MyMedR

Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 226 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

Fulltext Gold Nanoparticles Conjugation Enhances Antiacanthamoebic Properties of Nystatin, Fluconazole and Amphotericin B

Anwar A, Siddiqui R, Raza Shah M, Ahmed Khan N

J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2019 Jan 28;29(1):171-177.
PMID: 30415525 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1805.05028

Parasitic infections have remained a significant burden on human and animal health. In part, this is due to lack of clinically-approved, novel antimicrobials and a lack of interest by the pharmaceutical industry. An alternative approach is to modify existing clinically-approved drugs for efficient delivery formulations to ensure minimum inhibitory concentration is achieved at the target site. Nanotechnology offers the potential to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of drugs through modification of nanoparticles with ligands. Amphotericin B, nystatin, and fluconazole are clinically available drugs in the treatment of amoebal and fungal infections. These drugs were conjugated with gold nanoparticles. To characterize these gold-conjugated drug, atomic force microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed. These drugs and their gold nanoconjugates were examined for antimicrobial activity against the protist pathogen, Acanthamoeba castellanii of the T4 genotype. Moreover, host cell cytotoxicity assays were accomplished. Cytotoxicity of these drugs and drug-conjugated gold nanoparticles was also determined by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Gold nanoparticles conjugation resulted in enhanced bioactivity of all three drugs with amphotericin B producing the most significant effects against Acanthamoeba castellanii (p ＜ 0.05). In contrast, bare gold nanoparticles did not exhibit antimicrobial potency. Furthermore, amoebae treated with drugs-conjugated gold nanoparticles showed reduced cytotoxicity against HeLa cells. In this report, we demonstrated the use of nanotechnology to modify existing clinically-approved drugs and enhance their efficacy against pathogenic amoebae. Given the lack of development of novel drugs, this is a viable approach in the treatment of neglected diseases.
Computed tomography analysis of the anterior ethmoid genu of the frontal recess in non-diseased sinuses

Raman K, Govindaraju R, James K, Abu Bakar MZ, Patil N, Shah MN

J Laryngol Otol, 2023 Feb;137(2):169-173.
PMID: 34924062 DOI: 10.1017/S0022215121004175

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge of anatomical variations of the frontal recess and frontal sinus and recognition of endoscopic landmarks are vital for safe and effective endoscopic sinus surgery. This study revisited an anatomical landmark in the frontal recess that could serve as a guide to the frontal sinus.
METHOD: Prevalence of the anterior ethmoid genu, its morphology and its relationship with the frontal sinus drainage pathway was assessed. Computed tomography scans with multiplanar reconstruction were used to study non-diseased sinonasal complexes.
RESULTS: The anterior ethmoidal genu was present in all 102 anatomical sides studied, independent of age, gender and race. Its position was within the frontal sinus drainage pathway, and the drainage pathway was medial to it in 98 of 102 cases. The anterior ethmoidal genu sometimes extended laterally and formed a recess bounded by the lamina papyracea laterally, by the uncinate process anteriorly and by the bulla ethmoidalis posteriorly. Distance of the anterior ethmoidal genu to frontal ostia can be determined by the height of the posterior wall of the agger nasi cell rather than its volume or other dimensions.
CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that the anterior ethmoidal genu is a constant anatomical structure positioned within frontal sinus drainage pathway. The description of anterior ethmoidal genu found in this study explained the anatomical connection between the agger nasi cell, uncinate process and bulla ethmoidalis and its structural organisation.
Fulltext Microsphere integrated microfluidic disk: synergy of two techniques for rapid and ultrasensitive dengue detection

Hosseini S, Aeinehvand MM, Uddin SM, Benzina A, Rothan HA, Yusof R, et al.

Sci Rep, 2015;5:16485.
PMID: 26548806 DOI: 10.1038/srep16485

The application of microfluidic devices in diagnostic systems is well-established in contemporary research. Large specific surface area of microspheres, on the other hand, has secured an important position for their use in bioanalytical assays. Herein, we report a combination of microspheres and microfluidic disk in a unique hybrid platform for highly sensitive and selective detection of dengue virus. Surface engineered polymethacrylate microspheres with carefully designed functional groups facilitate biorecognition in a multitude manner. In order to maximize the utility of the microspheres' specific surface area in biomolecular interaction, the microfluidic disk was equipped with a micromixing system. The mixing mechanism (microballoon mixing) enhances the number of molecular encounters between spheres and target analyte by accessing the entire sample volume more effectively, which subsequently results in signal amplification. Significant reduction of incubation time along with considerable lower detection limits were the prime motivations for the integration of microspheres inside the microfluidic disk. Lengthy incubations of routine analytical assays were reduced from 2 hours to 5 minutes while developed system successfully detected a few units of dengue virus. Obtained results make this hybrid microsphere-microfluidic approach to dengue detection a promising avenue for early detection of this fatal illness.
Effectiveness of bone cleaning process using chemical and entomology approaches: time and cost

Lai PS, Khoo LS, Mohd Hilmi S, Ahmad Hafizam H, Mohd Shah M, Nurliza A, et al.

Malays J Pathol, 2015 Aug;37(2):123-35.
PMID: 26277669 MyJurnal

Skeletal examination is an important aspect of forensic pathology practice, requiring effective bone cleaning with minimal artefact. This study was conducted to compare between chemical and entomology methods of bone cleaning. Ten subjects between 20 and 40 years old who underwent uncomplicated medico-legal autopsies at the Institute of Forensic Medicine Malaysia were randomly chosen for this descriptive cross sectional study. The sternum bone was divided into 4 parts, each part subjected to a different cleaning method, being two chemical approaches i.e. laundry detergent and a combination of 6% hydrogen peroxide and powder sodium bicarbonate and two entomology approaches using 2nd instar maggots of Chrysomyia rufifacies and Ophyra spinigera. A scoring system for grading the outcome of cleaning was used. The effectiveness of the methods was evaluated based on average weight reduction per day and median number of days to achieve the average score of less than 1.5 within 12 days of the bone cleaning process. Using maggots was the most time-effective and costeffective method, achieving an average weight reduction of 1.4 gm per day, a median of 11.3 days to achieve the desired score and an average cost of MYR 4.10 per case to reach the desired score within 12 days. This conclusion was supported by blind validation by forensic specialists achieving a 77.8% preference for maggots. Emission scanning electron microscopy evaluation also revealed that maggots especially Chrysomyia rufifacies preserved the original condition of the bones better allowing improved elucidation of bone injuries in future real cases.
Oleic Acid Coated Silver Nanoparticles Showed Better in Vitro Amoebicidal Effects against Naegleria fowleri than Amphotericin B

Rajendran K, Anwar A, Khan NA, Aslam Z, Raza Shah M, Siddiqui R

ACS Chem Neurosci, 2020 08 19;11(16):2431-2437.
PMID: 31347828 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00289

Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) which almost always results in death. N. fowleri is also known as "brain-eating amoeba" due to its literal infestation of the brain leading to an inflammatory response in the brain tissues. Currently, there is no single drug that is available to treat PAM, and most treatments are combinations of antifungal, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Recently nanotechnology has gained attention in chemotherapeutic research converging on drug delivery, while oleic acid (OA) has shown positive effects on the human immune system and inflammatory processes. In continuation of our recent research in which we reported the effects of oleic acid conjugated with silver nanoparticles (OA-AgNPs) against free-living amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii, in this report, we show their antiamoebic effects against N. fowleri. OA alone and its nanoconjugates were tested against the amoeba by using amoebicidal and host cell cytopathogenicity assays. Trypan blue exclusion assay was used to determine cell viability. The results revealed that OA-AgNPs exhibited significantly enhanced antiamoebic effects (P < 0.05) against N. fowleri as compared to OA alone. Evidently, lactate dehydrogenase release shows reduced N. fowleri-mediated host cell cytotoxicity. Based on our study, we anticipate that further studies on OA-AgNPs could potentially provide an alternative treatment of PAM.
Fulltext Isolation, Structure Elucidation and In Silico Prediction of Potential Drug-Like Flavonoids from Onosma chitralicum Targeted towards Functionally Important Proteins of Drug-Resistant Bad Bugs

Khan SA, Khan SU, Fozia, Ullah N, Shah M, Ullah R, et al.

Molecules, 2021 Apr 02;26(7).
PMID: 33918531 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26072048

Admittedly, the disastrous emergence of drug resistance in prokaryotic and eukaryotic human pathogens has created an urgent need to develop novel chemotherapeutic agents. Onosma chitralicum is a source of traditional medicine with cooling, laxative, and anthelmintic effects. The objective of the current research was to analyze the biological potential of Onosma chitralicum, and to isolate and characterize the chemical constituents of the plant. The crude extracts of the plant prepared with different solvents, such as aqueous, hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol, were subjected to antimicrobial activities. Results corroborate that crude (methanol), EtoAc, and n-C6H14 fractions were more active against bacterial strains. Among these fractions, the EtoAc fraction was found more potent. The EtoAc fraction was the most active against the selected microbes, which was subjected to successive column chromatography, and the resultant compounds 1 to 7 were isolated. Different techniques, such as UV, IR, and NMR, were used to characterize the structures of the isolated compounds 1-7. All the isolated pure compounds (1-7) were tested for their antimicrobial potential. Compounds 1 (4',8-dimethoxy-7-hydroxyisoflavone), 6 (5,3',3-trihydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavanone), and 7 (5',7,8-trihydroxy-6,3',4'-trimethoxyflavanone) were found to be more active against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Typhi. Compound 1 inhibited S. typhi and S. aureus to 10 ± 0.21 mm and 10 ± 0.45 mm, whereas compound 6 showed inhibition to 10 ± 0.77 mm and 9 ± 0.20 mm, respectively. Compound 7 inhibited S. aureus to 6 ± 0.36 mm. Compounds 6 and 7 showed significant antibacterial potential, and the structure-activity relationship also justifies their binding to the bacterial enzymes, i.e., beta-hydroxyacyl dehydratase (HadAB complex) and tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase. Both bacterial enzymes are potential drug targets. Further, the isolated compounds were found to be active against the tested fungal strains. Whereas docking identified compound 7, the best binder to the lanosterol 14α-demethylase (an essential fungal cell membrane synthesizing enzyme), reported as an antifungal fluconazole binding enzyme. Based on our isolation-linked preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) data, we conclude that O. chitralicum can be a good source of natural compounds for drug development against some potential enzyme targets.
Amelioration of inflammation in young men with cardiovascular risks participating pedometer-based walking programme

Omar NO, Ahmad RA, Mohd Shah MS, Aminuddin AA, Chellappan KC

Med J Malaysia, 2021 05;76(3):375-381.
PMID: 34031337

INTRODUCTION: Inflammation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular events. The lack of exercise among Malaysians and the increasing cardiovascular diseases among young men are of concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reducing of inflammation by measuring C-Reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 70 young men (20 - 40 years) who were sedentary, achieving less than 5,000 steps/day in casual walking with 2 or more cardiovascular risk factors were recruited in Institute of Vocational Skills for Youth (IKBN Hulu Langat). Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group (CG) (n=34; no change in walking) and pedometer group (PG) (n=36; minimum target: 8,000 steps/day). All parameter was measured at baseline, at 6 weeks and after 12 weeks.
RESULTS: At post intervention, the CG step counts were similar (4983 ± 366vs 5697 ± 407steps/day). The PG significant increased step count from 4996 ± 805 to 10,128 ±511 steps/day (p<0.001). The PG showed significant improvement in anthropometric variables and lipid (time and group effect p<0.001). After intervention, CRP, IL-6 and TNF- α were significantly reduced for time and group effect (p<0.001). However, no changes were seen in CG.
CONCLUSION: The pedometer-based walking programme improved health status in terms of improving inflammation and arterial stiffness.
Fulltext Perception of the Islamic ruling on smoking among Muslim adults in Malaysia; a preliminary survey

Shahrin TCA, Azarisman Shah MS, Melor PAM, Jamalludin AR, How SH

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2007;6(2):1-8.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Smoking is prevalent among Muslims in this country despite public knowledge regarding smoking as haram (unlawful). This may be due to ignorance of the consensus of the ' mufti ' on the ' fatwa ' on smoking or a result of poor education and understanding of health-related risks of smoking.
Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was carried out among the public who attended the IIUM Faculty of Medicine open day in Kuantan, Pahang on June 12th, 2004. Knowledge of smoking-related illnesses and the religious ' fatwa '(edict) on smoking was assessed.
Results: Seventy four muslims participated in the survey. 46(63%) were smokers (including ex-smokers) and 28(37%) were non–smokers. There was no statistically significant difference between the knowledge of smoking-related illnesses and their knowledge of the religious edict which regards smoking as haram between smokers and non-smokers. Only 6.7% of smokers perceive smoking as haram compared to 48% of non-smokers (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The conviction that smoking is haram among smokers is still poor among smokers. This could be one of the main reasons contributing to the high prevalence of smoking in our society. There was no difference between smokers and non-smokers concerning their knowledge on the religious edict on smoking and the health-related hazards of smoking.
N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide and its gold nanoparticle conjugation prevent glycerol-induced acute kidney injury by attenuating inflammation and oxidative injury in mice

Siddiqui RA, Simjee SU, Kabir N, Ateeq M, Shah MR, Hussain SS

Mol Cell Biochem, 2019 Jan;450(1-2):43-52.
PMID: 29790115 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-018-3371-3

The protective activity of N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide (NA-2) and NA-2-coated gold nanoparticles (NA-2-AuNPs) in glycerol-treated model of acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice was investigated. NA-2 (50 mg/kg) and NA-2-AuNPs (30 mg/kg) were given to the animals for four days followed by 24-h water deprivation and injection of 50% glycerol (10 ml/kg im). The animals were sacrificed on the next day. Blood and kidneys were collected for biochemical investigations (urea and creatinine), histological studies (hematoxylin and eosin; and periodic acid-Schiff staining), immunohistochemistry (actin and cyclooxygenase-2, Cox-2), and real-time RT-PCR (inducible nitric oxide synthase, iNOS; nuclear factor-κB p50, NFκB; hemeoxygenase-1, HO-1; and kidney injury molecule-1, Kim-1). NA-2 protected renal tubular necrosis and inflammation, though the result of NA-2-AuNPs was better than compound alone and it also exhibited the activity at far less dose. The test compound and its gold nano-formulation decreased the levels of serum urea and creatinine level in the treated animals. Both NA-2 and NA-2-AuNPs also conserved actin cytoskeleton, and lowered COX-2 protein expression. Moreover, the mRNA expressions of iNOS and NFkB p50 were down-regulated, and HO-1 and Kim-1 genes were up-regulated. We conclude that NA-2 and NA-2-AuNPs ameliorates kidney inflammation and injury in glycerol-induced AKI animal model via anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms which make it a suitable candidate for further studies. We believe that these findings will contribute in the understanding of the mechanism of action of paracetamol-like drugs and can be considered for clinical research for the prevention of AKI.
Fulltext Recent Approaches for Downplaying Antibiotic Resistance: Molecular Mechanisms

Ahmed S, Ahmed MZ, Rafique S, Almasoudi SE, Shah M, Jalil NAC, et al.

Biomed Res Int, 2023;2023:5250040.
PMID: 36726844 DOI: 10.1155/2023/5250040

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a ubiquitous public health menace. AMR emergence causes complications in treating infections contributing to an upsurge in the mortality rate. The epidemic of AMR in sync with a high utilization rate of antimicrobial drugs signifies an alarming situation for the fleet recovery of both animals and humans. The emergence of resistant species calls for new treatments and therapeutics. Current records propose that health drug dependency, veterinary medicine, agricultural application, and vaccination reluctance are the primary etymology of AMR gene emergence and spread. Recently, several encouraging avenues have been presented to contest resistance, such as antivirulent therapy, passive immunization, antimicrobial peptides, vaccines, phage therapy, and botanical and liposomal nanoparticles. Most of these therapies are used as cutting-edge methodologies to downplay antibacterial drugs to subdue the resistance pressure, which is a featured motive of discussion in this review article. AMR can fade away through the potential use of current cutting-edge therapeutics, advancement in antimicrobial susceptibility testing, new diagnostic testing, prompt clinical response, and probing of new pharmacodynamic properties of antimicrobials. It also needs to promote future research on contemporary methods to maintain host homeostasis after infections caused by AMR. Referable to the microbial ability to break resistance, there is a great ultimatum for using not only appropriate and advanced antimicrobial drugs but also other neoteric diverse cutting-edge therapeutics.
Aggregation, toxicity, and biodegradability study of an ionic liquid-based formulation for effective oil spill remediation

Nazar M, Ul Hassan Shah M, Ahmad A, Goto M, Zaireen Nisa Yahya W, Moniruzzaman M

Chemosphere, 2023 Dec;344:140412.
PMID: 37827466 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140412

Chemical dispersants are extensively used for marine oil spill remediation. However, the increased toxicity and low biodegradability of these dispersants restrict their employment in the marine environment. Hence, in this work, we have developed an eco-friendly formulation composed of an ionic liquid,1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium lauroyl sarcosinate [BMIM][Lausar] and sorbitan monooleate (Span) 80. Micellar and interfacial parameters, dispersion effectiveness, as well as the toxicity and biodegradability of the developed formulation were investigated. Micellar properties confirmed a high degree of synergism among the surfactant molecules and the formation of stable micelle. The dispersion effectiveness, at dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR) of 1:25 (v/v), against three crude oils (Arab, Ratawi, and Doba) was assessed. We achieved a dispersion effectiveness of 68.49%, 74.05%, and 83.43% for Ratawi, Doba, and Arab crude oil, respectively, using a 70:30 (w/w) ratio of Span 80 to [BMIM][Lausar]. Furthermore, the results obtained from optical microscopy and particle size analysis (PSA) indicated that the oil droplet size decreased with higher DOR. Additionally, acute toxicity experiments were conducted on zebrafish (Danio rerio) using the developed formulation, confirming its non-toxic behavior, with LC50 values of 800 mg/L after 96 h. The formulation also exhibited high biodegradability, with only 25.01% of the original quantity remaining after 28 days. Hence, these results suggest that the new formulation has the potential to be a highly effective and environmentally friendly dispersant for oil spill remediation.
Fulltext Intuitive weights of harm for therapeutic decision making in smear-negative pulmonary Tuberculosis: an interview study of physicians in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

Sreeramareddy CT, Rahman M, Harsha Kumar HN, Shah M, Hossain AM, Sayem MA, et al.

BMC Med Inform Decis Mak, 2014;14:67.
PMID: 25104297 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6947-14-67

BACKGROUND: To estimate the amount of regret and weights of harm by omission and commission during therapeutic decisions for smear-negative pulmonary Tuberculosis.
METHODS: An interviewer-administered survey was done among young physicians in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh with a previously used questionnaire. The physicians were asked to estimate probabilities of morbidity and mortality related with disease and treatment and intuitive weights of omission and commission for treatment of suspected pulmonary Tuberculosis. A comparison with weights based on literature data was made.
RESULTS: A total of 242 physicians completed the interview. Their mean age was 28 years, 158 (65.3%) were males. Median probability (%) of mortality and morbidity of disease was estimated at 65% (inter quartile range [IQR] 50-75) and 20% (IQR 8-30) respectively. Median probability of morbidity and mortality in case of occurrence of side effects was 15% (IQR 10-30) and 8% (IQR 5-20) respectively. Probability of absolute treatment mortality was 0.7% which was nearly eight times higher than 0.09% reported in the literature data. The omission vs. commission harm ratios based on intuitive weights, weights calculated with literature data, weights calculated with intuitive estimates of determinants adjusted without and with regret were 3.0 (1.4-5.0), 16 (11-26), 33 (11-98) and 48 (11-132) respectively. Thresholds based on pure regret and hybrid model (clinicians' intuitive estimates and regret) were 25 (16.7-41.7), and 2(0.75-7.5) respectively but utility-based thresholds for clinicians' estimates and literature data were 2.9 (1-8.3) and 5.9 (3.7-7.7) respectively.
CONCLUSION: Intuitive weight of harm related to false-negatives was estimated higher than that to false-positives. The mortality related to treatment was eightfold overestimated. Adjusting expected utility thresholds for subjective regret had little effect.
Differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions using quantitative diffusion-weighted sequence on 3 T MRI

Tan SL, Rahmat K, Rozalli FI, Mohd-Shah MN, Aziz YF, Yip CH, et al.

Clin Radiol, 2014 Jan;69(1):63-71.
PMID: 24156797 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2013.08.007

To investigate the capability and diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Improved diagnostic accuracy in differentiating malignant and benign lesions using single-voxel proton MRS of the breast at 3 T MRI

Suppiah S, Rahmat K, Mohd-Shah MN, Azlan CA, Tan LK, Aziz YF, et al.

Clin Radiol, 2013 Sep;68(9):e502-10.
PMID: 23706826 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2013.04.002

To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (SV (1)H MRS) by quantifying total choline-containing compounds (tCho) in differentiating malignant from benign lesions, and subsequently, to analyse the relationship of tCho levels in malignant breast lesions with their histopathological subtypes.
Fulltext Cutaneous leishmaniasis-Awareness, knowledge and practices among general population in rural and urban areas in Malakand region, Pakistan

Khan W, Khan I, Ullah H, Zain SNM, Panhwar WA, Mehmood SA, et al.

Braz J Biol, 2021;82:e238665.
PMID: 33787717 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.238665

Malakand region is an endemic area for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). However, there are limited number of studies of this disease in Pakistan. Therefore, a study was conducted to understand the level of awareness attitude and practice among the residents of Makaland towards CL and the disease vectors. This study adopted a cross-sectional approach with a total of 400 respondents (n=93 rural and n= 307 urban). Overall, the population in Malakand region (61.2%) were well-informed in the role of sand fly in transmitting diseases, but most lack knowledge on the vector's behavior and almost a quarter (24.5%) were unable to provide knowledge on proper control measures. Alarmingly, the practice and attitudes of the general population was not satisfactory as close to half (49.8%) of the population did adopt any control method. This study calls for increase in awareness through health education campaign to reduce the risk of cutaneous leishmaniasis outbreaks in the future.
Promising applications of cold plasma for microbial safety, chemical decontamination and quality enhancement in fruits

Mir SA, Siddiqui MW, Dar BN, Shah MA, Wani MH, Roohinejad S, et al.

J Appl Microbiol, 2020 Sep;129(3):474-485.
PMID: 31800143 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14541

Consumers' demand is increasing for safe foods without impairing the phytochemical and sensory quality. In turn, it has increased research interest in the exploration of innovative food processing technologies. Cold plasma technology is getting popularity now days owing to its high efficacy in decontamination of microbes in fruit and fruit-based products. As a on-thermal approach, plasma processing maintains the quality of fruits and minimizes the thermal effects on nutritional properties. Cold plasma is also exploited for inactivating enzymes and degrading pesticides as both are directly related with quality loss and presently are most important concerns in fresh produce industry. The present review covers the influence of cold plasma technology on reducing microbial risks and enhancing the quality attributes in fruits.
iSegMSI: An Interactive Strategy to Improve Spatial Segmentation of Mass Spectrometry Imaging Data

Guo L, Liu X, Zhao C, Hu Z, Xu X, Cheng KK, et al.

Anal Chem, 2022 Oct 25;94(42):14522-14529.
PMID: 36223650 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01456

Spatial segmentation is a critical procedure in mass spectrometry imaging (MSI)-based biochemical analysis. However, the commonly used unsupervised MSI segmentation methods may lead to inappropriate segmentation results as the MSI data is characterized by high dimensionality and low signal-to-noise ratio. This process can be improved by the incorporation of precise prior knowledge, which is hard to obtain in most cases. In this study, we show that the incorporation of partial or coarse prior knowledge from different sources such as reference images or biological knowledge may also help to improve MSI segmentation results. Here, we propose a novel interactive segmentation strategy for MSI data called iSegMSI, which incorporates prior information in the form of scribble-regularization of the unsupervised model to fine-tune the segmentation results. By using two typical MSI data sets (including a whole-body mouse fetus and human thyroid cancer), the present results demonstrate the effectiveness of the iSegMSI strategy in improving the MSI segmentations. Specifically, the method can be used to subdivide a region into several subregions specified by the user-defined scribbles or to merge several subregions into a single region. Additionally, these fine-tuned results are highly tolerant to the imprecision of the scribbles. Our results suggest that the proposed iSegMSI method may be an effective preprocessing strategy to facilitate the analysis of MSI data.
Fulltext Self-reported tobacco smoking practices among medical students and their perceptions towards training about tobacco smoking in medical curricula: A cross-sectional, questionnaire survey in Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh

Sreeramareddy CT, Suri S, Menezes RG, Kumar HN, Rahman M, Islam MR, et al.

Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy, 2010;5:29.
PMID: 21080923 DOI: 10.1186/1747-597X-5-29

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking issues in developing countries are usually taught non-systematically as and when the topic arose. The World Health Organisation and Global Health Professional Student Survey (GHPSS) have suggested introducing a separate integrated tobacco module into medical school curricula. Our aim was to assess medical students' tobacco smoking habits, their practices towards patients' smoking habits and attitude towards teaching about smoking in medical schools.
METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was carried out among final year undergraduate medical students in Malaysia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire included items on demographic information, students' current practices about patients' tobacco smoking habits, their perception towards tobacco education in medical schools on a five point Likert scale. Questions about tobacco smoking habits were adapted from GHPSS questionnaire. An 'ever smoker' was defined as one who had smoked during lifetime, even if had tried a few puffs once or twice. 'Current smoker' was defined as those who had smoked tobacco product on one or more days in the preceding month of the survey. Descriptive statistics were calculated.
RESULTS: Overall response rate was 81.6% (922/1130). Median age was 22 years while 50.7% were males and 48.2% were females. The overall prevalence of 'ever smokers' and 'current smokers' was 31.7% and 13.1% respectively. A majority (> 80%) of students asked the patients about their smoking habits during clinical postings/clerkships. Only a third of them did counselling, and assessed the patients' willingness to quit. Majority of the students agreed about doctors' role in tobacco control as being role models, competence in smoking cessation methods, counseling, and the need for training about tobacco cessation in medical schools. About 50% agreed that current curriculum teaches about tobacco smoking but not systematically and should be included as a separate module. Majority of the students indicated that topics about health effects, nicotine addiction and its treatment, counselling, prevention of relapse were important or very important in training about tobacco smoking.
CONCLUSION: Medical educators should consider revising medical curricula to improve training about tobacco smoking cessation in medical schools. Our results should be supported by surveys from other medical schools in developing countries of Asia.
Complex patterns of the HIV-1 epidemic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: evidence for expansion of circulating recombinant form CRF33_01B and detection of multiple other recombinants

Wang B, Lau KA, Ong LY, Shah M, Steain MC, Foley B, et al.

Virology, 2007 Oct 25;367(2):288-97.
PMID: 17604072

The HIV protease-reverse transcriptase (PR-RT) (1047 bp), gp120-env (891 bp) and gp41-env (547 bp) regions from the plasma of 115 HIV-1-infected patients in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia were sequenced. Detailed phylogenetic and bootscanning analyses were performed to determine the mosaic structure of the HIV-1 strains and their recombination breakpoint(s). Among the 50 patient samples in which all three regions could be amplified, the HIV-1 CRF01_AE subtype (46%) was predominant followed by subtypes B (10%) and B' (6%). A total of 9/50 (18%) patients were infected with a CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant, displaying a recombinant form (RF)(PR-RT), CRF01_AE(gp120-env) and CRF01_AE(gp41-env). This RF was derived from the Thai variants of CRF01_AE and B' subtype, with two distinct B' subtype segments in the backbone of CRF01_AE, similar to the newly identified CRF33_01B. In addition, one sample demonstrated a close structural relationship with the new CRF33_01B in the PR-RT region but displayed B' segment in part of the env region (RF(PR-RT), CRF01_AE/B'(gp120-env) and B'(gp41-env)) indicating continuing evolution of CRF33_01B. The remaining 18% of samples were identified as unique recombinant forms (URFs).
Metabolic syndrome and antipsychotic monotherapy treatment among schizophrenia patients in Malaysia

Said MA, Hatim A, Habil MH, Zafidah W, Haslina MY, Badiah Y, et al.

Prev Med, 2013;57 Suppl:S50-3.
PMID: 23337566 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.01.005

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among schizophrenia patients receiving antipsychotic monotherapy in Malaysia.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted at multiple centres between June 2008 and September 2011. Two hundred and five patients who fulfilled the DSM IV-TR diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and who had been on antipsychotic medication for at least one year, were screened for metabolic syndrome. Patients receiving a mood stabilizer were excluded from the study. Metabolic syndrome was defined by using the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults Treatment Panel III (ATP III) modified for Asian waist circumference.
RESULTS: In the first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) group, the highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome was among patients treated with trifluoperazine and flupenthixol decanoate (66.7% each). For the second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) group, the highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome was among patients treated with clozapine (66.7%). The component with the highest prevalence in metabolic syndrome was waist circumference in both FGA and SGA groups except for aripiprazole in SGA.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia patients receiving antipsychotic monotherapy in Malaysia was very high. Intervention measures are urgently needed to combat these problems.
KEYWORDS: Antipsychotics; Metabolic syndrome; Monotherapy; Prevalence; Schizophrenia

Filters

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links