Browse publications by year: 2019

  1. Saeed OA, Sazili AQ, Akit H, Ebrahimi M, Alimon AR, Samsudin AA
    BMC Vet Res, 2019 Jul 08;15(1):233.
    PMID: 31286932 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-1976-8
    BACKGROUND: The increasing costs of feed has subsequently increased the costs of production of livestock, thereby decreasing the profit margin of this sector. The utilization of agro-industrial by-products has to some extent substitute some of the corn grains and soyabean meal, commonly used in animal feeds. In Malaysia, palm kernel cake (PKC) is a by-product of the oil palm industry and is frequently used to supply both crude protein (14-16% CP) and energy (11 MJ/kg) in ruminants. The energy and protein content are adequate for maintenance in the majority of ruminants. However, highly available energy supplementation is known to improve growth performance and protein deposition. This study was carried out to determine the effect on the quality of meat and fatty acid composition of the semitendinosus (ST), supraspinatus (SS), and longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles of Dorper lambs by including corn as an energy source in a basal diet of PKC urea-treated rice straw.

    RESULTS: The results show that the LL muscle-drip loss was greater in animals supplemented with 5% corn compared to the other groups. Higher pH values of SS and LL muscles were observed in animals supplemented with 5 and 10% corn. Furthermore, the L* value of ST muscle was increased in lambs fed on 5% corn while, reduced in those fed on 0% corn, but the a* and b* values were not significantly different in the treatment groups. The fatty acid composition of the SS muscles showed that lambs fed on 10% corn had higher levels of sum PUFA n-3 compared to those fed on 0% corn. The concentration of C18:1trans11 and CLA c12 t10 in ST muscle from the lambs fed on supplemented diets were higher than those of the controls.

    CONCLUSION: This study has concluded the supplementation of corn as a source of energy into a PKC urea-treated rice straw-based diet increased the PUFA concentrations of muscles as compared to control groups.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Feed; Zea mays; Diet; Malaysia; Meat; Oryza; Sheep; Soybeans; Urea; Rotator Cuff; Dietary Supplements; Sheep, Domestic; Control Groups; Livestock; Hamstring Muscles
  2. Omar N, Lokanathan Y, Mohd Razi ZR, Bt Haji Idrus R
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2019 Jul 08;19(1):167.
    PMID: 31286956 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-019-2581-x
    BACKGROUND: Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, known as Indian Pennywort, is a tropical medicinal plant from Apiaceae family native to Southeast Asian countries. It has been widely used as a nerve tonic in Ayuverdic medicine since ancient times. However, whether it can substitute for neurotrophic factors to induce human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSCs) differentiation into the neural lineage remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a raw extract of C. asiatica (L.) (RECA) on the neural differentiation of hMSCs in vitro.

    METHODS: The hMSCs derived from human Wharton's jelly umbilical cord (hWJMSCs; n = 6) were treated with RECA at different concentrations; 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 2000 and 2400 μg/ml. The cytotoxicity of RECA was evaluated via the MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and cell proliferation assays. The hWJMSCs were then induced to neural lineage for 9 days either with RECA alone or RECA in combination with neurotrophic factors (NF). Cell morphological changes were observed under an inverted microscope, while the expression of the neural markers S100β, p75 NGFR, MBP, GFAP and MOG was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry. The cell cycle profile of differentiated and undifferentiated hWJMSCs was investigated through cell cycle analysis.

    RESULTS: RECA exerted effects on both proliferation and neural differentiation of hWJMSCs in a dose-dependent manner. RECA reduced the proliferation of hWJMSCs and was cytotoxic to cells above 1600 μg/ml, with IC50 value, 1875 ± 55.67 μg/ml. In parallel with the reduction in cell viability, cell enlargement was also observed at the end of the induction. Cells treated with RECA alone had more obvious protein expression of the neural markers compared to the other groups. Meanwhile, gene expression of the aforementioned markers was detected at low levels across the experimental groups. The supplementation of hWJMSCs with RECA did not change the normal life cycle of the cells.

    CONCLUSIONS: Although RECA reduced the proliferation of hWJMSCs, a low dose of RECA (400 μg/ml), alone or in combination of neurotrophic factors (NF + RECA 400 μg/ml), has the potential to differentiate hWJMSCs into Schwann cells and other neural lineage cells.

  3. Danial M, Hassali MA, Meng OL, Kin YC, Khan AH
    BMC Pharmacol Toxicol, 2019 07 08;20(1):41.
    PMID: 31287030 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-019-0318-6
    BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant health burden that increases the risk of adverse events. Currently, there is no validated models to predict risk of mortality among CKD patients experienced adverse drug reactions (ADRs) during hospitalization. This study aimed to develop a mortality risk prediction model among hospitalized CKD patients whom experienced ADRs.

    METHODS: Patients data with CKD stages 3-5 admitted at various wards were included in the model development. The data collected included demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, laboratory tests and types of medicines taken. Sequential series of logistic regression models using mortality as the dependent variable were developed. Bootstrapping method was used to evaluate the model's internal validation. Variables odd ratio (OR) of the best model were used to calculate the predictive capacity of the risk scores using the area under the curve (AUC).

    RESULTS: The best prediction model included comorbidities heart disease, dyslipidaemia and electrolyte imbalance; psychotic agents; creatinine kinase; number of total medication use; and conservative management (Hosmer and Lemeshow test =0.643). Model performance was relatively modest (R square = 0.399) and AUC which determines the risk score's ability to predict mortality associated with ADRs was 0.789 (95% CI, 0.700-0.878). Creatinine kinase, followed by psychotic agents and electrolyte disorder, was most strongly associated with mortality after ADRs during hospitalization. This model correctly predicts 71.4% of all mortality pertaining to ADRs (sensitivity) and with specificity of 77.3%.

    CONCLUSION: Mortality prediction model among hospitalized stages 3 to 5 CKD patients experienced ADR was developed in this study. This prediction model adds new knowledge to the healthcare system despite its modest performance coupled with its high sensitivity and specificity. This tool is clinically useful and effective in identifying potential CKD patients at high risk of ADR-related mortality during hospitalization using routinely performed clinical data.

    MeSH terms: Female; Hospitalization; Hospitals, General; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Logistic Models*; Odds Ratio; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/mortality*; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/mortality*
  4. Duc NM, Keserci B
    Diagn Interv Radiol, 2019 Sep;25(5):398-409.
    PMID: 31287428 DOI: 10.5152/dir.2019.18556
    High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a minimally-invasive and non-ionizing promising technology and has been assessed for its role in the treatment of not only primary tumors but also metastatic lesions under the guidance of ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. Its performance is notably effective in neurologic, genitourinary, hepato-pancreato-biliary, musculoskeletal, oncologic, and other miscellaneous applications. In this article, we reviewed the emerging technology of HIFU and its clinical applications.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Neoplasms/surgery*; Ultrasonography, Interventional; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Interventional; High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation/methods*
  5. Bastidas A, de la Serna J, El Idrissi M, Oostvogels L, Quittet P, López-Jiménez J, et al.
    JAMA, 2019 07 09;322(2):123-133.
    PMID: 31287523 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2019.9053
    Importance: Herpes zoster, a frequent complication following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), is associated with significant morbidity. A nonlive adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine has been developed to prevent posttransplantation zoster.

    Objective: To assess the efficacy and adverse event profile of the recombinant zoster vaccine in immunocompromised autologous HSCT recipients.

    Design, Setting, and Participants: Phase 3, randomized, observer-blinded study conducted in 167 centers in 28 countries between July 13, 2012, and February 1, 2017, among 1846 patients aged 18 years or older who had undergone recent autologous HSCT.

    Interventions: Participants were randomized to receive 2 doses of either recombinant zoster vaccine (n = 922) or placebo (n = 924) administered into the deltoid muscle; the first dose was given 50 to 70 days after transplantation and the second dose 1 to 2 months thereafter.

    Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was occurrence of confirmed herpes zoster cases.

    Results: Among 1846 autologous HSCT recipients (mean age, 55 years; 688 [37%] women) who received 1 vaccine or placebo dose, 1735 (94%) received a second dose and 1366 (74%) completed the study. During the 21-month median follow-up, at least 1 herpes zoster episode was confirmed in 49 vaccine and 135 placebo recipients (incidence, 30 and 94 per 1000 person-years, respectively), an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 0.32 (95% CI, 0.22-0.44; P 

    MeSH terms: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adult; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Herpes Zoster/epidemiology; Herpes Zoster/prevention & control*; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; Male; Middle Aged; Transplantation, Autologous; Vaccines, Synthetic/administration & dosage; Incidence; Proportional Hazards Models; Single-Blind Method; Immunocompromised Host*; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*; Neuralgia, Postherpetic/prevention & control
  6. Zahid NI, Ji L, Khyasudeen MF, Friedrich A, Hashim R, Marder TB, et al.
    Langmuir, 2019 07 23;35(29):9584-9592.
    PMID: 31287700 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b01767
    New designer biofluorophores are being increasingly used in the investigation of complex cellular processes. In this study, we utilized new derivatives of pyrene (Py), i.e., 2-n-alkyl-pyrenes (Py-C4 and Py-C8), in order to probe different regions inside the hydrophobic tail of n-dodecyl β-d-maltoside (βMal-C12) in two different phases (cubic ↔ lamellar). Although the sensitivity to the local environment is reduced compared to that of Py, attaching C4 and C8 at the 2-position of Py can provide a possible means to probe the local hydrophobicity in different parts of the tail region. The absence of excimer fluorescence and the ratio of the vibronic fluorescence peak intensities (I1/I3) in a lipid environment indicate the existence of Py as monomers in the hydrophobic region, similar to hydrophobic solvation, yet close to the headgroup region. When Py is replaced by Py-C4 and Py-C8, there is a small increase in hydrophobicity (reduction in I1/I3) as the Py moiety is pulled deeper inside the tail region of both cubic and lamellar phases. The larger space of the tail region in the lamellar phase is reflected as more local hydrophobicity measured by the probes which can penetrate deep inside, whereas the curved structure of the cubic phase limits the available space for the probes. Three fluorescence lifetime components were measured in lipid, indicating the heterogeneous nature of the hydrophobic region. In the lamellar phase, a large reduction in the average lifetime value, led by the long decay component, was measured for Py-C4 (reduction by 25%) and Py-C8 (45%) compared to that of the parent Py. This observation suggests the presence of a mechanism of interaction more collisional than static between the Py moiety and the tail region of the bilayer unit due to the ample space provided by the lamellar phase as the probe is buried deeper inside the hydrophobic region. A much smaller effect was observed in the cubic phase and was correlated with the tight environment around the probes, which stems from the increased curvature of the cubic phase. The current results provide a deeper understanding of the hydrophobic region during phase transition of lipid self-assembly which is important for better control during the process of membrane-protein crystallization.
  7. Matsusaka K, Ishima Y, Maeda H, Kinoshita R, Ichimizu S, Taguchi K, et al.
    J Pharm Sci, 2019 11;108(11):3592-3598.
    PMID: 31288036 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2019.07.002
    Nanosize plasma proteins could be used as a biomimetic drug delivery system (DDS) for cancer treatment when loaded with anticancer drugs based on the fact that plasma proteins can serve as a source of nutrients for cancer cells. This prompted us to investigate the potential of α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) for this role because it is a nanosize plasma protein and binds a variety of anticancer agents. Pharmacokinetic analyses indicated that AGP is distributed more extensively in tumor tissue than human serum albumin, which was already established as a cancer DDS carrier. AGP is possibly being incorporated into tumor cells via endocytosis pathways. Moreover, a synthetic AGP-derived peptide which possesses a high ability to form an α-helix, as deduced from the primary structure of AGP, was also taken up by the tumor cells. AGP loaded with anticancer agents, such as paclitaxel or nitric oxide, efficiently induced tumor cell death. These results suggest that AGP has the potential to be a novel DDS carrier for anticancer agents.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage*; Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry*; Drug Carriers/chemistry*; HeLa Cells; Humans; Male; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Nitric Oxide/administration & dosage; Orosomucoid/chemistry*; Drug Delivery Systems/methods; Cell Death/drug effects; Paclitaxel/administration & dosage; Paclitaxel/chemistry; Biomimetics/methods; Cell Line, Tumor; Mice; Hep G2 Cells; MCF-7 Cells
  8. Alizadehsani R, Abdar M, Roshanzamir M, Khosravi A, Kebria PM, Khozeimeh F, et al.
    Comput Biol Med, 2019 08;111:103346.
    PMID: 31288140 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2019.103346
    Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cardiovascular disease (CVD) and often leads to a heart attack. It annually causes millions of deaths and billions of dollars in financial losses worldwide. Angiography, which is invasive and risky, is the standard procedure for diagnosing CAD. Alternatively, machine learning (ML) techniques have been widely used in the literature as fast, affordable, and noninvasive approaches for CAD detection. The results that have been published on ML-based CAD diagnosis differ substantially in terms of the analyzed datasets, sample sizes, features, location of data collection, performance metrics, and applied ML techniques. Due to these fundamental differences, achievements in the literature cannot be generalized. This paper conducts a comprehensive and multifaceted review of all relevant studies that were published between 1992 and 2019 for ML-based CAD diagnosis. The impacts of various factors, such as dataset characteristics (geographical location, sample size, features, and the stenosis of each coronary artery) and applied ML techniques (feature selection, performance metrics, and method) are investigated in detail. Finally, the important challenges and shortcomings of ML-based CAD diagnosis are discussed.
    MeSH terms: Machine Learning*; Algorithms; Coronary Artery Disease/diagnosis*; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted/methods*; Electrocardiography; Humans; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Databases, Factual; Coronary Angiography; Data Mining
  9. Audrey Dubah, Janu, Agatha Lamentan, Muda
    MyJurnal
    This study examined the relationship between career motivation and job satisfaction among
    hospitality employees of one hotel in Sri Aman, Sarawak. A cross-sectional survey design
    was employed to conduct the study. The data of study was collected using self-administered
    survey questionnaires among 80 employees that were chosen using simple random sampling.
    Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Specifically, the Pearson’s
    product-moment correlation was used to test the research hypotheses. Results indicated
    that the sub-components of career motivation; career resilience, career insight and career
    identity were significantly and positively correlated with employees’ job satisfaction.
  10. Karunakaran, T., Ismail, I.S., Ee, G.C.L.
    MyJurnal
    Four types of crude extracts were obtained from the stem bark of Garcinia mangostana from which six xanthone derivatives: α-mangostin, β-mangostin, garcinone D, mangostenol, fuscaxanthone C and dulcisxanthone F were isolated. The structures of these compounds were elucidated and determined using spectroscopic techniques such as MS, 1D and 2D NMR. The in vitro anti-Bacillus assay was performed using the crude extracts as well as α-mangostin and β-mangostin against four Bacillus species; B. subtilis ATCC 6633, B. cereus ATCC 33019, B. megaterium ATCC 14581 and B. pumilus ATCC 14884. The ethyl acetate extract showed strong inhibitory activity against B. subtilis, B. cereus, B. megaterium and B. pumilus in disc diffusion assay with 10.33 ± 0.44 mm, 10.33 ± 0.44 mm, 9.00 ± 0.00 mm and 11.33 ± 0.17 mm inhibition zones, respectively. Nitric oxide inhibition activities indicated that two major compounds (α-mangostin, β-mangostin) exhibited very significant activity in the inhibition of LPS/IFN-γ stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 29.81 ± 0.77 and 11.72 ± 1.16 μM, respectively. The chloroform and ethyl acetate extract of G. mangostana showed very potent activities.
  11. Lee, S.Y., Ismail, I.S., Ang, E.L., Abas, F.
    MyJurnal
    Neptunia oleracea Lour. is a tropical plant cultivated in Southeast Asia. It is consumed as vegetable and traditional herb for the treatment of several disorders. The objective of the present work was to isolate the phenolic compounds from N. oleracea, followed by their bioactivity evaluation and quantitative analysis. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and methanol (MeOH) fractions of N. oleracea were subjected to various chromatographic techniques to isolate the phenolic compounds. The isolated phenolic compounds were characterised by several spectroscopic methods, including mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Then, these compounds were subjected to DPPH free radical scavenging as α-glucosidase inhibitory assays for the evaluation of their activities. Their contents in the fractions were analysed via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantitative analysis. Five phenolic compounds including quercetin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside (1), quercetin-3-O-α-Larabinopyranoside (2), quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (3), methylgallate (4) and rutin (5) were isolated from N. oleracea for the first time. Evaluation on the DPPH free radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of these compounds showed that methylgallate (4) was the most potent antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitors among them, with IC50 values of 17.25 and 50.76 μM, respectively. The HPLC quantitative analysis revealed the high content of the quercetin derivatives (compounds 1, 2 and 3) in the EtOAc fraction (ranging from 125.68 to 157.55 μg/mg) and methylgallate (4) in the MeOH fraction (75.25 μg/mg). Comparison of the bioactivities of the isolated phenolic compounds with the fractions indicated their significant contribution for the DPPH free radical scavenging of N. oleracea; while they might be working synergistically for the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The results of the present work could help to validate the contribution of phenolic compounds for the studied bioactivities of N. oleracea.
  12. Nur Farah Hani, M., Zaiton, H., Faridah, H., Norlelawati, A.
    MyJurnal
    The present work aimed to determine the best formulation of mixed drink made from red cabbage and roselle extracts. Six mixed drink formulations were prepared based on different ratios of red cabbage to roselle extracts: F1 (30:20); F2 (35:15), F3 (40:10); F4 (20:30); F5 (15:35) and F6 (25:25). Samples were prepared by pasteurising the mixed drinks with the pre-determined amount of ingredients at 90°C for 5 sec. The pH of roselle extract (2.06 ± 0.02) was found to be more acidic as compared to red cabbage extract (6.38 ± 0.03). This contributed to the low pH in mixed drink formulations (2.68-3.48). Total titratable acidity (TTA) (0.44-0.89% malic acid w/v) and total anthocyanin content (247.99-339.77 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/L) were shown to increase significantly with increasing roselle extract concentration. Similarly, total soluble solids (TSS) (12.23-12.83°brix) was found to increase significantly with higher ratio of red cabbage extract due to high TSS content (7.67 ± 0.08°brix) in the extract as compared to roselle extract (4.63 ± 0.09°brix). There were significant differences among all the samples in L*, a* and b* values. Mixed drink formulations that contained higher concentration of red cabbage extract were lighter and redder in colour. Significant differences were observed in sweetness, sourness, taste and overall acceptability of drinks, with F3 yielding the highest mean scores for all attributes. Mean score of sensory attributes of the mixed drinks were related to physicochemical properties. Mean scores of all sensory attributes had negative correlation with TTA. Sweetness mean score was positively correlated to the L* value, sourness mean score was positively correlated with pH, L* and a* values but negatively correlated with b* value, and colour mean score had positive correlation with a* value. Therefore, it can be concluded that panellists preferred less sour drinks, which were lighter and redder in colour.β-carotene onto the PKSAC in a model system but yielded the highest desorption efficiency.
  13. Saleh Huddin A, Md Yusuf N, Razak MRMA, Ogu Salim N, Hisam S
    Infect Genet Evol, 2019 11;75:103952.
    PMID: 31279818 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.103952
    It has been discovered that Plasmodium knowlesi (P. knowlesi) is transmitted from macaque to man. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine P. knowlesi genetic diversity in both human (n = 147) and long-tailed macaque (n = 26) samples from high- and low-endemicity localities. Genotyping was performed using seven neutral microsatellite loci markers. The size of the alleles, multiplicity of infection (MOI), mean number of alleles (Na), expected heterozygosity (HE), linkage disequilibrium (LD), and genetic differentiation (FST) were determined. In highly endemic P. knowlesi localities, the MOI for human and long-tailed macaque isolates was 1.04 and 1.15, respectively, while the Na was 11.14 and 7.86, respectively. Based on the allele frequency distribution for all loci, and with FST 
    MeSH terms: Animals; Genetic Markers/genetics*; Humans; Macaca/parasitology*; Malaysia; Plasmodium knowlesi/genetics*; Genes, Protozoan; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics*
  14. Ajab H, Ali Khan AA, Nazir MS, Yaqub A, Abdullah MA
    Environ Res, 2019 09;176:108563.
    PMID: 31280029 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108563
    Environmental monitoring is important to determine the extent of eco-system pollution and degradation so that effective remedial strategies can be formulated. In this study, an environmentally friendly and cost-effective sensor made up of novel carbon electrode modified with cellulose and hydroxyapatite was developed for the detection of trace lead ions in aqueous system and palm oil mill effluent. Zinc, cadmium, and copper with lead were simultaneously detected using this method. The electrode exhibited high tolerance towards twelve common metal ions and three model surface active substances - sodium dodecyl sulfate, Triton X-100, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. Under optimum conditions, the sensor detected lead ions in palm oil mill effluent in the concentration range of 10-50 μg/L with 0.11 ± 0.37 μg/L limit of detection and 0.37 ± 0.37 μg/L limit of quantification. The validation using tap water, blood serum and palm oil mill effluent samples and compared with Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, suggested excellent sensitivity of the sensor to detect lead ions in simple and complex matrices. The cellulose produced based on "green" techniques from agro-lignocellulosic wastes, in combination with hydroxyapatite, were proven effective as components in the carbon electrode composite. It has great potential in both clinical and environmental use.
    MeSH terms: Carbon*; Cellulose*; Electrodes; Environmental Monitoring/methods*; Ions; Lead/analysis; Durapatite
  15. Moheet IA, Luddin N, Rahman IA, Kannan TP, Nik Abd Ghani NR, Masudi SM
    Eur J Dent, 2019 Jul;13(3):470-477.
    PMID: 31280484 DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1693524
    The aim of this article is to provide a brief insight regarding the recent studies and their recommendations related to the modifications to glass ionomer cement (GIC) powder in order to improve their properties. An electronic search of publications was made from the year 2000 to 2018. The databases included in the current study were EBSCOhost, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. The inclusion criteria for the current study include publication with abstract or full-text articles, original research, reviews or systematic reviews, in vitro, and in vivo studies that were written in English language. Among these only articles published in peer-reviewed journals were included. Articles published in other languages, with no available abstract and related to other nondentistry fields, were excluded. A detailed review of the recent materials used as a filler phase in GIC powder has revealed that not all modifications produce beneficial results. Recent work has demonstrated that modification of GIC powder with nano-particles has many beneficial effects on the properties of the material. This is due to the increase in surface area and surface energy, along with better particle distribution of the nano-particle. Therefore, more focus should be given on nano-particle having greater chemical affinity for GIC matrix as well as the tooth structure that will enhance the physicochemical properties of GIC.
    MeSH terms: Glass Ionomer Cements; Language; Periodicals as Topic; Publications; Writing; PubMed
  16. Varadan M, Gopalkrishna P, Bhat PV, Kamath SU, S K, K TG, et al.
    Clin Oral Investig, 2019 Aug;23(8):3249-3255.
    PMID: 30430337 DOI: 10.1007/s00784-018-2741-2
    OBJECTIVES: Periodontal disease and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) share risk factors like obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, along with evidence of chronic inflammation in the two conditions. Evaluating the influence of PCOS on periodontal health would, therefore, identify a possible association.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty women, divided into equal groups of PCOS and healthy patients, were clinically examined for periodontal parameters like probing depth (PD), plaque index (PI), modified gingival index (mGI), and bleeding on probing (BOP). Fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin (FI), triglycerides (TG), and free testosterone along with serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were the biochemical parameters evaluated.

    RESULTS: Women with PCOS had statistically significant differences in mGI, PI, testosterone, FBS, and TG when compared with healthy women (p 

    MeSH terms: Delivery of Health Care; Female; Gingival Crevicular Fluid; Humans; Oral Health*; Women*
  17. Mazlun MH, Sabran SF, Mohamed M, Abu Bakar MF, Abdullah Z
    Molecules, 2019 Jul 04;24(13).
    PMID: 31277371 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24132449
    Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains one of the deadliest, infectious diseases worldwide. The detrimental effects caused by the existing anti-TB drugs to TB patients and the emergence of resistance strains of M. tuberculosis has driven efforts from natural products researchers around the globe in discovering novel anti-TB drugs that are more efficacious and with less side effects. There were eleven main review publications that focused on natural products with anti-TB potentials. However, none of them specifically emphasized antimycobacterial phenolic compounds. Thus, the current review's main objective is to highlight and summarize phenolic compounds found active against mycobacteria from 2000 to 2017. Based on the past studies in the electronic databases, the present review also focuses on several test organisms used in TB researches and their different distinct properties, a few types of in vitro TB bioassay and comparison between their strengths and drawbacks, different methods of extraction, fractionation and isolation, ways of characterizing and identifying isolated compounds and the mechanism of actions of anti-TB phenolic compounds as reported in the literature.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology; Antitubercular Agents/therapeutic use*; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/drug effects; Phenols/pharmacology; Phenols/therapeutic use*; Tuberculosis/drug therapy*; Drug Discovery
  18. Sinclair M, Idrus Z, Nhiem DV, Katawatin S, Todd B, Burn GL, et al.
    Animals (Basel), 2019 Jul 04;9(7).
    PMID: 31277448 DOI: 10.3390/ani9070416
    Understanding what might motivate livestock stakeholders to improve animal welfare is useful information when developing initiatives that benefit from stakeholder engagement. This study was designed to assess the strength of motivating drivers in the development of attitudes to animal welfare, and the factors that impacted their ability to improve animal welfare. During a series of qualitative focus group sessions with livestock leaders across the same countries (Malaysia, China, Vietnam and Thailand), the current study presented livestock leaders (n = 139) with the most significant results in their country, and collected data pertaining to the meaning and applicability of these results. This data was then subject to thematic analysis to identify salient and repeated motivating factors and meanings. This process revealed a complex picture of relationships between motivators and the contexts that drive them. Figures are presented to begin illustrating these relationships. Some strong motivators were uncovered that were previously rated low in the survey (i.e., financial benefit) or not included at all (e.g., food safety). This paper also presents the opportunity to better understand the strength and relationship of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational forces behind animal welfare improvement.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Welfare; Attitude; China; Drive; Malaysia; Surveys and Questionnaires; Thailand; Vietnam; Focus Groups; Livestock; Food Safety
  19. Banaei M, Azizi M, Moridi A, Dashti S, Yabandeh AP, Roozbeh N
    Syst Rev, 2019 07 05;8(1):161.
    PMID: 31277721 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-019-1079-4
    BACKGROUND: Sexual dysfunction refers to a chain of psychiatric, individual, and couple's experiences that manifests itself as a dysfunction in sexual desire, sexual arousal, orgasm, and pain during intercourse. The aim of this systematic review will be to assess the sexual dysfunction and determine the relevant factors to sexual dysfunction during pregnancy and postpartum.

    METHODS AND ANALYSIS: All observational studies, including descriptive, descriptive-analytic, case-control, and cohort studies published between 1990 and 2019, will be included in the study. Review articles, case studies, case reports, letter to editors, pilot studies, and editorial will be excluded from the study. The search will be conducted in the Cochrane Central Register, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, EMBASE, ProQuest, Scopus, WOS, and CINAHL databases. Eligible studies should assess at least one of the sexual dysfunction symptoms in pregnant women or in the first year postpartum. Quality assessment of studies will be performed by two authors independently based on the NOS checklist. This checklist is designed to assess the quality of observational studies. Data will be analyzed using Stata software ver. 11. Considering that the index investigated in the present study will be the level of sexual disorder, standard error will be calculated for each study using binomial distribution. The heterogeneity level will be investigated using Cochran's Q statistic and I2 index in a chi-square test at a significance level of 1.1. Predictable limitations of this study included a small number and unacceptable quality of studies.

    DISCUSSION: This systematic review addresses the factors associated with sexual dysfunction during pregnancy and postpartum. Considering the high prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women, the treatment of this problem has been highly sought after by the World Health Organization in recent years. The results of this study can help discover new strategies by introducing factors affecting women's sexual dysfunction, thereby eliminating or diminishing these factors, and play an important role in improving the quality of life of women during pregnancy and postpartum periods.

    SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42018083554.

    MeSH terms: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications*; Quality of Life*; Risk Factors; Global Health; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Prevalence
  20. Sudi SB, Tanaka T, Oda S, Nishiyama K, Nishimura A, Sunggip C, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2019 07 05;9(1):9785.
    PMID: 31278358 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46252-2
    Myocardial atrophy, characterized by the decreases in size and contractility of cardiomyocytes, is caused by severe malnutrition and/or mechanical unloading. Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), known as a danger signal, is recognized to negatively regulate cell volume. However, it is obscure whether extracellular ATP contributes to cardiomyocyte atrophy. Here, we report that ATP induces atrophy of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) without cell death through P2Y2 receptors. ATP led to overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through increased amount of NADPH oxidase (Nox) 2 proteins, due to increased physical interaction between Nox2 and canonical transient receptor potential 3 (TRPC3). This ATP-mediated formation of TRPC3-Nox2 complex was also pathophysiologically involved in nutritional deficiency-induced NRCM atrophy. Strikingly, knockdown of either TRPC3 or Nox2 suppressed nutritional deficiency-induced ATP release, as well as ROS production and NRCM atrophy. Taken together, we propose that TRPC3-Nox2 axis, activated by extracellular ATP, is the key component that mediates nutritional deficiency-induced cardiomyocyte atrophy.
    MeSH terms: Adenosine Triphosphate/metabolism; Animals; Atrophy; Cell Survival; Heart Failure/etiology; Heart Failure/metabolism; Heart Failure/pathology; Models, Biological; Signal Transduction*; Biomarkers; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism; NADPH Oxidase/metabolism; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism*; Myocytes, Cardiac/pathology; Malnutrition/metabolism*; TRPC Cation Channels/metabolism*; Rats
External Links