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A Novel Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Technique using Multi-Period-Multi-Experiment of MRM-EPI-MRM3 with Library Matching for Simultaneous Determination of Amphetamine Type Stimulants Related Drugs in Whole Blood, Urine and Dried Blood Stain (DBS)-Application to Forensic Toxicology Cases in Malaysia

Zubaidi FA, Choo YM, Tan GH, Hamid HA, Choy YK

J Anal Toxicol, 2019 Aug 23;43(7):528-535.
PMID: 31141150 DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkz017

A novel mass spectrometry detection technique based on a multi-period and multi- experiment (MRM-EPI-MRM3) with library matching in a single run for fast and rapid screening and identification of amphetamine type stimulants (ATS) related drugs in whole blood, urine and dried blood stain was developed and validated. The ATS-related drugs analyzed in this study include ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), MDA (3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine), MDEA (3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine) and phentermine. The relative standard deviation for inter and intraday was less than 15% while recoveries ranged from 80% to 120% for all three matrices, i.e., whole blood, urine and dried blood stain. All compounds gave library matching percentage of more than 85% based on the purity. This method was proven to be simple and robust, and provide high confident results complemented with library matching confirmation.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Fulltext Metagenomic data on Anadara granosa associated bacterial communities using culture dependent approaches and 16S rRNA sequencing

Zarkasi KZ, Halim MA, Nazari TF, Daud F

Data Brief, 2018 Aug;19:514-519.
PMID: 29900350 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.05.052

This article contains data on the bacterial communities and its diversity associated with Anadara granosa. The A. granosa samples were obtained from two major estuaries in Penang, Malaysia using a culture dependent and 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing approaches. A. granosa, a commercial blood cockles and popular seafoods, is fragile to the surrounding environments. Thus, our research focused to better understand the bacterial communities and it diversity in the A. granosa, as well as on the generation of a metagenomic library from A. granosa to further understanding on it diversity. The bacteria Vibrionaceae (34.1%) was predominant in the A. granosa from both environments followed by Enterobacteriaceae (33.3%) and Bacillaceae (16.75%). Vibrio sp., Klebsiella sp., and Bacillus subtilis were the most abundant species present. The data generated in this research is the first metagenomic examination of A. granosa and will provide as a baseline to understand the bacterial communities associated with A. granosa and its surrounding natural environments.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Fulltext Biomedical and health sciences publication productivity from Malaysia

Zainal H, Zainab AN

Health Info Libr J, 2011 Sep;28(3):216-25.
PMID: 21831221 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2011.00943.x

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine Malaysian contributions in the field of biomedical and health sciences.
METHODS: In this study, 3697 publications affiliated to Malaysian addresses from the sci database between 1990 and 2005 were sampled. This study also explored publication productivity trends, authorship and collaboration pattern, core journals used, and citations obtained.
RESULTS: Main contributions were journal articles (73.3%). Most authors (63.7%) contributed only one article and 16.1% produced over 30-68 publications. Multi-authored works were the norm. The productive authors were named either first or second in publications. There were active collaborations with authors from Asia-Pacific countries (35%) and Europe (30%). The majority of publications were contributed by institutions of higher learning (87%). Core journals used follow quite close to Bradford's zonal ratios of 44:152:581. The active research areas were identified. About 71.3% of publications received citations especially those published from 1995 to 1999.
CONCLUSION: This study helped librarians identify active researchers, active research areas and journals relevant to biomedical and health sciences researchers and useful when producing reports to university management and planning medical collection policies and deciding on journal subscriptions and cancellations.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries, Medical
Fulltext Informed consent in clinical trials with reference to information disclosure to patient-subjects

Yuhanif Yusof, Anisah Che Ngah, Zaki Morad Mohamad Zaher

Int J Public Health Res, 2014;4(1):384-390.
MyJurnal

Introduction The aim of this study was to examine the aspect of information disclosure by doctor-investigator during the process of obtaining informed consent in clinical trials.
Methods This research employed a mixed-method data collection that is library research and interview. A qualitative methodology and analysis were used in an open-ended, face-to-face interviews with 17 patient-subjects. The interview questions were based on information that needed to be disclosed to patient-subjects during the process of obtaining informed consent. Each interview took place in Kajang Hospital and National Heart Institute and lasted 25-30 minutes. Interviews were conducted in Bahasa Melayu and English. The interviews were tape-recorded, and the main points from the interviews were jotted down to ensure that all information was adequately gathered. Interviewed occurred in Kajang Hospital and National Heart Institute. The participants were patients who had been referred to the Kajang Hospital and National Heart Institute. They were recruited (8 from Kajang Hospital and 9 from National Heart Institute) by their own doctors to participate in a study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the investigational stent after been diagnosed with coronary artery disease and also in a study to investigate drug for antidepressant. respectively.
Results The study revealed that doctor-investigators fail to disclose full information to patient-subjects. Instead, doctor-investigators only disclosed information which they thought were necessary for the patient-subjects to know. The study also showed that there were doctor-investigators who did not disclose information at all to the patient-subjects.
Conclusions This study implies that the aspect of information disclosure in the process of obtaining informed consent in clinical trials is rather poor and did not fulfill the criterion of good medical practice. A random monitoring task to be conducted by the research ethics commitees during the informed consent process is suggested.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Fulltext Real-time teleteaching in medical physics

Woo M, Ng Kh

Biomed Imaging Interv J, 2008 Jan;4(1):e13.
PMID: 21614306 MyJurnal DOI: 10.2349/biij.4.1.e13

Medical physics is a relatively small professional community, usually with a scarcity of expertise that could greatly benefit students entering the field. However, the reach of the profession can span great geographical distances, making the training of students a difficult task. In addition to the requirement of training new students, the evolving field of medical physics, with its many emerging advanced techniques and technologies, could benefit greatly from ongoing continuing education as well as consultation with experts.Many continuing education courses and workshops are constantly being offered, including many web-based study courses and virtual libraries. However, one mode of education and communication that has not been widely used is the real-time interactive process. Video-based conferencing systems do exist, but these usually require a substantial amount of effort and cost to set up.The authors have been working on promoting the ever-expanding capability of the Internet to facilitate the education of medical physics to students entering the field. A pilot project has been carried out for six years and reported previously. The project is a collaboration between the Department of Medical Physics at the Toronto Odette Cancer Centre in Canada and the Department of Biomedical Imaging at the University of Malaya in Malaysia. Since 2001, medical physics graduate students at the University of Malaya have been taught by lecturers from Toronto every year, using the Internet as the main tool of communication.The pilot study explored the different methods that can be used to provide real-time interactive remote education, and delivered traditional classroom lectures as well as hands-on workshops.Another similar project was started in 2007 to offer real-time teaching to a class of medical physics students at Wuhan University in Hubei, China. There are new challenges as well as new opportunities associated with this project. By building an inventory of tools and experiences, the intent is to broaden the real-time teleteaching method to serve a wide community so that future students entering the field can have efficient access to high-quality education that will benefit the profession in the long term.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries, Digital
Fulltext Candidate Essential Genes in Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 Identified by Genome-Wide TraDIS

Wong YC, Abd El Ghany M, Naeem R, Lee KW, Tan YC, Pain A, et al.

Front Microbiol, 2016;7:1288.
PMID: 27597847 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01288

Burkholderia cenocepacia infection often leads to fatal cepacia syndrome in cystic fibrosis patients. However, antibiotic therapy rarely results in complete eradication of the pathogen due to its intrinsic resistance to many clinically available antibiotics. Recent attention has turned to the identification of essential genes as the proteins encoded by these genes may serve as potential targets for development of novel antimicrobials. In this study, we utilized TraDIS (Transposon Directed Insertion-site Sequencing) as a genome-wide screening tool to facilitate the identification of B. cenocepacia genes essential for its growth and viability. A transposon mutant pool consisting of approximately 500,000 mutants was successfully constructed, with more than 400,000 unique transposon insertion sites identified by computational analysis of TraDIS datasets. The saturated library allowed for the identification of 383 genes that were predicted to be essential in B. cenocepacia. We extended the application of TraDIS to identify conditionally essential genes required for in vitro growth and revealed an additional repertoire of 439 genes to be crucial for B. cenocepacia growth under nutrient-depleted conditions. The library of B. cenocepacia mutants can subsequently be subjected to various biologically related conditions to facilitate the discovery of genes involved in niche adaptation as well as pathogenicity and virulence.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Identification and characterisation of a copper-inducible metallothionein gene from cockle, Anadara granosa.

Wong KK, Noor-Arniwati Mat-Daud, Roohaida Othman, Zubir Din, Wan KL, Salmijah Surif

Sains Malaysiana, 2009;38.

The cockle, Anadara granosa, was experimentally exposed to low (0.1 mg/L) and sublethal (1.0 mg/L) doses of copper (Cu) for a period of 24 hrs. Significant increase in Cu concentrations in whole tissues and hepatopancreas compared to control animals were observed. In order to study the effect of copper exposure at molecular levels, a subtractive cDNA library was constructed from the hepatopancreas of cockles exposed to 1.0 mg/L Cu. Screening of the subtractive cDNA library using reverse northern analysis resulted in several differentially expressed genes, including one that codes for metallothionein (MT). The complete coding sequence of the MT gene (designated as AnaMT2) reveals an open reading frame of 234 bp in length that encodes a 77 amino acid polypeptide as revealed by the deduced amino acid composition. Although showing similarities with other molluscan MTs, AnaMT2 can be distinguished by its lower glycine and higher asparagine and proline content. Expression analysis of the AnaMT2 by northern analysis indicated higher mRNA level in cockle exposed to 1.0 mg/L Cu and was undetectable in those treated with 0.1 mg/L. This suggests that AnaMT2 represents a primarily inducible MT not highly expressed under basal conditions.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Development of small molecule inhibitors targeting TGF-β ligand and receptor: Structures, mechanism, preclinical studies and clinical usage

Wang H, Chen M, Sang X, You X, Wang Y, Paterson IC, et al.

Eur J Med Chem, 2020 Apr 01;191:112154.
PMID: 32092587 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112154

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a member of a superfamily of pleiotropic proteins that regulate multiple cellular processes such as growth, development and differentiation. Following binding to type I and II TGF-β serine/threonine kinase receptors, TGF-β activates downstream signaling cascades involving both SMAD-dependent and -independent pathways. Aberrant TGF-β signaling is associated with a variety of diseases, such as fibrosis, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Hence, the TGF-β signaling pathway is recognized as a potential drug target. Various organic molecules have been designed and developed as TGF-β signaling pathway inhibitors and they function by either down-regulating the expression of TGF-β or by inhibiting the kinase activities of the TGF-β receptors. In this review, we discuss the current status of research regarding organic molecules as TGF-β inhibitors, focusing on the biological functions and the binding poses of compounds that are in the market or in the clinical or pre-clinical phases of development.

Matched MeSH terms: Small Molecule Libraries/chemical synthesis; Small Molecule Libraries/pharmacology*; Small Molecule Libraries/chemistry
Production cross-sections of radionuclides from α-induced reactions on natural copper up to 50MeV

Usman AR, Khandaker MU, Haba H, Otuka N, Murakami M, Komori Y

Appl Radiat Isot, 2016 08;114:104-13.
PMID: 27227905 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.04.027

The excitation functions were measured for the (nat)Cu(α,x)(66,67)Ga,(65)Zn,(57,58,60)Co reactions in the energy range of 16.5 -50MeV. A conventional stacked-foil activation technique combined with HPGe γ-ray spectrometry was employed to determine cross-sections. The measured cross-sections were critically compared with relevant previous experimental data and also with the evaluated data in the TENDL-2014 library. Present results confirmed some of the previous experimental data, whereas only a partial agreement was found with the evaluated data. The measured data are useful for reducing the existing discrepancies in the literature, to improve the nuclear reaction model codes, and to enrich the experimental database towards various applications.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
De novo whole genome sequencing data of two mangrove-isolated microalgae from Terengganu coastal waters

Teh KY, Afifudeen CLW, Aziz A, Wong LL, Loh SH, Cha TS

Data Brief, 2019 Dec;27:104680.
PMID: 31720332 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104680

Interest in harvesting potential benefits from microalgae renders it necessary to have the many ecological niches of a single species to be investigated. This dataset comprises de novo whole genome assembly of two mangrove-isolated microalgae (from division Chlorophyta); Chlorella vulgaris UMT-M1 and Messastrum gracile SE-MC4 from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia. Library runs were carried out with 2 × 150 base paired-ends reads, whereas sequencing was conducted using Illumina Novaseq 2500 platform. Sequencing yielded raw reads amounting to ∼11 Gb in total bases for both species and was further assembled de novo. Genome assembly resulted in a 50.15 Mbp and 60.83 Mbp genome size for UMT-M1 and SE-MC4, respectively. All filtered and assembled genomic data sequences have been submitted to National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and can be located at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession of VJNP00000000 (UMT-M1) and VIYE00000000 (SE-MC4).

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Synthesis: Small library of hybrid scaffolds of benzothiazole having hydrazone and evaluation of their β-glucuronidase activity

Taha M, Arbin M, Ahmat N, Imran S, Rahim F

Bioorg Chem, 2018 04;77:47-55.
PMID: 29331764 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2018.01.002

Due to the great biological importance of β-glucuronidase inhibitors, here in this study, we have synthesized a library of novel benzothiazole derivatives (1-30), characterized by different spectroscopic methods and evaluated for β-glucuronidase inhibitory potential. Among the series sixteen compounds i.e.1-6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 20-23 and 26 showed outstanding inhibitory potential with IC50 value ranging in between 16.50 ± 0.26 and 59.45 ± 1.12 when compared with standard d-Saccharic acid 1,4-lactone (48.4 ± 1.25 µM). Except compound 8 and 23 all active analogs showed better potential than the standard. Structure activity relationship has been established.

Matched MeSH terms: Small Molecule Libraries/chemical synthesis; Small Molecule Libraries/pharmacology*; Small Molecule Libraries/chemistry
Indole acrylonitriles as potential anti-hyperglycemic agents: Synthesis, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and molecular docking studies

Solangi M, Kanwal, Mohammed Khan K, Saleem F, Hameed S, Iqbal J, et al.

Bioorg Med Chem, 2020 Nov 01;28(21):115605.
PMID: 33065441 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115605

One of the most prevailing metabolic disorder diabetes mellitus has become the global health issue that has to be addressed and cured. Different marketed drugs have been made available for the treatment of diabetes but there is still a need of introducing new therapeutic agents that are economical and have lesser or no side effects. The current study deals with the synthesis of indole acrylonitriles (3-23) and the evaluation of these compounds for their potential for α-glucosidase inhibition. The structures of these synthetic molecules were deduced by using different spectroscopic techniques. Acarbose (IC50 = 2.91 ± 0.02 μM) was used as standard in this study and the synthetic molecules (3-23) have shown promising α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compounds 4, 8, 10, 11, 14, 18, and 21 displayed superior inhibition of α-glucosidase enzyme in the range of (IC50 = 0.53 ± 0.01-1.36 ± 0.04 μM) as compared to the standard acarbose. Compound 10 (IC50 = 0.53 ± 0.01 μM) was the most effective inhibitor of this library and displayed many folds enhanced activity in contrast to the standard. Molecular docking of synthetic compounds was performed to verify the binding interactions of ligand with the active site of enzyme. This study had identified a number of potential α-glucosidase inhibitors that can be used for further research to identify a potent therapeutic agent against diabetes.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Fulltext The roles and challenges of the national language in uniting the various ethnic groups in Sabah

Sharifah Darmia Sharif Adam

Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2019;4(4):1-11.
MyJurnal

This paper discusses the roles and challenges of the national language, which is Malay as a language in
uniting the various ethnic groups in Sabah. On September 16, 1963, the Federation of Malaysia was
officially declared which comprised of the Malay States, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. In line with
that, the special provisions on the national language in Sabah are contained in Article 161 of the
national constitution. Although the provision of the constitution clarify that Sabah was given a 10-year
period to use Malay and English as the official languages but later on September 16, 1973 the Malay language was declared the sole official language for the state of Sabah. Hence, various efforts have
been made by the government to ensure the national language can play its role as a language that can
unite the various ethnic groups in Sabah. However, ethnic diversity with their own ethnic mother
tongue languages has resulted in the Malay language as a national language as well as the language of
unity to face many challenges. Therefore, the discussion in this paper is focused on policies undertaken
by the government to strengthen the national language in various fields in Sabah and the challenges
faced by the national language to foster unity among the various ethnic communities in the state. This
study was conducted using a qualitative analysis approach and used archive study methods as well as
library study to obtain research information sources. This study will produce an analysis that can be
used as a reference to improve or formulate policies particularly in matters that benefit in strengthening
the multi-ethnic communities in Sabah.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Fulltext Data on degradome sequencing and analysis from mock-inoculated and Fusarium oxysporum treated leaves samples in Persicaria minor

Samad AFA, Sajad M, Jani J, Murad AMA, Ismail I

Data Brief, 2018 Oct;20:555-557.
PMID: 30197911 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.08.034

Degradome sequencing referred as parallel analysis of RNA ends (PARE) by modifying 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) with deep sequencing method. Deep sequencing of 5' products allow the determination of cleavage sites through the mapping of degradome fragments against small RNAs (miRNA or siRNA) on a large scale. Here, we carried out degradome sequencing in medicinal plant, Persicaria minor, to identify cleavage sites in small RNA libraries in control (mock-inoculated) and Fusarium oxysporum treated plants. The degradome library consisted of both control and treated samples which were pooled together during library preparation and named as D4. The D4 dataset have been deposited at GenBank under accession number SRX3921398, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra/SRX3921398.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Fulltext Muslim female healthcare personnel dress code: a proposed guideline

Saidun, S., Akhmetova, E., Awang Abd Rahman, A.

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2018;17(2):57-70.
MyJurnal

Introduction: The struggle of Muslim women to comply with Islamic teaching while working in the healthcare sector has been a long-standing issue. Following the case of a Muslim nurse who was allegedly fired for non-adherence to the short-sleeve uniform rule, the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association highlighted the need for a uniform guideline to prevent similar instances. Yet, no guideline has been issued to date. Materials and Methods: This conceptual study employed library research method to gather relevant materials. Library research was able to retrieve guidelines from seven Muslim-minority countries but none from Muslim-majority countries. Document analysis of the materials gathered was undertaken. The different guidelines were compared, with special reference to awrah-related issues. Results: Several major issues that healthcare personnel dress code considers are the safety, health, cleanliness, and comfort for both patients and healthcare personnel. Islamic dressing requirement is not only in line with clinical practice but Islam also highly promotes maintenance of safety, health, cleanliness, and comfort. The widely adopted ‘bare below the elbows (BBE) policy is the only practice that may contradict Islamic rules. However, some healthcare institutions in Muslim-minority countries allow modifications of uniform rules on religious grounds; some of the modifications are not observed in Muslim-majority countries. When providing direct patient care that requires BBE, the use of disposable over-sleeves is a good alternative to adhere to both clinical and Islamic standards. Conclusion: Healthcare personnel dress code policy that is concordant to both clinical and Islamic standards is possible although it may require greater resources.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Fulltext Cell-Based High-Throughput Screening Protocol for Discovering Antiviral Inhibitors Against SARS-COV-2 Main Protease (3CLpro)

Rothan HA, Teoh TC

Mol Biotechnol, 2021 Mar;63(3):240-248.
PMID: 33464543 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-021-00299-7

The global public health has been compromised since the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late December 2019. There are no specific antiviral drugs available to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection. Besides the rapid dissemination of SARS-CoV-2, several variants have been identified with a potential epidemiologic and pathogenic variation. This fact has forced antiviral drug development strategies to stay innovative, including new drug discovery protocols, combining drugs, and establishing new drug classes. Thus, developing novel screening methods and direct-targeting viral enzymes could be an attractive strategy to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we designed, optimized, and validated a cell-based assay protocol for high-throughput screening (HTS) antiviral drug inhibitors against main viral protease (3CLpro). We applied the split-GFP complementation to develop GFP-split-3CLpro HTS system. The system consists of GFP-based reporters that become fluorescent upon cleavage by SARS-CoV-2 protease 3CLpro. We generated a stable GFP-split-3CLpro HTS system valid to screen large drug libraries for inhibitors to SARS-CoV-2 main protease in the bio-safety level 2 laboratory, providing real-time antiviral activity of the tested compounds. Using this assay, we identified a new class of viral protease inhibitors derived from quinazoline compounds that worth further in vitro and in vivo validation.

Matched MeSH terms: Small Molecule Libraries
Fulltext Molecular markers for eurycoma longifolia and orthosiphon stamineus

Rodrigues, K. F., Tam, H. K.

Buletin Persatuan Genetik Malaysia, 2009;15(1):4-6.
MyJurnal

This paper describes the first reported attempt to isolate DNA sequences containing repeat motifs in Eurycoma longifolia and Orthosiphon stamineus. A library enriched for genomic repeat motifs was developed using novel oligonucleotides designed with inosine residues incorporated at predetermined positions. A total of eight and twelve specific molecular markers were developed for O. stamineus and E. longifolia respectively. These markers have a potential application in estimating population diversity levels and QTL mapping in these two medicinal plants, which are widely used in the Malaysian herbal industry.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Molar incisor hypomineralisation: current knowledge and practice

Rodd HD, Graham A, Tajmehr N, Timms L, Hasmun N

Int Dent J, 2020 Oct 08.
PMID: 33031573 DOI: 10.1111/idj.12624

BACKGROUND: Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) is a common developmental dental condition that presents in childhood. Areas of poorly formed enamel affect one or more first permanent molars and can cause opacities on the anterior teeth. MIH presents a variety of challenges for the dental team as well as functional and social impacts for affected children.
OBJECTIVES: Here, we provide an up-to-date review of the epidemiology, aetiology, diagnosis and clinical management of MIH.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of the contemporary basic science and clinical literature, relating to MIH, was undertaken using information obtained (up to 10 April 2020) from the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library.
RESULTS: There is a growing body of evidence relating to the aetiology, presentation and clinical management of MIH. Current knowledge appears to be focused on potential genetic aspects, as well as the development and validation of indices for the diagnosis and management of MIH. There has also been increasing recognition of the global and individual burden of this common condition.
CONCLUSIONS: Dental health professionals should regularly appraise the basic science and clinical MIH literature to ensure that they provide the best possible short- and long-term care for their young patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries
Synthesis of small molecules targeting paclitaxel-induced MyD88 expression in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines

Poh Yen K, Stanslas J, Zhang T, Li H, Wang X, Kok Meng C, et al.

Bioorg Med Chem, 2021 11 01;49:116442.
PMID: 34600241 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116442

Acquired paclitaxel (PTX) chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) can be inferred from the overexpression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) proteins and the activation of the TLR4/MyD88 cascading signalling pathway. Finding a new inhibitor that can attenuate the activation of this pathway is a novel strategy for reducing PTX chemoresistance. In this study, a series of small molecule compounds were synthesised and tested in combination with PTX against TNBC cells. The trimethoxy-substituted compound significantly decreased MyD88 overexpression and improved PTX activity in MDA-MB-231TLR4+ cells but not in HCCTLR4- cells. On the contrary, the trifluoromethyl-substituted compound with PTX synergistically improved the growth inhibition in both TNBC subtypes. The fluorescence titrations indicated that both compounds could bind with MD2 with good and comparable binding affinities. This was further supported by docking analysis, in which both compounds fit perfectly well and form some critical binding interactions with MD2, an essential lipid-binding accessory to TLR4 involved in activating the TLR-4/MyD88-dependent pathway.

Matched MeSH terms: Small Molecule Libraries/chemical synthesis; Small Molecule Libraries/pharmacology*; Small Molecule Libraries/chemistry
Fulltext Mental health: special needs and education

Peters, Huberta

ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2010;11(1):96-102.
MyJurnal

Objective: This review paper will be discussing on mental health of children and adolescents in Malaysia. Behavioural problems, academic failure and underachievement in school are common reasons for referral of children to the medical services. Epidemiological research has substantiated a possible seriously mismatch between the rates of child mental health problems across a broad spectrum and the number of children actually referred to existing services. These data suggest it is imperative in Malaysia to empirically investigate the present realities in the schools in regard to special education needs and their neglect. Methods: The present preliminary study is based on a literature review of epidemiological features of learning disorders and comorbidities using the Cochran library key word search. Available statistics for learning disorders from the WHO are compared with records for the
year 2007 from the Ministry of Education in Malaysia. Results: Findings of this comparison with international prevalence rates of learning disorders and related diseases show a sizable gap between real existing needs in Malaysia, and their perception. Based on quantitative estimates, the findings suggest that some 1.4 million children in Malaysia have mental health difficulties that interfere with normal functioning and development, but adequate services for intervention are largely not available. Conclusion: The present undersupply of adequate service for children with learning difficulties is aggravated by the lack of systematic developmental screening in early childhood in Malaysia. This status affects the outcomes and development of the general education system in efforts to meet challenges in the new century.

Matched MeSH terms: Libraries

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