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  1. Fulltext Functional analyses of C.2268dup in thyroid peroxidase gene associated with goitrous congenital hypothyroidism
    Lee CC, Harun F, Jalaludin MY, Lim CY, Ng KL, Mat Junit S
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:370538.
    PMID: 24745015 DOI: 10.1155/2014/370538
    The c.2268dup mutation in thyroid peroxidase (TPO) gene was reported to be a founder mutation in Taiwanese patients with dyshormonogenetic congenital hypothyroidism (CH). The functional impact of the mutation is not well documented. In this study, homozygous c.2268dup mutation was detected in two Malaysian-Chinese sisters with goitrous CH. Normal and alternatively spliced TPO mRNA transcripts were present in thyroid tissues of the two sisters. The abnormal transcript contained 34 nucleotides originating from intron 12. The c.2268dup is predicted to generate a premature termination codon (PTC) at position 757 (p.Glu757X). Instead of restoring the normal reading frame, the alternatively spliced transcript has led to another stop codon at position 740 (p.Asp739ValfsX740). The two PTCs are located at 116 and 201 nucleotides upstream of the exons 13/14 junction fulfilling the requirement for a nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Quantitative RT-PCR revealed an abundance of unidentified transcripts believed to be associated with the NMD. TPO enzyme activity was not detected in both patients, even though a faint TPO band of about 80 kD was present. In conclusion, the c.2268dup mutation leads to the formation of normal and alternatively spliced TPO mRNA transcripts with a consequential loss of TPO enzymatic activity in Malaysian-Chinese patients with goitrous CH.
  2. Fulltext Cloud service selection using multicriteria decision analysis
    Whaiduzzaman M, Gani A, Anuar NB, Shiraz M, Haque MN, Haque IT
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:459375.
    PMID: 24696645 DOI: 10.1155/2014/459375
    Cloud computing (CC) has recently been receiving tremendous attention from the IT industry and academic researchers. CC leverages its unique services to cloud customers in a pay-as-you-go, anytime, anywhere manner. Cloud services provide dynamically scalable services through the Internet on demand. Therefore, service provisioning plays a key role in CC. The cloud customer must be able to select appropriate services according to his or her needs. Several approaches have been proposed to solve the service selection problem, including multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). MCDA enables the user to choose from among a number of available choices. In this paper, we analyze the application of MCDA to service selection in CC. We identify and synthesize several MCDA techniques and provide a comprehensive analysis of this technology for general readers. In addition, we present a taxonomy derived from a survey of the current literature. Finally, we highlight several state-of-the-art practical aspects of MCDA implementation in cloud computing service selection. The contributions of this study are four-fold: (a) focusing on the state-of-the-art MCDA techniques, (b) highlighting the comparative analysis and suitability of several MCDA methods, (c) presenting a taxonomy through extensive literature review, and (d) analyzing and summarizing the cloud computing service selections in different scenarios.
  3. Fulltext Binary effect of fly ash and palm oil fuel ash on heat of hydration aerated concrete
    Mehmannavaz T, Ismail M, Radin Sumadi S, Rafique Bhutta MA, Samadi M, Sajjadi SM
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:461241.
    PMID: 24696646 DOI: 10.1155/2014/461241
    The binary effect of pulverized fuel ash (PFA) and palm oil fuel ash (POFA) on heat of hydration of aerated concrete was studied. Three aerated concrete mixes were prepared, namely, concrete containing 100% ordinary Portland cement (control sample or Type I), binary concrete made from 50% POFA (Type II), and ternary concrete containing 30% POFA and 20% PFA (Type III). It is found that the temperature increases due to heat of hydration through all the concrete specimens especially in the control sample. However, the total temperature rises caused by the heat of hydration through both of the new binary and ternary concrete were significantly lower than the control sample. The obtained results reveal that the replacement of Portland cement with binary and ternary materials is beneficial, particularly for mass concrete where thermal cracking due to extreme heat rise is of great concern.
  4. Fulltext Accuracy enhancement for forecasting water levels of reservoirs and river streams using a multiple-input-pattern fuzzification approach
    Valizadeh N, El-Shafie A, Mirzaei M, Galavi H, Mukhlisin M, Jaafar O
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:432976.
    PMID: 24790567 DOI: 10.1155/2014/432976
    Water level forecasting is an essential topic in water management affecting reservoir operations and decision making. Recently, modern methods utilizing artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, and combinations of these techniques have been used in hydrological applications because of their considerable ability to map an input-output pattern without requiring prior knowledge of the criteria influencing the forecasting procedure. The artificial neurofuzzy interface system (ANFIS) is one of the most accurate models used in water resource management. Because the membership functions (MFs) possess the characteristics of smoothness and mathematical components, each set of input data is able to yield the best result using a certain type of MF in the ANFIS models. The objective of this study is to define the different ANFIS model by applying different types of MFs for each type of input to forecast the water level in two case studies, the Klang Gates Dam and Rantau Panjang station on the Johor river in Malaysia, to compare the traditional ANFIS model with the new introduced one in two different situations, reservoir and stream, showing the new approach outweigh rather than the traditional one in both case studies. This objective is accomplished by evaluating the model fitness and performance in daily forecasting.
  5. Variable clinical phenotypes in a family with homozygous c.1159G>A mutation in the thyroid peroxidase gene
    Lee CC, Harun F, Jalaludin MY, Heh CH, Othman R, Kang IN, et al.
    Horm Res Paediatr, 2014;81(5):356-60.
    PMID: 24717978 DOI: 10.1159/000359922
    Defects in the thyroid peroxidase (TPO) gene have been associated with goitrous congenital hypothyroidism (CH).
  6. Biological activity and molecular docking studies of curcumin-related α,β-unsaturated carbonyl-based synthetic compounds as anticancer agents and mushroom tyrosinase inhibitors
    Bukhari SN, Jantan I, Unsal Tan O, Sher M, Naeem-Ul-Hassan M, Qin HL
    J Agric Food Chem, 2014 Jun 18;62(24):5538-47.
    PMID: 24901506 DOI: 10.1021/jf501145b
    Hyperpigmentation in human skin and enzymatic browning in fruits, which are caused by tyrosinase enzyme, are not desirable. Investigations in the discovery of tyrosinase enzyme inhibitors and search for improved cytotoxic agents continue to be an important line in drug discovery and development. In present work, a new series of 30 compounds bearing α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety was designed and synthesized following curcumin as model. All compounds were evaluated for their effects on human cancer cell lines and mushroom tyrosinase enzyme. Moreover, the structure-activity relationships of these compounds are also explained. Molecular modeling studies of these new compounds were carried out to explore interactions with tyrosinase enzyme. Synthetic curcumin-like compounds (2a-b) were identified as potent anticancer agents with 81-82% cytotoxicity. Five of these newly synthesized compounds (1a, 8a-b, 10a-b) emerged to be the potent inhibitors of mushroom tyrosinase, providing further insight into designing compounds useful in fields of food, health, and agriculture.
  7. Fulltext A preliminary investigation of user perception and behavioral intention for different review types: customers and designers perspective
    Qazi A, Raj RG, Tahir M, Waheed M, Waheed M, Khan SU, et al.
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:872929.
    PMID: 24711739 DOI: 10.1155/2014/872929
    Existing opinion mining studies have focused on and explored only two types of reviews, that is, regular and comparative. There is a visible gap in determining the useful review types from customers and designers perspective. Based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and statistical measures we examine users' perception about different review types and its effects in terms of behavioral intention towards using online review system. By using sample of users (N = 400) and designers (N = 106), current research work studies three review types, A (regular), B (comparative), and C (suggestive), which are related to perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention. The study reveals that positive perception of the use of suggestive reviews improves users' decision making in business intelligence. The results also depict that type C (suggestive reviews) could be considered a new useful review type in addition to other types, A and B.
  8. Synthesis and in vitro urease inhibitory activity of N,N'-disubstituted thioureas
    Khan KM, Naz F, Taha M, Khan A, Perveen S, Choudhary MI, et al.
    Eur J Med Chem, 2014 Mar 3;74:314-23.
    PMID: 24486414 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.01.001
    Thiourea derivatives (1-38) were synthesized and evaluated for their urease inhibition potential. The synthetic compounds showed a varying degree of in vitro urease inhibition with IC50 values 5.53 ± 0.02-91.50 ± 0.08 μM, most of which are superior to the standard thiourea (IC₅₀ = 21.00 ± 0.11 μM). In order to ensure the mode of inhibition of these compounds, the kinetic study of the most active compounds has been carried out. Most of these inhibitors were found to be mixed-type of inhibitors, except compounds 13 and 30 which were competitive, while compound 19 was identified as non-competitive inhibitor with Ki values between 8.6 and 19.29 μM.
  9. Fulltext A review on radiation-induced nucleation and growth of colloidal metallic nanoparticles
    Abedini A, Daud AR, Abdul Hamid MA, Kamil Othman N, Saion E
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2013;8(1):474.
    PMID: 24225302 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-8-474
    This review presents an introduction to the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles by radiation-induced method, especially gamma irradiation. This method offers some benefits over the conventional methods because it provides fully reduced and highly pure nanoparticles free from by-products or chemical reducing agents, and is capable of controlling the particle size and structure. The nucleation and growth mechanism of metallic nanoparticles are also discussed. The competition between nucleation and growth process in the formation of nanoparticles can determine the size of nanoparticles which is influenced by certain parameters such as the choice of solvents and stabilizer, the precursor to stabilizer ratio, pH during synthesis, and absorbed dose.
  10. Effectiveness of pharmacist-led medication review in chronic pain management: systematic review and meta-analysis
    Hadi MA, Alldred DP, Briggs M, Munyombwe T, Closs SJ
    Clin J Pain, 2014 Nov;30(11):1006-14.
    PMID: 24480911 DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000063
    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacist-led medication review in chronic pain management.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six electronic databases (Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, CINHAL, CENTRAL, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts) reference lists of retrieved articles and relevant websites were searched for randomized controlled trials published in the English language involving adults with chronic pain. Studies were included if one of the intervention arms had received pharmacist-led medication review independently or as part of a multidisciplinary intervention. Risk of bias was assessed for all the included studies.

    RESULTS: The search strategy yielded 583 unique articles including 5 randomized controlled trials. Compared with control, meta-analysis showed that participants in the intervention group had: a 0.8-point reduction in pain intensity on a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale at 3 months [95% confidence interval (CI), -1.28 to -0.36] and a 0.7-point reduction (95% CI, -1.19 to -0.20) at 6 months; a 4.84 point (95% CI, -7.38 to -2.29) and -3.82 point (95% CI, -6.49 to -1.14) improvement in physical functioning on a 0- to 68-point function subscale of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index at 3 and 6 months, respectively; and a significant improvement in patient satisfaction equivalent to a "small to moderate effect."

    DISCUSSION: Pharmacist-led medication review reduces pain intensity and improves physical functioning and patient satisfaction. However, the clinical significance of these findings remain uncertain due to small effect size and nature of reported data within clinical trials that limits recommendation of wider clinical role of pharmacist in chronic pain management.

  11. Fulltext Pattern of QTc prolongation in Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) subjects receiving different methadone dosages: A prospective cohort study
    Mohamad N, Abdul Jalal MI, Hassan A, Abdulkarim Ibrahim M, Salehuddin R, Abu Bakar NH
    Pak J Med Sci, 2013 Sep;29(5):1132-6.
    PMID: 24353706
    OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the QTc interval between low and high dose methadone groups and evaluate the pattern of QTc variation.
    METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study conducted from December 2010 till August 2011 at Malaysian University of Science's Hospital. Forty six subjects, grouped in high dose (>80mg) and low dose (<80mg) oral methadone, were followed-up at 4-weekly for QTc measurements. Relevant demographic and biochemical profiles were taken at intervals with concurrent QTc measurements.
    RESULTS: No significant QTc differences between methadone dosage groups were found at Week 0 (434ms vs 444ms, p = 0.166) and week 8 (446.5ms vs 459ms, p = 0.076), but not at week 4(435ms vs 450ms, p = 0.029). However, there were significant associations between the groups with QTc prolongation at week 0 and 4 (OR 4.29(95% CI 1.01, 18.72) p=0.044 and OR 5.18 (95% CI 1.34, 20.06) p =0.013, respectively) but not at week 8 (OR 2.44 (95% CI 0.74, 8.01) p=0.139). On multivariate analysis, dose group was the sole significant factor for QTc prolongation for week 0 and 4 (p values 0.047 and 0.017, respectively), but not at week 8.
    CONCLUSION: High-dose methadone group is more likely to develop prolonged QTc than low-dose group. However, such effects were inconsistent and occurred even during chronic methadone therapy, mandating judicious QTc and serum methadone monitoring.
    KEYWORDS: High Dose; Low Dose; Methadone; QTc
  12. Fulltext Suppressions of serotonin-induced increased vascular permeability and leukocyte infiltration by Bixa orellana leaf extract
    Yong YK, Sulaiman N, Hakim MN, Lian GE, Zakaria ZA, Othman F, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:463145.
    PMID: 24224164 DOI: 10.1155/2013/463145
    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities of aqueous extract of Bixa orellana (AEBO) leaves and its possible mechanisms in animal models. The anti-inflammatory activity of the extract was evaluated using serotonin-induced rat paw edema, increased peritoneal vascular permeability, and leukocyte infiltrations in an air-pouch model. Nitric oxide (NO), indicated by the sum of nitrites and nitrates, and vascular growth endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured in paw tissues of rats to determine their involvement in the regulation of increased permeability. Pretreatments with AEBO (50 and 150 mg kg⁻¹) prior to serotonin inductions resulted in maximum inhibitions of 56.2% of paw volume, 45.7% of Evans blue dye leakage in the peritoneal vascular permeability model, and 83.9% of leukocyte infiltration in the air-pouch model. 57.2% maximum inhibition of NO and 27% of VEGF formations in rats' paws were observed with AEBO at the dose of 150 mg kg⁻¹. Pharmacological screening of the extract showed significant (P < 0.05) anti-inflammatory activity, indicated by the suppressions of increased vascular permeability and leukocyte infiltration. The inhibitions of these inflammatory events are probably mediated via inhibition of NO and VEGF formation and release.
  13. Fulltext Synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial properties of copper nanoparticles
    Usman MS, El Zowalaty ME, Shameli K, Zainuddin N, Salama M, Ibrahim NA
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2013;8:4467-79.
    PMID: 24293998 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S50837
    Copper nanoparticle synthesis has been gaining attention due to its availability. However, factors such as agglomeration and rapid oxidation have made it a difficult research area. In the present work, pure copper nanoparticles were prepared in the presence of a chitosan stabilizer through chemical means. The purity of the nanoparticles was authenticated using different characterization techniques, including ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The antibacterial as well as antifungal activity of the nanoparticles were investigated using several microorganisms of interest, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella choleraesuis, and Candida albicans. The effect of a chitosan medium on growth of the microorganism was studied, and this was found to influence growth rate. The size of the copper nanoparticles obtained was in the range of 2-350 nm, depending on the concentration of the chitosan stabilizer.
  14. Fulltext Highly sensitive integrated pressure sensor with horizontally oriented carbon nanotube network
    Mohammad Haniff MA, Lee HW, Bien DC, Teh AS, Azid IA
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):49.
    PMID: 24472487 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-49
    This paper presents a functionalized, horizontally oriented carbon nanotube network as a sensing element to enhance the sensitivity of a pressure sensor. The synthesis of horizontally oriented nanotubes from the AuFe catalyst and their deposition onto a mechanically flexible substrate via transfer printing are studied. Nanotube formation on thermally oxidized Si (100) substrates via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition controls the nanotube coverage and orientation on the flexible substrate. These nanotubes can be simply transferred to the flexible substrate without changing their physical structure. When tested under a pressure range of 0 to 50 kPa, the performance of the fabricated pressure sensor reaches as high as approximately 1.68%/kPa, which indicates high sensitivity to a small change of pressure. Such sensitivity may be induced by the slight contact in isolated nanotubes. This nanotube formation, in turn, enhances the modification of the contact and tunneling distance of the nanotubes upon the deformation of the network. Therefore, the horizontally oriented carbon nanotube network has great potential as a sensing element for future transparent sensors.
  15. An expeditious synthetic approach towards the synthesis of Bis-Schiff bases (aldazines) using ultrasound
    Khan KM, Jamil W, Ambreen N, Taha M, Perveen S, Morales GA
    Ultrason Sonochem, 2014 May;21(3):1200-5.
    PMID: 24398059 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2013.12.011
    Aldazines (Bis-Schiff bases) 1-24 were synthesized using aromatic aldehydes (heterocyclic and benzaldehydes) and hydrazine hydrate under reflux using conventional heating and/or via ultrasound irradiation using BiCl3 as catalyst. Ultrasonication conditions with cat. BiCl3 proved to be an effective, environmentally friendly synthetic procedure. This methodology is robust in the presence of electron donating and electron withdrawing groups affording desired products with high yields (>95%) in just a couple of minutes vs. hours using conventional heating.
  16. Apoptosis induction in MV4-11 and K562 human leukemic cells by Pereskia sacharosa (Cactaceae) leaf crude extract
    Asmaa MJ, Al-Jamal HA, Ang CY, Asan JM, Seeni A, Johan MF
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(1):475-81.
    PMID: 24528077
    BACKGROUND: Pereskia sacharosa is a genus of cacti widely used in folk medicine for cancer-related treatment. Anti-proliferative effects have been studied in recent years against colon, breast, cervical and lung cancer cell lines, with promising results. We here extended study of anti-proliferative effects to a blood malignancy, leukemia.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two leukemic cell lines, MV4-11 (acute myeloid leukemia) and K562 (chronic myeloid leukemia), were studied. IC50 concentrations were determined and apoptosis and cell cycle regulation were studied by flow cytometric analysis. The expression of apoptosis and cell-cycle related regulatory proteins was assessed by Western blotting.

    RESULTS: P sacharosa inhibited growth of MV4-11 and K562 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The mode of cell death was via induction of intrinsic apoptotic pathways and cell cycle arrest. There was profound up-regulation of cytochrome c, caspases, p21 and p53 expression and repression of Akt and Bcl-2 expression in treated cells.

    CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that P sacharosa induces leukemic cell death via apoptosis induction and changes in cell cycle checkpoint, thus deserves further study for anti-leukemic potential.

  17. Haplophytin B from Maclurodendron porteri
    Taher M, Susanti D, Abd Hamid S, Edueng K, Jaffri JM, Adina AB, et al.
    Pak J Pharm Sci, 2014 Jan;27(1):179-81.
    PMID: 24374446
    An alkaloid from Maclurodendron porteri has been isolated and characterized. Extraction process was conducted by acid-base extraction method followed by column chromatography. The structure was established by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The compound was identified as haplophytin B which occurs commonly in the Rutaceae family. However, this is the first time this alkaloid was isolated and reported from the species. The compound showed no inhibition against Staphylococus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli and no cytotoxic activity against H199 and A549 cell lines.
  18. Fulltext A review on the fabrication of polymer-based thermoelectric materials and fabrication methods
    Kamarudin MA, Sahamir SR, Datta RS, Long BD, Mohd Sabri MF, Mohd Said S
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2013;2013:713640.
    PMID: 24324378 DOI: 10.1155/2013/713640
    Thermoelectricity, by converting heat energy directly into useable electricity, offers a promising technology to convert heat from solar energy and to recover waste heat from industrial sectors and automobile exhausts. In recent years, most of the efforts have been done on improving the thermoelectric efficiency using different approaches, that is, nanostructuring, doping, molecular rattling, and nanocomposite formation. The applications of thermoelectric polymers at low temperatures, especially conducting polymers, have shown various advantages such as easy and low cost of fabrication, light weight, and flexibility. In this review, we will focus on exploring new types of polymers and the effects of different structures, concentrations, and molecular weight on thermoelectric properties. Various strategies to improve the performance of thermoelectric materials will be discussed. In addition, a discussion on the fabrication of thermoelectric devices, especially suited to polymers, will also be given. Finally, we provide the challenge and the future of thermoelectric polymers, especially thermoelectric hybrid model.
  19. Damnacanthal: a promising compound as a medicinal anthraquinone
    Abu N, Ali NM, Ho WY, Yeap SK, Aziz MY, Alitheen NB
    Anticancer Agents Med Chem, 2014 Jun;14(5):750-5.
    PMID: 24164045
    The Noni fruit, or scientifically known as Morinda citrifolia can be found in various parts of the world, especially in the pacific region. It is a small evergreen bushy-like tree originated from the Rubiaceae family. The plant has been used by polynesians as a medicinal herb for more than 2000 years. A substantial amount of phytochemicals can be found in the roots of this plant. Among all, damnacanthal has been found to be the most interesting, versatile and potent compound. Damnacanthal or chemically known as,3- hydroxy-1-methoxyanthraquinone-2-caboxaldehyde (C16H10O5), appears as pale yellow crystals with a melting point of 210-211 °C. This compound is of particular interest due to its striking pharmacological properties. Damnacanthal was shown to inhibit the oncogene Ras, p56lck tyrosine kinase, NF-KB pathway and induce apoptosis in vitro. This review aims to discuss the biological properties of damnacanthal, specifically on its anti-cancer activity that has been reported.
  20. Description of Goussia kuehae n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) infecting the Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch) (Perciformes: Latidae), cultured in Malaysian fish farms
    Székely C, Borkhanuddin MH, Shaharom F, Embong MS, Molnár K
    Syst Parasitol, 2013 Nov;86(3):293-9.
    PMID: 24163029 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-013-9448-1
    Culturing fishes in marine cages is a rapidly developing area of marine aquaculture. The Asian seabass Lates calcarifer (Bloch) is a fast growing good quality fish that is readily cultured in intensive systems in the South Asian region and in Malaysia in particular. Although several papers have been published to date on viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal organisms causing diseases in the Asian seabass, the occurrence of a coccidian infection in this species has only recently been recorded. We collected sporulated and unsporulated oöcysts of a new species of Goussia Labbé, 1986, from the mucus covering the epithelium of the intestine of L. calcarifer. This paper provides a description of Goussia kuehae n. sp. Sporulated oöcysts of this species are ellipsoidal, 37-40 μm in length and 28-30 μm in width. The ellipsoidal sporocysts are relatively small, 15.2-17 × 5.7-8 μm, and located loosely in the oöcyst. There are residual bodies both in the oöcysts and the sporocysts. Goussia kuehae n. sp. differs from all known species of Goussia in the large size of the oöcysts and in having two types of oöcyst residuum.
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