Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Ng LH, Tan JA, Muhamad Ariffin MH
    Cureus, 2023 Aug;15(8):e43259.
    PMID: 37700956 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43259
    Patients with myelomeningocele associated with severe kyphoscoliosis usually presented with rigid and angulated gibbus at their back. The condition causes this group of patients to face difficulties in their daily activities, especially in sitting and lying in supine positions. They are also prone to have a pressure sore over the gibbus and encounter the risk of infection. Here the authors would present a case of a four-year-old girl with underlying myelomeningocele who was diagnosed with worsening kyphoscoliosis along her growth. Her whole spine x-ray radiograph revealed a kyphosis angle of 80° between the T11 and L4 levels. The patient underwent a deformity corrective surgery with total kyphectomy in a combination of anterior and posterior spinal instrumentation. In the present case, we were able to obtain sufficient correction of the spinal kyphotic deformity in that patient in a single-stage surgery with satisfactory surgical outcomes at a four years follow-up.
  2. Ping Wei S, Abdul Karim NK, Aziz ME, Shong Sheng T
    Cureus, 2023 Aug;15(8):e43365.
    PMID: 37700966 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43365
    Small bowel obstruction is a frequently encountered surgical condition in adults. Its most prevalent causes include adhesions resulting from prior abdominal surgery or peritoneal infection. However, cases of small bowel obstruction caused by omental bands in elderly individuals with no prior abdominal surgeries are exceedingly rare, with only a few reported in the literature. Here, we report a case of an elderly patient with small bowel obstruction caused by internal herniation through an omental band, without prior abdominal surgery or trauma. The initial impression was mesenteric ischemia, which posed a diagnostic dilemma as the patient did not exhibit any clinical risk factors for mesenteric ischemia with absent history of previous trauma or abdominal surgery. A computed tomography (CT) scan was performed, revealing clustering of small bowel loops in the right hemiabdomen with mild dilatation and a close loop configuration indicative of an internal hernia. Internal hernias are rare and challenging to diagnose clinically as they lack specific signs and symptoms. In this case, CT played a crucial role in enabling preoperative diagnosis of an internal hernia and guiding early management.
  3. Zakaria NA, Cheng TC, Nasaruddin RA, Che Hamzah J
    Cureus, 2023 Aug;15(8):e43303.
    PMID: 37700979 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43303
    This case report aims to describe a case of unilateral central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) with cilioretinal artery sparing, which was complicated by neovascular glaucoma (NVG). A 75-year-old Indian woman with underlying normal tension glaucoma presented with the sudden onset of painless generalized blurring of the right eye's vision for a week. Her right eye vision was hand motion with the presence of a right relative afferent pupillary defect. Fundus examination revealed retinal whitening over the macula sparing the papillomacular bundle with generalized retinal arteriolar attenuation, which was suggestive of right CRAO with cilioretinal artery sparing. Systemic examination revealed high blood pressure (175/75 mmHg) without ocular bruit or audible murmur on auscultation. Optical coherence tomography of the macula showed inner retinal thickening over the temporal macula. Ultrasound carotid Doppler and computed tomography angiography of the carotid showed more than 75% stenosis over the right distal internal carotid artery. Unfortunately, she developed rubeosis iridis over her right eye two weeks after her presentation, which required pan-retinal photocoagulation. She subsequently progressed to NVG, requiring maximum anti-glaucoma medications to stabilize intraocular pressure. In conclusion, CRAO is a sight-threatening medical emergency. Thorough investigations are required to determine the underlying cause so that early intervention can be done to reduce the risk of a similar attack in the fellow eye and the risk of a cerebrovascular event or cardiac ischemia, which could be life-threatening. The presence of a cilioretinal artery does not prevent ocular neovascularization in CRAO. Hence, patients should also be closely monitored after the initial diagnosis to prevent devastating complications such as NVG.
  4. Wong JCJ, Nillian E
    Food Sci Nutr, 2023 Sep;11(9):5364-5378.
    PMID: 37701201 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3494
    Coffea liberica, commonly known as Liberica coffee, is a kind of coffee that originated in Liberia, a West African country. It is considered a less-known coffee bean variety, which accounts for less than 2% of commercially produced coffee worldwide. In this study, the influences of optimization of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) on the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total carbohydrate content (TCC) of bioactive compounds extracted from Sarawak Liberica sp. coffee pulp were studied. Response surface methodology was adopted with a face-centered central composite design to generate 34 responses by taking three microwave parameters into consideration, microwave power (watt), time of irradiation (second), and solvent-to-feed ratio as independent variables. As a result, the findings revealed that optimum extraction conditions were conducted as follows: microwave power of 700 W, time of irradiation of 180 s, and solvent-to-feed ratio of 86.644:1. While under optimal extraction conditions, MAE outperformed conventional maceration extraction in terms of extraction efficiency and had no significant difference (p 
  5. Liew MNY, Kua KP, Lee SWH, Wong KK
    Front Immunol, 2023;14:1100263.
    PMID: 37701439 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1100263
    INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic is a major global public health crisis. More than 2 years into the pandemic, effective therapeutic options remain limited due to rapid viral evolution. Stemming from the emergence of multiple variants, several monoclonal antibodies are no longer suitable for clinical use. This scoping review aimed to summarize the preclinical and clinical evidence for bebtelovimab in treating newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

    METHODS: We systematically searched five electronic databases (PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, Global Health, and PsycINFO) from date of inception to September 30, 2022, for studies reporting on the effect of bebtelovimab in SARS-CoV-2 infection, using a combination of search terms around -bebtelovimab‖, -LY-CoV1404‖, -LY3853113‖, and -coronavirus infection‖. All citations were screened independently by two researchers. Data were extracted and thematically analyzed based on study design by adhering to the stipulated scoping review approaches.

    RESULTS: Thirty-nine studies were included, thirty-four non-clinical studies were narratively synthesized, and five clinical studies were meta-analyzed. The non-clinical studies revealed bebtelovimab not only potently neutralized wide-type SARS-CoV-2 and existing variants of concern such as B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma), and B.1.617.2 (Delta), but also retained appreciable activity against Omicron lineages, including BA.2.75, BA.4, BA.4.6, and BA.5. Unlike other monoclonal antibodies, bebtelovimab was able to bind to epitope of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein by exploiting loop mobility or by minimizing side-chain interactions. Pooled analysis from clinical studies depicted that the rates of hospitalization, ICU admission, and death were similar between bebtelovimab and other COVID-19 therapies. Bebtelovimab was associated with a low incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events.

    CONCLUSION: Preclinical evidence suggests bebtelovimab be a potential treatment for COVID-19 amidst viral evolution. Bebtelovimab has comparable efficacy to other COVID-19 therapies without evident safety concerns.

    MeSH terms: Antibodies, Monoclonal/adverse effects; Humans; Antibodies, Neutralizing/therapeutic use; Pandemics
  6. Palaniveloo K, Ong KH, Satriawan H, Abdul Razak S, Suciati S, Hung HY, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2023 Oct;13(10):337.
    PMID: 37701628 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03725-6
    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes deterioration in intelligence and psychological activities. Yet, till today, no cure is available for AD. The marine environment is an important sink of bioactive compounds with neuroprotective potential with reduced adverse effects. Recently, we collected the red algae Laurencia snackeyi from Terumbu Island, Malaysia which is known to be rich in halogenated metabolites making it the most sought-after red algae for pharmaceutical studies. The red alga was identified based on basic morphological characteristics, microscopic observation and chemical data from literature. The purplish-brown algae was confirmed a new record. In Malaysia, this species is poorly documented in Peninsular Malaysia as compared to its eastern continent Borneo. Thus, this study intended to investigate the diversity of secondary metabolites present in the alga and its cholinesterase inhibiting potential for AD. The extract inhibited both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with IC50 values of  14.45 ± 0.34 μg mL-1 and 39.59 ± 0.24 μg mL-1, respectively. Subsequently, we isolated the synderanes, palisadin A (1), aplysistatin (2) and 5-acetoxypalisadin B (3) that was not exhibit potential. Mass spectrometry analysis detected at total of 33 additional metabolites. The computational aided molecular docking using the AChE and BChE receptors on all metabolites shortlisted 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (31) and 15-hydroxy-1-[2-(hydroxymethyl)-1-piperidinyl]prost-13-ene-1,9-dione (42) with best inhibitory properties, respectively with the lowest optimal combination of S-score and RMSD values. This study shows the unexplored potential of marine natural resources, however, obtaining sufficient biomass for detailed investigation is an uphill task. Regardless, there is a lot of potential for future prospects with a wide range of marine natural resources to study and the incorporation of synthetic chemistry, in vivo studies in experimental design.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03725-6.

  7. Titisari N, Fauzi A, Razak ISA, Samsulrizal N, Ahmad H
    Open Vet J, 2023 Aug;13(8):983-990.
    PMID: 37701670 DOI: 10.5455/OVJ.2023.v13.i8.4
    BACKGROUND: Fish oil, which is regarded as the primary source of omega-3 fatty acids, has been long studied for its potential as an antidiabetic therapy. However, its protective ability against insulin resistance and pancreatic islet alteration remains unclear and controversial.

    AIM: To investigate the beneficial effects of fish oil consumption on the progression of insulin resistance and pancreatic islet dysfunction in a rat model of diabetes.

    METHODS: Diabetic rats model (n = 30) were divided into five groups and received; 1) NS injection + NS oral (normal control); 2) NS injection + 3 g/kg fish oil (fish oil control); 3) streptozotocin (STZ) injection + NS oral [diabetes control (DC)]; 4) STZ injection + 1 g/kg fish oil (DFO1); and 5) STZ injection + 3 g/kg fish oil (DFO3). Fasting blood insulin was analyzed by commercial rat insulin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; meanwhile, the determination of insulin sensitivity was calculated by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and homeostatic model assessment of beta-cell function. A histological study was conducted on pancreas tissue using H and E staining.

    RESULTS: Fish oil supplementation reduced hyperglycemia and ameliorated HOMA-IR in STZ-induced animal models indicating that fish oil supplementation improved insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, animals treated with fish oil at a dose of 3 g/kg (DFO3) showed an enhancement in pancreatic islets, which was displayed by less abnormal structures than DC animals. This could imply that the administration of fish oil, especially rich in bioactive omega-3 fatty acids effectively inhibits insulin resistance and restore islet of Langerhans alteration in rats injected with STZ.

    CONCLUSION: Thus, the current study suggested that fish oil supplementation could support the treatment of diabetes but should not be considered as an alternative therapy.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Fish Oils/pharmacology; Insulin; Insulin Resistance*; Islets of Langerhans*; Streptozocin; Rats, Wistar; Dietary Supplements; Rats
  8. Fareed FS, Yen Yen S, Singaram N
    Data Brief, 2023 Oct;50:109507.
    PMID: 37701715 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109507
    The Amomum genus comprises of perennial, tropical, herbaceous plants that are distributed globally and possess both medicinal and ornamental properties. These plants contain a variety of secondary metabolites, including compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. This is the first transcriptomic analysis of seven Amomum species from Peninsular Malaysia, utilizing leaves, stems, and roots as sample material. Paired-end Illumina HiSeq technology was used for data generation which includes raw data, cleaned reads, de novo assembly, and functional annotation. The data is accessible via NCBI BioProject (PRJNA936673).
  9. Ismail A, Ryu J, Yim DG, Kim G, Kim SS, Lee HJ, et al.
    Food Sci Anim Resour, 2023 Sep;43(5):840-858.
    PMID: 37701741 DOI: 10.5851/kosfa.2023.e39
    This study was designed to compare the quality changes in mackerel fillets stored under different conditions by using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) techniques. Fillets packaged in vacuum were stored for six days under five different conditions: refrigerated at 4°C (R group); iced at 5±3°C (I group); kept at an ambient of 17±2°C (A group); frozen at -18°C for 24 h and thawed in a refrigerator at 4°C for 5 h on the sampling day (FTR group); FTR thawed in tap water instead of thawing in a refrigerator (FTW group). The FTR group had the lowest total bacterial count, drip loss, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, volatile basic nitrogen, and texture profile analysis values among groups during the entire storage period (p<0.05). Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the FTR group had less damage, while the other groups had shrunken muscle tissues. HSI integrated with the partial least squares model yielded reliable and efficient results, with high R2cv values, for several quality parameters of the mackerel fillets. Overall, the FTR group, involving freezing and thawing in a refrigerator, appears to be the most favorable option for maintaining the quality of mackerel fillets, which could be practically implemented in the industry. HSI is a suitable and effective technique for determining the quality of mackerel fillets stored under different conditions.
  10. Lee SSM, Keng SL, Hong RY
    Dev Psychopathol, 2023 Sep 13.
    PMID: 37702069 DOI: 10.1017/S0954579423001116
    This longitudinal study aimed to validate the biosocial theory of borderline personality disorder (BPD) by examining the transactional relationship between individual vulnerabilities and parental invalidation, and their links to BPD symptoms. We recruited a sample of 332 adolescents (mean age = 14.18 years; 58.3% female) residing in Singapore and administered self-report measures across three time-points (six months apart). Results from our path analytic model indicated that parental invalidation, impulsivity, and emotional vulnerability exhibited unique predictive associations with emotion dysregulation six months later. There was also a reciprocal prospective relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and BPD symptoms. Using random-intercepts cross-lagged panel models, we found partial evidence for a within-individual reciprocal relationship between parental invalidation and emotional vulnerability, and a unidirectional relationship of within-individual changes in impulsivity positively predicting changes in parental invalidation six months later. Overall, the study provided partial empirical support for the biosocial model in a Singaporean context.
  11. Abdool Karim SS, Barre-Sinoussi F, Varmus HE, Serwadda D, Bukusi E, M'boup S, et al.
    N Engl J Med, 2023 Sep 28;389(13):1159-1161.
    PMID: 37694893 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2310330
    MeSH terms: Government Programs/legislation & jurisprudence; Humans; International Cooperation; United States; HIV Infections/drug therapy; HIV Infections/prevention & control; Federal Government
  12. Huo J, Jin L, Chen C, Chen D, Xu Z, Wilfred CD, et al.
    ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2023 Sep 20;15(37):43976-43984.
    PMID: 37695310 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11602
    Producing sulfur from a sulfide oxidation reaction (SOR)-based technique using sulfide aqueous solution has attracted considerable attention due to its ecofriendliness. This study demonstrates that NiS-doped cobalt sulfide NiS-CoS-supported NiCo alloy foam can deliver the SOR with superior electrocatalytic activity and robust stability compared to reported non-noble metal-based catalysts. Only 0.34 V vs RHE is required to drive a current density of 100 mA cm-2 for the SOR. According to the experiment, the catalyst exhibits a unique sulfurophobicity feature because of the weak interaction between sulfur and the transition metal sulfide (low affinity for elemental sulfur), preventing electrode corrosion during the SOR process. More impressively, the chain-growth mechanism of the SOR from short- to long-chain polysulfides was revealed by combining electrochemical and spectroscopic in situ methods, such as in situ ultraviolet-visible and Raman. It is also demonstrated that electrons can transfer straight from the sulfion (S2-) to the active site on the anode surface during the low-energy-consumption SOR process. This work provides new insight into simultaneous energy-saving hydrogen production and high-value-added S recovery from sulfide-containing wastewater.
  13. Khan SAR, Umar M, Yu Z, Nawaz MT
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Oct;30(47):103760-103775.
    PMID: 37695483 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29537-y
    The management of waste through dual way of recycling (i-e offline and online) is assumed to have a key role in attaining ecological sustainability and enabling circular practices. The research on online recycling is gaining evolution in recent age. Prior literature on the current research theme has failed to provide a comprehensive outlook and future trend. Therefore, the current research intends to elaborate the current research scenario linked with online recycling by critically scrutinizing the prior research over the last 41 years. A comprehensive analysis was conducted using the Scopus database, retrieving a total of 866 articles. These articles were selected to provide a conceptual overview and understanding of the fundamental research conducted in the field. By employing bibliometric analysis this research provides comprehensive detail about evolution, mapping of publications and prominent trends from the year 1981 to 2022 to understand the practices and future trends of online recycling research. The outcomes elucidated that there is exponential increase in research publications relating to online recycling over the last five years. The most influential producer of online recycling research are China, United Kingdom and United States. Chinese Universities has the highest number of publications among all the countries across globe. Moreover, the current research trend is focused on technology based circular economy, industrial ecology, bio-based waste management, dual channel recycling, municipal waste, waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), environmental impact and lifecycle assessment. Hence, the prominent research perspective and highlighted features could offer recommendation for upcoming studies to contribute in literature and help practitioners, policymakers and professionals move towards circular practices.
    MeSH terms: Electronics; Great Britain; Waste Management*; Recycling
  14. Fum WKS, Md Shah MN, Raja Aman RRA, Abd Kadir KA, Wen DW, Leong S, et al.
    Phys Eng Sci Med, 2023 Dec;46(4):1535-1552.
    PMID: 37695509 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-023-01317-5
    In fluoroscopy-guided interventions (FGIs), obtaining large quantities of labelled data for deep learning (DL) can be difficult. Synthetic labelled data can serve as an alternative, generated via pseudo 2D projections of CT volumetric data. However, contrasted vessels have low visibility in simple 2D projections of contrasted CT data. To overcome this, we propose an alternative method to generate fluoroscopy-like radiographs from contrasted head CT Angiography (CTA) volumetric data. The technique involves segmentation of brain tissue, bone, and contrasted vessels from CTA volumetric data, followed by an algorithm to adjust HU values, and finally, a standard ray-based projection is applied to generate the 2D image. The resulting synthetic images were compared to clinical fluoroscopy images for perceptual similarity and subject contrast measurements. Good perceptual similarity was demonstrated on vessel-enhanced synthetic images as compared to the clinical fluoroscopic images. Statistical tests of equivalence show that enhanced synthetic and clinical images have statistically equivalent mean subject contrast within 25% bounds. Furthermore, validation experiments confirmed that the proposed method for generating synthetic images improved the performance of DL models in certain regression tasks, such as localizing anatomical landmarks in clinical fluoroscopy images. Through enhanced pseudo 2D projection of CTA volume data, synthetic images with similar features to real clinical fluoroscopic images can be generated. The use of synthetic images as an alternative source for DL datasets represents a potential solution to the application of DL in FGIs procedures.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms; Fluoroscopy/methods; Radiography; Radiology, Interventional
  15. Tong CY, Lim SL, Chua MX, Derek CJC
    Bioengineered, 2023 Dec;14(1):2252213.
    PMID: 37695682 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2023.2252213
    Spontaneous natural biofilm concentrates microalgal biomass on solid supports. However, the biofilm is frequently susceptible to exfoliation upon nutrient deficiency, particularly found in aged biofilm. Therefore, this study highlights a novel biofilm cultivation technique by pre-depositing the algal organic matters from marine diatom, Navicula incerta onto microporous polyvinylidene fluoride membrane to further strengthen the biofilm developed. Due to the improvement in membrane surface roughness and hydrophobicity, cells adhered most abundantly to soluble extrapolymeric substances-coated (sEPS) (76×106±16×106 cells m-2), followed by bounded EPS-coated (57.67×106±0.33×106 cells m-2), internally organic matter (IOM)-coated (39.00×106±5.19×106 cells m-2), and pristine control the least (6.22×106±0.77×106 cells m-2) at 24th h. Surprisingly, only bEPS-coated membrane demonstrated an increase in cell adhesion toward the end of the experiment at 72 h. The application of the bio-coating has successfully increased the rate of cell attachment by at least 45.3% upon inoculation and achieved as high as 89.9% faster attachment at 72 hours compared to the pristine control group. Soluble polysaccharides and proteins might be carried along by the cells adhering onto membranes hence resulting in a built up of EPS hydrophobicity (>70% in average on bio-coated membranes) over time as compared with pristine (control) that only recorded an average of approximately 50% hydrophobicity. Interestingly, cells grown on bio-coated membranes accumulated more internally bounded polysaccharides, though bio-coating had no discernible impact on the production of both externally and internally bounded protein. The collective findings of this study reveal the physiological alterations of microalgal biofilms cultured on bio-coated membranes.
    MeSH terms: Cell Adhesion; Diatoms*; Biofilms; Biomass; Microalgae*
  16. Lea AJ, Clark AG, Dahl AW, Devinsky O, Garcia AR, Golden CD, et al.
    PLoS Biol, 2023 Sep;21(9):e3002311.
    PMID: 37695771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002311
    Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are on the rise worldwide. Obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes are among a long list of "lifestyle" diseases that were rare throughout human history but are now common. The evolutionary mismatch hypothesis posits that humans evolved in environments that radically differ from those we currently experience; consequently, traits that were once advantageous may now be "mismatched" and disease causing. At the genetic level, this hypothesis predicts that loci with a history of selection will exhibit "genotype by environment" (GxE) interactions, with different health effects in "ancestral" versus "modern" environments. To identify such loci, we advocate for combining genomic tools in partnership with subsistence-level groups experiencing rapid lifestyle change. In these populations, comparisons of individuals falling on opposite extremes of the "matched" to "mismatched" spectrum are uniquely possible. More broadly, the work we propose will inform our understanding of environmental and genetic risk factors for NCDs across diverse ancestries and cultures.
    MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases*; Disease Susceptibility; Biological Evolution; Humans; Genomics
  17. Sabaruddin FA, Megashah LN, Shazleen SS, Ariffin H
    Ultrason Sonochem, 2023 Oct;99:106572.
    PMID: 37696213 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106572
    The utilization of agricultural residues to obtain biocompounds of high-added value has significantly increased in the past decades. The conversion of agro-based residues into valuable products appears to be an economically efficient, environment-friendly, and protracted waste management practice. The implementation of ultrasonic technologies in the conversion of value-added goods from agricultural waste materials through pre-treatment and valorization processes has imparted many advantageous effects including rapid processing, effective process performance, minimization of processing steps, minimal dependency on harmful chemicals, and an increased yield and properties of bio-products. To further enliven the literature and inspire new research investigations, this review covers the comprehensive work including theoretical principles, processes, and potential benefits of ultrasonic treatment technologies to assist the production of bio-products which emphasize the extraction yield and the characteristic of the end-product extracted from agriculture residues. A detailed evaluation of these methods and key aspects impacting their performance as well as the features and shortcomings of each ultrasound-assisted approach is also discussed. This review also addressed some of the challenges associated with using ultrasonic irradiation and proposed several potential techniques to maximize productivity. Understanding the concept of ultrasonication technique allow the academician and industrial practitioners to explore the possibility of applying a greener and sustainable approach of biomass extraction to be translated into higher scale production of commercial products.
  18. Bharathi D, Ranjithkumar R, Nandagopal JGT, Djearamane S, Lee J, Wong LS
    Environ Res, 2023 Dec 01;238(Pt 1):117109.
    PMID: 37696324 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117109
    The synthesis of polymer-encapsulated metal nanoparticles is a growing field of area due to their long-term uses in the development of new technologies. The present study describes the synthesis of chitosan/silver nanocomposite using kaempferol for anticancer and bactericidal activity. The formation of Kf-CS/Ag nanocomposite was confirmed by the development of a brown color and UV-absorbance around 438 nm. The IR study was utilized to determine the existence of Kf and CS in the synthesized nanocomposite. TEM analysis demonstrated that the synthesized nanocomposite have a predominantly uniform spherical shape and size ranges 7-10 nm. EDX spectrum showed the existence of Ag, C, and N elements in the nanocomposite material. Further, Kf-CS/Ag nanocomposite exhibited potential in vitro inhibitory property against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and their IC50 values was found to be 53 μg/mL. Moreover, fluorescent assays such as DAPI and AO/EtBr confirmed the apoptosis induction ability of Kf-CS/Ag nanocomposite in MDA-MB-231 cells. The synthesized Kf-CS/Ag nanocomposite showed significant and dose-depended antibacterial property against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Thus, the obtained findings demonstrated that the synthesized nanocomposite can be potentially used to improve human health as biocidal nanocomposite in biomedical sectors.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Silver; Staphylococcus aureus; Kaempferols; Chitosan*; Nanocomposites*; Metal Nanoparticles*; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms*
  19. Gholami H, Mohammadifar A, Golzari S, Song Y, Pradhan B
    Sci Total Environ, 2023 Dec 15;904:166960.
    PMID: 37696396 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166960
    Gully erosion possess a serious hazard to critical resources such as soil, water, and vegetation cover within watersheds. Therefore, spatial maps of gully erosion hazards can be instrumental in mitigating its negative consequences. Among the various methods used to explore and map gully erosion, advanced learning techniques, especially deep learning (DL) models, are highly capable of spatial mapping and can provide accurate predictions for generating spatial maps of gully erosion at different scales (e.g., local, regional, continental, and global). In this paper, we applied two DL models, namely a simple recurrent neural network (RNN) and a gated recurrent unit (GRU), to map land susceptibility to gully erosion in the Shamil-Minab plain, Hormozgan province, southern Iran. To address the inherent black box nature of DL models, we applied three novel interpretability methods consisting of SHaply Additive explanation (SHAP), ceteris paribus and partial dependence (CP-PD) profiles and permutation feature importance (PFI). Using the Boruta algorithm, we identified seven important features that control gully erosion: soil bulk density, clay content, elevation, land use type, vegetation cover, sand content, and silt content. These features, along with an inventory map of gully erosion (based on a 70 % training dataset and 30 % test dataset), were used to generate spatial maps of gully erosion using DL models. According to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) statistic performance assessment measure, the simple RNN model (with KS = 91.6) outperformed the GRU model (with KS = 66.6). Based on the results from the simple RNN model, 7.4 %, 14.5 %, 18.9 %, 31.2 % and 28 % of total area of the plain were classified as very-low, low, moderate, high and very-high hazard classes, respectively. According to SHAP plots, CP-PD profiles, and PFI measures, soil silt content, vegetation cover (NDVI) and land use type had the highest impact on the model's output. Overall, the DL modelling techniques and interpretation methods used in this study proved to be helpful in generating spatial maps of soil erosion hazard, especially gully erosion. Their interpretability can support watershed sustainable management.
  20. Jasuja S, Gallieni M, Jha V, Vachharajani T, Bhalla AK, Tan J, et al.
    Nephrology (Carlton), 2023 Dec;28(12):672-681.
    PMID: 37697492 DOI: 10.1111/nep.14236
    AIM: This cross-sectional survey aimed to determine the prevalence of Interventional Nephrology (IN) practice amongst nephrologists in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR), specifically related to dialysis access (DA).

    METHODS: The Association of VA and intervenTionAl Renal physicians (AVATAR) Foundation from India conducted a multinational online survey amongst nephrologists from the Asia-Pacific to determine the practice of IN in the planning, creation, and management of dialysis access. The treatment modalities, manpower and equipment availability, monthly cost of treatment, specifics of dialysis access interventions, and challenges in the training and practice of IN by nephrologists were included in the survey.

    RESULTS: Twenty-one countries from the APR participated in the survey. Nephrologists from 18 (85.7%) countries reported performing at least one of the basic dialysis access-related IN procedures, primarily the placement of non-tunnelled central catheters (n-TCC; 71.5%). Only 10 countries (47.6%) reported having an average of <4% of nephrologists performing any of the advanced IN access procedures, the most common being the placement of a peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter (20%). Lack of formal training (57.14%), time (42.8%), incentive (38%), institutional support (38%), medico-legal protection (28.6%), and prohibitive cost (23.8%) were the main challenges to practice IN. The primary obstacles to implementing the IN training were a lack of funding and skilled personnel.

    CONCLUSION: The practice of dialysis access-related IN in APR is inadequate, mostly due to a lack of training, backup support, and economic constraints, whereas training in access-related IN is constrained by a lack of a skilled workforce and finances.

    MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology; Catheterization/methods; Cross-Sectional Studies; Renal Dialysis; Humans
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