Browse publications by year: 2020

  1. Chang WJ, Yao Z, Li S
    Zookeys, 2020;961:41-118.
    PMID: 32904093 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.961.53058
    Previously, the genus Merizocera Fage, 1912 comprised only seven species from Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. In this study, 28 new species are described from South and Southeast Asia: M. baoshan Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. betong Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. colombo Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. galle Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. hponkanrazi Li, sp. nov. (♂), M. kachin Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. kandy Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. mandai Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. krabi Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. kurunegala Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. lincang Li, sp. nov. (♀), M. mainling Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. nyingchi Li, sp. nov. (♀), M. peraderiya Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. phuket Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. putao Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. ranong Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. ratnapura Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. salawa Li, sp. nov. (♂), M. tak Li, sp. nov. (♀), M. tanintharyi Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. tengchong Li, sp. nov. (♂), M. thenna Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. uva Li, sp. nov. (♀), M. wenshan Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. wui Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), M. yala Li, sp. nov. (♀), and M. yuxi Li, sp. nov. (♂♀). Among them the genus Merizocera is reported for the first time from China, Myanmar, and Singapore.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Asia, Southeastern; Myanmar; China; Indonesia; Malaysia; Singapore; Spiders; Sri Lanka; Thailand
  2. Dorairaj D, Suradi MF, Mansor NS, Osman N
    PeerJ, 2020;8:e9595.
    PMID: 32904129 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9595
    Globally, there has been an increase in the frequency of landslides which is the result of slope failures. The combination of high intensity rainfall and high temperature resulted in the formation of acidic soil which is detrimental to the healthy growth of plants. Proper plant coverage on slopes is a prerequisite to mitigate and rehabilitate the soil. However, not all plant species are able to grow in marginal land. Thus, this study was undertaken to find a suitable slope plant species. We aimed to evaluate the effect of different soil pH on root profiles and growth of three different potential slope plant species namely, Melastoma malabathricum, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Syzygium campanulatum. M. malabathricum showed the highest tolerance to acidic soil as it recorded the highest plant height and photosynthetic rate. The root systems of M. malabathricum, H. rosa-sinensis and S. campanulatum were identified as M, VH- and R-types, respectively. The study proposed M. malabathricum which possessed dense and shallow roots to be planted at the toe or top of the slope while H. rosa-sinensis and S. campanulatum to be planted in the middle of a slope. S. campanulatum consistently recorded high root length and root length density across all three types of soil pH while M. malabathricum showed progressive increase in length as the soil pH increased. The root average diameter and root volume of M. malabathricum outperformed the other two plant species irrespective of soil pH. In terms of biomass, M. malabathricum exhibited the highest root and shoot dry weights followed by S. campanulatum. Thus, we propose M. malabathricum to be planted on slopes as a form of soil rehabilitation. The plant species displayed denser rooting, hence a stronger root anchorage that can hold the soil particles together which will be beneficial for slope stabilization.
    MeSH terms: Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Photosynthesis; Plants; Soil; Temperature; Toes; Biomass; Rosa; Syzygium; Hibiscus; Melastomataceae; Landslides
  3. Crous PW, Wingfield MJ, Schumacher RK, Akulov A, Bulgakov TS, Carnegie AJ, et al.
    Fungal Syst Evol, 2020 Dec;6:157-231.
    PMID: 32904192 DOI: 10.3114/fuse.2020.06.09
    Seven new genera, 26 new species, 10 new combinations, two epitypes, one new name, and 20 interesting new host and / or geographical records are introduced in this study. New genera are: Italiofungus (based on Italiofungus phillyreae) on leaves of Phillyrea latifolia (Italy); Neolamproconium (based on Neolamproconium silvestre) on branch of Tilia sp. (Ukraine); Neosorocybe (based on Neosorocybe pini) on trunk of Pinus sylvestris (Ukraine); Nothoseptoria (based on Nothoseptoria caraganae) on leaves of Caragana arborescens (Russia); Pruniphilomyces (based on Pruniphilomyces circumscissus) on Prunus cerasus (Russia); Vesiculozygosporium (based on Vesiculozygosporium echinosporum) on leaves of Muntingia calabura (Malaysia); Longiseptatispora (based on Longiseptatispora curvata) on leaves of Lonicera tatarica (Russia). New species are: Barrmaelia serenoae on leaf of Serenoa repens (USA); Chaetopsina gautengina on leaves of unidentified grass (South Africa); Chloridium pini on fallen trunk of Pinus sylvestris (Ukraine); Cadophora fallopiae on stems of Reynoutria sachalinensis (Poland); Coleophoma eucalyptigena on leaf litter of Eucalyptus sp. (Spain); Cylindrium corymbiae on leaves of Corymbia maculata (Australia); Diaporthe tarchonanthi on leaves of Tarchonanthus littoralis (South Africa); Elsinoe eucalyptorum on leaves of Eucalyptus propinqua (Australia); Exophiala quercina on dead wood of Quercus sp., (Germany); Fusarium californicum on cambium of budwood of Prunus dulcis (USA); Hypomyces gamsii on wood of Alnus glutinosa (Ukraine); Kalmusia araucariae on leaves of Araucaria bidwillii (USA); Lectera sambuci on leaves of Sambucus nigra (Russia); Melanomma populicola on fallen twig of Populus canadensis (Netherlands), Neocladosporium syringae on branches of Syringa vulgarishorus (Ukraine); Paraconiothyrium iridis on leaves of Iris pseudacorus (Ukraine); Pararoussoella quercina on branch of Quercus robur (Ukraine); Phialemonium pulveris from bore dust of deathwatch beetle (France); Polyscytalum pinicola on needles of Pinus tecunumanii (Malaysia); Acervuloseptoria fraxini on Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Russia); Roussoella arundinacea on culms of Arundo donax (Spain); Sphaerulina neoaceris on leaves of Acer negundo (Russia); Sphaerulina salicicola on leaves of Salix fragilis (Russia); Trichomerium syzygii on leaves of Syzygium cordatum (South Africa); Uzbekistanica vitis-viniferae on dead stem of Vitis vinifera (Ukraine); Vermiculariopsiella eucalyptigena on leaves of Eucalyptus sp. (Australia).
  4. Rahman MNIA, Jeofry H, Basarian MS
    Data Brief, 2020 Oct;32:106194.
    PMID: 32904202 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106194
    The survey data on potential aquifer was collected at two sites located in Banggi Island (i.e. Laksian Primary School [LPS] and Padang Primary School [PPS]), Malaysia on 25 and 26 April 2013. Both locations are geologically surrounded by various types of lithologies, namely, sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, shale, chert, conglomerate, lignite, tuff, limestone, terrace sand, gravel and coral. The resistivity data consisted of six-line pole-dipole short arrays and were recorded in-situ using SAS 4000 ABEM Lund Imaging System, together with a relay switching unit (Electrode Selector ES 464), six multiconductor cables, steel rod electrodes and jumpers. The data, namely electrode spacing, depth of investigation, subsurface resistivity, type of material and horizontal data coverage were used to assess the characteristics of the potential aquifer. The recorded data were then processed using RES2DINV software to obtain 2-D inversion model of the subsurface. The data were also equipped with six models of inverse resistivity section for both areas. The data obtained can be used by the government and stakeholders for groundwater exploration and extraction in order to provide water supplies for local communities, especially since access to these resources from the surrounding water treatment plants on the island is limited.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Calcium Carbonate; Coal; Electrodes; Geology; Government; Malaysia; Surveys and Questionnaires; Software; Steel; Water Supply; Water Purification; Anthozoa; Groundwater; Islands
  5. Okomoda VT, Koh ICC, Hassan A, Oladimeji AS, Ikhwanuddin M, Abol-Munafi AB, et al.
    Data Brief, 2020 Oct;32:106151.
    PMID: 32904264 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106151
    Discrimination of different fishes can be done through different means which includes morphological appearance. When two fishes are successfully hybridized, they produce progenies that have shared morphology between their pure parent, hence, making morphometric characterization an important aspect of hybrid discrimination. However, erythrocyte characterization is also a simpler method for characterization. The dataset presented in this article represents the traditional morphological data, truss network data and erythrocyte data of pure and novel hybrids from reciprocal crosses of African catfish Clarias gariepinus and Asian catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. Breeding of the broodstocks was done to produce pure and hybrid progenies which were maintained for a period of four to six months. Based on the cross combinations and morphotypes, traditional measurement of twenty-five morphological characters and five meristic counts were recorded. Thereafter pictures of the different fish groups were used to determine values of thirty-six distances between ten landmark points. The morphological abnormality of the hybrids at market size is also presented in this data article for the very first time. Blood was then collected from the caudal peduncle of ten fish per group and smeared on a slide for observation under a compound microscope (at 100 × magnification). Data gotten included erythrocytes parameters such as cell major axis, cell minor axis, nucleus major axis, nucleus minor axis cell area, nucleus area, cell volume, and nucleus volume. Data recording was through the Microsoft excel spreadsheet; which was also used to process the data to get the exclusive ranges of values for paired progenies. The data as presented is associated with the research article "Morphological characterization of the progenies of pure and reciprocal crosses of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878) and Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)" [1]. The dataset presented in this article can be used for easy identification of the novel hybrid progenies of the African Catfish and Asian Catfish.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Breeding; Catfishes; Erythrocyte Indices; Erythrocytes; Hybridization, Genetic; Cell Size; Cell Nucleus Size
  6. Arnuphapprasert A, Riana E, Ngamprasertwong T, Wangthongchaicharoen M, Soisook P, Thanee S, et al.
    PMID: 32904325 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.07.010
    Malaria parasites in the phylum Apicomplexa (Order: Haemosporida) infect diverse vertebrates and invertebrate hosts. At least seven genera of haemosporidian parasites have been described to exclusively infect bats. Most of these parasites remain enigmatic with a poorly known host range. Here, we investigated 271 bats belonging to 21 species and seven families from six provinces of Thailand. Overall, 124 out of 271 bats (45.8%) were positive for haemosporidian parasites, while none had Plasmodium, based on microscopic examination of blood smears and PCR amplification. We obtained 19 distinct cytochrome b (cytb) nucleotide haplotypes of Hepatocystis from seven bat species (families: Craseonycteridae, Hipposideridae, Pteropodidae, and Rhinolophidae). Nycteria was found in four bat species (Craseonycteridae, Emballonuridae, Megadermatidae, and Pteropodidae) and Polychromophilus in two species (Emballonuridae, Vespertilionidae). Phylogenetic analysis inferred from cytb sequences placed Hepatocystis into 2 different clades. Most Hepatocystis infections were found in insectivorous bats and clustered together with a sequence from Hipposideros larvatus in Cambodia (in subclade 1a). A single sequence of Hepatocystis obtained from a frugivorous bat, Cynopterus brachyotis, was placed in the same clade with Hepatocystis from the same bat species previously reported in Malaysia (clade 2). Nycteria in these Thai bats were clearly separated from the African isolates previously reported in bats in the family Rhinolophidae. Polychromophilus murinus from Myotis siligorensis was placed in a distinct clade (clade 2) from Polychromophilus melanipherus isolated from Taphozous melanopogon (clade 1). These results confirmed that at least two distinct species of Polychromophilus are found in Thailand. Collectively, Hepatocystis presented no host specificity. Although Megaderma spasma seemed to be infected by only Nycteria, its respective parasite does not show specificity to only a single bat host. Polychromophilus murinus and P. melanipherus seem to infect a narrower host range or are somehow restricted to bats in the families Vespertilionidae and Emballonuridae, respectively.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Cambodia; Chiroptera; Haplotypes; Insectivora; Malaria; Malaysia; Parasites; Phylogeny; Plasmodium; Thailand; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Apicomplexa; Haemosporida; Cytochromes b; Host Specificity
  7. Abu Bakar MF, Kamerkar U, Abdul Rahman SN, Muhd Sakaff MKL, Othman AS
    Data Brief, 2020 Oct;32:106188.
    PMID: 32904357 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106188
    Hevea brasiliensis is exploited for its latex production, and it is the only viable source of natural rubber worldwide. The demand for natural rubber remains high due its high-quality properties, which synthetic rubber cannot compete with. In this paper, we present transcriptomic data and analysis of three H. brasiliensis clones using tissue from latex and bark tissues collected from 10-year-old plant. The combined, assembled transcripts were mapped onto an H. brasiliensis draft genome. Gene ontology analysis showed that the most abundant transcripts related to molecular functions, followed by biological processes and cellular components. Simple sequence repeats (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were also identified, and these can be useful for selection of parental and new clones in a breeding program. Data generated by RNA sequencing were deposited in the NCBI public repository under accession number PRJNA629890.
    MeSH terms: Biological Phenomena; Breeding; Latex; Polymers; Terpenes; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Microsatellite Repeats; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Elastomers; Plant Bark; Hevea; Transcriptome; Gene Ontology
  8. Zaidi NS, Muda K, Sohaili J, Loan LW, Sillanpää M
    3 Biotech, 2020 Sep;10(9):408.
    PMID: 32904368 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-02398-9
    The aim of the present study is to investigate the potential of magnetic field application as an alternative approach for controlling sludge bulking due to long sludge retention time (SRT) while enhancing nitrification efficiency upon the occurrence. Two sequencing batch reactors, reactor A (SBRA, magnetic field intensity 88.0 mT) and reactor B (SBRB, control) were operated under long SRT to induce the growth of filamentous microorganisms. The effect of magnetic field on nitrification, viz. ammonia-nitrogen (NH4-N) and nitrite removal, as well as biomass properties were studied under the sludge bulking condition. Results indicated that nitrification efficiency of SBRA was consistently higher with 90% NH4-N removal and 74-81% nitrite removal, which could be credited to the enhanced biomass properties of activated sludge due to the induced magnetic field. Metabolism activity and biodegradability of aerobic bacteria were also enhanced through the application of magnetic field, even under long SRT condition. This was evidenced by the average oxygen uptake rate (OUR) in SBRA that was higher with 11.7 ± 1.2 mg/L·h compared to SBRB with 9.5 ± 0.4 mg/L·h. Occurrence of filamentous sludge bulking was likewise minimized.
  9. Zaidul ISM, Fahim TK, Sahena F, Azad AK, Rashid MA, Hossain MS
    Data Brief, 2020 Oct;32:106111.
    PMID: 32904423 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106111
    Data examines the effect of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) HPMC15 cP, and HPMC 5 cP polymer composition on the physicochemical traits of encapsulated oil made using lab scale spray drying (180 °C). The data found showed that the properties of the reconstituted fish oil powder are significantly affected by the polymer's composition and ratio (p < 0.05). In this experiment, powder with the particle sizes below 60 μm was produced and it was observed that HPMC is a good emulsifier for all formulations and the encapsulation efficiency is high with 75.21% for AF1 formulation. It was also observed that the process of fish oil encapsulation employed by HPMC 5 cP produce a more volatile oil powder, while encapsulation with HPMC 15 cP produced a more stable fish oil powder. These finding shows that the utilisation of HPMC as a polymer to encapsulate fish oil can produce a more efficient and stable compound.
    MeSH terms: Desiccation; Fish Oils; Oils, Volatile; Particle Size; Polymers; Powders; Emulsifying Agents; Hypromellose Derivatives
  10. Islam MR, Ali Khan MM, Hossain MM, C Mani KK, Min RM
    Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci, 2020 06 08;10(2):70-75.
    PMID: 32904453 DOI: 10.4103/IJCIIS.IJCIIS_65_19
    Purpose: The study aimed to identify the characteristics of road traffic accident (RTA) and to determine the role of different socioeconomic and demographic factors on the knowledge and awareness about traffic rules among people in Bangladesh.

    Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study.

    Methods: To conduct this study, 700 primary data were collected from respondents who were involved in RTA by interviewing in medical college hospitals and several private clinics of Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Khulna division in Bangladesh. For the achievement of the objective, the Chi-square test, Cramer's V correlation, and the logistic regression model have been applied in this study.

    Results: Traffic rules violation was identified as the second-most important reason behind RTA. Respondent's age, gender, residence, education, occupation, awareness about RTA, etc., were significantly associated with having knowledge and awareness about traffic rules. The result of multivariate analysis showed that respondent's age (<30: odds ratio [OR] = 2.019, confidence interval [CI]: 1.377-2.960); residence (rural: OR = 0.288, CI: 0.193-0.431); education (literate: OR = 5.064, CI: 3.332-7.698); and categories of victims (driver: OR = 2.731, CI: 1.676-4.450 and passenger: 1.869, CI: 1.198-2.916) were the vital predictors of having knowledge and awareness about traffic rules.

    Conclusions: By imposing strict traffic act, increasing public awareness through various types of education and awareness/outreach about traffic rules-related program, especially in rural areas, by strictly prohibiting the license giving to unskilled drivers or unfit vehicles, RTA can be minimized.

  11. Rupani PF, Nilashi M, Abumalloh RA, Asadi S, Samad S, Wang S
    Int J Environ Sci Technol (Tehran), 2020;17(11):4655-4666.
    PMID: 32904898 DOI: 10.1007/s13762-020-02910-x
    Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the official name of a respiratory infectious disease caused by a new coronavirus that started first in Wuhan, China, and outspread worldwide with an unexpectedly fast speed. Flights have been canceled worldwide and transportation has been closed nationwide and across international borders. As a consequence, the economic activity has been stopped and stock markets have been dropped. The COVID-19 lockdown has several social and economic effects. Additionally, COVID-19 has caused several impacts on global migration. On the other hand, such lockdown, along with minimal human mobility, has impacted the natural environment somewhat positively. Overall carbon emissions have dropped, and the COVID-19 lockdown has led to an improvement in air quality and a reduction in water pollution in many cities around the globe. A summary of the existing reports of the environmental impacts of COVID-19 pandemic are discussed and the important findings are presented focusing on several aspects: air pollution, waste management, air quality improvements, waste fires, wildlife, global migration, and sustainability.
  12. Kadir MA, Abdul Razak FI, Haris NSH
    Data Brief, 2020 Oct;32:106263.
    PMID: 32905010 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106263
    The data in this article provide information on spectroscopic and theoretical data for p-chlorocalix[4]arene when combined with selected drugs, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, and cetirizine. The present spectroscopic data are generated from Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR and 13C NMR), and Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) as the key tools for molecular characterization. The measurement of the optimization energy, interaction energy, and the band gap energy between the molecules was calculated by Gaussian 09 software. It is interesting to note that of the three titled drugs identified, p-chlorocalix[4]arene showed the highest interaction energy with paracetamol, followed by ibuprofen and cetirizine.
    MeSH terms: Acetaminophen; Carbon Isotopes; Fourier Analysis; Ibuprofen; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Software; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Normal Distribution; Cetirizine; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Carbon-13 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  13. Rajesh G, Binnal A, H Pai MB, Nayak SV, Shenoy R, Rao A
    Indian J Community Med, 2020 06 02;45(2):220-224.
    PMID: 32905107 DOI: 10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_104_19
    Background: The frequency of occurrence of disasters is on the rise all over the world. Workforce shortage can be a major impediment toward efficient disaster management. Incorporation of other health-care workers along with conventional medical personnel might be critical for efficient and effective management of disasters.

    Objective: The objective of this study was to assess various aspects pertaining to disaster management among various health-care students in India.

    Methods: Final-year students pursuing medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy, Ayurveda, and homeopathy at various institutions in Mangalore, India, were the study participants. Participants' willingness to partake in disaster management and knowledge, attitude, behavior, and perceived effectiveness pertaining to disaster management was ascertained by a questionnaire method. Their previous history of training and familiarity with standard operating procedures was assessed.

    Results: A total of 437 students belonging to seven health-care institutions participated in the study. Overall, 98.40% of the participants were willing to partake in disaster management. The mean knowledge, attitude, behavior, and perceived effectiveness scores were 49.19%, 81.75%, 47.28%, and 66.20%, respectively. Step-wise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that course (β = 0.247, P < 0.001), attitude (β = 0.154,P = 0.001), and behavior (β = 0.284, P < 0.001) were significant predictors of perceived effectiveness.

    Conclusions: Participants in the present study revealed that they were willing to partake in disaster management. The participants also reported poor behavior and knowledge scores but appropriate attitude scores. The present study highlights the need for curriculum changes and policy implications for effective integration of various sectors for disaster management, particularly in developing nations such as India, which have a definite scarcity of resources.

  14. Senthilkumar S, Venugopal C, Parveen S, K S, Rai KS, Kutty BM, et al.
    Neurotoxicology, 2020 12;81:89-100.
    PMID: 32905802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.08.006
    Stem cell therapy provides a ray of hope for treating neurodegenerative diseases (ND). Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) were extensively investigated for their role in neuroregeneration. However, drawbacks like painful bone marrow extraction, less proliferation and poor CNS engraftment following systemic injections of BM-MSC prompt us to search for alternate/appropriate source of MSC for treating ND. In this context, dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) could be an alternative to BM-MSC as it possess both mesenchymal and neural characteristic features due to its origin from ectoderm, ease of isolation, higher proliferation index and better neuroprotection. A study on the migration potential of DPSC compared to BM-MSC in a neurodegenerative condition is warranted. Given the neural crest origin, we hypothesize that DPSC possess better migration towards neurodegenerative milieu as compared to BM-MSC. In this prospect, we investigated the migration potential of DPSC in an in vitro neurodegenerative condition. Towards this, transwell, Matrigel and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) migration assays were carried-out by seeding hippocampal neurons in the lower chamber and treated with 300 μM kainic acid (KA) for 6 h to induce neurodegeneration. Subsequently, the upper chamber of transwell was loaded with DPSC/BM-MSC and their migration potential was assessed following 24 h of incubation. Our results revealed that the migration potential of DPSC/BM-MSC was comparable in non-degenerative condition. However, following injury the migration potential of DPSC towards the degenerating site was significantly higher as compared to BM-MSC. Furthermore, upon exposure of naïve DPSC/BM-MSCs to culture medium derived from neurodegenerative milieu resulted in significant upregulation of homing factors like SDF-1alpha, CXCR-4, VCAM-1, VLA-4, CD44, MMP-2 suggesting that the superior migration potential of DPSC might be due to prompt expression of homing factors in DPSC compared to BM-MSCs.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Cells, Cultured; Chemotaxis*; Dental Pulp/cytology*; Hippocampus/drug effects; Hippocampus/metabolism; Hippocampus/pathology*; Humans; Kainic Acid/toxicity; Nerve Degeneration*; Phenotype; Stem Cells/metabolism; Stem Cells/physiology*; Culture Media, Conditioned/metabolism; Coculture Techniques; Paracrine Communication*; Mice; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/physiology
  15. Cao H, Wu X, Syed-Hassan SSA, Zhang S, Mood SH, Milan YJ, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2020 Dec;318:124063.
    PMID: 32905948 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124063
    Biochar modified with calcium source is acted as an effective adsorbent for phosphorous recovery. In this research, eggshell is used as a low-cost and environmentally friendly calcium source to replace chemical reagents such as CaCO3, Ca(OH)2 and CaCl2 used in the modified biochar production. Biochar derived from rape straw and modified with eggshell shows prominent phosphorous adsorption performance (e.g., equilibrium adsorption amount, 109.7 mg/g). The kinetic and isotherm analysis demonstrate that chemical adsorption process is performed as the main controlled step for the modified biochar adsorption, and the phosphate adsorption process is composed of both monolayer adsorption and multi-layer adsorption. Moreover, it is found from the physicochemical structures comparison before and after phosphate adsorption that Ca-P precipitation, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction are identified as main adsorption mechanisms. In addition, the adsorbed phosphates are mainly distributed inside the space with pore sizes of 15-50 nm.
    MeSH terms: Adsorption; Animals; Calcium*; Charcoal; Egg Shell/chemistry; Kinetics
  16. Loh GOK, Wong EYL, Tan YTF, Lee YL, Pang LH, Chin MC, et al.
    PMID: 32905988 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2020.122337
    A simple, rapid, sensitive, and reproducible liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to determine sitagliptin in human plasma. Diphenhydramine HCl was used as internal standard (IS). The chromatographic separation was achieved using Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C18 - Fast LC column (100 × 2.1mmID, 2.7) fitted with UHPLC Guard Poroshell 120 EC-C18 (5 × 2.1mmID, 2.7 µm). The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% v/v formic acid and methanol (45:55, v/v) run at a flow rate of 0.45 mL/min at 30 °C. Methanol produced relatively cleaner plasma sample as deproteinization agent. Polytetrafluoroethylene membrane was preferred over nylon membrane as the former produced clear plasma samples. The standard calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 5-500.03 ng/mL. The within-run precision was 0.53-7.12% and accuracy 87.09-105.05%. The between-run precision was 4.74-11.68% and accuracy 95.02-97.36%. The extended run precision was 3.60-6.88% and accuracy 93.18-95.82%. The recovery of analyte and IS was consistent. Sitagliptin in plasma was stable at benchtop (short term) for 24 h, in autosampler tray for 48 h, in instrumentation room for 48 h (post-preparative), after 7 freeze-thaw cycles (-20 ± 10 °C), and 62 days in the freezer (-20 ± 10 °C). Both sitagliptin (analyte) and IS stock solutions were stable for 62 days when kept at room temperature (25 ± 4 °C) and in chiller (2-8 °C). The validated method was successfully applied to a bioequivalence study of two sitagliptin formulations involving 26 healthy Malaysian volunteers.
    MeSH terms: Sitagliptin Phosphate/blood*; Sitagliptin Phosphate/pharmacokinetics*; Sitagliptin Phosphate/chemistry; Adolescent; Adult; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods*; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Therapeutic Equivalency; Reproducibility of Results; Linear Models; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods*; Young Adult; Limit of Detection
  17. Noor Hidayah Pungot, Nurul Auni Zainal Abidin, Nur Syafiqah Atikah Nazaharuddin
    Science Letters, 2020;14(2):103-109.
    MyJurnal
    Muntingia calabura has a high phytochemical content, especially the phenolic group that can act as antioxidant. In Malaysia country, this M. calabura also known as ‘kerukup siam’ or ‘Ceri Kampung’ and it belongs to Muntingiaceae family. This research was conducted to determine the potential of antioxidant activity application of cherry leaves (M. calabura) from various solvent extracts (methanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane). The phytochemical contents was screening by using the established standard procedure. Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteau colorimetric method, while the antioxidant activity was carried out using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Phytochemical screening on the leaves part methanolic extracts revealed that the presence of various biochemicals like flavonoids, phenols, steroids, triterpenes, tannins, reducing sugars, and saponins except the alkaloids. Among the three extracts, the methanol leaf extract gave the highest content of phenolics (8.20 mg GAE/g extract). Analyses of antioxidant activity with DPPH method showed that cherry leaf methanolic extracts produced high antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 167.70 g/mL. The present study confirms that the presence of various phytochemicals which shows good antioxidant activity of M. calabura leaves. Therefore, it has the potential as a therapeutic antioxidant agent and can be used in cosmeceutical and food products.
    MeSH terms: Cosmeceuticals; Methanol; Antioxidants; Colorimetry; Flavonoids; Malaysia; Phenols; Saponins; Tannins; Thailand; Triterpenes
  18. Sarina Mohamad, Nur Atiqah Abd Hadi, Tun Mohd Firdaus Azis, Nur Syafiqah Rahim
    Science Letters, 2020;14(2):94-102.
    MyJurnal
    Infection on plant caused by Aspergillus niger leads to the destruction of quantity and quality of crop yields. Normally, this disease is solved by the chemical fungicides. Therefore, this study was carried out to seek a potential natural fungicide from fruit waste which is safer and economical to inhibit Aspergillus niger. Cucurbita maxima (pumpkin) seeds and Punica granatum (pomegaranate) peels were extracted using maceration method with 80% ethanol. Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay (BLSA) was used to test the presence of bioactive components in the extracts at concentration of 10 µg/mL, 100 µg/mL and 1000 µg/mL and they are expressed in terms of LC50 (Median Lethal Concentration) respectively. The study revealed that Cucurbita maxima extract was inactive, while Punica granatum extract and the mixture of both extracts at ratio 1:1 were active at 1000 µg/mL. Furthermore, the antifungal activity of Cucurbita maxima extract, Punica granatum extract, and mixture of both extracts were further tested using well-diffusion method against A. niger at 25 mg/ml, 50 mg/mL, 75 mg/ml and 100 mg/mL respectively. The findings revealed the mixture of both extracts were exerted effectively against A. niger at the lowest concentration with 20.67±2.52 mm and this gave significant zone of inhibition. The result of the study indicates that the mixture extraction of pomegranate peels and pumpkin seeds at 25 mg/mL has a great potential to be formulated as commercial bio-fungicide.
    MeSH terms: Ethanol; Animals; Antifungal Agents; Artemia; Aspergillus niger; Fruit; Fungicides, Industrial; Plant Extracts; Seeds; Asteraceae; Cucurbita; Lythraceae
  19. Lim YC, Hoe VCW, Darus A, Bhoo-Pathy N
    BMJ Open, 2020 09 06;10(9):e034455.
    PMID: 32895261 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034455
    OBJECTIVES: Night-shift work may adversely affect health. This study aimed to determine the impact of night-shift work on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and to assess whether sleep quality was a mediating factor.

    DESIGN: A cross-sectional study.

    SETTING: 11 manufacturing factories in Malaysia.

    PARTICIPANTS: 177 night-shift workers aged 40-65 years old were compared with 317 non-night-shift workers.

    PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on socio-demographics and lifestyle factors, 12-item Short Form Health Survey V.2 (SF-12v2) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The Baron and Kenny's method, Sobel test and multiple mediation model with bootstrapping were applied to determine whether PSQI score or its components mediated the association between night-shift work and HRQoL.

    RESULTS: Night-shift work was associated with sleep impairment and HRQoL. Night-shift workers had significantly lower mean scores in all the eight SF-12 domains (p<0.001). Compared with non-night-shift workers, night-shift workers were significantly more likely to report poorer sleep quality, longer sleep latency, shorter sleep duration, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction (p<0.001). Mediation analyses showed that PSQI global score mediated the association between night-shift work and HRQoL. 'Subjective sleep quality' (indirect effect=-0.24, SE=0.14 and bias corrected (BC) 95% CI -0.58 to -0.01) and 'sleep disturbances' (indirect effect=-0.79, SE=0.22 and BC 95% CI -1.30 to -0.42) were mediators for the association between night-shift work and physical well-being, whereas 'sleep latency' (indirect effect=-0.51, SE=0.21 and BC 95% CI -1.02 to -0.16) and 'daytime dysfunction' (indirect effect=-1.11, SE=0.32 and BC 95% CI -1.86 to -0.58) were mediators with respect to mental well-being.

    CONCLUSION: Sleep quality partially explains the association between night-shift work and poorer HRQoL. Organisations should treat the sleep quality of night-shift workers as a top priority area for action to improve their employees' overall wellbeing.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Middle Aged; Quality of Life*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sleep; Work Schedule Tolerance
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