Browse publications by year: 2021

  1. Zanaridah MN, Norhayati MN, Rosnani Z
    BMJ Open, 2021 Jun 01;11(6):e044372.
    PMID: 34078635 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044372
    OBJECTIVES: To determine the level of knowledge and practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and the attitudes towards it and to identify the factors associated with its practice among primary care practitioners in Selangor, Malaysia.

    SETTING: This cross-sectional study was conducted in randomly selected health clinics in Selangor. Data were collected from primary care physicians using self-administered questionnaires on knowledge, practice and attitudes regarding EBM.

    PARTICIPANTS: The study included 225 respondents working in either government or private clinics. It excluded house officers and those working in public and private universities or who were retired from practice.

    RESULTS: A total of 32.9% had a high level of EBM knowledge, 12% had a positive attitude towards EBM and 0.4% had a good level of its practice. The factors significantly associated with EBM practice were ethnicity, attitude, length of work experience as a primary care practitioner and quick access to online reference applications on mobile phones.

    CONCLUSIONS: Although many physicians have suboptimal knowledge of EBM and low levels of practising it, majority of them have a neutral attitude towards EBM practice. Extensive experience as a primary care practitioner, quick access to online references on a mobile phone and good attitude towards EBM were associated with its practice.

    MeSH terms: Optimism; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethnic Groups; Government; Health Personnel; Humans; Malaysia; Primary Health Care; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; Evidence-Based Medicine; Physicians, Primary Care
  2. Sharma A, U V, Dong V, Raut A, Tawfik GM, Ng SJ, et al.
    Clin Med (Lond), 2021 Mar;21(Suppl 2):25-26.
    PMID: 34078684 DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.21-2-s25
    MeSH terms: Clinical Competence; Delphi Technique; Humans; Consensus; Checklist*
  3. Morgan G, Ooi E, Hanania T, Davitadze M, Zhou D, Blaggan P, et al.
    Clin Med (Lond), 2021 Mar;21(Suppl 2):34-35.
    PMID: 34078689 DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.21-2-s34
    MeSH terms: Education, Medical*; Humans; Learning; Pandemics/prevention & control
  4. Hassan LA, Goo CL
    Dent Mater J, 2021 Sep 30;40(5):1189-1195.
    PMID: 34078778 DOI: 10.4012/dmj.2020-408
    This research aimed to evaluate the effect of cement space on the marginal discrepancy and retention of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) crowns. A total of 30 premolar Frasaco teeth were machined to receive crowns with cement spaces of 70, 90, and 110 μm. The marginal discrepancy measurements were done before and after cementation. Pull-off test was conducted using universal testing machine (UTM). Data was analyzed using two-way mixed ANOVA with post-hoc Bonferroni test and Kruskal-Wallis test. The crowns with cement space of 70 μm showed a significantly higher absolute marginal discrepancy than those with 90 and 110 μm. No significant effect on the crown retention was found. Within the limitations of this study, modifying cement space to 90 μm and 110 μm may improve the marginal adaptation of CAD/CAM crown, whereas adjusting cement space from 70 to 110 μm did not significantly affect the crown retention.
    MeSH terms: Crowns*; Dental Cements; Dental Materials; Computer-Aided Design; Dental Prosthesis Design*; Dental Marginal Adaptation
  5. Usman AH, Khan NS, Humphries UW, Ullah Z, Shah Q, Kumam P, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 Jun 02;11(1):11641.
    PMID: 34078976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91041-5
    The behavior of an Oldroyd-B nanoliquid film sprayed on a stretching cylinder is investigated. The system also contains gyrotactic microorganisms with heat and mass transfer flow. Similarity transformations are used to make the governing equations non-dimensional ordinary differential equations and subsequently are solved through an efficient and powerful analytic technique namely homotopy analysis method (HAM). The roles of all dimensionless profiles and spray rate have been investigated. Velocity decreases with the magnetic field strength and Oldroyd-B nanofluid parameter. Temperature is increased with increasing the Brownian motion parameter while it is decreased with the increasing values of Prandtl and Reynolds numbers. Nanoparticle's concentration is enhanced with the higher values of Reynolds number and activation energy parameter. Gyrotactic microorganism density increases with bioconvection Rayleigh number while it decreases with Peclet number. The film size naturally increases with the spray rate in a nonlinear way. A close agreement is achieved by comparing the present results with the published results.
  6. Ahmad H, Ramli R, Ismail NN, Aidit SN, Yusoff N, Samion MZ
    Sci Rep, 2021 Jun 02;11(1):11652.
    PMID: 34078979 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90978-x
    As a result of the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials for various opto-electronics applications, a new class of materials named MXenes have been attracting interests due to their outstanding nonlinear properties. In this work, an MXene niobium carbide (Nb2C) was proposed and demonstrated as a saturable absorber to induce mode-locking in thulium- and thulium/holmium-doped fiber lasers. The Nb2C solution was first prepared using the liquid exfoliation technique, and then deposited onto a microfiber for integration into the laser cavity. Stable mode-locking operation was observed in both laser cavities, where the center wavelengths of the laser were recorded at 1944 nm for the TDFL and 1950 nm for the THDFL. The generated pulses in the TDFL and THDFL had repetition rates of 9.35 and 11.76 MHz respectively, while their corresponding pulse widths were 1.67 and 1.34 ps. Both of the lasers were highly stable, having SNR values of more than 52 dB and showed no major fluctuations when tested for their long-term stabilities. The results demonstrate an excellent performance of the Nb2C as a saturable absorber, offering opportunities to further explore MXenes for future photonics devices.
  7. Joseph J, Khor KZ, Moses EJ, Lim V, Aziz MY, Abdul Samad N
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2021;16:3599-3612.
    PMID: 34079252 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S303921
    Purpose: Vernonia amygdalina (VA) is a traditional African herbal medicine that has been reported to possess anticancer properties. However, the anticancer properties of VA silver nanoparticles have not been studied. The aim of the study was to examine and evaluate the anticancer activities of VA leaf extracts and VA silver nanoparticles on the human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7.

    Methods: VA leaves were extracted using sequential extraction assisted with ultrasound using three different solvents: ethanol, 50% ethanol, and deionized water. The silver nanoparticles were synthesised with VA aqueous extract.

    Results: The ethanol extract and VA silver nanoparticles inhibit MCF-7 cell proliferation with an average half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 67µg/mL and 6.11µg/mL, respectively, after 72 hours of treatment. The ethanol extract and VA silver nanoparticles also caused G1 phase cell cycle arrest, induced apoptosis and nuclear fragmentation in MCF-7 cells.

    Conclusion: VA ethanol extracts and VA silver nanoparticles decreased the cell viability in MCF-7 cells in a time and dose-dependent manner by inducing apoptosis and causing DNA damage. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism of action of VA leaf extracts and VA silver nanoparticles. This study is the first to report on the anticancer activity of VA silver nanoparticles in MCF-7 cells.

    MeSH terms: Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis; Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry; Cell Survival/drug effects; DNA Damage; Humans; Plant Extracts/chemistry*; Silver/pharmacology*; Silver/chemistry*; Solvents/chemistry; Plant Leaves/chemistry*; Vernonia/chemistry*; Metal Nanoparticles*; Green Chemistry Technology; Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic; MCF-7 Cells
  8. Ng YP, Pheh KS, Panirselvam RR, Chan WL, Lim JBY, Lim JTY, et al.
    Front Psychol, 2021;12:673287.
    PMID: 34079502 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.673287
    Media guidelines on safe suicide-related reporting are within the suicide prevention armamentarium. However, implementation issues beleaguer real-world practice. This study evaluated the perspectives of the Malaysian media community, persons with lived experience of suicidal behavior (PLE), and mental health professionals (MHP) on suicide-related reporting in terms of the impact, strategies, challenges, and the implementation of guidelines on safe reporting. Three focus group discussions of purposively sampled Malaysian media practitioners (n = 8), PLE (n = 6), and MHP (n = 7) were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded and thematically analyzed. Inclusion criteria were: English fluency, no clinical depression or suicidal ideation (current), no recent previous suicide attempts or suicide bereavement. Three major themes emerged: (1) Unsafe Reporting; (2) Impact; and (3) Safe Reporting. Most described current reporting as unsafe by being potentially triggering to media users and may contribute to contagion effect. Positive impacts identified included raised awareness toward suicide and its prevention. Unsafe reporting was attributed to inadequate awareness, knowledge, and guidance, lack of empathy and accountability, job-related factors, popularity-seeking, lack of monitoring and governance, and information source(s) with unsafe content. Majority agreed on how suicide stories should be framed to produce a safe report. The media community diverged on how detailed a suicide story should be. Safe reporting challenges included difficulties in balancing beneficial versus harmful details, social media ubiquity and its citizen reporters. Participants suggested these safe reporting strategies: stakeholder engagement, educational approaches, improving governance and surveillance, and guidelines revision. Most acknowledged the relevance of guidelines but were unaware of the existence of local guidelines. Implementation challenges included the dilemma in balancing media industry needs vis-à-vis safe reporting requirements, stakeholder engagement difficulties and social media regulation. There is poor awareness regarding safe suicide-related reporting across all groups. PLE and MHP were negatively impacted by current unsafe messaging which aggravated trauma and grief reactions. Postvention support gaps for mental health professionals were highlighted. Safe reporting promotion strategies should include stakeholder engagement to increase awareness on minimizing Werther and maximizing Papageno effects. Strategic re-examination and dissemination of local media guidelines to address new media issues, and effective surveillance mechanisms, are crucial in sustainable improvement of safe reporting practices.
    MeSH terms: Bereavement; Depression; Empathy; Grief; Humans; Mass Media; Mental Health; Social Responsibility; Suicide; Suicide, Attempted; Focus Groups; Suicidal Ideation; Social Media
  9. Ng JJ, Gendeh H, Ong HY, Gopalan S, Abdul Karaf JH
    Cureus, 2021 Apr 27;13(4):e14710.
    PMID: 34079672 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.14710
    Carbuncle is conventionally treated with combinations of intravenous antibiotics and surgical intervention; be it saucerization or incision and drainage. Cosmesis outcome might be unfavorable following surgical intervention, especially when the facial region is involved. Skin grafting surgery may even be needed as a second-stage procedure for a larger wound. We reported a series of three facial carbuncles treated successfully with a new improvised method. Our method includes performing a stab incision prior to draining of pus, coupled with minimal wound debridement, followed by regular irrigation of the wound with antibiotics containing solution. Based on the three cases reported in this article, we conclude that this method is more superior as there is more skin preservation, better patient tolerance, shorter hospital stays, and favorable cosmesis outcome.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Carbuncle; Debridement; Drainage; Humans; Therapeutic Irrigation; Length of Stay; Skin; Suppuration; Skin Transplantation; Surgical Wound
  10. Salari N, Fatahi B, Bartina Y, Kazeminia M, Heydari M, Mohammadi M, et al.
    Aesthetic Plast Surg, 2021 12;45(6):2821-2836.
    PMID: 34080041 DOI: 10.1007/s00266-021-02365-6
    BACKGROUND: Abdominoplasty is one of the most common cosmetic surgeries performed worldwide. Seroma is also the most common local complication associated with abdominoplasty, which increases care costs, reduces patient satisfaction, and has serious complications for patients. Results of previous studies report different levels of seroma prevalence after abdominoplasty. The aim of this study is to standardize the statistics of the prevalence of seroma after abdominoplasty using meta-analysis.

    METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis study, data from studies conducted on the global prevalence of seroma after abdominoplasty was extracted using the keywords "Prevalence, Epidemiology, Complications, Abdominoplasty, Seroma, and Lipo abdominoplasty" in the databases of Science, Scientific Information Database, MagIran, Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar search engine without time limit until October 2020. The random-effects model was used to analyze the eligible studies, and the heterogeneity of the studies was investigated with the I2 index. Data analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (Version 2).

    RESULTS: In reviewing 143 studies (five studies related to Asia, 55 studies related to Europe, three studies related to Africa, and 80 studies related to the Americas) with a total sample size of 27834 individuals, the global prevalence of seroma after abdominoplasty was obtained as 10.9% (95% CI: 9.3-3.6.6%) and the highest prevalence of seroma was related to the Europe continent with 12.8% (95% CI: 10.15-3.9%). The results from meta-regression showed a declining trend in the global prevalence of seroma after abdominoplasty with an increase in the sample size, age of study participants, and the year of study (p 

    MeSH terms: Humans; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology; Prevalence; Treatment Outcome
  11. You YX, Shahar S, Mohamad M, Rajab NF, Haron H, Che Din N, et al.
    J Magn Reson Imaging, 2021 12;54(6):1804-1818.
    PMID: 34080265 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27762
    BACKGROUND: Cosmos caudatus (CC) is traditional Asian vegetable, commonly consumed among the Southeast Asian population. It has been reported to be high in flavonoids and might potentially improve brain activity among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The effect of CC in brain activation improvement using neuroimaging is yet to be discovered.

    PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of CC supplement on brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) among older adults with MCI.

    STUDY TYPE: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

    POPULATION/SUBJECTS: Twenty older adults with mild cognitive impairment (60-75 years old), 14 of them (70%) were female subjects.

    FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A 3.0-T, T1-weighted anatomical images, T2*-weighted imaging data, A single shot, gradient echo-echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence.

    ASSESSMENT: All subjects were asked to consume two 500 mg capsules of either CC supplement or placebo (maltodextrin) daily for 12 weeks. Cognitive function was measured using validated neuropsychological tests (i.e. Mini-mental State Examination and Digit Span) and task-based fMRI (N-back and Stroop Color Word Test) at baseline and 12th week. Brodmann's area 9, 46 and anterior cingulate cortex were selected as the regions of interest to define dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in fMRI analysis.

    STATISTICAL TESTS: Normality test was performed with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Two-way repeated ANOVA determined the intervention effects of the CC supplementation on brain activity after adjustments for covariates. Significance level at P 

  12. Gudipaneni RK, Patil SR, Assiry AA, Karobari MI, Bandela V, Metta KK, et al.
    Clin Exp Dent Res, 2021 Dec;7(6):968-977.
    PMID: 34080323 DOI: 10.1002/cre2.438
    OBJECTIVES: To assess the association amongst oral hygiene practices, untreated dental caries (UDC) and clinical consequences of UDC in pre- and primary school children aged 3-5 and 6-7 years.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 250 subjects were recruited. The demographic and oral hygiene data were collected using a closed-ended questionnaire. The UDC was measured using the 'd/D' component of the decayed, missing, filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) index, and its clinical consequences were recorded using the 'p/P' component of the pulpal involvement, ulceration, fistula and abscess (pufa/PUFA) index. The data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression.

    RESULTS: Overall, 94.2% and 56.5% of the participants had one or more UDC and pulp involvement (p ≥ 1), respectively in 3-5-year-old age group. In the 6-7-year- age group the prevalence of UDC was 26.7% and the pulp involvement was 11.6%. Children who brushed with their fingers were 4.7 times more likely to have UDC (crude odds ratio [COR] = 4.71; 95% CI: 1.21-18.40). Twice-daily brushing resulted in a 39% (p = 0.732) lower likelihood of having UDC compared with once-daily brushing (COR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.04, 10.09). Children with irregular brushing frequency were 3.2 times more likely to have pulpal involvement (COR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.74-5.93).

    CONCLUSION: Finger brushing, irregular frequency of brushing and lack of parental supervision whilst brushing were associated with UDC and its consequences.

  13. Yubbu P, Abdul Latiff H, Musa H, Devaraj NK, Mohd Razif NA, Sivalingam S, et al.
    Cardiol Young, 2021 Jun 03.
    PMID: 34080535 DOI: 10.1017/S1047951121002110
    BACKGROUND: Vascular compression of the airway often complicates CHD management. This study evaluated the use of CT in determining cardiovascular causes, clinical manifestations, and outcome of tracheobronchial compression among children with CHD.

    METHODS: A retrospective review of clinical records of all patients with CT scan evidence of tracheobronchial compression from January 2007 to December 2017 at National Heart Institute. Cardiovascular causes of tracheobronchial compression were divided into three groups; group I: vascular ring/pulmonary artery sling, II: abnormally enlarged or malposition cardiovascular structure due to CHD, III: post-CHD surgery.

    RESULTS: Vascular tracheobronchial compression was found in 81 out of 810 (10%) patients who underwent CT scan. Group I lesions were the leading causes of vascular tracheobronchial compression (55.5%), followed by group II (34.6%) and group III (9.9%). The median age of diagnosis in groups I, II, and III were 16.8 months, 3 months, and 15.6 months, respectively. Half of group I patients are manifested with stridor and one-third with recurrent chest infections. Persistent respiratory symptoms, lung atelectasis, or prolonged respiratory support requirement were clues in groups II and III. Higher morbidity and mortality in younger infants with severe obstructive airway symptoms, associated airway abnormalities, and underlying complex cyanotic CHD.

    CONCLUSIONS: Vascular ring/pulmonary artery sling and abnormally enlarged or malposition cardiovascular structure were the leading causes of cardiovascular airway compression. A high index of suspicion is needed for early detection due to its non-specific presentation. The outcome often depends on the severity of airway obstruction and complexity of cardiac lesions.

    MeSH terms: Airway Obstruction; Pulmonary Atelectasis; Child; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Infant; Lung; Morbidity; Pulmonary Artery; Respiratory Sounds; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Vascular Malformations
  14. Naserrudin NA, Abdul Aziz EI, Aljet E, Mangunji G, Tojo B, Jeffree MS, et al.
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2021 06;15(6):e0009450.
    PMID: 34081725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009450
    An outbreak of Plasmodium malariae occurred in Sonsogon Paliu village in the remote area of Ulu Bengkoka sub-district of Kota Marudu, Northern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo from July through August 2019. This was the first outbreak of malaria in this village since 2014. On 11th July 2019 the Kota Kinabalu Public Health Laboratory notified the Kota Marudu District Health Office of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) positive case of P. malariae. This index case was a male from Sulawesi, Indonesia working for a logging company operating in Sonsogon Paliu. During the resulting outbreak, a total of 14 symptomatic cases were detected. All of these cases were positive by thick and thin blood smear examination, and also by PCR. During the outbreak, a mass blood survey screening was performed by light-microscopy and PCR. A total of 94 asymptomatic villagers 31 (33.0%) were PCR positive but thick and thin blood smear negative for P. malariae. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases received treatment at the district hospital. When symptomatic and asymptomatic cases were considered together, males (29/45. 64.5%) were infected more than females (16/45, 35.6%), the male:female ratio being 1.8:1. Adults were the predominant age group infected (22/45, 48.9%) followed by adolescents (19/45, 42.2%) and children under five years of age (4/45, 8.9%). This report illustrates that symptomatic and submicroscopic cases pose a challenge during P. malariae outbreaks and that PCR is a valuable tool for their identification. The rapid identification and control of imported malaria is crucial for the continued control of malaria in Malaysia.
  15. Myint K, Jacobs K, Myint AM, Lam SK, Henden L, Hoe SZ, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(6):e0252668.
    PMID: 34081742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252668
    The effects of stress on the neuroendocrine, central nervous and immune systems are extremely complex. The kynurenine pathway (KP) of the tryptophan metabolism is recognised as a cross-link between the neuroendocrine- and immune systems. However, the effects of acute stress from everyday life on KP activation have not yet been studied. This study aims to investigate changes in the levels of the KP neuroactive metabolites and cytokines in response to stress triggered by academic examinations. Ninety-two healthy first year medical students benevolently participated in the study. Parameters were measured pre- examination, which is considered to be a high-stress period, and post-examination, as a low-stress period. Stress induced by academic examinations significantly increases the perceived stress scores (p<0.001), serum cortisol levels (p<0.001) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels (p<0.01). It decreased IL-10 levels (p<0.05) but had no effect on IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels. Only the KP neuroactive metabolite, 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) significantly increased (p<0.01) in the post-examination period. In addition, the stress scores positively correlated with the levels of cortisol (r2 = 0.297, p<0.01) at post examination. Acute stress triggered by academic examinations increases cortisol and BDNF production and suppresses the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, but did not increase significantly the levels of other pro-inflammatory cytokines, tryptophan, kynurenine and downstream KP metabolites. The concomitant increased levels of BDNF under the duress of acute examination stress appear to limit the levels pro-inflammatory markers, which may attenuate the action of cortisol and the neuroinflammatory branch of the KP.
    MeSH terms: Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone/blood; Kynurenine/analogs & derivatives; Kynurenine/blood; Kynurenine/metabolism*; Male; Stress, Psychological*; Students, Medical/psychology*; Interleukin-10/blood; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/blood; Young Adult; Healthy Volunteers
  16. Lei J, He MY, Li J, Li H, Wang W, Gopinath SCB, et al.
    PMID: 34081808 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2209
    Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer formed by the cells of the bone. Children, young adults, and teens are highly affected by osteosarcoma. Early identification of osteosarcoma is mandatory to improve the treatment and increase the lifespan of the patients. MicroRNA-195 (miR-195) was shown to be a suitable biomarker for osteosarcoma, and the present study describes a sensitive method of miR-195 identification by nuclease digestion in ELISA to detect and quantify the level of miR-195. S1 nuclease catalyzed endo- and exonucleolytic digestion of single-stranded (ss) RNA and DNA on ELISA polystyrene substrate, which helped to identify duplexed miR-195. This method selectively and specifically identified miR-195 without any biofouling interactions and reached the limit of detection at 10 fM within the range from 10 fM to 10 nM. Due to complete digestion of ssDNA, single- and triple-mismatched sequences failed to increase the ELISA signal, indicating specific miRNA detection. Furthermore, human serum spiked with miR-195 did not interfere with the detection, confirming selective identification. This method identified miR-195 at a lower level and will help to diagnose earlier stages of osteosarcoma.
  17. Veerasamy T, Eugin Simon S, Tan KO
    Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2021 08;137:106016.
    PMID: 34082133 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2021.106016
    Conventional chemotherapy relies on the cytotoxicity of chemo-drugs to inflict destructive effects on tumor cells. However, as most tumor cells develop resistance to chemo-drugs, small doses of chemo-drugs are unlikely to provide significant clinical benefits in cancer treatment while high doses of chemo-drugs have been shown to impact normal human cells negatively due to the non-specific nature and cytotoxicity associated with chemo-drugs. To overcome this challenge, sensitizations of tumor cells with bioactive molecules that specifically target the pro-survival and pro-apoptosis signaling pathways of the tumor cells are likely to increase the therapeutic impacts and improve the clinical outcomes by reducing the dependency and adverse effects associated with using high doses of chemo-drugs in cancer treatment. This review focuses on emerging strategies to enhance the sensitization of tumor cells toward cancer therapies based on our understanding of tumor cell biology and underlying signaling pathways.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*; Humans; Neoplasms/drug therapy*; Neoplasms/metabolism; Neoplasms/pathology; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects*; Transforming Growth Factor beta/genetics; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism; MicroRNAs/genetics; beta Catenin/genetics; beta Catenin/metabolism; Wnt Signaling Pathway/drug effects*
  18. Yasmin S, Khandaker MU, Nawi SNM, Sani SFA, Bradley DA, Islam MA
    Appl Radiat Isot, 2021 Sep;175:109782.
    PMID: 34082304 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109782
    Among the various types of decorative materials used in Bangladeshi dwellings, the marble/marble stone is one of the most common ones that used largely for enhancing the beauty and/or aristocracy of the dwelling environment. In this study, the most commonly used, six types of marble stones, have been analyzed for retrospective accident dosimetry. With the interest of characterizing several key thermoluminescence properties to examine their potentiality for dosimetry, annealing - irradiation - readout steps have been done chronologically which comprises the analysis of glow curves, relative sensitivity, dose dependence, repeatability and fading. Considering the various TL parameters, marble 'Carrara' imported from Italy present relatively better capability for reconstruction of radiation dose in the dose range of 10-50 Gy. From fading result, it is clear that for reconstruction of absorbed dose up to four weeks of post exposure, the marble 'Carrara' is found to be the most reliable media among the studied marble types. The Zeff values for the various marble samples are found to be in the range of 13.65-19.12, comparing favorably in replace of TLD-200 (Zeff = 16.3) which can be used for low-level environmental radiation dosimetry. Present work constitutes the first study to investigate the potentials of marble stone for reconstruction of absorbed dose in the range of 10-50 Gy dose.
  19. Xiao G, Chen J, Show PL, Yang Q, Ke J, Zhao Q, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2021 Nov;282:130966.
    PMID: 34082314 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130966
    Biological methods are promising treatment methods to remove pollutants from wastewater. Recently, microalgae have been proved to be of strong application potential in wastewater treatment. In this study, a microalga - antibiotic treatment system was built to evaluate the treatment capacity of microalgae in antibiotic wastewater. In the group with Chlorella pyrenoidosa, the removal rate of cefradine was 41.47 ± 0.62% after 24 h of treatment, which was 3.4 times higher than that without microalgae (12.37 ± 2.30%). Algal decomposition was the main removal mechanism. Meanwhile, the effect of multiple microalgae species on antibiotic treatment was studied. The removal rates of cefradine by C. pyrenoidosa cultivated in the filtered fluid of Microcystis aeruginosa were 75.48 ± 0.29%, which was significantly higher than those by C. pyrenoidosa only. Those indicated that multiple microalgae species strategy was a potential enhancement strategy for algae-based antibiotic treatment. Finally, amoxicillin and norfloxacin were used to study the treatment potential of this technology for more different kinds antibiotics and the integration of microalgae with activated sludge was also investigated. Amoxicillin can be quickly removed by microalgae, but the removal effect of norfloxacin by microalgae is poor. The refractory antibiotic norfloxacin can be treated by co-culturing microalgae and activated sludge. Those showed the good expansibility of microalgae-based technology. The findings indicated that with microalgae-based antibiotic removal method has good application potential, and combined with other technologies, it can effectively remove the refractory antibiotics.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chlorella*; Sewage; Biomass; Microalgae*; Waste Water
  20. Alharazi TH, Al-Mekhlafi HM
    Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2021 06 02;115(6):687-698.
    PMID: 33130880 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/traa115
    BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards schistosomiasis among rural schoolchildren in Taiz governorate, southwestern Yemen.

    METHODS: A total of 406 children were screened for urogenital and intestinal schistosomiasis. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the children's demographic and socio-economic information and their KAP towards schistosomiasis.

    RESULTS: Overall, 73 children (18%) were found to be infected by Schistosoma mansoni. None of the children were positive for Schistosoma haematobium. The prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis was significantly higher among boys than girls (22.1% vs 12%; p=0.010). Approximately two-thirds (63.3% [257/406]) of the children had heard about schistosomiasis, however, only 38.5%, 53.6%, 28.4% and 38.1% had correct knowledge concerning the causes, symptoms, transmission and prevention, respectively. A significantly higher level of knowledge was observed among boys and Schistosoma-infected children compared with girls and non-infected children (p<0.05). However, a better level of knowledge does not seem to translate directly into the performance of hygienic practices. Multivariate logistic regression showed that sex and infection status were the significant predictors of good knowledge.

    CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal schistosomiasis is prevalent among schoolchildren in rural Yemen. The findings reveal that children's knowledge about schistosomiasis is inadequate. Therefore, besides mass drug administration, integrated control programmes should also include health education and the provision of improved drinking water and proper sanitation.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Male; Rural Population; Schistosomiasis*; Yemen/epidemiology; Prevalence
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