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The tropical climate in Malaysia provides an ideal environment for the rapid proliferation of Aedes mosquitoes, notably Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, prominent vectors of dengue fever. Alarmingly, these species are increasingly developing resistance to conventional pesticides. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Metarhizium anisopliae isolate HSAH5 spores, specifically on conidia (CO) and blastospores (BL), against Ae. albopictus larvae. The study centered on evaluating their pathogenic effects and the resultant changes in protein expression. Spore suspensions with varying concentrations were prepared for larvicidal bioassays, and protein expressions were analysed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Subsequently, protein annotation and network analysis were conducted to elucidate infection mechanisms and the proteomic response. Based on the lethal concentrations and time frames, CO exhibited faster larval mortality than BL at lower concentrations. Despite this, both spore types demonstrated comparable overall pathogenic effects. Results from the proteomic profiling revealed 150 proteins with varied expressions following exposure to Ae. albopictus extract, shedding light on distinct infection strategies between the spores. Gene Ontology enrichment and network analysis illustrated the diverse metabolic adaptations of M. anisopliae and interactions with mosquito larvae. This highlighted the complexity of host-pathogen dynamics and the significance of biosynthetic processes, energy storage, and cellular interaction pathways in disease progression. The BL network, consisting 80 proteins and 74 connections, demonstrates the intricate fungal mechanisms triggered by host stimuli. Conversely, the CO network, though smaller, displayed notable interconnectivity and concentrated involvement at the cell periphery, suggesting a deliberate strategy for initial host contact. This study offers valuable insights into proteome dynamics of M. anisopliae's BL and CO for managing mosquito populations and combating disease transmission, thereby significantly advancing public health and environmental conservation efforts., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bats are a significant reservoir for numerous pathogens, including Bartonella spp. It is one of the emerging zoonotic bacterial diseases that can be transmitted to humans and may cause various unspecific clinical manifestations. Thus, bartonellosis is rarely diagnosed and is regarded as a neglected vector-borne disease (VBD). Bat flies have been hypothesised to be a vector in the transmission of pathogens among bats. They are host-specific, which reduces the likelihood of pathogen transmission across bat species; however, they are likely to maintain high pathogen loads within their host species. To explore the presence of Bartonella spp. in bat flies from Peninsular Malaysia; bat fly samples collected from various sites at the east coast states were subjected to molecular detection for Bartonella spp. It was discovered that 38.7 % of bats from Terengganu and Kelantan were infested with bat flies; however, no bat fly was found in bats collected from Pahang. The collected bat flies belonged to the families Nycteribiidae (79.6 %) and Streblidae (20.4 %). The collected bat flies were pooled according to the locations and species into 39 pools. Out of these 39 pools, 66.7 % (n = 26) were positive for Bartonella spp. by PCR. Sequence analyses of five randomly selected PCR-positive pools revealed that pools from Kelantan (n = 3) have the closest sequence identities (99 %) to Bartonella spp. strain Lisso-Nig-922 from Nigeria. However, the other pools from Terengganu (n = 2) were closely related to Bartonella spp. strain KP277 from Thailand and Bartonella spp. strain Rhin-3 from the Republic of Georgia with 99 % and 100 % sequence identity, respectively. This suggests that the Bartonella spp. found in Malaysian bat flies are genetically diverse and can potentially serve as reservoirs for pathogenic Bartonella spp., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Maizan Mohamed reports equipment, drugs, or supplies and travel were provided by Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education. Shih Keng Loong reports equipment, drugs, or supplies and travel were provided by Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education. Maizan Mohamed, Shih Keng Loong reports a relationship with Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education that includes: funding grants. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

The close relationship between dogs and humans has led to concerns regarding the transmission of zoonotic pathogens through ectoparasites such as ticks. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of ticks and the intensity on stray dogs with specific risk factors (size, sex, neutering status, body part). Additionally, identifying the predilection sites of ticks on stray dogs was crucial for developing an effective tick control program in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 64 stray dogs from Kelantan and Selangor States. These dogs were subjected to integumentary examinations, collecting 431 ticks comprising Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. "tropical lineage" and Haemaphysalis bispinosa from 53 infested dogs. The overall occurrence of tick infestation was 82.81% (53/64), with an average intensity of 8.13 ticks (range: 1-17) per stray dog. All the potential risk factors considered in this study showed no statistically significant result (P value >0.05). The head, ear, and neck were the most preferred attachment sites for ticks. These findings underscore the importance of implementing tick control programs for stray dogs, which serve as reservoirs of ticks and tick-borne pathogens for owned dogs and humans., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared that they have no conflict of interest related to this study., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Some of Vibrio species is well known as pathogenic bacteria in aquaculture and the marine industry. Its infection is able to generate a massive outbreak and affect the fish population, especially for net caged fish such as seabass. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of Vibrio spp. isolated from seabass (Lates calcarifer) in Sri Tujuh Lagoon, Tumpat, Kelantan. Then, to determine the antibiotic resistance in Vibrio isolates. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect Vibrio species using specific primer VR169 and VR744 with estimation base pair size band, 597 bp and further identified by sequencing. On the other hand, antibiotic susceptibility tests were continued by using 13 types of antibiotics; kanamycin (K30), chloramphenicol (C30), neomycin (N10), ampicillin (AMP10), nitrofurantoin (F300), tetracycline (TE30), streptomycin (S10), norfloxacin (NOR10), ciprofloxacin (CIP5), nalidixic acid (NA30), gentamicin (CN10), doxycycline (DO30) and sulfamethoxazole (SXT100). As a result, 14 Vibrio isolates were identified, including Vibrio fluvialis (n=6), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (n=3), Vibrio harveyi (n=2) and each isolate for Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio spp. The results showed that all isolates were sensitive to most antibiotics except ampicillin, neomycin and streptomycin. The MAR index value was ranging from 0 to 0.31. This study demonstrates the prevalence of Vibrio spp. in seabass and the report on multidrug resistance strains that could be of concern to the fish farmers. In addition, data from this study can be further used in fish disease management plans.

Tick-borne pathogens are causing severe diseases in livestock, wild animals, and humans. Wild animals play a crucial role in tick-borne pathogens' transmission life cycle by serving as reservoir hosts or intermediate hosts, posing a continuous risk for domestic animals and humans. The presence of tick-borne pathogens is often ignored in wild animals kept in zoos, which is a public health concern. In the present study, we investigated these pathogens in tick-infested captive wild animals at the Lohi Bher zoo, Pakistan. Blood samples were collected from 22 animals, which include urials (4) (Ovis aries vignei), blackbucks (3) (Antilope cervicapra), fallow deer (1) (Dama dama), hog deer (6) (Axis porcinus), chinkaras (4) (Gazella bennettii), white tiger (2) (Panthera tigris tigris), a giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), and African lions (2) (Panthera leo). The samples were screened for Piroplasm and Anaplasma spp. by polymerase chain reaction targeting different gene loci. We detected three Theileria spp. and one Anaplasma sp. from the investigated captive wild animals. The Theileria sp. dama gazelle was detected from chinkara, Theileria sp. NG-2012b from chinkara and giraffe and T. parva from African lion, and Anaplasma bovis was identified in a giraffe. Moreover, Theileria sp. and Anaplasma sp. coinfection was detected in one giraffe. Overall, this study shows that Theileria spp. and Anaplasma spp. are circulating in captive wild animals, which can play an important role in their spread. Further studies are required to monitor tick-borne pathogens in zoo animals and their potential to spread from exotic wild captive animals to local wild and domestic., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Data on the prevalence and associated risk factors of naturally occurring haemoplasmosis in owned cats in Malaysia is limited. Being the most pathogenic of the three known feline haemoplasma species, Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf) infection was analysed from 2016 to 2019 to determine the periodical prevalence and associated risk factors in Northeastern Malaysia - Kelantan. Archived patient data of 77 clinically ill cats suspected of having M. haemofelis infection were reviewed in this study. Out of the 77 suspected cases, 53 (68.8%) were clinically diagnosed with haemoplasmosis amongst which 46 (59.7%) of the subpopulation were further confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Risk factors for M. haemofelis infection (age, breed, ectoparasitism, household condition, roaming status, and sex) were analysed. There was no significant association of breed, ectoparasitism, household condition (number of cats) and occurrence of clinical signs with feline mycoplasmosis. Young, male and roamer cats were more likely to be diagnosed of mycoplasmosis than other categories of cats in this study. There was also a significant association between cats infected with 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' with M. haemofelis. Thus, the coinfection of these two haemoplasma species is not uncommon. This study indicates that infection by M. haemofelis in anaemic cats is a common find in client-owned cats from Northeastern Malaysia. As the natural mode of transmission of haemoplasma infection remain unestablished, information in this study may highlight the importance of this disease and contribute to effective prevention and control strategies to minimize feline infectious anaemia (FIA) caused by M. haemofelis.

The dynamic photoluminescence properties, and potential quenching mechanisms, of anti -B 18 H 22 , 4,4'-Br 2 - anti -B 18 H 20 , and 4,4'-I 2 - anti -B 18 H 20 are investigated in solution and polymer films. UV stability studies of the neat powders show no decomposition occurring after intense 7 day light soaking. In contrast, clusters incorporated into polymer films are found to degrade into smaller borane fragments under the same irradiation conditions. To highlight the utility of these compounds, we leverage their favorable optical properties in a prototype UV imaging setup.

Introduction: Endometrial thickness is an important parameter to evaluate endometrial receptivity. An appropriate endometrial thickness is necessary for both embryo implantation and maintaining normal pregnancy. Women with thin endometrium are one of the critical challenges in the clinic, and current therapeutic strategies for thin endometrium remain suboptimal. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) derived from adipose tissue contains a variety of cells, mainly adipose-derived stem/stromal cells and adipose cells. Recently, adipose tissue-derived SVF showed tremendous potential for treating thin endometrium due to its capacity to repair and regenerate tissues. The application of SVF in animal models for treating thin endometrium has been investigated. However, limited evidence has demonstrated the efficacy and safety of autologous SVF in patients with thin endometrium., Methods and Analysis: This study is a single-centre, longitudinal, prospective self-control study to investigate the preliminary efficacy and safety of autologous SVF in improving the pregnancy outcome of infertile patients with thin endometrium. Thirty patients diagnosed with thin endometrium will be recruited based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The SVF suspension will be transferred into the uterine cavity via an embryo transfer catheter. Then, comparisons between pretreatment and post-treatment will be analysed, and the outcomes, including endometrial thickness, menstrual volume and duration, frequency and severity of adverse events and early pregnancy outcomes, will be measured within a 3-month follow-up, while late pregnancy outcomes and their offspring will be followed up via telephone for 2 years. The proportion of patients with improved symptoms will be calculated and compared., Ethics and Dissemination: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Peking University Third Hospital (reference number: REC2020-165). Written informed consent will be provided for patients before being included. The results will be presented at academic conferences and a peer-reviewed journal., Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR2000035126., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The zona pellucida (ZP) plays vital roles in reproductive processes including oogenesis, fertilization, and preimplantation development. Both human and rat ZP consist of four glycoproteins, called ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4. Our previous research reported a novel Zp1 mutation in cases of human infertility, associated with an abnormal phenotype involving the absence of the ZP. Here, we developed a homologous rat strain to investigate the pathogenic effect. The ovaries of homozygous (Zp1MT/MT) females possessed both growing and fully grown oocytes; the oocytes completely lacked a ZP, but ZP1 was detectable inside the cytoplasm. Only 1-2 eggs were recovered from oviducts of superovulated Zp1MT/MT females, while an average of 21 eggs were recovered from superovulated Zp1WT/WT per female. The eggs of Zp1MT/MT females were not surrounded by a ZP and lost their fertilization capacity in vitro. Zp1MT/MT females mated with wild-type males failed to become pregnant. Studies in 293T cells showed that mutant Zp1 resulted in a truncated ZP1 protein, which might be intracellularly sequestered and interacted with wild-type ZP3 or ZP4. Our results suggest that the Zp1 point mutation led to infertility and loss of the ZP in oocytes in rats., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for the Study of Reproduction. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: To analyze the trend of mortality and incidence of colorectal cancer among urban residents in Guangzhou from 1972 to 2015 and to predict the mortality of colorectal cancer from 2016 to 2025. Methods: The mortality data of colorectal cancer among urban residents in Guangzhou were collected from the death registration of malignant tumors of Guangzhou Health Statistics Bureau (1972-1979), Guangzhou Health Statistics (1980-2001), Guangzhou Cancer Registration Annual Report (2002-2009) and China Cancer Registration Annual Report (2010-2015). The incidence of colorectal cancer was collected from Guangzhou Cancer Registration Annual Report (2002-2009) and China Cancer Registration Annual Report (2010-2015). The incidence and mortality data of colorectal cancer coded as C18-C21 in 10th Edition of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) were obtained from the above data, and the demographic data were from the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. Joinpoint model was used to calculate the annual change percentage (APC) and average annual change percentage (AAPC) of colorectal cancer mortality and incidence among urban residents in Guangzhou from 1972 to 2015 and from 2002 to 2015. ARIMA model was used to predict colorectal cancer mortality from 2016 to 2025. Results: There were 19 309 colorectal cancer deaths among urban residents in Guangzhou from 1972 to 2015. The crude mortality rate of colorectal cancer increased from 4.33/100 000 to 24.89/100 000 (AAPC=4.2%, P <0.001). A total of 24 033 new cases of colorectal cancer were reported in Guangzhou from 2002 to 2015. The crude incidence rate of colorectal cancer increased from 22.95/100 000 to 52.81/100 000 (AAPC=6.6%, P <0.001). The mortality rate of colorectal cancer among urban residents of Guangzhou would continuously increase from 2016 to 2025 and reach 29.53/100 000 in 2025. Conclusion: The mortality rate of colorectal cancer among urban residents of Guangzhou from 1972 to 2015 and the incidence rate of colorectal cancer from 2002 to 2015 both show an upward trend. The mortality rate will increase from 2016 to 2025.

Rhipicephalus sanguineus, commonly known as brown dog tick is a widespread species with considerable public health and economic importance. Tremendous efforts were performed to control the tick populations with the concern of resistance build-up and environmental issues. Alternative towards microbial control thus emerged as one option to reduce tick populations. In this study, the ovicidal efficacy of a native isolate entomopathogenic hyphomycetes fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae strain HSAH5 was evaluated against eggs of R. sanguineus. Spray applications with three different conidial concentrations of 10 5 , 10 6 and 10 7 conidia mL -1 ; 40 ppm of Flumethrin and a negative control. The M. anisopliae strain was found highly virulent to R. sanguineus eggs by reducing the hatching percentages to ≈30% compared with 8.9% in Flumethrin eggs. The result showed a significantly higher mortality in M. anisopliae group than those of the control groups (F = 42.08, df = 32, P < 0.001) at 30 days post-infection. However, there are no significant differences within the M. anisopliae group, in which the mortality between different conidial concentrations is almost the same. The estimated LC 50 of M. anisopliae against eggs of R. sanguineus is 1.36 × 10 3 conidia ml -1 . Thus, these results suggest M. anisopliae strain HSAH5 could be a potential biocontrol agent of R. sanguineus in the integrated approach to managing ticks in the residential landscape by targeting on the eggs.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided minimally invasive tissue acquisition can be performed by two approaches as follows: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB). These have been evolved into leading approaches and widely used for the histological diagnosis of tumors in the gastrointestinal tract and adjacent organs. However, the role of EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB in disease diagnosis and evaluation remains controversial. Although the incidence of surgery-associated complications remains low, the consequences of needle tract seeding can be serious or even life-threatening. Recently, increasing case reports of needle tract seeding are emerging, especially caused by EUS-FNA. This complication needs serious consideration. In the present work, we integrated these case reports and the related literature, and summarized the relevant cases and technical characteristics of needle tract seeding caused by EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB. Collectively, our findings provided valuable insights into the prevention and reduction of such serious complication., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Menopause is a crucial physiological transition during a woman's life, and it occurs with growing risks of health issues like osteoporosis. To identify postmenopausal osteoporosis-related genes, we performed transcriptome-wide expression analyses for human peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) using Affymetrix 1.0 ST arrays in 40 Caucasian postmenopausal women with discordant bone mineral density (BMD) levels., Methods: We performed multiscale embedded gene coexpression network analysis (MEGENA) to study functionally orchestrating clusters of differentially expressed genes in the form of functional networks. Gene sets net correlations analysis (GSNCA) was applied to assess how the coexpression structure of a predefined gene set differs in high and low BMD groups. Bayesian network (BN) analysis was used to identify important regulation patterns between potential risk genes for osteoporosis. A small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA)-based gene silencing in vitro experiment was performed to validate the findings from BN analysis., Result: MEGENA showed that the "T cell receptor signaling pathway" and the "osteoclast differentiation pathway" were significantly enriched in the identified compact network, which is significantly correlated with BMD variation. GSNCA revealed that the coexpression structure of the "Signaling by TGF-beta receptor complex pathway" is significantly different between the 2 BMD discordant groups; the hub genes in the postmenopausal low and high BMD group are FURIN and SMAD3 respectively. With siRNA in vitro experiments, we confirmed the regulation relationship of TGFBR2-SMAD7 and TGFBR1-SMURF2., Main Conclusion: The present study suggests that biological signals involved in monocyte recruitment, monocyte/macrophage lineage development, osteoclast formation, and osteoclast differentiation might function together in PBMs that contribute to the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis., (© Endocrine Society 2020. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Aim: Channa striatus extract, a freshwater snakehead fish known as Haruan, is popular in Southeast Asia for consumption and as a traditional therapeutic remedy for wound healing. C. striatus is also used in osteoarthritic for its anti-inflammatory. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of antibacterial properties of C. striatus extract against oral bacteria and to investigate the cytotoxic activity against Vero cells., Materials and Methods: The authors prepared C. striatus extract in chloroform-methanol solvents. Next, the authors took subgingival microbiological samples from 16 cats that had periodontal disease. The authors determined the antibacterial properties of C. striatus extract against the isolated bacteria using the disk diffusion method and a broth microdilution-based resazurin microtiter assay. Finally, the authors used the Vero cell line to evaluate the cytotoxic activity, and they assessed the cell availability using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay., Results: The results showed weak antibacterial activity of C. striatus extract against Pseudomonas spp. and Escherichia coli . In addition, the authors found that minimum inhibition concentration values ranged between 400 and 500 mg/mL, and minimum bactericidal concentration values ranged between 650 and 550 mg/mL. However, the cytotoxic results were promising, showing that C. striatus extract increased the cell viability and growth when it was at a higher concentration. The extract also promotes growth and cell proliferation., Conclusion: These findings suggest that C. striatus extract promoted cell proliferation in vitro and could be a plausible therapeutic wound healing alternative for periodontal disease in cats., (Copyright: © Zawawi, et al.)

The occurrence of Setaria digitata in a horse is reported for the first time in Malaysia. An 8-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare was referred to the University Veterinary Clinic with the primary complaint of corneal opacity and excessive eye discharge. After initial treatment with Terramycin eye ointment, corneal opacity cleared partially to reveal a moving thread-like cylindrical worm in the anterior chamber of the eye. The parasite was successfully removed surgically, and examination under the light microscope revealed that the isolated worm (length = 45 mm) was a 5th stage larva of S. digitata based on morphological criteria. Confirmation of the species of the worm was through molecular methods. The 12S rRNA gene was PCR-amplified, and the purified amplicon was directly sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the isolated roundworm showed 100% sequence similarity with that of S. digitata in NCBI GenBank database (Accession no.: KY284626.1). This report is the first confirmed case of equine ocular setariasis by S. digitata in Malaysia. The current study provides evidence that S. digitata is an etiological agent of ocular infection and its presence in Malaysia., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Coconut is an important commodity in Kelantan, and pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) have been traditionally used for coconut-plucking for over a century. Most of these animals were sourced from the wild population, and the parasitic status of these macaques is unknown, plus the impacts caused by these parasites are usually underestimated by the owners., Methods: A total of 30 macaques were sampled for blood, faeces and hair plucks to detect parasite., Results: Out of 21 faecal samples examined, 11 (52%) were determined positive for one or more gastrointestinal parasites, namely Trichostrongylus spp., Strongyloides spp., Anatrichosoma spp., Capillaria spp., Trichuris spp. and Paramphisotomum spp. Filaria was detected in one (3%) of the blood samples. For ectoparasites, only lice, Pedicinus sp., were found in 9 (30%) macaques., Conclusions: It is imperative that the parasitic status of these animals be determined so that necessary actions and preventive measures can be implemented to prevent zoonotic transmissions., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Zona pellucida (ZP), which enwraps the oocyte during folliculogenesis, initially forms in the primary follicle and plays an important role in female fertility. Here, we investigated a mouse strain ("mutant mice" for short) carrying two types of ZP defects in folliculogenesis, i.e., ZP thinned (but intact) and ZP cracked, caused by targeted mutation in the Zp1 gene. Using this mutant mouse strain and wild-type mouse as control, we studied the effects of the ZP defects on the development of oocytes and granulosa cells during folliculogenesis. For each ZP defect, we examined the morphology of transzonal projections and apoptosis of granulosa cells in the corresponding growing follicles, as well as the morphology of corresponding ovulated eggs and their abilities to develop into viable individuals. Our results suggested that ZP integrity rather than thickness or porosity is crucial for preventing the ectopia of granulosa cells, maintaining adequate routine bilateral signaling between oocyte and surrounding granulosa cells, and thus for ensuring the survival of granulosa cells and the establishment of the full developmental competence of oocytes. This is the first study to elucidate the effects of different degrees of ZP defects caused by the same gene mutation, on the apoptosis of granulosa cells and developmental competence of oocytes, and to explore the potential mechanisms underlying these effects., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for the Study of Reproduction.)

Background/aims: Approximately 20-30% of small bowel capsule endoscopies (SBCEs) do not reach the cecum at the completion of the examination. We aimed to determine whether hypokalemia influences the completion rate and small bowel transit time (SBTT) of SBCE., Patients and Methods: From January to December 2017, 112 patients (18-75 years old) who underwent SBCE were assessed consecutively for enrolment in our study. On the day of the procedure, a blood test was performed prior to capsule ingestion. The completion rate, gastric transit time (GTT), SBTT, and diagnostic yield were recorded for each SBCE., Results: The SBCE completion rate was lower in the hypokalemia group than that in the normal potassium group (55.6% (15/27) vs. 76.5% (65/85), P = 0.036). The median GTT was 55.5 ± 47.1 min in the hypokalemia group and 46.7 ± 44.5 min in the normal potassium group (P > 0.05). The median SBTT was 412.8 ± 123.3 min in the hypokalemia group and 367.3 ± 172.5 min in the normal potassium group (P > 0.05). The diagnostic yields of the hypokalemia and normal potassium groups were 74.1% and 78.8%, respectively (P = 1.00)., Conclusion: Hypokalemia may decrease the SBCE completion rate. Physicians should consider the possibility of hypokalemia after bowel preparation because this condition is not rare. Potassium deficiencies should be rectified prior to performing SBCE procedures to increase the SBCE completion rate., Competing Interests: None

Bismuth + proton pump inhibitor (PPI) + amoxicillin + levofloxacin is one of the bismuth quadruple therapy regimens widely used for the eradication of H. pylori infection. The recommended dosage of levofloxacin is 500 mg once daily or 200 mg twice daily to eradicate H. pylori infection. The aim of the present open-label, randomized control trial was to compare the effectiveness, safety, and compliance of different dosages of levofloxacin used to cure Helicobacter pylori infection. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive esomeprazole, amoxicillin, colloidal bismuth pectin and levofloxacin 500 mg once/day (group A) or levofloxacin 200 mg twice/day (group B) for 14 days. The primary outcome was the eradication rates in the intention-to-treat (ITT) and per protocol (PP) analyses. Overall, 400 patients were enrolled. The eradication rates in group A and group B were 77.5% and 79.5% respectively, in the ITT analysis, and 82.9% and 86.4%, respectively, in the PP analysis. No significant differences were found between two groups in terms of eradication rate, adverse effects or compliance. Oral levofloxacin 200 mg twice daily was similar in efficacy for eradicating H. pylori infection to oral levofloxacin 500 mg once daily but with lower mean total costs.

Electrochemical systems offer a versatile means for creating adaptive devices. However, the utility of electrochemical deposition is inherently limited by the properties of the electrolyte. The development of ionic liquids enables electrodeposition in high-vacuum environments and presents opportunities for creating electrochemically adaptive and regenerative spacecraft components. In this work, we developed a silver-rich, boron cluster ionic liquid (BCIL) for reversible electrodeposition of silver films. This air and moisture stable electrolyte was used to deposit metallic films in an electrochemical cell to tune the emissivity of the cell in situ, demonstrating a proof-of-concept design for spacecraft thermal control.

Background: To characterize the potential function and clinical significance of Transketolase (TKT) in esophageal cancer. Methods: High invasive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell line CE48T/VGH was used. Cellular functions in response to TKT modulation were examined, including cell growth, migration and invasion. The underlying molecules involved in the TKT regulatory mechanism were determined by western blot and confocal microscopic analysis. Clinically, TKT expressions in 76 ESCC patients were assessed by immunohistochemical (IHC) method, and the association with treatment outcome was determined. Results: TKT silencing inhibited cell migration and invasion but had a minimal effect on cell growth. This TKT silencing also induced the reversion of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as evidenced by the spindle to cuboidal morphological change, increased the expression of epithelial markers (γ-catenin), and decreased the levels of mesenchymal markers (fibronectin and N-cadherin). Mechanically, TKT was shown to modulate the EMT through the pERK-Slug/Snail-associated signaling pathway. Clinically, a high level of TKT in the cancer tissues of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was associated with poor survival ( P = 0.042). In the multivariate analysis, a high TKT level was also shown to be an independent unfavorable prognostic factor (Odds ratio: 1.827, 95% confidence interval: 1.045-3.196, P = 0.035). Conclusions: TKT contributes to esophageal cancer by promoting cell invasion via meditating EMT process. Clinically, the over-expression of TKT in ESCC patients predicts poorer survival. TKT inhibition may be a useful strategy to intervene in cancer cell invasion and metastasis, which may lead to better prognosis for ESCC patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

One species of lace bug Cochlochila bullita Stål (Heteroptera: Tingidae) was found heavily infested Orthosiphon aristatus Blume Miq., an important medicinal plant in Malaysia. A morphological re-description of C. bullita was done in order to facilitate the identification of this oligophagous insect pest. Five variables, body length and width, antenna length, tibia length and head width were measured from 15 samples from each stage. Among these variables, body length and width were used to construct the ratio for species identification; while body lengths with the other three variables were used to distinguish the nymphs from each developmental stage. The measurements of four traits except the antenna length showed significant differences between the development stages. And thus suggest the body width, tibia length and head width were suitable parameters used to distinguish the nymphal stages. However, the result on the growth factor showed only the sizes of the head followed a more constant growth rate with growth ratios (1.21-1.39) lie between the Dyar's ratio. Body length and width ratio for the adult female and male was 1.51 +/- 0.00 and 1.59 +/- 0.01, respectively. These data are pertinent for identifying developmental stages and to distinguish the species of the lace bug.

Helicobacter pylori encoded CagA is presently the only known virulence factor that is injected into gastric epithelial cells where it destroys apical junctional complexes and induces dedifferentiation of gastric epithelial cells, leading to H. pylori-related gastric carcinogensis. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which CagA mediates these changes. Caudal-related homeobox 2 (Cdx2) is an intestine-specific transcription factor highly expressed in multistage tissues of dysplasia and cancer. One specific target of Cdx2, Claudin-2, is involved in the regulation of tight junction (TJ) permeability. In this study, our findings showed that the activity of Cdx2 binding to Cdx binding sites of CdxA (GTTTATG) and CdxB (TTTTAGG) of probes corresponding to claudin-2 flanking region increased in AGS cells, infected with CagA positive wild-type strain of H. pylori, compared to CagA negative isogenic mutant-type strain. Moreover, Cdx2 upregulated claudin-2 expression at transcriptional level and translational level. In the meantime, we found that TJs of AGS cells, infected with CagA positive wild-type strain of H. pylori, compared to CagA negative isogenic mutant-type strain, were more severely destroyed, leading to wider cell gap, interference of contact, scattering and highly elevated migration of cells. Herein, this study is firstly demonstrated that H. pylori-encoded CagA disrupts TJs and induces invasiveness of AGS gastric carcinoma cells via Cdx2-dependent targeting of Claudin-2. This provides a new mechanism whereby CagA induced dedifferentiation of AGS cells, leading to malignant behavior of biology., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of formaldehyde catcher as termites repellent. Single-layered UF-bonded particleboard was post-treated with formaldehyde catcher and heat respectively. Besides that, some boards were also produced with the formaldehyde catcher was added into the resin during the blending process, called add-in method. Particleboard post-treated with formaldehyde catcher reported the most severe attack. Heat-treated particleboard showed slightly better durability than the control blocks while the add-in catcher showed the best durability among three methods. A valid test was obtained as the termites survived the first week of the test. However, all the termites were found dead at the end of the test.

Trefoil factor 1 (TFF1) is a small cysteine-rich secreted protein which is principally expressed in the superficial cells of gastric mucosa. In gastric cancer, TFF1 is downregulated and plays an important role. Gastrokine 1 (GKN1) is a secreted protein with similar expression and biological functions to TFF1. This study aimed to determine the expression and biological functions of TFF1 and the relationships between TFF1 and GKN1 in gastric cancer. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect TFF1 expression in gastric cancer cell lines and tissues. The transfected and co-transfected AGS cells which stably expressed TFF1 or both TFF1 and GKN1 were generated. Phenotypic changes such as cell viability, apoptosis and cell cycle modulation were assayed in the transfected cells. We found that TFF1 expression was significantly downregulated or lost in gastric cancer cell lines, gastric dysplasia and cancer. Restoration of TFF1 expression in AGS cells suppressed tumor cell viability and arrested AGS cells in the G1-S transition phase after olomoucine treatment. However, TFF1 was unable to induce cell apoptosis. In co-transfected cells, we found that TFF1 and GKN1 did not directly interact at the protein level. GKN1 was unable to cooperate with TFF1 on cell viability suppression, cell apoptosis and differentiation. Together, these results indicate that TFF1 expression is significantly downregulated in gastric cancer. TFF1 inhibited cell proliferation by delaying G1-S phase transition but not by inducing apoptosis. TFF1 may not interact or cooperate with GKN1 at the protein and functional level.

Background/aims: Gastrokine-1 is a novel protein that plays an important role in the maintenance of the integrity of the gastric mucosa. However, whether Helicobacter pylori infection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are known to cause gastric mucosal injuries, affect gastrokine-1 expression in the gastric mucosa is unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine gastric mucosal expression of gastrokine-1 in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection or long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug administration., Material and Methods: A total of 40 patients with functional dyspepsia (20 with Helicobacter pylori-negative chronic gastritis, and 20 with Helicobacter pylori-positive chronic gastritis), and 37 Helicobacter pylori-negative long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug users (26 with aspirin, 11 with selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors) were selected. In addition, 20 Helicobacter pylori-negative healthy volunteers were recruited as controls. All subjects underwent endoscopies with biopsies taken from the antrum and the sites with lesions. Gastric mucosal changes were detected endoscopically and histologically, and gastrokine-1 protein expression in the antral mucosa was analyzed by immunohistochemistry., Results: Expression of gastrokine-1 protein was decreased in Helicobacter pylori-positive chronic gastritis compared with Helicobacter pylori-negative subjects and the healthy controls. Similarly, gastrokine-1 expression in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug users was also decreased, compared with the healthy controls, but there was no significant difference in gastrokine-1 expression between the aspirin group and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor group. Moreover, gastrokine-1 expression levels tended to be associated with the severity of chronic gastritis., Conclusions: Both Helicobacter pylori infection and long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug administration downregulate gastrokine-1 expression in the gastric mucosa, which may contribute to the gastric mucosal injuries induced by these two factors.

Background: Gastrokine-1 (GKN1), a secreted protein, is specifically expressed in gastric mucosa to protect and maintain the integrity of gastric epithelium. The present study investigated differential expression of GKN1 in normal, precancerous, and cancerous gastric tissues, and explored the biological functions of GKN1 protein in gastric cancer cells., Methods: RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect GKN1 expression in normal, precancerous, cancerous gastric tissues and seven gastric cancer cell lines. Gene transfection was used to restore GKN1 expression in gastric cancer AGS cells. Phenotypic changes (i.e., cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle modulation, and sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to fluorouracil (5-FU)) were assayed in the transfected cells. DNA microarrays were used to analyze expression changes of apoptosis-related genes., Results: Significant downregulation or absence of GKN1 expression in seven gastric cancer cell lines were detected and progressive decrease of GKN1 expression from normal mucosa, precancerous tissue, to cancer tissues was observed. Moreover, restoration of GKN1 expression suppressed gastric cancer cell viability and induced the cells to undergo apoptosis. GKN1 expression also enhanced tumor cell sensitivity to 5-FU treatment. Moreover, it was found that GKN1 expression in AGS cells modulated expression of 19 apoptosis-related genes., Conclusions: Expression of GKN1 is progressively lost from normal mucosa, precancerous to cancerous gastric tissues, while restoration of GKN1 expression induces gastric cancer cells to undergo apoptosis, and enhances sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to 5-FU-induced apoptosis.

The dynamics of steady state catalytic methanol oxidation on a polycrystalline Pt surface over a range of surface temperatures and reactant flow conditions were investigated by monitoring the kinetics with mass spectrometry and the internal state distribution of nascent CO(2) with tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The results indicate that CO(2) formation proceeds via three distinct reaction pathways. The first produced CO(2), which is vibrationally excited relative to CO(2) in thermal equilibrium with the surface and shows preferential excitation in the asymmetric stretch. This pathway proceeds via the decomposition of CH(3)OH and the subsequent oxidation of nascent CO adsorbed to Pt in a weakly held precursor state. CO(2) production via this pathway is favored at high surface temperatures and high oxygen coverage. The second forms CO(2), which is vibrationally deactivated relative to CO(2) in thermal equilibrium with the surface and exhibits no preferential excitation among its three nondegenerate vibrational modes or the rotational energy. This pathway involves the decomposition of CH(3)OH and subsequent oxidation of nascent CO adsorbed to Pt in a more strongly held chemisorbed state. CO(2) production via this pathway is favored at low surface temperatures and low oxygen coverage. The third forms CO(2) with preferential excitation in the asymmetric stretch but with less overall vibrational excitation than CO(2) from the first pathway and more vibrational excitation than CO(2) from the second. This third pathway occurs via the complete dehydrogenation of CH(3)OH and subsequent oxidation of nascent CO adsorbed to Pt in a bridged state bound through both ends of the molecule. CO(2) production via this pathway is favored at intermediate surface temperatures and oxygen coverage, conditions which favor overall oxidation to form CO(2).

Background: Abberant aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) expression and AhR pathway activation are involved in gastric carcinogenesis. However, the relationship between AhR pathway activation and gastric cancer progression is still unclear. In present study, we used 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD), a classic and most potent ligand of AhR, to activate AhR pathway and investigated the effect of AhR pathway activation on human gastric cancer AGS cell invasion and explored the corresponding mechanism., Results: To determine whether AhR pathway can be activated in AGS cells, we examined the expression of CYP1A1, a classic target gene of AhR pathway, following TCDD exposure. RT-PCR and western blot analysis showed that both CYP1A1 mRNA and protein expression were increased in a dose-dependent manner following TCDD treatment and AhR antagonist resveratrol (RSV) could reverse this TCDD-induced CYP1A1 expression. To determine whether TCDD treatment of AGS cells results in an induction of MMP-9 expression, we detected MMP-9 mRNA using RT-PCR and detected MMP-9 enzymatic activity using gelatin zymography. The results showed that both MMP-9 mRNA expression and enzymatic activity were gradually increased with the concentration increase of TCDD in media and these changes could be reversed by RSV treatment in a dose-dependent manner. To examine whether AhR activation-induced MMP-9 expression and activity in AGS cells results in increased migration and invasion, we performed wound healing migration assay and transwell migration and invasion assay. After TCDD treatment, the migration distance and the migration and invasion abilities of AGS cells were increased with a dose-dependent manner. To demonstrate AhR activation-induced MMP-9 expression is mediated by c-Jun, siRNA transfection was performed to silence c-Jun mRNA in AGS cells. The results showed that MMP-9 mRNA expression and activity in untreated control AGS cells were very weak; After TCDD (10 nmol/L) treatment, MMP-9 mRNA expression and activity were significant increased; This TCDD-induced MMP-9 expression and activity increase could be abolished by c-Jun siRNA transfection., Conclusion: AhR pathway activation enhances gastric cancer cell invasiveness likely through a c-Jun-dependent induction of MMP-9. Our results provide insight into the mechanism and function of the AhR pathway and its impact on gastric cancer progression.

Aim: To determine the functional significance of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in gastric carcinogenesis, and to explore the possible role of AhR in gastric cancer (GC) treatment., Methods: RT-PCR, real-time PCR, and Western blotting were performed to detect AhR expression in 39 GC tissues and five GC cell lines. AhR protein was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 190 samples: 30 chronic superficial gastritis (CSG), 30 chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), 30 intestinal metaplasia (IM), 30 atypical hyperplasia (AH), and 70 GC. The AhR agonist tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD) was used to treat AGS cells. MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis were performed to measure the viability, cell cycle and apoptosis of AGS cells., Results: AhR expression was significantly increased in GC tissues and GC cell lines. IHC results indicated that the levels of AhR expression gradually increased, with the lowest levels in CSG, followed by CAG, IM, AH and GC. AhR expression and nuclear translocation were significantly higher in GC than in precancerous tissues. TCDD inhibited proliferation of AGS cells via induction of growth arrest at the G1-S phase., Conclusion: AhR plays an important role in gastric carcinogenesis. AhR may be a potential therapeutic target for GC treatment.

Objectives: Literature on the prevalence of physical activity in Asian countries is limited, despite evidence of increasing rates of sedentary-related disease such as obesity and diabetes. It is important to establish nationally representative data in countries such as Taiwan to set up levels and patterns of activity and to inform health policy., Methods: Unpublished data from four cross-sectional nationally representative surveys comprising 29,226 people aged 20 and older were analyzed. We explored the population prevalence of meeting national recommendations for health, examined temporal change across a 4-year period, and attempted comparisons with neighboring Asian and selected westernized countries. Logistic regression analysis provided adjusted odds ratios of physical activity engagement for several demographic variables., Results: Around 14% of Taiwanese adults met national recommendations. Similar to other Asian countries, but in contrast to declines with age seen in western populations, people aged 45 and older were more likely to be active than younger people. High-risk groups for inactivity were those aged 20-44 with limited formal education and in paid employment., Conclusions: Overall prevalence in leisure-time physical activity was low. There is scope to increase active leisure for improving health, particularly among younger adults.