Browse publications by year: 2024

  1. Tan H, Othman MHD, Chong WT, Kek HY, Wong SL, Nyakuma BB, et al.
    J Environ Manage, 2024 Apr;356:120644.
    PMID: 38522274 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120644
    Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials, mainly consisting of polymers. The use of plastics has increased to over 300 million metric tonnes in recent years, and by 2050, it is expected to grow to 800 million. Presently, a mere 10% of plastic waste is recycled, with approximately 75% ended up in landfills. Inappropriate disposal of plastic waste into the environment poses a threat to human lives and marine species. Therefore, this review article highlights potential routes for converting plastic/microplastic waste into valuable resources to promote a greener and more sustainable environment. The literature review revealed that plastics/microplastics (P/MP) could be recycled or upcycled into various products or materials via several innovative processes. For example, P/MP are recycled and utilized as anodes in lithium-ion (Li-ion) and sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries. The anode in Na-ion batteries comprising PP carbon powder exhibits a high reversible capacity of ∼340 mAh/g at 0.01 A/g current state. In contrast, integrating Fe3O4 and PE into a Li-ion battery yielded an excellent capacity of 1123 mAh/g at 0.5 A/g current state. Additionally, recycled Nylon displayed high physical and mechanical properties necessary for excellent application as 3D printing material. Induction heating is considered a revolutionary pyrolysis technique with improved yield, efficiency, and lower energy utilization. Overall, P/MPs are highlighted as abundant resources for the sustainable production of valuable products and materials such as batteries, nanomaterials, graphene, and membranes for future applications.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Plastics*; Recycling; Waste Disposal Facilities
  2. Beyrer C, Kamarulzaman A, Isbell M, Amon J, Baral S, Bassett MT, et al.
    Lancet, 2024 Apr 06;403(10434):1374-1418.
    PMID: 38522449 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00302-7
    MeSH terms: Humans; Human Rights; Global Health
  3. Rangel Bousquet Carrilho T, Wang D, Hutcheon JA, Wang M, Fawzi WW, Kac G, et al.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2024 Jun;119(6):1465-1474.
    PMID: 38522618 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.03.016
    BACKGROUND: Existing gestational weight gain (GWG) charts vary considerably in their choice of exclusion/inclusion criteria, and it is unclear to what extent these criteria create differences in the charts' percentile values.

    OBJECTIVES: We aimed to establish the impact of including/excluding pregnancies with adverse neonatal outcomes when constructing GWG charts.

    METHODS: This is an individual participant data analysis from 31 studies from low- and middle-income countries. We created a dataset that included all participants and a dataset restricted to those with no adverse neonatal outcomes: preterm < 37 wk, small or large for gestational age, low birth weight < 2500 g, or macrosomia > 4000 g. Quantile regression models were used to create GWG curves from 9 to 40 wk, stratified by prepregnancy BMI, in each dataset.

    RESULTS: The dataset without the exclusion criteria applied included 14,685 individuals with normal weight and 4831 with overweight. After removing adverse neonatal outcomes, 10,479 individuals with normal weight and 3466 individuals with overweight remained. GWG distributions at 13, 27, and 40 wk were virtually identical between the datasets with and without the exclusion criteria, except at 40 wk for normal weight and 27 wk for overweight. For the 10th and 90th percentiles, the differences between the estimated GWG were larger for overweight (∼1.5 kg) compared with normal weight (<1 kg). Removal of adverse neonatal outcomes had minimal impact on GWG trajectories of normal weight. For overweight, the percentiles estimated in the dataset without the criteria were slightly higher than those in the dataset with the criteria applied. Nevertheless, differences were <1 kg and virtually nonexistent at the end of pregnancy.

    CONCLUSIONS: Removing pregnancies with adverse neonatal outcomes has little or no influence on the GWG trajectories of individuals with normal and overweight.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Birth Weight; Developing Countries; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Outcome; Body Mass Index*; Overweight*
  4. Carcao M, Selvaratnam V, Blatny J
    Haemophilia, 2024 Apr;30 Suppl 3:86-94.
    PMID: 38523288 DOI: 10.1111/hae.14964
    INTRODUCTION: Prophylaxis has become standard of care for all persons with haemophilia (PWH) with a severe phenotype. However, 'standard prophylaxis' with either factor or non-factor therapies (currently only emicizumab available) is prohibitively expensive for much of the world. We sought to address the question of 'How much prophylaxis is enough?' and 'Can it be individualized?' and specifically 'Can emicizumab be individualized?'.

    METHODS: We reviewed the literature on prophylaxis in haemophilia since its inception in the 1950s to the present, the development of more and less intense factor prophylaxis regimens and their outcomes and additionally the published outcomes of prophylaxis with low dose emicizumab.

    RESULTS: What these experiences collectively show is that low dose emicizumab does result in significant benefits to patients whilst being much less expensive than a "one size fits all" emicizumab prophylaxis approach. We also took note that some non-factor therapies still in development are individualized given that high doses of these can potentially put patients at risk.

    CONCLUSIONS: Prophylaxis is now clearly accepted as standard of care for PWH with a severe phenotype but now in a very short time a large assortment of different treatment options for prophylaxis have become/are becoming available and the haemophilia community will need to determine how to best use these recognizing that no 'one treatment fits all'.

    MeSH terms: Factor VIII/therapeutic use; Humans
  5. Angchaisuksiri P, Amurao-Abiera M, Chou SC, Chewcharat P, Chozie NA, Gomez R, et al.
    Haemophilia, 2024 May;30(3):609-616.
    PMID: 38523289 DOI: 10.1111/hae.14998
    BACKGROUND: The healthcare systems in Asia vary greatly due to the socio-economic and cultural diversities which impact haemophilia management.

    METHODS: An advisory board meeting was conducted with experts in haemophilia care from Asia to understand the heterogeneity in clinical practices and care provision in the region.

    FINDINGS: The overall prevalence of haemophilia in Asia ranges between 3 and 8.58/100,000 patients. Haemophilia A was more prevalent as compared to haemophilia B with a ratio of around 5:1. There is under-diagnosis in the region due to lack of diagnosis, registries and/or lack of appropriate facilities in suburban areas. Most patients are referred to the haematologists by their families or primary care physicians, while some are identified during bleeding episodes. Genetic testing faces obstacles like resource constraints, services available at limited centres and unwillingness of patients to participate. Prophylaxis is offered for people with haemophilia (PWH) with a severe bleeding phenotype. Recombinant factors are approved in most countries across the region and are the preferred therapy. The challenges highlighted for not receiving a high standard of care include patients' reluctance to use an intravenous treatment, poor patient compliance due to frequency of infusions, budget constraints and lack of funding, insurance, availability and accessibility of factor concentrates. Prevalence of neutralizing antibodies ranged from 5% to 20% in the region. Use of immune tolerance induction and bypassing agents to treat inhibitors depends on their cost and availability.

    CONCLUSION: Haemophilia care in Asia has evolved to a great extent. However, some challenges remain for which a strategic approach along with multi-stakeholder involvement are needed.

    MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology; Hemophilia B/epidemiology; Hemophilia B/therapy; Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Prevalence
  6. Lubis AR, Sumon MAA, Dinh-Hung N, Dhar AK, Delamare-Deboutteville J, Kim DH, et al.
    J Fish Dis, 2024 Mar 24.
    PMID: 38523339 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.13941
    The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) and genes (ARGs) in aquaculture underscores the urgent need for alternative veterinary strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These measures are vital to reduce the likelihood of entering a post-antibiotic era. Identifying environmentally friendly biotechnological solutions to prevent and treat bacterial diseases is crucial for the sustainability of aquaculture and for minimizing the use of antimicrobials, especially antibiotics. The development of probiotics with quorum-quenching (QQ) capabilities presents a promising non-antibiotic strategy for sustainable aquaculture. Recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of QQ probiotics (QQPs) against a range of significant fish pathogens in aquaculture. QQ disrupts microbial communication (quorum sensing, QS) by inhibiting the production, replication, and detection of signalling molecules, thereby reducing bacterial virulence factors. With their targeted anti-virulence approach, QQPs have substantial promise as a potential alternative to antibiotics. The application of QQPs in aquaculture, however, is still in its early stages and requires additional research. Key challenges include determining the optimal dosage and treatment regimens, understanding the long-term effects, and integrating QQPs with other disease control methods in diverse aquaculture systems. This review scrutinizes the current literature on antibiotic usage, AMR prevalence in aquaculture, QQ mechanisms and the application of QQPs as a sustainable alternative to antibiotics.
  7. Abu Aziz N, Christianus A, Wan Solahudin WMS, Ismail IS, Low CF
    J Fish Dis, 2024 Mar 24.
    PMID: 38523352 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.13940
    Vibrio alginolyticus is the causative agent of vibriosis, a common bacterial infection in grouper aquaculture that is associated with the development of haemorrhagic and non-haemorrhagic ulcerations on the fish. In the present study, comparative proteome analysis was performed on serum samples from Vibrio-resistant and Vibrio-susceptible grouper. Samples were analysed using high-throughput LC-MS/MS and identified 2770 unique peptides that corresponded to 344 proteins. Subsequent analysis identified 21 proteins that were significantly up-regulated in the resistant group compared to the control and the susceptible groups. Those proteins are associated with immunostimulatory effects, signalling and binding cascade, metabolism, and maintaining tissue integrity and physiological condition. Besides, potential protein biomarkers related to the immune system were identified, which could be associated with the disease-resistant phenotype. These data provide insights into the underlying immune mechanism of hybrid groupers upon Vibrio sp. infection.
  8. Yunusa S, Müller CP, Hassan Z
    Br J Pharmacol, 2024 Mar 25.
    PMID: 38523471 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16352
    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Kratom is a preparation from Mitragyna speciosa, which is used as a natural drug preparation for many purposes around the world. However, an overdose of Kratom may cause addiction-like problems including aversive withdrawal states resulting in cognitive impairments via unknown mechanisms. Its main psychoactive alkaloid is mitragynine, showing opioid-like properties.

    EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Here, we analysed the neuropharmacological effects of mitragynine compared with morphine withdrawal in rats and searched for a pharmacological treatment option that may reverse the occurring cognitive deficits that usually aggravate withdrawal.

    KEY RESULTS: We found that withdrawal from 14-day mitragynine (1-10 mg·kg-1·day-1) treatment caused dose-dependent behavioural withdrawal signs resembling those of morphine (5 mg·kg-1·day-1) withdrawal. However, mitragynine (5 and 10 mg·kg-1·day-1) withdrawal also induced impairments in a passive avoidance task. Mitragynine withdrawal not only reduced hippocampal field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) amplitudes in basal synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP) but also reduced epigenetic markers, such as histone H3K9 and H4K12 expression. At the same time, it up-regulates HDAC2 expression. Targeting the epigenetic adaptations with the HDAC inhibitor, SAHA, reversed the effects of mitragynine withdrawal on epigenetic dysregulation, hippocampal input/output curves, paired-pulse facilitation, LTP and attenuated the cognitive deficit. However, SAHA amplified the effects of morphine withdrawal.

    CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The data from this work show that changes in histone expression and downstream hippocampal plasticity may explain mitragynine, but not morphine, withdrawal behaviours and cognitive impairments. Thus, it may provide a new treatment approach for aversive Kratom/mitragynine withdrawal and addiction.

  9. Simadibrata DM, Lesmana E, Pratama MIA, Sugiharta AJ, Winarizal AS, Lee YY, et al.
    JGH Open, 2024 Mar;8(3):e13053.
    PMID: 38523708 DOI: 10.1002/jgh3.13053
    INTRODUCTION: Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is the mainstay therapy for the maintenance of healed erosive esophagitis (EE). It is unknown whether potassium-competitive acid blockers (PCABs) are more efficacious and safer than PPIs.

    METHODS: Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing PCABs to PPIs in the maintenance of healing rates of endoscopically proven healed EE and indexed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL until 3 February 2024, were included. A fixed-effects model meta-analysis was performed to pool primary efficacy outcome (maintenance of healing rates at week 24) and safety data (any treatment-emergent adverse event or TEAE). The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's Risk of Bias 2 (RoB2) tool.

    RESULTS: Four RCTs with a total of 2554 patients were eligible for inclusion. All trials were of low risk of bias. Compared to lansoprazole 15 mg, the maintenance rates of healed EE at week 24 were significantly higher with vonoprazan 10 mg (RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.07-1.19) and vonoprazan 20 mg (RR 1.15; 95% CI 1.10-1.21). Likewise, compared to lansoprazole 15 mg, any TEAEs were significantly greater with vonoprazan 20 mg (RR 1.10; 95% CI 1.01-1.20) but not vonoprazan 10 mg.

    CONCLUSION: Vonoprazan 10 and 20 mg were superior to lansoprazole 15 mg in the maintenance of the healing of EE. Any TEAEs were greater with vonoprazan 20 mg.

  10. Nazir A, Heryaman H, Juli C, Ugusman A, Martha JW, Moeliono MA, et al.
    PMID: 38523733 DOI: 10.2147/IBPC.S449086
    Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), a term encompassing various disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels, includes coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is primarily due to the development of atherosclerotic plaques that disrupt blood flow, oxygenation, and nutrient delivery to the myocardium. Risk factors contributing to CAD progression include smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidaemia, and obesity. While aerobic exercise (AE) has shown promising results in controlling CVD risk factors, the impact of resistance training (RT) has not been extensively investigated. This review aims to describe the effects of RT on CVD risk factors based on studies retrieved from PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Both isometric and isotonic RT have been found to decrease systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, or mean arterial pressure, with SBP showing a more significant reduction. Hypertensive patients engaging in RT alongside a calorie-restricted diet demonstrated significant improvements in blood pressure. RT is associated with increased nitric oxide bioavailability, sympathetic modulation, and enhanced endothelial function. In type-2 DM patients, 8-12 weeks of RT led to improvements in fasting blood glucose levels, insulin secretion, metabolic syndrome risk, and glucose transporter numbers. Combining AE with RT had a more significant impact in reducing insulin resistance and enhancing blood glucose compared to performing exercises separately. It also significantly decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein levels while increasing high-density lipoprotein within 12 weeks of application. However, improvements are considered insignificant when lipid levels are already low to normal at baseline. The administration of RT resulted in weight loss and improved body mass index, with more pronounced effects seen when combining AE with RT and a calorie-restricted diet. Considering these results, the administration of RT, either alone or in combination with AE, proves beneficial in rehabilitating CAD patients by improving various risk factors.
  11. Fauzi FA, Abdullah MF, Abdul Rahman S
    Cureus, 2024 Feb;16(2):e54715.
    PMID: 38523935 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54715
    Male urethral stricture is scarring of the urethral tissue that narrows the urethral lumen causing reduced urinary flow. Urethral reconstruction or substitution urethroplasty using oral mucosa graft, especially from the buccal mucosa, is one of the most widely known techniques to manage urethral stricture. However, studies using bilateral buccal mucosa are still limited. Therefore, this study aims to report our experience and technique of bilateral buccal mucosa grafting for urethroplasty. The authors described a 66-year-old man with long-segment urethral stricture that was successfully treated with urethral reconstruction harvested from bilateral buccal mucosa.
  12. Shahrudin NH, Muhammed J, Wan Hitam WH, Sapiai NA, Abdul Halim S
    Cureus, 2024 Feb;16(2):e54692.
    PMID: 38523970 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54692
    Optic perineuritis (OPN) refers to the inflammation of the optic nerve sheath and it is a rare form of idiopathic orbital inflammatory disease. We report a rare case of bilateral OPN in an obese female teenager with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). She was initially presented with painless bilateral blurring of vision that was progressively worsening for three weeks duration. Visual acuity of both eyes was hand movement with no relative afferent pupillary defect detected. The confrontation visual field test showed central scotoma. Both anterior segments were unremarkable. Fundoscopy showed a swollen optic disc bilaterally, with extensive flame-shaped hemorrhages surrounding the disc area and dot blot hemorrhages in the posterior pole. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain and orbit revealed the presence of bilateral optic nerve sheath enhancement with empty sella turcica. The patient was diagnosed with bilateral OPN with IIH. She received an initial high dose of systemic corticosteroid followed by a slow tapering dose. She was monitored by the neuromedical team for her IIH. She was followed up for about a year. The final best corrected visual acuity in the right eye was 6/36 and the left eye was 6/60. In conclusion, OPN poses challenges in diagnosis and management. This case emphasizes the importance of considering OPN in the differential diagnosis of optic nerve-related symptoms, as prompt recognition and intervention are crucial for favorable outcomes.
  13. Gan KL, Khoo TB
    Cureus, 2024 Feb;16(2):e54693.
    PMID: 38524056 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54693
    Despite having equal rights to education, children with neurodisability (CWND) continue to face a myriad of barriers to education. This cross-sectional survey aimed to investigate the barriers to education among CWND who attended follow-up at a Malaysian tertiary hospital. Sixty-two caregivers of CWND completed a questionnaire which included the 'Washington Group/United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Child Functioning Module', type of schooling and open-ended questions for barriers to education. The out-of-school rate was 16/62 (26%). The level of schooling (i.e. not in school, special education or mainstream class) was strongly associated with difficulties in mobility, self-care, communication, controlling behaviour and getting along with other children. Five themes identified by caregivers as barriers to education were 'school infrastructure', 'inclusive opportunity, staffing and teacher's training', 'social environment', 'child's intrinsic factor' and 'practical limitations'. Practical solutions to overcome the significant barriers to education are required to address the unmet educational needs of CWND.
  14. Chen AH, Rafiuddin MSM, Ahmad A, Rosli SA
    Oman J Ophthalmol, 2024;17(1):11-18.
    PMID: 38524335 DOI: 10.4103/ojo.ojo_48_23
    Variation of multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) data presentation in existing scientific publications is a challenge for eye care practitioners to apply the scientific information for evidence-based practice in patient management. This review offers an overview of the mfERG data presentation types. Eight types of data presentation in the form of a table, scatter plot, line graph, bar graph/box plot, single waveform/a group of waveforms, trace array topography, three-dimensional topography, and two-dimensional topography are identified. The table format is used to provide the exact values. Line graphs, scatter, and box plots offer information about the relationship of mfERG values. Waveforms are helpful for comparison between groups or conditions. Topographies outline the retinal, especially the specific localized retinal abnormalities. An infographic of fundamental mfERG electrical response with definitions and clinical indications is provided to bridge the gap between researchers and clinicians to facilitate efficient clinical application.
  15. Daraz A, Khan IA, Basit A, Malik SA, AlQahtani SA, Zhang G
    Heliyon, 2024 Mar 30;10(6):e28073.
    PMID: 38524527 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28073
    Recent widespread connections of renewable energy resource (RESs) in place of fossil fuel supplies and the adoption of electrical vehicles in place of gasoline-powered vehicles have given birth to a number of new concerns. The control architecture of linked power networks now faces an increasingly pressing challenge: tie-line power fluctuations and reducing frequency deviations. Because of their nature and dependence on external circumstances, RESs are analogous to continually fluctuating power generators. Using a fractional order-based frequency regulator, this work presents a new method for improving the frequency regulation in a two-area interconnected power system. In order to deal with the frequency regulation difficulties of the hybrid system integrated with RES, the suggested controller utilizes the modified form of fractional order proportional integral derivative (FOPID) controller known as FOI-PDN controller. The new proposed controllers are designed using the white shark optimizer (WSO), a current powerful bioinspired meta heuristic algorithm which has been motivated by the learning abilities of white sharks when actively hunting in the environment. The suggested FOI-PDN controller's performance was compared to that of various control methodologies such as FOPID, and PID. Furthermore, the WSO findings are compared to those of other techniques such as the salp swarm algorithm, sine cosine algorithm and fitness dependent optimizer. The recommended controller and design approach have been tested and validated at different loading conditions and different circumstances, as well as their robustness against system parameter suspicions. The simulation outcomes demonstrate that the WSO-based tuned FOI-PDN controller successfully reduces peak overshoot by 73.33%, 91.03%, and 77.21% for region-2, region-1, and link power variation respectively, and delivers minimum undershoot of 89.12%, 83.11%, and 78.10% for both regions and tie-line. The obtained findings demonstrate the new proposed controller's stable function and frequency controlling performance with optimal controller parameters and without the requirement for a sophisticated design process.
  16. Amar SN, Kamaludin M, Azlina AA, K V Zainuddin MR, Sulaiman KI
    Heliyon, 2024 Mar 30;10(6):e27981.
    PMID: 38524591 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27981
    Malaysia needs to fully utilize its renewable energy resources to meet its goal of installed capacity of 31% of renewable energy in 2025 and 40% in 2035. In order to empower renewable energy sources, the government has established a fund known as the renewable energy fund (RE FUND). In Malaysia, most manufacturing sectors contribute to the RE FUND through their monthly electricity bills due to their electricity consumption exceeding 300kwh per month. As Malaysia's highest electricity consumer, the manufacturing sector needs government investment incentives to switch to renewable energy sources to generate electricity. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify attribute preferences of the manufacturing sector due to investing in renewable energy sources. The Choice Experiment method was employed where the Mixed Logit model was chosen to identify the willingness to pay for the manufacturing sectors based on their preferences among the four attributes: types of renewable energy, project location, annual reduction in GHG emissions, and RE FUND. The study results found that the manufacturing sector places the highest value on the project location, where they prefer to improve the project location from current condition to far location. This study can also help to achieve the Goal 7 in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), where investment in renewable energy sources can guarantee that all individuals obtain affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern electricity in 2030.
  17. Rashid A, Siddiqui NA, Ahmed N, Wahid A, Jamil M, Sankoh AA, et al.
    Heliyon, 2024 Mar 30;10(6):e27553.
    PMID: 38524595 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27553
    The early to middle Permian Dohol Formation is characterized by a significant presence of shale deposits. While these shales exhibit a low potential to generate hydrocarbons, there is a need to ascertain the possible reasons for the low hydrocarbon generation potential. Also, there are several unidentified properties and attributes associated with these shales in terms of their inorganic geochemical characteristics and their mineralogy. This study is focused on using XRF, ICPMS, and SEM with EDX to determine the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of these shales and use these data to discuss their provenance history and tectonic setting and interpret the paleoclimatic and paleoweathering conditions. The inorganic geochemical analysis shows that the shales from the Dohol Formation are from a felsic igneous source. The shales were also identified to be from a passive margin based on the bivariate plot of SiO2 vs log (K2O/Na2O) and several multidimensional diagram plots. The CIA and CIW data, as well as the A-CN-K plot, all point to a significant degree of chemical weathering, ranging from mild to intense. The Sr/Cu ratio and C-value, combined with various other geochemical proxies, indicate that the shales were formed in warm-humid climatic conditions. The SEM analysis shows that the samples are mainly composed of kaolinite and illite, and this result was supported by the EDX elemental composition. The high terrigenous influx of sediments, the oxic to sub-oxic conditions in which the sediments were deposited, and finally low marine productivity were found to be the reasons for the low TOC in the shales from the Dohol Formation.
  18. Faizal AM, Elias MH, Jin NM, Abu MA, Syafruddin SE, Zainuddin AA, et al.
    Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2024;15:1274376.
    PMID: 38524634 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1274376
    The leading indicator for successful outcomes in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is the quality of gametes in oocytes and sperm. Thus, advanced research aims to highlight the parameter in assessing these qualities - DNA fragmentation in sperm and oocyte development capacity (ODC) via evaluation of microenvironments involving its maturation process. Regarding oocytes, most evidence reveals the role of cumulus cells as non-invasive methods in assessing their development competency, mainly via gene expression evaluation. Our review aims to consolidate the evidence of GDF-9 derivatives, the HAS2, GREM1, and PTGS2 gene expression in cumulus cells used as ODC markers in relevant publications and tailored to current IVF outcomes. In addition to that, we also added the bioinformatic analysis in our review to strengthen the evidence aiming for a better understanding of the pathways and cluster of the genes of interest - HAS2, GREM1, and PTGS2 in cumulus cell level. Otherwise, the current non-invasive method can be used in exploring various causes of infertility that may affect these gene expressions at the cumulus cell level. Nevertheless, this method can also be used in assessing the ODC in various cohorts of women or as an improvement of markers following targeted tools or procedures by evaluating the advancement of these gene expressions following the targeted intervention.
    MeSH terms: Female; Humans; Male; Oocytes/metabolism; Semen*; Gene Expression; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism; Cyclooxygenase 2/genetics; Cyclooxygenase 2/metabolism
  19. Yoshida A, Li Y, Maroufy V, Kuwana M, Sazliyana Shaharir S, Makol A, et al.
    Rheumatol Adv Pract, 2024;8(2):rkae028.
    PMID: 38524696 DOI: 10.1093/rap/rkae028
    OBJECTIVES: To investigate health-related quality of life in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) compared with those with non-IIM autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs), non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases (nrAIDs) and without autoimmune diseases (controls) using Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) instrument data obtained from the second COVID-19 vaccination in autoimmune disease (COVAD-2) e-survey database.

    METHODS: Demographics, diagnosis, comorbidities, disease activity, treatments and PROMIS instrument data were analysed. Primary outcomes were PROMIS Global Physical Health (GPH) and Global Mental Health (GMH) scores. Factors affecting GPH and GMH scores in IIMs were identified using multivariable regression analysis.

    RESULTS: We analysed responses from 1582 IIM, 4700 non-IIM AIRD and 545 nrAID patients and 3675 controls gathered through 23 May 2022. The median GPH scores were the lowest in IIM and non-IIM AIRD patients {13 [interquartile range (IQR) 10-15] IIMs vs 13 [11-15] non-IIM AIRDs vs 15 [13-17] nrAIDs vs 17 [15-18] controls, P 

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