Browse publications by year: 2019

Fulltext Efficacy and potential determinants of exercise therapy in knee and hip osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Goh SL, Persson MSM, Stocks J, Hou Y, Lin J, Hall MC, et al.

Ann Phys Rehabil Med, 2019 Sep;62(5):356-365.
PMID: 31121333 DOI: 10.1016/j.rehab.2019.04.006

BACKGROUND: Exercise is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis. However, the effect may vary from one patient (or study) to another.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of exercise and its potential determinants for pain, function, performance, and quality of life (QoL) in knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA).
METHODS: We searched 9 electronic databases (AMED, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE Ovid, PEDro, PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Google Scholar) for reports of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing exercise-only interventions with usual care. The search was performed from inception up to December 2017 with no language restriction. The effect size (ES), with its 95% confidence interval (CI), was calculated on the basis of between-group standardised mean differences. The primary endpoint was at or nearest to 8 weeks. Other outcome time points were grouped into intervals, from<1 month to≥18 months, for time-dependent effects analysis. Potential determinants were explored by subgroup analyses. Level of significance was set at P≤0.10.
RESULTS: Data from 77 RCTs (6472 participants) confirmed statistically significant exercise benefits for pain (ES 0.56, 95% CI 0.44-0.68), function (0.50, 0.38-0.63), performance (0.46, 0.35-0.57), and QoL (0.21, 0.11-0.31) at or nearest to 8 weeks. Across all outcomes, the effects appeared to peak around 2 months and then gradually decreased and became no better than usual care after 9 months. Better pain relief was reported by trials investigating participants who were younger (mean age<60 years), had knee OA, and were not awaiting joint replacement surgery.
CONCLUSIONS: Exercise significantly reduces pain and improves function, performance and QoL in people with knee and hip OA as compared with usual care at 8 weeks. The effects are maximal around 2 months and thereafter slowly diminish, being no better than usual care at 9 to 18 months. Participants with younger age, knee OA and not awaiting joint replacement may benefit more from exercise therapy. These potential determinants, identified by study-level analyses, may have implied ecological bias and need to be confirmed with individual patient data.

MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Exercise Therapy/methods; Exercise Therapy/statistics & numerical data*; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pain Measurement; Quality of Life; Osteoarthritis, Hip/rehabilitation*; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Treatment Outcome; Osteoarthritis, Knee/rehabilitation*
Vulnerability of Vietnam to typhoons: A spatial assessment based on hazards, exposure and adaptive capacity

Nguyen KA, Liou YA, Terry JP

Sci Total Environ, 2019 Sep 10;682:31-46.
PMID: 31121354 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.069

Typhoons have devastating impacts across many Asian countries. Vietnam is presently one of the most disaster-prone nations. Typhoons regularly disrupt human lives and livelihoods in various ways and cause significant damage. Making efficient policy decisions to minimize the vulnerability of affected communities is crucial. This requires a deep understanding of the factors that make a society vulnerable to extreme events and natural disasters. An appropriate approach is integrating the three dimensions of hazard, exposure and sensitivity, and community adaptive capacity. However, the vulnerability and adaptive capacity response to typhoons within Vietnam is poorly investigated. Here, we develop a conceptual framework that incorporates 21 indicators to identify vulnerability and adaptive capacity (VAC) using geospatial techniques at regional scales, applied over Vietnam. We find large spatial differences in VAC and are able to identify the top-priority regions that need to enhance their adaptation to typhoons. The Southern Coastal area, South East and Red River Delta demonstrate high and very high vulnerability because of their physical features and the intensity of typhoons that frequently cross these parts of Vietnam. The lower Mekong Delta and Northern Coastal areas are vulnerable to typhoon-driven flood threats, in particular where compounded by sea-level rise. Our framework successfully identified the spatial distribution and different levels of VAC within acceptable limits of uncertainty. It can therefore serve as a template to tackle national issues in disaster risk reduction in Vietnam and assist in the development of suitable mitigation strategies to achieve sustainable outcomes.

MeSH terms: Acclimatization; Asia; Disasters; Humans; Learning; Vietnam; Uncertainty; Risk Reduction Behavior; Rivers; Cyclonic Storms; Floods
Comparing adaptation ability towards climate change impacts between the youth and the older fishermen

Samah AA, Shaffril HAM, Fadzil MF

Sci Total Environ, 2019 Sep 01;681:524-532.
PMID: 31121402 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.089

In recent years, a considerable amount of studies published locally which focused on the influence of age on climate change ability. Accordingly, this has driven the present study to achieve its main objective which is to compare the adaptation ability between youth and older fishermen. The current research is quantitative in nature; hence, a survey was conducted on a total of 259 youth and older fishermen residing in different states of Malaysia, namely Pulau Pinang, Terengganu, Johor, and Kedah. The present study managed to conclude a unique and important result which stated that youth and older fishermen within the context of Malaysia have an equally strong adaptation ability. In regard to this matter, a number of recommendations were presented at the end of this paper with the hope that it can act as a basis for future scholars to conduct more climate change related studies.

MeSH terms: Acclimatization; Adaptation, Physiological*; Fisheries/statistics & numerical data*; Humans; Malaysia; Surveys and Questionnaires; Climate Change*
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Sexual Dysfunction in Women With Hypertension

Choy CL, Sidi H, Koon CS, Ming OS, Mohamed IN, Guan NC, et al.

J Sex Med, 2019 Jul;16(7):1029-1048.
PMID: 31113742 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.04.007

INTRODUCTION: Sexual dysfunction in hypertensive women is an often-neglected subject despite a reported prevalence of 42.1%. Although few reviews exist, a definitive relationship between hypertension and sexual dysfunction in women has not been clearly established.
AIM: To review the existing literature to definitively examine sexual dysfunction in women with hypertension, in both treated and untreated subjects.
METHODS: We performed a systematic search for published literature of 3 electronic databases (Scopus, EBSCOhost Medline Complete, and Cochrane Library) in August 2018. The search terms with relevant truncation and Boolean were developed according to a population exposure-comparator-outcome model combining pilot searches. The quality of included studies was assessed with the McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies. Initial search, limited to the English language, included a total of 2,198 studies. 31 studies (18,260 subjects) met our inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Sexual dysfunction in these studies was measured using different tools. We extracted information of study setting, country, number of subjects, participants' age and blood pressure, comparators, and outcome. We ran a meta-analysis on the presence of sexual dysfunction as an outcome from the following comparisons: (i) hypertensive vs normotensive (ii) treated vs untreated hypertension, and (iii) exposure vs absence of specific class of anti-hypertensive drug.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women with sexual dysfunction and hypertension were included.
RESULTS: We found significant sexual dysfunction in women with hypertension compared with the normotensive group (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 2.789, 95% CI = 1.452-5.357, P = .002). However, there was no statistical difference of sexual dysfunction in women with treated or untreated hypertension (OR = 1.229, 95% CI = 0.675-2.236, P = .5). Treatment with alpha-/beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics resulted in no statistical difference in sexual dysfunction in hypertensive women.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Because sexual dysfunction is prevalent in women with hypertension, it is imperative to address the underlying medical condition to manage this important clinical problem.
STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS: Many studies had to be excluded from the meta-analysis, due to unavailability and incompleteness of data. Nevertheless, results of the review are useful to derive recommendations for alerting physicians of the need to routinely assess the sexual functioning of women with hypertension.
CONCLUSION: We conclude that women with hypertension are at increased risk for sexual dysfunction, and our findings imply that evaluation for sexual dysfunction needs to be part of the clinical management guidelines for women with hypertension. Choy CL, Sidi H, Koon CS, et al. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Sexual Dysfunction in Women With Hypertension. J Sex Med 2019;16:1029-1048.

MeSH terms: Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacology*; Blood Pressure/drug effects; Female; Humans; Hypertension/complications*; Hypertension/drug therapy; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/etiology*; Prevalence
Fulltext Transcriptional profiling of coaggregation interactions between Streptococcus gordonii and Veillonella parvula by Dual RNA-Seq

Mutha NVR, Mohammed WK, Krasnogor N, Tan GYA, Wee WY, Li Y, et al.

Sci Rep, 2019 05 21;9(1):7664.
PMID: 31113978 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43979-w

Many oral bacteria form macroscopic clumps known as coaggregates when mixed with a different species. It is thought that these cell-cell interactions are critical for the formation of mixed-species biofilms such as dental plaque. Here, we assessed the impact of coaggregation between two key initial colonizers of dental plaque, Streptococcus gordonii and Veillonella parvula, on gene expression in each partner. These species were shown to coaggregate in buffer or human saliva. To monitor gene regulation, coaggregates were formed in human saliva and, after 30 minutes, whole-transcriptomes were extracted for sequencing and Dual RNA-Seq analysis. In total, 272 genes were regulated in V. parvula, including 39 genes in oxidoreductase processes. In S. gordonii, there was a high degree of inter-sample variation. Nevertheless, 69 genes were identified as potentially regulated by coaggregation, including two phosphotransferase system transporters and several other genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Overall, these data indicate that responses of V. parvula to coaggregation with S. gordonii are dominated by oxidative stress-related processes, whereas S. gordonii responses are more focussed on carbohydrate metabolism. We hypothesize that these responses may reflect changes in the local microenvironment in biofilms when S. gordonii or V. parvula immigrate into the system.

MeSH terms: Cell Communication; Dental Plaque; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Oxidoreductases; Phosphotransferases; Saliva; Veillonella; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Oxidative Stress; Biofilms; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Streptococcus gordonii; Transcriptome
Fulltext Chromosome Arm Locations of Barley Sucrose Transporter Gene in Transgenic Winter Wheat Lines

Takenaka S, Weschke W, Brückner B, Murata M, Endo TR

Front Plant Sci, 2019;10:548.
PMID: 31114602 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00548

Three transgenic HOSUT lines of winter wheat, HOSUT12, HOSUT20, and HOSUT24, each harbor a single copy of the cDNA for the barley sucrose transporter gene HvSUT1 (SUT), which was fused to the barley endosperm-specific Hordein B1 promoter (HO; the HOSUT transgene). Previously, flow cytometry combined with PCR analysis demonstrated that the HOSUT transgene had been integrated into different wheat chromosomes: 7A, 5D, and 4A in HOSUT12, HOSUT20, and HOSUT24, respectively. In order to confirm the chromosomal location of the HOSUT transgene by a cytological approach using wheat aneuploid stocks, we crossed corresponding nullisomic-tetrasomic lines with the three HOSUT lines, namely nullisomic 7A-tetrasomic 7B with HOSUT12, nullisomic 5D-tetrasomic 5B with HOSUT20, and nullisomic 4A-tetrasomic 4B with HOSUT24. We examined the resulting chromosomal constitutions and the presence of the HOSUT transgene in the F2 progeny by means of chromosome banding and PCR. The chromosome banding patterns of the critical chromosomes in the original HOSUT lines showed no difference from those of the corresponding wild type chromosomes. The presence or absence of the critical chromosomes completely corresponded to the presence or absence of the HOSUT transgene in the F2 plants. Investigating telocentric chromosomes occurred in the F2 progeny, which were derived from the respective critical HOSUT chromosomes, we found that the HOSUT transgene was individually integrated on the long arms of chromosomes 4A, 7A, and 5D in the three HOSUT lines. Thus, in this study we verified the chromosomal locations of the transgene, which had previously been determined by flow cytometry, and moreover revealed the chromosome-arm locations of the HOSUT transgene in the HOSUT lines.

MeSH terms: Aneuploidy; Hordeum; Chromosome Banding; Chromosomes; Flow Cytometry; Glutens; Sucrose; Triticum; Polymerase Chain Reaction; DNA, Complementary; Transgenes; Endosperm
Fulltext Detection of FZD4, LRP5 and TSPAN12 Genes Variants in Malay Premature Babies with Retinopathy of Prematurity

Mohd Khair SZN, Ismail AS, Embong Z, Mohamed Yusoff AA

J Ophthalmic Vis Res, 2019 5 23;14(2):171-178.
PMID: 31114654 DOI: 10.4103/jovr.jovr_210_17

Purpose: To determine the mutational analyses of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR)-causing genes in Malay patients with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) to obtain preliminary data for gene alterations in the Malay community.
Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study involving 86 Malay premature babies (ROP = 41 and non-ROP = 45) was performed from September 2012 to December 2014. Mutation analyses in (FEVR)-causing genes (NDP, FZD4, LRP5, and TSPAN12) were performed using DNA from premature babies using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. Sequencing results were confirmed with PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP).
Results: We found variants of FZD4, LRP5, and TSPAN12 in this study. One patient from each group showed a non-synonymous alteration in FZD4, c.502C>T (p.P168S). A synonymous variant of LRP5 [c.3357G>A (p.V1119V)] was found in 30 ROP and 28 non-ROP patients. Two variants of TSPAN12, c.765G>T (p.P255P) and c.*39C>T (3'UTR), were also recorded (29 and 21 in ROP, 33 and 26 in non-ROP, respectively). Gestational age and birth weight were found to be significantly associated with ROP (P value < 0.001 and 0.001, respectively).
Conclusion: Analysis of data obtained from the ROP Malay population will enhance our understanding of these FEVR-causing gene variants. The c.3357G>A (p.V1119V) variant of LRP5, and c.765G>T (p.P255P) and c.*39C>T variants of TSPAN12 could be common polymorphisms in the Malay ethnic group; however, this requires further elucidation. Future studies using larger groups and higher numbers of advanced cases are necessary to evaluate the relationship between FEVR-causing gene variants and the risk of ROP susceptibility in Malaysian infants.

MeSH terms: Birth Weight; Cross-Sectional Studies; DNA; DNA Mutational Analysis; Ethnic Groups; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Malaysia; Mutation; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Retinopathy of Prematurity; Polymerase Chain Reaction; 3' Untranslated Regions
Fulltext Hypertension control among euvolemic hypertensive hemodialysis patients in Malaysia: a prospective follow-up study

Khan A, Khan AH, Adnan AS, Sulaiman SAS, Mushtaq S, Ahmad N, et al.

J Pharm Policy Pract, 2019;12:10.
PMID: 31114693 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-019-0169-y

Objectives: Existing literature does not provide enough information on evaluation of factors associated with pre-dialysis controlled hypertension among euvolemic hemodialysis (HD) patients. We conducted a study to evaluate the rate and factors influencing pre-dialysis controlled hypertension among euvolemic HD patients.
Design: A multicenter prospective follow-up study.
Setting: Tertiary care teaching hospital and its associated private dialysis centers.
Participants: This study included 145 euvolemic eligible hypertensive patients. Various sociodemographic, clinical factors and drugs were investigated and analyzed by using appropriate statistical methods to determine the factors influencing hypertension control among the study participants.
Results: On baseline visit, the mean pre-dialysis systolic and diastolic BP (mmHg) of study participants was 161.2 ± 24. and 79.21 ± 11.8 retrospectively, and 30 (20.6%) patients were on pre-dialysis goal BP. At the end of the 6-months follow-up, the mean pre-dialysis systolic BP and diastolic BP (mmHg) of the patients was 154.6 ± 18.3 and 79.2 ± 11.8 respectively, and 42 (28.9%) were on pre-dialysis goal BP. In multivariate analysis, the use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) was the only variable which had statistically significant association with pre-dialysis controlled hypertension at baseline (OR = 7.530, p-value = 0.001) and final (OR = 8.988, p-value

MeSH terms: Antihypertensive Agents; Blood Pressure; Calcium Channel Blockers; Dialysis; Follow-Up Studies; Goals; Humans; Hypertension; Malaysia; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Systole; Cohort Studies; Multivariate Analysis; Sample Size; Tertiary Healthcare
Longitudinal study on the impact of urinary continence and sexual function on health-related quality of life among Japanese men after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy

Ngoo KS, Honda M, Kimura Y, Yumioka T, Iwamoto H, Morizane S, et al.

Int J Med Robot, 2019 Aug;15(4):e2018.
PMID: 31115140 DOI: 10.1002/rcs.2018

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
METHODS: We prospectively reviewed HRQOL parameters using Short-Form Health Survey, patient self-reporting of urinary incontinence and International Index of Erectile Function, among patients who underwent RARP between 2010 and 2016.
RESULTS: Among 249 men studied, all had significantly worse HRQOL domain scores at 1 month post operatively but 24 months after surgery, all domains reached or surpassed their baseline values. Only Bodily Pain, General Health, Role-Emotional, Mental Health domains, and Mental Health Composite were significantly improved. Improvement in urinary continence was mirrored by improvements in both Mental and Physical Component Scores.
CONCLUSIONS: Within a 2-year post-operative period, men who underwent RARP had regained their overall quality of life. The recovery of urinary continence significantly impacted the mental, physical, emotional, and social well-being of those patients.

MeSH terms: Aged; Humans; Erectile Dysfunction; Japan; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications; Postoperative Period; Prospective Studies; Prostatectomy/methods*; Prostatic Neoplasms/complications; Prostatic Neoplasms/psychology*; Prostatic Neoplasms/surgery*; Quality of Life*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urinary Incontinence; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods*
Residual Toxicity of Insecticides to Neoseiulus fallacis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in Apples

Jamil RZR, Vandervoort C, Wise JC

J Econ Entomol, 2019 09 23;112(5):2262-2267.
PMID: 31115447 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toz131

Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) is a predatory mite that is common in apple orchards and distributed throughout North America. However, N. fallacis may be susceptible to pesticides used for the management of crop pests. This study aimed to evaluate the temporal effects of commonly used insecticides on N. fallacis survival. Neoseiulus fallacis adults were exposed to field-aged residues, and mortality and lethal time were measured over 96 h of exposure. Carbaryl caused high mortality to N. fallacis and the shortest lethal time values (LT50), followed by spinetoram, with moderate lethal time values. Esfenvalerate, acetamiprid, chlorantraniliprole, and novaluron showed little to no lethality to N. fallacis following exposure to dry field-aged residues. The results of this study provide important field-relevant knowledge that is often void from laboratory-based studies, which can aid integrated pest management (IPM) decision-makers in apple production systems.

MeSH terms: Animals; Insecticides*; Mites*; North America; Pest Control; Malus*
Based Medical Systems for Patient's Authentication: Towards a New Verification Secure Framework Using CIA Standard

Mohsin AH, Zaidan AA, Zaidan BB, Albahri OS, Albahri AS, Alsalem MA, et al.

J Med Syst, 2019 May 22;43(7):192.
PMID: 31115768 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-019-1264-y

In medical systems for patient's authentication, keeping biometric data secure is a general problem. Many studies have presented various ways of protecting biometric data especially finger vein biometric data. Thus, It is needs to find better ways of securing this data by applying the three principles of information security aforementioned, and creating a robust verification system with high levels of reliability, privacy and security. Moreover, it is very difficult to replace biometric information and any leakage of biometrics information leads to earnest risks for example replay attacks using the robbed biometric data. In this paper presented criticism and analysis to all attempts as revealed in the literature review and discussion the proposes a novel verification secure framework based confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) standard in triplex blockchain-particle swarm optimization (PSO)-advanced encryption standard (AES) techniques for medical systems patient's authentication. Three stages are performed on discussion. Firstly, proposes a new hybrid model pattern in order to increase the randomization based on radio frequency identification (RFID) and finger vein biometrics. To achieve this, proposed a new merge algorithm to combine the RFID features and finger vein features in one hybrid and random pattern. Secondly, how the propose verification secure framework are followed the CIA standard for telemedicine authentication by combination of AES encryption technique, blockchain and PSO in steganography technique based on proposed pattern model. Finally, discussed the validation and evaluation of the proposed verification secure framework.

MeSH terms: Computer Systems*; Fingers/blood supply; Humans; Patient Identification Systems/methods*; Reference Standards; Security Measures*; Telemedicine; Biometric Identification/instrumentation*; Radio Frequency Identification Device; Remote Sensing Technology/instrumentation
Investigating effect of proton-exchange membrane on new air-cathode single-chamber microbial fuel cell configuration for bioenergy recovery from Azorubine dye degradation

Kardi SN, Ibrahim N, Rashid NAA, Darzi GN

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2019 Jul;26(21):21201-21215.
PMID: 31115820 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05204-z

One of the biggest challenges of using single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that utilize proton-exchange membrane (PEM) air cathode for bioenergy recovery from recalcitrant organic compounds present in wastewater is mainly attributed to their high internal resistance in the anodic chamber of the single microbial fuel cell (MFC) configurations. The high internal resistance is due to the small surface area of the anode and cathode electrodes following membrane biofouling and pH splitting conditions as well as substrate and oxygen crossover through the membrane pores by diffusion. To address this issue, the fabrication of new PEM air-cathode single-chamber MFC configuration was investigated with inner channel flow open assembled with double PEM air cathodes (two oxygen reduction activity zones) coupled with spiral-anode MFC (2MA-CsS-AMFC). The effect of various proton-exchange membranes (PEMs), including Nafion 117 (N-117), Nafion 115 (N-115), and Nafion 212 (N-212) with respective thicknesses of 183, 127, and 50.08 μ, was separately incorporated into carbon cloth as PEM air-cathode electrode to evaluate their influences on the performance of the 2MA-CsS-AMFC configuration operated in fed-batch mode, while Azorubine dye was selected as the recalcitrant organic compound. The fed-batch test results showed that the 2MA-CsS-AMFC configuration with PEM N-115 operated at Azorubine dye concentration of 300 mg L-1 produced the highest power density of 1022.5 mW m-2 and open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.20 V coupled with enhanced dye removal (4.77 mg L h-1) compared to 2MA-CsS-AMFCs with PEMs N-117 and N-212 and those in previously published data. Interestingly, PEM 115 showed remarkable reduction in biofouling and pH splitting. Apart from that, mass transfer coefficient of PEM N-117 was the most permeable to oxygen (KO = 1.72 × 10-4 cm s-1) and PEM N-212 was the most permeable membrane to Azorubine (KA = 7.52 × 10-8 cm s-1), while PEM N-115 was the least permeable to both oxygen (KO = 1.54 × 10-4) and Azorubine (KA = 7.70 × 10-10). The results demonstrated that the 2MA-CsS-AMFC could be promising configuration for bioenergy recovery from wastewater treatment under various PEMs, while application of PEM N-115 produced the best performance compared to PEMs N-212 and N-117 and those in previous studies of membrane/membrane-less air-cathode single-chamber MFCs that consumed dye wastewater.

MeSH terms: Bioelectric Energy Sources*; Carbon; Electricity; Electrodes; Fluorocarbon Polymers; Membranes, Artificial; Naphthalenesulfonates/chemistry*; Oxygen/chemistry; Protons; Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods*; Waste Water/chemistry
Missing-Values Imputation Algorithms for Microarray Gene Expression Data

Moorthy K, Jaber AN, Ismail MA, Ernawan F, Mohamad MS, Deris S

Methods Mol Biol, 2019;1986:255-266.
PMID: 31115893 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9442-7_12

In gene expression studies, missing values are a common problem with important consequences for the interpretation of the final data (Satija et al., Nat Biotechnol 33(5):495, 2015). Numerous bioinformatics examination tools are used for cancer prediction, including the data set matrix (Bailey et al., Cell 173(2):371-385, 2018); thus, it is necessary to resolve the problem of missing-values imputation. This chapter presents a review of the research on missing-values imputation approaches for gene expression data. By using local and global correlation of the data, we were able to focus mostly on the differences between the algorithms. We classified the algorithms as global, hybrid, local, or knowledge-based techniques. Additionally, this chapter presents suitable assessments of the different approaches. The purpose of this review is to focus on developments in the current techniques for scientists rather than applying different or newly developed algorithms with identical functional goals. The aim was to adapt the algorithms to the characteristics of the data.

MeSH terms: Algorithms*; Reproducibility of Results; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis/methods*; Gene Expression Profiling*; Databases, Genetic*; Gene Ontology
How well do we understand the basis of classic selective sweeps in humans?

Szpak M, Xue Y, Ayub Q, Tyler-Smith C

FEBS Lett, 2019 07;593(13):1431-1448.
PMID: 31116407 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13447

Classic selective sweeps occur when positive selection increases a variant's frequency from low to high in a population, and underlie some long-studied human characteristics such as variation in skin, hair or eye colour. In such well-studied 'gold standard' examples, a known variant has been associated with a plausible phenotype and underlying selective force. Signatures of classic sweeps have more recently been detected in population-genetic data independently of any prior information about the corresponding phenotype or selective force, and usually without suggesting any insights into these. Motivated by the need to understand such candidates, we first review the gold standards and show that our understanding of them is often incomplete or unconvincing; only two of the examples we consider are compellingly explained. We assess approaches for large-scale association of classic sweep candidate variants to phenotypes and selective forces, test these on the gold standards, and discuss the standards of evidence needed to adequately understand a selective sweep.
Characterization of natural fiber obtained from different parts of date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

Alotaibi MD, Alshammari BA, Saba N, Alothman OY, Sanjay MR, Almutairi Z, et al.

Int J Biol Macromol, 2019 Aug 15;135:69-76.
PMID: 31116962 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.05.102

The current study is motivated by the strict environmental regulations regarding the utilization and consumption of ecofriendly materials. In this context, the aim of this study has been to prepare and characterize different date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fibers processed through the conventional water retting method. The chemical, elemental, crystallinity, thermal and morphological characterization of trunk (DPTRF), leaf stalk (DPLST), sheath or leaf sheath (DPLSH) and fruit bunch stalk (DPFBS) fibers was carried out. Chemical analysis revealed that the four types of date palm fibers display noteworthy differences in the content of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Also, the amount of calcium is relatively high in all the date palm fibers; besides this, DPTRF exhibited 69.2% crystallinity, which is lower than that of DPLSH with 72.4% crystallinity. Moreover, DPLST and DPFBS fibers are more thermally stable (higher thermal degradation temperature) than DPTRF and DPLSH samples. Morphological analysis revealed that the fracture surface of DPFBS was relatively rougher, which would probably lead to increased bonding strength with polymers in composites. Overall, we conclude that DPFBS would be promising alternative sustainable and biomass material for the isolation of respective cellulose nanofibers and cellulose nanocrystals as potential reinforcement in polymer composites.

MeSH terms: Biological Products/analysis*; Biological Products/chemistry*; Lignin/chemistry; Polymers/chemistry*; Polysaccharides/chemistry; Spectrum Analysis; Thermogravimetry; Plant Components, Aerial/chemistry*; Chemical Phenomena; Phytochemicals/chemistry; Phoeniceae/chemistry*
Surface reaction-diffusion kinetics on lattice at the microscopic scale

Chew WX, Kaizu K, Watabe M, Muniandy SV, Takahashi K, Arjunan SNV

Phys Rev E, 2019 Apr;99(4-1):042411.
PMID: 31108654 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.99.042411

Microscopic models of reaction-diffusion processes on the cell membrane can link local spatiotemporal effects to macroscopic self-organized patterns often observed on the membrane. Simulation schemes based on the microscopic lattice method (MLM) can model these processes at the microscopic scale by tracking individual molecules, represented as hard spheres, on fine lattice voxels. Although MLM is simple to implement and is generally less computationally demanding than off-lattice approaches, its accuracy and consistency in modeling surface reactions have not been fully verified. Using the Spatiocyte scheme, we study the accuracy of MLM in diffusion-influenced surface reactions. We derive the lattice-based bimolecular association rates for two-dimensional (2D) surface-surface reaction and one-dimensional (1D) volume-surface adsorption according to the Smoluchowski-Collins-Kimball model and random walk theory. We match the time-dependent rates on lattice with off-lattice counterparts to obtain the correct expressions for MLM parameters in terms of physical constants. The expressions indicate that the voxel size needs to be at least 0.6% larger than the molecule to accurately simulate surface reactions on triangular lattice. On square lattice, the minimum voxel size should be even larger, at 5%. We also demonstrate the ability of MLM-based schemes such as Spatiocyte to simulate a reaction-diffusion model that involves all dimensions: three-dimensional (3D) diffusion in the cytoplasm, 2D diffusion on the cell membrane, and 1D cytoplasm-membrane adsorption. With the model, we examine the contribution of the 2D reaction pathway to the overall reaction rate at different reactant diffusivity, reactivity, and concentrations.

MeSH terms: Cell Membrane/metabolism*; Diffusion; Kinetics; Models, Biological*; Surface Properties
Comparison assessment between SIM and MRM mode in the analysis of 3-MCPD ester, 2-MCPD ester and glycidyl ester

Goh KM, Wong YH, Ang MY, Yeo SCM, Abas F, Lai OM, et al.

Food Res Int, 2019 07;121:553-560.
PMID: 31108780 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.12.013

The detection of 3- and 2-MCPD ester and glycidyl ester was transformed from selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode to multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by gas chromatography triple quadrupole spectrometry. The derivatization process was adapted from AOCS method Cd 29a-13. The results showed that the coefficient of determination (R2) of all detected compounds obtained from both detection mode was comparable, which falls between 0.997 and 0.999. The limit of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) were improved in MRM mode as compared to SIM mode. In MRM mode, the LOD of 3- and 2-MCPD ester was achieved 0.01 mg/kg while the LOQ was 0.05 mg/kg. Besides, LOD and LOQ of glycidyl ester were 0.024 and 0.06 mg/kg respectively. A blank spiked with MCPD esters (0.03, 0.10 and 0.50 mg/kg) and GE (0.06, 0.24 and 1.20 mg/kg) were chosen for repeatability and recovery tests. MRM mode showed better repeatability in area ratio and recovery with relative standard deviation (RSD %) 

MeSH terms: alpha-Chlorohydrin/analysis*; Calibration; Esters/analysis*; Food Analysis; Food Contamination/analysis; Glycerol/analogs & derivatives*; Glycerol/analysis; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Reproducibility of Results; Infant Formula/chemistry; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Limit of Detection; Chocolate/analysis
Fulltext Mechanism of Apoptosis Induced by Curcumin in Colorectal Cancer

Ismail NI, Othman I, Abas F, H Lajis N, Naidu R

Int J Mol Sci, 2019 May 17;20(10).
PMID: 31108984 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102454

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the top three cancer with higher incident and mortality rate worldwide. It is estimated that about over than 1.1 million of death and 2.2 million new cases by the year 2030. The current treatment modalities with the usage of chemo drugs such as FOLFOX and FOLFIRI, surgery and radiotherapy, which are usually accompanied with major side effects, are rarely cured along with poor survival rate and at higher recurrence outcome. This trigger the needs of exploring new natural compounds with anti-cancer properties which possess fewer side effects. Curcumin, a common spice used in ancient medicine was found to induce apoptosis by targeting various molecules and signaling pathways involved in CRC. Disruption of the homeostatic balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis could be one of the promoting factors in colorectal cancer progression. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of apoptosis regulation by curcumin in CRC with regard to molecular targets and associated signaling pathways.

MeSH terms: Cell Survival/drug effects; Curcumin/pharmacology*; Humans; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics*; Signal Transduction/drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation/drug effects; Gene Regulatory Networks/drug effects*
Fulltext The Prevalence of Smoking, Determinants and Chance of Psychological Problems among Smokers in an Urban Community Housing Project in Malaysia

Abd Rashid R, Kanagasundram S, Danaee M, Abdul Majid H, Sulaiman AH, Ahmad Zahari MM, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 05 18;16(10).
PMID: 31109033 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16101762

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence, pattern of smoking and sociodemographic factors among Kerinchi residents in Kuala Lumpur, as well as to identify the association between smoking, stress, anxiety and depression. Methods: This study was carried out at four community housing projects in the Lembah Pantai area in Kuala Lumpur. Data was collected between 3 February 2012, and 29 November 2012. Data collectors made house visits and used interviewer administered questionnaires containing questions on demographic data and smoking patterns. Depression anxiety stress scale (DASS) was used to assess psychological symptoms. Alcohol smoking and substance involvement screening tool (ASSIST) scale was used to assess nicotine use. Results: Data from 1989 individuals (833 households) showed the age of respondents ranged from 18 to 89 years and the mean age was 39.12 years. There were 316 smokers indicating the prevalence of smoking was 15.85%, with 35.5% among males and 1.8% among females. Further, 86.6% of smokers were Malay and 87% were Muslims. Divorce was associated with smoking. Unemployment and housewives were less associated with smoking. Depression and anxiety were significantly associated with smoking (OR = 1.347. 95% CI: 1.042-1.741) and (OR = 1.401. 95% CI: 1.095-1.793) respectively. Conclusion: Screening for depression and anxiety should be routinely performed in the primary care setting and in population-based health screening to intervene early in patients who smoke.

MeSH terms: Adult; Anxiety/epidemiology*; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression/epidemiology*; Female; Housing; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Smoking/epidemiology*; Unemployment; Prevalence
Fulltext Analysis on the Effects of the Human Body on the Performance of Electro-Textile Antennas for Wearable Monitoring and Tracking Application

Abd Rahman NH, Yamada Y, Amin Nordin MS

Materials (Basel), 2019 May 19;12(10).
PMID: 31109128 DOI: 10.3390/ma12101636

Previous works have shown that wearable antennas can operate ideally in free space; however, degradation in performance, specifically in terms of frequency shifts and efficiency was observed when an antenna structure was in close proximity to the human body. These issues have been highlighted many times yet, systematic and numerical analysis on how the dielectric characteristics may affect the technical behavior of the antenna has not been discussed in detail. In this paper, a wearable antenna, developed from a new electro-textile material has been designed, and the step-by-step manufacturing process is presented. Through analysis of the frequency detuning effect, the on-body behavior of the antenna is evaluated by focusing on quantifying the changes of its input impedance and near-field distribution caused by the presence of lossy dielectric material. When the antenna is attached to the top of the body fat phantom, there is an increase of 17% in impedance, followed by 19% for the muscle phantom and 20% for the blood phantom. These phenomena correlate with the electric field intensities (V/m) observed closely at the antenna through various layers of mediums (z-axis) and along antenna edges (y-axis), which have shown significant increments of 29.7% in fat, 35.3% in muscle and 36.1% in blood as compared to free space. This scenario has consequently shown that a significant amount of energy is absorbed in the phantoms instead of radiated to the air which has caused a substantial drop in efficiency and gain. Performance verification is also demonstrated by using a fabricated human muscle phantom, with a dielectric constant of 48, loss tangent of 0.29 and conductivity of 1.22 S/m.

MeSH terms: Adipose Tissue; Electricity; Humans; Muscles; Textiles; Electric Impedance; Human Body; Phantoms, Imaging; Physical Phenomena

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