Identification and design of antimicrobial peptides for therapeutic applications.

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to a rapid increase of antibiotic resistance among microbes which has increased the need to develop novel antimicrobial agents to fight various infectious diseases. Peptide antibiotics signify a novel class of therapeutic agents and have been isolated from a wide variety of multi-cellular organisms. Peptide antibiotics have shown broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and they not only kill different bacteria, but also kill various fungi, parasites, protozoans and cancerous cells.

Occurrence of bisphenol A in surface water, drinking water and plasma from Malaysia with exposure assessment from consumption of drinking water.

This study investigated the level of bisphenol A (BPA) in surface water used as potable water, drinking water (tap and bottled mineral water) and human plasma in the Langat River basin, Malaysia. BPA was present in 93% of the surface water samples at levels ranging from below limit of quantification (LOQ; 1.3 ng/L) to 215 ng/L while six fold higher levels were detected in samples collected near industrial and municipal sewage treatment plant outlets.

SDS can be utilized as an amyloid inducer: a case study on diverse proteins.

Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), an anionic surfactant that mimics some characteristics of biological membrane has also been found to induce aggregation in proteins. The present study was carried out on 25 diverse proteins using circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, dye binding assay and electron microscopy. It was found that an appropriate molar ratio of protein to SDS readily induced amyloid formation in all proteins at a pH below two units of their respective isoelectric points (pI) while no aggregation was observed at a pH above two units of pI.

pH-Induced molten globule state of Rhizopus niveus lipase is more resistant against thermal and chemical denaturation than its native state.

Here, we have characterized four pH-dependent states: alkaline state, "B" (pH 9.0), native state, "N" (pH 7.4), acid-induced state, "A" (pH 2.

Stereo-selectivity of human serum albumin to enantiomeric and isoelectronic pollutants dissected by spectroscopy, calorimetry and bioinformatics.

1-naphthol (1N), 2-naphthol (2N) and 8-quinolinol (8H) are general water pollutants. 1N and 2N are the configurational enantiomers and 8H is isoelectronic to 1N and 2N. These pollutants when ingested are transported in the blood by proteins like human serum albumin (HSA).

Hepatitis C virus (genotype 4)-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia vasculitis: effects of antiviral treatment.

Objective: Type II mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) is a systemic vasculitis usually associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The present trial was performed to investigate the efficacy of therapy with pegylated interferon alfa-2a (PEG-IFN alfa-2a) plus ribavirin in patients with HCV-related MC vasculitis and evaluate the factors associated with clinical remission of MC.

Methods: A total of 46 consecutive patients with HCV-related Type II MC received PEG-IFN alfa-2a (standard dose 180 mg/week) subcutaneously plus oral ribavirin (800-1,200 mg/day) for 48 weeks.

Incidence and modifiable risk factors of surveillance of surgical site infections in Egypt: a prospective study.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) contribute significantly to patient morbidity and mortality and exhaust health care system resources. The main objectives of the study were to describe the incidence rates of SSIs among patients undergoing urologic or cardiothoracic surgeries, the associated risk factors, and the common causative etiologies found at Alexandria University Hospital in Egypt.

Methods: A prospective active surveillance study for patients undergoing urologic and cardiothoracic surgeries was implemented from July 2009 to December 2010.

MR imaging of soft-tissue vascular malformations: diagnosis, classification, and therapy follow-up.

Vascular malformations and tumors comprise a wide, heterogeneous spectrum of lesions that often represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Frequent use of an inaccurate nomenclature has led to considerable confusion. Since the treatment strategy depends on the type of vascular anomaly, correct diagnosis and classification are crucial.

pH-dependent conformational transitions in conalbumin (ovotransferrin), a metalloproteinase from hen egg white.

Acid unfolding pathway of conalbumin (CA), a monomeric glycoprotein from hen egg white, has been investigated using far- and near-UV CD spectroscopy, intrinsic fluorescence emission, extrinsic fluorescence probe 1-anilino-8-napthalene sulfonate (ANS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). We observe pH-dependent changes in secondary and tertiary structure of CA. It has native-like α-helical secondary structure at pH 4.

The prognostic impact of K-RAS mutations in adult acute myeloid leukemia patients treated with high-dose cytarabine.

Background: Activating point mutation of the RAS gene has been generally accepted as an oncogenic event in a variety of malignancies. It represents one of the most common genetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, little is known about its clinical relevance in the treatment outcome for this leukemia.

Structural stability as a probe for molecular evolution of homologous albumins studied by spectroscopy and bioinformatics.

Equilibrium unfolding by guanidinium hydrochloride (GuHCl) and urea as well as evolutionary trends of two homologous albumins, pig serum albumin (PSA) and rabbit serum albumin (RSA), has been studied with circular dichroism, tryptophanyl fluorescence and bioinformatics. GuHCl cannot distinguish the contribution of electrostatic interactions to the proteins which were otherwise effectively monitored by urea. Higher differences in free energy changes due to urea than GuHCl show electrostatic interactions among charged amino acids are possibly responsible for higher structural stability of RSA in comparison to PSA.

Naturally occurring regulatory T cells and interleukins 10 and 12 in the pathogenesis of idiopathic warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

Objectives: Naturally occurring regulatory T cells (nTregs) play an important role in immunologic tolerance and control immune-mediated pathology in murine models of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Our aim was to measure nTregs and levels of interleukin (IL) 10 and IL-12 in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures from patients with idiopathic warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA) in an attempt to unravel some of the mysteries behind the pathogenesis of this autoimmune disorder.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients with idiopathic wAIHA and 15 age- and sex-matched controls underwent flow cytometric analysis of CD4+ CD25high FoxP3+ T cells (nTregs) and analysis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of IL-10 and IL-12 in the supernatants of basal and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated PBMC cultures.

MD CT angiography and MR angiography of nonatherosclerotic renal artery disease.

We reviewed the computed tomographic and magnetic resonance angiographic appearances of the various nonatherosclerotic renal artery pathologies. Rapid progress in cross-sectional techniques has allowed computed tomography and magnetic resonance angiography to replace digital subtraction angiography in most circumstances. When state-of-the-art equipment and optimized protocols are used, diagnosing a wide range of nonatherosclerotic pathologies is possible.

Ultrasound diagnosis of cephalopagus conjoined twin pregnancy at 29 weeks.

The authors report a case of a cephalopagus conjoined twin that was diagnosed at 29 weeks of gestation despite the mother having had two ultrasounds done previously. The fetus had one head and face, fused thoraces, common umbilicus but had two pelvises and two sets of genitalia. The fetus had four normally formed legs and arms.

Analysis of melamine migration from melamine food contact articles.

Migration of melamine has been determined for 41 types of retail melamine-ware products in Malaysia. This study was initiated by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, in the midst of public anxiety on the possibility of melamine leaching into foods that come into contact with the melamine-ware. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the level of melamine migration in melamine utensils available on the market.

Beaded plasma clot: a potent sustained-release, drug-delivery system.

Aim: The aim of the study was to prepare a drug-entrapped, beaded form of blood plasma for possible sustained drug delivery.

Method: Blood plasma mixed with various drugs was enriched with CaCl2 and transferred in the form of small droplets on to a glass slide covered with parafilm. Clot formation was induced by incubation at 37 degrees C.

The effects of self-management education for school-age children on asthma morbidity: a systematic review.

The effects of asthma self-management education for school-age children on number of school days missed, emergency department visits and hospital admissions were evaluated through a systematic review of the published research. A total of 9 studies on asthma education programs that were conducted in schools by school nurses and health educators and targeted children 5-18 years of age were reviewed. The studies were all published between 1998 and 2009.

The biological characteristics of adult CD34+ acute promyelocytic leukemia.

We aimed to explore the expression of CD34 and its impact on the disease outcome in patients with APL. The study comprised 40 de novo APL patients. Diagnostic tools included peripheral blood and bone marrow morphology and cytochemistry, immunophenotyping, cytogenetic studies, and PML/RARα fusion gene detection using RT-PCR.

Fertility following CIDR based synchronization regimens in anoestrous Nili-Ravi buffaloes.

The objective of this study was to compare oestrus expression and fertility rate in used and new controlled internal drug releasing (CIDR) device treated anoestrous buffaloes. Furthermore, to determine the timing of ovulation, and fertility rate in estradiol benzoate (EB) and GnRH-administered CIDR-treated anoestrous Nili-Ravi buffaloes. In experiment 1, buffaloes received either a used CIDR (UCIDR, n = 35) or a new CIDR (NCIDR, n = 36) for 7 day and PGF2α on day 6.

A mechanistic approach for islet amyloid polypeptide aggregation to develop anti-amyloidogenic agents for type-2 diabetes.

Type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2) is a conformational disease involving intrinsically disordered islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), in which a structural transition from physiological polypeptide to pathological deposits takes place. Different factors acquired or inherited, contribute to endoplasmic reticulum stress and/or impair mitochondrial function which leads to conformational changes in IAPP intermediates and ultimately produces oligomers of an anti-parallel crossed β-pleated sheets that eventually accumulate as space-occupying lesions within the islets. Clusters of IAPP monomers form a pore which is linked to channel-like behavior in planar bilayers, indicating that these oligomeric IAPP pores could become incorporated into membranes and alter its barrier properties.

Relationship of age to body weight, scrotal circumference, testicular ultrasonograms, and semen quality in Sahiwal bulls.

The objective of the present study was to determine the relationship of age to body weight (BW), scrotal circumference (SC), number of pixels of testicular ultrasonograms (NP), and semen quality in Sahiwal bulls. The study was based on 128 Sahiwal bulls of different age groups (from 0 to >100 months of age). Bulls were evaluated for SC, BW, and NP.

Recent surveys in the forests of Ulu Segama Malua, Sabah, Malaysia, show that orang-utans (P. p. morio) can be maintained in slightly logged forests.

Background: Today the majority of wild great ape populations are found outside of the network of protected areas in both Africa and Asia, therefore determining if these populations are able to survive in forests that are exploited for timber or other extractive uses and how this is managed, is paramount for their conservation.

Methodology/principal Findings: In 2007, the "Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project" (KOCP) conducted aerial and ground surveys of orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus morio) nests in the commercial forest reserves of Ulu Segama Malua (USM) in eastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Compared with previous estimates obtained in 2002, our recent data clearly shows that orang-utan populations can be maintained in forests that have been lightly and sustainably logged.

Antifungal compounds from Melia azedarach leaves for management of Ascochyta rabiei, the cause of chickpea blight.

The antifungal activity of Melia azedarach L. leaves was investigated against Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab.

Hypofractionated radiotherapy as definitive treatment of stage I non-small cell lung cancer in older patients.

Purpose/objective(s): We report our experience using hypofractionated radiotherapy in older patients.

Materials/methods: This analysis includes patients aged 60 years and older at our institution with inoperable Stage I (T1/T2 N0 M0) non--small-cell lung cancer that completed a curative course of radiotherapy alone using a hypofractionated schedule. Between 1991 and 2006, 75 such patients were identified with median age of 74 years (range, 60-86).

Crystal structure and trimer-monomer transition of N-terminal domain of EhCaBP1 from Entamoeba histolytica.

EhCaBP1 is a well-characterized calcium binding protein from Entamoeba histolytica with four canonical EF-hand motifs. The crystal structure of EhCaBP1 reveals the trimeric organization of N-terminal domain. The solution structure obtained at pH 6.