A review of acetabular fracture patterns, etiologies, and management in Jordan.

OBJECTIVES: To review the epidemiology of acetabular fractures in Jordan and to provide a base to advance high-level clinical research in the future. METHODS: A total of 141 acetabular fractures admitted to King Hussein Medical City, Amman, Jordan, from July 2018 to December 2022 were reviewed retrospectively. Fractures were classified according to Judet and Letournel and were analyzed regarding age, gender, the cause of injury, fracture classification, mode of treatment, and associated nerve and other body part injuries. RESULTS: Males represented 84.4% of patients. The mean age was 42.52 (±17.655) years, and the age group from 20 to 39 represented 54.6% of patients. Road traffic accidents caused 56.7% of injuries, and 53.9% had other accompanying injuries. Posterior wall fractures were the most common (37.6%) patterns, and femoral head dislocation was reported in 28.4%. Posttraumatic and iatrogenic sciatic nerve injuries were reported in 7% of patients. The mean time from admission to surgery was 7.62 (±7.915) days; 66% of patients received surgical treatment, and 83.9% had a satisfactory reduction. CONCLUSION: Acetabular fractures are uncommon injuries, with road traffic accidents being the most common cause of injury. Posterior wall fracture was the most frequent pattern; most patients were males. Our results are comparable to the literature. However, we recommend future studies to measure the outcome of acetabular fracture management.

Multi-omics network model reveals key genes associated with p-coumaric acid stress response in an industrial yeast strain.

The production of ethanol from lignocellulosic sources presents increasingly difficult issues for the global biofuel scenario, leading to increased production costs of current second-generation (2G) ethanol when compared to first-generation (1G) plants. Among the setbacks encountered in industrial processes, the presence of chemical inhibitors from pre-treatment processes severely hinders the potential of yeasts in producing ethanol at peak efficiency. However, some industrial yeast strains have, either naturally or artificially, higher tolerance levels to these compounds. Such is the case of S. cerevisiae SA-1, a Brazilian fuel ethanol industrial strain that has shown high resistance to inhibitors produced by the pre-treatment of cellulosic complexes. Our study focuses on the characterization of the transcriptomic and physiological impact of an inhibitor of this type, p-coumaric acid (pCA), on this strain under chemostat cultivation via RNAseq and quantitative physiological data. It was found that strain SA-1 tend to increase ethanol yield and production rate while decreasing biomass yield when exposed to pCA, in contrast to pCA-susceptible strains, which tend to decrease their ethanol yield and fermentation efficiency when exposed to this substance. This suggests increased metabolic activity linked to mitochondrial and peroxisomal processes. The transcriptomic analysis also revealed a plethora of differentially expressed genes located in co-expressed clusters that are associated with changes in biological pathways linked to biosynthetic and energetical processes. Furthermore, it was also identified 20 genes that act as interaction hubs for these clusters, while also having association with altered pathways and changes in metabolic outputs, potentially leading to the discovery of novel targets for metabolic engineering toward a more robust industrial yeast strain.

Micrograph analysis of morphological alteration and cellular damage of fruit rot fungal pathogens treated with Averrhoa bilimbi fruit and Garcinia mangostana pericarp ethanolic extracts.

The aim of this study is to assess the antifungal action of Averrhoa bilimbi fruit and Garcinia mangostana pericarp ethanolic extracts in altering the morphology and causing cellular damage of Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium proliferatum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Lasiodiplodia theobromae. The pathogens were cultured on media containing both extracts individually and carbendazim as positive control, whereas media alone as negative control. All samples were processed for microscopy observations using scanning (SEM) and transmission electron (TEM) microscopes. Observation via SEM showed significant alterations in the hyphae of F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum and C. gloeosporioides compared to the control in which the hyphae were in normal form. However, no significant alteration in hyphae had been observed in the treated plate compared to the control for L. theobromae. The development of calcium carbonate crystals was also observed abundantly in control compared to treated pathogens for F. oxysporum and F. proliferatum only. This indicated that the plant extracts can inhibit some metabolic processes in the pathogens too. Observations via TEM had been conducted for F. proliferatum and C. gloeosporioides, respectively. The results showed disintegration of cytoplasmic organelles and cell wall, intense vacuolization and lyses part of fungal cells. The plant extracts have equivalent or even greater effects compared to commercial fungicide carbendazim.

Chemical compositions, antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic effects of Alhagi mannifera five extracts.

OBJECTIVES: Plants were used as medicines thousands of years ago. Conventional medicine use is increasing and many of the currently used drugs are extracted from herbal sources. In Palestinian traditional medicine, the Alhagi mannifera plant is used for the treatment of cancer. Our study aimed to extract this plant using five solvent fractions, identifying their chemical compositions, and evaluating their antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects. METHODS: The successive technique was used to extract five solvent fractions of A. mannifera. While the spectral analysis was used to characterize quantitatively and qualitatively the chemical components of these extracts. The antimicrobial activity of plant extracts was evaluated against seven microbial strains using a broth micro-dilution assay. The cytotoxic activity was assessed using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay against cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). RESULTS: A total of 165 compounds were identified in A. mannifera different extracts. In the petroleum ether extract were found a total of 55 compounds. The major compounds were 2,5-cyclooctadien-1-ol (9.42%), 3-chloropropionic acid, heptyl ester (9.42%), carbonic acid, ethyl nonyl ester (9.42%) and chloroacetic acid. In methylene chloride extract a total of 11 compounds were found, and the major compounds were m-ainobenzenesulfonyl fluoride (14.35%), dodecane,2,6,10-trimethyl- (14.35%) and propanoic acid,2,2-dimethyl-,2-ethylexyl ester (14.35%). In chloroform extract, a total of 23 compounds were found. The major compounds were 5-ethyl-1-nonene (21.28%), and decanedioic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester (21.28%). In acetone extract were found a total of 47 compounds and the major compound was phenol,2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)- (5.22%). In methanol extract a total of 29 compounds were found and the major compounds were 3-o-methyl-d-glucose (10.79%), myo-inositol, 2-c-methyl- (10.79%), myo-inositol, 4-c-methyl- (10.79%), and scyllo-inositol,1C-methyl- (10.79%). All extracts showed antimicrobial activity. However, the petroleum ether extract showed the most potent antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, MRSA, and Candida albicans with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 1.25, 1.25, 6.25, 0.325, 6.25, and 1.56 µg/mL, respectively. De facto, chloroform extract followed by ether extract displayed potential cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 0.2 and 1.2 mg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A. mannifera was found to contain a variety of phytochemicals and its chloroform extract showed a potent cytotoxic effect on HeLa cancer cells. In addition, petroleum ether showed potent antimicrobial agents and these extracts look promising as drug candidates. Further in vivo investigations should be conducted to provide the basis for developing new cancer and microbial infections treatments.

Associated genetic polymorphisms and clinical manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus in Asian populations - A systematic literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic and life-threatening autoimmune disease. Its prevalence and clinical manifestations are known to be particularly severe in the Asian populations. Although genetics is known to play an important role in SLE susceptibility and clinical manifestations, the specific polymorphisms associated with these phenotypes in Asia are unclear. Therefore, we aim to review the association of SLE genetic polymorphisms with lupus manifestations across Asian populations and their role in the pathogenesis of SLE. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, EBSCOHost, and Web of Science. We identified 22 casecontrol studies that matched our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Information such as study characteristics, genetic polymorphisms associated with SLE, and organ manifestations was extracted and reported in this review. RESULTS: In total, 30 polymorphisms in 16 genes were found to be associated with SLE among Asians. All included polymorphisms also reported associations with various SLE clinical features. The association of rs1234315 in TNFSF4 linking to SLE susceptibility (P=4.17x10-17 OR=1.45 95% CI=1.34-1.59) and musculoskeletal manifestation (P=3.35x10-9, OR=1.37, 95%CI= 1.23-1.51) might be the most potential biomarkers to differentiate SLE between Asian and other populations. In fact, these associated genetic variants were found in loci that were implicated in immune systems, signal transduction, gene expression that play important roles in SLE pathogenesis. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: This review summarized the potential correlation between 30 genetic polymorphisms associated with SLE and its clinical manifestations among Asians. More efforts in dissecting the functional implications and linkage disequilibrium of associated variants may be required to validate these findings.

Ephedra alata fruit extracts: phytochemical screening, anti-proliferative activity and inhibition of DPPH, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase enzymes.

BACKGROUND: Discovering and screening for potential anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anticancer, and antioxidant treatments from natural products still in recent times the main goal for many pharmaceutical scientists. The present investigation aimed to evaluate the chemical constituents of Ephedra alata fruits various extracts and to assess their antioxidant, antiobesity, antidiabetic, and cytotoxic effects. RESULT: In this work, high content of flavonoids and phenols were observed in the methanol fraction of E. alata fruits, which reached 98.95 mg of RUE/g and 33.22 mg of GAE/g, respectively. The methanol fraction has significant inhibitory activity against DPPH, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase with an IC50 value of 1.07, 9.43, 46.16, and 66.48 µg/mL. respectively. Also has anticancer activity against HeLa cancer cell line. While the acetone fraction has potent antioxidant activity with IC50 5 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: The DPPH and digestive enzymes assays results showed that the methanolic fraction of E. alata fruits has potent antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity activities, which can be an excellent candidate for biological and chemical analysis and can be further subjected for isolation of the therapeutically active compounds with anticancer potency.

Spectral characterization, antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and cyclooxygenase inhibitory activities of Aloysia citriodora essential oils collected from two Palestinian regions.

BACKGROUND: Aloysia citriodora Palau (AC) is commonly known as Lemon Verbena and has been utilized as a medicinal tea in folkloric medicine for the treatment of abdominal spasm, anxiety, and fever. The present investigation aimed to identify the chemical ingredients of AC essential oil (EO) collected from two different locations in Palestine and to assess their antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory effects. METHODS: Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) technique was used to identify the chemical components of the hydro-distilled EO from both regions, while DPPH, MTS, and COX assays were utilized to estimate the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and COX inhibitory activities of the EOs, respectively. Moreover, a broth microdilution assay was used to assess antimicrobial potentials against seven microbial strains. RESULTS: The GC/MS technique revealed the presence of 17 compounds from the AC collected from the Umm al-Fahm region and 13 compounds from the sample from the Baqa al-Gharbiyye region, while α-citral was the major component of both EOs, representing 47.62 and 43.46%, respectively. The Baqa al-Gharbiyye AC EO exerted more potent antioxidant activity than the Umm al-Fahm EO, with IC50 values of 11.74 ± 0.18 and 35.48 ± 0.14 µg/mL, respectively, while the positive control Trolox had antioxidant IC50 values of 2.45 ± 0.01 µg/mL. Interestingly, both EOs inhibited more potential activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Proteus vulgaris than Ciprofloxacin and Ampicillin antibiotics and also showed more potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans than Fluconazole. Moreover, the Baqa al-Gharbiyye AC EO had a more potent cytotoxic effect than the Umm al-Fahm EO, with IC50 values of 84.5 ± 0.24 and 33.31 ± 0.01 µg/mL, respectively, compared with Doxorubicin, which had an IC50 dose of 22.01 ± 1.4 µg/mL. The EOs from Baqa al-Gharbiyye showed potent activity against both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, with IC50 of 52.93 ± 0.13 and 89.31 ± 0.21 µg/mL, respectively, while the EOs from the Umm al-Fahm region showed weaker activity against these enzymes, with IC50 of 349.99 ± 0.33 and 1326.37 ± 1.13 µg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: Both characterized EOs have a huge variety of chemical components. The Baqa al-Gharbiyye AC EO has more potent antioxidant and cytotoxic activities than the Umm al-Fahm EO, but both have potential antimicrobial activity against MRSA, P. vulgaris, and C. albicans. These results suggest the use of AC EOs as promising sources of active ingredients in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.

Antiamylase, Antilipase, Antimicrobial, and Cytotoxic Activity of Nonea obtusifolia (Willd.) DC. from Palestine.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants are widely used in many cultures, traditions, and civilizations worldwide. Plants with high contents of the valuable biological compounds can efficiently cure many diseases. This study is aimed at assessing, for the first time, the anti-α-amylase, antilipase, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of Nonea obtusifolia (Willd.) DC. of five extracts from Palestine. METHODS: The antimicrobial activity was estimated using well diffusion method for N. obtusifolia plant of five extracts against eight ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) and clinical isolates. The cytotoxic effects for these extracts were evaluated against HeLa (cervical) carcinoma cells using MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assay. Moreover, the lipase and α-amylase inhibitory properties were determined using standard biomedical assays. RESULTS: The acetone extract of N. obtusifolia plant showed a more potent α-amylase inhibitory compared with acarbose with IC50 values of 25.7 ± 0.08 and 28.18 ± 1.22 µg/ml, respectively. Additionally, the acetone and methanol extracts revealed moderate antilipase activity compared to orlistat with IC50 values of 30.19 ± 0.11, 33.11 ± 0.13, and 12.3 ± 0.35 µg/ml, respectively. The methylene chloride extract was found to inhibit the growth of all the tested bacterial and fungal strains and also found to have potential cytotoxic effect against HeLa cancer cell line. CONCLUSION: This research work reports for the first time the biological activity of N. obtusifolia from Palestine, and the results were promising indicating that N. obtusifolia extracts contain valuable bioactive molecules that have a potential anti-α-amylase, antilipase, antibacterial, and antifungal cytotoxic potentials. Therefore, N. obtusifolia could have a medical significance in the future.

Glechoma curviflora Volatile Oil from Palestine: Chemical Composition and Neuroprotective, Antimicrobial, and Cyclooxygenase Inhibitory Activities.

The rise of the emergence of microbial resistance of antibiotics, the dangerous side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and noncompetent medications of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurodegenerative diseases prompt scientists to search for phytochemicals that could be utilized in the remedy of lethal diseases. Glechoma curviflora (Boiss.) Kuntze (Nepeta curviflora) is a medicinal herb growing in the eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea Basin and is widely consumed as a tea. The leaves of this plant have been traditionally used for the treatment of various infectious diseases. The current research was designed to identify the chemical composition of Glechoma curviflora (Boiss.) essential oil (EO) and to assess its antibacterial, antifungal, and cyclooxygenase inhibitory activities and the biophysical gating effect on AMPA receptors. Twenty phytochemicals were identified from G. curviflora leaves and flowers EO amounting to almost 100% of the total constituents using GC-MS technique, of which 1,6-dimethylspiro[4.5]decane (27.51%) 1, caryophyllene oxide (20.08%) 2, and ß-caryophyllene (18.28%) 3 were the main constituents. The biophysical properties' effect from the plant extract on various AMPA-type receptors expressed in Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293) cells was assessed by exploiting the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Microdilution assay was adopted for assessing the antimicrobial property against eight virulent microbial strains whilst the cyclooxygenase inhibition effect was accomplished utilizing COX inhibitory screening colorimetric assay G. curviflora EO displayed potent activity against P. aeruginosa (MIC = 1.25 µg/mL), S. sonnei (MIC = 3.12 µg/mL), and E. coli (MIC = 1.25 µg/mL), compared with ciprofloxacin (positive control) and potent antibacterial activity against S. aureus, MRSA, S. sonnei, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa compared to Ampicillin (2nd positive control). It also showed anti-Candida (MIC = 6.25 µg/mL) and antimold (MIC = 3.125 µg/mL) activities compared with fluconazole (antifungal positive control). Likewise, our results showed an inhibition and biophysical impact of G. curviflora on all AMPARs subunits.

Evaluation of Heavy Metal and Microbial Contamination in Green Tea and Herbal Tea Used for Weight Loss in the Palestinian Market.

The use of green tea and herbal tea for weight loss is increasing worldwide owing to the rising rates of obesity. There are concerns about the safety and quality of these herbal products owing to their increased consumption worldwide. In this study, we evaluated randomly collected samples of green tea and herbal tea and tested them for heavy metal and microbial contamination. Eighteen samples of green tea or herbal tea of widely used brands in Palestine were tested for heavy metal and microbial contamination. The results showed that 7 of the samples had toxic heavy metals such as chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb), and their concentrations were above the allowable limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, 6 of the samples that were tested had microbial contamination with high total aerobic microbial count (TAMC) and total yeast and mold count (TYMC). This could be due to improper handling and storage conditions of these herbal products. This study is the first of its kind in Palestine, and its results are forewarning to all the responsible authorities, including the Ministry of Health (MoH), to take immediate corrective actions such as quality control testing, auditing, and registration of marketed tea products.

Anti-Inflammatory and Anticoagulant Activities of Synthesized NSAID Prodrug Esters.

Paracetamol with ibuprofen or with naproxen are frequently prescribed by doctors in combination. It was found that patients using a combination of NSAID like acetaminophen and ibuprofen experienced less pain. Patients are more compliant if these two drugs are combined in an ester form and given in one dosage form. The esterified prodrugs are hydrolyzed in humans to their active forms. In this study, two esters of paracetamol combined with ibuprofen and naproxen were synthesized as prodrugs. The physiochemical properties of these products were identified. Moreover, the bioactivities of these prodrugs were tested for its anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant activities. The results showed an improved COX inhibition and anticoagulant activity compared with their parent drugs. The synthesized drugs are expected to improve patient's compliance in terms of administration frequency and will have better pharmacokinetic properties with fewer side effects.

Gene-environment interaction in chronic kidney disease among people with type 2 diabetes from The Malaysian Cohort project: a case-control study.

AIM: To examine the possible gene-environment interactions between 32 single nucleotide polymorphisms and environmental factors that could modify the probability of chronic kidney disease. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted involving 600 people with type 2 diabetes (300 chronic kidney disease cases, 300 controls) who participated in The Malaysian Cohort project. Retrospective subanalysis was performed on the chronic kidney disease cases to assess chronic kidney disease progression from the recruitment phase. We genotyped 32 single nucleotide polymorphisms using mass spectrometry. The probability of chronic kidney disease and predicted rate of newly detected chronic kidney disease progression were estimated from the significant gene-environment interaction analyses. RESULTS: Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (eNOS rs2070744, PPARGC1A rs8192678, KCNQ1 rs2237895 and KCNQ1 rs2283228) and five environmental factors (age, sex, smoking, waist circumference and HDL) were significantly associated with chronic kidney disease. Gene-environment interaction analyses revealed significant probabilities of chronic kidney disease for sex (PPARGC1A rs8192678), smoking (eNOS rs2070744, PPARGC1A rs8192678 and KCNQ1 rs2237895), waist circumference (eNOS rs2070744, PPARGC1A rs8192678, KCNQ1 rs2237895 and KCNQ1 rs2283228) and HDL (eNOS rs2070744 and PPARGC1A rs8192678). Subanalysis indicated that the rate of newly detected chronic kidney disease progression was 133 cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 115, 153), with a mean follow-up period of 4.78 (SD 0.73) years. There was a significant predicted rate of newly detected chronic kidney disease progression in gene-environment interactions between KCNQ1 rs2283228 and two environmental factors (sex and BMI). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the gene-environment interactions of eNOS rs2070744, PPARGC1A rs8192678, KCNQ1 rs2237895 and KCNQ1 rs2283228 with specific environmental factors could modify the probability for chronic kidney disease.

Antibacterial, Anticandidal, Phytochemical, and Biological Evaluations of Pellitory Plant.

Pellitory plant (Parietaria judaica (PJ)) is one of the most widely used Arabian traditional medicinal plants due to its ability to cure several infectious diseases and other illnesses. The current study is aimed at assessing the phytoconstituents, antilipase, antiamylase, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic characters of the Pellitory plant (Parietaria judaica (PJ)). Phytochemical screening and procyanidin detection were conducted according to the standard phytochemical procedures. Porcine pancreatic lipase and α-amylase inhibitory activities were carried out using p-nitrophenyl butyrate and dinitrosalicylic acid assays, respectively. In addition, antimicrobial activity was determined utilizing a microdilution assay against several bacterial and fungal strains. Besides, the cytotoxic effect against HeLa cell line was tested employing 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay. The quantitative test results revealed that the methanol fraction of PJ contains 18.55 ± 0.55 mg of procyanidin and has a potential α-amylase inhibitory activity compared with the antidiabetic drug Acarbose with IC50 values of 15.84 ± 2.25 and 28.18 ± 1.22 µg/ml, respectively. Also, it has a potential antilipase activity compared to the commercial antiobesity drug, Orlistat, with IC50 values of 38.9 ± 0.29 and 12.3 ± 0.35 µg/ml, respectively. The acetone, hexane, and methanol fractions have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against the screened bacterial strains, while the acetone fraction has shown anticandidal activity with a MIC value of 0.195 mg/ml. The PJ hexane and acetone fractions decreased HeLa cell viability significantly (p value < 0.0001) by approximately 90% at the concentration of 0.625 mg/ml. The revealed outcomes showed that the methanol fraction has strong α-amylase and lipase inhibitory characters. Besides, acetone, hexane, and methanol fractions have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, while the acetone fraction revealed potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Moreover, at low concentrations, hexane and acetone fractions have potent cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity against HeLa cancer cells. Nevertheless, PJ acetone, hexane, and methanol fractions can serve as an effective source of natural products to develop new antiobesity, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents.

Genetic Modifiers of Fetal Haemoglobin (HbF) and Phenotypic Severity in ß-Thalassemia Patients.

BACKGROUND: The phenotypic severity of ß-thalassemia is highly modulated by three genetic modifiers: ß-globin (HBB) mutations, co-inheritance of α-thalassemia and polymorphisms in the genes associated with fetal haemoglobin (HbF) production. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of HbF related polymorphisms mainly in the HBB cluster, BCL11A (B-cell CLL/lymphoma 11A) and HBS1L-MYB (HBS1-like translational GTPase-MYB protooncogene, transcription factor) with regards to clinical severity. METHODS: A total of 149 patients were included in the study. HBA and HBB mutations were characterised using multiplex PCR, Sanger sequencing and multiplex ligationdependent probe amplification. In addition, 35 HbF polymorphisms were genotyped using mass spectrometry and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCRRFLP). The genotype-phenotype association was analysed using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: Twenty-one HBB mutations were identified in the study population. Patients with HBB mutations had heterogeneous phenotypic severity due to the presence of other secondary modifiers. Co-inheritance of α-thalassemia (n = 12) alleviated disease severity of ß-thalassemia. In addition, three polymorphisms (HBS1LMYB, rs4895441 [P = 0.008, odds ratio (OR) = 0.38 (0.18, 0.78)], rs9376092 [P = 0.030, OR = 0.36 (0.14, 0.90)]; and olfactory receptor [OR51B2] rs6578605 [P = 0.018, OR = 0.52 (0.31, 0.89)]) were associated with phenotypic severity. Secondary analysis of the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms with HbF levels revealed three nominally significant SNPs: rs6934903, rs9376095 and rs9494149 in HBS1L-MYB. CONCLUSION: This study revealed 3 types of HbF polymorphisms that play an important role in ameliorating disease severity of ß-thalassemia patients which may be useful as a predictive marker in clinical management.

Corrigendum to "GC Method Validation for the Analysis of Menthol in Suppository Pharmaceutical Dosage Form".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2017/1728414.].

Chemical Constituents, Antioxidant, Cyclooxygenase Inhibitor, and Cytotoxic Activities of Teucrium pruinosum Boiss. Essential Oil.

INTRODUCTION: In traditional medicine, many pharmacological activities have already been ascribed to the genus of Teucrium plant. These include antirheumatic antispasmodic, anthelmintic, diuretic, hypoglycemic, and anticancer effects. The recent investigation aimed to characterize and estimate the chemical composition, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer potentials of the essential oil isolated by the microwave-ultrasonic apparatus from Teucrium pruinosum leaves collected from Palestine. METHODS: The essential oil (EO) was analyzed by Gas Chromatography equipped with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), while its anticancer activity was evaluated against HeLa cervical adenocarcinoma cells. The ability of T. pruinosum EO to inhibit the conversion of Arachidonic Acid (AA) to PGH2 by ovine COX-1 and human recombinant COX-2 was determined using a COX inhibitor screening assay. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the EO was evaluated on the basis of the scavenging activity with a stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, while Trolox was used as a positive control. RESULTS: Forty-four molecules were identified in T. pruinosum EO, representing 100% of the total EO. Agarospirol was found to be the most abundant component (45.53%) followed by caryophyllene (19.35%). However, the cyclooxygenase inhibitor assay revealed that T. pruinosum has potential COX-1 and Cox-2 inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 0.25 µg/ml and 0.5 µg/ml, respectively. Moreover, the T. pruinosum EO showed moderate antioxidant capacity with an IC50 value of 16.98±0.84 µg/ml in comparison with the positive control Trolox, which has an antioxidant potential with an IC50 value of 2.09±0.17 µg/ml. In addition, 250, 125, 62.5, 31.25, 15.625, 7.67, and 3.84 mg/ml of T. pruinosum EO treatments inhibited mitochondrial activity (cell viability) significantly and extremely by 90-95%. CONCLUSION: The current study provided data that revealed that the T. pruinosum EO could be a suitable candidate for use as a novel anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant medication. Further clinical trials would be required to ensure these effects and to allow the design of suitable pharmaceutical dosage forms from this natural oil.

Suicidal ideation in systemic lupus erythematosus: NR2A gene polymorphism, clinical and psychosocial factors.

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are a high-risk population for suicide. Glutamatergic neurosystem genes have been implicated in the neurobiology of depression in SLE and suicidal behaviour in general. However, the role of glutamate receptor gene polymorphisms in suicidal behaviour among SLE patients remains unclear in the context of established clinical and psychosocial factors. We aimed to investigate the association of NR2A gene polymorphism with suicidal ideation in SLE while accounting for the interaction between clinical and psychosocial factors. Methods A total of 130 SLE patients were assessed for mood disorders (MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview), severity of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), suicidal behaviour (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale), socio-occupational functioning (Work and Social Adjustment Scale), recent life events (Social Readjustment Rating Scale) and lupus disease activity (SELENA-SLE Disease Activity Index). Eighty-six out of the 130 study participants consented for NR2A genotyping. Results Multivariable logistic regression showed nominal significance for the interaction effect between the NR2A rs2072450 AC genotype and higher severity of socio-occupational impairment with lifetime suicidal ideation in SLE patients ( p = 0.038, odds ratio = 1.364, 95% confidence interval = 1.018-1.827). However, only the association between lifetime mood disorder and lifetime suicidal ideation remained significant after Bonferroni correction ( p < 0.001, odds ratio = 33.834, 95% confidence interval = 7.624-150.138). Conclusions Lifetime mood disorder emerged as a more significant factor for suicidal ideation in SLE compared with NR2A gene polymorphism main and interaction effects. Clinical implications include identification and treatment of mood disorders as an early intervention for suicidal behaviour in SLE. More adequately-powered gene-environment interaction studies are required in the future to clarify the role of glutamate receptor gene polymorphisms in the risk stratification of suicidal behaviour among SLE patients.

Correction of failure in linear antenna arrays with greedy sparseness constrained optimization technique.

This paper proposes the correction of faulty sensors using a synthesis of the greedy sparse constrained optimization GSCO) technique. The failure of sensors can damage the radiation power pattern in terms of sidelobes and nulls. The synthesis problem can recover the wanted power pattern with reduced number of sensors into the background of greedy algorithm and solved with orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) technique. Numerical simulation examples of linear arrays are offered to demonstrate the effectiveness of getting the wanted power pattern with a reduced number of antenna sensors which is compared with the available techniques in terms of sidelobes level and number of nulls.

Genetic diversity and pathogenicity of Fusarium species associated with fruit rot disease in banana across Peninsular Malaysia.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to identify the Fusarium isolates based on translation elongation factor (tef) 1α sequence, to determine the genetic diversity among isolates and species using selected microsatellite markers and to examine the pathogenicity of Fusarium isolates causing fruit rot disease of banana. METHODS AND RESULTS: One-hundred and thirteen microfungi isolates were obtained from fruit rot infected banana in Peninsular Malaysia. However, this study was focused on the dominant number of the discovered microfungi that belongs to the genus Fusarium; 48 isolates of the microfungi have been identified belonging to 11 species of Fusarium, namely Fusarium incarnatum, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium camptoceras, Fusarium solani, Fusarium concolor, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium sacchari, Fusarium concentricum and Fusarium fujikuroi. All Fusarium isolates were grouped into their respective clades indicating their similarities and differences in genetic diversity among isolates. Out of 48 Fusarium isolates tested, 42 isolates caused the fruit rot symptom at different levels of severity based on Disease Severity Index (DSI). The most virulent isolate was F. proliferatum B2433B with DSI of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: All the isolated Fusarium species were successfully identified and some of them were confirmed as the causal agents of pre- and postharvest fruit rot in banana across Peninsular Malaysia. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Our results will provide additional information regarding new report of Fusarium species in causing banana fruit rot and in the search of potential biocontrol agent of the disease.

Formulation and Development of a Validated UV-Spectrophotometric Analytical Method of Rutin Tablet.

Rutin is available in some foods, fruits, and vegetables. It has various beneficial medical effects making it useful in the treatment of various diseases. Rutin is available in different oral dosage forms such as tablets or capsules, widely available in the market. Rutin and many herbal medicines lack quality control due to unavailability of analytical methods. In this study, we formulated rutin tablet and studied its stability using a simple developed analytical method. The dissolution profile of our formulated tablet was also inspected. The results showed that our developed method was linear (R2 = 0.999), precise (% RSD = 0.026), and accurate (% recovery = 98.55-103.34). The formulated rutin tablet was stable under accelerated conditions as well as room temperature for 150 days (% assay > 91.69). The dissolution profile over 45 minutes of our formulated tablet showed a better dissolution (26.5%) compared with the internationally marketed Rutin® tablet (18.5%). This study can serve as a guideline to companies that manufacture herbal products to improve their formulated herbs and apply validated analytical methods to check the quality of their product.