Colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer worldwide and the second most prevalent cause of cancer-related mortality. It is believed that alterations within the gut microbiome may impact the development and progression of... more
Colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer worldwide and the second most prevalent cause of cancer-related mortality. It is believed that alterations within the gut microbiome may impact the development and progression of cancer. Additionally, the diet an individual maintains and the amount of alcohol consumed can alter the microbiome, thus impacting the development of colorectal cancer. A diet focused on fiber intake is considered beneficial, as it contains short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, which have antitumor properties. Furthermore, current treatment strategies, such as chemotherapy, have various side effects. In this review, we discuss the role of the gut microbiome and oral bacteria in relation to colorectal cancer. We also deliberate on the role of diet and alcohol consumption in the development of colorectal cancer. Moreover, the influence of the various metabolites within the gut and the importance of gut inflammation in the development of colorectal cance...
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The free-living amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii is responsible for the central nervous infection granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and sight-threatening infection Acanthamoeba keratitis. Moreover, no effective treatment is currently... more
The free-living amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii is responsible for the central nervous infection granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and sight-threatening infection Acanthamoeba keratitis. Moreover, no effective treatment is currently present, and a combination drug therapy is used. In this study, twelve DNA minor groove binders (MGBs) were synthesized and tested for their antiamoebic activity via amoebicidal, encystation, excystation, and cytopathogenicity assays. It was found that the compounds MGB3, MGB6, MGB22, MGB24, and MGB16 significantly reduce amoeba viability to 76.20%, 59.45%, 66.5%, 39.32%, and 43.21%, respectively, in amoebicidal assays. Moreover, the compounds MGB6, MGB20, MGB22, MGB28, MGB30, MGB32, and MGB16 significantly inhibit Acanthamoeba cysts, leading to the development of only 46.3%, 39%, 30.3%, 29.6%, 27.8%, 41.5%, and 45.6% cysts. Additionally, the compounds MGB3, MGB4, MGB6, MGB22, MGB24, MGB28, MGB32, and MGB16 significantly reduce the re-emergence of cysts...
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Since the discovery of antibiotics, humans have been benefiting from them by decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with bacterial infections. However, in the past few decades, misuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of... more
Since the discovery of antibiotics, humans have been benefiting from them by decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with bacterial infections. However, in the past few decades, misuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of bacterial infections resistant to multiple drugs, a significant health concern. Bacteria exposed to inappropriate levels of antibiotics lead to several genetic changes, enabling them to survive in the host and become more resistant. Despite the understanding and targeting of genetic-based biochemical changes in the bacteria, the increasing levels of antibiotic resistance are not under control. Many reports hint at the role of epigenetic modifications in the bacterial genome and host epigenetic reprogramming due to interaction with resistant pathogens. Epigenetic changes, such as the DNA-methylation-based regulation of bacterial mutation rates or bacteria-induced histone modification in human epithelial cells, facilitate its long-term survival. In th...
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Leadership is about lifting a person’s vision, raising their productivity to higher standards and creating a personality beyond their usual capabilities. Our study examines the Pygmalion effect and leader-member exchange (LMX) on employee... more
Leadership is about lifting a person’s vision, raising their productivity to higher standards and creating a personality beyond their usual capabilities. Our study examines the Pygmalion effect and leader-member exchange (LMX) on employee task performance via organizational commitment. The data was collected from 280 middle-level managers from top ten banks in Pakistan. This study offers three main contributions to the literature. First, our results discover a strong link between the Pygmalion effect, LMX and employees’ task performance through mediation of organizational commitment. Secondly, our study indicates that leaders should have higher quality relationships with employees and higher task performance expectations. Finally, most previous studies focused on leadership approaches or have been conducted in western developed countries. To our knowledge, this study is a unique contribution to the literature on leaders’ expectations in changing and diverse environments, as in under...
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Research Interests: Business, Management Information Systems, Manufacturing, Performance, Transportation, and 9 moreSupply Chain, Clothing, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Apparel, Exporting, Developing nations, Information Systems Development And Management, Civil and Structural Engineering, and Disaster Recovery Using Operations Research and Management Science
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ABSTRACT Background: The growth and proliferation of prostate cancer (PCa) have been shown to be associated with M1 muscarinic receptor subtypes (CHRM1) stimulation, via neural acetylcholine. Though both, M1 and M3 subtype has been... more
ABSTRACT Background: The growth and proliferation of prostate cancer (PCa) have been shown to be associated with M1 muscarinic receptor subtypes (CHRM1) stimulation, via neural acetylcholine. Though both, M1 and M3 subtype has been established to be promoting growth, but the tissue distribution, implicit contribution and downstream pathways that are targeted by antagonism of these receptors remain to be established in the PCa of androgen sensitive and insensitive types. Objective: We intended to explore the differential expression pattern of CHRM1 over basal and luminal cells in PCa tissue and normal prostate. We attempt to relate the downstream signals originating from CHRM1 antagonism, to the morphological changes in PCa cell lines. In particular, we show the differences in cell death patterns and the role of antagonism at this receptor subtype, in prostate cancer growth and proliferation in-vitro on LNCaP and PC3 cell lines. Methods: PCa tissue and normal prostate tissue were examined by immunohistochemistry protocols using anti-CHRM1 antibody. The PC-3 and LNCaP were observed for changes in morphology after being challenged with CHRM1 antagonists Dicyclomine, along with the controls at different concentrations. Observations were made to record morphological cell death patterns and relate them with the molecular and biochemical events. Results: An ‘eggs in nests’ pattern of CHRM1 distribution were seen in basal and luminal cell in particular in PCa tissue in contrast to diffuse staining in the normal prostate tissue. The staining patterns similar to that of the stem cell markers, CD 133 and CD 44 staining were seen in PCa. We were able to relate the growth and proliferation inhibitory effects of Dicyclomine with known downstream pathways and morphological changes. M1 receptor antagonists in particular were seen to induce non-apoptotic death in LNCaP cell, while features consistent with apoptosis were observed in PC3 cell lines. Conclusion: CHRM1 receptor distribution seems to be more concentrated at active proliferative central zones of PCa as well as PCa cell lines. The specific M1-receptor antagonists also illustrate to have greater anti-proliferative effects at the aforementioned zones as compared to that of the cells at the periphery. Antagonism of CHRM1 receptor and the downstream pathways of the central proliferating cells, that drive the growth of PCa offer a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of PCa.
In this study, silty sand is reinforced with plastic strips to improve the engineering properties of soil. Sand and silty sand soils have been used as base materials and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) strips as reinforcement materials.... more
In this study, silty sand is reinforced with plastic strips to improve the engineering properties of soil. Sand and silty sand soils have been used as base materials and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) strips as reinforcement materials. The LDPE strips are used in various dimensions (e.g., width ranging from 6 to 15mm and length ranging from 15 to 30mm). The randomly distributed LDPE strips are added to sand and silty sand specimens at varying percentages (e.g., 0.1% to 0.3%) by weight of dry soil specimen. Direct shear tests are performed on sand and silty sand specimens in both unreinforced and reinforced conditions. Stress strain, volumetric strain (e.g., compression/dilation behaviour) and strength envelopes are plotted to investigate the improvement in the shear strength parameter (e.g., internal friction angle). The results show that in sand specimens, the maximum improvement in shearing behaviour has been achieved with strips of 6x30mm in dimensions and at 0.3%. For silty san...
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Crocodiles are remarkable animals that have the ability to endure extremely harsh conditions and can survive up to a 100 years while being exposed to noxious agents that are detrimental to Homo sapiens. Besides their immunity, we... more
Crocodiles are remarkable animals that have the ability to endure extremely harsh conditions and can survive up to a 100 years while being exposed to noxious agents that are detrimental to Homo sapiens. Besides their immunity, we postulate that the microbial gut flora of crocodiles may produce substances with protective effects. In this study, we isolated and characterized selected bacteria colonizing the gastrointestinal tract of Crocodylusporosus and demonstrated their inhibitory effects against three different cancerous cell lineages. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, several molecules were identified. For the first time, we report partial analyses of crocodile’s gut bacterial molecules.
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II LIST OF FIGURES VIII LIST OF TABLES IX DECLARATION X ABBREVIATIONS XI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS XII DISSEMINATION XIII CHAPTER
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The WNT pathway is a powerful signaling pathway that plays a crucial role in cell fate determination, survival, proliferation and movement in variety of tissues. Abnormalities in the WNT signaling pathway have been implicated in a number... more
The WNT pathway is a powerful signaling pathway that plays a crucial role in cell fate determination, survival, proliferation and movement in variety of tissues. Abnormalities in the WNT signaling pathway have been implicated in a number of diseases, most notably cancer. Recent exciting evidence suggests that WNT signaling also plays an important role in hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal and progenitor development. In this review we discuss current state of knowledge on WNT signaling in hematopoiesis and extend our focus on aberrant WNT signaling in hematological malignancies.
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The Mobile Telecommunications industry in Ghana has over the years seen telecommunication firms such as Ghana Telecom (GT) now Vodafone Ghanahas faced a lot of competition from the its competitors. Even though Vodafone the then Ghana... more
The Mobile Telecommunications industry in Ghana has over the years seen telecommunication firms such as Ghana Telecom (GT) now Vodafone Ghanahas faced a lot of competition from the its competitors. Even though Vodafone the then Ghana telecom was the incumbent but was over taken by Scancom Ghana (now trading under the brand name MTN).Due to the increase in competition among the telecommunication industries has made it important for the companies to focus on the factors customer retention. The paper outlines the causes of customer churn behavior as outlines in her study of service industry identification of additional factors to the telecommunication industry in Ghana, Susan Keaveney (1995). The main aim of the paper is to identify the most important factors that causes customer to switch and also access the relationship that exist between the factors and the switching likelihood. Using descriptive statistics, relative importance index of the various factors were also computed to obta...
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Research Interests: Botany, Plant Biology, Biology, RuBisCO, Carbonic anhydrase, and 3 moreBrassica, Dry Mass, and Dry Weight
BACKGROUND Gastric subepithelial lesions are frequently encountered during endoscopic examinations, and the majority of them are small and asymptomatic. Among these lesions, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the major concern... more
BACKGROUND Gastric subepithelial lesions are frequently encountered during endoscopic examinations, and the majority of them are small and asymptomatic. Among these lesions, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the major concern for patients and clinicians owing to their malignant potentials. Although previous guidelines suggested periodic surveillance for such small (≤ 20 mm) lesions, several patients and clinicians have still requested or prescribed repeated examinations or radical resection, posing extra medical burdens and risks. AIM To describe the clinical course of suspected small gastric GISTs and provide further evidence for surveillance strategy for tumor therapy. METHODS This single-center, retrospective study was conducted at West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Consecutive patients with suspected small gastric GISTs were reviewed from November 2004 to November 2018. GIST was suspected according to endoscopic ultrasonography features: hypoechoic lesions from muscularis propria or muscularis mucosa. Eligible patients with suspected small (≤ 20 mm) GISTs were included for analysis. Patients' demographic data, lesions' characteristics, and follow-up medical records were collected. RESULTS A total of 383 patients (male/female, 121/262; mean age, 54 years) with 410 suspected small gastric GISTs (1 lesion in 362 patients, 2 lesions in 16, 3 lesions in 4, and 4 lesions in 1) were included for analysis. The most common location was gastric fundus (56.6%), followed by body (29.0%), cardia (12.2%), and antrum (2.2%). After a median follow-up of 28 mo (interquartile range, 16-48; range, 3-156), 402 lesions (98.0%) showed no changes in size, and size of 8 lesions (2.0%) was increased (mean increment, 10 mm). Of the 8 lesions with size increment, endoscopic or surgical resection was performed in 6 patients (5 GISTs and 1 leiomyoma). For other 2 remaining patients, unroofing biopsy or endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration was carried out (2 GISTs), while no further change in size was noted over a period of 62-64 mo. CONCLUSION The majority of suspected small (≤ 20 mm) gastric GISTs had no size increment during follow-up. Regular endoscopic follow-up without pathological diagnosis may be highly helpful for such small gastric subepithelial lesions.
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The present research focused on the fabrication of biocompatible polyhydroxyalkanoate, chitosan, and hexagonal boron nitride incorporated (PHA/Ch-hBN) nanocomposites through a simple solvent casting technique. The fabricated... more
The present research focused on the fabrication of biocompatible polyhydroxyalkanoate, chitosan, and hexagonal boron nitride incorporated (PHA/Ch-hBN) nanocomposites through a simple solvent casting technique. The fabricated nanocomposites were comprehensively characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FT-IR), field emission scanning electroscope (FESEM), and elemental mapping and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The antibacterial activity of nanocomposites were investigated through time-kill method against multi drug resistant (MDR) microbes such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) K1 strains. In addition, nanocomposites have examined for their host cytotoxicity abilities using a Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay against spontaneously immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cell lines. The results demonstrated highly significant antibacterial activity against MDR organisms and also significant cell viability as compa...
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Research Interests: Microbiology, Methodology, Biology, Medicine, Clinical Microbiology, and 15 moreBiological Sciences, Antibodies, Identification, Animals, Clinical, Phage display, Isolation, Antibody, Clones, Acanthamoeba, Recombinant Proteins, Bacteriophage, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Acanthamoeba keratitis, and Medical and Health Sciences
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Acanthamoeba keratitis is a vision-threatening infection caused by pathogenic species of the genus Acanthamoeba . Although not all Acanthamoeba spp. can cause keratitis, it is important to differentiate pathogenic species and isolates... more
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a vision-threatening infection caused by pathogenic species of the genus Acanthamoeba . Although not all Acanthamoeba spp. can cause keratitis, it is important to differentiate pathogenic species and isolates from nonpathogens. Since extracellular proteases may play a role in ocular pathology, we used colorimetric, cytopathic, and zymographic assays to assess extracellular protease activity in pathogenic and nonpathogenic Acanthamoeba . Colorimetric assays, using azo-linked protein as a substrate, showed extracellular protease activity in Acanthamoeba -conditioned medium and differentiated pathogenic and nonpathogenic Acanthamoeba . Monolayers of immortalized corneal epithelial cells in four-well plates were used for cytopathic effect (CPE) assays. Pathogenic Acanthamoeba isolates exhibited marked CPE on immortalized corneal epithelial cells, while nonpathogenic isolates did not exhibit CPE. Protease zymography was performed with Acanthamoeba -conditioned m...
Research Interests: Colorimetry, Biology, Cytotoxicity, Medicine, Cell Culture, and 15 moreClinical Microbiology, Biological Sciences, Contact Lenses, Humans, Contact Lens, Animals, Clinical, Fresh water, Gel electrophoresis, Acanthamoeba, Extracellular, Clinical Diagnosis, Acanthamoeba keratitis, Conditioned medium, and Medical and Health Sciences
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This paper sets out to determine whether silver nanoparticles conjugation enhance the antibacterial efficacy of clinically approved drugs. Silver conjugated Cephradine and Vildagliptin were synthesized and thoroughly characterized by... more
This paper sets out to determine whether silver nanoparticles conjugation enhance the antibacterial efficacy of clinically approved drugs. Silver conjugated Cephradine and Vildagliptin were synthesized and thoroughly characterized by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic methods, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. Using antibacterial assays, the effects of drugs alone and drugs-conjugated with silver nanoparticles were tested against a variety of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria including neuropathogenic Escherichia coli K1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Cytopathogenicity assays were performed to determine whether pretreatment of bacteria with drugs inhibit bacterial-mediated host cell cytotoxicity. The UV-vis spectra of both silver-drug nanoconjugates showed a char...
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First discovered in the early 1970s, Acanthamoeba keratitis has remained a major eye infection and presents a significant threat to the public health, especially in developing countries. The aim is to present a timely review of our... more
First discovered in the early 1970s, Acanthamoeba keratitis has remained a major eye infection and presents a significant threat to the public health, especially in developing countries. The aim is to present a timely review of our current understanding of the advances made in this field in a comprehensible manner and includes novel concepts and provides clear directions for immediate research priorities. We undertook a search of bibliographic databases for peer-reviewed research literature and also summarized our published results in this field. The present review focuses on novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in details which can provide access to management and treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis. This coupled with the recently available genome sequence information together with high throughput genomics technology and innovative approaches should stimulate interest in the rational design of preventative and therapeutic measures. Current treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis...
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Amoebae from the genus Acanthamoeba are facultative pathogens of humans and other animals. In humans they most frequently infect the eye causing a sight threatening infection known as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), and also cause an often... more
Amoebae from the genus Acanthamoeba are facultative pathogens of humans and other animals. In humans they most frequently infect the eye causing a sight threatening infection known as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), and also cause an often fatal encephalitis (GAE). A mannose-binding protein (MBP) has been identified as being important for Acanthamoeba infection especially in AK. This lectin has previously been characterized from Acanthamoeba castellanii as consisting of multiple 130 kDa subunits. MBP expression correlates with pathogenic potential and is expressed in a number of Acanthamoeba species. Here we report the purification of a similar lectin from Acanthamoeba culbertsoni and the production of a monoclonal antibody to it. The A. culbertsoni MBP was isolated by affinity chromatography using α-D-mannose agarose and has an apparent molecular weight of 83 kDa. The monoclonal antibody is an IgM that is useful in both western blots and immunofluorescence. We expect that this antibod...
Research Interests: Microbiology, Biology, Immunohistochemistry, Medicine, Western blotting, and 13 moreExperimental parasitology, Mice, Animals, Monoclonal Antibodies, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, Veterinary Sciences, Protozoan Proteins, Monoclonal Antibody, Acanthamoeba, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Hybridomas, Acanthamoeba keratitis, and mannose binding lectin
Glutathione reduced (GSH) is the mother of all the antioxidants and has an antimelanogenic effect. It is extremely vulnerable to oxidation in the solution form which limits its use. The GSH in nano-oil droplets present a potential... more
Glutathione reduced (GSH) is the mother of all the antioxidants and has an antimelanogenic effect. It is extremely vulnerable to oxidation in the solution form which limits its use. The GSH in nano-oil droplets present a potential solution to this problem. The aim of this study was to formulate glutathione-loaded nanoemulsion and assess its stability studies over a 90-day testing period. To formulate GSH-loaded nanoemulsion pseudo-ternary phase diagram, it was built with various concentrations of water, liquid paraffin oil, and surfactant mixture (Tween 80 and Span 80). The oily phase was prepared by dissolving the GSH (450 mg) in liquid paraffin oil through stirring. High-energy homogenization was used to prepare the nanoemulsion. From preformulation stability studies of the 28-day testing period, nanoemulsion (NE-19) with oil and surfactant mixture ratio (1:1) of hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value 10 was selected. The samples of NE-19 and its respective base (B-19) were ke...
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Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stabilized by new cationic 1‑(3‑(acetylthio)propyl)pyrazin‑1‑ium ligand (PPTA) were synthesized. AuNPs stabilized by PPTA (PPTA-AuNPs) were found to be spherical and polydispersed with the average size of 60 nm.... more
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stabilized by new cationic 1‑(3‑(acetylthio)propyl)pyrazin‑1‑ium ligand (PPTA) were synthesized. AuNPs stabilized by PPTA (PPTA-AuNPs) were found to be spherical and polydispersed with the average size of 60 nm. Human neuroblastoma (SHSY-5Y) cells permeability of PPTA-AuNPs was found to be a key feature to study the intracellular quenching of Fe(III) proliferative activity. In vitro MTT assay revealed non-cytotoxicity of PPTA and PPTA-AuNPs at 100 μM concentration, while treatment of 100 μM of Fe(III) with SHSY-5Y cells resulted into higher cells viability. Contrary, a mixture of 1:1 Fe(III) with PPTA-AuNPs showed no change in the viability of cells at same concentration which suggests the intracellular complexation and recognition of Fe(III) by PPTA-AuNPs. AFM morphological analysis of SHSY-5Y cells also supported the MTT assay results, and it is safe to conclude that PPTA-AuNPs can be used as Fe(III) probes in living cells. In addition, Fe(III) caused a ...
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Gold nanoparticles are useful candidate for drug delivery applications and are associated with enhancement in the bioavailability of coated drugs and/or therapeutic agent. Since, heterocyclic compounds are known to exhibit antimicrobial... more
Gold nanoparticles are useful candidate for drug delivery applications and are associated with enhancement in the bioavailability of coated drugs and/or therapeutic agent. Since, heterocyclic compounds are known to exhibit antimicrobial potential against variety of pathogens, we designed this study to evaluate the antibacterial effects of gold nanoparticles conjugation with new synthesized cationic ligand; 4-Dimethyl aminopyridinium propylthioacetate (DMAP-PTA) in comparison with pure compound and antibiotic drug Pefloxacin. Antibacterial activity of DMAP-PTA coated gold nanoparticles was investigated against a fecal strain of E. coli (ATCC 8739). A new dimethyl aminopyridine based stabilizing agent named as DMAP-PTA was synthesized and used for stabilization of gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles coated with DMAP-PTA abbreviated as DMAP-PTA-AuNPs were thoroughly characterized by UV-visible, FT-IR spectroscopic methods and transmission electron microscope before biological assay....
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The overall aim of this study was to determine whether conjugation with silver nanoparticles enhances effects of available drugs against primary amoebic meningoencephalitis due to Naegleria fowleri. Amphotericin B, Nystatin, and... more
The overall aim of this study was to determine whether conjugation with silver nanoparticles enhances effects of available drugs against primary amoebic meningoencephalitis due to Naegleria fowleri. Amphotericin B, Nystatin, and Fluconazole were conjugated with silver nanoparticles, and synthesis was confirmed using UV-visible spectrophotometry. Atomic force microscopy determined their size in range of 20-100 nm. To determine amoebicidal effects, N. fowleri were incubated with drugs-conjugated silver nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles alone, and drugs alone. The findings revealed that silver nanoparticles conjugation significantly enhanced antiamoebic effects of Nystatin and Amphotericin B but not Fluconazole at micromolar concentrations, compared with the drugs alone. For the first time, our findings showed that silver nanoparticle conjugation enhances efficacy of antiamoebic drugs against N. fowleri. Given the rarity of the disease and challenges in developing new drugs, it is ho...
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The ultimate treatment of chronic kidney disease is renal transplant. Patients with CKD who need temporary haemodialysis have to have indwelling catheters. The catheters used are either temporary or permacath (A permacath is a piece of... more
The ultimate treatment of chronic kidney disease is renal transplant. Patients with CKD who need temporary haemodialysis have to have indwelling catheters. The catheters used are either temporary or permacath (A permacath is a piece of plastic tubing very similar to jugular catheter used for haemodialysis). The issues with these catheters are stenosis of central vein especially subclavian. Central venous stenosis leads to impairment in optimal dialysis. We report two cases of central venous stenosis in which patients presented with pain and oedema of the arm. Venogram showed totally occluded right subclavain vein and left innominate vein. Venoplasty was done which on followup showed a normalization of arm and resumption of dialysis through AV fistula. .
Research Interests: Surgery, Dialysis, Fistula, Medicine, Clinical Sciences, and 4 moreJugular Vein, Catheter, Subclavian Vein, and stenosis
Biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria is one of the major threats in hospital related infections, hence inhibiting and eradicating biofilms has become a primary target for developing new anti-infection approaches. The present study was... more
Biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria is one of the major threats in hospital related infections, hence inhibiting and eradicating biofilms has become a primary target for developing new anti-infection approaches. The present study was aimed to develop novel antibiofilm agents against two Gram-positive bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 43300) and Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) using gold nanomaterials conjugated with 3-(diphenylphosphino)propionic acid (Au-LPa). Gold nanomaterials with different sizes as 2-3 nm small and 9-90 nm (50 nm average size) large were stabilized by LPa via different chemical synthetic strategies. The nanomaterials were fully characterized using atomic force microscope (AFM), transmission electron microscope, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Antibiofilm activity of Au-LPa nanomaterials was tested using LPa alone, Au-LPa and unprotected gold nanomaterials against the both biofilm-producin...
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Research Interests: Microbiology, Malaysia, Biology, Medicine, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and 15 moreCellulase, Experimental parasitology, Humans, Contact Lens, Streptococcus Pyogenes, Trichoderma, Antimicrobial, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Chlorhexidine, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Veterinary Sciences, Acanthamoeba, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Keratitis, and Acanthamoeba keratitis
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Cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) are fundamental drivers of the cell cycle and are required for the initiation and progression of various malignancies. Pharmacological inhibitors of CDK4/6 have shown significant activity against... more
Cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) are fundamental drivers of the cell cycle and are required for the initiation and progression of various malignancies. Pharmacological inhibitors of CDK4/6 have shown significant activity against several solid tumours. Their primary mechanism of action is thought to be the inhibition of phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor, inducing G1 cell cycle arrest in tumour cells. Here we use mouse models of breast carcinoma and other solid tumours to show that selective CDK4/6 inhibitors not only induce tumour cell cycle arrest, but also promote anti-tumour immunity. We confirm this phenomenon through transcriptomic analysis of serial biopsies from a clinical trial of CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment for breast cancer. The enhanced anti-tumour immune response has two underpinnings. First, CDK4/6 inhibitors activate tumour cell expression of endogenous retroviral elements, thus increasing intracellular levels of double-stranded RNA. This i...
Research Interests: Biology, Cell Cycle, Cancer Research, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, and 15 moreNature, Signal Transduction, Transcriptome, Humans, Mice, Female, Animals, Viruses, Antigen Presentation, Phosphorylation, Cell cycle checkpoints, Cell Proliferation, Protein Kinase Inhibitors, retinoblastoma protein (RB1)., and Breast Neoplasms
Rotavirus and pathogenic free-living amoebae are causative agents of important health problems, especially for developing countries like Pakistan where the population has limited access to clean water supplies. Here, we evaluated the... more
Rotavirus and pathogenic free-living amoebae are causative agents of important health problems, especially for developing countries like Pakistan where the population has limited access to clean water supplies. Here, we evaluated the prevalence of rotavirus and free-living amoebae (Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, Naegleria fowleri) in drinking water supplies of Karachi, Pakistan. Six water filtration plants that supply drinking water to the population of Karachi were investigated. Additionally, drinking water samples from households were analyzed for the presence of rotavirus and free-living amoebae. Rotavirus was present in 35% of the water samples collected from water filtration plants; however, domestic tap water samples had a prevalence of only 5%. Out of 20 water samples from filtration plants, 13 (65%) were positive for Acanthamoeba spp., and one (5%) was positive for B. mandrillaris. Out of 20 drinking water samples collected from different areas of Karachi, 35% w...
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The optimal antithrombotic treatment during a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is not known. This single center registry study aims to assess the safety of a novel antithrombotic regimen combining enoxaparine and... more
The optimal antithrombotic treatment during a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is not known. This single center registry study aims to assess the safety of a novel antithrombotic regimen combining enoxaparine and prasugrel at presentation, followed by bivalirudin at the catheterisation laboratory. All consecutive patients who underwent a pPCI were collected prospectively. The primary endpoint was major bleeding within 30 days. The secondary endpoints were a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) consisting of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, a new target vessel revascularisation and all-cause mortality at 30 days. Ninety-nine out of the total of 390 patients were treated according to the new regimen (protocol-treated group). The rest received other antithrombotic treatment (non-protocol-treated group). The protocol-treated group had a lower risk than the non-protocol-treated group according to the GRACE ischae...
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To identify the prevalence of Acanthamoeba in drinking water treatment plants during the course of the purification processes. Methods: Samples were taken from two drinking water purification plants and monitored for the presence of... more
To identify the prevalence of Acanthamoeba in drinking water treatment plants during the course of the purification processes. Methods: Samples were taken from two drinking water purification plants and monitored for the presence of Acanthamoeba in order to estimate the removal capacity of treatment methods employed. Water samples were collected at each step in the purification, during the one year survey, and analysed for the presence of Acanthamoeba spp. by plating on bacterial-seeded plates. Results: The results showed that amoebae were present in surface raw waters in 100% of the samples tested. Acanthamoeba spp. were isolated from 71% and 57% of the water samples collected from post flat-bottom clarifier 1 and post-sedimentation plant respectively. Considering the outflow drinking waters, the removal capacity was 100% in both purification plants monitored. The occurrence of Acanthamoeba was not associated with seasonality. Conclusion: These findings confirm that water purification plants employing methods of flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration in combination with activated charcoal filtration, ozonisation and chlorination exhibited sufficient Acanthamoeba removal capacity and the presence of amoebae in the tap water may be due to older plumbing, water storage tanks, tap water hygiene, and/or environmental settings.
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Food poisoning remains a major health problem, affecting both industrialized and developing countries. Here, we show that essential oils from Ocimum basilicum (basil), Thymus vulgaris (thyme), Origanum vulgare (oregano) exhibit... more
Food poisoning remains a major health problem, affecting both industrialized and developing countries. Here, we show that essential oils from Ocimum basilicum (basil), Thymus vulgaris (thyme), Origanum vulgare (oregano) exhibit bactericidal properties against Bacillus cereus in rice-based foods. The optimal bactericidal activities were observed at room temperature in a concentration-dependent manner.
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... The research methodology comprised of qualitative and quantitative approaches. ... firms without the same corporate resources were unable to afford ERP systems, which may allow them ... In a recent study, it was estimated that the TCO... more
... The research methodology comprised of qualitative and quantitative approaches. ... firms without the same corporate resources were unable to afford ERP systems, which may allow them ... In a recent study, it was estimated that the TCO (ie the acquisition, maintenance, and support ...
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This compilation will serve as an essential reference for microbiologists, immunologists, and physicians in the field of basic and medical microbiology, as well as an invaluable reference for new and experienced researchers who wish to understand this organism better. This book is the definitive ...more