Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 26 in total

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  1. Remarkable range extension of the previously monotypic braconid genus Wushenia Zettel (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Cheloninae), with description of a second species from Australia
    Kittel RN, Austin AD
    Zootaxa, 2013;3694:486-92.
    PMID: 26312306
    The apparently rare chelonine wasp genus Wushenia Zettel was previously known only from a single species Wushenia nana Zettel, collected by Townes at 1150 m from Wushe, Taiwan in 1983. Here we describe a second species, Wushenia australiensis sp. nov. from coastal New South Wales, Australia. This second species extends the known distribution of the genus from the Oriental into the Australasian region, indicating either an extreme disjunct distribution or that Wushenia may also occur on the landmasses inbetween, e.g. the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and/or Papua New Guinea. In addition to a detailed description of the new species, a re-diagnosis of the genus and type species, and a key to species are presented.
  2. Fulltext WDR5, ASH2L, and RBBP5 control the efficiency of FOS transcript processing
    Teoh PL, Sharrocks AD
    Cell Mol Biol Lett, 2014 Jun;19(2):215-32.
    PMID: 24715476 DOI: 10.2478/s11658-014-0190-8
    H3K4 trimethylation is strongly associated with active transcription. The deposition of this mark is catalyzed by SET-domain methyltransferases, which consist of a subcomplex containing WDR5, ASH2L, and RBBP5 (the WAR subcomplex); a catalytic SET-domain protein; and additional complexspecific subunits. The ERK MAPK pathway also plays an important role in gene regulation via phosphorylation of transcription factors, co-regulators, or histone modifier complexes. However, the potential interactions between these two pathways remain largely unexplored. We investigated their potential interplay in terms of the regulation of the immediate early gene (IEG) regulatory network. We found that depletion of components of the WAR subcomplex led to increased levels of unspliced transcripts of IEGs that did not necessarily reflect changes in their mature transcripts. This occurs in a manner independent from changes in the H3K4me3 levels at the promoter region. We focused on FOS and found that the depletion of WAR subcomplex components affected the efficiency of FOS transcript processing. Our findings show a new aspect of WAR subcomplex function in coordinating active transcription with efficient pre-mRNA processing.
  3. Fulltext Robotic Assisted Patellofemoral Joint Replacement: Surgical Technique, Tips and Tricks
    Selvaratnam V, Toms AD, Mandalia VI
    Indian J Orthop, 2022 Dec;56(12):2110-2118.
    PMID: 36507211 DOI: 10.1007/s43465-022-00746-w
    In this article we wish to provide MAKO robotic knee users a surgical guide including tips and tricks on performing MAKO robotic-assisted patellofemoral joint replacements. The senior authors in this paper from the Exeter Knee Reconstruction Unit, United Kingdom are highly experienced MAKO users who have been performing MAKO assisted Patellofemoral joint replacements since 2017.
  4. Fulltext Systematics of Old World Odontacolus Kieffer s.l. (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.): parasitoids of spider eggs
    A Valerio A, Austin AD, Masner L, Johnson NF
    Zookeys, 2013.
    PMID: 23878506 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.314.3475
    The genera Odontacolus Kieffer and Cyphacolus Priesner are among the most distinctive platygastroid wasps because of their laterally compressed metasomal horn; however, their generic status has remained unclear. We present a morphological phylogenetic analysis comprising all 38 Old World and four Neotropical Odontacolus species and 13 Cyphacolus species, which demonstrates that the latter is monophyletic but nested within a somewhat poorly resolved Odontacolus. Based on these results Cyphacolus syn. n. is placed as a junior synonym of Odontacolus which is here redefined. The taxonomy of Old World Odontacolus s.str. is revised; the previously known species Odontacolus longiceps Kieffer (Seychelles), Odontacolus markadicus Veenakumari (India), Odontacolus spinosus (Dodd) (Australia) and Odontacolus hackeri (Dodd) (Australia) are re-described, and 32 new species are described: Odontacolus africanus Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe), Odontacolus aldrovandii Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Nepal), Odontacolus anningae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Cameroon), Odontacolus australiensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus baeri Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus berryae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island), Odontacolus bosei Valerio & Austin sp. n. (India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka), Odontacolus cardaleae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus darwini Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Thailand), Odontacolus dayi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Indonesia), Odontacolus gallowayi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus gentingensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Malaysia), Odontacolus guineensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Guinea), Odontacolus harveyi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus heratyi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus heydoni Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Malaysia, Thailand), Odontacolus irwini Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus jacksonae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Cameroon, Guinea, Madagascar), Odontacolus kiau Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Papua New Guinea), Odontacolus lamarcki Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Thailand), Odontacolus madagascarensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Madagascar), Odontacolus mayri Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Indonesia, Thailand), Odontacolus mot Valerio & Austin sp. n. (India), Odontacolus noyesi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (India, Indonesia), Odontacolus pintoi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island), Odontacolus schlingeri Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus sharkeyi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Thailand), Odontacolus veroae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus wallacei Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia, Indonesia, Malawi, Papua New Guinea), Odontacolus whitfieldi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (China, India, Indonesia, Sulawesi, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam), Odontacolus zborowskii Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), and Odontacolus zimi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Madagascar). In addition, all species of Cyphacolus are here transferred to Odontacolus: Odontacolus asheri (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Sri Lanka), Odontacolus axfordi (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus bhowaliensis (Mani & Mukerjee) comb. n. (India), Odontacolus bouceki (Austin & Iqbal) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus copelandi (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Thailand), Odontacolus diazae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Kenya), Odontacolus harteni (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Yemen, Ivory Coast, Paskistan), Odontacolus jenningsi (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus leblanci (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Guinea), Odontacolus lucianae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Ivory Coast, Madagascar, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe), Odontacolus normani (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (India, United Arab Emirates), Odontacolus sallyae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus tessae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus tullyae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus veniprivus (Priesner) comb. n. (Egypt), and Odontacolus watshami (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Africa, Madagascar). Two species of Odontacolus are transferred to the genus Idris Förster: Idris longispinosus (Girault) comb. n. and Idris amoenus (Kononova) comb. n., and Odontacolus doddi Austin syn. n. is placed as a junior synonym of Odontacolus spinosus (Dodd). Odontacolus markadicus, previously only known from India, is here recorded from Brunei, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The relationships, distribution and biology of Odontacolus are discussed, and a key is provided to identify all species.
  5. Fulltext Imagined Steps: Mental Simulation of Coordinated Rhythmic Movements Effects on Pro-sociality
    Cross L, Atherton G, Wilson AD, Golonka S
    Front Psychol, 2017;8:1798.
    PMID: 29081761 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01798
    Rhythmically coordinating with a partner can increase pro-sociality, but pro-sociality does not appear to change in proportion to coordination success, or particular classes of coordination. Pro-social benefits may have more to do with simply coordinating in a social context than the details of the actual coordination (Cross et al., 2016). This begs the question, how stripped down can a coordination task be and still affect pro-sociality? Would it be sufficient simply to imagine coordinating with others? Imagining a social interaction can lead to many of the same effects as actual interaction (Crisp and Turner, 2009). We report the first experiments to explore whether imagined coordination affects pro-sociality similarly to actual coordination. Across two experiments and over 450 participants, mentally simulated coordination is shown to promote some, but not all, of the pro-social consequences of actual coordination. Imagined coordination significantly increased group cohesion and de-individuation, but did not consistently affect cooperation.
  6. Fulltext Cancer reversion with oocyte extracts is mediated by cell cycle arrest and induction of tumour dormancy
    Saad N, Alberio R, Johnson AD, Emes RD, Giles TC, Clarke P, et al.
    Oncotarget, 2018 Mar 23;9(22):16008-16027.
    PMID: 29662623 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24664
    Inducing stable control of tumour growth by tumour reversion is an alternative approach to cancer treatment when eradication of the disease cannot be achieved. The process requires re-establishment of normal control mechanisms that are lost in cancer cells so that abnormal proliferation can be halted. Embryonic environments can reset cellular programmes and we previously showed that axolotl oocyte extracts can reprogram breast cancer cells and reverse their tumorigenicity. In this study, we analysed the gene expression profiles of oocyte extract-treated tumour xenografts to show that tumour reprogramming involves cell cycle arrest and acquisition of a quiescent state. Tumour dormancy is associated with increased P27 expression, restoration of RB function and downregulation of mitogen-activated signalling pathways. We also show that the quiescent state is associated with increased levels of H4K20me3 and decreased H4K20me1, an epigenetic profile leading to chromatin compaction. The epigenetic reprogramming induced by oocyte extracts is required for RB hypophosphorylation and induction of P27 expression, both occurring during exposure to the extracts and stably maintained in reprogrammed tumour xenografts. Therefore, this study demonstrates the value of oocyte molecules for inducing tumour reversion and for the development of new chemoquiescence-based therapies.
  7. Three novel Ambrosia Fusarium Clade species producing clavate macroconidia known (F. floridanum and F. obliquiseptatum) or predicted (F. tuaranense) to be farmed by Euwallacea spp. (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) on woody hosts
    Aoki T, Smith JA, Kasson MT, Freeman S, Geiser DM, Geering ADW, et al.
    Mycologia, 2019 09 27;111(6):919-935.
    PMID: 31560603 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2019.1647074
    The Ambrosia Fusarium Clade (AFC) comprises at least 16 genealogically exclusive species-level lineages within clade 3 of the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC). These fungi are either known or predicted to be farmed by Asian Euwallacea ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in the tribe Xyleborini as a source of nutrition. To date, only 4 of the 16 AFC lineages have been described formally. In the absence of Latin binomials, an ad hoc nomenclature was developed to distinguish the 16 species lineages as AF-1 to AF-16. Herein, Fusarium species AF-3, AF-5, and AF-7 were formally described as F. floridanum, F. tuaranense, and F. obliquiseptatum, respectively. Fusarium floridanum farmed by E. interjectus on box elder (Acer negundo) in Gainesville, Florida, was distinguished morphologically by the production of sporodochial conidia that were highly variable in size and shape together with greenish-pigmented chlamydospores. Fusarium tuaranense was isolated from a beetle-damaged Paŕa rubber tree (Hevea brasiliense) in North Borneo, Malaysia, and was diagnosed by production of the smallest sporodochial conidia of any species within the AFC. Lastly, F. obliquiseptatum was farmed by an unnamed ambrosia beetle designated Euwallacea sp. 3 (E. fornicatus species complex) on avocado (Persea americana) in Queensland, Australia. It uniquely produces some clavate sporodochial conidia with oblique septa. Maximum likelihood analysis of a multilocus data set resolved these three novel AFC taxa as phylogenetically distinct species based on genealogical concordance. Particularly where introduced into exotic environments, these exotic mutualists pose a serious threat to the avocado industry, native forests, and urban landscapes in diverse regions throughout the world.
  8. Fulltext Development of a Phage Cocktail to Target Salmonella Strains Associated with Swine
    Thanki AM, Clavijo V, Healy K, Wilkinson RC, Sicheritz-Pontén T, Millard AD, et al.
    Pharmaceuticals (Basel), 2022 Jan 02;15(1).
    PMID: 35056115 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010058
    Infections caused by multidrug resistant Salmonella strains are problematic in swine and are entering human food chains. Bacteriophages (phages) could be used to complement or replace antibiotics to reduce infection within swine. Here, we extensively characterised six broad host range lytic Salmonella phages, with the aim of developing a phage cocktail to prevent or treat infection. Intriguingly, the phages tested differed by one to five single nucleotide polymorphisms. However, there were clear phenotypic differences between them, especially in their heat and pH sensitivity. In vitro killing assays were conducted to determine the efficacy of phages alone and when combined, and three cocktails reduced bacterial numbers by ~2 × 103 CFU/mL within two hours. These cocktails were tested in larvae challenge studies, and prophylactic treatment with phage cocktail SPFM10-SPFM14 was the most efficient. Phage treatment improved larvae survival to 90% after 72 h versus 3% in the infected untreated group. In 65% of the phage-treated larvae, Salmonella counts were below the detection limit, whereas it was isolated from 100% of the infected, untreated larvae group. This study demonstrates that phages effectively reduce Salmonella colonisation in larvae, which supports their ability to similarly protect swine.
  9. Effects of H2O2 on growth, metabolic activity and membrane integrity in three strains of Microcystis aeruginosa
    Foo SC, Chapman IJ, Hartnell DM, Turner AD, Franklin DJ
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2020 Nov;27(31):38916-38927.
    PMID: 32638304 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09729-6
    The application of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a management tool to control Microcystis blooms has become increasingly popular due to its short lifetime and targeted action. H2O2 increases intracellular reactive oxygen species resulting in oxidative stress and subsequently cell death. H2O2 is naturally produced in freshwater bodies as a result of photocatalytic reactions between dissolved organic carbon and sunlight. Previously, some studies have suggested that this environmental source of H2O2 selectively targets for toxigenic cyanobacteria strains in the genus Microcystis. Also, past studies only focused on the morphological and biochemical changes of H2O2-induced cell death in Microcystis with little information available on the effects of different H2O2 concentrations on growth, esterase activity and membrane integrity. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of non-lethal (40-4000 nM) concentrations on percentage cell death; with a focus on sub-lethal (50 μM) and lethal (275 μM; 500 μM) doses of H2O2 on growth, cells showing esterase activity and membrane integrity. The non-lethal dose experiment was part of a preliminary study. Results showed a dose- and time-dependent relationship in all three Microcystis strains post H2O2 treatment. H2O2 resulted in a significant increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species, decreased chlorophyll a content, decreased growth rate and esterase activity. Interestingly, at sub-lethal (50 μM H2O2 treatment), percentage of dead cells in microcystin-producing strains was significantly higher (p 
  10. Co-composting of acid waste bentonites and their effects on soil properties and crop biomass
    Soda W, Noble AD, Suzuki S, Simmons R, Sindhusen LA, Bhuthorndharaj S
    J Environ Qual, 2006 Oct 27;35(6):2293-301.
    PMID: 17071900
    Acid waste bentonite is a byproduct from vegetable oil bleaching that is acidic (pH < 3.0) and hydrophobic. These materials are currently disposed of in landfills and could potentially have a negative impact on the effective function of microbes that are intolerant of acidic conditions. A study was undertaken using three different sources of acid waste bentonites, namely soybean oil bentonite (SB), palm oil bentonite (PB), and rice bran oil bentonite (RB). These materials were co-composted with rice husk, rice husk ash, and chicken litter to eliminate their acid reactivity and hydrophobic nature. The organic carbon (OC) content, pH, exchangeable cations, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the acid-activated bentonites increased significantly after the co-composting phase. In addition, the hydrophobic nature of these materials as measured using the water drop penetration time (WDPT) decreased from >10 800 s to 16 to 80 s after composting. Furthermore, these composted materials showed positive impacts on soil physical attributes including specific surface area, bulk density, and available water content for crop growth. Highly significant increases in maize biomass (Zea mays L.) production over two consecutive cropping cycles was observed in treatments receiving co-composted bentonite. The study clearly demonstrates the potential for converting an environmentally hazardous material into a high-quality soil conditioner using readily available agricultural byproducts. It is envisaged that the application of these composted acid waste bentonites to degraded soils will increase productivity and on-farm income, thus contributing toward food security and poverty alleviation.
  11. Fulltext Genetic characterization of Zika virus strains: geographic expansion of the Asian lineage
    Haddow AD, Schuh AJ, Yasuda CY, Kasper MR, Heang V, Huy R, et al.
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2012;6(2):e1477.
    PMID: 22389730 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001477
    Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus distributed throughout much of Africa and Asia. Infection with the virus may cause acute febrile illness that clinically resembles dengue fever. A recent study indicated the existence of three geographically distinct viral lineages; however this analysis utilized only a single viral gene. Although ZIKV has been known to circulate in both Africa and Asia since at least the 1950s, little is known about the genetic relationships between geographically distinct virus strains. Moreover, the geographic origin of the strains responsible for the epidemic that occurred on Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia in 2007, and a 2010 pediatric case in Cambodia, has not been determined.
  12. An Evidence-Based Perspective on Movement and Activity Following Median Sternotomy
    El-Ansary D, LaPier TK, Adams J, Gach R, Triano S, Katijjahbe MA, et al.
    Phys Ther, 2019 12 16;99(12):1587-1601.
    PMID: 31504913 DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzz126
    Cardiac surgery via median sternotomy is performed in over 1 million patients per year worldwide. Despite evidence, sternal precautions in the form of restricted arm and trunk activity are routinely prescribed to patients following surgery to prevent sternal complications. Sternal precautions may exacerbate loss of independence and prevent patients from returning home directly after hospital discharge. In addition, immobility and deconditioning associated with restricting physical activity potentially contribute to the negative sequelae of median sternotomy on patient symptoms, physical and psychosocial function, and quality of life. Interpreting the clinical impact of sternal precautions is challenging due to inconsistent definitions and applications globally. Following median sternotomy, typical guidelines involve limiting arm movement during loaded lifting, pushing, and pulling for 6 to 8 weeks. This perspective paper proposes that there is robust evidence to support early implementation of upper body activity and exercise in patients recovering from median sternotomy while minimizing risk of complications. A clinical paradigm shift is encouraged, one that encourages a greater amount of controlled upper body activity, albeit modified in some situations, and less restrictive sternal precautions. Early screening for sternal complication risk factors and instability followed by individualized progressive functional activity and upper body therapeutic exercise is likely to promote optimal and timely patient recovery. Substantial research documenting current clinical practice of sternal precautions, early physical therapy, and cardiac rehabilitation provides support and the context for understanding why a less restrictive and more active plan of care is warranted and recommended for patients following a median sternotomy.
  13. The association between food environment, diet quality and malnutrition in low- and middle-income adult populations across the rural-Urban gradient in Vietnam
    Vuong VT, Fiorella KJ, Jones AD, Thi Trinh H, Khoury CK, Huynh TTT, et al.
    J Hum Nutr Diet, 2023 Dec;36(6):2201-2218.
    PMID: 37792904 DOI: 10.1111/jhn.13242
    BACKGROUND: Economic reforms and trade liberalisation in Vietnam have transformed the food environment, influencing dietary patterns and malnutrition status. The present study focuses on the relationship between food environments (proximity and density of food outlets) and malnutrition (underweight, overweight, obesity) through diet quality in adult populations across urban, periurban and rural areas of Vietnam.

    METHODS: We evaluated food environment by geospatial mapping of food outlets through a transect walk across the "food ecosystem" from rural to urban areas. Diet quality was assessed using the Diet Quality Index - Vietnamese (DQI-V) comprising Variety, Adequacy, Moderation and Balance components. Malnutrition status was determined using body mass index. We performed a mediation analysis utilising mixed effect models to control for neighbourhood clustering effects. Confounders included age, education, income and nutrition knowledge score.

    RESULTS: Analysis of data from 595 adult participants (mean ± SD age: 31.2 ± 6.4 years; 50% female) found that longer distance to the nearest food outlet was associated with higher overall DQI-V (β = 2.0; 95% confidence interval = 0.2-3.8; p = 0.036) and the Moderation component (β = 2.6; 95% confidence interval = 1.2-4.0; p = 0.001). Outlet density shows a negative association with the odds of underweight among women (odds ratio = 0.62; 95% confidence interval = 0.37-0.96). However, we did not observe statistically significant relationships between diet quality and malnutrition. Education and nutrition knowledge scores were positively associated with diet diversity, while income was negatively associated with diet moderation.

    CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study have important implications for nutrition and dietetics practice in Vietnam and globally. It emphasises the need to consider various dimensions of sustainable diets, including economic, health and socio-cultural/political factors. Longer distances to food outlets are associated with higher diet quality, whereas lower food outlet density increases the odds of underweight among women. This poses challenges in balancing modernisation and its adverse effects on sustainable food systems. Socio-economic status consistently correlated with diet quality and malnutrition, necessitating further research to promote healthy diets across socio-economic strata.

  14. Fulltext Interleukin-6 is required for pancreatic cancer progression by promoting MAPK signaling activation and oxidative stress resistance
    Zhang Y, Yan W, Collins MA, Bednar F, Rakshit S, Zetter BR, et al.
    Cancer Res, 2013 Oct 15;73(20):6359-74.
    PMID: 24097820 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-1558-T
    Pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest human malignancies, is almost invariably associated with the presence of an oncogenic form of Kras. Mice expressing oncogenic Kras in the pancreas recapitulate the stepwise progression of the human disease. The inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 is often expressed by multiple cell types within the tumor microenvironment. Here, we show that IL-6 is required for the maintenance and progression of pancreatic cancer precursor lesions. In fact, the lack of IL-6 completely ablates cancer progression even in presence of oncogenic Kras. Mechanistically, we show that IL-6 synergizes with oncogenic Kras to activate the reactive oxygen species detoxification program downstream of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling cascade. In addition, IL-6 regulates the inflammatory microenvironment of pancreatic cancer throughout its progression, providing several signals that are essential for carcinogenesis. Thus, IL-6 emerges as a key player at all stages of pancreatic carcinogenesis and a potential therapeutic target.
  15. Seasonal and long term variations of surface ozone concentrations in Malaysian Borneo
    Latif MT, Dominick D, Ahamad F, Ahamad NS, Khan MF, Juneng L, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2016 Dec 15;573:494-504.
    PMID: 27572541 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.121
    Malaysian Borneo has a lower population density and is an area known for its lush rainforests. However, changes in pollutant profiles are expected due to increasing urbanisation and commercial-industrial activities. This study aims to determine the variation of surface O3concentration recorded at seven selected stations in Malaysian Borneo. Hourly surface O3data covering the period 2002 to 2013, obtained from the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE), were analysed using statistical methods. The results show that the concentrations of O3recorded in Malaysian Borneo during the study period were below the maximum Malaysian Air Quality Standard of 100ppbv. The hourly average and maximum O3concentrations of 31 and 92ppbv reported at Bintulu (S3) respectively were the highest among the O3concentrations recorded at the sampling stations. Further investigation on O3precursors show that sampling sites located near to local petrochemical industrial activities, such as Bintulu (S3) and Miri (S4), have higher NO2/NO ratios (between 3.21 and 5.67) compared to other stations. The normalised O3values recorded at all stations were higher during the weekend compared to weekdays (unlike its precursors) which suggests the influence of O3titration by NO during weekdays. The results also show that there are distinct seasonal variations in O3across Borneo. High surface O3concentrations were usually observed between August and September at all stations with the exception of station S7 on the east coast. Majority of the stations (except S1 and S6) have recorded increasing averaged maximum concentrations of surface O3over the analysed years. Increasing trends of NO2and decreasing trends of NO influence the yearly averaged maximum of O3especially at S3. This study also shows that variations of meteorological factors such as wind speed and direction, humidity and temperature influence the concentration of surface O3.
  16. Genome-Wide Association for HbA1c in Malay Identified Deletion on SLC4A1 that Influences HbA1c Independent of Glycemia
    Chai JF, Kao SL, Wang C, Lim VJ, Khor IW, Dou J, et al.
    J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2020 Dec 01;105(12).
    PMID: 32936915 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa658
    CONTEXT: Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level is used to screen and diagnose diabetes. Genetic determinants of HbA1c can vary across populations and many of the genetic variants influencing HbA1c level were specific to populations.

    OBJECTIVE: To discover genetic variants associated with HbA1c level in nondiabetic Malay individuals.

    DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis for HbA1c using 2 Malay studies, the Singapore Malay Eye Study (SiMES, N = 1721 on GWAS array) and the Living Biobank study (N = 983 on GWAS array and whole-exome sequenced). We built a Malay-specific reference panel to impute ethnic-specific variants and validate the associations with HbA1c at ethnic-specific variants.

    RESULTS: Meta-analysis of the 1000 Genomes imputed array data identified 4 loci at genome-wide significance (P 

  17. Fulltext Analysis of Selection Methods to Develop Novel Phage Therapy Cocktails Against Antimicrobial Resistant Clinical Isolates of Bacteria
    Haines MEK, Hodges FE, Nale JY, Mahony J, van Sinderen D, Kaczorowska J, et al.
    Front Microbiol, 2021;12:613529.
    PMID: 33868187 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.613529
    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major problem globally. The main bacterial organisms associated with urinary tract infection (UTI) associated sepsis are E. coli and Klebsiella along with Enterobacter species. These all have AMR strains known as ESBL (Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase), which are featured on the WHO priority pathogens list as "critical" for research. Bacteriophages (phages), as viruses that can infect and kill bacteria, could provide an effective tool to tackle these AMR strains. There is currently no "gold standard" for developing a phage cocktail. Here we describe a novel approach to develop an effective phage cocktail against a set of ESBL-producing E. coli and Klebsiella largely isolated from patients in United Kingdom hospitals. By comparing different measures of phage efficacy, we show which are the most robust, and suggest an efficient screening cascade that could be used to develop phage cocktails to target other AMR bacterial species. A target panel of 38 ESBL-producing clinical strains isolated from urine samples was collated and used to test phage efficacy. After an initial screening of 68 phages, six were identified and tested against these 38 strains to determine their clinical coverage and killing efficiency. To achieve this, we assessed four different methods to assess phage virulence across these bacterial isolates. These were the Direct Spot Test (DST), the Efficiency of Plating (EOP) assay, the planktonic killing assay (PKA) and the biofilm assay. The final ESBL cocktail of six phages could effectively kill 23/38 strains (61%), for Klebsiella 13/19 (68%) and for E. coli 10/19 (53%) based on the PKA data. The ESBL E. coli collection had six isolates from the prevalent UTI-associated ST131 sequence type, five of which were targeted effectively by the final cocktail. Of the four methods used to assess phage virulence, the data suggests that PKAs are as effective as the much more time-consuming EOPs and data for the two assays correlates well. This suggests that planktonic killing is a good proxy to determine which phages should be used in a cocktail. This assay when combined with the virulence index also allows "phage synergy" to inform cocktail design.
  18. Spatial-temporal variations in surface ozone over Ushuaia and the Antarctic region: observations from in situ measurements, satellite data, and global models
    Nadzir MSM, Ashfold MJ, Khan MF, Robinson AD, Bolas C, Latif MT, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2018 Jan;25(3):2194-2210.
    PMID: 29116536 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0521-1
    The Antarctic continent is known to be an unpopulated region due to its extreme weather and climate conditions. However, the air quality over this continent can be affected by long-lived anthropogenic pollutants from the mainland. The Argentinian region of Ushuaia is often the main source area of accumulated hazardous gases over the Antarctic Peninsula. The main objective of this study is to report the first in situ observations yet known of surface ozone (O3) over Ushuaia, the Drake Passage, and Coastal Antarctic Peninsula (CAP) on board the RV Australis during the Malaysian Antarctic Scientific Expedition Cruise 2016 (MASEC'16). Hourly O3 data was measured continuously for 23 days using an EcoTech O3 analyzer. To understand more about the distribution of surface O3 over the Antarctic, we present the spatial and temporal of surface O3 of long-term data (2009-2015) obtained online from the World Meteorology Organization of World Data Centre for greenhouse gases (WMO WDCGG). Furthermore, surface O3 satellite data from the free online NOAA-Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) database and online data assimilation from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)-Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) were used. The data from both online products are compared to document the data sets and to give an indication of its quality towards in situ data. Finally, we used past carbon monoxide (CO) data as a proxy of surface O3 formation over Ushuaia and the Antarctic region. Our key findings were that the surface O3 mixing ratio during MASEC'16 increased from a minimum of 5 ppb to ~ 10-13 ppb approaching the Drake Passage and the Coastal Antarctic Peninsula (CAP) region. The anthropogenic and biogenic O3 precursors from Ushuaia and the marine region influenced the mixing ratio of surface O3 over the Drake Passage and CAP region. The past data from WDCGG showed that the annual O3 cycle has a maximum during the winter of 30 to 35 ppb between June and August and a minimum during the summer (January to February) of 10 to 20 ppb. The surface O3 mixing ratio during the summer was controlled by photochemical processes in the presence of sunlight, leading to the depletion process. During the winter, the photochemical production of surface O3 was more dominant. The NOAA-AIRS and ECMWF-MACC analysis agreed well with the MASEC'16 data but twice were higher during the expedition period. Finally, the CO past data showed the surface O3 mixing ratio was influenced by the CO mixing ratio over both the Ushuaia and Antarctic regions. Peak surface O3 and CO hourly mixing ratios reached up to ~ 38 ppb (O3) and ~ 500 ppb (CO) over Ushuaia. High CO over Ushuaia led to the depletion process of surface O3 over the region. Monthly CO mixing ratio over Antarctic (South Pole) were low, leading to the production of surface O3 over the Antarctic region.
  19. Fulltext RESPIRE: The National Institute for Health Research's (NIHR) Global Respiratory Health Unit
    Sheikh A, Campbell H, Balharry D, Baqui AH, Bogaert D, Cresswell K, et al.
    J Glob Health, 2018 Dec;8(2):020101.
    PMID: 30603074 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.08.020101
  20. Fulltext A Malaysia 97 monovalent foot-and-mouth disease vaccine (>6PD50/dose) protects pigs against challenge with a variant FMDV A SEA-97 lineage virus, 4 and 7 days post vaccination
    Nagendrakumar SB, Hong NT, Geoffrey FT, Jacqueline MM, Andrew D, Michelle G, et al.
    Vaccine, 2015 Aug 26;33(36):4513-9.
    PMID: 26192355 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.07.014
    Pigs play a significant role during outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) due to their ability to amplify the virus. It is therefore essential to determine what role vaccination could play to prevent clinical disease and lower virus excretion into the environment. In this study we investigated the efficacy of the double oil emulsion A Malaysia 97 vaccine (>6PD50/dose) against heterologous challenge with an isolate belonging to the A SEA-97 lineage at 4 and 7 days post vaccination (dpv). In addition, we determined whether physical separation of pigs in the same room could prevent virus transmission. Statistically there was no difference in the level of protection offered by 4 and 7 dpv. However, no clinical disease or viral RNA was detected in the blood of pigs challenged 4 dpv, although three of the pigs had antibodies to the non-structural proteins (NSPs), indicating viral replication. Viral RNA was also detected in nasal and saliva swabs, but on very few occasions. Two of the pigs vaccinated seven days prior to challenge had vesicles distal from the injection site, but on the inoculated foot, and two pigs had viral RNA detected in the blood. One pig sero-converted to the NSPs. In contrast, all unvaccinated and inoculated pigs had evidence of infection. No infection occurred in any of the susceptible pigs in the same room, but separated from the infected pigs, indicating that strict biosecurity measures were sufficient under these experimental conditions to prevent virus transmission. However, viral RNA was detected in the nasal swabs of one group of pigs, but apparently not at sufficient levels to cause clinical disease. Vaccination led to a significant decrease in viral RNA in vaccinated pigs compared to unvaccinated and infected pigs, even with this heterologous challenge, and could therefore be considered as a control option during outbreaks.
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