Browse publications by year: 2019

Are we doing it right? Self-care support for patients with type 2 diabetes in urban areas in Malaysia

Saidi S, Milnes LJ, Griffiths J

Enferm Clin, 2019 09;29 Suppl 2:691-697.
PMID: 31300296 DOI: 10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.04.106

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to explore the self-care support provision for patients with type 2 diabetes by diabetes educators and to explore the challenges that they encountered in providing the intended services.
METHODS: Single embedded qualitative case study design using in-depth individual face to face interviews were adopted. Twelve diabetes educators from three diabetes clinics in urban areas in Malaysia were purposively selected and interviewed within the period of eight months (November 2012-June 2013). The data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Framework technique.
RESULT: The practice of diabetes educators revolved around the traditional paternalistic approach but emphasize on individualized support. However, their practice was restricted by several factors, including patients' acceptance and interest in self-care, lack of confidence and opportunity to practice, and fragmented health care system.
CONCLUSION: The current practice of diabetes educators is very limited to knowledge provision and rather a generalist. Considering a more specialized role would increase opportunities for diabetes educators to provide high-quality self-care support provision.

MeSH terms: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/therapy*; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Self Care*; Urban Health; Treatment Outcome
Activation of Nrf2 signaling by sitagliptin and quercetin combination against β-amyloid induced Alzheimer's disease in rats

Li Y, Tian Q, Li Z, Dang M, Lin Y, Hou X

Drug Dev Res, 2019 09;80(6):837-845.
PMID: 31301179 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21567

The objective of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of sitagliptin (Sita), quercetin (QCR) and its combination in β-amyloid (Aβ) induced Alzheimer's disease (AD). Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing between 220 and 280 g were used for experiment. Rats were divided into 5 groups (n = 10) and the groups were as follows: (a) Sham control; (b) Aβ injected; (c) Aβ injected + Sita 100; (d) Aβ injected + QCR 100; and (e) Aβ injected + Sita 100 + QCR 100. Cognitive performance was observed by the Morris water maze (MWM), biochemical markers, for example, MDA, SOD, CAT, GSH, Aβ1-42 level, Nrf2/HO-1 expression and histopathological study of rat brain were estimated. Pretreatment with Sita, QCR and their combination showed a significant increase in escape latency in particular MWM cognitive model. Further co-administration of sita and QCR significantly reduced Aβ1-42 level when compared with individual treatment. Biochemical markers, for example, increased SOD, CAT and GSH, decreased MDA were seen, and histopathological studies revealed the reversal of neuronal damage in the treatment group. Additionally, Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in rat's brain was significantly increased by Sita, QCR and their combination. Pretreatment with QCR potentiates the action of Sita in Aβ induced AD in rats. The improved cognitive memory could be because of the synergistic effect of the drugs by decreasing Aβ1-42 level, antioxidant activity and increased expression of Nrf2/HO-1 in rat brain.

MeSH terms: Sitagliptin Phosphate/pharmacology; Sitagliptin Phosphate/therapeutic use*; Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy*; Alzheimer Disease/metabolism; Alzheimer Disease/pathology; Animals; Brain/drug effects; Brain/metabolism; Brain/pathology; Catalase/metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Therapy, Combination; Glutathione/metabolism; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing)/metabolism; Male; Peptide Fragments/metabolism; Quercetin/pharmacology; Quercetin/therapeutic use*; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism; Signal Transduction/drug effects; Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Oxidative Stress/drug effects; Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology; Neuroprotective Agents/therapeutic use*; Maze Learning/drug effects; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism
Changes in blood-brain barrier permeability and ultrastructure, and protein expression in a rat model of cerebral hypoperfusion

Sekaran H, Gan CY, A Latiff A, Harvey TM, Mohd Nazri L, Hanapi NA, et al.

Brain Res Bull, 2019 10;152:63-73.
PMID: 31301381 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.07.010

Cerebral hypoperfusion involved a reduction in cerebral blood flow, leading to neuronal dysfunction, microglial activation and white matter degeneration. The effects on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) however, have not been well-documented. Here, two-vessel occlusion model was adopted to mimic the condition of cerebral hypoperfusion in Sprague-Dawley rats. The BBB permeability to high and low molecular weight exogenous tracers i.e. Evans blue dye and sodium fluorescein respectively, showed marked extravasation of the Evans blue dye in the frontal cortex, posterior cortex and thalamus-midbrain at day 1 following induction of cerebral hypoperfusion. Transmission electron microscopy revealed brain endothelial cell and astrocyte damages including increased pinocytotic vesicles and formation of membrane invaginations in the endothelial cells, and swelling of the astrocytes' end-feet. Investigation on brain microvessel protein expressions using two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis coupled with LC-MS/MS showed that proteins involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism, transcription regulation, cytoskeleton maintenance and signaling pathways were differently expressed. The expression of aconitate hydratase, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein, enoyl Co-A hydratase and beta-synuclein were downregulated, while the opposite observed for calreticulin and enhancer of rudimentary homolog. These findings provide insights into the BBB molecular responses to cerebral hypoperfusion, which may assist development of future therapeutic strategies.

MeSH terms: Animals; Astrocytes/metabolism; Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism*; Blood-Brain Barrier/ultrastructure*; Brain/metabolism; Brain Edema/metabolism; Brain Ischemia/metabolism; Cerebrovascular Circulation/physiology*; Cerebrovascular Disorders/metabolism; Cerebrovascular Disorders/physiopathology; Chromatography, Liquid; Male; Permeability; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Reperfusion Injury/metabolism; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Endothelial Cells/metabolism; Rats; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Effects of acclimation temperatures on the respiration physiology and thermal coefficient of Malabar blood snapper

Mazumder SK, Ghaffar MA, Tomiyama T, Das SK

Respir Physiol Neurobiol, 2019 10;268:103253.
PMID: 31301383 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2019.103253

This study tested the oxygen consumption rates (OCR), energy, and thermal coefficient of juvenile Lutjanus malabaricus (60 fish, size: 4.53 ± 1.14 g) at four temperatures of 22, 26, 30 and 34 °C. During 30 days of experimental period 5 fish tank-1 were reared at four temperatures with three replicates in intermittent flow respirometers in a recirculatory system under laboratory conditions. As expected, oxygen consumption rates increased significantly (P 

MeSH terms: Acclimatization/physiology*; Animals; Malaysia; Oxygen Consumption/physiology*; Perciformes/physiology*; Respiratory Physiological Phenomena*; Seawater*; Temperature*
Surface-modified nanocrystalline cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch for effective binding of curcumin

Foo ML, Tan CR, Lim PD, Ooi CW, Tan KW, Chew IML

Int J Biol Macromol, 2019 Oct 01;138:1064-1071.
PMID: 31301392 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.07.035

Rod-shape particles have been a good drug carrier due to the long circulatory time, tumor accumulation and high cellular uptake in body. Acid-hydrolysed nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) from empty fruit bunch exhibited a width of 13-30nm and a length of 150-360nm in rod-shape structure. NCC holds good potential as a bio-based drug carrier owing to its biodegradability and biocompatibility. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy results confirmed the binding of curcumin onto the NCC modified with tannic acid (TA) and decylamine (DA). TA-DA modification rendered NCC with a higher level of hydrophobicity, as evidenced by a substantial increase in contact angle from 45° to 73°. The modified NCC had the curcumin-binding efficiency in the range of 95-99%, which is at least twofold higher than the unmodified NCC at any curcumin concentration tested. This remarkable curcumin-binding effciency was comparable to that of commercialized NCC from wood-based origin. This work suggests NCC as a superior and sustainable drug carrier, while TA-DA modification is a promising approach to alter the surface property of NCC for an efficient binding of curcumin.

MeSH terms: Amines; Cellulose, Oxidized; Curcumin; Drug Carriers; Fruit; Hydrolysis; Neoplasms; Spectrum Analysis; Surface Properties; Tannins; Wood; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
Potential colorimetric detection of cancer cells using Phenol Red

Amran EN, Sudik S, Omar AF, Mail MH, Seeni A

Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther, 2019 Sep;27:380-384.
PMID: 31301437 DOI: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2019.07.006

The objective of this research is to examine the relationship between the color changes of phenol red and the growth of cancer cells, i.e., HeLa and DU145 cells, over a specific period of time. Normal mouse skin fibroblasts (L929 cells) were used as a reference. In this research, the color changes of phenol red due to the acidification of the cell culture medium from the growth of the cells over a period of nine hours showed potential colorimetric characteristics of cancer cells. The color changes of phenol red were observed using visible absorbance spectroscopy. The transformation of the absorbance spectra into coefficients of determination against the examined range of wavelengths created a distinctive spectral signature that signifies phenol red discoloration in cancer and normal cell culture lines.

MeSH terms: Animals; Colorimetry/methods*; Culture Media; HeLa Cells; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Phenolsulfonphthalein/pharmacology*; Spectrum Analysis; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Mice
Fulltext Diagnosis and management of latent tuberculosis infection in Asia: Review of current status and challenges

Paton NI, Borand L, Benedicto J, Kyi MM, Mahmud AM, Norazmi MN, et al.

Int J Infect Dis, 2019 Oct;87:21-29.
PMID: 31301458 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2019.07.004

Asia has the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) and latent TB infection (LTBI) in the world. Optimizing the diagnosis and treatment of LTBI is one of the key strategies for achieving the WHO 'End TB' targets. We report the discussions from the Asia Latent TubERculosis (ALTER) expert panel meeting held in 2018 in Singapore. In this meeting, a group of 13 TB experts from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam convened to review the literature, discuss the barriers and propose strategies to improve the management of LTBI in Asia. Strategies for the optimization of risk group prioritization, diagnosis, treatment, and research of LTBI are reported. The perspectives presented herein, may help national programs and professional societies of the respective countries enhance the adoption of the WHO guidelines, scale-up the implementation of national guidelines based on the regional needs, and provide optimal guidance to clinicians for the programmatic management of LTBI.

MeSH terms: Antitubercular Agents/therapeutic use*; Asia/epidemiology; Humans; Latent Tuberculosis/diagnosis*; Latent Tuberculosis/drug therapy*; Latent Tuberculosis/epidemiology
Merging memantine and ferulic acid to probe connections between NMDA receptors, oxidative stress and amyloid-β peptide in Alzheimer's disease

Rosini M, Simoni E, Caporaso R, Basagni F, Catanzaro M, Abu IF, et al.

Eur J Med Chem, 2019 Oct 15;180:111-120.
PMID: 31301562 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.07.011

N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) are critically involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Acting as an open-channel blocker, the anti-AD drug memantine preferentially targets NMDAR overactivation, which has been proposed to trigger neurotoxic events mediated by amyloid β peptide (Aβ) and oxidative stress. In this study, we applied a multifunctional approach by conjugating memantine to ferulic acid, which is known to protect the brain from Aβ neurotoxicity and neuronal death caused by ROS. The most interesting compound (7) behaved, like memantine, as a voltage-dependent antagonist of NMDAR (IC50 = 6.9 μM). In addition, at 10 μM concentration, 7 exerted antioxidant properties both directly and indirectly through the activation of the Nrf-2 pathway in SH-SY5Y cells. At the same concentration, differently from the parent compounds memantine and ferulic acid alone, it was able to modulate Aβ production, as revealed by the observed increase of the non-amyloidogenic sAPPα in H4-SW cells. These findings suggest that compound 7 may represent a promising tool for investigating NMDAR-mediated neurotoxic events involving Aβ burden and oxidative damage.

MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy*; Alzheimer Disease/pathology; Cell Survival/drug effects; Coumaric Acids/chemical synthesis; Coumaric Acids/pharmacology*; Coumaric Acids/chemistry; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Humans; Memantine/chemical synthesis; Memantine/pharmacology*; Memantine/chemistry; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Molecular Structure; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/antagonists & inhibitors*; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism; Amyloid beta-Peptides/antagonists & inhibitors*; Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism; Oxidative Stress/drug effects; Neuroprotective Agents/chemical synthesis; Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology*; Neuroprotective Agents/chemistry
Fulltext Virucidal activity of Garcinia parvifolia leaf extracts in animal cell culture

Adnan A, Allaudin ZN, Hani H, Loh HS, Khoo TJ, Ting KN, et al.

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2019 Jul 10;19(1):169.
PMID: 31291936 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-019-2586-5

BACKGROUND: Garcinia species contain bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, xanthones, triterpernoids, and benzophenones with antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. In addition, many of these compounds show interesting biological properties such as anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity. Garcinia parvifolia is used in traditional medicine. Currently, the antiviral activity of G. parvifolia is not known.
METHODS: This study was conducted to determine the effects of ethyl acetate (45 L Ea), ethanol (45 L Et), and hexane (45 L H) leaf extracts of G. parvifolia on the infectivity of pseudorabies virus (PrV) in Vero cells. The antiviral effects of the extracts were determined by cytopathic effect (CPE), inhibition, attachment, and virucidal assays.
RESULTS: The 50% cytotoxicity concentration (CC50) values obtained were 237.5, 555.0, and

MeSH terms: Acetates; Animals; Antiviral Agents/isolation & purification; Antiviral Agents/pharmacology*; Antiviral Agents/toxicity; Cercopithecus aethiops; Plant Extracts/isolation & purification; Plant Extracts/pharmacology*; Plant Extracts/toxicity; Viral Plaque Assay; Herpesvirus 1, Suid/drug effects*; Vero Cells; Garcinia/chemistry*
Fulltext When West Meets East: The Origins and Spread of Weedy Rice Between Continental and Island Southeast Asia

Neik TX, Chai JY, Tan SY, Sudo MPS, Cui Y, Jayaraj J, et al.

G3 (Bethesda), 2019 09 04;9(9):2941-2950.
PMID: 31292156 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400021

Weedy crop relatives are among the world's most problematic agricultural weeds, and their ability to rapidly evolve can be enhanced by gene flow from both domesticated crop varieties and wild crop progenitor species. In this study, we examined the role of modern commercial crop cultivars, traditional landraces, and wild relatives in the recent emergence and proliferation of weedy rice in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. This region of Malaysia is separated from the Asian continent by the South China Sea, and weedy rice has become a major problem there more recently than on the Malaysian peninsular mainland. Using 24 polymorphic SSR loci and genotype data from the awn-length domestication gene An-1, we assessed the genetic diversity, population structure and potential origins of East Malaysian weeds; 564 weedy, cultivated and wild rice accessions were analyzed from samples collected in East Malaysia, Peninsular Malaysia and neighboring countries. While there is considerable evidence for contributions of Peninsular Malaysian weed ecotypes to East Malaysian populations, we find that local crop cultivars and/or landraces from neighboring countries are also likely contributors to the weedy rice infestations. These findings highlight the implications of genetic admixture from different cultivar source populations in the spread of weedy crop relatives and the urgent need for preventive measurements to maintain sustainable crop yields.

MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern; Biological Evolution; Genetics, Population; Malaysia; Plant Proteins/genetics; Oryza/genetics*; Genetic Variation*; Microsatellite Repeats; Plant Weeds/genetics*
Osteopetrosis craniopathy: a rare cause of bilateral compressive optic neuropathy and facial nerve palsy

Loke JY, Mohd Ali H, Kamalden TA

Postgrad Med J, 2019 Sep;95(1127):513.
PMID: 31292279 DOI: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2019-136527
Fulltext Optimization and Characterization of Palm Oil-based Nanoemulsion Loaded with Parthenium hysterophorus Crude Extract for Natural Herbicide Formulation

Zainuddin NJ, Ashari SE, Salim N, Asib N, Omar D, Lian GEC

J Oleo Sci, 2019 Aug 01;68(8):747-757.
PMID: 31292338 DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess18209

The present study revealed the optimization of nanoemulsion containing palm oil derivatives and Parthenium hysterophorus L. crude extract (PHCE) as pre-emergence herbicide formulation against Diodia ocimifolia. The nanoemulsion formulation was prepared by high energy emulsification method, and it was optimized by mixture experimental design (MED). From the optimization process, analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a fit quadratic polynomial model with an optimal formulation composition containing 30.91% of palm kernel oil ester (PKOE), 28.48% of mixed surfactants (Tensiofix and Tween 80, 8:2), 28.32% of water and 12.29% of PHCE. The reading of both experimental and predicted particle size in the verification experiment were acceptable with a residual standard error (RSE) was less than 2%. Under the optimal condition, the smallest particle size obtained was 140.10 nm, and the particle was shown by morphology analysis to be spherical and demonstrated good stability (no phase separation) under centrifugation and different storage conditions (25 ± 5°C and 45°C). Nanoemulsion stored for 60 days exhibits monodisperse emulsion with a slight increase of particle size. The increase in particle size over time might have contributed by Ostwald ripening phenomenon which is shown by a linear graph from Ostwald ripening rate analysis. In the in vitro germination test, P. hysterophorus nanoemulsion (PHNE) was shown to cause total inhibition of D. ocimifolia seed at lower concentration (5 g L-1) as compared to PHCE (10 g L-1). The finding of the research could potentially serve as a platform for the development of palm oil based formulation containing plant crude extract for green weed management.

MeSH terms: Emulsions/chemistry*; Herbicides/isolation & purification; Herbicides/toxicity*; Herbicides/chemistry; Particle Size; Plant Extracts/isolation & purification; Plant Extracts/toxicity*; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Plant Oils/chemistry*; Seeds/drug effects; Surface Tension; Asteraceae/chemistry*; Rubiaceae/drug effects
Fulltext Palm-Pressed Mesocarp Fibre Oil as an Alternative Carrier Oil in Emulsion

Teh SS, Lau HLN, Mah SH

J Oleo Sci, 2019 Aug 01;68(8):803-808.
PMID: 31292345 DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess19098

Refined palm-pressed mesocarp fibre oil (PPFO), which can be obtained from one of the by-products of palm oil milling, palm-pressed mesocarp fibre, is categorized as palm sludge oil. So far, it has been given less attention and underutilized until some recent scientific reports revealing its high content of phytonutrients, carotenoids and vitamin E, which have been proven scientifically to possess anti-oxidant activity. The study evaluated the stability of PPFO as a carrier for plant-based emulsion. PPFO was extracted and examined for its positional distribution of fatty acids, saturation levels and iodine value (IV) using NMR spectroscopy. The PPFO-based emulsion was then prepared and subjected to stability tests, including temperature variation, centrifuge test, cycle test, pH and slip melting point for 28 days. Phase separation was observed from PPFO-based emulsion stored at 40℃ from day-21 onwards while no creaming found in all the palm olein-based emulsions stored at the three storage temperatures. Nevertheless, results indicated that the PPFO-based emulsion passed all the tests above showing insignificant phase separation (p > 0.05) compared with those of palm olein commonly used in emulsion preparation. The findings suggested that PPFO enriched with valuable phytonutrients could be used as an alternative carrier oil in emulsion formulation, which is an important component in personal care products.

MeSH terms: Emulsions/chemistry*; Fatty Acids/analysis; Fruit/chemistry; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Temperature; Arecaceae/chemistry
Simultaneous adsorption of lanthanum and yttrium from aqueous solution by durian rind biosorbent

Kusrini E, Usman A, Sani FA, Wilson LD, Abdullah MAA

Environ Monit Assess, 2019 Jul 10;191(8):488.
PMID: 31292792 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7634-6

This paper presents the adsorption capacity of a biosorbent derived from the inner part of durian (Durio zibethinus) rinds, which are a low-cost and abundant agro-waste material. The durian rind sorbent has been successfully utilized to remove lanthanum (La) and yttrium (Y) ions from their binary aqueous solution. The effects of several adsorption parameters including contact time, pH, concentrations of La and Y, and temperature on the removal of La and Y ions were investigated. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics of the metal ions were also evaluated in detail. Both La and Y ions were efficiently adsorbed by the biosorbent with optimum adsorption capacity as high as 71 mg La and 35 mg Y per gram biosorbent, respectively. The simultaneous adsorption of La and Y ions follows Langmuir isotherm model, due to the favorable chelation and strong chemical interactions between the functional groups on the surface of the biosorbent and the metal ions. The addition of oxygen content after adsorption offers an interpretation that the rare-earth metal ions are chelated and incorporated most probably in the form of metal oxides. With such high adsorption capacity of La and Y ions, the durian rind sorbent could potentially be used to treat contaminated wastewater containing La and Y metal ions, as well as for separating and extracting rare-earth metal ions from crude minerals.

MeSH terms: Adsorption; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Ions/chemistry; Kinetics; Lanthanum/analysis; Lanthanum/chemistry*; Metals; Temperature; Water/chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry*; Yttrium/analysis; Yttrium/chemistry*; Bombacaceae
Parceling Cannot Reduce Factor Indeterminacy in Factor Analysis: A Research Note

Rigdon EE, Becker JM, Sarstedt M

Psychometrika, 2019 09;84(3):772-780.
PMID: 31292860 DOI: 10.1007/s11336-019-09677-2

Parceling-using composites of observed variables as indicators for a common factor-strengthens loadings, but reduces the number of indicators. Factor indeterminacy is reduced when there are many observed variables per factor, and when loadings and factor correlations are strong. It is proven that parceling cannot reduce factor indeterminacy. In special cases where the ratio of loading to residual variance is the same for all items included in each parcel, factor indeterminacy is unaffected by parceling. Otherwise, parceling worsens factor indeterminacy. While factor indeterminacy does not affect the parameter estimates, standard errors, or fit indices associated with a factor model, it does create uncertainty, which endangers valid inference.

MeSH terms: Algorithms; Factor Analysis, Statistical*; Humans; Probability Theory; Psychometrics/methods*; Research Design; Models, Statistical; Uncertainty*
Physical and optical studies of Gd2 O2 S:Eu3+ nanophosphors by microwave irradiation and γ-irradiation methods

Rahim S, Ayob MTM, Hasim MH, Abdul Rahman I, Radiman S

Luminescence, 2019 Nov;34(7):699-706.
PMID: 31293037 DOI: 10.1002/bio.3655

Gd2 O2 S:Eu3+ nanophosphors have been successfully synthesized using microwave irradiation and γ-irradiation methods with polyvinyl pyrrolidone as a stabilizer. The physical and luminescence spectra were compared. The morphologies of both Gd2 O2 S:Eu3+ nanophosphors were in the hexagonal phase and mainly consisted of spherical nanostructures with diameters of ~90 nm and ~50 nm for both microwave irradiation and γ-irradiation methods. Upon 325 nm of ultraviolet (UV) light excitation, strong red emissions (626 nm) were observed for both methods; these emissions corresponded to the 5 D0 →7 F2 transition of Eu3+ ions. However, Gd2 O2 S:Eu3+ nanophosphors following microwave treatment showed better luminescence intensity than Gd2 O2 S:Eu3+ nanophosphors treated with γ-irradiation. This difference was attributed to the crystallinity phase and surface quenching effects of Gd2 O2 S:Eu3+ nanophosphors. The reaction mechanisms of Gd2 O2 S:Eu3+ nanophosphors in both methods are discussed in detail.
Fulltext Obesity and Comorbidity: Could Simultaneous Targeting of esRAGE and sRAGE Be the Panacea?

Eleazu C, Omar N, Lim OZ, Yeoh BS, Nik Hussain NH, Mohamed M

Front Physiol, 2019;10:787.
PMID: 31293451 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00787

Obesity, a chronic multifaceted disease, predisposes its patients to increased risk of metabolic disorders such as: diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, etc. Recent studies reported it to be amongst the leading causes of deaths in the world. Although several treatment options for obesity abound, many of them have not been able to successfully reverse the existing obesity and metabolic dysregulation. This has therefore warranted the need for either alternative therapies or diversification of the treatment approach for obesity and its comorbidity. When the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) interacts with its ligand, RAGE-ligand activates an inflammatory signaling cascade, that leads to the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and transcription of inflammatory cytokines. This action has been associated with the development of obesity and its mediated metabolic dysregulation. In view of the increasing prevalence of obesity globally and the potential threat it places on life expectancy, this article reviewed the promising potentials of targeting endogenous secretory receptor for advanced glycation end products/soluble receptors for advanced glycation end products signaling as a treatment approach for obesity. We carried out a literature search in several electronic data bases such as: Pubmed, Pubmed Central, Google, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Medline from 1980 to 2019 to acquire the status of information concerning this. The article suggests the need for the development of an esRAGE/sRAGE targeted pharmacotherapy as a treatment approach for obesity and its comorbidity.

MeSH terms: Complementary Therapies; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cause of Death; Diabetes Mellitus; Humans; Life Expectancy; Obesity; Comorbidity; Prevalence; Cytokines; MEDLINE; NF-kappa B; PubMed; Dyslipidemias
Fulltext Genome sequencing and analysis of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Stanley UPM 517: Insights on its virulence-associated elements and their potentials as vaccine candidates

Ashari KS, Roslan NS, Omar AR, Bejo MH, Ideris A, Mat Isa N

PeerJ, 2019;7:e6948.
PMID: 31293824 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6948

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Stanley (S. Stanley) is a pathogen that contaminates food, and is related to Salmonella outbreaks in a variety of hosts such as humans and farm animals through products like dairy items and vegetables. Despite the fact that several vaccines of Salmonella strains had been constructed, none of them were developed according to serovar Stanley up to this day. This study presents results of genome sequencing and analysis on our S. Stanley UPM 517 strain taken from fecal swabs of 21-day-old healthy commercial chickens in Perak, Malaysia and used Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 (S. Typhimurium LT2) as a reference to be compared with. First, sequencing and assembling of the Salmonella Stanley UPM 517 genome into a contiguous form were done. The work was then continued with scaffolding and gap filling. Annotation and alignment of the draft genome was performed with S. Typhimurium LT2. The other elements of virulence estimated in this study included Salmonella pathogenicity islands, resistance genes, prophages, virulence factors, plasmid regions, restriction-modification sites and the CRISPR-Cas system. The S. Stanley UPM 517 draft genome had a length of 4,736,817 bp with 4,730 coding sequence and 58 RNAs. It was discovered via genomic analysis on this strain that there were antimicrobial resistance properties toward a wide variety of antibiotics. Tcf and ste, the two fimbrial virulence clusters related with human and broiler intestinal colonizations which were not found in S. Typhimurium LT2, were atypically discovered in the S. Stanley UPM 517 genome. These clusters are involved in the intestinal colonization of human and broilers, respectively. There were seven Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs) within the draft genome, which contained the virulence factors associated with Salmonella infection (except SPI-14). Five intact prophage regions, mostly comprising of the protein encoding Gifsy-1, Fels-1, RE-2010 and SEN34 prophages, were also encoded in the draft genome. Also identified were Type I-III restriction-modification sites and the CRISPR-Cas system of the Type I-E subtype. As this strain exhibited resistance toward numerous antibiotics, we distinguished several genes that had the potential for removal in the construction of a possible vaccine candidate to restrain and lessen the pervasiveness of salmonellosis and to function as an alternative to antibiotics.

MeSH terms: Animals; Animals, Domestic; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chickens; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; Malaysia; Plasmids; Salmonella Food Poisoning; Salmonella Infections; Salmonella typhimurium; Vaccines; Vegetables; Virulence; Genomics; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Virulence Factors; Prophages; Genomic Islands; CRISPR-Cas Systems; Serogroup
Fulltext Development and validation of a new short-form Health Literacy Instrument (HLS-SF12) for the general public in six Asian countries

Duong TV, Aringazina A, Kayupova G, Nurjanah, Pham TV, Pham KM, et al.

Health Lit Res Pract, 2019 Apr;3(2):e91-e102.
PMID: 31294310 DOI: 10.3928/24748307-20190225-01

Background: No comprehensive short-form health literacy (HL) survey tool has been available for general use across Asia.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate a short-form HL instrument derived from the 47-item European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47).

Methods: A population survey (N = 10,024) was conducted from 2013 to 2015 using the HLS-EU-Q47 in 1,029 participants from Indonesia, 1,845 from Kazakhstan, 462 from Malaysia, 1,600 from Myanmar, 3,015 from Taiwan, and 2,073 from Vietnam. Validation of the short form was evaluated by principle component analysis, internal consistency, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis.

Key Results: Based on responses from six countries, a 12-item short-form HL questionnaire (HLS-SF12) was developed, retaining the conceptual framework of the HLS-EU-Q47 and accounting for the high variance of the full-form (i.e., 90% in Indonesia, 91% in Myanmar, 93% in Malaysia, 94% in Taiwan, and 95% in both Kazakhstan and Vietnam). The HLS-SF12 was demonstrated to have adequate psychometric properties, including high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .85), good criterion-related validity, a moderate and high level of item-scale convergent validity, no floor or ceiling effect, and good model-data-fit throughout the populations in these countries.

Conclusions: The HLS-SF12 was shown to be a valid and reliable tool for HL surveys in the general public in six Asian countries. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2019;3(2):e90-e102.].

Plain Language Summary: A health literacy survey was conducted from 2013 to 2015 in six Asian countries using the European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47). The collected data were used to develop and validate a comprehensive short-form questionnaire. A health literacy questionnaire with 12 items (HLS-SF12) that retains the original conceptual framework of the HLS-EU-Q47 was demonstrated to be reliable and valid.

MeSH terms: Asia; Myanmar; Health Surveys; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Language; Malaysia; Psychometrics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Regression Analysis; Taiwan; Vietnam; Reproducibility of Results; Health Literacy
Pd local structure and size correlations to the activity of Pd/TiO2 for photocatalytic reforming of methanol

Abdullah N, Bahruji H, Rogers SM, Wells PP, Catlow CRA, Bowker M

Phys Chem Chem Phys, 2019 Jul 24;21(29):16154-16160.
PMID: 31294427 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp00826h

The interaction between Pd and TiO2 for promoting photocatalytic activity was investigated by tailoring the size of Pd nanoparticles and monitoring the photocatalytic activity of methanol photo-reforming reaction for hydrogen gas production. We show that at 0.6 wt% Pd loading, the catalyst with highly dispersed nanoparticles obtained at 1 °C temperature exhibits superior photocatalytic activity for hydrogen gas production. At different weights of Pd loading, tailoring two sets of catalysts with different structural properties provides correlation between the changes in the Pd local structures and the rate of hydrogen production. The impact of controlling the structural properties of metal nanoparticles on influencing H2 production outweighs the effect of metal loading variation. The differences of Pd/TiO2 activity at the different metal loadings were correlated with the changes in the Pd local structure consequently affecting the electronic transfer and photocatalytic efficiency.

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