Browse publications by year: 2019

  1. Siddiqui MJ, Aslam A, Khan T
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2019 3 25;11(1):43-48.
    PMID: 30906139 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_174_18
    Objective: The aim and objective of this study was to find the immunostimulant and immunomodulatory effect of T. ammi seed extracts.

    Methods: Seeds of T. ammi were extracted using three different solvents n-hexane, chloroform, and methanol by using soxhlet apparatus. To assess the immunomodulatory effect, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) assay method was used and by the DTH assay, the effect of T. ammi on the skin thickness of rats was estimated. To find the exact dose for administration, acute toxicity test was performed using crude methanolic extract at a dose of 400, 800, 1600, and 3200mg/kg. After acute toxicity test, 500mg/kg dose was determined as safe for therapeutic effect and immunomodulatory effect was evaluated at this dose. Dose of 500mg/kg was administered to Wistar rats daily for 14 days and skin thickness of rats was measured at 24, 48, and 72h.

    Results: Results were obtained from six groups of rats, which were positive control group, negative control group, and the groups receiving the test drugs. Standard drug was the combination of sodium selenite, vitamin E, and sodium chloride and it showed more positive results as compared to that of test drug. Furthermore, among the three extracts, methanol extract showed more effectiveness on skin thickness.

    Conclusion: There was a meaningful difference was observed between the skin thickness of rats which shows that T. ammi have good immunomodulatory as well as immunostimulant activity.

    MeSH terms: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Methanol; Animals; Chloroform; Hypersensitivity, Delayed; Seeds; Sodium Chloride; Solvents; Vitamin E; Substance Abuse Detection; Rats, Wistar; Sodium Selenite; Toxicity Tests, Acute; Ammi; Control Groups; Rats
  2. Zhou H, Zainal H, Puntmann VO
    Aging (Albany NY), 2019 03 25;11(6):1609-1610.
    PMID: 30908271 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101890
    MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases/diagnosis*; Cardiovascular Diseases/pathology; Humans; Myocardium/pathology*; Predictive Value of Tests; Ventricular Function, Left/physiology*
  3. Nagendrababu V, Murray PE, Ordinola-Zapata R, Peters OA, Rôças IN, Siqueira JF, et al.
    Int Endod J, 2019 Aug;52(8):1090-1095.
    PMID: 30908638 DOI: 10.1111/iej.13123
    Laboratory-based research studies are the most common form of research endeavour and make up the majority of manuscripts that are submitted for publication in the field of Endodontology. The scientific information derived from laboratory studies can be used to design a wide range of subsequent studies and clinical trials and may have translational potential to benefit clinical practice. Unfortunately, the majority of laboratory-based articles submitted for publication fail the peer-review step, because unacceptable flaws or substantial limitations are identified. Even when apparently well-conducted laboratory-based articles are peer-reviewed, they can often require substantial corrections prior to the publication. It is apparent that some authors and reviewers may lack the training and experience to have developed a systematic approach to evaluate the quality of laboratory studies. Occasionally, even accepted manuscripts contain limitations that may compromise interpretation of data. To help authors avoid manuscript rejection and correction pitfalls, and to aid editors/reviewers to evaluate manuscripts systematically, the purpose of this project is to establish and publish quality guidelines for authors to report laboratory studies in the field of Endodontology so that the highest standards are achieved. The new guidelines will be named-'Preferred Reporting Items for Laboratory studies in Endodontology' (PRILE). A steering committee was assembled by the project leads to develop the guidelines through a five-phase consensus process. The committee will identify new items as well as review and adapt items from existing guidelines. The items forming the draft guidelines will be reviewed and refined by a PRILE Delphi Group (PDG). The items will be evaluated by the PDG on a nine-point Likert scale for relevance and inclusion. The agreed items will then be discussed by a PRILE face-to-face consensus meeting group (PFCMG) formed by 20 individuals to further refine the guidelines. This will be subject to final approval by the steering committee. The approved PRILE guidelines will be disseminated through publication in relevant journals, presented at congresses/meetings, and be freely available on a dedicated website. Feedback and comments will be solicited from researchers, editors and peer reviewers, who are invited to contact the steering committee with comments to help them update the guidelines periodically.
    MeSH terms: Endodontics*; Humans; Publishing; Research Design*; Consensus; Research Report
  4. Clarke AK, Ho HE, Rossi-Ashton JA, Taylor RJK, Unsworth WP
    Chem Asian J, 2019 Mar 25.
    PMID: 30908897 DOI: 10.1002/asia.201900309
    Indoles are amongst the most important class of heteroaromatics in organic chemistry, being commonly found in biologically active natural products and therapeutically useful compounds. The synthesis of indoles is therefore important and several methods for their synthesis that make use of silver(I) catalysts and reagents have been developed in recent years. This Focus Review contains, to the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive coverage of silver-mediated indole forming reactions since the first reaction of this type was reported in 2004.
    MeSH terms: Biochemical Phenomena; Biological Products; Catalysis; Chemistry, Organic; Indicators and Reagents; Indoles; Silver
  5. Tan CW, Huan Hor CH, Kwek SS, Tee HK, Sam IC, Goh ELK, et al.
    Emerg Microbes Infect, 2019;8(1):426-437.
    PMID: 30898036 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2019.1590130
    The emergence of neurotropic Zika virus (ZIKV) raised a public health emergency of global concern. ZIKV can cross the placental barrier and infect foetal brains, resulting in microcephaly, but the pathogenesis of ZIKV is poorly understood. With recent findings reporting AXL as a type I interferon antagonist rather than an entry receptor, the exact entry mechanism remains unresolved. Here we report that cell surface sialic acid plays an important role in ZIKV infection. Removal of cell surface sialic acid by neuraminidase significantly abolished ZIKV infection in Vero cells and human induced-pluripotent stem cells-derived neural progenitor cells. Furthermore, knockout of the sialic acid biosynthesis gene encoding UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase resulted in significantly less ZIKV infection of both African and Asian lineages. Huh7 cells deficient in α2,3-linked sialic acid through knockout of ST3 β-galactoside-α2,3-sialyltransferase 4 had significantly reduced ZIKV infection. Removal of membrane-bound, un-internalized virus with pronase treatment revealed the role of sialic acid in ZIKV internalization but not attachment. Sialyllactose inhibition studies showed that there is no direct interaction between sialic acid and ZIKV, implying that sialic acid could be mediating ZIKV-receptor complex internalization. Identification of α2,3-linked sialic acid as an important host factor for ZIKV internalization provides new insight into ZIKV infection and pathogenesis.
  6. Ali RM, Abdul Kader MASK, Wan Ahmad WA, Ong TK, Liew HB, Omar AF, et al.
    JACC Cardiovasc Interv, 2019 Mar 25;12(6):558-566.
    PMID: 30898253 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcin.2018.11.040
    OBJECTIVES: The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate a novel sirolimus-coated balloon (SCB) compared with the best investigated paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB).

    BACKGROUND: Treatment of coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains challenging. PCBs are an established treatment option outside the United States with a Class I, Level of Evidence: A recommendation in the European guidelines. However, their efficacy is better in bare-metal stent (BMS) ISR compared with drug-eluting stent (DES) ISR.

    METHODS: Fifty patients with DES ISR were enrolled in a randomized, multicenter trial to compare a novel SCB (SeQuent SCB, 4 μg/mm2) with a clinically proven PCB (SeQuent Please Neo, 3 μg/mm2) in coronary DES ISR. The primary endpoint was angiographic late lumen loss at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included procedural success, major adverse cardiovascular events, and individual clinical endpoints such as stent thrombosis, cardiac death, target lesion myocardial infarction, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and binary restenosis.

    RESULTS: Quantitative coronary angiography revealed no differences in baseline parameters. After 6 months, in-segment late lumen loss was 0.21 ± 0.54 mm in the PCB group versus 0.17 ± 0.55 mm in the SCB group (p = NS; per-protocol analysis). Clinical events up to 12 months also did not differ between the groups.

    CONCLUSIONS: This first-in-man comparison of a novel SCB with a crystalline coating shows similar angiographic outcomes in the treatment of coronary DES ISR compared with a clinically proven PCB. (Treatment of Coronary In-Stent Restenosis by a Sirolimus [Rapamycin] Coated Balloon or a Paclitaxel Coated Balloon [FIM LIMUS DCB]; NCT02996318).

    MeSH terms: Aged; Cardiovascular Agents/administration & dosage*; Cardiovascular Agents/adverse effects; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Time Factors; Stents*; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary/adverse effects; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary/instrumentation*; Treatment Outcome; Coronary Angiography; Paclitaxel/administration & dosage*; Paclitaxel/adverse effects; Coated Materials, Biocompatible*; Sirolimus/administration & dosage*; Sirolimus/adverse effects; Coronary Restenosis/etiology; Coronary Restenosis/therapy*; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects*; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/instrumentation*; Cardiac Catheters*
  7. Lawrenson K, Song F, Hazelett DJ, Kar SP, Tyrer J, Phelan CM, et al.
    Gynecol Oncol, 2019 05;153(2):343-355.
    PMID: 30898391 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.02.023
    OBJECTIVE: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have focused largely on populations of European ancestry. We aimed to identify common germline variants associated with EOC risk in Asian women.

    METHODS: Genotyping was performed as part of the OncoArray project. Samples with >60% Asian ancestry were included in the analysis. Genotyping was performed on 533,631 SNPs in 3238 Asian subjects diagnosed with invasive or borderline EOC and 4083 unaffected controls. After imputation, genotypes were available for 11,595,112 SNPs to identify associations.

    RESULTS: At chromosome 6p25.2, SNP rs7748275 was associated with risk of serous EOC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34, P = 8.7 × 10-9) and high-grade serous EOC (HGSOC) (OR = 1.34, P = 4.3 × 10-9). SNP rs6902488 at 6p25.2 (r2 = 0.97 with rs7748275) lies in an active enhancer and is predicted to impact binding of STAT3, P300 and ELF1. We identified additional risk loci with low Bayesian false discovery probability (BFDP) scores, indicating they are likely to be true risk associations (BFDP <10%). At chromosome 20q11.22, rs74272064 was associated with HGSOC risk (OR = 1.27, P = 9.0 × 10-8). Overall EOC risk was associated with rs10260419 at chromosome 7p21.3 (OR = 1.33, P = 1.2 × 10-7) and rs74917072 at chromosome 2q37.3 (OR = 1.25, P = 4.7 × 10-7). At 2q37.3, expression quantitative trait locus analysis in 404 HGSOC tissues identified ESPNL as a putative candidate susceptibility gene (P = 1.2 × 10-7).

    CONCLUSION: While some risk loci were shared between East Asian and European populations, others were population-specific, indicating that the landscape of EOC risk in Asian women has both shared and unique features compared to women of European ancestry.

    MeSH terms: Base Sequence; Female; Humans; Case-Control Studies; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Quantitative Trait Loci; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/genetics; Genome-Wide Association Study
  8. Thi S, Lee KM
    Bioresour Technol, 2019 Jun;282:525-529.
    PMID: 30898410 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.03.065
    In this work, a novel solvent, deep eutectic solvent (DES) was applied to examine its effectiveness in pretreating OPEFB. Three types of DESs, i.e. choline chloride-lactic acid (ChCl-LA), choline chloride-urea (ChCl-U) and choline chloride-glycerol (ChCl-G) were investigated. The pretreatment performance was based on cellulose digestibility, structural and morphology changes. At molar ratio of 1:2, ChCl-LA attained the highest reducing sugars yield of 20.7%, followed by ChCl-G (20.0%) and ChCl-U (16.9%). FT-IR and SEM results further confirmed the outstanding ability of ChCl-LA due of its ability in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin disruption, exposing its cellulose fraction to enzymatic hydrolysis. ChCl-LA is also more favorable compare to acid and alkaline solvents as it could prevent sugars loss, use of expensive corrosion resistant equipment and ease products separation.
    MeSH terms: Biochemical Phenomena; Cellulose; Choline; Corrosion; Desmosine; Glycerol; Hydrolysis; Lignin; Polysaccharides; Solvents; Urea; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Biomass; Lactic Acid
  9. Wong LS, Lu TC, Chen PK
    Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2019 Oct;48(10):1313-1316.
    PMID: 30898431 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijom.2019.02.021
    During primary cleft lip repair, a small triangular flap of about 2mm is sometimes required to achieve better symmetry of Cupid's bow. The aim of this study was to evaluate the symmetry of Cupid's bow, with and without the use of a small triangular skin flap (STSF). Forty-five children who underwent the repair of unilateral cleft lip between January 1999 and December 2000 were recruited. Twenty children had a STSF included in the repair (STSF group) an d 25 children underwent the same repair without the STSF (NSTSF group). Vermillion height was measured on the cleft and non-cleft sides using reference points. The t-test was used to compare the vermillion height ratio between the two groups. The mean age at surgery was 4±1.3months in the STSF group and 4.3±0.6years in the NSTSF group. There was no significant difference in vermillion height ratio at 5 years of age between the patients in the two groups. Thus, there is no difference in vermillion height ratio with or without a STSF in cleft lip repair. The use of a small triangular skin flap needs to be assessed carefully, as it will create an unsightly scar over the philtrum area.
    MeSH terms: Child; Child, Preschool; Cleft Lip*; Humans; Photogrammetry; Surgical Flaps; Skin Transplantation; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures*
  10. Mohan D, Iype T, Varghese S, Usha A, Mohan M
    BMJ Open, 2019 03 20;9(3):e025473.
    PMID: 30898818 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025473
    OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older adults in an urban area of South India.

    SETTING: The study was conducted in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram in the South Indian state of Kerala.

    PARTICIPANTS: The study participants were community-dwelling individuals aged 60 years and above.

    PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: MCI was the primary outcome measure and was defined using the criteria by European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium. Cognitive assessment was done using the Malayalam version of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination tool. Data were also collected on sociodemographic variables, self-reported comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes, lifestyle factors, depression, anxiety and activities of daily living.

    RESULTS: The prevalence of MCI was found to be 26.06% (95% CI of 22.12 to 30.43). History of imbalance on walking (adjusted OR 2.75; 95 % CI of 1.46 to 5.17), presence of depression (adjusted OR 2.17, 95 % CI of 1.21 to 3.89), anxiety (adjusted OR 2.22; 95 % CI of 1.21 to 4.05) and alcohol use (adjusted OR 1.99; 95 % CI of 1.02 to 3.86) were positively associated with MCI while leisure activities at home (adjusted OR 0.33; 95 % CI of 0.11 to 0.95) were negatively associated.

    CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MCI is high in Kerala. It is important that the health system and the government take up urgent measures to tackle this emerging public health issue.

    MeSH terms: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; India/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Urban Population*; Prevalence; Logistic Models; Mild Cognitive Impairment/epidemiology*
  11. Taylor D, Hartmann D, Dezecache G, Te Wong S, Davila-Ross M
    Sci Rep, 2019 03 21;9(1):4961.
    PMID: 30899046 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39932-6
    Facial mimicry is a central feature of human social interactions. Although it has been evidenced in other mammals, no study has yet shown that this phenomenon can reach the level of precision seem in humans and gorillas. Here, we studied the facial complexity of group-housed sun bears, a typically solitary species, with special focus on testing for exact facial mimicry. Our results provided evidence that the bears have the ability to mimic the expressions of their conspecifics and that they do so by matching the exact facial variants they interact with. In addition, the data showed the bears produced the open-mouth faces predominantly when they received the recipient's attention, suggesting a degree of social sensitivity. Our finding questions the relationship between communicative complexity and social complexity, and suggests the possibility that the capacity for complex facial communication is phylogenetically more widespread than previously thought.
    MeSH terms: Biological Mimicry/physiology*; Animals; Ursidae/physiology*; Facial Expression*; Interpersonal Relations*; Play and Playthings
  12. Abdulrahman SA, Ganasegeran K, Rampal L, Martins OF
    AIDS Rev, 2019;21(1):28-39.
    PMID: 30899114 DOI: 10.24875/AIDSRev.19000037
    Successful HIV treatment is contingent on sustained high levels of treatment adherence. Several barriers to optimal adherence have been documented. In this article, we first review the global burden of non-adherence among HIV/AIDS positive individuals on a public health scale. Second, we synthesized available evidence from different study designs and stratified across the European, African, and Asian literature to determine the factors influencing adherence to scheduled clinic appointments and medication non-adherence. Third, we discuss common measurement techniques that quantify the magnitude of non-adherence, their relative advantages and limitations in current practice. From January to May 2018, we reviewed guidelines, standard operating procedures, journal articles, and book chapters on treatment adherence among HIV patients receiving adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally. We searched PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews with the search terms "adherence," "adherence behavior," "medication adherence," and "HIV patients," or "HIV/AIDS," and "Antiretroviral Therapy" or "ART" or "ARVs" or "highly active ART " from 2000 to 2017. We also identified articles through searches of authors' files and previous research on HIV. We included only papers published in English in this review. We then generated a final list of reference on the basis of originality and the broad scope of this review. We found rich literature evidence of research findings and best practice recommendations on the importance of adherence in HIV/AIDS management, a general understanding of factors associated with non-adherence and approaches to investigating non-adherence behavior among different populations. We observed significant contextual differences exist with regard to barriers and burden of non-adherence among these populations.
    MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Books; Humans; Public Health; Publications; HIV Infections; MEDLINE; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; PubMed; Medication Adherence
  13. Yusof HA, Aziz AR, Muhamed AMC
    Biol Sport, 2019 Mar;36(1):81-94.
    PMID: 30899143 DOI: 10.5114/biolsport.2019.79975
    We examined the association between the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) I/D gene polymorphism and isometric handgrip (IHG) training on cardiovascular and muscular responses among normotensive males. Thirty (II = 10, ID = 10, and DD = 10) normotensive untrained males underwent IHG training at 30% of their maximal voluntary contraction 3 days per week for 8 weeks. Cardiovascular and muscular variables were measured before IHG, after a session of IHG and after 8 weeks of IHG. No significant interaction effect was found between ACE I/D genotype and IHG training session on all dependent variables (all p > 0.05). There was a significant main effect of IHG training session on systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p = 0.002), mean arterial pressure (MAP) (p = 0.015) and handgrip strength (HGS) (p = 0.001) scores, while no difference in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure, or heart rate scores was found. A greater improvement in cardiovascular parameters following 8 weeks of IHG training was observed in participants with the D allele than the I allele (SBP reduction: ID+DD genotype group (-5.53 ± 6.2 mmHg) vs. II genotype group (-1.52 ± 5.3 mmHg)); MAP reduction: ID + DD genotype group (-2.80 ± 4.5 mmHg) vs. II genotype group (-1.45 ± 3.5 mmHg). Eight weeks of IHG training improved cardiovascular and muscular performances of normotensive men. Reduction in SBP and MAP scores in D allele carriers compared to I allele carriers indicates that the ACE I/D polymorphism may have an influence on IHG training adaptation in a normotensive population.
  14. Khan HA, Alamery S, Ibrahim KE, El-Nagar DM, Al-Harbi N, Rusop M, et al.
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2019 Mar;26(3):625-631.
    PMID: 30899181 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2018.09.012
    Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are among the ideal nano-sized materials for medical applications such as imaging and drug delivery. Considering the significance of recent reports on acute phase induction of inflammatory mediators by GNPs, we studied the effect of GNPs on proinflammatory cytokines gene expression in mouse brain. Group 1 served as control whereas groups 2-4 were given only one intraperitoneal dose of 5, 20 and 50 nm GNPs, respectively and sacrificed after 24 h. The animals in groups 5-7 also received the same treatment but sacrificed after 7 days. Groups 8-10 received two injections of GNPs (5, 20 and 50 nm, respectively), first at the beginning of study and second on day 6, and sacrificed on day 7. Total RNA was extracted from the cerebral tissue and analyzed for the gene expressions of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. A single injection of 5 nm diameter GNPs significantly increased the mRNA expression of IL-1β and IL-6 in mouse brain on day 7, which was not augmented by the second dose of the same GNPs. Larger size GNPs (20 nm and 50 nm) did not cause any significant change in the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in mouse brain. In conclusion, systemic administration of small sized GNPs (5 nm) induced a proinflammatory cascade in mouse brain indicating a crucial role of GNPs size on immune response. It is important to use the right sized GNPs in order to avoid an acute phase inflammatory response that could be cytotoxic or interfere with the bioavailability of nanomaterials.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Biological Availability; Brain; Gold; Aurothioglucose; RNA; RNA, Messenger; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Interleukin-6; Cytokines; Drug Delivery Systems; Inflammation Mediators; Mice; Interleukin-1beta; Metal Nanoparticles
  15. Sani D, Khatab NIO, Kirby BP, Yong A, Hasan S, Basri H, et al.
    J Adv Res, 2019 Mar;16:87-97.
    PMID: 30899592 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2018.11.005
    Substantial evidence has shown that most cases of memory impairment are associated with increased neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. In this study, the potential of a standardised Andrographis paniculata aqueous extract (APAE) to reverse neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was examined in vivo. Rats were treated with APAE (50, 100, 200, and 400 mg·kg-1, p.o.) for 7 consecutive days prior to LPS (1 mg·kg-1, i.p.)-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. Spatial learning and memory were evaluated using the Morris water maze (MWM) test, while neuroinflammation and oxidative stress were assessed through the measurement of specific mediators, namely, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), antioxidant glutathione (GSH), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS). Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) were also evaluated. LPS caused significant memory deficits in the 2-day MWM protocol, whereas pretreatment with standardised APAE dose-dependently improved performance in the MWM test. APAE treatment also blocked the LPS-induced hippocampal increase in the concentration and expression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and production of ROS and TBARS and enhanced the activities of AChE and BChE. Furthermore, APAE enhanced the decrease in the levels and expression of hippocampal antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) following LPS-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive deficit. The findings from these studies suggested that standardised APAE improved memory and had potent neuroprotective effects against LPS-induced neurotoxicity.
    MeSH terms: Acetylcholinesterase; Animals; Antioxidants; Butyrylcholinesterase; Catalase; Cognition; Glutathione; Hippocampus; Lipopolysaccharides; Memory Disorders; Superoxide Dismutase; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Water; Interleukin-6; Cytokines; Reactive Oxygen Species; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; Oxidative Stress; Neuroprotective Agents; Andrographis; Rats; Spatial Learning
  16. Washif JA, Teichmann J, Kok LY, Schmidtbleicher D
    J Exerc Rehabil, 2019 Feb;15(1):139-147.
    PMID: 30899750 DOI: 10.12965/jer.1836532.266
    Low back pain (LBP) is a common disabling health problem that can cause decreased spine proprioception. Stochastic resonance (SR) can influence detection performance, besides improving patients with significant sensory deficits, but have not been thoroughly tested for LBP. This study aimed to examine the application of SR therapy (SRT) and strength training for LBP treatment. The subject was a resistance-trained male in his early thirties. His back pain was unbearable after a strength training session. Standard pain relief alleviated the pain but the LBP developed at a similar intensity after 4 weeks. SRT (4-5 sets ×90 sec, 30-sec rest interval, supine position) was prescribed along with other exercises for 3 weeks (phase 1), and followed by tailor-made strength training for 16 weeks (phase 2). The Oswestry Disability Index was 66.7% (interpreted as "crippled") prior to first SRT, and reduced to minimal levels of 15.6% and 6.7% after four and seven SRT sessions, respectively. Similarly, pain intensity was ranging from 5 to 9 (distracting-severe) of the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11) prior to the first session but this was reduced considerably after four sessions (NRS-11: 0-1). During phase 2, the patient performed without complaining of LBP, two repetitions of bench press exercise at a load intensity of 1.2 his body weight and attained 4 min of plank stabilisation. This LBP management strategy has a clinically meaningful effect on pain intensity, disability, and functional mobility, by receding the recurrent distracting to severe LBP.
  17. Thangaraju S, Tauber M, Habermeyer P, Martetschläger F
    Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc, 2019 Dec;27(12):3797-3802.
    PMID: 30900030 DOI: 10.1007/s00167-019-05482-7
    PURPOSE: Arthroscopic-assisted stabilization surgery for acute acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) disruption shows excellent and reliable clinical outcomes. However, characteristic complications such as fracture of the clavicle and coracoid have been reported to occur during the early post-operative period. The main goal of this study was to highlight the occurrence of fractures as a late post-operative complication. The secondary goals were to describe possible fracture morphologies and treatment outcomes.

    METHOD: Patient records from a single surgery centre were searched for all patients presenting with late fracture complication following arthroscopically assisted acromioclavicular stabilization. Medical reports including the operative notes and pre- and post-operative X-rays were reviewed. A telephone interview was conducted with each patient to access the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons shoulder score.

    RESULTS: A total of four patients presented with late fracture complication following arthroscopic-assisted ACJ stabilization surgery. All patients were males and presented following trauma at a median duration of 19.5 months after the index surgery. Fracture morphology differed between patients; the treatment was conservative in three patients, while one patient underwent osteosynthesis.

    CONCLUSION: Traumatic peri-implant fractures can occur, even 2 years after arthroscopically assisted ACJ reconstruction. This needs to be considered when planning for surgical intervention in acute ACJ disruption, especially in a high-risk population.

    LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, Level IV.

    MeSH terms: Acromioclavicular Joint/surgery*; Adult; Aged; Arthroscopy*; Clavicle/injuries*; Clavicle/surgery; Female; Fracture Fixation, Internal; Humans; Immobilization; Joint Instability/surgery*; Male; Postoperative Complications; Radiography; Periprosthetic Fractures/therapy*; Coracoid Process/injuries*; Coracoid Process/diagnostic imaging
  18. Tariq FS, Samsuri AW, Karam DS, Aris AZ, Jamilu G
    Environ Monit Assess, 2019 Mar 21;191(4):232.
    PMID: 30900076 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7359-6
    This study was conducted to determine the effects of rice husk ash (RHA) and Fe-coated rice husk ash (Fe-RHA) on the bioavailability and mobility of As, Cd, and Mn in mine tailings. The amendments were added to the tailings at 0, 5, 10, or 20% (w/w) and the mixtures were incubated for 0, 7, 15, 30, 45, and 60 days. The CaCl2 extractable As, Cd, and Mn in the amended tailings were determined at each interval of incubation period. In addition, the tailings mixture was leached with simulated rain water (SRW) every week from 0 day (D 0) until day 60 (D 60). The results showed that both RHA and Fe-RHA application significantly decreased the CaCl2-extractable Cd and Mn but increased that of As in the tailings throughout the incubation period. Consequently, addition of both RHA and Fe-RHA leached out higher amount of As from the tailings but decreased Cd and Mn concentration compared to the controls. The amount of As leached from the Fe-RHA-amended tailings was less than that from RHA-amended tailings. Application of both RHA and Fe-RHA could be an effective way in decreasing the availability of cationic heavy metals (Cd and Mn) in the tailings but these amendments could result in increasing the availability of anionic metalloid (As). Therefore, selection of organic amendments to remediate metal-contaminated tailings must be done with great care because the outcomes might be different among the elements.
    MeSH terms: Arsenic/analysis; Arsenic/chemistry; Biological Availability; Cadmium/analysis; Cadmium/chemistry; Charcoal/chemistry; Environmental Monitoring*; Gold; Manganese/analysis; Manganese/chemistry; Mining*; Oryza; Soil Pollutants/analysis*; Metals, Heavy/analysis*
  19. Kato TA, Katsuki R, Kubo H, Shimokawa N, Sato-Kasai M, Hayakawa K, et al.
    Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2019 Aug;73(8):448-457.
    PMID: 30900331 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12842
    AIM: Understanding premorbid personality is important, especially when considering treatment selection. Historically, the premorbid personality of patients with major depression in Japan was described as Shuchaku-kishitsu [similar to Typus melancholicus], as proposed by Shimoda in the 1930s. Since around 2000, there have been increased reports in Japan of young adults with depression who have had premorbid personality differing from the traditional type. In 2005, Tarumi termed this novel condition 'dysthymic-type depression,' and more recently the condition has been called Shin-gata/Gendai-gata Utsu-byo [modern-type depression (MTD)]. We recently developed a semi-structured diagnostic interview to evaluate MTD. Development of a tool that enables understanding of premorbid personality in a short time, especially at the early stage of treatment, is desirable. The object of this study was to develop a self-report scale to evaluate the traits of MTD, and to assess the scale's psychometric properties, diagnostic accuracy, and biological validity.

    METHODS: A sample of 340 participants from clinical and community settings completed measures. Psychometric properties were assessed with factor analysis. Diagnostic accuracy of the MTD traits was compared against a semi-structured interview.

    RESULTS: The questionnaire contained 22 items across three subscales, thus we termed it the 22-item Tarumi's Modern-Type Depression Trait Scale: Avoidance of Social Roles, Complaint, and Low Self-Esteem (TACS-22). Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity were all satisfactory. Among patients with major depression, the area under the curve was 0.757 (sensitivity of 63.1% and specificity of 82.9%) and the score was positively correlated with plasma tryptophan.

    CONCLUSION: The TACS-22 possessed adequate psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy in an initial sample of Japanese adults. Additional research on its ability to support clinical assessment of MTD is warranted.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Depression/blood; Depression/diagnosis*; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales/statistics & numerical data*; Psychometrics; Self Concept*; Sensitivity and Specificity; Social Behavior*; Tryptophan/blood; Young Adult; Self Report; Prodromal Symptoms*
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