ingredient of the rhizome curcuma longa has been extensively studied as an anticancer agent for various types of tumours. However, its efficacy as an anticancer agent is restricted due to poor absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, rapid metabolism and degradation in acidic medium. In the present study, we encapsulated curcumin in chitosan-pectinate nanoparticulate system (CUR-CS-PEC-NPs) for deployment of curcumin to the colon, whereby curcumin is protected against degradative effects in the upper digestive tract, and hence, maintaining its anticancer properties until colon arrival. The CUR-CS-PEC-NPs was taken up by HT-29 colorectal cancer cells which ultimately resulted in a significant reduction in cancer cell propagation. The anti-proliferative effect of the encapsulated curcumin was similar to that of free curcumin at equivalent doses which confirms that the encapsulation process did not impede the anticancer activity of curcumin. The oral bioavailability (Cmax, and AUC) of curcumin in CUR-CS-PEC-NPs was enhanced significantly by 4-folds after 6 hours of treatment compared to free curcumin. Furthermore, the clearance of curcumin from the CUR-CS-PEC-NPs was lower compared to free curcumin. These findings point to the potential application of the CUR-CS-PEC-NPs in the oral delivery of curcumin in the treatment of colon cancer.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacokinetics; Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*; Cell Line; Cell Survival/drug effects; Colonic Neoplasms/drug therapy*; Curcumin/pharmacokinetics; Curcumin/pharmacology*; Drug Carriers; Drug Stability; Humans; Male; Pectins/chemistry*; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Apoptosis/drug effects; Chitosan/chemistry*; Nanoparticles/chemistry*; Drug Liberation
  14. Nor Fasihah Azam, Zurina Hassan, Noorul Hamizah Mat, Ryan Andrew Stanyard
    Neuroscience Research Notes, 2018;1(1):42-57.
    MyJurnal
    Vascular dementia (VaD) is one of the most common types of dementia in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Two-vessel occlusion (2VO), also known as permanent bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries, induces chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) in rats, resulting in neuronal loss and inflammation (particularly in the cortex and hippocampus). The 2VO rat model has been widely used to represent VaDconditions similar to those seen in humans. Synaptic plasticity or long-term potentiation (LTP) is one of the most important neurochemical foundations in learning and memory, deficits of which occur as a result of VaD. The aim of this study is to evaluatethe role of cholinergic transmission in LTP impairment of CCH rat model. There is a significant impairment of LTP following the induction of 2VO surgery (p< .05). Treatment with oxotremorine and tacrine cause significant enhancement of LTP and potentiation levels (p < .05). There are also significant effects of paired-pulse facilitations when treated with cholinergic agonists and baseline synaptic transmission with increasing stimulation intensity (p < .0001). AChE activity was only found to increase significantly in the hippocampal region (p< .05).The role of cholinergic neurotransmission has been clearly demonstrated in LTP impairment of the CCH rat model. Augmentation of synaptic transmission was clearly observed in this model via changes of basal synaptic transmission and neurotransmitter release presynaptically.
  15. Leong, Melody Pui Yee, Usman Bala, Lim, Chai Ling, Rozita Rosli, Cheah, Pike-See, Ling, King-Hwa
    Neuroscience Research Notes, 2018;1(1):21-41.
    MyJurnal
    Ts1Cje is a mouse model of Down syndrome (DS) with partial triplication of chromosome 16, which encompasses a high number of human chromosome 21 (HSA21) orthologous genes. The mouse model exhibits muscle weakness resembling hypotonia in DS individuals. The effect of extra gene dosages on muscle weakness or hypotonia in Ts1Cje and DS individuals remains unknown. To identify molecular dysregulation of the skeletal muscle, we compared the transcriptomic signatures of soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles between the adult Ts1Cje and disomic littermates. A total of 166 and 262 differentially expressed protein-coding genes (DEGs) were identified in the soleus and EDL muscles, respectively. The partial trisomy of MMU16 in Ts1Cje mice has a greater effect on gene expression in EDL. Top-down clustering analysis of all DEGs for represented functional ontologies revealed 5 functional clusters in soleus associated with signal transduction, development of reproductive system, nucleic acid biosynthesis, protein modification and metabolism as well as regulation of gene expression. On the other hand, only 3 functional clusters were observed for EDL namely neuron and cell development, protein modification and metabolic processes as well as ion transport. A total of 11 selected DEGs were validated using qPCR (disomic DEGs: Mansc1; trisomic DEGs: Itsn1, Rcan1, Synj1, Donson, Dyrk1a, Ifnar1, Ifnar2, Runx1, Sod1 and Tmem50b). The validated DEGs were implicated in neuromuscular junction signalling (Itsn1, Syn1), oxidative stress (Sod1, Runx1) and chronic inflammation processes (Runx1, Rcan1, Ifnar1, Ifnar2). Other validated DEGs have not been well-documented as involved in the skeletal muscle development or function, thus serve as interesting novel candidates for future investigations. To our knowledge, the study was the first attempt to determine the transcriptomic profiles of both soleus and EDL muscles in Ts1Cje mice. It provides new insights on the possible disrupted molecular pathways associated with hypotonia in DS individuals.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16; DNA-Binding Proteins; Down Syndrome; Gene Expression Regulation; Genitalia; Humans; Inflammation; Muscle Hypotonia; Neuromuscular Junction; Neurons; Nucleic Acids; Transcription Factors; Trisomy; Signal Transduction; Oncogene Proteins; Ion Transport; Oxidative Stress; Muscle, Skeletal; Gene Dosage; Muscle Weakness; Muscle Development; Mice
  16. Mohd Aizat Zain, Nor Zuraida Zainal, Sharmilla Kanagasundram, Zahurin Mohamed
    Neuroscience Research Notes, 2018;1(1):11-20.
    MyJurnal
    Genetic hereditary has been implicated in bipolar disorder pathogenesis. The PDLIM5 and HTR2A genes have been investigated for its association with bipolar disorder in various populations, however, the results have been conflicting. In this study, we investigate the association between bipolar disorder and the two genes of interest, PDLIM5 and HTR2A genes. We recruited 253 bipolar disorder patients (75 Malays, 104 Chinese, and 74 Indians) and 505 control individuals (198 Malays, 155 Chinese, and 152 Indians) from three ethnic groups within Malaysian population. We genotyped for 3 SNPs of the PDLIM5 (rs2433320, rs2433322 and rs2438146) and 3 SNPs of the HTR2A (rs6313, rs2070040 and rs6311). Significant associations between bipolar disorder and each of the 3 SNPs of PDLIM5 in Malays, Indians and pooled samples. However, only rs2438146 remains significant in the Malays as co-dominant (T/T vs. C/C, p=0.004, OR=0.128, 95%CI=0.031-0.524) and recessive genetic models (T/T vs. C/T+C/C, p=0.003, OR=0.122, 95%CI=0.030-0.494) after applying conservative Bonferroni correction. Haplotype analysis of 3 SNPs of PDLIM5 also showed a significant association with bipolar disorder. No association was observed between bipolar disorder and each of the 3 SNPs of HTR2A in any of the ethnicities. We conclude that PDLIM5 polymorphisms are associated with bipolar disorder in the pooled analysis. After stratification to different ethnic groups, the association remains significant in the Malay and Indian groups. The association is also supported by the significant association in haplotype analysis of PDLIM5. We also conclude there is no association between the HTR2A polymorphisms in the Malaysian population.
    MeSH terms: Bipolar Disorder; Ethnic Groups; Genotype; Haplotypes; Humans; Malaysia; Models, Genetic; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Asian Continental Ancestry Group
  17. Lim, Chai Ling, Usman Bala, Leong, Melody Pui-Yee, Johnson Stanslas, Rajesh Ramasamy, Ling, King-Hwa, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic condition resulting from triplication of human chromosome (HSA)21. Besides intellectual disability, DS is frequently associated with hypotonia. Satellite cells are the resident cells that provides robust and remarkable regenerative capacity to the skeletal muscles, and its population size has been reported to be disease-associated. However, little is known about the population size of satellite cells in DS and the association of its intrinsic cellular functionality and hypotonia seen in DS. Here, we studied the Ts1Cje mouse, a DS murine model displays the muscle weakness characteristic. Satellite cell populations were immunostained with Pax7 and myonuclei numbers in the Ts1Cje extensor digitorum longus muscle were assessed. Their cellular function was further determined via in vitro assay in high-serum conditioned medium. Subsequently, the in vitro self-renewal, proliferative, and differentiation activities of these myogenic precursor cells were assessed after 24, 48, and 72h using Pax7, MyoD, and Ki67 immunomarkers. Our results showed that the population and functionality of Ts1Cje satellite cell did not differ significantly when compared to the wildtype cells isolated from disomic littermates. In conclusion, our findings indicated that intrinsic cellular functionality of the satellite cells, do not contribute to muscle weakness in Ts1Cje mouse.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Cell Differentiation; Chromosomes, Human; Disease Models, Animal; Down Syndrome; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Muscle Hypotonia; Population Density; Culture Media, Conditioned; Muscle, Skeletal; Muscle Weakness; Ki-67 Antigen; Muscle Development; Mice; PAX7 Transcription Factor
  18. Syafiqah, H.N., Umar, R., Kamarudin, M.K.A., Hazmin, S.N., Dianah, A.R.S.N., Jaafar, H., et al.
    ASM Science Journal, 2018;11(101):183-194.
    MyJurnal
    Nowadays, the wireless technology has become a lifestyle; even the children have their own
    mobile phones, although they are categorized as high risk susceptible to health problems
    due to radiation. Thus, the public exposure that stemmed from electromagnetic radiations
    become public concern since studies have been done and the finding showed that the repetitive
    and long term exposure may have adverse health effect. This study was conducted to
    evaluate the exposure level at UMT and UniSZA campuses by measuring the electric field
    strength. This measurement was conducted using omni-directional antenna below 4 GHz,
    connected to spectrum analyzer. In this paper, the measured values are compared with
    the previous study from several locations and then the spatial maps of exposure level are
    developed. The result shows that high exposure level was recorded at UMT and UniSZA.
    From this study, the findings may assist the Ministry of Health to monitor the public health
    due to non-ionizing radiation (NIR) exposure. This is crucial to make sure the international
    commission of non-ionizing radiation protection (ICNIRP) limit is complied. Moreover, the
    development of public NIR exposure policy can be initiated to the Malaysia government for
    health concern. For future study, the investigation of the suitable material used as antenna
    and casing or exposure reduction tool can be done to reduce NIR exposure rate on human
    body.
    MeSH terms: Child; Government; Humans; Life Style; Malaysia; Public Health; Public Policy; Radiation, Nonionizing; Wireless Technology; Electromagnetic Radiation
  19. Muktar, M.Z., Ismail, W.I.W., Razali, M.H., Amin, K.A.M., Razak, S.I.A.
    ASM Science Journal, 2018;11(101):166-182.
    MyJurnal
    This study examined the effect of honey in gellan gum (GG) hydrogel containing virgin
    coconut oil (VCO). Their mechanical, physical, thermal properties and in-vivo healing potential
    on dermal wounds were investigated. The compression performance results show that
    the inclusion of honey into gellan gum incorporated VCO (GGVCOH) hydrogel improved
    the compressive stress of the materials by 3-fold and workable to be applied on the different
    contours of human body. Swelling ratio of GVCO hydrogels increased upon addition of
    honey, and water transmission rates (WVTRs) values of all hydrogels were in the range of
    112-132 g m−2 d
    −1
    , in which comparable to WVTRs values of commercial wound dressings.
    Thermal behavior shows the inclusion of honey in GVCO hydrogels improved the thermal
    stability particularly at high concentration. In-vivo healing on dermal wounds exhibits that
    the inclusion of honey accelerated the wound closure and shows complete neo-epidermal
    of the wounds. The GVCOH hydrogel has shown promising results to treats acute wound
    treatments.
  20. Razali, M.H., Ismail, N.A., Osman, U.M., Amin, K.A.M.
    ASM Science Journal, 2018;11(101):158-165.
    MyJurnal
    The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of glycerol concentration on mechanical
    and physical properties of gellan gum (GG) biofilm. The biofilm was prepared using solvent
    casting method and the effective glycerol concentration was found to be within 30-50%
    w/w (based on GG weight). At 60 and 70 w/w% of glycerol, the films started to distort
    because the films was flexible and brittle. As glycerol concentration was increased the tensile
    strength (TS) and Youngs modulus (E) of films decreased. Somehow, elongation at break
    (EAB), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and swelling of films was increased. Glycerol
    plasticized GG biofilm was thermally stable and flexible, proposed its can be exploited as
    film-forming material and with optimized glycerol concentration it has good mechanical and
    physical properties for edible biofilm.
    MeSH terms: Glycerol; Plasticizers; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Solvents; Steam; Tensile Strength; Biofilms; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Elastic Modulus
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