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Objectives: This study attempted to develop 2 biodegradable periodontal chips containing Salvadora persica (miswak) or benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) extracts and evaluate their clinical effectiveness in managing periodontitis. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, from September 2010 to April 2012. Periodontal chips were formulated using S. persica, benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) and chitosan extracts. All patients were treated with full mouth scaling and root planing at baseline. Thereafter, the periodontal pockets (≥5 mm in length) were divided into 4 groups: the control group; group 2 (plain chitosan chip); group 3 (S. persica extract); and group 4 (BITC extract). Plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), periodontal probing pocket depth and clinical attachment levels were recorded at days 0 and 60 only. Results: A total of 12 patients participated in this study. Overall, 240 periodontal pockets were evaluated. The study revealed significant improvements in PI, BOP and reduction in periodontal pocket depth in all 4 groups (P <0.05). The improvement in clinical attachment level was significantly higher (P <0.001) among the group that received S. persica chips compared to the control and other chip-treated groups. Conclusion: Periodontal chips containing S. persica can be used as adjuncts to treat patients with periodontitis.

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Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a group of rare primary inborn errors of immunity characterised by a defect in the phagocyte respiratory burst, which leads to severe and life-threatening infective and inflammatory complications. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the genetic and molecular pathophysiology of X-linked and autosomal recessive CGD, and growth in the availability of functional and genetic testing, there remain significant barriers to early and accurate diagnosis. In the current review, we provide an up-to-date summary of CGD pathophysiology, underpinning current methods of diagnostic testing for CGD and closely related disorders. We present an overview of the benefits of early diagnosis and when to suspect and test for CGD. We discuss current and historical methods for functional testing of NADPH oxidase activity, as well as assays for measuring protein expression of NADPH oxidase subunits. Lastly, we focus on genetic and genomic methods employed to diagnose CGD, including gene-targeted panels, comprehensive genomic testing and ancillary methods. Throughout, we highlight general limitations of testing, and caveats specific to interpretation of results in the context of CGD and related disorders, and provide an outlook for newborn screening and the future.

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Shp2, a critical SH2-domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase, is essential for cellular regulation and implicated in metabolic disruptions, obesity, diabetes, Noonan syndrome, LEOPARD syndrome, and cancers. This study focuses on Shp2 in rod photoreceptor cells, revealing its enrichment, particularly in rods. Deletion of Shp2 in rods leads to age-dependent photoreceptor degeneration. Shp2 targets occludin (OCLN), a tight junction protein, and its deletion reduces OCLN expression in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The isolation of actively translating mRNAs from rods lacking Shp2, followed by RNA sequencing, reveals alterations in cell cycle regulation. Additionally, altered retinal metabolism is observed in retinal cells lacking Shp2. Our studies indicate that Shp2 is crucial for maintaining the structure and function of photoreceptors.

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Context: Diabetes has emerged as a major chronic public health problem throughout the world. Self-management by diabetes patients is very important for controlling blood sugar levels and preventing complications of diabetes. Aims: The present study was conducted to study self-management practices among diabetes patients and to analyse socio-demographic factors associated with them. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 230 randomly selected diabetes patients in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The self-management practices were measured by the diabetes self-management questionnaire (DSMQ). Statistical Analysis Used: The association of the DSMQ score with socio-demographic factors and blood sugar level was analysed by statistical tests like the T-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, Tukey's honestly significant difference, and Chi-square test. Results: The mean DSMQ score of the diabetes patients was 29.55 ± 5.98. There was a significant difference between the mean DSMQ score and the educational level (P value = 0.009), residential status (P value = 0.037), and duration of diabetes (P value = 0.006). The subcomponent analysis of the DSMQ score revealed that the glucose management score of rural people (9.38 ± 3.36) was significantly higher (P value = 0.006) than that of urban people (8.32 ± 2.46), and the diet control score was significantly higher (P value = 0.02) in patients with normal post-prandial blood sugar (PPBS) (7.64 ± 2.18) than in patients with raised PPBS (6.96 ± 2.12). Conclusions: Higher educational level, rural background, and long duration of diabetes were associated with better self-management practices. The patients with normal blood sugar levels showed higher diet control scores than the patients with raised blood sugar levels.

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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1295593.].

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Helicobacter pylori infection is linked to gastritis, ulcers and gastric cancer. Nanomedicine offers a promising solution by utilizing nanoparticles for precise drug delivery, countering antibiotic resistance and delivery issues. Nanocarriers such as liposomes and nanoparticles enhance drug stability and circulation, targeting infection sites through gastric mucosa characteristics. Challenges include biocompatibility, stability, scalability and personalized therapies. Despite obstacles, nanomedicine's potential for reshaping H. pylori eradication is significant and showcased in this review focusing on benefits, limitations and future prospects of nanomedicine-based strategies.

Helicobacter pylori is associated with stomach problems like gastritis, ulcers and cancer. The use of tiny particles, called nanomedicine, may help to precisely deliver drugs to treat these bacterial infections. Using nanomedicine can help to combat drug resistance and drug-delivery issues by making drugs more stable and specifically targeting the infection site. However, there are challenges such as making sure it is safe, stable and can be scaled up for many people. This review discusses the potential of nanomedicine to fight H. pylori infection, its advantages and disadvantages, and how it could be used in the future.

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Respiratory allergies have become a major public health concern and affect one-third of the world's population. Several factors like environmental changes, industrialization, and immunologic interactions are reported to contribute to allergic respiratory diseases. Immunological reactions because of mosquito bite (allergic proteins) have been reported to have a high contribution to IgE-mediated allergic airway disease but they are largely ignored. In this study, we aim to predict the potential allergens (proteins) from Aedes aegypti that might play a role in the reactions of IgE-mediated allergic airway diseases. The allergens are identified from an extensive literature search and the 3D structures were prepared using the SwissDock server. Computational studies were performed to identify the potential allergens that might be responsible for IgE-mediated allergies. Our docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results suggest that ADE-3, an allergen from Aedes aegypti, has the highest docking score and is predicted to be responsible for IgE-mediated allergic reaction(s). Overall, this study highlights the importance of immunoinformatics, and the obtained information can be used for designing prophylactic peptide vaccine candidates and inhibitors for controlling IgE-mediated inflammations.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

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INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving biologics therapy and investigate the association between types of biologics and tuberculosis (TB) infections in 13 tertiary hospitals in Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study that included all RA patients receiving biologics therapy in 13 tertiary hospitals in Malaysia from January 2008 to December 2018. RESULTS: We had 735 RA patients who received biologics therapy. Twenty-one of the 735 patients were diagnosed with TB infection after treatment with biologics. The calculated prevalence of TB infection in RA patients treated with biologics was 2.9% (29 per 1000 patients). Four groups of biologics were used in our patient cohort: monoclonal TNF inhibitors, etanercept, tocilizumab, and rituximab, with monoclonal TNF inhibitors being the most commonly used biologic. The median duration of biologics therapy before the diagnosis of TB was 8 months. 75% of patients had at least one co-morbidity and all patients had at least one ongoing cDMARD therapy at the time of TB diagnosis. More than half of the patients were on steroid therapy with an average prednisolone dose of 5 mg daily. CONCLUSION: Although the study population and data were limited, this study illustrates the spectrum of TB infections in RA patients receiving biologics and potential risk factors associated with biologics therapy in Malaysia.

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Introduction: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have garnered considerable interest in biomedical research primarily owing to their prospective therapeutic implications in combatting pathogenic diseases and microbial infections. The primary objective of this study was to examine the biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanowhiskers (ZnO-NWs) using chicken egg white (albumin) as a bio-template. Furthermore, this study aimed to explore the potential biomedical applications of ZnO NWs in the context of infectious diseases. Methods: The NWs synthesized through biological processes were observed using electron microscopy, which allowed for detailed examination of their characteristics. The results of these investigations indicated that the NWs exhibited a size distribution ranging from approximately 10 to 100 nm. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) mapping analyses successfully corroborated the size, dimensions, and presence of biological constituents during their formation. In this study, XTT assay and confocal imaging were employed to provide evidence of the efficacy of ZnO-NWs in the eradication of bacterial biofilms. The target bacterial strains were Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Furthermore, we sought to address pertinent concerns regarding the biocompatibility of the ZnO-NWs. This was achieved through comprehensive evaluation of the absence of cytotoxicity in normal HEK-293T and erythrocytes. Results: The findings of this investigation unequivocally confirmed the biocompatibility of the ZnO-NWs. The biosynthesized ZnO-NWs demonstrated a noteworthy capacity to mitigate the dermatitis-induced consequences induced by Staphylococcus aureus in murine models after a therapeutic intervention lasting for one week. Discussion: This study presents a comprehensive examination of the biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanowhiskers (ZnO-NWs) derived from chicken egg whites. These findings highlight the considerable potential of biosynthesized ZnO-NWs as a viable option for the development of therapeutic agents targeting infectious diseases. The antibacterial efficacy of ZnO-NWs against both susceptible and antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, as well as their ability to eradicate biofilms, suggests their promising role in combating infectious diseases. Furthermore, the confirmed biocompatibility of ZnO-NWs opens avenues for their safe use in biomedical applications. Overall, this research underscores the therapeutic promise of ZnO-NWs and their potential significance in future biomedical advancements.

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Polycystic ovarian syndrome manifests acne and alopecia in teenagers and young adult females. To evaluate ovarian morphology and the prevalence of polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) in females between the ages of 21 and 45 who are in the reproductive stage and have isolated acne and/or androgenic alopecia. And their association. The present study was done with patients in the age group of 21 to 45 years with acne and/or androgenic alopecia. Modified Ferriman-Gallwey score was used to assess the degree of hirsutism (with score of more or equal to 8 as significant). Grading of acne vulgaris and androgenic alopecia was done by a single observer. Subjects were then evaluated for biochemical investigations of Hormonal assays on day 2 to 7. Transabdominal ultrasonography was performed in the follicular phase to demonstrate the ovarian morphology. In our study isolated androgenic alopecia was present in 28 patients (24.34%). In our study 54 (46.95%) patients out of 115 had combined acne and androgenic alopecia. In our study out of 33 patients with isolated acne 17 (51.5%) had PCO Morphology with grade I, grade II, grade III having prevalence of 46.2%, 53.8% and 57.1% respectively. In our study of the 28 patients with isolated androgenic alopecia 16 (57.1%) had PCOM with grade I, II and III respectively having prevalence of 56.3%, 55.6%, 66.7% with P value of 0.939. Patients with normal ovarian morphology were 12 in number (42.9%). Of the 54 patients with combined acne and androgenic alopecia 32 (59.3%) had PCOM and 22 patients had normal ovarian morphology. Higher overall prevalence was found in patients with combined acne and alopecia (59.3%) than in isolated groups; acne (51.5%), alopecia (57.1%). In our study it was to found that women with dermatological manifestations like acne and androgenic alopecia with regular menstruation. In our study it was found that these women with have high prevalence of PCOS.

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Dengue is endemic in Malaysia, and vector control strategies are vital to reduce dengue transmission. The Wolbachia strain wAlbB carried by both sexes of Ae. aegypti was released in Mentari Court, a high-rise residential site, in October 2017 and stopped after 20 weeks. Wolbachia frequencies are still being monitored at multiple traps across this site, providing an opportunity to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of Wolbachia and mosquito density with respect to year, residential block, and floor, using spatial interpolation in ArcGIS, GLMs, and contingency analyses. In just 12 weeks, Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes were established right across the Mentari Court site with an overall infection frequency of >90%. To date, the Wolbachia frequency of Ae. aegypti has remained high in all areas across the site despite releases finishing four years ago. Nevertheless, the Wolbachia invaded more rapidly in some residential blocks than others, and also showed a relatively higher frequency on the eighth floor. The Ae. aegypti index tended to differ somewhat between residential blocks, whilst the Ae. albopictus index was relatively higher at the top and bottom floors of buildings. In Mentari Court, only a short release period was required to infiltrate Wolbachia completely and stably into the natural population. The results inform future releases in comparable sites in a dengue control programme.

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Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most significant retinal diseases that can lead to blindness. As a result, it is critical to receive a prompt diagnosis of the disease. Manual screening can result in misdiagnosis due to human error and limited human capability. In such cases, using a deep learning-based automated diagnosis of the disease could aid in early detection and treatment. In deep learning-based analysis, the original and segmented blood vessels are typically used for diagnosis. However, it is still unclear which approach is superior. In this study, a comparison of two deep learning approaches (Inception v3 and DenseNet-121) was performed on two different datasets of colored images and segmented images. The study's findings revealed that the accuracy for original images on both Inception v3 and DenseNet-121 equaled 0.8 or higher, whereas the segmented retinal blood vessels under both approaches provided an accuracy of just greater than 0.6, demonstrating that the segmented vessels do not add much utility to the deep learning-based analysis. The study's findings show that the original-colored images are more significant in diagnosing retinopathy than the extracted retinal blood vessels.

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Introduction: A multicentric community-based screening to determine prevalence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome was undertaken in India. This article aims to describe the challenges faced at one site and strategies adopted to mitigate them. Material and Methods: Eligible women were enrolled at household-level and investigated for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome diagnosis as per Rotterdam criteria. Challenges faced were documented and alternate strategies were adopted. Results: Challenges ranged from identifying women as per the polling booth list, enrolling them, and getting them investigated. COVID-19 pandemic added to the challenges. Involving health system workforce, gaining community support, flexible timings, and alternate strategies for investigation including COVID-19 appropriate safety measures helped mitigate some of the challenges. Conclusion: Unforeseen challenges may crop up in community-based studies, like the ones faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Planning, strategizing, using technology to keep communications on, and finding out of the box and amicable solutions for bottlenecks may help mitigate challenges.

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Introduction The scaphoid is the most common carpal bone to be fractured and has a high propensity for nonunion. Restoration of scaphoid length mitigates the chances of long-term complications. The aim of this study was to assess the functional outcome of the Fisk-Fernandez technique for the treatment of scaphoid nonunion by using open reduction and internal fixation with trapezoidal iliac crest bone graft.  Materials and methods Fisk-Fernandez technique was used to manage scaphoid nonunion in 31 patients at a tertiary care hospital with follow-up at six weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. An objective assessment of the outcome was done using a comparison of the pre- and postoperative scaphoid score, QuickDASH, and visual analog score. Discussion The scaphoid is one of the most common carpal bones to get fractured. Anatomical factors, late presentation, and delay in diagnosis render it to usually land in nonunion. A comparison of the preoperative scaphoid, QuickDASH, and VAS scores with six-week, 12-week, and 24-week postoperative scores was made and was found to be statistically significant (p<0.001). Ninety-three percent of patients subjectively reported satisfaction after treatment. Though revascularization was not assessed, the bony union was observed in all the patients. Conclusion The operative technique proposed by Fisk-Fernandez is effective in correcting deformity of the scaphoid as well as providing satisfactory functional outcomes in patients with scaphoid nonunion.

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The postmitotic retina is highly metabolic and the photoreceptors depend on aerobic glycolysis for an energy source and cellular anabolic activities. Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is a key enzyme in aerobic glycolysis, which converts pyruvate to lactate. Here we show that cell-type-specific actively translating mRNA purification by translating ribosome affinity purification shows a predominant expression of LDHA in rods and cones and LDHB in the retinal pigment epithelium and Müller cells. We show that genetic ablation of LDHA in the retina resulted in diminished visual function, loss of structure, and a loss of dorsal-ventral patterning of the cone-opsin gradient. Loss of LDHA in the retina resulted in increased glucose availability, promoted oxidative phosphorylation, and upregulated the expression of glutamine synthetase (GS), a neuron survival factor. However, lacking LDHA in Müller cells does not affect visual function in mice. Glucose shortage is associated with retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and regulating the levels of LDHA may have therapeutic relevance. These data demonstrate the unique and unexplored roles of LDHA in the maintenance of a healthy retina.

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Microwave-assisted synthetic methods have emerged as a popular technique for surface modification and the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for diverse drug delivery applications. Microwave-induced functionalization of MWCNTs provides a high functionalization and requires less time than conventional techniques. Microwave methods are simple, fast, and effective for the covalent and noncovalent conjugation of MWCNTs with various biomolecules and polymers. The present review focuses on the synthetic and drug delivery applications of microwave irradiation techniques (MITs) for the functionalization of MWCNTs, using amino acids and other molecular frameworks containing amino groups, vitamins, proteins, epoxy moieties, metal nanoparticles, and polymers.

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Objectives: To determine if radial artery (RA) access compared with femoral artery (FA) access for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with a lower incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI). Background: AKI results in substantial morbidity and cost following PCI. Prior studies comparing the occurrence of AKI associated with radial artery (RA) versus femoral artery (FA) access have mixed results. Methods: Using a large state-wide database, 14,077 patients (8,539 with RA and 5,538 patents with FA access) were retrospectively compared to assess the occurrence of AKI following PCI. To reduce selection bias and balance clinical data across the two groups, a novel machine learning method called a Generalized Boosted Model was conducted on the arterial access site generating a weighted propensity score for each variable. A logistic regression analysis was then performed on the occurrence of AKI following PCI using the weighted propensity scores from the Generalized Boosted Model. Results: As shown in other studies, multiple variables were associated with an increase in AKI after PCI. Only RA access (OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.74-0.91) and male gender (OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.72-0.89) were associated with a lower occurrence of AKI. Based on the calculated Mehran scores, patients were stratified into groups with an increasing risk of AKI. RA access was consistently found to have a lower risk of AKI compared with FA access across these groups of increasing risk. Conclusions: Compared with FA access, RA access is associated with an 18% lower rate of AKI following PCI. This effect was observed among different levels of risk for developing AKI. Although developed from a retrospective analysis, this study supports the use of RA access when technically possible in a diverse group of patients.

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Tobacco/nicotine is one of the most toxic and addictive substances and continues to pose a significant threat to global public health. The harmful effects of smoking/nicotine affect every system in the human body. Nicotine has been associated with effects on endocrine homeostasis in humans such as the imbalance of gonadal steroid hormones, adrenal corticosteroid hormones, and thyroid hormones. The present study was conducted to characterize the structural binding interactions of nicotine and its three important metabolites, cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, and 5'-hydroxycotinine, against circulatory hormone carrier proteins, i.e., sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), and thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG). Nicotine and its metabolites formed nonbonded contacts and/or hydrogen bonds with amino acid residues of the carrier proteins. For SHBG, Phe-67 and Met-139 were the most important amino acid residues for nicotine ligand binding showing the maximum number of interactions and maximum loss in ASA. For CBG, Trp-371 and Asn-264 were the most important amino acid residues, and for TBG, Ser-23, Leu-269, Lys-270, Asn-273, and Arg-381 were the most important amino acid residues. Most of the amino acid residues of carrier proteins interacting with nicotine ligands showed a commonality with the interacting residues for the native ligands of the proteins. Taken together, the results suggested that nicotine and its three metabolites competed with native ligands for binding to their carrier proteins. Thus, nicotine and its three metabolites may potentially interfere with the binding of testosterone, estradiol, cortisol, progesterone, thyroxine, and triiodothyronine to their carrier proteins and result in the disbalance of their transport and homeostasis in the blood circulation.

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Crossbreeding is a process in which animals from different breeds are mated together. The animals produced will exhibit a combination of both additive and non-additive genetic improvement from parental breeds that increase heterozygosity and negate inbreeding depression. However, crossbreeding may also break up the unique and often beneficial gene combinations in parental breeds, possibly reducing performance potential as the benefits of heterosis depends on the type of crossbreeding systems used and heritability of the traits. This effect of crossbreeding, especially on the genome architecture, is still poorly understood with respect to 3-breed crossbreeding systems. Thus, this study examined variation in genomic ancestry estimations relative to pedigree-based estimations and correlated breed composition to key production and health traits. Two rotational crossbred populations, referenced as ProCROSS and Grazecross were assessed and totaled 607 crossbred cattle. ProCROSS is a product of rotational crossbreeding of Viking Red (VKR), Holstein (HOL), and Montbeliarde (MON). In contrast, Grazecross consists of Viking Red (VKR), Normande (NOR), and Jersey (JER). Both breeding programs were aimed at capitalizing on the positive effect of heterosis. The VKR is a marketing term for Swedish Red, Danish Red, and Finnish Ayrshire breed which complicated breed determination. Therefore, genomic breed composition estimates were compared using two different representations of VKR, one of which was based on parents used in the crossing system and a second based on genotypes from the ancestral breeds that comprise VKR. Variation of breed composition estimates were assessed between pedigree and genome-based predictions. Lastly, Genomic estimations were correlated with production and health traits by comparing extreme performance groups to identify the relationship between breed ancestry and performance. With the exception of the JER breed composition in Grazecross, all other estimates of the purebred contribution to the ProCROSS and Grazecross showed a significant difference in their genomic breed estimation when using the VKR ancestral versus the VKR parental reference populations for admixture analysis. These observations were expected given the different relationship of each VKR representation to the crossbred cattle. Further analysis showed that regardless of which VKR reference population was used, the degree of MON and HOL breed composition plays a significant role in milk and fat production in ProCROSS, while the degree of VKR and NOR ancestry were related to improved health performance in Grazecross. In all, identifying the most appropriate and informative animals to use as reference animals in admixture analysis is an important factor when interpreting results of relationship and population structure, but some degree of uncertainty exists when assessing the relationship of breed composition to phenotypic performance.

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Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) is a neurotrophic factor and is the ligand for insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R). Reduced expression of IGF-1 has been reported to cause deafness, mental retardation, postnatal growth failure, and microcephaly. IGF-1R is expressed in the retina and photoreceptor neurons; however, its functional role is not known. Global IGF-1 KO mice have age-related vision loss. We determined that conditional deletion of IGF-1R in photoreceptors and pan-retinal cells produces age-related visual function loss and retinal degeneration. Retinal pigment epithelial cell-secreted IGF-1 may be a source for IGF-1R activation in the retina. Altered retinal, fatty acid, and phosphoinositide metabolism are observed in photoreceptor and retinal cells lacking IGF-1R. Our results suggest that the IGF-1R pathway is indispensable for photoreceptor survival, and activation of IGF-1R may be an essential element of photoreceptor and retinal neuroprotection.

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