Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 23 in total

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  1. Ma S
    Sci Rep, 2025 Mar 12;15(1):8600.
    PMID: 40075111 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-86522-w
    Badminton, a dynamic and fast-paced racket sport, demands a unique combination of physical, technical, and cognitive abilities from its players. This study investigates the impact of a tailored core strength training program on the specialized performance of elite badminton athletes, with the aim of unlocking their full potential and improving overall well-being. The research involved a cohort of national-level badminton players who underwent a 12-week core strength training intervention. The program was designed using principles of progressive overload and targeted the development of core stability, power, and explosiveness-essential attributes for high-level badminton performance. Throughout the study, the athletes' progress was evaluated through a comprehensive assessment battery, including measures of shot velocity, agility, jump height, and sport-specific technical proficiency. Additionally, the researchers examined the impact of the training regimen on the athletes' mental health and resilience, using validated psychological questionnaires. The results show that the core strength training program led to significant improvements in the athletes' explosive shot power, stability, and agility-key determinants of badminton success. Notably, the intervention also had a positive effect on the participants' mental well-being, with increased levels of self-confidence, focus, and emotional regulation reported. This study utilized an artificial neural network (ANN) to investigate the relationships between core stability, core power, and performance indicators (agility, jump height, mental well-being) to predict and optimize conditions for enhancing specialized athletic performance. The ANN model demonstrated the ability to capture complex, nonlinear relationships and provide accurate predictions. These results suggest that integrating core-focused training into the preparation of elite badminton athletes can be a crucial strategy for enhancing their specialized performance, reducing injury risk, and promoting holistic well-being. The study shows the importance of tailored, sport-specific approaches to athletic development and provides valuable insights for coaches, sports scientists, and healthcare professionals working with high-performance badminton players.
  2. Ma S, Meng Y, Han Q, Ma S
    Front Plant Sci, 2023;14:1201966.
    PMID: 37457351 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1201966
    Proper irrigation and fertilization measures can not only improve water and fertilizer utilization efficiency, but also have important significance in ensuring agricultural environment security and sustainable development. A field experiment was conducted to determine the optimal drip fertilization measure of winter wheat and explain its mechanism by analyzing the physiological and ecological characteristics and utilization efficiency of water and nitrogen under different irrigation and fertilization methods. The plants were treated with three irrigation and fertilization methods: the traditional irrigation and fertilization method (CK), surface drip fertilization (I1) and underground drip fertilization (I2). The results demonstrated that different irrigation methods had various effects on population and physiological characteristics of wheat. The plant height, leaf area and tiller number of I1 were significantly higher than those of CK during the whole growth period. I2 decreased plant height, leaf area and tiller number at jointing stage, but at flowering stage, the leaf area of I2 t was significantly higher than that of CK. Different irrigation methods also affected the root distribution of wheat. At flowering stage, I1 had lower root biomass than CK in all soil layers. The upper root system of I2 was smaller, but the deep root system was larger compared with the control. I1 and I2 had lower total root weight and higher shoot biomass compared to CK, so their root-shoot ratio decreased significantly. I1 and I2 increased and instantaneous water use efficiency (IWUE) by increasing the photosynthetic rate (Pn) and reducing transpiration rate (Tr) at the flowering stage, while I2 had a similar Pn to I1, but reduced Tr, resulting in a higher IWUE than I1. Both I1 and I2 also increased root efficiency, root activity, and Fv/Fm of wheat at the late growth stage, promoting accumulated dry matter after flowering (ADM) and pre-flowering dry matter remobilization (DMR), leading to a significant increase in grain yield. In addition, I1 and I2 had significantly higher water productivity (WP), irrigation water productivity (IWP), nitrogen partial productivity (NPP) and nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE) than CK, especially I2 had the highest IWP, WP, NPP and NAE. These findings highlight the potential benefits of drip fertilization in promoting sustainable wheat production and elucidate the mechanism by which it promotes efficient use of water and fertilizer.
  3. Lee J, Ma S, Heng D, Chew S, Hughes K, Tai E
    J Hum Hypertens, 2008 Jul;22(7):468-74.
    PMID: 18337755 DOI: 10.1038/jhh.2008.16
    The current hypertension (HTN) guidelines recommend the assessment of other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in individuals with HTN for further management. Few studies in Asian populations have been published to identify the outcome of individuals with HTN and other CVD risk factors. This study aims to assess the effect of HTN alone, and in combination with other CVD risk factors on all-cause and CVD mortality. Three cross-sectional studies carried out in Singapore (baseline 1982--1995) consisting of 5830 persons were grouped by the absence or presence of HTN and CVD risk factors. They were followed-up (mean 14.1 years) by linkage with the National Death Register. Cox's proportional hazards model was used to obtain adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for risk of mortality. HTN individuals with either <2 CVD risk factors (adjusted HR 1.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-1.8) or > or =2 CVD risk factors (adjusted HR 2.3; 95% CI 1.9-3.0) were at increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to normotensive individuals. The findings were similar for CVD mortality. HTN individuals who also smoked or had diabetes were at highest risk of all-cause mortality, whereas those with elevated total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoked or diabetes had the highest risk for CVD mortality. These findings show that in HTN individuals it is important to assess the presence of other CVD risk factors and manage accordingly.
  4. Ma S, Yang Y, Soh KG, Tan H
    BMC Public Health, 2024 Mar 06;24(1):727.
    PMID: 38448880 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18097-6
    BACKGROUND: The physical and mental health of college students is often mentioned, but there is limited research on a direct relationship between the mental health status of college students and their physical fitness level. This study mainly proves the relationship between Chinese college students' mental health and physical fitness indicators.

    METHOD: This study collected SCL-90 Scale test results from 5262 students (4012 boys and 1250 girls) through a questionnaire survey and conducted a Sport Quality Test on these students. Statistical software SPSS was applied for differential analysis and logistic regression analysis. Specifically, the differences in sport quality indicators between normal and abnormal mean total scores of psychological tests were analyzed first. Then, the binary logistic regression model was used to explore the impacts of sports quality indicator scores on students' psychological fitness.

    RESULTS: There are differences in the results of physical fitness tests between students with abnormal psychology and students with normal psychology. The four indexes of students' vital capacity, speed, explosive power of lower limbs, and endurance running are effective in improving students' psychologically abnormal state, and endurance running and improving vital capacity are the most effective methods to improve students' psychologically abnormal state. In the physical tests of Chinese college students, the risk of psychological abnormalities was reduced by 9% for every one-point increase in lung capacity and 10.4% for every one-point increase in endurance running performance.

    CONCLUSIONS: Chinese college students' physical fitness and mental health are related. The best methods for treating psychological disorders are lung capacity improvement and endurance running. According to the physical test results of Chinese college students, for every 1-point increase in lung capacity and endurance running, the risk of psychological abnormalities decreased by 9% and 10.4%, respectively.

  5. Ma S, Geok Soh K, Binti Japar S, Xu S, Zhicheng G
    Heliyon, 2024 Aug 15;10(15):e35145.
    PMID: 39166022 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35145
    Core strength training plays an essential role in maximizing performance for badminton athletes. The core muscles in the abdominal, back, and hip regions provide stability, enable efficient power transfer between the upper and lower body, and allow for rapid changes in direction - all crucial components for success in badminton. However, optimizing core training requires an understanding of its impact on sport-specific skills. A variety of exercises targeting the abdominal, back, and hip muscles are discussed. Incorporating core strength training into regular regimens can improve athletes' overall strength, endurance, balance, control, and prevent injuries. This study investigates the effects of various core exercises on stability, agility, and power in badminton players. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to explore the biomechanical demands of badminton and how core musculature contributes to movements like serving, smashing, and lunging. Studies assessing the effects of core training programs in related racquet sports were also examined. The results indicate that targeted core exercises significantly improve athletes' stability, agility, and power output. Exercises targeting the abdominal, back, and hip muscles enhance performance capabilities while reducing injury risk. Machine learning (ML) techniques are then applied to further analyze the relationship between core training and athletic performance. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is developed using a dataset of athletes' training histories, metrics, and injury profiles. The model predicts enhancements to stability, agility, and strength from optimized core strengthening routines. Validation confirms the network accurately captures the complex interactions between training variables and physical attributes. This integrated approach provides evidence-based guidelines for tailoring individualized training regimens to unleash players' full abilities. ANNs hold promise for analyzing large datasets on athletes' performance metrics, training variables, and injury histories to design personalized training programs. Linear regression analysis confirmed the ANN's accurate predictions. The findings emphasize integrating data-driven core strength training tailored for badminton into comprehensive programs can help optimize physical abilities and elevate performance levels.
  6. Ma S, Cutter J, Tan CE, Chew SK, Tai ES
    Am J Epidemiol, 2003 Sep 15;158(6):543-52.
    PMID: 12965880 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwg199
    Despite the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus, little is known about mortality associated with diabetes in Asia. Therefore, the authors followed 3,492 Chinese, Malay, and Asian Indian adults randomly selected from the general population in Singapore. Data on glucose tolerance, demographic characteristics, and other cardiovascular disease risk factors (lipid profile, blood pressure, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and obesity) were obtained in 1992. Vital status was determined as of December 31, 2001. There were 108 deaths over a period of 9 years. Impaired fasting glycemia or impaired glucose tolerance (IFG/IGT) (hazard ratio (HR)=1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.84, 2.31) and diabetes mellitus (HR=2.49, 95% CI: 1.58, 3.94) were associated with increased mortality after adjustment for age, gender, ethnic group, and educational level. Compared with Chinese with diabetes, Indians with diabetes experienced significantly greater mortality (HR=3.86, 95% CI: 1.76, 8.44) after adjustment for gender, age, educational level, smoking, hypertension, alcohol intake, and obesity. Undiagnosed diabetes and IFG/IGT were more common than known diabetes and also were associated with increased mortality. For reduction of mortality associated with IFG/IGT and diabetes, the authors recommend a screening program to detect undiagnosed diabetes and IFG/IGT along with aggressive treatment of diabetes after diagnosis.
  7. Ang LW, Ma S, Cutter J, Chew SK, Tan CE, Tai ES
    Diabetes Res Clin Pract, 2005 Jan;67(1):53-62.
    PMID: 15620434 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2004.05.003
    We used factor analysis to define and compare the manner in which the various features of the metabolic syndrome are linked or clustered in Chinese, Malays and Asian Indians. One thousand nine hundred and fifty seven men (1324 Chinese, 391 Malays and 261 Asian Indians) and 2308 women (1622 Chinese, 391 Malays and 296 Asian Indians) were examined. Anthropometry, blood pressure, serum glucose, lipid concentrations, and serum insulin were measured for all subjects. These data were then subjected to factor analysis which reduced the variables examined to three factors in all ethnic groups and both genders. The first (dyslipidemia) factor was positively loaded for obesity, insulin resistance (IR), fasting triglyceride and negatively loaded for HDL-cholesterol. The second (hyperglycemia) factor was positively loaded for IR and blood glucose. The third (hypertension) factor was positively loaded for obesity and blood pressure. IR was positively loaded in the hypertension factor in Malay women but not in others. Rather than a single entity causally associated with insulin resistance (IR), our findings support a concept in which the metabolic syndrome represents several distinct entities (dyslipidemia, hypertension and hyperglycemia). It appears that Malay females may be more prone to develop hypertension in association with IR.
  8. Pal S, Ma SO, Norhasimah M, Suhaida MA, Siti Mariam I, Ankathil R, et al.
    Singapore Med J, 2009 Oct;50(10):1008-12.
    PMID: 19907893
    This study was done to determine the prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities and the subsequent reproductive outcome in couples who had two or more miscarriages.
  9. Gao D, Chen H, Li H, Yang X, Guo X, Zhang Y, et al.
    Front Nutr, 2023;10:1149137.
    PMID: 37025610 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1149137
    INTRODUCTION: Arctium lappa L. root has high nutritional and medicinal values and has been identified as a healthy food raw material by the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China.

    METHODS: In the present study, an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-(NH4)2SO4 was used to extract Arctium lappa L. polysaccharides (ALPs) from the Arctium lappa L. roots, the optimal extraction conditions of crude ALPs were optimized by using the single-factor experiment and response surface methodology. The structure and composition of ALPs were determined by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). At the same time, the antioxidant activity of ALPs was investigated by in vitro antioxidant experiment.

    RESULTS: The optimized extraction parameters for extraction ALPs were as follows: the PEG relative molecular weight of 6,000, a quality fraction of PEG 25%, a quality fraction of (NH4)2SO4 18%, and an extraction temperature of 80°C. Under these conditions, the extraction rate of ALPs could reach 28.83%. FTIR, SEM and HPLC results showed that ALPs were typical acidic heteropolysaccharides and had uneven particle size distribution, an irregular shape, and a rough surface. The ALPs were chiefly composed of glucose, rhamnose, arabinose, and galactose with a molar ratio of 70.19:10.95:11.16:6.90. In addition, the ALPs had intense antioxidant activity in vitro with IC50 values in the ·OH radical (1.732 mg/ml), DPPH radical (0.29 mg/ml), and superoxide anion (0.15 mg/ml) scavenging abilities.

    DISCUSSION: The results showed that ATPS was an efficient method to extract polysaccharides and could be used for the extraction of other polysaccharides. These results indicated that ALPs had great prospects as a functional food and could be exploited in multiple fields.

  10. Li W, Ma S, Liu Y, Lin H, Lv H, Shi W, et al.
    Front Psychol, 2024;15:1348023.
    PMID: 39529723 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1348023
    INTRODUCTION: Environmental therapy theory has been applied in the research of disease prevention, and the effectiveness of using color and graphic designs to assist patients with spatial orientation has been confirmed. Visual-spatial impairments are common symptoms associated with cognitive decline. However, the interaction and driving factors between these impairments and spatial color and graphic designs remain unclear.

    METHODS: This paper first discusses the correlation between the characteristics of visual-spatial impairments and environmental factors and then investigates the color preferences of such patients based on the CIE 1976 color system and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Subsequently, the paper explores spatial design strategies conducive to spatial orientation from the perspective of adaptability to pathological characteristics, utilizing case study analysis.

    RESULTS: (1) Pathological characteristics of visual-spatial impairments (such as difficulties in spatial orientation and spatial neglect) are related to environmental factors; (2) Emotional attachment factors play a key role in patients' perception of satisfaction with environmental colors; (3) Color associations have the potential to strengthen spatial memory. Additionally, interface designs with high luminance, low saturation, and clear color differentiation facilitate patients' recognition of space.

    DISCUSSION: This paper posits that spatial interface design is a feasible approach to assist with spatial orientation, and it achieves this through a mediating process that progresses from influencing visual stimuli to cognitive memory and then to behavioral orientation. The article provides insights into the operational feasibility of this method.

  11. Wang X, Soh KG, Samsudin S, Li L, Liu C, Sun M, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2025 Jan 13;15(1):1763.
    PMID: 39800767 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-83161-5
    This review aims to conduct a meta-analysis of the impact of high-intensity training (HIT) on athlete jumping performance. As of May 2024, we conducted a comprehensive search on PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and EBSCOhost databases in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Use the PEDro scale to evaluate the methodological quality of the included study. Meta-analysis of random effects model calculations. Conduct subgroup analysis (participant age, gender, training experience, intervention length and frequency). 18 high-quality studies met the inclusion criteria, including 490 athletes aged between 6 and 27 years old. The results showed that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has a moderate effect on athlete jumping performance (ES = 0.918), while high-intensity functional training (HIFT) has a small effect on athlete jumping performance (ES = 0.581). The sub analysis of moderating variables includes 19 datasets. Compared with the control group, HIT has a positive impact on the jumping performance of athletes. The training experience, age, gender, intervention frequency, and intervention length of participants did not have a significant impact on the jumping performance of athletes, indicating the applicability of HIT as a training method. However, more extensive exercise experiments are needed to obtain stronger evidence.
  12. Sun M, Soh KG, Ma S, Wang X, Zhang J, Yaacob AB
    PLoS One, 2025;20(2):e0316846.
    PMID: 39983087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0316846
    BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported on the impact of Speed, Agility, and Quickness (SAQ) training on the performance of soccer players. However, there is still controversy regarding the results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to accurately assess the effects of SAQ training on the performance of soccer players.

    METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search on March 15, 2024, using Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCOhost. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies were established based on the PICOS framework: (i) Population-healthy soccer players; (ii) Intervention-SAQ training; (iii) Comparison condition (conventional training or traditional training); (iv) Outcome-physical performance (speed, agility, strength, etc.); (v) Study design-randomized controlled trials. The PEDro scale was employed to evaluate the methodological quality of each study, and a random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis.

    RESULTS: A total of 11 studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic literature review. One study with low PEDro score was excluded, and one was excluded based on Cochrane bias risk assessment. Finally, 9 studies were included in the meta-analysis, comprising 498 soccer players. Overall, the results indicated a significant impact of SAQ training on physical qualities and dribbling speed among soccer players. Specifically, there was a moderate effect size for sprint performance (5m, 10m, 20m) (ES = 0.75; p < 0.01), change of direction ability (COD) (ES = 0.35; p < 0.001), power (vertical and horizontal jumps) (ES = 0.67; p < 0.01), while flexibility showed no significant impact (ES = 0.11; p > 0.05). Moreover, change-of-direction dribbling demonstrated a significant effect (ES = 0.58; p < 0.01).

    CONCLUSION: Overall, SAQ training effectively enhances speed, COD, explosiveness, and change-of-direction dribbling specific performance in adolescent soccer players, particularly in sprinting. However, it does not have an advantage in improving flexibility. Further high-quality studies encompassing a broader range of exercises are needed to fully determine the effectiveness of SAQ training in improving other physical qualities and technical skills of soccer players, as well as ultimately enhancing match performance.

  13. Wang X, Soh KG, Zhang L, Liu X, Ma S, Zhao Y, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2025 Feb 10;25(1):528.
    PMID: 39930392 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-21538-5
    The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the effects of high-intensity functional training on the physical fitness of healthy individuals. This system review followed the PRISMA guidelines and has been registered in PROSPERO with the registration number CRD42023475055. As of January 2024, we did a thorough search across five databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and Cochrane Library. We evaluated the methodological quality of the included study by TEST EX tool and ROB 2 tool. GRADE framework determines the level of certainty of evidence. Meta-analysis of random effects model calculations. 19 high-quality studies were included in this review, involving 911 healthy individuals. Positive effects were observed in improving strength (ES = 1.380; p 
  14. Yeo KK, Tai BC, Heng D, Lee JM, Ma S, Hughes K, et al.
    Diabetologia, 2006 Dec;49(12):2866-73.
    PMID: 17021918 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-006-0469-z
    AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the study was to determine whether the risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) associated with diabetes mellitus differs between ethnic groups.

    METHODS: Registry linkage was used to identify IHD events in 5707 Chinese, Malay and Asian Indian participants from three cross-sectional studies conducted in Singapore between the years 1984 and 1995. The study provided a median of 10.2 years of follow-up with 240 IHD events experienced. We assessed the interaction between diabetes mellitus and ethnicity in relation to the risk of IHD events using Cox proportional hazards regression.

    RESULTS: Diabetes mellitus was more common in Asian Indians. Furthermore, diabetes mellitus was associated with a greater risk of IHD in Asian Indians. The hazard ratio when comparing diabetes mellitus with non-diabetes mellitus was 6.41 (95% CI 5.77-7.12) in Asian Indians and 3.07 (95% CI 1.86-5.06) in Chinese (p = 0.009 for interaction). Differences in the levels of established IHD risk factors among diabetics from the three ethnic groups did not appear to explain the differences in IHD risk.

    CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Asian Indians are more susceptible to the development of diabetes mellitus than Chinese and Malays. When Asian Indians do develop diabetes mellitus, the risk of IHD is higher than for Chinese and Malays. Consequently, the prevention of diabetes mellitus amongst this ethnic group is particularly important for the prevention of IHD in Asia, especially given the size of the population at risk. Elucidation of the reasons for these ethnic differences may help us understand the pathogenesis of IHD in those with diabetes mellitus.
  15. Gao M, Sun Y, Wang Q, Ma S, Guo X, Zhou L, et al.
    PMID: 34523748 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2254
    Nanomaterial on the sensing area elevates the biomolecular immobilization by its right orientation with a proper alignment, and zeolite is one of the suitable materials. In this research, the zeolite nanoparticles were synthesized using rice hush ash as the basic source and the prepared zeolite by the addition of sodium silicate was utilized to attach antibody as a probe on a gap-fingered dielectrode surface to identify the colon cancer biomarker, "colon cancer-secreted protein-2" (CCSP-2). Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Field Emission Transmission Electron Microscopy images confirmed the size of the nanoparticle to be ∼15 nm and the occurrence of silica and alumina. Zeolite was modified on the electrode surface through the amine linker, and then anti-CCSP-2 was attached by an aldehyde linker. On this surface, CCSP-2 was detected and attained the detection limit to be 3 nM on the linear regression curve with 3-5 nM of CCSP-2. Estimated by the determination coefficient of y = 2.3952x - 4.4869 and R2 = 9041 with 3δ (n = 3). In addition, control proteins did not produce the notable current response representing the specific sensing of CCSP-2. This research is suitable to identify CCSP-2 at a lower level in the bloodstream under the physiological condition of a colon cancer patient.
  16. Ma S, Mohd Raffi AN, Rosli MA, Mohd Zain NA, Ibrahim MH, Karsani SA, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2023 Jan 05;13(1):182.
    PMID: 36604574 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26745-3
    Due to their sessile nature, plants are exposed to various environmental stressors such as exposure to high levels of harmful ultraviolet (UV), ionizing, and non-ionizing radiations. This exposure may result in various damages, ranging from DNA and chromosomal aberrations to phenotypic abnormalities. As an adaptation, plants have evolved efficient DNA repair mechanisms to detect and repair any damage caused by exposure to these harmful stressors to ensure their survival. In this study, the effects of gamma radiation (as a source of ionizing radiation) on clonal Ananas comosus var. MD2 was evaluated. The morphology and physiology of the clonal plantlets before and after exposure to gamma radiation were monitored at specific time intervals. The degree of genetic variation between the samples pre- and post-irradiation was also analyzed by using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The resulting data revealed that the heights of the irradiated plantlets were significantly reduced (compared to control), but improved with the recovery period. Irradiated samples also exhibited relatively good photosynthetic efficiency that further improved as the plantlets recover. These observations were supported by the ISSR analysis, where the genetic dissimilarities between the irradiated samples and control were reduced by 0.1017, after 4 weeks of recovery. Overall, our findings suggested that the phenotype recovery of the clonal A. comosus var. MD2 plantlets was contributed by their ability to detect and repair the DNA lesions (as exemplified by the reduction in genetic dissimilarity after 4 weeks) and hence allow the plantlets to undergo phenotype reversion to normal plant stature.
  17. Liu G, Tiang MF, Ma S, Wei Z, Liang X, Sajab MS, et al.
    PeerJ, 2024;12:e16995.
    PMID: 38426145 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16995
    BACKGROUND: Hermetia illucens (HI), commonly known as the black soldier fly, has been recognized for its prowess in resource utilization and environmental protection because of its ability to transform organic waste into animal feed for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture. However, the potential of the black soldier fly's high protein content for more than cheap feedstock is still largely unexplored.

    METHODS: This study innovatively explores the potential of H. illucens larvae (HIL) protein as a peptone substitute for microbial culture media. Four commercial proteases (alkaline protease, trypsin, trypsase, and papain) were explored to hydrolyze the defatted HIL, and the experimental conditions were optimized via response surface methodology experimental design. The hydrolysate of the defatted HIL was subsequently vacuum freeze-dried and deployed as a growth medium for three bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli) to determine the growth kinetics between the HIL peptone and commercial peptone.

    RESULTS: The optimal conditions were 1.70% w/w complex enzyme (alkaline protease: trypsin at 1:1 ratio) at pH 7.0 and 54 °C for a duration of 4 h. Under these conditions, the hydrolysis of defatted HIL yielded 19.25% ±0.49%. A growth kinetic analysis showed no significant difference in growth parameters (μmax, Xmax, and λ) between the HIL peptone and commercial peptone, demonstrating that the HIL hydrolysate could serve as an effective, low-cost alternative to commercial peptone. This study introduces an innovative approach to HIL protein resource utilization, broadening its application beyond its current use in animal feed.

  18. Chen J, Kaya NA, Zhang Y, Kendarsari RI, Sekar K, Lee Chong S, et al.
    J Hepatol, 2024 May 21.
    PMID: 38782118 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.05.017
    BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly fatal cancer characterized by high intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH). A panoramic understanding of its tumor evolution, in relation to its clinical trajectory, may provide novel prognostic and treatment strategies.

    METHODS: Through the Asia-Pacific Hepatocellular Carcinoma trials group (NCT03267641), we recruited one of the largest prospective cohorts of patients with HCC, with over 600 whole genome and transcriptome samples from 123 treatment-naïve patients.

    RESULTS: Using a multi-region sampling approach, we revealed seven convergent genetic evolutionary paths governed by the early driver mutations, late copy number variations and viral integrations, which stratify patient clinical trajectories after surgical resection. Furthermore, such evolutionary paths shaped the molecular profiles, leading to distinct transcriptomic subtypes. Most significantly, although we found the coexistence of multiple transcriptomic subtypes within certain tumors, patient prognosis was best predicted by the most aggressive cell fraction of the tumor, rather than by overall degree of transcriptomic ITH level - a phenomenon we termed the 'bad apple' effect. Finally, we found that characteristics throughout early and late tumor evolution provide significant and complementary prognostic power in predicting patient survival.

    CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our study generated a comprehensive landscape of evolutionary history for HCC and provides a rich multi-omics resource for understanding tumor heterogeneity and clinical trajectories.

    IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: This prospective study, utilizing comprehensive multi-sector, multi-omics sequencing and clinical data from surgically resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), reveals critical insights into the role of tumor evolution and intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH) in determining the prognosis of HCC. These findings are invaluable for oncology researchers and clinicians, as they underscore the influence of distinct evolutionary paths and the 'bad apple' effect, where the most aggressive tumor fraction dictates disease progression. These insights not only enhance prognostic accuracy post-surgical resection but also pave the way for personalized treatment strategies tailored to specific tumor evolutionary and transcriptomic profiles. The coexistence of multiple subtypes within the same tumor prompts a re-appraisal of the utilities of depending on single samples to represent the entire tumor and suggests the need for clinical molecular imaging. This research thus marks a significant step forward in the clinical understanding and management of HCC, underscoring the importance of integrating tumor evolutionary dynamics and multi-omics biomarkers into therapeutic decision-making.

    CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: NCT03267641 (Observational cohort).

  19. Wang H, Liddell CA, Coates MM, Mooney MD, Levitz CE, Schumacher AE, et al.
    Lancet, 2014 Sep 13;384(9947):957-79.
    PMID: 24797572 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60497-9
    BACKGROUND: Remarkable financial and political efforts have been focused on the reduction of child mortality during the past few decades. Timely measurements of levels and trends in under-5 mortality are important to assess progress towards the Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4) target of reduction of child mortality by two thirds from 1990 to 2015, and to identify models of success.

    METHODS: We generated updated estimates of child mortality in early neonatal (age 0-6 days), late neonatal (7-28 days), postneonatal (29-364 days), childhood (1-4 years), and under-5 (0-4 years) age groups for 188 countries from 1970 to 2013, with more than 29,000 survey, census, vital registration, and sample registration datapoints. We used Gaussian process regression with adjustments for bias and non-sampling error to synthesise the data for under-5 mortality for each country, and a separate model to estimate mortality for more detailed age groups. We used explanatory mixed effects regression models to assess the association between under-5 mortality and income per person, maternal education, HIV child death rates, secular shifts, and other factors. To quantify the contribution of these different factors and birth numbers to the change in numbers of deaths in under-5 age groups from 1990 to 2013, we used Shapley decomposition. We used estimated rates of change between 2000 and 2013 to construct under-5 mortality rate scenarios out to 2030.

    FINDINGS: We estimated that 6·3 million (95% UI 6·0-6·6) children under-5 died in 2013, a 64% reduction from 17·6 million (17·1-18·1) in 1970. In 2013, child mortality rates ranged from 152·5 per 1000 livebirths (130·6-177·4) in Guinea-Bissau to 2·3 (1·8-2·9) per 1000 in Singapore. The annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2013 ranged from -6·8% to 0·1%. 99 of 188 countries, including 43 of 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, had faster decreases in child mortality during 2000-13 than during 1990-2000. In 2013, neonatal deaths accounted for 41·6% of under-5 deaths compared with 37·4% in 1990. Compared with 1990, in 2013, rising numbers of births, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, led to 1·4 million more child deaths, and rising income per person and maternal education led to 0·9 million and 2·2 million fewer deaths, respectively. Changes in secular trends led to 4·2 million fewer deaths. Unexplained factors accounted for only -1% of the change in child deaths. In 30 developing countries, decreases since 2000 have been faster than predicted attributable to income, education, and secular shift alone.

    INTERPRETATION: Only 27 developing countries are expected to achieve MDG 4. Decreases since 2000 in under-5 mortality rates are accelerating in many developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The Millennium Declaration and increased development assistance for health might have been a factor in faster decreases in some developing countries. Without further accelerated progress, many countries in west and central Africa will still have high levels of under-5 mortality in 2030.

    FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, US Agency for International Development.

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