This article presents a comprehensive overview of upcycling commercial nut byproducts (such as Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, peanut (also known as a legume), pecan, pine nut, pistachio, and walnut) for food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications. Upcycling nut byproducts, namely husk/hull, hard shell, brown skin, defatted flour/meal/cake, pine cone, cashew nut shell liquid, cashew apple, walnut septum, and dreg/okara, has great potential, not only to reduce/minimise waste, but also to fit within the circular economy concept. Each byproduct has its own unique functional properties, which can bring significant value.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of membrane sweeping and transcervical Foley catheters for the induction of labor after one previous cesarean delivery.
Methods: An open-label, prospective, randomized controlled trial was performed at Sibu Hospital, Sarawak, Malaysia between 15 February 2018 and 30 August 2018. Pregnant women aged 18 or above at term who had one previous uncomplicated lower segment cesarean section and required induction of labor were randomized to membrane sweeping or transcervical Foley catheter insertion.
Recent studies have implicated higher-order genome organization in the regulation of genes and cellular state. Lamina-Associated Domains (LADs) are regions of heterochromatin associated with the nuclear envelope and the nuclear lamina, a protein network involved in both nuclear organization and genome structure. LADs are developmentally regulated, and their dysregulation is associated with several diseases and pathological states, including cancer and premature aging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBy September 2022, more than 600 million cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported globally, resulting in over 6.5 million deaths. COVID-19 mortality risk estimators are often, however, developed with small unrepresentative samples and with methodological limitations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article presents a comprehensive overview of tiger milk mushroom (TMM), covering its nutritional composition, phytochemicals, health benefits, and related scientific advancements. It describes various potential positive health benefits of TMM, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, respiratory function enhancement, antioxidant, anti-aging, neuroprotective, photoprotective, antidiabetic, wound-healing, and anti-HIV, among others. This article also underlines the importance of further research into the phytochemicals present in TMM for additional discoveries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMitochondrial DNA B Resour
April 2024
of Pandanaceae, a plant native to Southeast Asia, has been domesticated for its health benefits and aromatic leaves. It is also used for phytoremediation and soil rehabilitation. However, genetic studies of this species are limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the study was to compare the internal instrument and external surgeon hand positions to determine whether visual perception mismatch (VPM) is a factor during robotic colorectal surgery. Continuous video footage of 24 consecutive robotic colorectal surgery cases were analysed concurrently with sagittal video recordings of surgeon hand positions. Separated sagittal hand positions would indicate nonergonomic positioning without clutching of the robotic controls, either matching the on-screen up/down instrument tip positions (no VPM) or in the opposite direction (true VPM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHost survival depends on the elimination of virus and mitigation of tissue damage. Herein, we report the modulation of D-mannose flux rewires the virus-triggered immunometabolic response cascade and reduces tissue damage. Safe and inexpensive D-mannose can compete with glucose for the same transporter and hexokinase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF1,4-Benzoxazines are important motifs in many pharmaceuticals and can be formed by a reaction sequence involving the oxidation of -aminophenols to their corresponding quinone imine followed by an inverse electron demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) cycloaddition with a suitable dienophile. Reported herein is the development of a reaction sequence that employs horseradish peroxidase to catalyze the oxidation of the aminophenols prior to the IEDDA as a more sustainable alternative to the use of conventional stoichiometric oxidants. The synthesis of 10 example benzoxazines is demonstrated in this "one-pot, two-step" procedure with yields between 42% and 92%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNucleobases serve as essential molecular frameworks present in both natural and synthetic compounds that exhibit notable antiviral activity. Through molecular modifications, novel nucleobase-containing drugs (NCDs) have been developed, exhibiting enhanced antiviral activity against a wide range of viruses, including the recently emerged SARS‑CoV‑2. This article provides a detailed examination of the significant advancements in NCDs from 2015 till current, encompassing various aspects concerning their mechanisms of action, pharmacology and antiviral properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPast research suggests that reactions to research on sex differences are often less positive when the findings put men in a better light than women, especially when the lead researcher is a man. The factors underlying this effect, however, are not yet fully understood. The present study aimed to provide the first experimental test of the hypothesis that the key variable is perceived harm to women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: The aim of the study was to examine the factors which may influence suboptimal ergonomic surgeon hand positioning during robotic colorectal surgery (RCS). An observational study of 11 consecutive RCS cases from June 2022 to August 2022 was performed. Continuous video footage of RCS cases was analysed concurrently with video recordings of surgeon's hand positions at the console.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Treatment options for myeloma and indolent lymphoma are increasing exponentially, with distinct efficacy, side effects, and cost. We aim to determine the factors influencing patient and caregiver treatment preferences.
Methods: Patients and caregivers of patients with myeloma and indolent lymphoma were recruited from two cancer centers in Singapore.
Objective: Despite rising incidences of global disasters, basic principles of disaster medicine training are barely taught in Singapore's 3 medical schools. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current levels of emergency preparedness, attitudes, and perceptions of disaster medicine education among medical students in Singapore.
Methods: The Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ) was provided to enrolled medical students in Singapore by means of an online form, from March 6, 2020, to February 20, 2021.
COVID-19 compounded existing barriers to healthcare for rural patients. We completed a retrospective chart review of patients receiving Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme subsidised biologics at a Modified Monash Model 3 dermatology practice during the pandemic and examined factors contributing to successful continuation of care, particularly teledermatology. Our experience is instructive in the provision of medical dermatology to regional patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Whilst timely clinical characterisation of infections caused by novel SARS-CoV-2 variants is necessary for evidence-based policy response, individual-level data on infecting variants are typically only available for a minority of patients and settings.
Methods: Here, we propose an innovative approach to study changes in COVID-19 hospital presentation and outcomes after the Omicron variant emergence using publicly available population-level data on variant relative frequency to infer SARS-CoV-2 variants likely responsible for clinical cases. We apply this method to data collected by a large international clinical consortium before and after the emergence of the Omicron variant in different countries.
Mitochondrial DNA B Resour
September 2022
(Griff) of Malvaceae is considered a natural heritage by the countries that produce it, including Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. Even though the species is regarded as a commercially valuable fruit, cultivation of this species is uncommon. The dwindling population of this species in the wild has put its survival in jeopardy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe impact of the substitutional position of the chorine atom on the non-linear optical (NLO) response of chalcone derivatives is reported in this paper. Two thienyl-chalcone derivatives, ()-3-(2,4-dichloro-phenyl)-1-(2,5-dichlorothiophen-3-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (3A25D2) and ()-3-(2,6-dichloro-phenyl)-1-(2,5-dichlorothiophen-3-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (3A25D4), are synthesized, and their crystal structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The photophysical and third-order NLO properties of 3A25D2 and 3A25D4 were investigated experimentally and computationally.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Protecting the skin barrier in early infancy may prevent atopic dermatitis (AD). We investigated if daily emollient use from birth to 2 months reduced AD incidence in high-risk infants at 12 months.
Methods: This was a single-center, two-armed, investigator-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial (NCT03871998).
Objective: The objective was to assess the cost-effectiveness of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with severe aortic stenosis with intermediate surgical risk in Singapore.
Methods: A de novo Markov model with three health states - stroke with long-term sequelae, no stroke, and death - was developed and simulated using Monte Carlo simulations with 10,000 iterations over a five-year time horizon from the Singapore healthcare system perspective. A 3% annual discount rate for costs and outcomes and monthly cycle lengths were used.