Application of Proteomics in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Mini Review

@#Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is classified as one of neurodegenerative disease caused by neuronal death. It is characterized as memory impairment, including the inability to produce new memories. Since AD has low treatment effectiveness, proteomics research opens possibilities for advancement. Proteomics is the study of proteomes produced by the disease-bearing host to identify and understand diseases. In this case, to investigate the use of protein as a reliable molecular entity and their involvement in AD. Therefore, this review focused on three main applications of proteomics; the potential use of proteomics as a diagnostic tool for AD, the use of proteomics to assess the treatment progression of AD and the advancement in AD research. The review discussed three research areas utilizing the proteomics approach: ageing, behavioural, and demographic research of AD populations. Proteomic approaches have also been shown to be effective to discover the biomarkers for infectious diseases, cancers, heart diseases, and neurological disorders. Although much work remained to be done, the proteomics approach is an interesting method to be carried out in detecting AD at an earlier stage and will be very useful for AD treatment and management in the future.

Comparison of Functional Organ Preservation by Concomitant Boost Radiotherapy Versus Concurrent Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Carcinoma of Larynx or Hypopharynx: A Prospective Randomized Study.

Functional organ preservation is a major challenge in management of advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Although ideal approach is a subject of much debate, radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy is most commonly used modality. This randomized study was conducted to compare functional organ preservation by chemoradiation (CRT) versus concomitant boost radiotherapy (CBRT). A total of 40 patients with advanced (stage III/stage IVa) laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer were randomized to receive either CRT (n = 20) to a dose of 66 Gy in 33 fractions over 6.5 weeks with concurrent cisplatin (100 mg/m2 on days 1, 22 and 43) or CBRT (n = 20) to a dose of 67.5 Gy in 40 fractions over 5 weeks. Patients were assessed for organ preservation rate, toxicities, voice and swallowing functions utilizing Voice Related Quality of Life (VRQOL) and MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) scores, respectively, for minimum follow up of 6 months. Organ preservation rate (intact disease free larynx) at 6 months post treatment was observed in 100% in CRT arm and 95% in CBRT arm. There was no significant difference in mucositis and dermatitis in two arms (p = 0.82 and 0.78, respectively). Dysphagia was observed more in CRT arm (n = 12 vs n = 6). Late toxicities grade 3 xerostomia, grade 2 dysguesia, were seen significantly more in CRT arm. There was no statistical difference between the two arms in terms of VRQOL (p = 0.55) and MDADI scores (p = 0.13). In CRT arm 13 patients complete response and in CBRT arm 12 patients had complete response. Accelerated fractionation with concomitant boost schedule is as effective as CRT in anatomical and functional preservation of larynx. The toxicities, voice and dysphagia related quality of life is comparable.

Ameliorative Effects of Aquilaria malaccensis Leaves Aqueous Extract on Reproductive Toxicity Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Male Rats.

BACKGROUND: Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a widely used anti-neoplastic and immunosuppressive agent that is associated with adverse side effects including reproductive toxicity. Aquilaria malaccensis (AM) is a traditional medicinal plant which was reported to exhibit high anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging properties. The present study was aimed to evaluate the protective effects of AM leaves extract on sperm quality following toxic exposure to CP. METHODS: Forty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were allocated into eight groups of six rats (n = 6): control, CP only (200 mg kg-1), AM only (100 mg kg-1, 300 mg kg-1 and 500 mg kg-1) and CP + AM (100 mg kg-1, 300 mg kg-1 and 500 mg kg-1). Animals were sacrificed after 63 days of treatment and the sperm from the caudal epididymis was taken for sperm analysis. RESULTS: The body and the reproductive organs weight, sperm count and motility did not differ between CP and other groups (P > 0.05). A significant increase (P < 0.05) in percentage of the dead and abnormal sperm were seen in the CP alone treated group compared to the control group. Co-administration of AM to the CP exposed rats significantly reduced the (P < 0.05) percentage of abnormal sperm as compared to the CP only group. CONCLUSION: Overall, the present results represent the potential of AM to protect against CP induced reproductive toxicity.

Diastolic dysfunction grading, echocardiographic and electrocardiogram findings in 50 patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

@#Introduction: Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (Apical HCM) is an uncommon variant of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but it is relatively more common in Asian countries. This is a retrospective, non-randomised, single centre study of patients with Apical HCM focusing on their diastolic dysfunction grading, echocardiographic parameters and electrocardiograms (ECG). Methods: All Apical HCM patients coming for clinic visits at the Institut Jantung Negara from September 2017 to September 2018 were included. We assessed their echocardiography images, grade their diastolic function and reviewed their ECG on presentation. Results: Fifty patient were included, 82% (n=41) were males and 18% (n=9) females. The diastolic function grading of 37 (74%) patients were able to be determined using the updated 2016 American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) diastolic guidelines. Fifty percent (n=25) had the typical ace-ofspades shape left ventricle (LV) appearance in diastole and 12% (n=6) had apical pouch. All patients had T inversion in the anterior leads of their ECG, and only 52% (n=26) fulfilled the ECG left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) criteria. Majority of our patients presented with symptoms of chest pain (52%, n=26) and dyspnoea (42%, n=21). Conclusion: The updated 2016 ASE guideline makes it easier to evaluate LV diastolic function in most patients with Apical HCM. It also helps in elucidating the aetiology of dyspnoea, based on left atrial pressure. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for Apical HCM when faced with deep T inversion on ECG, in addition to a thick LV apex with an aceof-spades appearance during diastole.

Ameliorative Effects of Aquilaria malaccensis Leaves Aqueous Extract on Reproductive Toxicity Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Male Rats

@#Background: Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a widely used anti-neoplastic and immunosuppressive agent that is associated with adverse side effects including reproductive toxicity. Aquilaria malaccensis (AM) is a traditional medicinal plant which was reported to exhibit high anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging properties. The present study was aimed to evaluate the protective effects of AM leaves extract on sperm quality following toxic exposure to CP. Methods: Forty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were allocated into eight groups of six rats (n = 6): control, CP only (200 mg kg−1), AM only (100 mg kg−1, 300 mg kg−1 and 500 mg kg−1) and CP + AM (100 mg kg−1, 300 mg kg−1 and 500 mg kg−1). Animals were sacrificed after 63 days of treatment and the sperm from the caudal epididymis was taken for sperm analysis. Results: The body and the reproductive organs weight, sperm count and motility did not differ between CP and other groups (P > 0.05). A significant increase (P < 0.05) in percentage of the dead and abnormal sperm were seen in the CP alone treated group compared to the control group. Co-administration of AM to the CP exposed rats significantly reduced the (P < 0.05) percentage of abnormal sperm as compared to the CP only group. Conclusion: Overall, the present results represent the potential of AM to protect against CP induced reproductive toxicity.

Cosmetic outcome of hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation with concomitant boost in breast cancer

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, second most common malignancy in Egypt.Methods: 60 early-stage breast cancer patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery were clusterized into 2 groups: Arm A hypofractionation with concomitant boost and Arm B conventional fractionation, each compromising 30 early stage breast cancer patients. Assessment of cosmetic outcome after breast irradiation was recorded in both groups in 4 intervals to correlate cosmesis in relation to different irradiation schedules and boost dosage and timing. The study was conducted from April 2016 till December 2018, 32 months were obtained to assure that all patients completed their irradiation schedule and 12 months follow-up period.Results: Lowest cosmetic outcome was recorded immediately after completion of breast irradiation with excellent/good in 66.7% and 73.3% of patients and fair/poor in 33.3% and 26.7% in Arm A and B, respectively. Improvement in cosmesis after 12 months of breast irradiation reaching excellent/good in 83.4% and fair/poor in 16.7% in both Arm A and B.Conclusion: An abbreviated 4-week hypofractionated schedule with a concomitant boost is as effective as conventional irradiation with comparable cosmesis and may be a reasonable alternative following breast conserving surgery

Correction to: Strategic crossing of biomass and harvest index-source and sink-achieves genetic gains in wheat.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s10681-017-2040-z.].

Management of glioblastoma after recurrence: A changing paradigm.

Glioblastoma remains the most common primary brain tumor after the age of 40years. Maximal safe surgery followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy has remained the standard treatment for glioblastoma (GBM). But recurrence is an inevitable event in the natural history of GBM with most patients experiencing it after 6-9months of primary treatment. Recurrent GBM poses great challenge to manage with no well-defined management protocols. The challenge starts from differentiating radiation necrosis from true local progression. A fine balance needs to be maintained on improving survival and assuring a better quality of life. Treatment options are limited and ranges from re-excision, re-irradiation, systemic chemotherapy or a combination of these. Re-excision and re-irradiation must be attempted in selected patients and has been shown to improve survival outcomes. To facilitate the management of GBM recurrences, a treatment algorithm is proposed.

Clinacanthus nutans: A review of the medicinal uses, pharmacology and phytochemistry.

Clinacanthus nutans Lindau is known as snake grass belonging to the Acanthaceae family. This plant has diverse and potential medicinal uses in traditional herbal medicine for treating skin rashes, insects and snake bites, lesions caused by herpes simplex virus, diabetes, and gout in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and China. Phytochemical investigations documented the varied contents of bioactive compounds from this plant namely flavonoids, glycosides, glycoglycerolipids, cerebrosides and monoacylmonogalatosylglycerol. The pharmacological experiment proved that various types of extracts and pure compounds from this species exhibited a broad range of biological properties such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic activities. The findings of toxicity study showed that extracts from this plant did not show any toxicity thus it can be used as strong therapeutic agents for specific diseased conditions. However, further experiments on chemical components and their mode of action showing biological activities are required to elucidate the complete phytochemical profile and assess to confirm their suitability for future drugs. This review summarizes the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of this plant in order to explore its therapeutic potential and gaps necessitating for prospected research work.

Suppression Subtractive Hybridization Versus Next-Generation Sequencing in Plant Genetic Engineering: Challenges and Perspectives.

Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) is an effective method to identify different genes with different expression levels involved in a variety of biological processes. This method has often been used to study molecular mechanisms of plants in complex relationships with different pathogens and a variety of biotic stresses. Compared to other techniques used in gene expression profiling, SSH needs relatively smaller amounts of the initial materials, with lower costs, and fewer false positives present within the results. Extraction of total RNA from plant species rich in phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, and polysaccharides that easily bind to nucleic acids through cellular mechanisms is difficult and needs to be considered. Remarkable advancement has been achieved in the next-generation sequencing (NGS) field. As a result of progress within fields related to molecular chemistry and biology as well as specialized engineering, parallelization in the sequencing reaction has exceptionally enhanced the overall read number of generated sequences per run. Currently available sequencing platforms support an earlier unparalleled view directly into complex mixes associated with RNA in addition to DNA samples. NGS technology has demonstrated the ability to sequence DNA with remarkable swiftness, therefore allowing previously unthinkable scientific accomplishments along with novel biological purposes. However, the massive amounts of data generated by NGS impose a substantial challenge with regard to data safe-keeping and analysis. This review examines some simple but vital points involved in preparing the initial material for SSH and introduces this method as well as its associated applications to detect different novel genes from different plant species. This review evaluates general concepts, basic applications, plus the probable results of NGS technology in genomics, with unique mention of feasible potential tools as well as bioinformatics.

Assessing groundwater stoichiometric composition and its suitability in Northwestern Bangladesh / Avaliação de lençol de água quanto a composição estioquiométrica e a sua conveniência do Noroeste do Bangladesh

Groundwater quality analyses included pH, EC, cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Fe3+ and As3+), anions (CO32-, HCO3-, NO3-, SO42-, PO43- and Cl-) and TDS of northwestern Bangladesh. The samples contained Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ as the dominant cations and HCO3- and Cl- were the dominant anions. Ratios of major cations and anions of water samples suggest the predominance of Ca and Mg-containing minerals over Na-containing minerals. According to TDS and SAR values, all samples were classed as 'freshwater' and 'excellent' categories. The SSP of all waters was under 'excellent' and 'good' classes. All samples were within 'soft' class regarding hardness with 'suitable' RSC. Based on As3+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Fe3+, SO42-, NO3- and Cl- all groundwater samples were within the 'safe' limit for drinking but unsuitable for some industries for specific ions.

As análises de qualidade de Lençol de Água incluíram pH, EC, e os cations,(Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Fe3+ e As3+), aníons ( CO32-, HCO3-, NO3-, SO42-, PO43- e Cl-e TDS do noroeste do Bangladesh. As amostras continham Ca2+, Mg2+ e Na+ e como o cations dominante HCO3- e Cl foram os aníons dominantes. Segundo o TDS e valores de SAR, todas as amostras foram classificadas como categorias 'de água doce' e 'excelentes'. O SSP de todas as águas foi nas classes 'excelentes' e 'boas'. Todas as amostras foram dentro da classe 'suave' quanto à dureza com RSC 'conveniente'. Baseado As3+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Fe3+, SO42-, NO3- e Cl- - todas as amostras de lençol de água foram dentro do limite 'seguro' como água de bebida mas impróprias para algumas indústrias que emprega íons específicos.

Effect of ethanolic extract of leaves of Paederia foetida Linn. on acetic acid induced colitis in albino rats.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of ethanolic extract of leaves of Paederia foetida on acetic acid induced colitis in albino rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethanolic extract of Paederia foetida (EEPF) was prepared by percolation method. Acute toxicity test was done by using Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines. Albino rats were divided into four groups of five animals each. Groups A and B received 3% gum acacia. Groups C and D received EEPF 500 mg/kg body weight (BW) and 5-aminosalisylic acid 100 mg/kg BW respectively. Colitis was induced by transrectal administration of 4% acetic acid on 5(th) day. All animals were sacrificed after 48 h of colitis induction and distal 10 cm of the colon was dissected. Colon was weighed for disease activity index (DAI) and scored macroscopically and microscopically. Biochemical assessment of tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was done in colonic tissue homogenate and malondialdehyde (MDA) was estimated in serum. RESULTS: P. foetida showed significant (P < 0.05) reduction in DAI, macroscopic and microscopic lesion score as well as significant (P < 0.05) improvement in MPO, MDA, CAT, and SOD level as compared to Group B. CONCLUSIONS: The ethanolic extract of leaves of P. foetida showed significant amelioration of experimentally induced colitis, which may be attributed to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant property.

GBSA: a comprehensive software for analysing whole genome bisulfite sequencing data.

High-throughput sequencing is increasingly being used in combination with bisulfite (BS) assays to study DNA methylation at nucleotide resolution. Although several programmes provide genome-wide alignment of BS-treated reads, the resulting information is not readily interpretable and often requires further bioinformatic steps for meaningful analysis. Current post-alignment BS-sequencing programmes are generally focused on the gene-specific level, a restrictive feature when analysis in the non-coding regions, such as enhancers and intergenic microRNAs, is required. Here, we present Genome Bisulfite Sequencing Analyser (GBSA-http://ctrad-csi.nus.edu.sg/gbsa), a free open-source software capable of analysing whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data with either a gene-centric or gene-independent focus. Through analysis of the largest published data sets to date, we demonstrate GBSA's features in providing sequencing quality assessment, methylation scoring, functional data management and visualization of genomic methylation at nucleotide resolution. Additionally, we show that GBSA's output can be easily integrated with other high-throughput sequencing data, such as RNA-Seq or ChIP-seq, to elucidate the role of methylated intergenic regions in gene regulation. In essence, GBSA allows an investigator to explore not only known loci but also all the genomic regions, for which methylation studies could lead to the discovery of new regulatory mechanisms.

A "Near-Miss Lethal Accident Case" in MR Suit of a Tertiary Care Hospital.

A "near miss" is an unpleasant event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage but had the potential to do so, but for a fortunate break in the chain of events. We present a near-miss case which occurred in the MR suite of a tertiary care hospital. Although the MR is considered a very safe procedure, if MR safety guidelines are not adhered to, adverse and catastrophic events to the extent of patient deaths are known to have occurred. It is hoped that this incident will prompt hospitals to document and follow MR safety protocols for patient and staff safety. Although MRI is an extremely safe procedure rarely MR adverse incidents have resulted in serious physical injury or even death. The incident is an eye opener regarding potential adverse events lurking in the relatively safe MR environment and provides an opportunity to rectify the inadequacies in MR safety.

An unusual presentation of caecal diverticulitis.

Solitary caecal diverticulitis is a rare and often misdiagnosed cause of abdominal pain. A 63-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted with a 3-day history of left upper quadrant pain and constipation. Preoperative imaging identified a possible transverse colonic tumour. At laparotomy a long, mobile ascending colon resulted in the caecal pole lying in the left upper quadrant and an inflamed gangrenous solitary caecal diverticulum was found. A right hemicolectomy was performed and the patient recovered promptly.

Lessons learned from a successful MEDRETE in El Salvador.

Medical readiness education and training exercises are short-term exercises designed to provide health care and preventive medicine education to underserved civilian populations overseas. These high profile missions provide superb training opportunities, build democracies, and can be a powerful incentive to retain soldiers in the Reserves. Despite this, the literature offers little guidance in terms of how to best conduct a MEDRETE, particularly with a unit that has not been recently deployed. A U.S. Army Reserve unit was deployed to El Salvador following two devastating earthquakes and treated 20,890 patients in 10 days. This patient volume was achieved by a close cooperative effort among an experienced Mission Coordinator and Reservists and superb host nation support. Lessons learned regarding predeployment, deployment, patient management, and safety issues are presented to assist future units in conducting successful medical readiness education and training exercises.