Motor-driven microtubule diffusion in a photobleached dynamical coordinate system.

Motor-driven cytoskeletal remodeling in cellular systems can often be accompanied by a diffusive-like effect at local scales, but distinguishing the contributions of the ordering process, such as active contraction of a network, from this active diffusion is difficult to achieve. Using light-dimerizable kinesin motors to spatially control the formation and contraction of a microtubule network, we deliberately photobleach a grid pattern onto the filament network serving as a transient and dynamic coordinate system to observe the deformation and translation of the remaining fluorescent squares of microtubules. We find that the network contracts at a rate set by motor speed but is accompanied by a diffusive-like spread throughout the bulk of the contracting network with effective diffusion constant two orders of magnitude lower than that for a freely-diffusing microtubule.

Microscopic interactions control a structural transition in active mixtures of microtubules and molecular motors.

Microtubules and molecular motors are essential components of the cellular cytoskeleton, driving fundamental processes in vivo, including chromosome segregation and cargo transport. When reconstituted in vitro, these cytoskeletal proteins serve as energy-consuming building blocks to study the self-organization of active matter. Cytoskeletal active gels display rich emergent dynamics, including extensile flows, locally contractile asters, and bulk contraction.

Identification of common candidate genes and pathways for Spina Bifida and Wilm's Tumor using an integrative bioinformatics analysis.

Spina Bifida (SB) and Wilm's Tumor (WT) are conditions, both associated with children. Several studies have shown that WT later develops in SB patients, which led us to elucidate common key genes and linked pathways of both conditions, aimed at their concurrent therapeutic management. For this, integrated bioinformatics analysis was employed.

Competing instabilities reveal how to rationally design and control active crosslinked gels.

How active stresses generated by molecular motors set the large-scale mechanics of the cell cytoskeleton remains poorly understood. Here, we combine experiments and theory to demonstrate how the emergent properties of a biomimetic active crosslinked gel depend on the properties of its microscopic constituents. We show that an extensile nematic elastomer exhibits two distinct activity-driven instabilities, spontaneously bending in-plane or buckling out-of-plane depending on its composition.

Milk Peptides as Novel Multi-Targeted Therapeutic Candidates for SARS-CoV2.

The COVID-19, an acute respiratory syndrome caused by SARS-CoV2 is a major catastrophic event of the twenty first century. Relentless efforts for the development of effective pharmaco-therapeutics are in progress but the respite is the development of effective vaccines. However, monotherapy might not always exhibit complete efficacy and may culminate in the rapid evolution of drug-resistant viral strains.

COVID-19 detected from targeted contact tracing, attempting to see the pattern in random happenings: early lessons in Malaysia.

The world feels strange as we face what is for most of us our first ever pandemic. The number of newly diagnosed cases rises daily in many parts of the world, and we are faced with the reality that there are still many things to learn about this new disease. We share here our experience of treating our first 199 COVID-19 patients in the Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM).

A descriptive study of the psychological experience of health care workers in close contact with a person with COVID-19.

Background: COVID-19 has the potential to affect the mental health of health care workers (HCWs). It is known that HCWs who serve as front-liners during the COVID-19 pandemic experience stress and have the fear of contracting the infection. Little is known of how being a positive contact affects HCWs.

Osteopontin promoter polymorphisms and risk of urolithiasis: a candidate gene association and meta-analysis study.

Background: Urolithiasis is a worldwide urological problem with significant contribution of genetic factors. Pakistan, which resides within the Afro-Asian stone belt, has a high reported prevalence (12%) of urolithiasis. Osteopontin (SPP1) is a urinary macromolecule with a suggested critical role in modulating renal stone formation, genetic polymorphisms of which may determine individual risk of developing urolithiasis.

Lung computed tomography patterns of a cluster of asymptomatic young males with COVID-19 admitted to a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur.

Background And Objective: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19) was first reported in Malaysia in March 2020. We describe here the clinical characteristics and computed tomography (CT) patterns in asymptomatic young patients who had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational study where 25 male in-patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz.

Minimally Invasive Anal Fistula Treatment (MAFT)-An Appraisal of Early Results in 416 Patients.

Minimally invasive anal fistula treatment (MAFT) was introduced to minimize early postoperative morbidity, preserve sphincter continence, and reduce recurrence. We report our early experience with MAFT in 416 patients. Preoperative MRI was performed in 150 patients initially and subsequently thereafter.

Residual gallbladder stones after cholecystectomy: A literature review.

Background: Incomplete gallbladder removal following open and laparoscopic techniques leads to residual gallbladder stones. The commonest presentation is abdominal pain, dyspepsia and jaundice. We reviewed the literature to report diagnostic modalities, management options and outcomes in patients with residual gallbladder stones after cholecystectomy.

Laparoscopic management of infected mesh after laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.

Purpose: We present our experience with 10 patients with infected meshes after laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in whom we explanted infected meshes laparoscopically.

Methods: On retrospective analysis over 5 years (2007 to 2012), we identified 10 patients (6 TAPP/4 TEP) with localized deep-seated mesh infections in whom infected meshes were explanted laparoscopically. Peritoneum was incised, associated abscesses were drained, meshes were identified, separated, and extracted through 10/12 mm port.

Single port versus multiple port laparoscopic cholecystectomy-a comparative study.

Single port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SPLC) was introduced to minimize postoperative morbidity and improve cosmesis. We performed a comparative study to assess feasibility, safety and perceived benefits of SPLC. Two groups of patients (104 each) with comparable demographic characteristics were selected for SPLC and multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy (MPLC) between May 2010 to March 2011.

Iatrogenic enterotomy in laparoscopic ventral/incisional hernia repair: a single center experience of 2,346 patients over 17 years.

Purpose: Iatrogenic enterotomy (IE) during laparoscopic ventral/incisional hernia repair (LIVHR) is reported to be associated with poorer surgical outcomes. We report our experience with diagnosis, management and complications in patients who had IE during LIVHR at our tertiary referral institute between 1994 and 2011.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data of 2,346 patients who underwent LIVHR from 1994 to 2011.

Antidiabetic properties of Hibiscus rosa sinensis L. leaf extract fractions on nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse.

On fractionation the ethanolic extract of H. rosa sinensis leaves, 5 fractions were obtained. Of these, fraction-3 (F3) and fraction-5 (F5) were chosen for detailed investigation on non obese diabetic (NOD) mouse to study anti-diabetic properties because they were more active than others.

Purification and thermal characterization of a novel peroxidase from a local chick pea cultivar.

A novel peroxidase isolated from a local chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivar (Balksar 2000) was purified by means of ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography and two runs on gel filtration. The purified enzyme has a specific activity of 2045 U/mg with 17 % activity recovery.