Dietary protein interacts with polygenic risk scores and modulates serum concentrations of C-reactive protein in overweight and obese Malaysian adults.

Dietary intake may interact with gene variants and modulate inflammatory status. This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of fat mass and obesity-associated rs9930501, rs9930506, and rs9932754 and beta-2 adrenergic receptor rs1042713 on C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations using polygenic risk scores (PRS), and modulatory effect of dietary nutrients on these associations. We hypothesized that higher protein intake is associated with lower inflammatory status in individuals genetically predisposed to obesity.

Determination of Cutoff Values for the Screening of Osteosarcopenia in Obese Postmenopausal Women.

Osteosarcopenic obesity (OSO) describes the concurrent presence of obesity, low bone mass, and low muscle mass in an individual. Currently, no established criteria exist to diagnose OSO. We hypothesized that obese individuals require different cut-points from standard cut-points to define low bone mass and low muscle mass due to their higher weight load.

Total vs. Bioavailable: Determining a Better 25(OH)D Index in Association with Bone Density and Muscle Mass in Postmenopausal Women.

The concurrent presence of low bone density (osteopenia/osteoporosis) and low muscle mass (sarcopenia) in older adults has led to the recognition of "osteosarcopenia" (OS) as a singular entity. Vitamin D may play important role in the manifestation of OS, in terms of intake, absorption, and bioavailability. Evidence suggests that bioavailable 25(OH)D may be a better indicator of Vitamin D compared to total 25(OH)D due to its weak bind to albumin, increasing its 'availability'.

The Combined Effect of Polygenic Risk from FTO and ADRB2 Gene Variants, Odds of Obesity, and Post-Hipcref Diet Differences.

Background: Computing polygenic risk scores (PRS) to predict the degree of risk for obesity may contribute to weight management programs strategically.

Objectives: To investigate the combined effect of FTO rs9930501, rs9930506, and rs9932754 and ADRB2 rs1042713 and rs1042714 using PRS on (1) the odds of obesity and (2) post-intervention differences in dietary, anthropometric, and cardiometabolic parameters in response to high-protein calorie-restricted, high-vitamin E, high-fiber (Hipcref) diet intervention in Malaysian adults.

Methods: Both a cross-sectional study (n = 178) and a randomized controlled trial (RCT) (n = 128) were conducted to test the aforementioned objectives.

Lifestyle Interventions for Weight Control Modified by Genetic Variation: A Review of the Evidence.

Background/aims: Excess weight gain is a result of the interaction between diet, environment, and genes. Evidence suggests that responses to lifestyle interventions to manage weight are partially modified by genetic factors. This review is aimed at summarizing the current evidence from studies done on gene variants - single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - and intervention outcomes on weight loss and obesity-related traits.

Association of rs1042713 with Obesity and Obesity-Related Phenotypes and Its Interaction with Dietary Fat in Modulating Glycaemic Indices in Malaysian Adults.

Gene-diet interaction studies have reported that individual variations in phenotypic traits may be due to variations in individual diet. Our study aimed to evaluate (i) the association of rs1042713 with obesity and obesity-related metabolic parameters and (ii) the effect of dietary nutrients on these associations in Malaysian adults. genotyping, dietary, physical activity, anthropometric, and biochemical data were collected from 79 obese and 99 nonobese individuals.

Studies on formulation of a combination heat killed immunogen from diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae in RITARD model.

Multiple diarrheagenic enteric bacterial infections cause global morbidity and mortality. A combination vaccine is needed to combat different diarrhea-causing organisms. In our present work, we formulated a combination of antigens from three different diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains and three different Vibrio cholerae strains.

Effect of an individualised high-protein, energy-restricted diet on anthropometric and cardio-metabolic parameters in overweight and obese Malaysian adults: a 6-month randomised controlled study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Hipcref (high-protein, energy-restricted, high-vitamin E and high-fibre) diet in Malaysian adults on body composition and metabolic parameters after an intervention period of 6 months. Overweight/obese Malaysian adults (n 128; BMI≥23 kg/m2) were randomised to the Hipcref (n 65) or control diet (n 63). The intervention group received Hipcref diet charts based on their personal preferences.

An adaptive scale Gaussian filter to explain White's illusion from the viewpoint of lightness assimilation for a large range of variation in spatial frequency of the grating and aspect ratio of the targets.

The variation between the actual and perceived lightness of a stimulus has strong dependency on its background, a phenomena commonly known as lightness induction in the literature of visual neuroscience and psychology. For instance, a gray patch may perceptually appear to be darker in a background while it looks brighter when the background is reversed. In the literature it is further reported that such variation can take place in two possible ways.

An attenuated Shigella mutant lacking the RNA-binding protein Hfq provides cross-protection against Shigella strains of broad serotype.

Few live attenuated vaccines protect against multiple serotypes of bacterial pathogen because host serotype-specific immune responses are limited to the serotype present in the vaccine strain. Here, immunization with a mutant of Shigella flexneri 2a protected guinea pigs against subsequent infection by S. dysenteriae type 1 and S.

Retinoic acid pre-treatment down regulates V. cholerae outer membrane vesicles induced acute inflammation and enhances mucosal immunity.

Bacterial outer membrane vesicles have been extensively investigated and considered as a next generation vaccine. Recently, we have demonstrated that the cholera pentavalent outer membrane vesicles (CPMVs) immunogen induced adaptive immunity and had a strong protective efficacy against the circulating V. cholerae strains in a mouse model.

Mice with Streptozotocin-Induced Hyperglycemia are Susceptible to Invasive Enteric Bacterial Infection.

Diabetes mellitus and diarrhea are becoming increasingly burdensome worldwide, particularly in developing countries such as India. Diabetic patients are susceptible to infection with pathogenic bacteria, particularly those causing invasive enteric infections. In this study, we observed changes in the pathophysiological features of mice with streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia.

A DOG filter model of the occurrence of Mach bands on spatial contrast discontinuities.

The present work proposes a unified model to explain two previously reported properties of the Mach band illusion. The first is the frequently referenced fact that Mach bands are prominently visible at ramps, but practically vanish at intensity steps. The second property, less studied, on the other hand may also be related to the first.

Development of a cost-effective vaccine candidate with outer membrane vesicles of a tolA-disrupted Shigella boydii strain.

Our previous studies on outer membrane vesicles based vaccine development against shigellosis, revealed the inability of Shigella to release significant amount of vesicles naturally, during growth. Disruption of tolA, one of the genes of the Tol-Pal system of Gram negative bacterial membrane, has increased the vesicle release rate of a Shigella boydii type 4 strain to approximately 60% higher. We also noticed the vesicles, released from tolA-disrupted strain captured more OmpA protein and lipopolysaccharide, compared to the vesicles released from its wild type prototype.

Heat killed multi-serotype Shigella immunogens induced humoral immunity and protection against heterologous challenge in rabbit model.

Recently we have shown the homologous protective efficacy of heat killed multi-serotype Shigella (HKMS) immunogens in a guinea pig colitis model. In our present study, we have advanced our research by immunizing rabbits with a reduced number of oral doses and evaluating the host's adaptive immune responses. The duration of immunogenicity and subsequently protective efficacy was determined against wild type heterologous Shigella strains in a rabbit luminal model.

Daily Consumption of a Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie Alters Facial Skin Color.

Consumption of dietary carotenoids or carotenoid supplements can alter the color (yellowness) of human skin through increased carotenoid deposition in the skin. As fruit and vegetables are the main dietary sources of carotenoids, skin yellowness may be a function of regular fruit and vegetable consumption. However, most previous studies have used tablets or capsules to supplement carotenoid intake, and less is known of the impact of increased fruit and vegetable consumption on skin color.

Pentavalent outer membrane vesicles of Vibrio cholerae induce adaptive immune response and protective efficacy in both adult and passive suckling mice models.

Recently, we demonstrated oral immunizations with single serotype outer membrane vesicles of Vibrio cholerae induced serogroup specific protective immunity in the RITARD model. In our present study, we advanced our research by formulating multi-serotype outer membrane vesicles, mixing the OMVs of five virulent V. cholerae strains.

Outbreak of cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor variant strain in Bihar, India.

An outbreak of cholera struck Bihar, an Indian state, in August 2008 following a massive flood. Here we report the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Vibrio cholerae strains isolated from patients with diarrhea. Rectal swabs were obtained from patients with diarrhea who were admitted to medical camps or the hospital, and the strains were biochemically and serologically characterized.

Comparative analysis of different oral approaches to treat Vibrio cholerae infection in adult mice.

In this study, we have established an oral phage cocktail therapy in adult mice model and also performed a comparative analysis between phage cocktail, antibiotic and oral rehydration treatment for orally developed Vibrio cholerae infection. Four groups of mice were orally infected with Vibrio cholerae MAK 757 strain. Phage cocktail and antibiotic treated groups received 1×10(8) plaque forming unit/ml (once a daily) and 40mg/kg (once a daily) as an oral dose respectively for consecutive three days after bacterial infection.

Oxalis corniculata (Oxalidaceae) leaf extract exerts in vitro antimicrobial and in vivo anticolonizing activities against Shigella dysenteriae 1 (NT4907) and Shigella flexneri 2a (2457T) in induced diarrhea in suckling mice.

In this study, the extract of a green leafy vegetable Oxalis corniculata (Oxalidaceae) was evaluated for its in vitro antibacterial and in vivo anti colonizing effect against common intestinal pathogenic bacteria. Methanolic extract (80%) of Oxalis corniculata (Oxalidaceae) leaf contained a polyphenol content of 910 mg gallic acid equivalent per gram of dry weight and the yield was 8%. The flavonoid content was 2.

Multi-serotype outer membrane vesicles of Shigellae confer passive protection to the neonatal mice against shigellosis.

Recently, we have demonstrated, immunization of adult female mice with outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) of Shigella boydii type 4 protected their offspring passively from shigellosis. In our present study, we have advanced our research by formulating multi-serotype outer membrane vesicles (MOMVs), mixing the OMVs of Shigella dysenteriae 1 Δstx, Shigella flexneri 2a, 3a and 6, S. boydii type 4 and Shigella sonnei to achieve a broad spectrum protection against shigellosis.

Hemagglutinating activity is directly correlated with colonization ability of shigellae in suckling mouse model.

The aim of the present study was to explore a new approach based on the hemagglutination (HA) assay to understand the colonization ability of Shigella spp. To study colonization ability, an animal model of 4-day-old suckling mouse, was exploited. We characterized the HA activity of 48 Shigella strains, with erythrocytes collected from rabbit, guinea pig, chicken, and sheep.

Outer membrane vesicles of Shigella boydii type 4 induce passive immunity in neonatal mice.

Like most other Gram-negative bacteria, Shigella releases outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) into the surrounding environment during growth. In this study, we have exploited OMVs of Shigella as a protective immunogen in a mice model against Shigellosis. Distinctive vesicle secretion was noticed from different Shigella strains.

Dietary calcium intake, vitamin D status, and bone health in postmenopausal women in rural Pakistan.

The high prevalence of osteoporosis in Pakistan is of public-health concern. However, there is a paucity of information regarding nutrition and bone density in rural communities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary and lifestyle factors that impact bone health in Nahaqi.

Creatinine, diet, micronutrients, and arsenic methylation in West Bengal, India.

Background: Ingested inorganic arsenic (InAs) is methylated to monomethylated (MMA) and dimethylated metabolites (DMA). Methylation may have an important role in arsenic toxicity, because the monomethylated trivalent metabolite [MMA(III)] is highly toxic.

Objectives: We assessed the relationship of creatinine and nutrition--using dietary intake and blood concentrations of micronutrients--with arsenic metabolism, as reflected in the proportions of InAS, MMA, and DMA in urine, in the first study that incorporated both dietary and micronutrient data.