Bamboo leaf-based carbon dots for efficient tumor imaging and therapy

In this study, carbon dots synthesized from bamboo leaf cellulose were used simultaneously as a staining agent and for doxorubicin delivery to target cancer cells. Owing to their nontoxic properties, the production of carbon dots from bamboo leaves is a green approach involving optimized application of bamboo tree waste. For multifunctional applications, the carbon dots were modified with 4-carboxybenzylboronic acid and doxorubicin to improve target specificity and drug delivery to HeLa tumor cells. The resulting modified carbon dots were characterized using different analytical techniques, which showed that they were biocompatible, nontoxic, and highly stable over a wide range of pH values and at high ionic strengths. Furthermore, in vitro confocal microscopy studies demonstrated their blue fluorescence and cellular pathway for entering HeLa cells via folate receptor-mediated endocytosis. Cell viability data and flow cytometry results also confirmed the selective uptake of the carbon dots by HeLa cells, which significantly enhanced cell cytotoxicity.

In this study, carbon dots synthesized from bamboo leaf cellulose were used simultaneously as a staining agent and for doxorubicin delivery to target cancer cells.     

Histological analysis of rat dental pulp tissue capped with propolis

The aim of the present study was to assess the response of rat dental pulp to direct pulp capping with propolis. Flavonoid and non-flavonoid materials were purified from an ethanol extract of propolis obtained from South Sulawesi, Indonesia. A Class I cavity was prepared on the occlusal surface of the right maxillary first molar in Sprague Dawley rats. The dental pulp was exposed and then capped with a zinc oxide-based filler as a control (group I), or with propolis flavonoids (group II) or non-flavonoids (group III). The animals were sacrificed at week 1, 2 or 4, biopsy samples were obtained, and these were stained and viewed by light microscopy. The results showed that pulp inflammation occurred in groups I and III as early as week 1. No dentin bridge formation was seen in these groups. In contrast, there was no evident inflammatory response in group II at week 1. Mild and moderate pulp inflammation in this group occurred at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment, respectively. Partial dentinal bridge formation was seen in group II at week 4. Therefore, the present results suggest that direct pulp capping with propolis flavonoids in rats may delay dental pulp inflammation and stimulate reparative dentin.     

Hepatitis B vaccine freezing in the Indonesian cold chain: evidence and solutions

OBJECTIVES: To document and characterize freezing temperatures in the Indonesian vaccine cold chain and to evaluate the feasibility of changes designed to reduce the occurrence of freezing. METHODS: Data loggers were used to measure temperatures of shipments of hepatitis B vaccine from manufacturer to point of use. Baseline conditions and three intervention phases were monitored. During each of the intervention phases, vaccines were removed progressively from the standard 2-8 degrees C cold chain. FINDINGS: Freezing temperatures were recorded in 75% of baseline shipments. The highest rates of freezing occurred during transport from province to district, storage in district-level ice-lined refrigerators, and storage in refrigerators in health centres. Interventions reduced freezing, without excessive heat exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Inadvertent freezing of freeze-sensitive vaccines is widespread in Indonesia. Simple strategies exist to reduce freezing - for example, selective transport and storage of vaccines at ambient temperatures. The use of vaccine vial monitors reduces the risk associated with heat-damaged vaccines in these scenarios. Policy changes that allow limited storage of freeze-sensitive vaccines at temperatures >2-8 degrees C would enable flexible vaccine distribution strategies that could reduce vaccine freezing, reduce costs, and increase capacity.     

Prediction Models for Early Risk Detection of Cardiovascular Event

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of death globally. More people die of CVDs each year than from any other disease. Over 80% of CVD deaths occur in low and middle income countries and occur almost equally in male and female. In this paper, different computational models based on Bayesian Networks, Multilayer Perceptron, Radial Basis Function and Logistic Regression methods are presented to predict early risk detection of the cardiovascular event. A total of 929 (626 male and 303 female) heart attack data are used to construct the models. The models are tested using combined as well as separate male and female data. Among the models used, it is found that the Multilayer Perceptron model yields the best accuracy result.     

Synthesis and anticancer evaluation of N-benzoyl-N'-phenyltiourea derivatives against human breast cancer cells (T47D)

New anti-breast cancer compounds have been found and may prove to have stronger activity. To predict the activities of N-benzoyl-N'-phenylthiourea (BPTU) derivatives, namely N-(3-chloro)benzoyl-N'-phenylthiourea (3-Cl-BPTU) and N-(3,4-dichloro)benzoyl-N'-phenylthiourea (3,4-2Cl-BPTU) with Sirtuin-1 receptor (PDB code: 4I5I), molecular docking was conducted at the beginning of this study. The compounds were then synthesized from benzoyl chloride derivatives and N-phenylthiourea. Molecular structure was confirmed using FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and Mass Spectra, while the anticancer activity was tested in vitro against human breast cancer cells (T47D) using MTT assay. The results indicated that the anti-cancer activities of the test compounds were better than those of the hydroxyurea as the reference compound, evidenced by the Rerank Score (RS). Furthermore, cytotoxic effect of 3-Cl-BPTU (IC₅₀: 0.43 mM) and 3,4-dichloro-BPTU (IC₅₀: 0.85 mM) showed better result compared with hydroxyurea (IC₅₀: 4.58 mM). Therefore, we concluded that these compounds could possess termendous potential as the candidate for a new anticancer drug.     

Lactation and the risk of breast cancer

Some factors are suggested to have an association with an increased risk of breast cancer, which are called risk factors. Lactation is one of the risk factors that still needs to be studied because of conflicting findings in epidemiological studies and also uncertainty regarding biologic plausibility. Our objective was to study the relationship between lactation and the risk of breast cancer. A pair of unmatched case control studies was held among parous women at Dr. Soetomo Hospital (general hospital) and some private hospitals in the Surabaya municipality. There are 219 (51.9%) cases and 203 (48.1%) controls analyzed in this study. Age, age at menarche, regular menstruation and number of parity between both groups are not statistical different. When we divided the age at menarche (below 13), it was statistically different. The cases consisted of more women with menarche below 13 (p = 0.00038). Other factors showing statistical differences in the risk of breast cancer between case and control are age at first delivery, family history of breast cancer and age at menopause. Women who have lactated (more than 4-month duration of breast feeding) show a "protective effect" against breast cancer, OR 0.57 (95% CI 0.33-0.99). However, there was no clear duration of lactation and the risk of breast cancer. Logistic regression analysis showed that lactation was not any independent factor. Lactation exerts a "protective effect" against breast cancer. However, the duration of lactation did not show an influence in reducing the risk of breast cancer, and logistic regression analysis did not show that lactation was an independent factor in the risk of breast cancer.