A Critical Appraisal of System-Reported Organ Dose (OD) Versus Manually Calculated Mean Glandular Dose (MGD) in Dubai's Mammography Services.

: This study compares system-reported organ doses (ODs) to manually calculated mean glandular doses (MGDs) in mammography across multiple centers and manufacturers in Dubai. : A retrospective study of 2754 anonymized mammograms from six clinics in Dubai were randomly retrieved from a central dose survey database. Organ doses were documented along with other dosimetry information like kVp, mAs, filter, target, compression force, and breast thickness.

CD24 flags anastasis in melanoma cells.

Anastasis is a phenomenon observed in cancer cells, where cells that have initiated apoptosis are able to recover and survive. This molecular event is increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to cancer metastasis, facilitating the survival and migration of tumor cells. Nevertheless, the identification of a specific surface marker for detecting cancer cells in anastasis remained elusive.

Dietary Patterns and Lifestyle Factors Associated with the Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study among Malaysians.

Background: This study aimed to examine the association between dietary patterns, lifestyle factors, and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk among the Malaysian population.

Methods: We recruited 100 patients and 100 controls from two selected government hospitals. Principal component analysis was used to identify dietary patterns using a 123-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire.

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Is Inversely Associated with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Hospital-Based Matched Case-Control Study in Malaysia.

Serum 25(OH)D deficiency consistently demonstrated molecular mechanisms through which chronic inflammation is associated with the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed to determine the association between serum 25(OH)D and NPC. A matched case-control study was conducted at two local hospitals.

Targeting the Bottlenecks in Levan Biosynthesis Pathway in and Strain Optimization by Computational Modeling and Omics Integration.

Levan is a fructan polymer with many industrial applications such as the formulation of hydrogels, drug delivery, and wound healing, among others. To this end, metabolic systems engineering is a valuable method to improve the yield of a specific metabolite in a wide range of bacterial and eukaryotic organisms. In this study, we report a systems biology approach integrating genomics data for the model, wherein the metabolic pathway for levan biosynthesis is unpacked.

H19: An Oncogenic Long Non-coding RNA in Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been recorded amongst the most common cancers in the world, with high morbidity and mortality rates, and relatively low survival rates. With risk factors such as chronic illness, age, and lifestyle associated with the development of CRC, the incidence of CRC is increasing each year. Thus, the discovery of novel biomarkers to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC has become beneficial.

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Novel Dimers of Dipyridothiazine as Promising Antiproliferative Agents.

Many new isomeric dipyridothiazine dimers have been presented as molecules with anticancer potential. These compounds were obtained in efficient syntheses of 1,6-, 1,8-, 2,7- and 3,6-diazaphenothiazines with selected alkylaromatic linkers. The structures of these compounds has been proven with two-dimensional spectroscopic techniques (COSY, NOESY, HSQC and HMBC) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS).

Comparative transcriptome profiling to unravel the key molecular signalling pathways and drought adaptive plasticity in shoot borne root system of sugarcane.

Sugarcane root system comprises of superficial sett roots as well as deeply-penetrating shoot borne roots (SBR) with latter being the permanent root system. In sugarcane, the healthy SBR contributes to a better crop yield and it also helps to produce multiple ratoon crops after the harvest. There is a dearth of in-depth knowledge on SBR system architecture and its functional role in modern day commercial hybrids.

Spatio-temporal programming of lyotropic phase transition in nanoporous microfluidic confinements.

Hypothesis: The nanoporous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces of a rectangular microfluidic channel, selectively uptakes water molecules, concentrating the solute molecules in an aqueous phase, that could drive phase transitions. Factors such as surface wettability, channel geometry, the surface-to-volume ratio, and surface topography of the confinements could play a key role in tuning the phase transitions spatio-temporally.

Experiments: Using a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal as model biological material, confined within nanoporous microfluidic environments, we study molecular assembly driven by nanoporous substrates.

L-Asparaginase delivery systems targeted to minimize its side-effects.

L-asparaginase (L-ASP) is one of the key enzymes used in therapeutic applications, particularly to treat Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). L-asparagine is a non-essential amino acid, which means that it can be synthesized by the body and is not required to be obtained through the diet. The synthesis of L-asparagine occurs primarily in the liver, but it also takes place in other tissues throughout the body.

Crystal structure of [2-({[2-(dimethylamino-κ)ethyl]imino-κ}methyl)phenolato-κ](1,10-phen-anthroline-κ ,')copper(II) perchlorate.

The title compound, [Cu(CHNO)(CHN)]ClO or [Cu()(phen)](ClO) {where refers to the deprotonated form of 2-[(2-di-methyl-amino-ethyl-imino)-meth-yl]phenol} and phen is 1,10-phenanthroline) is a mononuclear mixed ligand copper(II) complex. The Cu atom is coordinated by two N and one O atoms of the tridentate Schiff base ligand (H) and two N atoms of the 1,10-phenanthroline ligand, resulting in a five-coordinate complex. The asymmetric unit of the title complex contains two crystallographically independent complex cations ( and ) with a slightly different geometry around the Cu ion.

CCAT 1- A Pivotal Oncogenic Long Non-Coding RNA in Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is ranked as the third most common cancer and second deadliest cancer in both men and women in the world. Currently, the cure rate and 5-year survival rate of CRC patients remain relatively low. Therefore, discovering a novel molecular biomarker that can be used to improve CRC screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment would be beneficial.

A strategy for uncovering germline variants altering anti-tumor CD8 T cell response.

Among many factors known to alter the outcomes of T cell receptor (TCR)-induced proximal signaling, the role of human germline variants in dictating the individuality of the anti-tumor CD8 T cell response has remained challenging to address. Here, we describe a convenient strategy for molecular and functional characterization of phosphotyrosine-altering non-synonymous single nucleotide variations (pTyr-SNVs) that directly impact TCR-induced proximal phosphotyrosine motif-based signaling pathways. We devise an experimental co-cultivation set-up comprising a C57BL/6 mouse-derived metastatic melanoma cell line engineered to constitutively present ovalbumin (OVA) antigens and retrovirally engineered syngeneic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class I restricted OVA TCR-transgenic CD8 T cells (OT-I).

A home gardening intervention to improve vegetable consumption among urban poor children: A study protocol for randomised controlled trial.

One of the key importance of vegetable consumption is to obtain sufficient micronutrients, dietary fibre, and for the prevention of childhood obesity. Most Malaysian children did not meet the recommended intake of vegetable consumption, and this is especially vulnerable among the urban poor population due to food insecurity. Efforts are needed to promote vegetable consumption that fall short of the recommended intake level.

Nutritional Status of Orang Asli in Malaysia.

The national government policies and Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) have to put more effort to improve the quality of life for Orang Asli communities. Over the years, under the government-sanctioned relocation programme, many Orang Asli groups were moved to a more developed and urban area. They were given proper facility, healthcare service to ensure the improvement of overall well-being.

Coarse grained modelling highlights the binding differences in the two different allosteric sites of the Human Kinesin EG5 and its implications in inhibitor design.

Kinesins involved in mitotic cell division have gained prominence as promising chemotherapy targets. One such kinesin, EG5, a motor protein responsible for cell division, is a validated chemotherapy target with several compounds at various stages of clinical trials. EG5 has an active site and two different allosteric sites that are known to have ligand specificity.

Membrane Anchorage-Induced (MAGIC) Knockdown of Non-synonymous Point Mutations.

The promise of personalized medicine for monogenic and complex polygenic diseases depends on the availability of strategies for targeted inhibition of disease-associated polymorphic protein variants. Loss of function variants, including non-synonymous single nucleotide variants (nsSNVs) and insertion/deletion producing a frameshift, account for the vast majority of disease-related genetic changes. Because it is challenging to interpret the functional consequences of nsSNVs, they are considered a big barrier for personalized medicine.

Association between Dietary Diversity and Weight Status of Aboriginal Primary School Children in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the association between dietary diversity and weight status of aboriginal primary school children.

Methods: Dietary diversity measures food intake diversity in food groups, whereas weight status indicates nutritional status. Dietary serving score (DSS) method was used to determine dietary diversity status, while weight status was assessed using BMI-for-Age (BAZ).

Can small air bubbles probe very low frother concentration faster?

The existing literature on the rise velocities of air bubbles in aqueous surfactant solutions adsorbing at the water-air interface focuses mainly on large bubbles ( > 1.2 mm). In addition, due to the way the bubbles in rising bubble experiments are formed, their size is dependent on interfacial tension (the lower the interfacial tension the smaller the bubble).

Lead Generation for Human Mitotic Kinesin Eg5 Using Structure-based Virtual Screening and Validation by In-vitro and Cell-based Assays.

Background: Human mitotic kinesins play a crucial role in mitotic cell division. Targeting the spindle separation phase of mitosis has gained much attention pharmaceutically in cancer chemotherapy. Spindle segregation is carried out mainly by Eg5 kinesin, and currently, it has many inhibitors in different phases of clinical trials.

TraPS-VarI: Identifying genetic variants altering phosphotyrosine based signalling motifs.

Patient stratification and individualized therapeutic strategies rely on the established knowledge of genotype-specific molecular and cellular alterations of biological and therapeutic significance. Whilst almost all approved drugs have been developed based on the Reference Sequence protein database (RefSeq), the latest genome sequencing studies establish the substantial prevalence of non-synonymous genetic mutations in the general population, including stop-insertion and frame shift mutations within the coding regions of membrane proteins. While the availability of individual genotypes are becoming increasingly common, the biological and clinical interpretations of mutations among individual genomes is largely lagging behind.

Tackling drug resistance with efflux pump inhibitors: from bacteria to cancerous cells.

Drug resistance is a serious concern in a clinical setting jeopardizing treatment for both infectious agents and cancers alike. The wide-spread emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) phenotypes from bacteria to cancerous cells necessitates the need to target resistance mechanisms and prevent the emergence of resistant mutants. Drug efflux seems to be one of the preferred approaches embraced by both microbial and mammalian cells alike, to thwart the action of chemotherapeutic agents thereby leading to a drug resistant phenotype.

The influence of pH on the interfacial behaviour of Quillaja bark saponin at the air-solution interface.

The interfacial behavior of surfactants present in a natural extract from Quillaja saponaria Molina bark at the air-solution interface is studied by measurements of interfacial tension, interfacial elasticity, and interfacial reflectance FTIR spectroscopy. The active molecule, saponin, is observed directly at the air-solution interface (via reflectance FTIR spectroscopy) above and below the pKa of the molecule, and spectra confirm the altered charge of the interfacial layer at the two solution conditions. For all concentrations of saponin studied, and at pH values below and above pKa (i.

A case-control study on the association of abdominal obesity and hypercholesterolemia with the risk of colorectal cancer.

Background: Obesity has frequently been associated with the dyslipidemic state and with the risk of various chronic diseases.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between obesity and blood lipids with a risk of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methodology: Histologically confirmed CRC patients from five local hospitals were matched with cancer-free controls for age, gender, and ethnicity ( = 140: 280).