Forests form the dominant natural ecosystem in Malaysia. About 55% of Malaysian land area is forested and endows a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Peat swamp forests constitute a significant ...component of forest and account for about 75% of the country's total wetlands. Many peat swamp forests have already been converted to new land uses including palm oil plantations, agriculture and housing. The south-east Pahang peat swamp forest (SEPPSF), located at Pahang state is the largest peat swamp forest cover in Peninsular Malaysia and is believed to be the mainland Asia's largest and intact peat swamp forest. It harbours unique flora and fauna, provides benefits and services of national interest and supports the livelihood of the aborigines (Orang Asli) communities. Many of the benefits and services from peat swamp forests are unpriced and this can lead to faulty land use decision making. Non market valuation can provide important information on the value of many currently unpriced items and enable decision makers to consider the opportunity costs of proposed land use changes. Total economic value (TEV), which includes use and non-use values, is a complex method to determine the estimated total benefits for a tropical forest. This study reports on a contingent valuation study of existence value (non-use value) of the SEPPSF. The economic value is based on the mean maximum willingness to pay of the households in Kuantan (the capital city of Pahang state) to conserve the forest.
Abstract The evasion of anti-growth signaling is an important characteristic of cancer cells. In order to continue to proliferate, cancer cells must somehow uncouple themselves from the many signals ...that exist to slow down cell growth. Here, we define the anti-growth signaling process, and review several important pathways involved in growth signaling: p53, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), retinoblastoma protein (Rb), Hippo, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), AT-rich interactive domain 1A (ARID1A), Notch, insulin-like growth factor (IGF), and Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) pathways. Aberrations in these processes in cancer cells involve mutations and thus the suppression of genes that prevent growth, as well as mutation and activation of genes involved in driving cell growth. Using these pathways as examples, we prioritize molecular targets that might be leveraged to promote anti-growth signaling in cancer cells. Interestingly, naturally occurring phytochemicals found in human diets (either singly or as mixtures) may promote anti-growth signaling, and do so without the potentially adverse effects associated with synthetic chemicals. We review examples of naturally occurring phytochemicals that may be applied to prevent cancer by antagonizing growth signaling, and propose one phytochemical for each pathway. These are: epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) for the Rb pathway, luteolin for p53, curcumin for PTEN, porphyrins for Hippo, genistein for GDF15, resveratrol for ARID1A, withaferin A for Notch and diguelin for the IGF1-receptor pathway. The coordination of anti-growth signaling and natural compound studies will provide insight into the future application of these compounds in the clinical setting.
This work presents a new synthesis and characterization of Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 films by one step electrodeposition with free sulfurization annealing treatment at different applied potentials. This ...study highlights the effect of applied potential and annealing treatment on the properties of CZTS deposited films. X-ray Diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were employed to assess the structure and composition of the films elaborated at -1V, −1.1V, and −1.2V vs Saturated Calomel Electrode (SCE). The morphological and optical properties were studied using Scanning Electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), respectively. The structural properties are improved by annealing treatment, while −1.1V vs SCE was found to be the optimum applied potential to prepare the Kesterite CZTS thin film with a bandgap around 1.5 eV.
•Cu2ZnSnS4 phase pure Kesterite thin film synthesized by single step free sulfurization electrodeposition on Mo substrate.•The effect of the applied potential on the structural, and the morphological properties of samples has been considered.•The CZTS thin film crystallinity increased with the annealing treatment.•The Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film optical properties was improved by the annealing treatment.
summary Nylon denture base material could be a useful alternative to poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in special circumstances such as patient allergy to the monomer. The aim of this study was to ...evaluate the flexural properties of a nylon denture base material (Lucitone FRS), a conventional compression‐moulded heat‐polymerized (Meliodent), a compression‐moulded microwave‐polymerized (Acron MC) and an injection‐moulded microwave‐polymerized (Lucitone 199) PMMA polymers. The effect of aldehyde‐free, oxygen releasing disinfectant solution (Perform®) on these properties was also investigated. The flexural modulus and the flexural strength were assessed with a three‐point bending test. Specimens were stored in water at a temperature of 37 °C for 30 days. For each material, half of the prepared specimens were randomly selected and immersed in the disinfectant 24 h prior to testing. Results were compared statistically at a confidence level of 95%. The result showed that in both the control and disinfected groups, the flexural modulus of nylon was significantly lower than the three PMMA polymers. The flexural strength of nylon was significantly lower than those of Meliodent and Acron MC but was comparable with Lucitone 199. A 24‐h immersion in the disinfecting solution increased the rigidity of nylon denture base material.
Intravenous (IV) thrombolysis with alteplase (rt-PA) is effective in ischaemic stroke. The primary objective was to evaluate predictors of functional outcome in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients ...treated with IV rt-PA. The secondary objective was to assess the outcome with the modified Rankin scale (mRS). We also examined the predictive value of the Totaled Health Risks in Vascular Events (THRIVE) score.
AIS patients treated with IV rt-PA from February 2012 to August 2016 were recruited. Demographic data, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, timing and neuroradiological findings were recorded. Patients received a dose of 0.9 mg/kg IV rt-PA within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. mRS score was evaluated at discharge and three months, and good and poor clinical outcomes were defined as scores of 0-2 and 3-6, respectively. Baseline THRIVE scores were assessed.
36 patients received IV rt-PA. 20 (55.6%) patients had an mRS score of 0-2 at three months. Based on THRIVE score, 86.1% had a good or moderately good prognosis. On univariate analysis, poor outcome was associated with NIHSS score before rt-PA (p = 0.03), THRIVE score (p = 0.02), stroke subtype (p = 0.049) and diabetes mellitus (DM; p = 0.06). Multiple logistic regression showed that outcome was significantly associated with NIHSS score before rt-PA (p = 0.032) and DM (p = 0.010).
Our newly developed Malaysian IV rt-PA service is safe, with similar outcomes to the published literature. Functional outcome after thrombolysis was associated with baseline NIHSS score and DM.
Abstract
Chronic respiratory disease (CRD) and pullorum disease (PD) are important bacterial infectious diseases in poultry farms caused by
Mycoplasma gallisepticum
(MG) and
Salmonella pullorum
(SP), ...respectively. CRD and PD lead to the economic losses of poultry farms. Infected poultry can be the potential carriers to infect the healthy one. Environmental factors such as weather and management system are the predisposition factors that contribute to the CRD and PD case rate. This study aimed to detect antibody against MG and SP for recognizing MG and SP infection in layer, broiler, and native chickens from Suka bumi. The antibody detection was conducted using Rapid Serum Agglutination (RSA) technique to chicken serum samples (each group n =35). The study revealed that the seropositive results of MG and SP, were 34.29% and 2.86% in layers, 17.14% and 37.14% in broilers, 42.86% and 11.43% in native chickens. The findings showed that MG and SP can infect various kind of chickens so routine method to detect MG and SP is required. RSA as an easy, fast, low cost, and sensitive technique was capable to detect MG and SP serologically. RSA can be used to control and anticipate the climate change challenge that affects the flock health status.
Pathological aspects of the hyper‐complex aging process potently control the generation of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Pathological aging and ...neurodegeneration are share many functional commonalities, i.e. progressive loss of cell stress resilience, oxidative DNA damage and metabolic dysfunction. This loss of stress resistance, results in the accumulation of damage, leading to systemic dysfunction and eventual cell death.
It is currently conceptualized that complex physiological process, such as aging, are likely controlled through hierarchical coordination of focused signaling systems by ‘hub’ or ‘keystone’ proteins. These master‐regulator proteins have the ability to coordinate responses to dynamic molecular events through coherent organization of protein‐protein interactions with multiple distinct partners, bridging multiple signaling pathways and coordinating multisystem processes, such as aging. G protein‐coupled receptor kinase interacting protein 2 (GIT2) has been identified as a keystone protein in neurometabolic aging: GIT2 functionality is strongly associated with oxidative stress, DNA damage, metabolic dysfunction, immunesenescence and lifespan alterations. As a G protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) interacting protein, it is however possible to control this protein through a proxy modulator. It has long been established that GPCR activity influencing the expression levels of their interacting/signaling proteins – thus creating a self‐reinforcing signaling system. Transcriptomic analysis of the GIT2 knockout mouse tissues, showed that one GPCR was consistently downregulated in the absence of GIT2, namely Relaxin Family Peptide 3 receptor (RXFP3). The RXFP3 receptor demonstrates multiple functional synergies with GIT2, i.e. glucose metabolism regulation and responsiveness to oxidative stress and stress resilience. Using an unbiased approach to generate comprehensive in cellula activity signatures as well as investigation of functional RXFP3‐interactomes we found strong evidence for RXFP3 roles in DNA damage repair, oxidative stress management, cell cycle arrest control, and glucose metabolism functionalities. These data support the existence of a tight functional synergy between RXFP3 and GIT2 – potentially via direct signaling association. We confirmed this functional interaction using co‐immunoprecipitation, microscopy, and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). As RXFP3 expression alteration should be able to affect GIT2 expression –thus reinforcing this signaling unit, we also also demonstrated expression co‐regulation of both partners. Lastly, we investigated RXFP3 expression in a mouse model for age‐associated neurodegeneration (Granulin KO mice) – as with GIT2 expression in aging we found RXFP3 increases in expression with age and neurodegeneration. We hypothesize that age‐related stresses reinforce a tight functional association between RXFP3 and GIT2, thus forging an important therapeutic target system that regulates cellular degradation and controls disease etiology.
Support or Funding Information
FWO‐Odysseus and FWO Travel Grant
This is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this published in The FASEB Journal.
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