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  1. Fulltext Primary sinonasal clear cell carcinoma: case report
    Davina ST, Linda L, Abdul Razak A, Vijayaprakas Rao R, Norkamaruzaman E
    Med J Malaysia, 2015 Apr;70(2):112-3.
    PMID: 26162392 MyJurnal
    Primary sinonasal clear cell carcinoma is a rare neoplasm classified under malignant epithelial tumours of salivary gland - type carcinomas under World Health Organization (WHO) classification. We report a case which occurred on a 69 year old gentleman presented with epistaxis and nasal endoscopy examination showed tumour arising from the right ethmoid cells. Endoscopic excision of the tumour was done and histopathological examination revealed clear cell carcinoma. In addition, other secondary or primary sites of the lesion were excluded by clinical, immunohistochemical and radiological examinations. 10 months into the postoperative period, patient remains well without recurrence of the tumour.

    IN CONCLUSION: We report a rare case of primary sinonasal clear cell carcinoma in addition to the limited literature available and emphasize the differentials with other probable tumour through meticulous microscopic examination and use of special immunostains.
    Keywords: Melaka
  2. Curriculum mapping of dental physiology curriculum: The path towards outcome-based education
    Vashe A, Devi V, Rao R, Abraham RR
    Eur J Dent Educ, 2020 Aug;24(3):518-525.
    PMID: 32314484 DOI: 10.1111/eje.12531
    INTRODUCTION: Curriculum mapping provides a clear picture of curriculum content, learning opportunities and assessment methods employed to measure the achievement of learning outcomes with their interrelationships. It facilitates educators and teachers to examine the extent to which the curricular components are linked and hence to find out gaps in the curriculum. The objective of the study was, therefore, to evaluate the physiology curriculum of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme through curriculum mapping.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, mapping of the physiology curriculum of three batches of BDS programme was conducted retrospectively. The components of the curriculum used for mapping were expected learning outcomes, curriculum content, learning opportunities, assessments and learning resources. The data were gathered by reviewing office records.

    RESULTS: Descriptive analysis of the data revealed reasonable alignment between the curriculum content and questions asked in examinations for all three batches. It was found that all the expected learning outcomes were addressed in the curriculum and assessed in different assessments. Moreover, the study revealed that the physiology curriculum was contributing to majority of the programme outcomes. Nevertheless, the study could identify some gaps in the curriculum, as well.

    CONCLUSION: This study revealed that majority of the components of the curriculum were linked and contributed to attaining the expected learning outcomes. It also showed that curriculum mapping was feasible and could be used as a tool to evaluate the curriculum.

  3. Fulltext Prevalence of goiter in rural area of Belgaum district, Karnataka
    Kamath R, Bhat V, Rao R, Das A, Ks G, Kamath A
    Indian J Community Med, 2009 Jan;34(1):48-51.
    PMID: 19876455 DOI: 10.4103/0970-0218.45373
    BACKGROUND: To determine the prevalence of goiter and to study the factors influencing goiter among people of the rural community in Karnataka state, a community based study. Setting and Study Design: A cross sectional study was carried out to find out the prevalence of goiter in a rural community of Belgaum district. The study was conducted by house-to-house survey for a period of one month.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two villages (Handiganur and Gundwad) were selected randomly from Belgaum and Raibag taluks of Belgaum district. All the family members in each household were examined for the presence of goiter using WHO criteria. Iodine content of the salt sample obtained from each household was estimated by using spot testing kits. Information regarding the determinants of goiter was collected and recorded in a pre tested proforma. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS statistical packages.
    RESULTS: The prevalence of goiter among rural population was found to be 16.6%. Goiter of grade 1 was 15.7% and that of grade 2 was 0.9%. Prevalence among males and females were 7.2% and 21.8%, respectively. The prevalence of goiter was highest among adolescents. Estimation of iodine content in the salt sample revealed that 50% of samples had adequate iodine content (>/=15 ppm). Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis revealed that females of the age group 10-49 years were independently associated with goiter.
    CONCLUSION: Prevalence of goiter was relatively high and therefore constituted a public health problem in this region.
    KEYWORDS: Determinants; goiter; multiple logistic regression analysis; prevalence
  4. A transcriptome study on Macrobrachium rosenbergii hepatopancreas experimentally challenged with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV)
    Rao R, Bhassu S, Bing RZ, Alinejad T, Hassan SS, Wang J
    J Invertebr Pathol, 2016 05;136:10-22.
    PMID: 26880158 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2016.01.002
    The world production of shrimp such as the Malaysian giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii is seriously affected by the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). There is an urgent need to understand the host pathogen interaction between M. rosenbergii and WSSV which will be able to provide a solution in controlling the spread of this infectious disease and lastly save the aquaculture industry. Now, using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), we will be able to capture the response of the M. rosenbergii to the pathogen and have a better understanding of the host defence mechanism. Two cDNA libraries, one of WSSV-challenged M. rosenbergii and a normal control one, were sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 platform. After de novo assembly and clustering of the unigenes from both libraries, 63,584 standard unigenes were generated with a mean size of 698bp and an N50 of 1137bp. We successfully annotated 35.31% of all unigenes by using BLASTX program (E-value <10-5) against NCBI non-redundant (Nr), Swiss-Prot, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathway (KEGG) and Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG) databases. Gene Ontology (GO) assessment was conducted using BLAST2GO software. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by using the FPKM method showed 8443 host genes were significantly up-regulated whereas 5973 genes were significantly down-regulated. The differentially expressed immune related genes were grouped into 15 animal immune functions. The present study showed that WSSV infection has a significant impact on the transcriptome profile of M. rosenbergii's hepatopancreas, and further enhanced the knowledge of this host-virus interaction. Furthermore, the high number of transcripts generated in this study will provide a platform for future genomic research on freshwater prawns.
  5. Diffuse hepatic haemangiomatosis: A case report and review of literature
    Rao R, Naidu J, Muhammad Nawawi KN, Wong ZQ, Ngiu CS, Mohammed F, et al.
    Med J Malaysia, 2018 12;73(6):436-438.
    PMID: 30647226
    Hepatic haemangioma is a solitary liver lesion and prevalent among the female patients. We report a case of diffuse hepatic haemangiomatosis in a 62-year-old man, who was referred for an incidental finding of multiple liver nodules. History and physical examinations were unremarkable. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the liver were performed and showed multiple haemangiomatosis. In view of the rarity of this condition in men, a liver biopsy was done and confirmed haemangiomas. Available published literature on diffuse hepatic haemangiomatosis was reviewed.
  6. Fulltext RNA-seq analysis of Macrobrachium rosenbergii hepatopancreas in response to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection
    Rao R, Bing Zhu Y, Alinejad T, Tiruvayipati S, Lin Thong K, Wang J, et al.
    Gut Pathog, 2015;7:6.
    PMID: 25922623 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-015-0052-6
    The Malaysian giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is an economically important crustacean worldwide. However, production of this prawn is facing a serious threat from Vibriosis disease caused by Vibrio species such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Unfortunately, the mechanisms involved in the immune response of this species to bacterial infection are not fully understood. We therefore used a high-throughput deep sequencing technology to investigate the transcriptome and comparative expression profiles of the hepatopancreas from this freshwater prawn infected with V. parahaemolyticus to gain an increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the species' immune response to this pathogenic bacteria.
  7. Fulltext Using an integrated teaching approach to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes in a preclinical medical curriculum in India
    Vashe A, Devi V, Rao R, Abraham RR, Pallath V, Umakanth S
    Adv Physiol Educ, 2019 Dec 01;43(4):522-528.
    PMID: 31642706 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00067.2019
    Today most education institutions around the world have adopted the philosophy of outcome-based education. The emphasis in outcome-based education is achievement of outcomes; hence the curriculum should be designed in a way that it includes the components targeted specifically at achieving these outcomes. A discipline-based approach results in fragmentation of learning and lack of clinical applicability. Integrated teaching could be a solution to achieve required outcomes in a holistic way. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate an integrated teaching module. Temporal coordination of the basic sciences, along with correlation of learned topics to clinical settings, was done in the first year of the undergraduate medical program. The module was evaluated by obtaining qualitative and quantitative feedback from students. Student assessment was conducted with a test that had case vignettes and multiple-choice questions. In addition, students' change in learning approaches and self-directed learning readiness were collected. Students' perception regarding the educational environment was also obtained. Analysis of the data showed positive feedback from the students regarding the integrated teaching. Students' average score in the test was 86%. There was a significant increase in the scores for the deep approach and self-directed learning readiness in the posttest compared with the pretest. Moreover, students were found to be satisfied with the educational environment. Evaluation of integrated teaching revealed that it was well accepted by the students. Moreover, it facilitated the achievement of the students' outcomes.
  8. Fulltext Mass spectrometry-based proteomic platforms for better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 induced pathogenesis and potential diagnostic approaches
    Ahsan N, Rao RSP, Wilson RS, Punyamurtula U, Salvato F, Petersen M, et al.
    Proteomics, 2021 05;21(10):e2000279.
    PMID: 33860983 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202000279
    While protein-protein interaction is the first step of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, recent comparative proteomic profiling enabled the identification of over 11,000 protein dynamics, thus providing a comprehensive reflection of the molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular system in response to viral infection. Here we summarize and rationalize the results obtained by various mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic approaches applied to the functional characterization of proteins and pathways associated with SARS-CoV-2-mediated infections in humans. Comparative analysis of cell-lines versus tissue samples indicates that our knowledge in proteome profile alternation in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is still incomplete and the tissue-specific response to SARS-CoV-2 infection can probably not be recapitulated efficiently by in vitro experiments. However, regardless of the viral infection period, sample types, and experimental strategies, a thorough cross-comparison of the recently published proteome, phosphoproteome, and interactome datasets led to the identification of a common set of proteins and kinases associated with PI3K-Akt, EGFR, MAPK, Rap1, and AMPK signaling pathways. Ephrin receptor A2 (EPHA2) was identified by 11 studies including all proteomic platforms, suggesting it as a potential future target for SARS-CoV-2 infection mechanisms and the development of new therapeutic strategies. We further discuss the potentials of future proteomics strategies for identifying prognostic SARS-CoV-2 responsive age-, gender-dependent, tissue-specific protein targets.
  9. International multi-center real world implementation trial to increase out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival with a dispatcher-assisted cardio-pulmonary resuscitation package (Pan-Asian resuscitation outcomes study phase 2)
    Ong MEH, Shin SD, Ko PC, Lin X, Ma MH, Ryoo HW, et al.
    Resuscitation, 2022 Feb;171:80-89.
    PMID: 34974143 DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2021.12.032
    BACKGROUND: Dispatcher-assisted CPR (DA-CPR) has the potential to deliver early bystander CPR (BCPR) and improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival. This study in the Asia-Pacific evaluated the impact of a DA-CPR program on BCPR rates and survival.

    METHODS: This was a three-arm, prospective, multi-national, population-based, community-level, implementation trial. Cases between January 2009 and June 2018 from the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study were included. Sites either implemented a comprehensive (with quality improvement tool) or a basic DA-CPR package, or served as controls. Primary outcome was survival-to-discharge/30th day post-arrest. Secondary outcomes were BCPR and favorable neurological outcome. A before-after comparison was made within each country; this before-after change was then compared across the three groups using logistic regression.

    RESULTS: 170,687 cases were analyzed. Before-after comparison showed that survival to discharge was higher in the 'implementation' period in all three groups: comprehensive odds ratio (OR) 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI; [1.0-1.19]); basic OR 1.14, 95% CI (1.08-1.2); and control OR 1.25, 95% CI (1.02-1.53). Comparing between groups, the comprehensive group had significantly higher change in BCPR (comprehensive vs control ratio of OR 1.86, 95% CI [1.66-2.09]; basic vs control ratio of OR 0.94, 95% CI [0.85-1.05]; and comprehensive vs basic ratio of OR 1.97, 95% CI [1.87-2.08]) and survival with favorable neurological outcome (comprehensive vs basic ratio of OR 1.2, 95% CI [1.04-1.39]).

    CONCLUSION: We evaluated the impact of a DA-CPR program across heterogeneous EMS systems and demonstrated that a comprehensive DA-CPR program had the most impact on BCPR and favorable neurological outcome.

  10. Fulltext X-treme loss of sequence diversity linked to neo-X chromosomes in filarial nematodes
    Mattick J, Libro S, Bromley R, Chaicumpa W, Chung M, Cook D, et al.
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2021 Oct;15(10):e0009838.
    PMID: 34705823 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009838
    The sequence diversity of natural and laboratory populations of Brugia pahangi and Brugia malayi was assessed with Illumina resequencing followed by mapping in order to identify single nucleotide variants and insertions/deletions. In natural and laboratory Brugia populations, there is a lack of sequence diversity on chromosome X relative to the autosomes (πX/πA = 0.2), which is lower than the expected (πX/πA = 0.75). A reduction in diversity is also observed in other filarial nematodes with neo-X chromosome fusions in the genera Onchocerca and Wuchereria, but not those without neo-X chromosome fusions in the genera Loa and Dirofilaria. In the species with neo-X chromosome fusions, chromosome X is abnormally large, containing a third of the genetic material such that a sizable portion of the genome is lacking sequence diversity. Such profound differences in genetic diversity can be consequential, having been associated with drug resistance and adaptability, with the potential to affect filarial eradication.
  11. Building a tuberculosis-free world: The Lancet Commission on tuberculosis
    Reid MJA, Arinaminpathy N, Bloom A, Bloom BR, Boehme C, Chaisson R, et al.
    Lancet, 2019 Mar 30;393(10178):1331-1384.
    PMID: 30904263 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30024-8
  12. Fulltext Antimicrobials: a global alliance for optimizing their rational use in intra-abdominal infections (AGORA)
    Sartelli M, Weber DG, Ruppé E, Bassetti M, Wright BJ, Ansaloni L, et al.
    World J Emerg Surg, 2016;11:33.
    PMID: 27429642 DOI: 10.1186/s13017-016-0089-y
    Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are an important cause of morbidity and are frequently associated with poor prognosis, particularly in high-risk patients. The cornerstones in the management of complicated IAIs are timely effective source control with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Empiric antimicrobial therapy is important in the management of intra-abdominal infections and must be broad enough to cover all likely organisms because inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy is associated with poor patient outcomes and the development of bacterial resistance. The overuse of antimicrobials is widely accepted as a major driver of some emerging infections (such as C. difficile), the selection of resistant pathogens in individual patients, and for the continued development of antimicrobial resistance globally. The growing emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms and the limited development of new agents available to counteract them have caused an impending crisis with alarming implications, especially with regards to Gram-negative bacteria. An international task force from 79 different countries has joined this project by sharing a document on the rational use of antimicrobials for patients with IAIs. The project has been termed AGORA (Antimicrobials: A Global Alliance for Optimizing their Rational Use in Intra-Abdominal Infections). The authors hope that AGORA, involving many of the world's leading experts, can actively raise awareness in health workers and can improve prescribing behavior in treating IAIs.
  13. Fulltext A ring-like accretion structure in M87 connecting its black hole and jet
    Lu RS, Asada K, Krichbaum TP, Park J, Tazaki F, Pu HY, et al.
    Nature, 2023 Apr;616(7958):686-690.
    PMID: 37100940 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05843-w
    The nearby radio galaxy M87 is a prime target for studying black hole accretion and jet formation1,2. Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87 in 2017, at a wavelength of 1.3 mm, revealed a ring-like structure, which was interpreted as gravitationally lensed emission around a central black hole3. Here we report images of M87 obtained in 2018, at a wavelength of 3.5 mm, showing that the compact radio core is spatially resolved. High-resolution imaging shows a ring-like structure of [Formula: see text] Schwarzschild radii in diameter, approximately 50% larger than that seen at 1.3 mm. The outer edge at 3.5 mm is also larger than that at 1.3 mm. This larger and thicker ring indicates a substantial contribution from the accretion flow with absorption effects, in addition to the gravitationally lensed ring-like emission. The images show that the edge-brightened jet connects to the accretion flow of the black hole. Close to the black hole, the emission profile of the jet-launching region is wider than the expected profile of a black-hole-driven jet, suggesting the possible presence of a wind associated with the accretion flow.
  14. Fulltext Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1
    Klionsky DJ, Abdel-Aziz AK, Abdelfatah S, Abdellatif M, Abdoli A, Abel S, et al.
    Autophagy, 2021 Jan;17(1):1-382.
    PMID: 33634751 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1797280
    In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.
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