Browse publications by year: 2019

  1. Lwin S, San Yi M, Shi Leong M, Suharjono H, Moe Nwe T
    Case Rep Obstet Gynecol, 2019;2019:2470352.
    PMID: 31139480 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2470352
    The influenza virus is RNA virus and is classified into four subtypes, influenza A, influenza B, influenza C, and influenza D. One of the subtypes of influenza A, the H1N1 strain, also known as swine flu, is especially of high risk for development of complications in pregnant women. The influenza A virus infection is difficult to diagnose clinically because its presenting symptoms are similar to those of the common cold but are more severe, last longer, and can be potentially life-threatening. This case also presented with common cold symptoms but her condition worsened later. Fortunately, obstetric health providers were vigilant enough to address the developing infection and its related complications. It was the cooperative effort of multidisciplinary team care which resulted in a favourable outcome in both mother and baby.
    MeSH terms: Common Cold; Female; Humans; Influenza, Human; Mothers; Influenza A virus; Patient Care Team; Pregnancy; RNA Viruses; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype
  2. Mohamad N, Ramli N, Abd-Aziz S, Ibrahim MF
    3 Biotech, 2019 Jun;9(6):234.
    PMID: 31139549 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-019-1767-8
    Pineapple peel is a potential feedstock for the extraction of essential oil due to the presence of aromatic compounds. To extract the essential oil from pineapple peels, three different methods were applied, i.e., (1) hydro-distillation (HD); (2) hydro-distillation with enzyme-assisted (HDEA); and (3) supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). SFE had successfully produced an essential oil with the yield of 0.17% (w/w) together with 0.64% (w/w) of concrete, whereby the HD and HDEA had only produced hydrosols with the yield of 70.65% (w/w) and 80.65% (w/w), respectively. Parameters' optimization for HD (substrate to solvent ratio, temperature, and extraction duration) and HDEA (cellulase loading and incubation duration) significantly affected the hydrosol yield, but did not extract out the essential oil. This is because only SFE had successfully ruptured the oil gland after observed under the scanning electron microscope. The essential oil obtained from SFE composed of mainly propanoic acid ethyl ester (40.25%), lactic acid ethyl ester (19.35%), 2-heptanol (15.02%), propanol (8.18%), 3-hexanone (2.60%), and butanoic acid ethyl ester (1.58%). In overall, it can be concluded that the SFE had successfully extracted the essential oil as compared to the HD and HDEA methods.
    MeSH terms: 1-Propanol; Cellulase; Hexanones; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Oils, Volatile; Plant Extracts; Propionates; Solvents; Temperature; Heptanol; Butyric Acid; Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid; Ananas; Distillation
  3. Ay B, Yildirim O, Talo M, Baloglu UB, Aydin G, Puthankattil SD, et al.
    J Med Syst, 2019 May 28;43(7):205.
    PMID: 31139932 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-019-1345-y
    Depression affects large number of people across the world today and it is considered as the global problem. It is a mood disorder which can be detected using electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The manual detection of depression by analyzing the EEG signals requires lot of experience, tedious and time consuming. Hence, a fully automated depression diagnosis system developed using EEG signals will help the clinicians. Therefore, we propose a deep hybrid model developed using convolutional neural network (CNN) and long-short term memory (LSTM) architectures to detect depression using EEG signals. In the deep model, temporal properties of the signals are learned with CNN layers and the sequence learning process is provided through the LSTM layers. In this work, we have used EEG signals obtained from left and right hemispheres of the brain. Our work has provided 99.12% and 97.66% classification accuracies for the right and left hemisphere EEG signals respectively. Hence, we can conclude that the developed CNN-LSTM model is accurate and fast in detecting the depression using EEG signals. It can be employed in psychiatry wards of the hospitals to detect the depression using EEG signals accurately and thus aid the psychiatrists.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms; Brain/physiopathology*; Depression/diagnosis*; Depression/physiopathology*; Electroencephalography/methods*; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Neural Networks (Computer)
  4. Iwata H, Masuda N, Kim SB, Inoue K, Rai Y, Fujita T, et al.
    Future Oncol, 2019 Jul;15(21):2489-2501.
    PMID: 31140297 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2019-0143
    Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of neratinib as extended adjuvant therapy in patients from Asia based on exploratory analyses of the Phase III ExteNET trial. Patients & methods: A total of 2840 women with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer were randomly assigned to neratinib 240 mg/day or placebo for 1 year after trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy. Results: A total of 341 patients were from Asia (neratinib, n = 165; placebo, n = 176). 2-year invasive disease-free survival rates were 92.8 and 90.8% with neratinib and placebo, respectively (HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.31-1.55), and 5-year rates were 91.9 and 87.2%, respectively (HR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.27-1.13). Diarrhea was the most common adverse event with neratinib. Conclusion: Extended adjuvant therapy with neratinib reduces disease recurrences in Asian women with HER2-positive breast cancer. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00878709.
    MeSH terms: Trastuzumab/administration & dosage; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use*; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use; Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy*; Breast Neoplasms/metabolism*; Breast Neoplasms/pathology; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Prognosis; Quinolines/administration & dosage; Quinolines/adverse effects; Quinolines/therapeutic use*; Proportional Hazards Models; Treatment Outcome; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism*; Retreatment; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/administration & dosage; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/adverse effects; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use*; Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  5. Pentenero M, Bowers L, Jayasinghe R, Cheong SC, Farah CS, Kerr AR, et al.
    Oral Dis, 2019 Jun;25 Suppl 1:79-87.
    PMID: 31140691 DOI: 10.1111/odi.13051
    Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) modulate gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and are involved in tumorigenesis. They can form complex secondary and tertiary structures and have been shown to act as precursors, enhancers, reservoirs and decoys in the complex endogenous RNA network. They were first reported in relation to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in 2013. Here, we summarise the functional roles and pathways of the most commonly studied lncRNAs in OSCC. Existing research demonstrates the involvement of lncRNA within pivotal pathways leading to the development and spread of OSCC, including interactions with key cancer-associated microRNAs such as miR-21. The number of studies on lncRNA and OSCC remains limited in this new field. As evidence grows, the tissue-specific expression patterns of lncRNAs should further advance our understanding of the altered regulatory networks in OSCC and possibly reveal new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
    MeSH terms: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics*; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology; Congresses as Topic; Humans; Mouth Neoplasms/genetics*; Mouth Neoplasms/pathology; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; MicroRNAs/genetics*; Cell Line, Tumor; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics*
  6. Pentenero M, Bowers LM, Jayasinghe R, Yap T, Cheong SC, Kerr AR, et al.
    Oral Dis, 2019 Jun;25 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):88-101.
    PMID: 31140697 DOI: 10.1111/odi.13076
    BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have important roles in regulating gene expression pertaining to cell proliferation, survival, migration and genomic stability. Dysregulated expression of lncRNAs is implicated in cancer initiation, progression and metastasis.

    OBJECTIVES: To explore, map and summarize the extent of evidence from clinical studies investigating the differential expression of lncRNAs in oral/tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

    METHODS: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were used as search engines. Clinical, full-length, English language studies were included. PRISMA-ScR protocol was used to evaluate and present results. The present scoping review summarizes relationships of the differential expression of lncRNAs with the presence of tumour and with clinicopathological features including survival.

    RESULTS: Almost half of the investigated transcripts have been explored in more than one study, yet not always with consistent results. The collected data were also compared to the limited studies investigating oral epithelial dysplasia. Data are not easily comparable, first because of different methods used to define what differential expression is, and second because only a limited number of studies performed multivariate analyses to identify clinicopathological features associated with the differentially expressed lncRNAs.

    CONCLUSIONS: Standard methods and more appropriate data analyses are needed in order to achieve reliable results from future studies.

    MeSH terms: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics*; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology; Congresses as Topic; Humans; Mouth Neoplasms/genetics*; Mouth Neoplasms/pathology; Tongue Neoplasms/genetics*; Tongue Neoplasms/pathology; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics*
  7. Che Hamzah AM, Yeo CC, Puah SM, Chua KH, A Rahman NI, Abdullah FH, et al.
    J Med Microbiol, 2019 Sep;68(9):1299-1305.
    PMID: 31140965 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000993
    The spread of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a public health concern. The inducible macrolide-lincosamide-streptogrammin B (iMLSB ) phenotype (or inducible clindamycin resistance) is associated with false clindamycin susceptibility in routine laboratory testing and may lead to treatment failure. Tigecycline resistance remains rare in S. aureus worldwide. This study aims to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of clinical isolates of S. aureus obtained from the main tertiary hospital in Terengganu state, Malaysia, from July 2016 to June 2017. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of 90 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and 109 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates were determined by disc diffusion with the iMLSB phenotype determined by D-test. Multidrug resistance (MDR) and the iMLSB phenotype were more prevalent in MRSA (84.4 and 46.7  %, respectively) compared to MSSA isolates. All five tigecycline-resistant isolates were MRSA. The high incidence of MDR and the iMLSB phenotype and the emergence of tigecycline resistance in the Terengganu S. aureus isolates warrants continuous vigilance.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology*; Clindamycin/pharmacology*; Female; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Phenotype; Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology*; Staphylococcal Infections/epidemiology; Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification; Prevalence; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial*; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects*; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification; Tertiary Care Centers
  8. Zubaidi FA, Choo YM, Tan GH, Hamid HA, Choy YK
    J Anal Toxicol, 2019 Aug 23;43(7):528-535.
    PMID: 31141150 DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkz017
    A novel mass spectrometry detection technique based on a multi-period and multi- experiment (MRM-EPI-MRM3) with library matching in a single run for fast and rapid screening and identification of amphetamine type stimulants (ATS) related drugs in whole blood, urine and dried blood stain was developed and validated. The ATS-related drugs analyzed in this study include ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), MDA (3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine), MDEA (3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine) and phentermine. The relative standard deviation for inter and intraday was less than 15% while recoveries ranged from 80% to 120% for all three matrices, i.e., whole blood, urine and dried blood stain. All compounds gave library matching percentage of more than 85% based on the purity. This method was proven to be simple and robust, and provide high confident results complemented with library matching confirmation.
    MeSH terms: Amphetamine; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Blood Stains; Ephedrine; Libraries; Methamphetamine; Phentermine; Mass Spectrometry; 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; Pseudoephedrine
  9. Gani SA, Muhammad SA, Kura AU, Barahuie F, Hussein MZ, Fakurazi S
    PLoS One, 2019;14(5):e0217009.
    PMID: 31141523 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217009
    Researchers investigating cancer chemotherapy and management continue to search for agents that selectively kill malignant cells and leave healthy neighboring cells intact. Natural products provide relevant resources for anti-cancer drug discovery. However, the physicochemical properties of these compounds limit their efficient uptake and bioavailability. We introduced a nanocarrier system, namely, zinc-aluminum-layered double hydroxide (ZnAl-LDH) intercalated with protocatechuic acid. In this study, the efficacy and toxicity of protocatechuic acid intercalated in zinc aluminum-layered double hydroxide nanoparticles (PCA-ZnAl) against diethylnitrosamine/phenobarbital (DEN/PB)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in BALB/c mice was evaluated. HCC in male mice was induced by a single-dose intraperitoneal administration of DEN and was promoted by the introduction of PB via drinking water for 12 weeks. HCC induction was confirmed after the DEN/PB introduction period by measurement of the elevated level of serum α-feto protein (AFP). The results showed that the level of α-fetoprotein was significantly reduced in PCA-ZnAl (350±43.90 ng/mL), doxorubicin (DOX) (290±20.52 ng/mL) and ZnAl-LDH (390±19.65 ng/mL) treated animals compared to HCC mice treated with normal saline (580.4± 52.04 ng/mL). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) levels were significantly increased, whereas the level of lipid peroxidation was significantly decreased in HCC mice treated with DOX, PCA-ZnAl and ZnAl-LDH compared with those in HCC mice treated with saline. Restoration of hepatocyte morphology was observed following treatment that was comparable to that in the normal control group. Deterioration of hepatic cells and a significant increase of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were observed in the cancer-induced untreated group compared with that in the groups treated with nanoparticles. The histopathological features of the liver obtained from PCA-ZnAl-treated mice showed a uniform size with a similar distribution of the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio and nucleus centrally located in the cytoplasm, similar to the normal liver cells. The results underscored the potential of PCA-ZnAl for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
    MeSH terms: Alanine Transaminase; Alkaline Phosphatase; alpha-Fetoproteins; Aluminum; Aluminum Hydroxide; Animals; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Catalase; Diethylnitrosamine; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Male; Zinc; Lipid Peroxidation; Mice; Drinking Water
  10. Widia M, Md Dawal SZ, Yusoff N
    PLoS One, 2019;14(5):e0216918.
    PMID: 31141545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216918
    BACKGROUND: Extensive studies have been carried out over the years to determine the maximum acceptable weight that a worker is capable of lifting in a given situation among Occidental populations across Europe and US. Nonetheless, studies that place emphasis on using lifting frequency as the quantifying task parameter, especially in developing countries such as Malaysia, appear to be in scarcity. Hence, this study determined the maximum acceptable frequency of lift (MAFL) for combined manual material handling (MMH) tasks amongst Malaysian males.

    METHOD: Two lifting loads were considered in this study: 1 kg and 5 kg. Each subject adjusted his frequency of lifting using a psychophysical approach. The subjects were instructed to perform combined MMH task as fast as they could over a period of 45 minutes without exhausting themselves or becoming overheated. The physiological response energy expenditure was recorded during the experimental sessions. The ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) for four body parts (forearms, upper arm, lower back and entire body) were recorded after the subjects had completed the instructed task.

    RESULTS: The mean frequencies of the MMH task had been 6.8 and 5.5 cycles/minute for lifting load of 1 and 5 kg, respectively, while the mean energy expenditure values were 4.16 and 5.62 kcal/min for 1 and 5 kg load, respectively. These displayed a significant difference in the Maximum Acceptable Frequency of Lift (MAFL) between the two loads, energy expenditure and RPE (p < 0.05) whereby the subjects appeared to work harder physiologically for heavier load.

    CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that it is significant to assess physiological response and RPE in determining the maximum acceptable lifting frequency at varied levels of load weight. The findings retrieved in this study can aid in designing tasks that do not exceed the capacity of workers in order to minimise the risk of WRMSDs.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Energy Metabolism/physiology*; Physical Exertion/physiology*; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Lifting*
  11. Naing C, Reid SA, Aye SN, Htet NH, Ambu S
    PLoS One, 2019;14(5):e0217643.
    PMID: 31141558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217643
    Leptospirosis is probably the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world especially in tropical countries. There has been an increase in individual studies, which assessed the frequency of leptospirosis in flood conditions. Some studies showed contact with floods was significantly associated with the occurrence of leptospirosis while other studies reported differently. The objective of this meta-analysis was to synthesize the evidence on the risk factors which are associated with human leptospirosis following flooding. We set up the inclusion criteria and searched for the original studies, addressing leptospirosis in human with related to flood in health-related electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Ovid Medline, google scholar and Scopus sources. We used the terms 'leptospirosis', 'flood', 'risk factor' and terms from the categories were connected with "OR" within each category and by "AND" between categories. The initial search yielded 557 citations. After the title and abstract screening, 49 full-text papers were reviewed and a final of 18 observational studies met the pre-specified inclusion criteria. Overall, the pooled estimates of 14 studies showed that the contact with flooding was a significant factor for the occurrence of leptospirosis (pooled OR: 2.19, 95%CI: 1.48-3.24, I2:86%). On stratification, the strength of association was greater in the case-control studies (pooled OR: 4.01, 95%CI: 1.26-12.72, I2:82%) than other designs (pooled OR:1.77,95%CI:1.18-2.65, I2:87%). Three factors such as 'being male'(pooled OR:2.06, 95%CI:1.29-2.83), the exposure to livestock animals (pooled OR: 1.95, 95%CI:1.26-2.64), the lacerated wound (pooled OR:4.35, 95%CI:3.07-5.64) were the risk factors significantly associated with the incidence of leptospirosis following flooding in the absence of within-study heterogeneity (I2: 0%). We acknowledge study limitations such as publication bias and type 2 statistical errors. We recommended flood control and other environmental modifications that are expected to reduce the risk of leptospiral infection, and a multi-sectoral effort to this aspect would have long-term benefits.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Humans; Leptospirosis/microbiology; Leptospirosis/epidemiology*; Risk Factors; Zoonoses/microbiology; Zoonoses/epidemiology*; Floods*; Livestock/microbiology
  12. Youl Lee J, Taniguchi T, Zhang K, Ng CF, Hakim L, Umbas R, et al.
    Jpn J Clin Oncol, 2019 Jun 01;49(6):581-586.
    PMID: 31141613 DOI: 10.1093/jjco/hyz053
    The Asian Prostate Cancer (A-CaP) Study is an Asia-wide prospective registry study for surveying the treatment outcome of prostate cancer patients who have received a histopathological diagnosis. The study aims to clarify the clinical situation for prostate cancer in Asia and use the outcomes for the purposes of international comparison. Following the first meeting in Tokyo on December 2015, the second meeting in Seoul, Korea 2016, the third meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on October 2017, the fourth meeting was held in Seoul, again on August 2018 with the participation of members and collaborators from 13 countries and regions. In the meeting, participating countries and regions presented the current status of data collection and the A-CaP office presented a preliminary analysis of the registered cases received from each country and region. Participants discussed ongoing challenges relating to data cleaning and data up-dating which is the next step of the A-CaP study following the data collection phase between 2016 and 2018. There was specific difference in term of the patient characteristics, and initial treatment pattern among East Asia, Southeast Asia and Turkey, and Jordan. Finally, a close relationship between prevalence of PSA test and disease stage of the patients at diagnosis in Japan and Malaysia was discussed.
    MeSH terms: Asia; Humans; Male; Prospective Studies; Registries*; Treatment Outcome
  13. Yap RWK, Lin MH, Shidoji Y, Yap WS
    Nutrients, 2019 May 22;11(5).
    PMID: 31121870 DOI: 10.3390/nu11051140
    Gene-environment (G × E) interactions involving job stress and mental health on risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are minimally explored. This study examined the association and G × E interaction effects of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) gene polymorphisms (rs1870377, rs2071559) on cardiometabolic risk in Chinese Malaysian adults. Questionnaires: Job Stress Scale (JSS); Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and Rhode Island Stress and Coping Inventory (RISCI) were used to measure job stress, mental health, and coping with perceived stress. Cardiometabolic risk parameters were evaluated in plasma and genotyping analysis was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The subjects were 127 Chinese Malaysian adults. The allele frequencies for rs1870377 (A allele and T allele) and rs2071557 (A allele and T allele) polymorphisms were 0.48 and 0.52, and 0.37 and 0.63, respectively. Significant correlations include scores from JSS dimensions with blood glucose (BG) (p = 0.025-0.045), DASS-21 dimensions with blood pressure, BMI, and uric acid (p = 0.029-0.047), and RISCI with blood pressure and BG (p = 0.016-0.049). Significant G × E interactions were obtained for: rs1870377 with stress on total cholesterol (p = 0.035), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.019), and apolipoprotein B100 (p = 0.004); and rs2071559 with anxiety on blood pressure (p = 0.006-0.045). The significant G × E interactions prompt actions for managing stress and anxiety for the prevention of CVD.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases/genetics*; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Mental Health/statistics & numerical data*; Metabolic Diseases/genetics; Metabolic Diseases/epidemiology; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Stress, Psychological/genetics*; Stress, Psychological/epidemiology; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics*; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2/genetics*; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/genetics*
  14. Al-Fakih AM, Algamal ZY, Lee MH, Aziz M, Ali HTM
    SAR QSAR Environ Res, 2019 Jun;30(6):403-416.
    PMID: 31122062 DOI: 10.1080/1062936X.2019.1607899
    Time-varying binary gravitational search algorithm (TVBGSA) is proposed for predicting antidiabetic activity of 134 dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors. To improve the performance of the binary gravitational search algorithm (BGSA) method, we propose a dynamic time-varying transfer function. A new control parameter,
    μ
    , is added in the original transfer function as a time-varying variable. The TVBGSA-based model was internally and externally validated based on

    Q


    int


    2

    ,

    Q



    L
    G
    O



    2

    ,

    Q



    B
    o
    o
    t



    2

    ,


    M
    S






    E





    t
    r
    a
    i
    n





    ,

    Q



    e
    x
    t



    2

    ,


    M
    S






    E





    t
    e
    s
    t





    , Y-randomization test, and applicability domain evaluation. The validation results indicate that the proposed TVBGSA model is robust and not due to chance correlation. The descriptor selection and prediction performance of TVBGSA outperform BGSA method. TVBGSA shows higher

    Q


    int


    2

    of 0.957,

    Q



    L
    G
    O



    2

    of 0.951,

    Q



    B
    o
    o
    t



    2

    of 0.954,

    Q



    e
    x
    t



    2

    of 0.938, and lower


    M
    S






    E





    t
    r
    a
    i
    n





    and


    M
    S






    E





    t
    e
    s
    t





    compared to obtained results by BGSA, indicating the best prediction performance of the proposed TVBGSA model. The results clearly reveal that the proposed TVBGSA method is useful for constructing reliable and robust QSARs for predicting antidiabetic activity of DPP-IV inhibitors prior to designing and experimental synthesizing of new DPP-IV inhibitors.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy; Hypoglycemic Agents/chemistry*; Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4/chemistry*; Computational Biology; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship*; Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/chemistry*
  15. Basabaeen AA, Abdelgader EA, BaHashwan OS, Babekir EA, Abdelateif NM, Bamusa SA, et al.
    BMC Res Notes, 2019 May 23;12(1):282.
    PMID: 31122288 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4319-8
    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ZAP-70 and CD38 expressions and their combined expressions in Sudanese B-CLL patients and their relationships with clinical and hematological characteristics as well as the disease staging at presentation.

    RESULTS: In the present cross-sectional descriptive study, analysis of ZAP-70 expression showed that 36/110 (32.7%) patients positively expressed ZAP-70 and insignificant higher presentation in intermediate and at advanced stages as well as no correlation was seen with hematological parameters and clinical features compared with negatively ZAP-70, on the other hand, 41/110 (37.3%) were CD38+ and no significant correlation was shown with the stage at presentation, clinical characteristics (except Splenomegaly, P = 0.02) and hematological parameters. However, in combined expressions of both ZAP-70 and CD38 together, 20/110 (18.2%) were concordantly ZAP-70+/CD38+, 53/110 (48.2%) concordantly ZAP-70-/CD38- and 37/110 (33.6%) either ZAP-70+ or CD38+, and these three groups showed insignificant correlation with clinical (except Splenomegaly, P = 0.03) and hematological parameters, and the stage at presentation. Our data showed the combined analysis of these two markers, lead to classify our patients into three subgroups (either concordant positive, negative or discordant expressions) with statistically insignificant correlation with clinical presentation (except Splenomegaly), hematological parameters and stage at presentation of B-CLL patients.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; B-Lymphocytes/immunology; B-Lymphocytes/pathology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins/blood; Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics*; Membrane Glycoproteins/immunology; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Prospective Studies; Splenomegaly/diagnosis*; Splenomegaly/genetics; Splenomegaly/immunology; Splenomegaly/pathology; Sudan; Biomarkers, Tumor/blood; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics*; Biomarkers, Tumor/immunology; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/diagnosis*; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/genetics; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/immunology; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology; Gene Expression; Immunophenotyping; ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase/blood; ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase/genetics*; ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase/immunology; Antigens, CD38/blood; Antigens, CD38/genetics*; Antigens, CD38/immunology
  16. Wong L, Chan CW
    J Adolesc Health, 2019 06;64(6S):S14-S18.
    PMID: 31122544 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.01.033
    MeSH terms: Problem Behavior; Child Health*; Adolescent Health*; Adolescent; Child; Culture; Female; Health Policy*; Hong Kong; Humans; Male; Mental Health*; Stress, Psychological/psychology
  17. Leong YK, Show PL, Lan JC, Krishnamoorthy R, Chu DT, Nagarajan D, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2019 Sep;287:121474.
    PMID: 31122870 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121474
    Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a family of biodegradable and renewable biopolymers show a huge potential as an alternative to conventional plastics. Extractive bioconversion (in situ product recovery) is a technique that integrates upstream fermentation and downstream purification. In this study, extractive bioconversion of PHAs from Cupriavidus necator H16 was performed via a thermo-separating aqueous two-phase system to reduce the cost and environmental impacts of PHAs production. Key operating parameters, such as polymer concentration, temperature, and pH, were optimized. The strategy achieved a yield and PF of 97.6% and 1.36-fold, respectively at 5% EOPO 3900 concentration, 30 °C fermentation temperature and pH 6. The PHAs production process was also successfully scaled up in a 2 L bioreactor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on extractive fermentation of PHAs from Cupriavidus necator utilizing a thermo-separation system to achieve a better productivity and purity of the target product.
    MeSH terms: Biopolymers; Environment; Fermentation; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Plastics; Temperature; Water; Bioreactors; Cupriavidus necator; Polyhydroxyalkanoates
  18. Fong CY, Ng K, Kong AN, Ong LC, Rithauddin MA, Thong MK, et al.
    Arch Dis Child, 2019 10;104(10):972-978.
    PMID: 31122923 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2018-316394
    AIM: Evaluation of impaired quality of life (QOL) of Malaysian children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and its possible risk factors.

    METHOD: Cross-sectional study on 68 parents of Malaysian children aged 2-18 years with TSC. QOL was assessed using proxy-report Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) V.4.0, and scores compared with those from a previous cohort of healthy children. Parents also completed questionnaires on child behaviour (child behaviour checklist (CBCL)) and parenting stress (parenting stress index-short form). Multiple regression analysis was used to determine sociodemographic, medical, parenting stress and behavioural factors that impacted on QOL.

    RESULTS: The mean proxy-report PedsQL V.4.0 total scale score, physical health summary score and psychosocial health summary score of the patients were 60.6 (SD 20.11), 65.9 (SD 28.05) and 57.8 (SD 19.48), respectively. Compared with healthy children, TSC patients had significantly lower mean PedsQL V.4.0 total scale, physical health and psychosocial health summary scores (mean difference (95% CI): 24 (18-29), 20 (12-27) and 26 (21-31) respectively). Lower total scale scores were associated with clinically significant CBCL internalising behaviour scores, age 8-18 years and Chinese ethnicity. Lower psychosocial health summary scale scores were associated with clinically significant CBCL internalising behaviour scores, Chinese ethnicity or >1 antiepileptic drug (AED).

    CONCLUSION: Parents of children with TSC reported lower PedsQL V.4.0 QOL scores in all domains, with psychosocial health most affected. Older children, those with internalising behaviour problems, of Chinese ethnicity or on >1 AED was at higher risk of lower QOL. Clinicians need to be vigilant of QOL needs among children with TSC particularly with these additional risk factors.

    MeSH terms: Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Malaysia; Male; Quality of Life*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tuberous Sclerosis/psychology*; Asian Continental Ancestry Group
  19. Auvens C, Neuwirth C, Piroth L, Blot M
    BMJ Case Rep, 2019 May 22;12(5).
    PMID: 31122956 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2018-228856
    Melioidosis is a protean disease which is endemic to Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Here, we report a case of infected aortic aneurysm due to Burkholderia pseudomallei in an immunocompetent man 6 months after a trip to northern Malaysia. This patient initially received inappropriate surgical and antibiotic treatment, leading to a peri-prosthetic aortic infection with lumbar spondylitis and contiguous psoas muscle abscess. This case highlights the difficulty of diagnosing melioidosis given its diverse clinical manifestations and the limits of routine microbiological methods to identify B. pseudomallei Melioidosis should be considered a possible diagnosis in individuals with unexplained fever subsequent to travel in an endemic area.
    MeSH terms: Aneurysm, Infected/complications; Aneurysm, Infected/diagnosis*; Aneurysm, Infected/microbiology; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Melioidosis/complications; Melioidosis/diagnosis*; Melioidosis/microbiology; Middle Aged; Pyelonephritis/complications; Pyelonephritis/diagnosis*; Pyelonephritis/microbiology; Renal Artery*; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Travel*; Burkholderia pseudomallei/isolation & purification*
  20. Malik A, Jamil U, Butt TT, Waquar S, Gan SH, Shafique H, et al.
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2019;13:1501-1513.
    PMID: 31123393 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S176698
    Background: In silico characterization can help to explain the interaction between molecules and predict three-dimensional structures. Various studies have confirmed the glucose-lowering effects of plant extracts, ie, lupeol and iso-orientin, which enable them to be used as antidiabetic agents. Purpose: Aims of the present study were to evaluate the hypoglycemic activities of lupeol and iso-orientin in a rat model. The study proposed the effects of alloxan on blood glucose level, body weight, and oxidative stress. Materials and Methods: Thirty (n=30) Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups and were subjected to different combinations of the compounds. Levels of different stress markers, ie, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase, nitric oxide, glutathione, glutathione peroxide, glutathione reductase, and blood glucose levels were estimated with their respective methods. Whereas, for their in silico analysis, identified target proteins, GPR40, glucose-6-phosphatase, UCP2, glycogen phosphorylase, aldose reductase, and glucose transporter-4 were docked with lupeol and iso-orientin. Three-dimensional structures were predicted by ERRAT, Rampage, Verify3D, threading and homology approaches. Results: Blood glucose levels were significantly increased in rats receiving intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (208±6.94 mg/dL) as compared to controls (90±7.38 mg/dL). Infected rats were administered plant extracts; combined treatment of both extracts (lupeol+iso-orientin) significantly reduced the levels of blood glucose (129.06±6.29 mg/dL) and improved the antioxidant status. Fifteen structures of each selected protein were evaluated using various techniques. Consequently, satisfactory quality factors [GPR40 (96.41%), glucose-6-phosphatase (96.56%), UCP2 (72.56%), glycogen phosphorylase (87.24%), aldose reductase (82.46%), and glucose transporter-4 (94.29%)] were selected. Molecular docking revealed interacting residues, effective drug properties and their binding affinities (ie, -8.9 to -12.6 Kcal/mol). Conclusion: Results of the study affirmed the antidiabetic activities of lupeol and iso-orientin. Administration of these extracts (either individually or in combination) significantly reduced blood glucose levels and oxidative stress. Hence, it may be considered beneficial in the treatment of diabetes.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy*; Disease Models, Animal; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use*; Hypoglycemic Agents/chemistry; Molecular Conformation; Luteolin/therapeutic use*; Luteolin/chemistry; Rats; Pentacyclic Triterpenes/therapeutic use*; Pentacyclic Triterpenes/chemistry; Molecular Docking Simulation*
External Links