Fibropapillomatosis (FP) of sea turtles is characterised by cutaneous tumours and is associated with Chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5), an alphaherpesvirus from the family Herpesviridae. Here, we provide the first evidence of ChHV5-associated FP in endangered Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Sabah, which is located at the northern region of Malaysian Borneo. The aims of our study were firstly, to determine the presence of ChHV5 in both tumour exhibiting and tumour-free turtles using molecular techniques and secondly, to determine the phylogeography of ChHV5 in Sabah. We also aim to provide evidence of ChHV5 infection through histopathological examinations. A total of 115 Green turtles were sampled from Mabul Island, Sabah. We observed three Green turtles that exhibited FP tumours and were positive for ChHV5. In addition, six clinically healthy turtles (with no presence of tumours) were also positive for the virus based on Polymerase Chain Reaction of three viral genes (Capsid protein gene UL18, Glycoprotein H gene UL22, and Glycoprotein B gene UL27). The prevalence of the ChHV5 was 5.22% in asymptomatic Green turtles. Epidermal intranuclear inclusions were identified in tumour lesions upon histopathological examination. In addition, phylogenetic analyses of the UL18, UL22, UL27, and UL30 gene sequences showed a worldwide distribution of the ChHV5 strain with no clear distinction based on geographical location suggesting an interoceanic connection and movement of the sea turtles. Thus, the emergence of ChHV5 in Green turtles in the waters of Sabah could indicate a possible threat to sea turtle populations in the future and requires further monitoring of the populations along the Bornean coast.
The common methods that are presently used to identify Vibrio harveyi include microscopic examination and biochemical, immunological and PCR-based assays. These methods require technical expertise, and can be time-consuming. A rapid method is required for the high-throughput screening of large number of samples. As such, we have developed a rapid, simple yet sensitive and specific detection method based on the use of the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) of DNA. A set of six primers, i.e., two outer, two inner and two loop primers, was designed based on the in silico analysis of a large pool of 39 strains of the toxR gene sequence of V. harveyi. The addition of the loop primers decreased the reaction time of the LAMP by more than half. Furthermore, with the application of SYBR Green, the result can be obtained as quickly as in 10 to 15 min without the need of gel electrophoresis. The specificity of the method primers was then determined by performing LAMP with Vibrio and non-Vibrio samples. LAMP has a greater sensitivity than PCR reaction. The sensitivity of PCR was at 0.6 pg concentration of V. harveyi recombinant plasmid DNA standard, while LAMP was able to detect lower amounts even at 0.6 fg. The development of the LAMP assay will provide a valuable tool for the high-throughput rapid detection of V. harveyi contamination both in laboratories and in the field.
Rice is the most important staple crop in Malaysia and is cultivated all over the country, including the state of Sabah. The uniqueness of rice cultivation in Sabah lies in the type of rice itself, deriving mainly from local or non-commercial cultivars but with distinctive characteristics including long grains, aromatic properties, and drought tolerance. However, despite having these important agricultural traits, information on the genetic diversity of Sabah rice remains limited. Hence, the purpose of this study was to determine the genetic polymorphisms of Sabah rice using random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. A total of 101 alleles were profiled, from which 94% were identified as polymorphic. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the rice samples into three clusters, with two clusters classifying the ability of rice to grow under different planting conditions, suitable for growth irrigate and upland condition. The first cluster was dominated by cultivars that could survive in wet (irrigated) areas, while the other featured those that were found in dry (upland) areas. Furthermore, two alleles, OPA-05-B2 and OPA-01-B11, were found to be unique to cultivars within the upland cluster and were thus proposed to be involved in dry environmental adaptation. The results of the present study provide an insight into the genetic relationships and diversity of Sabah rice.
The purpose of this article is to describe a technique which helps in fabrication of glove-type hollow thumb prosthesis using three-part mould technique.
BACKGROUND: Scholarly research experiences during student life can make pharmacy students capable of reaching the pinnacle of triumph with scientific skills.
AIM: The aim of this study is to assess the perception of pharmacy students and their inclination toward scholarly research publications.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among pharmacy students across India, Malaysia, and Pakistan. A 21-item questionnaire was distributed through different social networking sites between July and September 2016. Descriptive and Chi-square tests were used to analyze the findings. A value of P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
RESULTS: Of 543 pharmacy students approached, 348 participants from India, Pakistan, and Malaysia were included giving a response rate of 64%. The study comprises 48.5% of males and 51.4% of females, studying a bachelor of pharmacy (44.5%), and from private institutions (94%). Nearly, three-fourths (76.4%) of the students had no publications but showed high interest toward original research (87.4%). Most of the participants cited the reasons to engage in the scholarly publication is too advanced research/share findings (74.1%), and to improve writing and research skills (73.6%). Further, a significant percentage of students agreed that contributing to the literature during student life as a valuable experience and publishing will provide them with personal fulfilment.
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that most of the pharmacy students had positive perceptions toward scholarly research activities to advance research and improve their writing research skills. We recommend the pharmacy schools to incorporate scholarly activities in the curriculum to embark research-inclusive career.
Bromelain, a member of cysteine proteases, is found abundantly in pineapple (Ananas comosus), and it has a myriad of versatile applications. However, attempts to produce recombinant bromelain for commercialization purposes are challenging due to its expressibility and solubility. This study aims to express recombinant fruit bromelain from MD2 pineapple (MD2Bro; accession no: OAY85858.1) in soluble and active forms using Escherichia coli host cell. The gene encoding MD2Bro was codon-optimized, synthesized, and subsequently ligated into pET-32b( +) for further transformation into Escherichia coli BL21-CodonPlus(DE3). Under this strategy, the expressed MD2Bro was in a fusion form with thioredoxin (Trx) tag at its N-terminal (Trx-MD2Bro). The result showed that Trx-MD2Bro was successfully expressed in fully soluble form. The protein was successfully purified using single-step Ni2+-NTA chromatography and confirmed to be in proper folds based on the circular dichroism spectroscopy analysis. The purified Trx-MD2Bro was confirmed to be catalytically active against N-carbobenzoxyglycine p-nitrophenyl ester (N-CBZ-Gly-pNP) with a specific activity of 6.13 ± 0.01 U mg-1 and inhibited by a cysteine protease inhibitor, E-64 (IC50 of 74.38 ± 1.65 nM). Furthermore, the catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) Trx-MD2Bro was calculated to be at 5.64 ± 0.02 × 10-2 µM-1 s-1 while the optimum temperature and pH were at 50 °C and pH 6.0, respectively. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of Trx-MD2Bro was also affected by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or metal ions. Altogether it is proposed that the combination of codon optimization and the use of an appropriate vector are important in the production of a soluble and actively stable recombinant bromelain.
Cellulose nanocrystals, a class of fascinating bio-based nanoscale materials, have received a tremendous amount of interest both in industry and academia owing to its unique structural features and impressive physicochemical properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, renewability, low density, adaptable surface chemistry, optical transparency, and improved mechanical properties. This nanomaterial is a promising candidate for applications in fields such as biomedical, pharmaceuticals, electronics, barrier films, nanocomposites, membranes, supercapacitors, etc. New resources, new extraction procedures, and new treatments are currently under development to satisfy the increasing demand of manufacturing new types of cellulose nanocrystals-based materials on an industrial scale. Therefore, this review addresses the recent progress in the production methodologies of cellulose nanocrystals, covering principal cellulose resources and the main processes used for its isolation. A critical and analytical examination of the shortcomings of various approaches employed so far is made. Additionally, structural organization of cellulose and nomenclature of cellulose nanomaterials have also been discussed for beginners in this field.
Human security is a concept that challenges the traditional notion of national security by placing the 'human' as the central referent of security instead of the 'state.' It is a concept that encompasses health and well-being of people and prioritizes their fundamental freedoms and basic livelihoods by shielding them from acute socioeconomic threats, vulnerabilities and stress. The epicenter of "health security" is located at the intersection of several academic fields or disciplines which do not necessarily share a common theoretical approach. Diverse players in the "health security" domain include practitioners in such fields as security studies, foreign policy, international relations, development theory, environmental politics and the practices of the United Nations system and other multilateral bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Improvements in health are not only dependent on continued commitments to enhance the availability of healthcare and to strengthen disease prevention systems; they are very much enhanced by that intersection between global security and global health. What is emerging is global health diplomacy paradigm that calls for strengthening of core capacities in the public health and foreign policy arenas aimed at advancing human security through the strengthening of global health diplomacy practices. Human security in its broadest sense embraces far more than the absence of violence and conflict. It encompasses human rights, good governance, access to education and health care, and ensuring that each individual has opportunities and devices to fulfill his or her potential. Every step in this direction is a step towards reducing poverty, achieving growth and preventing conflict. Freedom from want, freedom from fear and the freedom of future generations to inherit a natural environment - these are the interrelated building blocks of human- and therefore national security.
Human security is a concept that challenges the traditional notion of national security by placing the 'human' as the central referent of security instead of the 'state.' It is a concept that encompasses health and well-being of people and prioritizes their fundamental freedoms and basic livelihoods by shielding them from acute socioeconomic threats, vulnerabilities and stress. The epicenter of "health security" is located at the intersection of several academic fields or disciplines which do not necessarily share a common theoretical approach. Diverse players in the "health security" domain include practitioners in such fields as security studies, foreign policy, international relations, development theory, environmental politics and the practices of the United Nations system and other multilateral bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Improvements in health are not only dependent on continued commitments to enhance the availability of healthcare and to strengthen disease prevention systems; they are very much enhanced by that intersection between global security and global health. What is emerging is global health diplomacy paradigm that calls for strengthening of core capacities in the public health and foreign policy arenas aimed at advancing human security through the strengthening of global health diplomacy practices. Human security in its broadest sense embraces far more than the absence of violence and conflict. It encompasses human rights, good governance, access to education and health care, and ensuring that each individual has opportunities and devices to fulfill his or her potential. Every step in this direction is a step towards reducing poverty, achieving growth and preventing conflict. Freedom from want, freedom from fear and the freedom of future generations to inherit a natural environment - these are the interrelated building blocks of human- and therefore national security.
Chromobacterium violaceum is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic bacillus which is commonly found in soil. It can cause mild diarrhoea upon infection but can progress, although rarely, to fatal multi-organ failure and death. Here we report the whole genome sequence data of Chromobacterium violaceum WCH4 strain, a pathogenic strain that was obtained from a 78 year old male patient suffering from an eye infection. This is a rare case of human infection of the bacteria. Blood culture report as well as 16S rRNA confirmed the presence of C. violaceum WCH4. DNA sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq 4000 system revealed a genome size of 4,637,406 bp with a GC-content of 64.89%. We identified 4,572 protein coding sequences (CDS), 78 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 3 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The CDS included 1,261 hypothetical proteins and 3,311 proteins with functional assignments. We also identified seven putative genes involved in efflux pump and conferring multidrug antibiotic resistance. The genome data has been deposited at NCBI under the accession number JAFBBB000000000 and consist of full annotated genome and raw sequence data. Our data resource will assist in further downstream analysis and understanding of the mechanism of rare human infection caused by Chromobacterium violaceum WCH4 strain.
The present study develops a novel concept of using waste media as an algal nutrient resource compared to the usual growth media with the aid of growth kinetics study and metabolite production abilities. Food- and agri-compost wastes are compact structures with elemental compounds for microbial media. As a part of the study, environ-burden wastes (3:1) as a food source for photosynthetic algae as a substitute for the costly nutrient media were proposed. The environment-burden waste was also envisaged for macromolecule production, i.e., 99200 μg/ml lipid, 112.5 μg/ml protein, and 8.75 μg/ml carbohydrate with different dilutions of agri-waste, bold basal media (BBM), and Food waste, respectively. The fabricated growth kinetics and dynamics showcased the unstructured models of different photosynthetic algal growth phases and the depiction of productivity and kinetic parameters. The theoretical maximum biomass concentration (Xp) was found to be more (0.871) with diluted agricompost media than the usual BBM (0.697). The XLim values were found to be 0.362, 0.323 and 0.209 for BBM, diluted agri-compost media and diluted food waste media, respectively. Overall, the study proposes a cleaner approach of utilizing the wastes as growth media through a circular economy approach which eventually reduces the growth media cost with integrated macromolecule production capabilities.
Background: Abacavir (ABC) in combination with other antiretroviral drugs, is used to treat people living with HIV (PLWH). However, it is linked to a fatal hypersensitivity reaction in susceptible individuals, and is strongly associated with the HLA-B*57:01 allele. Materials & methods: A total of 152 patients, 50 PLWH and 102 HIV-1 negative patients, were assessed for the HLA-B*57:01 allele through a sequence-specific primer PCR. Results: All PLWH tested negative for the HLA-B*57:01 allele, but two HIV-negative patients were found to have HLA-B*57, with one of them expressing the HLA-B*57:01 allele. Conclusion: Given the low prevalence of this risk allele in the population, testing for the presence of HLA-B*57:01 in PLWH may not provide significant benefit for the reported population.
The present study aimed to establish significant and validated quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models for histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors and correlate their physicochemical, steric, and electrostatic properties with their anticancer activity. We have selected a dataset from earlier research findings. The target and ligand molecules were procured from recognized databases and incorporated into pivotal findings such as molecular docking (XP glide), e-pharmacophore study and 3D QSAR model designing study (phase). Docking revealed molecule 39 with better docking score and well binding contact with the protein. 3D QSAR analysis, which was performed for partial least squares factor 5 reported good 0.9877 and 0.7142 as R2 and Q2 values and low standard of deviation: 0.1049 for hypothesis AADRR.139. Based on the computational outcome, it has been concluded that molecule 39 is an effective and relevant candidate for inhibition of HDAC activity. Moreover, these computational approaches motivate to discover novel drug candidates in pharmacological and healthcare sectors.
Nanocomposite thin films of chitosanlgraphene oxide (cs/Go) and chitosanl EDTA-GO (CSIEDTA-GO) were prepared by environmental friendly method and the properties were compared. The experimental results showed fine dispersion of GO and EDTA-GO in CS matrix and some interaction occur between the filler and the CS matrix that leads to better distribution of stress transfer. At 0.5 wt. %, both CSIGO and CSIEDTA-GO experienced maximum tensile stress by 51 and 71% compared with CS. Moreover, the elongation at break for both nanocomposites increases and the amount of filler increases.
In this report, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were successfully deposited on graphene oxide (GO) sheets to form GO-Ag nanocomposite using garlic extract and sunlight and the nanocomposite modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode was applied as an electrochemical sensor for the detection of nitrite ions. The formation of GO-Ag nanocomposite was confirmed by using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, TEM, XRD and FTIR spectroscopy analyses. Further, TEM pictures showed a uniform distribution Ag on GO sheets with an average size of 19 nm. The nanocomposite modified electrode produced synergistic catalytic current in nitrite oxidation with a negative shift in overpotential. The limit of detection (LOD) values were found as 2.1 µM and 37 nM, respectively using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and amperometric i-t curve techniques. The proposed sensor was stable, reproducible, sensitive and selective toward the detection nitrite and could be applied for the detection of nitrite in real water sample.
BACKGROUND: Two small studies had evaluated the efficacy of rTMS in migraine. One tested high frequency rTMS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex while the other evaluated 1 Hz rTMS over the vertex.
AIM: To test the feasibility of 10 Hz rTMS of motor cortex as an adjunctive therapy in patients with chronic migraine
Materials and Methods: We randomized (2:1 ratio) chronic migraine patients on medical preventive treatment to receive either rTMS or sham therapy for 10 sessions. rTMS (80% resting motor threshold, 10Hz, 20 trains, 5 secs/train, inter-train interval 1 min, total 1000 stimuli/session) was applied over the right motor cortex.
RESULT: Nine patients were randomized. Six received rTMS and three had sham therapy. Three patients in the rTMS arm withdrew from the study due to increased headache frequency and discomfort from the treatment. The remaining six cases (3 rTMS, 3 sham) completed the study. The study was prematurely stopped due to the significant worsening of headache from rTMS. No significant differences in outcome measures were found between real and sham rTMS.
CONCLUSION: Although the study was terminated prematurely, the high dropout rate (50%) due to worsening headaches suggested that rTMS over the motor cortex is poorly tolerated in chronic migraine.
KEYWORDS: Adverse effect; Central sensitization; Chronic migraine; Cortical excitability; Headache; rTMS
Study site: Neuroscience clinic of National University Hospital, Singapore
Enterococcus gallinarum is a gram positive facultatively anaerobic bacteria that is typically found in mammalian intestinal tracts. It is generally not considered pathogenic to humans and is rarely reported. Here, we present the draft genome sequence data of Enterococcus gallinarum strain EGR748 isolated from a human clinical sample, and sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq 4000 system. The estimated whole genome size of the strain was 3,730,000 bp with a G + C content of 40.43%. The de novo assembly of the genome generated 55 contigs with an N50 of 208,509 bp. In addition, the Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA sequence data accurately clustered EGR748 with other E. gallinarum strains. The data may be useful to demonstrate the capacity of this enterococcal species becoming the causal agents of nosocomial blood-stream infections. The genome dataset has been deposited at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession number JAABOR000000000.
A series of 1-(2,3-dihydro-1H-indan-1-yl)-3-aryl urea/thiourea derivatives (4a-j) have been synthesized from the reaction of 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-amine (2) with various aryl isocyanates/isothiocyanates (3a-j) by using N,N-DIPEA base (Hunig's base) catalyst in THF at reflux conditions. All of them are structurally confirmed by spectral (IR, 1H &13C NMR and MASS) and elemental analysis and screened for their in-vitro antioxidant activity against DPPH and NO free radicals and found that compounds 4b, 4i, 4h &4g are potential antioxidants. The obtained in vitro results were compared with the molecular docking, ADMET, QSAR and bioactivity study results performed for them and identified that the recorded in silico binding affinities were observed in good correlation with the in vitro antioxidant results. The Molecular docking analysis had unveiled the strong hydrogen bonding interactions of synthesized ligands with ARG 160 residue of protein tyrosine kinase (2HCK) enzyme and plays an effective role in its inhibition. Toxicology studies have assessed the potential risks of 4a-j and inferred that all of them were in the limits of potential drugs. The conformational analysis of 4a-j inferred that the urea/thiourea spacer linking 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-amino and substituted aryl units has facilitated all these molecules to effectively bind with ARG 160 amino acid residue present on the α-helix of the protein tyrosine kinase (2HCK) enzyme specifically on chain A of hemopoetic cell kinase. Collectively this study has established a relationship between the antioxidant potentiality and ligands binding with ARG 160 amino acid residue of chain A of 2HCK enzyme to inhibit its growth as well as proliferation of reactive oxygen species in vivo.
Harumanis is one of the main signatures of Perlis with regards to its delightful taste, pleasant aroma and expensive price. Harumanis authenticity and productivity had become the remarks among the farmers, entrepreneurs, consumers and plant breeders due to the existence of morphological characteristics variation among the fruits and high production cost. Assessment of Harumanis morphological characteristics of natural population and different tree ages may represent a possible source of important characteristics for development and breeding purposes of Harumanis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the morphological variation of Harumanis collected from different location in Perlis and tree age. A total of 150 Harumanis fruits from 50 trees with three different stages of development (young, middle-aged and old) were characterised using 11 traits; 10 quantitative and one qualitative morphological trait. The ANOVA analyses in combination with Dunn's pairwise and Kruskal-Wallis multiple comparison test able to point out the existence of environmental factor and age influence towards the significant different of identified morphological traits except for Total Soluble Solid (TSS) and pulp percentage. Five clusters of 50 Harumanis accessions reflect a grouping pattern which not according to neither geographical region nor age. The result of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using the first two principal components (PCs) provided a good approximation of the data explaining 84.09% of the total variance which majorly contributed by parameters of weight, fruit dimensional characteristics, peel percentage and hue angle, h. Preliminary screening of important morphological characteristics which contribute to the phenotypic diversity of Harumanis is successfully achieved. The findings can be employed by the plant breeders and farmers for the establishment of standard grading of Harumanis and advancement of breeding crop of Harumanis in future.