Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 90 in total

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  1. Fulltext Multiple pathways are responsible for anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular activities of Hordeum vulgare L
    Gul S, Ahmed S, Kifli N, Uddin QT, Batool Tahir N, Hussain A, et al.
    J Transl Med, 2014;12:316.
    PMID: 25428431 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-014-0316-9
    Hordeum vulgare L. (HV or barley) is used by traditional healers to treat various inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, without the knowledge of pharmacologic rationale behind its actions. This study was designed to explore the potential scientific mechanism(s) that could explain the use of Hordeum vulgare in traditional medicine as a treatment for various inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases.
  2. Fulltext Toward Enhanced State of Charge Estimation of Lithium-ion Batteries Using Optimized Machine Learning Techniques
    Hannan MA, Lipu MSH, Hussain A, Ker PJ, Mahlia TMI, Mansor M, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2020 Mar 13;10(1):4687.
    PMID: 32170100 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61464-7
    State of charge (SOC) is a crucial index used in the assessment of electric vehicle (EV) battery storage systems. Thus, SOC estimation of lithium-ion batteries has been widely investigated because of their fast charging, long-life cycle, and high energy density characteristics. However, precise SOC assessment of lithium-ion batteries remains challenging because of their varying characteristics under different working environments. Machine learning techniques have been widely used to design an advanced SOC estimation method without the information of battery chemical reactions, battery models, internal properties, and additional filters. Here, the capacity of optimized machine learning techniques are presented toward enhanced SOC estimation in terms of learning capability, accuracy, generalization performance, and convergence speed. We validate the proposed method through lithium-ion battery experiments, EV drive cycles, temperature, noise, and aging effects. We show that the proposed method outperforms several state-of-the-art approaches in terms of accuracy, adaptability, and robustness under diverse operating conditions.
  3. 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.
  4. Fulltext Sale of WHO AWaRe groups antibiotics without a prescription in Pakistan: a simulated client study
    Saleem Z, Hassali MA, Godman B, Fatima M, Ahmad Z, Sajid A, et al.
    J Pharm Policy Pract, 2020;13:26.
    PMID: 32774870 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-020-00233-3
    Introduction: Resistant strains of bacteria are rapidly emerging with increasing inappropriate use of antibiotics rendering them less efficacious. Self-purchasing of antibiotics particularly for viral infections is a key driver of inappropriate use, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. There is a particular issue in countries such as Pakistan. Consequently, there is a need to assess current rates of self-purchasing especially for reserve antibiotics to guide future policies.

    Aims: Assess the extent of current antibiotic sales without a prescription in urban areas of Pakistan.

    Methodology: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in different areas of Punjab, Pakistan using Simulated Client technique. The investigators demanded different predefined antibiotics from WHO AWaRe groups without prescription. Three levels of demand were used to convince the pharmacy staff in order to dispense the antibiotic without a prescription. A data collection form was completed by simulated clients within 15 min of each visit.

    Results: Overall 353 pharmacies and medical stores were visited out of which 96.9% pharmacies and medical stores dispensed antibiotics without demanding a prescription (82.7% at demand level 1 and 14.2% at demand level 2), with only 3.1% of pharmacies refusing to dispense antibiotics. The most frequently dispensed antibiotic was ciprofloxacin (22.1%). Surprisingly, even the reserve group antibiotics were also dispensed without a prescription. In only 25.2% visits, pharmacy staff guided patients about the use of antibiotics, and in only 11.0% pharmacists enquired about other medication history.

    Conclusion: Currently, antibiotics are easily acquired without a legitimate prescription in Pakistan. There is a need for strict adherence to regulations combined with a multi-dimensional approach to enhance appropriate dispensing of antibiotics and limit any dispensing of WHO restricted antibiotics without a prescription.

  5. Fulltext Role of optimization algorithms based fuzzy controller in achieving induction motor performance enhancement
    Hannan MA, Ali JA, Hossain Lipu MS, Mohamed A, Ker PJ, Indra Mahlia TM, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2020 Jul 30;11(1):3792.
    PMID: 32733048 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17623-5
    Three-phase induction motors (TIMs) are widely used for machines in industrial operations. As an accurate and robust controller, fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is crucial in designing TIMs control systems. The performance of FLC highly depends on the membership function (MF) variables, which are evaluated by heuristic approaches, leading to a high processing time. To address these issues, optimisation algorithms for TIMs have received increasing interest among researchers and industrialists. Here, we present an advanced and efficient quantum-inspired lightning search algorithm (QLSA) to avoid exhaustive conventional heuristic procedures when obtaining MFs. The accuracy of the QLSA based FLC (QLSAF) speed control is superior to other controllers in terms of transient response, damping capability and minimisation of statistical errors under diverse speeds and loads. The performance of the proposed QLSAF speed controller is validated through experiments. Test results under different conditions show consistent speed responses and stator currents with the simulation results.
  6. Synergistic effect on co-pyrolysis of rice husk and sewage sludge by thermal behavior, kinetics, thermodynamic parameters and artificial neural network
    Naqvi SR, Hameed Z, Tariq R, Taqvi SA, Ali I, Niazi MBK, et al.
    Waste Manag, 2019 Feb 15;85:131-140.
    PMID: 30803566 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2018.12.031
    This study investigates the thermal decomposition, thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of rice-husk (R), sewage sludge (S) and their blends during co-pyrolysis using thermogravimetric analysis at a constant heating rate of 20 °C/min. Coats-Redfern integral method is applied to mass loss data by employing seventeen models of five major reaction mechanisms to calculate the kinetics and thermodynamic parameters. Two temperature regions: I (200-400 °C) and II (400-600 °C) are identified and best fitted with different models. Among all models, diffusion models show high activation energy with higher R2(0.99) of rice husk (66.27-82.77 kJ/mol), sewage sludge (52.01-68.01 kJ/mol) and subsequent blends (45.10-65.81 kJ/mol) for region I and for rice husk (7.31-25.84 kJ/mol), sewage sludge (1.85-16.23 kJ/mol) and blends (4.95-16.32 kJ/mol) for region II, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters are calculated using kinetics data to assess the co-pyrolysis process enthalpy, Gibbs-free energy, and change in entropy. Artificial neural network (ANN) models are developed and employed on co-pyrolysis thermal decomposition data to study the reaction mechanism by calculating Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R2). The co-pyrolysis results from a thermal behavior and kinetics perspective are promising and the process is viable to recover organic materials more efficiently.
  7. Fulltext A Hybrid Active Neutral Point Clamped Inverter Utilizing Si and Ga2O3 Semiconductors: Modelling and Performance Analysis
    Meraj ST, Yahaya NZ, Hossain Lipu MS, Islam J, Haw LK, Hasan K, et al.
    Micromachines (Basel), 2021 Nov 27;12(12).
    PMID: 34945316 DOI: 10.3390/mi12121466
    In this paper, the performance of an active neutral point clamped (ANPC) inverter is evaluated, which is developed utilizing both silicon (Si) and gallium trioxide (Ga2O3) devices. The hybridization of semiconductor devices is performed since the production volume and fabrication of ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors are still in the early-stage, and they are highly expensive. In the proposed ANPC topology, the Si devices are operated at a low switching frequency, while the Ga2O3 switches are operated at a higher switching frequency. The proposed ANPC mitigates the fault current in the switching devices which are prevalent in conventional ANPCs. The proposed ANPC is developed by applying a specified modulation technique and an intelligent switching arrangement, which has further improved its performance by optimizing the loss distribution among the Si/Ga2O3 devices and thus effectively increases the overall efficiency of the inverter. It profoundly reduces the common mode current stress on the switches and thus generates a lower common-mode voltage on the output. It can also operate at a broad range of power factors. The paper extensively analyzed the switching performance of UWBG semiconductor (Ga2O3) devices using double pulse testing (DPT) and proper simulation results. The proposed inverter reduced the fault current to 52 A and achieved a maximum efficiency of 99.1%.
  8. Green synthesized nano-cellulose polyethylene imine-based biological membrane
    Waheed H, Farrukh S, Hussain A, Mukhtar A, Mubashir M, Saqib S, et al.
    Food Chem Toxicol, 2022 Feb;160:112773.
    PMID: 34953965 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2021.112773
    In hemodialysis process, membrane serves as a barrier between blood and the dialysate. The barrier when contacted by blood accompanied activation of coagulation, immunity, and cellular passageways. In the recent years, hemodialysis membrane's biocompatibility has become a issue which leads to reduce the performance during the separation process. In previous work, we developed and evaluated a cellulose-based membrane blended with polyaziridine or polyetyleneimine in formic acid for hydrophilicity, pure water flux, surface morphology, and permeation efficiency. Biocompatibility was accessed, by conducting cellular viability and cellular attachments tests. In this study, the membrane compared to a non-treated control, and cell viability revealed active and growing cell cultures after 14 days. During the cellular attachment experiment, cell cultures attached to the fabricated membrane simulated the formation of cell junctions, proving that the membrane is non-toxic and biocompatible. CA + PEI + FA membrane tested with a blood mimic fluid having density identical to renal patient's blood. The BSA concentration in the feed solution was the same as that in the blood of the renal patient. The results revealed that the CA + PEI + FA membrane was able to reject 99% bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 69.6% urea. Therefore, from biocompatibility and blood mimic fluid testing, it is confirmed that the CA + PEI + FA membrane is the finest implant for dialysis applications.
  9. Radioprotective Role of Natural Polyphenols: From Sources to Mechanisms
    Adnan M, Rasul A, Shah MA, Hussain G, Asrar M, Riaz A, et al.
    Anticancer Agents Med Chem, 2022;22(1):30-39.
    PMID: 33874875 DOI: 10.2174/1871520621666210419095829
    The identification and development of radioprotective agents have emerged as a subject matter of research during recent years due to the growing usage of ionizing radiation in different areas of human life. Previous work on synthetic radioprotectors has achieved limited progress because of the numerous issues associated with toxicity. Compounds extracted from plants have the potential to serve as lead candidates for developing ideal radioprotectors due to their low cost, safety, and selectivity. Polyphenols are the most abundant and commonly dispersed group of biologically active molecules possessing a broad range of pharmacological activities. Polyphenols have displayed efficacy for radioprotection during various investigations and can be administered at high doses with lesser toxicity. Detoxification of free radicals, modulating inflammatory responses, DNA repair, stimulation of hematopoietic recovery, and immune functions are the main mechanisms for radiation protection with polyphenols. Epicatechin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, apigenin, caffeic acid phenylethylester, and silibinin provide cytoprotection together with the suppression of many pro-inflammatory cytokines owing to their free radical scavenging, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin, gallic acid, and rutin's radioprotective properties are regulated primarily by the direct or indirect decline in cellular stress. Thus, polyphenols may serve as potential candidates for radioprotection in the near future; however, extensive investigations are still required to better understand their protection mechanisms.
  10. Fulltext The Impact of Cavities in Different Thermal Applications of Nanofluids: A Review
    Zafar M, Sakidin H, Sheremet M, Dzulkarnain I, Nazar RM, Hussain A, et al.
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2023 Mar 22;13(6).
    PMID: 36986025 DOI: 10.3390/nano13061131
    Nanofluids and nanotechnology are very important in enhancing heat transfer due to the thermal conductivity of their nanoparticles, which play a vital role in heat transfer applications. Researchers have used cavities filled with nanofluids for two decades to increase the heat-transfer rate. This review also highlights a variety of theoretical and experimentally measured cavities by exploring the following parameters: the significance of cavities in nanofluids, the effects of nanoparticle concentration and nanoparticle material, the influence of the inclination angle of cavities, heater and cooler effects, and magnetic field effects in cavities. The different shapes of the cavities have several advantages in multiple applications, e.g., L-shaped cavities used in the cooling systems of nuclear and chemical reactors and electronic components. Open cavities such as ellipsoidal, triangular, trapezoidal, and hexagonal are applied in electronic equipment cooling, building heating and cooling, and automotive applications. Appropriate cavity design conserves energy and produces attractive heat-transfer rates. Circular microchannel heat exchangers perform best. Despite the high performance of circular cavities in micro heat exchangers, square cavities have more applications. The use of nanofluids has been found to improve thermal performance in all the cavities studied. According to the experimental data, nanofluid use has been proven to be a dependable solution for enhancing thermal efficiency. To improve performance, it is suggested that research focus on different shapes of nanoparticles less than 10 nm with the same design of the cavities in microchannel heat exchangers and solar collectors.
  11. Fulltext The Impact of 3D Prism Cavity for Enhanced Oil Recovery Using Different Nanomaterials
    Zafar M, Sakidin H, Dzulkarnain I, Hussain A, Sheremet M, Nazar R, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2023 May 27;16(11).
    PMID: 37297145 DOI: 10.3390/ma16114011
    Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) has been offered as an alternative to declining crude oil production. EOR using nanotechnology is one of the most innovative trends in the petroleum industry. In order to determine the maximum oil recovery, the effect of a 3D rectangular prism shape is numerically investigated in this study. Using ANSYS Fluent software(2022R1), we develop a two-phase mathematical model based on 3D geometry. This research examines the following parameters: flow rate Q = 0.01-0.05 mL/min, volume fractions = 0.01-0.04%, and the effect of nanomaterials on relative permeability. The result of the model is verified with published studies. In this study, the finite volume method is used to simulate the problem, and we run simulations at different flow rates while keeping other variables constant. The findings show that the nanomaterials have an important effect on water and oil permeability, increasing oil mobility and lowering IFT, which increases the recovery process. Additionally, it has been noted that a reduction in the flow rate improves oil recovery. Maximum oil recovery was attained at a 0.05 mL/min flow rate. Based on the findings, it is also demonstrated that SiO2 provides better oil recovery compared to Al2O3. When the volume fraction concentration increases, oil recovery ultimately increases.
  12. Fulltext Performance Analysis of a Novel Hybrid Segmentation Method for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Monitoring
    Nazarudin AA, Zulkarnain N, Mokri SS, Zaki WMDW, Hussain A, Ahmad MF, et al.
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2023 Feb 16;13(4).
    PMID: 36832237 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13040750
    Experts have used ultrasound imaging to manually determine follicle count and perform measurements, especially in cases of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, due to the laborious and error-prone process of manual diagnosis, researchers have explored and developed medical image processing techniques to help with diagnosing and monitoring PCOS. This study proposes a combination of Otsu's thresholding with the Chan-Vese method to segment and identify follicles in the ovary with reference to ultrasound images marked by a medical practitioner. Otsu's thresholding highlights the pixel intensities of the image and creates a binary mask for use with the Chan-Vese method to define the boundary of the follicles. The acquired results were compared between the classical Chan-Vese method and the proposed method. The performances of the methods were evaluated in terms of accuracy, Dice score, Jaccard index and sensitivity. In overall segmentation evaluation, the proposed method showed superior results compared to the classical Chan-Vese method. Among the calculated evaluation metrics, the sensitivity of the proposed method was superior, with an average of 0.74 ± 0.12. Meanwhile, the average sensitivity for the classical Chan-Vese method was 0.54 ± 0.14, which is 20.03% lower than the sensitivity of the proposed method. Moreover, the proposed method showed significantly improved Dice score (p = 0.011), Jaccard index (p = 0.008) and sensitivity (p = 0.0001). This study showed that the combination of Otsu's thresholding and the Chan-Vese method enhanced the segmentation of ultrasound images.
  13. A sustainable approach for fluoride treatment using coconut fiber cellulose as an adsorbent
    Hussain A, Maitra J, Saifi A, Ahmed S, Ahmed J, Shrestha NK, et al.
    Environ Res, 2024 Mar 01;244:117952.
    PMID: 38113992 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117952
    In developing countries like India, an economically viable and ecologically approachable strategy is required to safeguard the drinking water. Excessive fluoride intake through drinking water can lead to dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, or both. The present study has been under with an objective to investigate the feasibility of using cellulose derived from coconut fiber as an adsorbent under varying pH conditions for fluoride elimination from water. The assessment of equilibrium concentration of metal ions using adsorption isotherms is an integral part of the study. This present finding indicates the considerable effect of variation of adsorbent dosages on the fluoride removal efficiency under constant temperature conditions of 25 ± 2 °C with a contact period of 24 h. It is pertinent to mention that maximum adsorption of 88% has been observed with a pH value of 6 with 6 h time duration with fluoride dosage of 50 mg/L. The equilibrium concentration dwindled to 0.4 mg/L at fluoride concentration of 20 mg/L. The Langmuir model designates the adsorption capacity value of 2.15 mg/L with initial fluoride concentration of 0.21 mg/g with R2 value of 0.660. Similarly, the adsorption capacity using Freundlich isotherms is found to be 0.58 L/g and 0.59 L/g with fluoride concentration of 1.84 mg/L and 2.15 mg/L respectively. The results from the present study confirm that coconut fiber possesses appropriate sorption capabilities of fluoride ion but is a pH dependent phenomenon. The outcomes of the study indicate the possible use of cellulose extracted from waste coconut fiber as a low-cost fluoride adsorbent. The present study can be well implemented on real scale systems as it will be beneficial economically as well as environmentally.
  14. In vitro and In vivo Determination of Biological Activities of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) Peel, Flesh and Seeds
    Hussain A, Korma SA, Kabir K, Kauser S, Arif MR, Fatima H, et al.
    Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 2024 Feb 15.
    PMID: 38358638 DOI: 10.1007/s11130-024-01153-2
    Momordica charantia L. has been remained a well-known medicinal vegetable used traditionally. However, which part is most effective against which disorder, has been remained undiscovered yet. The objective of this study was to examine the antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activities of peel, flesh, and seeds of bitter gourd, through in vitro and in vivo assays. Ethanolic extracts from powders of three fractions of bitter gourd were assessed for antimicrobial potential against bacterial and fungal strains, whereas, powders of these fractions were used to determine antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activity, in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Our results showed that BSE exhibited better antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, whereas BFE exhibited better against Escherichia coli. Blood glucose was significantly lowered by all three powders in a dose dependent manner, when fed to diabetic rats, with the highest decrease by BSP, which reduced the glucose level from 296.20 ± 2.00 mg/dl to 123.10 ± 0.80 mg/dl, at 15 mg dose, after 28 days trial. Elevated levels of TC (101.18 ± 0.65 mg/dl), TG (83.69 ± 0.61 mg/dl) and LDL-C (25.90 ± 0.09 mg/dl) in positive control rats were lowered down in well manners by BSP at 15 mg dose, to 86.30 ± 0.53, 67.70 ± 0.53 and 19.32 ± 0.06 mg/dl, respectively. As compared to BFP and BPP, BSP showed significant involvement in antibacterial, antihyperglycemic, and antihyperlipidemic actions. Along with the edible flesh, peels and seeds, which are usually discarded as waste, could also be utilized for development of pharma foods capable of promoting health.
  15. Fulltext New challenges in the use of nanomedicine in cancer therapy
    Rasool M, Malik A, Waquar S, Arooj M, Zahid S, Asif M, et al.
    Bioengineered, 2022 Jan;13(1):759-773.
    PMID: 34856849 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.2012907
    Nanomedicines are applied as alternative treatments for anticancer agents. For the treatment of cancer, due to the small size in nanometers (nm), specific site targeting can be achieved with the use of nanomedicines, increasing their bioavailability and conferring fewer toxic side effects. Additionally, the use of minute amounts of drugs can lead to cost savings. In addition, nanotechnology is effectively applied in the preparation of such drugs as they are in nm sizes, considered one of the earliest cutoff values for the production of products utilized in nanotechnology. Early concepts described gold nanoshells as one of the successful therapies for cancer and associated diseases where the benefits of nanomedicine include effective active or passive targeting. Common medicines are degraded at a higher rate, whereas the degradation of macromolecules is time-consuming. All of the discussed properties are responsible for executing the physiological behaviors occurring at the following scale, depending on the geometry. Finally, large nanomaterials based on organic, lipid, inorganic, protein, and synthetic polymers have also been utilized to develop novel cancer cures.
  16. Transition metal-based electrocatalysts for alkaline overall water splitting: advancements, challenges, and perspectives
    Lakhan MN, Hanan A, Hussain A, Ali Soomro I, Wang Y, Ahmed M, et al.
    Chem Commun (Camb), 2024 Apr 16.
    PMID: 38625567 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc06015b
    Water electrolysis is a promising method for efficiently producing hydrogen and oxygen, crucial for renewable energy conversion and fuel cell technologies. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are two key electrocatalytic reactions occurring during water splitting, necessitating the development of active, stable, and low-cost electrocatalysts. Transition metal (TM)-based electrocatalysts, spanning noble metals and TM oxides, phosphides, nitrides, carbides, borides, chalcogenides, and dichalcogenides, have garnered significant attention due to their outstanding characteristics, including high electronic conductivity, tunable valence electron configuration, high stability, and cost-effectiveness. This timely review discusses developments in TM-based electrocatalysts for the HER and OER in alkaline media in the last 10 years, revealing that the exposure of more accessible surface-active sites, specific electronic effects, and string effects are essential for the development of efficient electrocatalysts towards electrochemical water splitting application. This comprehensive review serves as a guide for designing and constructing state-of-the-art, high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts based on TMs, particularly for applications in water splitting.
  17. Fulltext Historical and current distribution ranges and loss of mega-herbivores and carnivores of Asia
    Mahmood T, Vu TT, Campos-Arceiz A, Akrim F, Andleeb S, Farooq M, et al.
    PeerJ, 2021;9:e10738.
    PMID: 33628635 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10738
    Ecosystem functioning is dependent a lot on large mammals, which are, however, vulnerable and facing extinction risks due to human impacts mainly. Megafauna of Asia has been declining for a long, not only in numbers but also in their distribution ranges. In the current study, we collected information on past and current occurrence and distribution records of Asia's megafauna species. We reconstructed the historical distribution ranges of the six herbivores and four carnivores for comparison with their present ranges, to quantify spatially explicit levels of mega-defaunation. Results revealed that historically the selected megafauna species were more widely distributed than at current. Severe range contraction was observed for the Asiatic lion, three rhino species, Asian elephant, tigers, and tapirs. Defaunation maps generated have revealed the vanishing of megafauna from parts of the East, Southeast, and Southwest Asia, even some protected Areas losing up to eight out of ten megafaunal species. These defaunation maps can help develop future conservation policies, to save the remaining distribution ranges of large mammals.
  18. Fulltext Effect of Berberis vulgaris L. root extract on ifosfamide-induced in vivo toxicity and in vitro cytotoxicity
    Ilyas S, Tabasum R, Iftikhar A, Nazir M, Hussain A, Hussain A, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 01 18;11(1):1708.
    PMID: 33462261 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80579-5
    Ifosfamide is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent having broad-spectrum efficacy against several tumors. However, nephro, hepato, neuro cardio, and hematological toxicities associated with ifosfamide render its use limited. These side effects could range from organ failure to life-threatening situations. The present study aimed to evaluate the attenuating efficiency of Berberis vulgaris root extract (BvRE), a potent nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, and lipid-lowering agent, against ifosfamide-induced toxicities. The study design comprised eight groups of Swiss albino rats to assess different dose regimes of BvRE and ifosfamide. Biochemical analysis of serum (serum albumin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, total cholesterol, and triglycerides) along with complete blood count was performed. Kidney, liver, brain, and heart tissue homogenates were used to find malondialdehyde, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase levels in addition to the acetylcholinesterase of brain tissue. The results were further validated with the help of the histopathology of the selected organs. HeLa cells were used to assess the effect of BvRE on ifosfamide cytotoxicity in MTT assay. The results revealed that pre- and post-treatment regimens of BvRE, as well as the combination therapy exhibited marked protective effects against ifosfamide-induced nephro, hepato, neuro, and cardiotoxicity. Moreover, ifosfamide depicted a synergistic in vitro cytotoxic effect on HeLa cells in the presence of BvRE. These results corroborate that the combination therapy of ifosfamide with BvRE in cancer treatment can potentiate the anticancer effects of ifosfamide along with the amelioration of its conspicuous side effects.
  19. Fulltext CaWRKY30 Positively Regulates Pepper Immunity by Targeting CaWRKY40 against Ralstonia solanacearum Inoculation through Modulating Defense-Related Genes
    Hussain A, Khan MI, Albaqami M, Mahpara S, Noorka IR, Ahmed MAA, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2021 Nov 08;22(21).
    PMID: 34769521 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222112091
    The WRKY transcription factors (TFs) network is composed of WRKY TFs' subset, which performs a critical role in immunity regulation of plants. However, functions of WRKY TFs' network remain unclear, particularly in non-model plants such as pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). This study functionally characterized CaWRKY30-a member of group III Pepper WRKY protein-for immunity of pepper against Ralstonia solanacearum infection. The CaWRKY30 was detected in nucleus, and its transcriptional expression levels were significantly upregulated by R. solanacearum inoculation (RSI), and foliar application ethylene (ET), abscisic acid (ABA), and salicylic acid (SA). Virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) of CaWRKY30 amplified pepper's vulnerability to RSI. Additionally, the silencing of CaWRKY30 by VIGS compromised HR-like cell death triggered by RSI and downregulated defense-associated marker genes, like CaPR1, CaNPR1, CaDEF1, CaABR1, CaHIR1, and CaWRKY40. Conversely, transient over-expression of CaWRKY30 in pepper leaves instigated HR-like cell death and upregulated defense-related maker genes. Furthermore, transient over-expression of CaWRKY30 upregulated transcriptional levels of CaWRKY6, CaWRKY22, CaWRKY27, and CaWRKY40. On the other hand, transient over-expression of CaWRKY6, CaWRKY22, CaWRKY27, and CaWRKY40 upregulated transcriptional expression levels of CaWRKY30. The results recommend that newly characterized CaWRKY30 positively regulates pepper's immunity against Ralstonia attack, which is governed by synergistically mediated signaling by phytohormones like ET, ABA, and SA, and transcriptionally assimilating into WRKY TFs networks, consisting of CaWRKY6, CaWRKY22, CaWRKY27, and CaWRKY40. Collectively, our data will facilitate to explicate the underlying mechanism of crosstalk between pepper's immunity and response to RSI.
  20. The African cancer burden: what is the potential role of modern oncology innovation in reducing the continent's rapidly rising mortality?
    Awuah WA, Ng JC, Mehta A, Nansubuga EP, Abdul-Rahman T, Kundu M, et al.
    Postgrad Med J, 2023 Aug 22;99(1175):941-945.
    PMID: 37280156 DOI: 10.1093/postmj/qgad043
    With increasing prevalence and an expected rise in disease burden, cancer is a cause of concern for African healthcare. The cancer burden in Africa is expected to rise to 2.1 million new cases per year and 1.4 million deaths annually by the year 2040. Even though efforts are being made to improve the standard of oncology service delivery in Africa, the current state of cancer care is not yet on par with the rise in the cancer burden. Cutting-edge technologies and innovations are being developed across the globe to augment the battle against cancer; however, many of them are beyond the reach of African countries. Modern oncology innovations targeted to ward Africa would be promising to address the high cancer mortality rates. The innovations should be cost-effective and widely accessible to tackle the rapidly rising mortality rate on the African continent. Though it may seem promising, a multidisciplinary approach is required to overcome the challenges associated with the development and implementation of modern oncology innovations in Africa.
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