Browse publications by year: 2025

  1. Lesen D, Nillian E, Thung TY
    Microb Pathog, 2025 Mar 26;203:107517.
    PMID: 40154853 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2025.107517
    Shrimp farming, a highly profitable sector in global aquaculture, has seen remarkable growth in recent years. This increasing demand and the expansion of farming operations, including in Sarawak, Malaysia, highlight the sector's potential. However, the industry faces significant challenges, particularly the prevalence of vibriosis, a bacterial infection caused by Vibrio species. Contamination of food products has also increased the risk of vibriosis in humans. The widespread use of antibiotics to combat this disease has led to the rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bacteria. This study specifically focuses on the isolation and characterization of phage EniLVP02, a novel bacteriophage with the potential to combat V. parahaemolyticus infections. EniLVP02 was successfully isolated from shrimp purchased at a retail market and exhibited strong lytic activity against V. parahaemolyticus strains. Structural analysis categorized EniLVP02 within the Straboviridae family, belonging to the class Caudoviricetes. The phage displayed a narrow host range and lytic nature only towards V. parahaemolyticus strains isolated from the Telaga Air shrimp farm. Phage EniLVP02 exhibited long latent period of 120 min and large burst size of 144 phages per infected cells. Stability studies revealed EniLVP02's resilience across various pH (pH 4.0-9.0) and temperature (28 °C-65 °C) conditions, particularly at physiological temperatures. Comparative genome analyses indicated its distinct evolutionary relationship and low homology with other Vibriophages, suggesting its novelty. EniLVP02 demonstrated significant potential in biofilm prevention and destruction, with absorbance (OD600 nm) reduction from 0.592 ± 0.055 to 0.204± 0.016 and from 0.843± 0.003 to 0.174± 0.026 respectively. Moreover, in the treatment of V. parahaemolyticus-contaminated shrimp meat, EniLVP02 effectively inhibit bacterial concentrations by 75.2 % at room temperature and 16.2 % at 4 °C after 24 h. Genomic sequencing revealed low similarity between EniLVP02 with other phages, suggesting its novelty. Importantly, the absence of lysogeny-related, antibiotic resistance, and virulence genes in its genome supports EniLVP02's safety for therapeutic use. This study underscores the importance of exploring phages from retail food products for therapeutic applications and highlights the promising attributes of phage EniLVP02 in combating V. parahaemolyticus infections in aquaculture. Further investigations on its compatibility with other phages and application in diverse food matrices are warranted to assess its full potential.
  2. Jimoh KA, Hashim N
    Adv Food Nutr Res, 2025;114:301-352.
    PMID: 40155087 DOI: 10.1016/bs.afnr.2024.09.006
    The global concern for ensuring the safety and authenticity of high-quality food necessitates continuous advancements in food assessment technologies. While conventional methods of food assessment are accurate and precise, they are also laborious, destructive, time-consuming, energy-intensive, chemical-demanding, and less eco-friendly. Their reliability diminishes when dealing with large numbers of food samples. This chapter explores recent advances in non-invasive technologies for food quality assessment, including spectroscopy, optical imaging, and e-sensors. Enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI), these technologies have shown remarkable capabilities in rapid and accurate food identification, authentication, physical appraisal, early disease detection, chemical analysis, and biochemical evaluation. As a result, non-invasive technology holds the potential to revolutionize food quality assessment and assure food safety at every stage of the food supply chain.
    MeSH terms: Artificial Intelligence; Humans; Food Safety; Food Quality*
  3. Saadi S, Adoui F, Nacer NE, Boudjellal A, Boughellout H, Anwar F, et al.
    Adv Food Nutr Res, 2025;114:415-484.
    PMID: 40155089 DOI: 10.1016/bs.afnr.2024.11.001
    Date palm trees, fruits and leaves have historic life changes with human beings, and their utilizations started by using them as foods and remedy, especially against the resulting bruises of consecutive wars involving wounds, burnes and invasive diseases such as Malaria, Cholera and recently against the emergence of Covid-19 disease symptoms. The richness of palm date- fruits with reducing sugars, polyphenolic acids, flavonoid compounds, hydrosoluble and liposoluble vitamins makes them as versatile food and feed products. In part, minerals remain as the catalyst elements for these golden fruits. In other part, the distribution of essential oils at the mesocarps of date fruits and into date pits constitutes other integral part with substantial therapeutic and nutrigenomic contributions. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is a bound enzyme involved in the ripening of the date fruits. The aim of this book chapter is devoted in exploring the recent advances in date palm fruit cultivars as natural bioresources and the key elements beyond to their chemistry, biochemistry, and nutrition aspects, shedding lights on their important metabolites in enhancing food nutritional values, and human health attributes.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Nutritive Value*
  4. Moorthy V, Siegfried N, Amuasi J, Li J, Makanga M, Soares-Weiser K, et al.
    Lancet Glob Health, 2025 Apr;13(4):e608-e610.
    PMID: 40155095 DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(25)00012-9
  5. Sabo A, Kuan G, Abdullah S, Kuay HS, Kueh YC
    Sci Rep, 2025 Mar 28;15(1):10708.
    PMID: 40155407 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-90868-6
    Individual potential has recently been acknowledged by the holistic health model as being essential to successfully addressing life's demands, both now and in the future. The study employed a cross-sectional survey among Nigerian university undergraduate students, using a convenience sampling method, to assess their subjective individual potential. The study investigated the psychometric properties of the newly developed Individual Potentials Questionnaire (IP-Q). The study involved a total of 730 participants (EFA = 300 and CFA = 430). The I-CVIs and S-CVIs fall within the range of 0.83 to 1, and the I-FVIs and S-FVIs are 1. Two factors (biologically given potential and personally acquired potential) emerged in the EFA analysis, with all 14 items retained due to satisfactory factor loadings (above 0.50) and KMO = 0.905 (p-value 
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Male; Nigeria; Surveys and Questionnaires; Students; Universities; Reproducibility of Results; Young Adult
  6. Bebawy AS, Saad BT, Saad MT, Mosaad GS, Gomaa FAM, Alshahrani MY, et al.
    J Appl Genet, 2025 Mar 29.
    PMID: 40155586 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-025-00962-8
    Microbial metagenomic identification is generally attributed to the specificity and type of the bioinformatic tools, including classifiers and visualizers. In this study, the performance of two major classifiers, Centrifuge and Kraken2, and two visualizers (Recentrifuge and Krona) has been thoroughly investigated for their efficiency in the identification of the microorganisms using the Whole-Genome Sequence (WGS) database and four targeted databases including NCBI, Silva, Greengenes, and Ribosomal Database Project (RDP). Two standard DNA metagenomic library replicates, Zymo and Zymo-1, were used as quality control. Results showed that Centrifuge gave a higher percentage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica identification than Kraken2. Compared to Recentrifuge, Kraken2 was more accurate in identifying Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus subtilis, and Cryptococcus neoformans. The results of the rest of the detected microorganisms were generally consistent with the two classifiers. Regarding visualizers, both Recentrifuge and Krona provided similar results regarding the abundance of each microbial species regardless of the classifier used. The differences in results between the two mentioned classifiers may be attributed to the specific algorithms each method uses and the sequencing depth. Centrifuge uses a read mapping approach, while Kraken2 uses a k-mer-based system to classify the sequencing reads into taxonomic groups. In conclusion, both Centrifuge and Kraken2 are effective tools for microbial classification. However, the choice of classifier can influence the accuracy of microbial classification and, therefore, should be made carefully, depending on the desired application, even when the same reference database is used.
  7. Aljawhar AM, Ibrahim N, Abdul Aziz A, Ahmed HMA, Azami NH
    Sci Rep, 2025 Mar 28;15(1):10821.
    PMID: 40155637 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94590-1
    Successful root canal treatment requires a thorough understanding of root canal morphology. This study investigated the root canal morphology and the fine anatomical characteristics of maxillary first premolars in an Iraqi sub-population using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and classified using Vertucci and Ahmed et al. systems. A total of 151 extracted maxillary first premolars were collected, cleaned and disinfected. The collected teeth were scanned using a micro-CT system. The images were segmented and three-dimensionally (3D) reconstructed using Mimics research software, for the evaluation of root canal morphology, isthmuses and accessory canals. The data were analysed using the Monte Carlo simulations for Chi-Square test with a significance level of 0.05. Results showed that out of the 151 maxillary first premolars, 82 (54.3%) were double-rooted and 69 (45.7%) were single-rooted. The most common root canal configuration in the single-rooted teeth was Vertucci Type VII (Ahmed et al. code 1MaxP1-2-1-2), and Vertucci Type IV (Ahmed et al. code 2MaxP B1P1) was the most common type in the double-rooted teeth. About 15.2% of the samples could not be classified by Vertucci system and were classified using Ahmed et al. system. Isthmuses were observed in 28.5% of the samples with the middle root third was the most common location. Isthmus prevalence was significantly higher in single-rooted teeth (50.7%) compared to the double-rooted teeth (9.8%) (P 
    MeSH terms: Humans; Iraq; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods
  8. Tan CY, Ong HF, Lim CH, Tan MS, Ooi EH, Wong K
    BMC Bioinformatics, 2025 Mar 28;26(1):94.
    PMID: 40155814 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-025-06111-6
    The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies, such as DNA microarray and DNA sequencing, has enabled effective analysis of cancer subtypes and targeted treatment. Furthermore, numerous studies have highlighted the capability of graph neural networks (GNN) to model complex biological systems and capture non-linear interactions in high-throughput data. GNN has proven to be useful in leveraging multiple types of omics data, including prior biological knowledge from various sources, such as transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, to improve cancer classification. However, current works do not fully utilize the non-linear learning potential of GNN and lack of the integration ability to analyse high-throughput multi-omics data simultaneously with prior biological knowledge. Nevertheless, relying on limited prior knowledge in generating gene graphs might lead to less accurate classification due to undiscovered significant gene-gene interactions, which may require expert intervention and can be time-consuming. Hence, this study proposes a graph classification model called associative multi-omics graph embedding learning (AMOGEL) to effectively integrate multi-omics datasets and prior knowledge through GNN coupled with association rule mining (ARM). AMOGEL employs an early fusion technique using ARM to mine intra-omics and inter-omics relationships, forming a multi-omics synthetic information graph before the model training. Moreover, AMOGEL introduces multi-dimensional edges, with multi-omics gene associations or edges as the main contributors and prior knowledge edges as auxiliary contributors. Additionally, it uses a gene ranking technique based on attention scores, considering the relationships between neighbouring genes. Several experiments were performed on BRCA and KIPAN cancer subtypes to demonstrate the integration of multi-omics datasets (miRNA, mRNA, and DNA methylation) with prior biological knowledge of protein-protein interactions, KEGG pathways and Gene Ontology. The experimental results showed that the AMOGEL outperformed the current state-of-the-art models in terms of classification accuracy, F1 score and AUC score. The findings of this study represent a crucial step forward in advancing the effective integration of multi-omics data and prior knowledge to improve cancer subtype classification.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Neoplasms/classification; Neoplasms/genetics; Neoplasms/metabolism; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism; Neural Networks (Computer)*; Computational Biology/methods; Proteomics/methods; Metabolomics/methods
  9. Satapathy P, Khatib MN, Vadia N, Menon SV, Chennakesavulu K, Panigrahi R, et al.
    J Headache Pain, 2025 Mar 28;26(1):63.
    PMID: 40155825 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-025-02000-8
    BACKGROUND: Migraine is a common neurological disorder with potential pharmacological triggers. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), commonly prescribed for managing gastroesophageal reflux disease and other acid-related gastrointestinal disorders, have been linked to headaches. However, their association with migraine remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the association between PPI use and the incidence of migraine.

    METHOD: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA framework and registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42025644604) to enhance transparency. The search, conducted up to January 2024, included studies focusing on the association between migraine and PPI use. Data screening and extraction were performed using Nested Knowledge software. Meta-analyses were conducted in R software, with heterogeneity assessed through the I² statistic. Pooled adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Sensitivity analyses were also performed to assess the robustness of the results. Gender and migraine subtype were considered in subgroup analyses. Additionally, the GRADE approach was applied to assess the certainty of the evidence across the pooled outcomes.

    RESULTS: Five studies involving over 1.5 million participants met the inclusion criteria. The overall pooled adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was 2.508 (95% CI, 0.790-7.969; I² = 91.2%). However, there was a significant association in males (aOR, 3.875; 95% CI, 2.413-6.222; I² = 0%) but not in females (aOR, 2.475; 95% CI, 0.563-10.890; I² = 91.1%). No significant differences were found between migraine types: with aura (aOR, 2.079; 95% CI, 0.945-4.576; I² = 25.4%) and without aura (aOR, 2.524; 95% CI, 0.807-7.896; I² = 96.5%). The GRADE assessment indicated a very low certainty of the evidence.

    CONCLUSION: This review found no significant overall association between PPI use and migraine. However, a significant association was observed in males but not in females. Further research is needed to clarify this association and explore the underlying causality mechanisms, and migraine subtypes, particularly why the association appears more pronounced in males.

    CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

    MeSH terms: Humans
  10. Xia M, Wang J, Wang Z, Bi D, Mao H, Liu X, et al.
    Hum Resour Health, 2025 Mar 28;23(1):18.
    PMID: 40155900 DOI: 10.1186/s12960-025-00986-5
    BACKGROUND: Nurse job burnout is a critical issue affecting medical quality and safety. Psychological capital (PsyCap) is associated with enhanced career satisfaction and reduced work stress. This study evaluates the relationship between nurses' PsyCap and job burnout, while considering leadership and family as contextual factors.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used, collecting data from 499 nurses via validated questionnaires. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression, were conducted to assess the relationship between PsyCap and job burnout. Leadership and family were included as contextual variables in hierarchical regression models to evaluate their indirect influences.

    RESULTS: Among nurses, 63.9% experienced mild to moderate burnout. The average PsyCap score was 107.88 ± 20.55. PsyCap showed a significant negative correlation with burnout dimensions (correlation coefficients: -0.43 to -0.53, p 

    MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Job Satisfaction*; Leadership*; Male; Middle Aged; Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Multilevel Analysis*; Resilience, Psychological
  11. Ismail A, Ahid F, Moi WN, Kamaluddin NR, Esa E, Yusoff YM, et al.
    Mol Cytogenet, 2025 Mar 28;18(1):7.
    PMID: 40155977 DOI: 10.1186/s13039-025-00709-4
    BACKGROUND: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, comprising approximately 25% of pediatric malignancies. Notably, chromosomal aberrations and genetic alterations play a central role in the pathogenesis of ALL, serving as critical diagnostic and prognostic markers. In this study, we use array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) to explore the landscape of copy number variations (CNVs) and variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in 67 Malaysian childhood ALL patients with normal karyotype.

    RESULTS: A total of 36 pathogenic CNVs (26 gains, 10 losses) were identified in 19 (28.4%) patients which harbor genes related to the development of ALL. The genes include the MLLT3 (9p21.3), ETV6 (12p13.2), RUNX1 (21q22.12), ERG (21q22.2) and DMD (Xp21.1). On the other hand, a total of 46 variants of uncertain significance (VUS) was observed in 34 (50.7%) patients.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that array-CGH is able to identify and characterize the CNVs responsible for the pathogenesis of childhood ALL. However, further studies are required to determine the pathogenic implications of VUS in the development of childhood ALL.

  12. Masri MFB, Lai YY, Mustapa SSB, Samsudin IN, Thambiah SC
    Lab Med, 2025 Mar 28.
    PMID: 40156143 DOI: 10.1093/labmed/lmae123
    INTRODUCTION: Cold-reacting antibodies that bind to and trigger premature erythrocyte destruction are present in patients with cold autoimmune hemolytic anemia (cAIHA). The diagnosis of cAIHA is challenging because of the rarity of the disease, especially in patients with nonspecific features.

    METHODS: In this case report, we discuss an unusual case of cAIHA in an older man who presented with asymptomatic hyperkalemia, highlighting the hematologic and biochemical changes associated with the disease.

    RESULTS: Although hyperkalemia is expected with in vivo hemolysis because of autoantibody-mediated destruction of red blood cells, pseudohyperkalemia caused by in vitro hemolysis was also detected. The combination of actual in vivo hyperkalemia and pseudohyperkalemia resulted in a measured potassium value that was higher than the in vivo potassium concentration.

    DISCUSSION: It is pertinent to consider both in vivo and in vitro hemolysis in patients with cAIHA, particularly when assessing potassium status, so that an appropriate intervention can be administered for better patient outcomes.

  13. Cheong CS, Iyadorai T, Tay ST, Liong CC, Hussein N, Samudi C, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2025 Mar 01;26(3):839-845.
    PMID: 40156400 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.3.839
    OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the incidence and risk factors of invasive fungal infection (IFI) among patients with haematological malignancies (HM) in a tertiary hospital from Malaysia.

    METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in a teaching hospital involving HM patients, admitted for chemotherapy or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Each admission for either chemotherapy or HSCT was considered as a separate event. Patients were followed up for development of IFI from the time of each admission to time of discharge or time of death. Outcomes of patients with IFI upon discharge were recorded. Clinical and mycological data during each admission were collected and analysed.

    RESULTS: Eighty-three patients with mean age of 58.8±15.5 years were recruited. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was the most common diagnosis (45.8%). A total of 132 admissions were analysed from these 83 patients. Antifungal prophylaxes were prescribed in 94.7% of admissions with fluconazole being the most common agent used (88.6%). The incidence of proven and probable IFI was 7.6%. Candida tropicalis was the most common fungi isolated from these patients (22.7%), followed by Candida krusei (13.6%). The mortality rate due to IFI was 17.6%. Patients with AML and those with concomitant bacteraemia were associated with higher risk of IFI (odds ratio [OR] 3.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-11.71, p=0.029 and OR 4.17, 95% CI 1.37-12.66, p=0.009, respectively), while the use of antifungal prophylaxis was associated with lower IFI risk (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.03-0.83, p=0.045). After multivariate analysis, the use of antifungal prophylaxis remains significantly associated with lower risk of IFI (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.01-0.62, p=0.019).

    CONCLUSION: IFI remains one of serious complications of HM patients undergoing chemotherapy and HSCT, most commonly due to non-albicans Candida spp. Appropriate antifungal prophylaxis is therefore crucial in the prevention of breakthrough IFI.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use; Candida/isolation & purification; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Risk Factors; Incidence; Survival Rate; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects; Tertiary Care Centers*
  14. Lim MSH, Mohamad FS, Chew KS, Mat Ali N, Augustin Y
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2025 Mar 01;26(3):869-876.
    PMID: 40156403 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.3.869
    BACKGROUND: Sarawak hospitals report high rates of advanced cancer among women in remote rural areas. Cultural beliefs, low awareness, socio-economic challenges, geographical barriers, and the lack of specialist cancer care contribute to late diagnoses, particularly in breast cancer, exacerbating disparities in access to timely treatment.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore cultural beliefs, barriers, and healthcare access challenges influencing breast cancer awareness and screening among Sarawak's indigenous and rural communities.

    METHODS: This qualitative study explores how rural Sarawakian women perceive breast cancer and their access to healthcare. Twenty women from three main geographical terrains in Borneo-coastal, riverine, and highland areas participated in the study. After informed consent was obtained, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data was coded and thematically analyzed to identify cultural nuances affecting their knowledge.

    RESULTS: The study found a strong link between cancer and negative beliefs rooted in sociocultural backgrounds. Myths varied, but most associated cancer with death, a fatalistic culture relying on spiritual faith for healing. Participants delayed seeking medical help until "the pain is unbearable," often using oils and herbs first. Lack of knowledge and lack of access to information about cancer are two main findings from the study. Although the majority of the respondents were not equipped with adequate information, they expressed interest in learning about breast screening programs and attending breast cancer awareness campaigns.

    CONCLUSION: The findings will be used to design behavioral intervention modules to educate rural Sarawak populations about the importance of breast self-examination (BSE) practices, early detection, and screening.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Services Accessibility*; Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*; Malaysia; Middle Aged; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/psychology; Prognosis; Rural Population*; Qualitative Research
  15. Alhawamdeh L, Almajali B, Atoom AM, Saad HKM, Madi R, Al-Jamal HAN
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2025 Mar 01;26(3):905-911.
    PMID: 40156407 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.3.905
    OBJECTIVE: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene, which drives the uncontrolled proliferation of myeloid cells. Despite advancements in treatment, resistance to conventional therapies remains a significant challenge. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol, has garnered attention for its potential therapeutic properties, including its ability to modulate key genes and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. This study investigated the effects of resveratrol on apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, and DNA fragmentation in CML cells.

    METHODS: K562 CML cells were treated with resveratrol, and their effects were analyzed through CCK-8 assay for cell viability, TUNEL assay for DNA fragmentation, and real-time PCR for gene expression. Key apoptotic genes (BCL-2, AIF, BAX) were assessed alongside survival-related genes (CASP3, PGC1α, Cyclin-D1, p53) to evaluate resveratrol's anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic potential.

    RESULT: Resveratrol exhibited a time-dependent reduction in K562 cell viability, with IC₅₀ values decreasing from 282.2 µM at 24 hours to 107.1 µM and 102.4 µM at 48 and 72 hours, respectively. Apoptotic activity, assessed via the TUNEL assay, revealed significant DNA fragmentation in 55 ± 5% of treated cells, while control cells showed no fragmentation. Gene expression analysis demonstrated upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes, including BCL-2, AIF (p < 0.05), BAX (p < 0.01), and VDAC1 (4.5-fold, p < 0.001). Conversely, genes linked to cell survival and metabolism, such as CASP3, PGC1α, NDUFA9, Cyclin-D1, and p53, were slightly downregulated (p < 0.05), highlighting resveratrol's dual role in promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell survival.

    CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that resveratrol exerts anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in CML cells by modulating key genes and induction of DNA fragmentation, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for CML treatment.

    MeSH terms: Cell Cycle/drug effects; Cell Survival/drug effects; Humans; Stilbenes/pharmacology; Tumor Cells, Cultured; K562 Cells
  16. Alhasan KA, Raina R, Boyer O, Koh J, Bonilla-Felix M, Sethi SK, et al.
    Pediatr Nephrol, 2025 May;40(5):1795-1815.
    PMID: 39733391 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-024-06565-5
    The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, instigated by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has profoundly impacted healthcare infrastructures around the globe. While children are usually asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, children with pre-existing kidney conditions require specialized attention. This pivotal report, championed by the International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA), delivers precise and actionable recommendations tailored for pediatric patients with kidney ailments in this pandemic landscape. Central to our findings are rigorous infection control protocols. These are particularly stringent in high-risk zones, emphasizing telehealth's indispensable role, the significance of curtailing in-person consultations, and the imperative of following rigorous guidelines in regions with heightened COVID-19 prevalence. Additionally, the report delves into vaccination approaches for children with kidney issues, highlighting that the choice of vaccine is often governed by regional accessibility and policy frameworks, rather than a universal preference. A notable observation is the potential correlation between COVID-19 vaccines and specific kidney disorders. However, establishing a direct causal link remains elusive. In summary, our research accentuates the critical need for specialized pediatric kidney care during global health crises and reaffirms the continuous research imperative, especially regarding vaccination ramifications.
    MeSH terms: Child; Humans; Nephrology/standards; Pediatrics/standards; Seasons; Societies, Medical/standards; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Pandemics
  17. Shafie NFS, Nurul Bashar NK, Abd Aziz NA, Dasiman R, Hashim NH
    PMID: 40152287 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2025.2484782
    Bisphenol A (BPA) may impair male fertility by inducing oxidative stress in the testis, though its effects on spermatogenesis and sperm quality remain unclear. Conversely, Cocos nucifera L. (coconut) water, rich in antioxidants, effectively inhibits oxidative stress. The aim of the study is to evaluate the protective effect of Cocos nucifera L. water against BPA-mediated oxidative stress in male rats. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control (C) received distilled water (0.5 mL/day), vehicle (V) received corn oil (0.5 mL/day), Bisphenol A (B) (50 mg/kg/day), Cocos nucifera L. water (CW) (10 mL/kg/day) and Cocos nucifera L. water plus bisphenol A (CW+B) groups. The testes and epididymis were harvested on day 31 for oxidative stress analysis, histological examination, immunofluorescence assay, and sperm motility. BPA administration reduced glutathione levels, increased malondialdehyde levels, and caused histopathological changes in the testis. Additionally, the grayscale intensity of actin and tubulin immunofluorescence, along with sperm motility, significantly decreased in the B group (p 
  18. Pal A, Kar S, Mondal B, Banerjee N, Mudassar Chanda M, Mazumdar A
    J Med Entomol, 2025 Mar 27.
    PMID: 40152496 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaf039
    Among India's 7 potential vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV), Culicoides peregrinus has assumed importance due to the recent isolation of BTV-23, with several severe bluetongue disease (BTD) outbreaks in Southern India and high abundance throughout India. These factors warrant the elucidation of its genetic structure across various physiographic regions. Adult Culicoides were captured from 14 collection locations across different physiographic areas of India. The study used 2 genetic markers, ie mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase-1 (COX-1) and nuclear ribosomal protein-S2B intron region (EPIC). COX-1 sequences of C. peregrinus from the other areas of its distribution were also considered. A high intraspecific genetic distance, ie 2.46% (within India) and 3.5% (across its distribution range) indicates the possibility of cryptic species. This vector has a relatively uniform genetic structure with a slight difference in the southern Indian population. However, the populations from different countries are genetically distinct and exhibit high genetic distances among themselves. There is evidence of demographic expansion with India as the probable ancestral region with 3 distinct lineages: India-Bangladesh, Thailand-China-Malaysia, and Australia. STRUCTURE analysis using EPIC marker (ribosomal protein-S2B intron region) depicted the distribution of 2 alleles in India but no population substructure. Pairwise FST indicated the south Indian population to have low but significant genetic differentiation with other Indian populations. More fine scale studies to ascertain the genetic differentiation of the Indian population along with direct experimental validation of vector competence is imperative to confirm C. peregrinus as the causative vector of BTD outbreaks.
  19. Liao Z, Chen B, Boubakri H, Farooq M, Mur LAJ, Urano D, et al.
    Planta, 2025 Mar 28;261(5):98.
    PMID: 40153011 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-025-04671-8
    This paper highlights the role of various signaling hormones in drought stress tolerance. It explains how phytohormones act and interact under drought conditions. Drought stress significantly impairs plant growth, development and productivity. The likelihood of adverse impacts of drought will increase due to variations in global climate patterns. Phytohormones serve as key regulators of drought tolerance mechanisms in plants. The in-depth understanding of the role and signaling of such hormones is thus of great significance for plant stress management. In this review, we conducted a bibliometric analysis and thematic mapping of recent research on drought and phytohormones, and phytohormone interactions. It is assumed that different classes of phytohormones such as abscisic acid (ABA), auxins (IAA), cytokinins (CTK), ethylene (ETH), gibberellic acid (GA), brassinosteroids (BRs), salicylates (SA), jasmonates (JA), and strigolactones (SLs) play a pivotal role in drought resistance mechanisms in many crops. The present work highlights recent advances in plant responses to drought and uncovers the recent functions of phytohormones in the establishment of drought-specific tolerance strategies. It also deciphers the various interactions between phytohormones allowing plant adaptation to drought stress. Overall, this review highlights recent and original discoveries useful for developing new strategies to improve plant resistance to drought.
    MeSH terms: Adaptation, Physiological; Plants/metabolism; Stress, Physiological; Droughts*
  20. Ismail YMNS, Ngadi N, Mohamed NB
    PMID: 40153123 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-025-36282-x
    Municipal solid waste (MSW) leachate poses significant environmental challenges due to its high concentrations of organic and inorganic pollutants. This study investigates the adsorption efficiency of activated carbon derived from oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFBAC) for landfill leachate treatment. EFBAC was synthesized via physical activation, involving carbonization at 450 °C and activation at 800 °C under limited air conditions. Batch adsorption experiments evaluated the effects of contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH, and temperature on the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammoniacal nitrogen (AN), and color. Optimal conditions achieved maximum removal efficiencies of 72.1% for COD, 57.5% for AN, and 69.0% for color. Isotherm analysis identified the Sips, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Koble-Corrigan models as the best fits for COD, AN, and color, respectively. Kinetic studies indicated a pseudo-second-order mechanism, highlighting chemisorption as the rate-limiting step, while thermodynamic evaluation confirmed the process as spontaneous and endothermic. Although adsorption performance declined after the first reuse cycle, EFBAC demonstrated significant potential as a cost-effective and sustainable adsorbent for leachate treatment. These findings contribute to the circular economy by valorizing agricultural waste and align with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for responsible production and climate action.
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