bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of chitosan oligosaccharide and probiotics on chronic kidney disease rats
Authors:   , Anegkamol Weerapat
Published: September 2023

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients suffer from the accumulation of toxic substances in their blood due to the loss of kidney function, which results in hyperphosphatemia. This condition contributes to hyperparathyroidism, leading to the development of chronic kidney disease-related mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD). Additionally, CKD patients experience changes in their gut microbiota, disrupting epithelial tight junctions and allowing excessive absorption of dietary phosphate. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of various oligosaccharides and probiotics on the gut microbiota, intestinal barrier, hyperphosphatemia, and hyperparathyroidism in CKD rats. We isolated Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains from healthy participants and tested their ability to enhance transepithelial electrical resistance and reduce inflammation in Caco-2 cells, to determine their suitability as probiotics. Moreover, we evaluated the impact of oligosaccharides, including chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), inulin, and maltodextrin, on Caco-2 cells in terms of non-toxic concentration, enhancement of transepithelial electrical resistance, and expression of tight junction genes.

Subsequently, all the selected oligosaccharides and probiotics were administered to CKD rats induced by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin. Following 12 weeks of oral treatment with a combination of COS, inulin, Lactobacillus salivarius LBR2-28, and Bifidobacterium longum BFS3-09, we observed a slight alteration in gut microbiota diversity and an increase in the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria in the rat intestine. Furthermore, this treatment promoted intestinal barrier function and led to a reduction in hyperphosphatemia and hyperparathyroidism, although no significant change in bone density was observed. Our findings indicate that this treatment approach has the potential to ameliorate hyperparathyroidism in CKD-MBD, highlighting its therapeutic implications in managing the associated complications.
The effect of histone methylation in trained innate immunity of cord blood monocytes in newborn infants of chronic HBV-infected mothers
Authors:   , Plypongsa Pennapa
Published: September 2023

Newborns contract Hepatitis B virus (HBV) through exposure in utero from mothers who are infected with HBV. In newborn infant from chronic HBV-infected mothers, the immune system displays innate immune cell maturation and enhances immune response upon restimulation with unrelated pathogens such as bacteria. This pattern is called “trained immunity” or “innate immune memory”. Trained immunity is regulated by epigenetic programming, especially histone modification. To date, there is not report on the epigenetics to regulate trained immunity in HBV. Therefore, this study investigated the cytokines levels and expression levels of histone modification enzyme genes in HBV-exposed cord blood monocytes. Moreover, we demonstrated histone modifications at position H3K4me3 that regulated IL-12p40, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-a, and IL-1b genes in monocytes from HBV-exposed cord blood. The expression of IL-12p40 was significantly higher in HBV-exposed cord blood monocytes than healthy cord blood monocytes after restimulation with TLR8 agonist. In addition, mRNA expression of histone modification enzymes was not significantly different between HBV-exposed cord blood monocytes and cord blood monocytes. Moreover,  the level of histone methylation at position H3K4me3 of cytokine genes did not support trained immunity in this study. It is likely to be that epigenetic programming through histone modification at position H3K4me3 might be not involved in HBV-trained immunity.
Effect of candida glabrata β-glucans on immunosuppressive properties of dendritic cells
Authors:   , Tummamunkong Phawida
Published: September 2023

β-glucan is a polysaccharide and consists of the backbone of β-(1, 3)-glucan and/or β-(1, 6)-glucan structures. β-glucans are extracted from the cell wall of Candida sp, including Candida glabrata. Interestingly, the biological activity of Candida β-glucan has been represented as a stimulator in the mechanism of immune responses. Dendritic cells are powerful antigen-presenting cells that play a significant role in both innate and adaptive immunity. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of C. glabrata β-glucans on dendritic cell (DC) immunologic responses. Firstly, bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) were induced with C. glabrata β-glucans in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of CD80, CD86, CD40, and MHCII in BMDC markedly increased after stimulation. C. glabrata β-glucan-stimulated BMDCs significantly enhanced the production of immunosuppressive cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10). Secondly, BMDC after stimulation could promote a high level of IL-10 secretion by T cells. IL-10 plays a critical role in limiting the inflammatory immune response and its ability to mediate the immunosuppressive response. Furthermore, the level of serum anti-(double-stranded)-DNA antibodies promisingly decreased in Fcgr2b-/- lupus-prone mice after C. glabrata β-glucans immunization in an in vivo experiment. Our results imply that C. glabrata β-glucans have the induction of immunosuppressive responses in dendritic cells and T cells and may be beneficial for the amelioration of lupus disease.
Comparison of radiation dose and image quality between fast kVp switching dual-energy CT and routine single-energy CT for whole abdomen at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital
Authors:   , Khemkhangboon Chanthawan
Published: September 2023

Abdominal computed tomography (CT) using a single energy protocol is a common imaging procedure in hospitals. As CT technology has continued to evolve, dual-energy protocols (DECT) have emerged as a new option. A spectral CT scanner with fast kVp switching was installed at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in 2017, and its clinical utility in emergency patients has not yet been studied. This study aims to compare the radiation dose and image quality between DECT and SECT in abdominal CT for emergency patients. The study retrospectively collected CT data from 130 standard-sized adult patients who underwent contrast-enhanced using the 256-slice MDCT. CT Contrast media was intravenously injected of iobitridol at a dose of 2.0 mL/kg with a flow rate of 2 mL/s through the median cubital vein. After the contrast medium was administered for 90 s, fast kVp-switching DECT (80/140 kVp,) and SECT (120 kVp) enhanced abdominal CT was performed. The scanning parameters for fast kVp-switching between 80 and 140-kVp were as follows: tube current, GSI Assist; detector collimation 80 x 0.625 mm; rotation speed 0.6 s; pitch factor 0.992:1. The scanning parameters for single-energy CT were as follows: 120 kVp, tube current 3D mA modulation; detector collimation 80 x 0.625 mm; rotation speed 0.5 s; pitch factor 0.992:1. The radiation dose was evaluated for both protocols in terms of CTDIvol. Objective analysis was performed by measuring the region of interest (ROI) at 5 abdominal structures: aorta, main portal vein, liver, spleen, and psoas muscle in order to evaluate signal (HU), noise (SD), and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Subjective image quality was evaluated by two radiologists who have similar experience in terms of diagnostic acceptability on a 4-point scale and image noise on a 3-point scale following the European Guidelines on Quality Criteria. There was no statistically significant difference in average CTDIvol between SECT (10.7±2.3 mGy) and DECT (10.3±2.8 mGy) (p>0.05). The objective image quality analysis indicated that DECT had significantly higher signal and noise values compared to SECT for all measured structures (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in SNR except MPV between the two groups (p>0.05). The subjective image quality analysis showed no significant difference in diagnostic acceptability and image noise between SECT and DECT as evaluated by both radiologists (p>0.05). In conclusion, the fast kV switching DECT protocol used in this study provides similar objective image quality and equivalent subjective image quality with a similar level of radiation dose as SECT. Therefore, the results of this study could be implemented as a routine protocol in the emergency room to reduce patient radiation dose while maintaining image quality and accelerating patient diagnostic workflow.
The role of b1 methylation, physiologic replication independent endogenous dna double strand breaks (phy-rind-edsb) and laminin 511 e8 proteins in rat second degree burn wound healing
Authors:   , Meevassana Jiraroch
Published: September 2023

Background: DNA methylation via short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) small interfering (si)RNA prevents DNA damage and promotes cell proliferation. Furthermore, laminin α5 β1 γ1(LM511) is an extracellular structural protein that can support epithelial cell adhesion and migration. Box A of high-mobility group box 1 protein (Box A of HMGB1) is a common nuclear protein in eukaryotic cells that can reduce DNA damage response toward burn injury.

Objective: To investigate whether treatment of burn wounds using B1 siRNA, Box A of HMGB1 and LM511-E8 fragment improved wound closure in a rat second-degree burn wound model.

Methods:  I performed a cross-sectional analytical study using tissue and blood samples from post-burn and healthy patients (n = 23 each) to measure Alu methylation levels and patterns. In in vivo experiments, second-degree burn wounds were introduced on the backs of rats. The rats were then divided into control and experiment groups: a B1 siRNA-treated, Box A of HMGB1 protein and LM511-E8, saline-treated control, and calcium phosphate-nanoparticle-treated control group (n = 15–20/group). The wounds were imaged on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 post-injuries. The tissue sections were processed for methylation and histological and immunohistochemical examination and scored based on the overall expression of histone H2AX phosphorylated on serine 139 (γH2AX), 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and presence of cytokeratin 10 and 14.

Results: Alu methylation levels were lower in hypertrophic scar tissues than in normal skin (29.4 ± 2.5% vs. 35.6± 3.2%, P = 0.0002). Burn wound closure improved in the B1 siRNA-treated group compared to that in the control group, especially from days 14 to 28 post-injury (P < 0.001). The overall pathological score and degree of B1 methylation in the B1 siRNA-treated group improved at days 14–28 days post-injury. The Box A of HMGB1 protein group demonstrated improvement in burn wound closure, starting from day 7th until day 28th after injury (P < 0.001). Furthermore, γH2AX and 8-OHdG expression in the HMGB1 plasmid-treated group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The re-epithelialisation in the LM511-E8-treated group was quicker than that of the control group at 7–28 days post-injury, with the largest improvement observed on days 7 and 14 (P < 0.001). The pathological score of the LM511-E8-treated group was higher than that of the control group at 14–28 days post-injury.

Conclusion: These results imply that LM511-E8 fragment, B1 siRNA, and Box A of High-mobility group box 1 protein (Box A of HMGB1) are promising therapeutic options for managing second-degree burns.
In vivo dosimetry of 3D gynecological brachytherapy using the glass dosimeter: a phantom study
Authors:   , Konlak Itsaraporn
Published: September 2023

Brachytherapy can deliver high doses to the target while sparing healthy tissues due to its steep dose gradient property. However, treatment was only performed according to the dose calculated by a treatment planning system without verification of the dose due to the characteristics. Therefore, the aim of this study was to design the in-house phantom to evaluate the dosimetric differences of gynecological brachytherapy under clinical conditions between calculation by the treatment planning system and measurement by the RPLGDs. An in-house phantom consisting of the glass dosimeter holder and the holder of the applicator was created. This holder was designed to move the axis of the holder to apply the rectum point that differs according to the patient's anatomy. In addition, the holder of the applicator was designed for application in various types of applicators in intracavitary brachytherapy. The clinical study was used to quantify variations between the calculated and measured dose for 6 cases at various points in the phantom, which included point A, point B, bladder point, and rectum points. The mean dose difference between the calculated and measured dose at point A was 1.99%, the bladder point was 4.42%, and the rectum point was 3.53%. All values were within 5% of the acceptable reference value agreement. For the low dose at point B, the measured dose differs from the calculated dose of about 0.1 Gy. We consider that in-vivo dosimetry in the in-house phantom using the RPLGD for brachytherapy can minimize overdoses and, estimate the real delivered dose for the patient’s record using an accessory for the applicator in clinical practice.
Accuracy in classification of liver lesion ultrasound using artificial intelligence
Authors:   , Tangruangkiat Sutthirak
Published: September 2023

B-mode ultrasound imaging is the standard method for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening. If a lesion has a unique appearance, a conventional detector can be applied. However, if the lesion shares its appearance with other lesion, a large training dataset is required, which may be unavailable. Therefore, a two-stage method is proposed. In the first stage, lesions are detected but not differentiated into any particular class. The detected lesions are then classified in the second stage using a conventional convolutional neural network (CNN).

The aims of the dissertation are to design an artificial intelligent system model and to investigate the most accurate deep learning structure for hepatic lesion classification using two-stage model.

Even though the cysts and hepatic vessels are both anechoic pattern and present black oval in ultrasound images, cysts have unique artifacts that present posterior acoustic enhancement. By including the artifacts in the detection, conventional detectors can be applied. In the study, Region-based convolutional neural networks, R-CNN, with Residual Network-50, ResNet-50, as the backbone was applied for the detection of 615 hepatic cysts. The system was evaluated by five-fold cross validation. The result indicated that the addition of artifacts led to better detection in term of accuracy, reduction of false positives and false negatives. 

Hemangioma (HEM) and HCC share lots of sonographic appearance. There is no unique artifact to differentiate these two lesions. A two-stage method is applied. In the first stage, the detector is trained to identify HEM and HCC like lesions. In the second stage, the classifier is applied to differentiate lesions into typical HEM, atypical HEM and HCC. Since atypical HEM and HCC display the same sonographic appearance, both lesions cannot be differentiated solely by B-mode ultrasound images. They require further CT or MR investigation, so it is unnecessary to accurately differentiate these two lesions during screening. The study showed that grouping HCC and atypical HEM into the same one led to the increase of HCC recall of the detector from 0.64 to 0.68. The application of the two-stage method in place of detector only method improved the recall from 0.68 to 0.72. The recall rate was comparable to the detector only method that was trained by a much larger database and used more relax criterion (0.5 and 0.2 intersection over union (IoU) for the correct detection in the proposed two-stage and the detector only methods, respectively).
Analysis of VOCs from exhaled breath for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors:   , Suk-aram Thanikarn
Published: September 2023

Background: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were shown as promising biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis. We aimed to investigate the performance of VOCs for diagnosing early-stage HCC in patients at-risk for HCC.

Methods: VOCs were identified in exhaled breath samples collected from 90 early-stage HCC patients, 90 cirrhotic patients, 91 HBV-infected patients, and 95 healthy volunteers using thermal desorption-gas chromatography/field-asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry. The VOC levels were compared between the four groups. An association between VOCs and HCC was determined using logistic regression analysis. Diagnostic performance of VOCs was estimated using the AUROC and compared to serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).

Results: The levels of dimethyl sulfide, 1,4-pentadiene, isopropyl alcohol, and acetone were significantly different between the four groups. After adjusting for liver function test and AFP, acetone was significantly associated with HCC. Acetone significantly outperformed AFP, with 88.9% vs. 68.2% sensitivity, 87.3% vs. 63.6% specificity, 87.7% vs. 65.2% for accuracy, and AUROC of 0.932 vs. 0.725, p=0.017, 0.001, <0.001, and 0.001, respectively, for differentiating between HCC and non-HCC group.

Conclusion: Acetone has a better performance than AFP for diagnosing early HCC in high-risk patients. Further studies to validate the utility of VOCs as a HCC surveillance tool are needed.
Comparing the Success Rate of Pleurodesis with Thoracoscopic Talc Poudrage Combined with Indwelling Pleural Catheter versus Thoracoscopic Talc Poudrage in Patient with Malignant Pleural Effusion, A Randomized, Non-inferiority Clinical Trial
Authors:   , Sootlek Jitanong
Published: September 2023

Background: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) can cause dyspnea symptoms that greatly impact a patient's quality of life. Talc pleurodesis or indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) insertion are two treatment options that can prevent recurrent MPE, alleviate dyspnea, and improve quality of life. However, talc pleurodesis requires a lengthy hospital stay, while IPC insertion is associated with lower pleurodesis success rates. Due to limited hospital bed capacity, we have devised a practical approach to managing MPE by combining TTP and IPC.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of combined Thoracoscopic talc poudrage (TTP) and IPC compared to TTP alone in patients with symptomatic MPE.
Methods: The study was conducted as a randomized non-inferiority trial at a single center. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either TTP and IPC or TTP alone. The study collected demographic data, hospital length of stay (LOS), symptoms, and pleurodesis success rates. The primary outcome of the study was the success rate of pleurodesis at 12 weeks post-procedure.
Results: Preliminary data analysis from 26 patients with a mean age of 61 years showed that the baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups, except for the baseline mean VAS dyspnea score, which was significantly higher in the TTP+IPC group. Successful pleurodesis at 12 weeks was achieved in 88.89% of the TTP+IPC group and 64.29% of the TTP alone group, with a difference of 24.6% [95% CI, -7.83% to 57.03%]. Additionally, the TTP+IPC group showed a greater reduction in dyspnea, less pain following the procedure, and less analgesic medication use. The hospital LOS was also shorter, and the overall quality of life was significantly better. Furthermore, there was no difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups.
Conclusion: Combining thoracoscopic talc pleurodesis and IPC is both effective and safe for treating symptomatic MPE patients.
Job satisfaction, grit and associated factors of job satisfaction among Thai working adults who are currently undertaking their graduate studies in Thailand
Authors:   , Visitchaichan Somchat
Published: September 2023

Whether in health care or business organizations, most individuals spend a large part of their lives at work attempting to be successful therefore an understanding of factors involved in job satisfaction is relevant to improving the well - being of a large number of individuals in an important aspect of their lives.  The basic premises underlying the study of job satisfaction, grit, and associated factors of job satisfaction among Thai working adults who are currently undertaking their graduate studies in Thailand is the belief that increasing job satisfaction will improve well-being of individuals, increase productivity and thus the effectiveness of organizations.  Objectives of this study are therefore two-folds; to study the level of job satisfaction and association between job satisfaction and grit among Thai working adults who are currently undertaking their graduate studies in Thailand. A sample size of 294 full - time working adults who are currently undertaking postgraduate degrees is selected randomly from four universities in Thailand: National institute of development administration (NIDA), Naresuan University, Assumption University and Bangkok University.   The 12-item Grit Scale (GRIT-S) which was developed by Angela Duckworth and her associates and questions to measure the level of job satisfaction and job autonomy which were formulated from the underlying concepts critically examined and discussed from the review of literature and research section by the researcher were used in this study. Research findings reveal that the majority of respondents tend to have moderate levels of job satisfaction (52.79%), followed by 24.08% of high level of job satisfaction and 23.13% of low level of job satisfaction with the mean score of 3.75.   In addition to this, there is a low positive relationship between grit and job satisfaction (r = 0.13, P = 0.01).  This suggests that as the level of grit increases, we can predict slightly higher levels of job satisfaction.
A new spinel high-entropy oxides nanoparticles (FeCoNiMnZn)3O4 as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries
Authors:   , Aida Maha
Published: September 2023

A novel (FeCoNiMnZn)3O4 HEO as an anode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) was developed for the first time. High-entropy oxide (HEO) of (FeCoNiMnZn)3O4 was synthesized using a hydrothermal technique to control size and crystallinity. We also synthesized oxides of each element (Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Zn) from HEO composition under similar condition for comparison. The samples were then analyzed using XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS elemental mapping, surface area analysis, ICP-OES, and XPS. Cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and associated coulombic efficiencies were also used to study the electrochemical performance of (FeCoNiMnZn)3O4. Three samples with different preparation conditions, HEO-3, HEO-6, and HEO-9, were selected for investigation. HEO-3 particles are the smallest, 2.95 ±  0.29 nm, and have an irregular shape, making them difficult to measure. In contrast, HEO-6 and HEO-9 particles have diameters between 23.16 ± 7.56 nm and 90.42 ± 3.27 nm, respectively. The HEO-9 performs exceptionally well electrochemically. It exhibits excellent performance of 625.5 mA h g-1 at 1000 mA g-1 and a large capacity of 1333.54 mA h g-1 at 50 mA g-1. After cycling, we also investigated the physical and chemical characterization to identify the change. HEO-9 still has a more stable performance and the least volume change. From these results, developing an anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in the future looks promising.
Biopolymer nanocomposites for food and healthcare applications
Authors:   , Siripongpreda Tatiya
Published: September 2023

This dissertation focuses on development of biopolymers by integrating nanomaterials to improve the properties of pristine polymers for enhancing the performances of chemical sensors and laser desorption/ionization mass spectroscopy (LDI-MS) applied for food quality control health monitoring and biomedical applications. The dissertation is divided into 4 parts: the first part, polylactic acid and cellulose were used for dual detection platform of biogenic amines for food spoilage indication. Highly porous PLA film is fabricated by adding nanosized calcium carbonate resulted in high sensing element entrapment. On another side of platform, pristine cellulose is modified with graphene oxide and exploited a substrate for LDI-MS. This dual platform is used for food quality monitoring. The second part, a bacterial nanocellulose hydrogel with reswelling ability and high swelling ratio is fabricated by introducing carboxymethyl cellulose into the nanocellulose network, and the obtained hydrogel is used as a colorimetric sensor for sweat pH and glucose. The third part, the surface of a commercial contact lens is modified with nanocomposite composed of levofloxacin and cellulose nanofibrils to create a theranostic contact lens for ocular infection, which the cellulose nanofibril helps improving drug entrapment, wettability and pH-sensitiveness to the pristine contact lens in order to control the releasing amount of levofloxacin depending on infection severity. The developed theranostic contact lens also indicates severity of infection by colorimetric pH sensor. Lastly, fourth part, chitosan is incorporated with developed titanium dioxide/nitrogen-doped graphene nanocomposites to enhance laser-absorbing and desorption property, leading to enhanced ionization efficiency of analytes without using an additional matrix, and utilizes as a novel substrate of LDI-MS for biomolecules determination.
Application of core annular flow for oil transportation in different pipe configurations using computational fluid dynamics
Authors:   , Dianita Cindy
Published: September 2023

The application of Core Annular Flow (CAF) has become an interesting solution in transporting heavy oil through pipeline because of its energy reduction and cost efficiency. Current study conducted a 3D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) to simulate CAF of oil-water in horizontal T- and Y-pipe junctions with two types of oil characteristic i.e., oil as Newtonian fluid and oil as non-Newtonian Carreau Fluid. The 2k factorial statistical experimental design was applied to investigate the effect of geometry on the flow performance. Eight cases were run with different diameter combinations and junction angle. The most attractive design was measured by the high value of oil holdup with small average values of pressure gradient and pressure standard deviation. The simulation result showed the stable CAF along the upstream region but then broke up when passing the intersection. A strategy to recover the stability of CAF after passing the intersection area of a T-pipe without interrupting the flow process was also proposed specifically for T50-50 (T-pipe with inlet and outlet diameter of 50 mm) as the most desired design for water-oil as non-Newtonian Carreau Fluid case. An additional water insertion was introduced at the intersection point to support the recovery of CAF structure by suppressing fouling. The proposed design showed significant improvement of CAF consistency for downstream region until pipe outlets. Energy evaluation was also has been conducted and it was estimated that CAF in T50-50 was able to reduce the pressure drop to more than 90% compared to transportation without lubrication.  In addition, the cost of power consumption can be saved to more than 80% than single phase oil transportation. A scaled-up pipe size simulation was also completed to 10 times bigger dimension. More consistence result of lubricated flow was shown by bigger dimension pipe.
Screening of Clostridium sp. for butanol production from Sato (Thai rice wine) factory wastewater
Authors:   , Buranaprasopchai Julalak
Published: September 2023

The production of Sato, a Thai traditional beverage, yields Sato wastewater (STW), which contains residual rice constituents with high chemical and biological oxygen demands and so forms an environmental problem. In addition, STW often smells rotten from the formation of hydrogen sulfide. To solve this problem, the composition of STW was analyzed for its physiological and chemical characteristics to evaluate its potential as a substrate for ABE fermentation using Clostridium spp., which has never been reported for use in acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation before. Solvent-producing Clostridium isolates were obtained from environmental sources in Thailand, and that producing the highest butanol level (isolate CUEA02 from the sludge of a biodiesel plant) was selected. The butanol production was 8.32 ± 0.08 g/L in flask fermentation under an initial pH of 6.5, 35 ˚C, 10% (v/v) inoculum size, and 50 g/L of glucose. Whole-genome sequencing analysis was used to identify this strain and its ability to use different carbon sources for ABE fermentation was evaluated. Isolate CUEA02 was closely related to Clostridium beijerinckii with an average nucleotide identity of 95.14% and could grow and produce butanol in various carbon sources, especially starch and carboxymethyl cellulose. The STW was diluted 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, and 1:40 for ABE production by CUEA02, where the obtained butanol yield (0.23 g/g) under an anaerobic condition was highest with the 1:10 diluted STW. To improve the butanol production, the initial pH was adjusted from 4.75 to 6.5, resulting in a 2.13-fold enhanced butanol yield (0.49 g/g). Furthermore, adding yeast extract at 2 g/L enhanced butanol production in STW utilizing C. beijerinckii CUEA02 by up to 29%.
Identification of potential drug targets for COVID 19 patients with cytokine storm
Authors:   , Buana Bayu
Published: September 2023

The outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection may vary depending on gender, lifestyle, and age. The elderly is more likely to have the severe condition than the younger population. However, several young people suffer from severe lung diseases caused by cytokine dysregulation, also known as a "cytokine storm." Cytokine storms are associated with Covid-19 severity and mortality. Identification of potential cytokine storm targets is critical for improving patient survival. Transcriptomic analysis of expression data from publicly available databases could be used to identify differentially expressed genes and pathways. The list of both results was used to narrow down the potential candidates in the co-expression network and immune cell fraction analysis. In addition, the drug-gene interaction database was queried for information on the candidate's draggability. According to the findings, AMHR2 is a potential drug target. AMHR2 overexpression may cause the TGF beta signaling pathway to becoming overactive, resulting in the activation of pro-inflammatory macrophages and a delay in the adaptive immune response. This systemic effect may initiate the cytokine storm that the infection has started in the lung, activating pro-inflammatory macrophages and T gamma delta cells that secrete cytokines excessively. Furthermore, AMHR2 has evidence of drug modulation and demonstrates pathway regulatory importance. Therefore, inhibiting the TGF beta signaling pathway via AMHR2 may be beneficial in relieving cytokine storms in Covid 19 patients.
Identification and application in plant of plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria
Authors:   , Sitlaothaworn Kanchana
Published: September 2023

Seventy-eight endophytic bacteria isolated from 15 plant samples in Thailand including 50 isolates from sugarcane root samples obtained from 6 Provinces and 28 isolates from stems and leaves of healthy plants in Kanchanaburi Province, were identified and evaluated for plant growth promoting capability using rice as a plant model. They were identified as Gluconacetobacter (37 isolates), Pantoea (14 isolates), Burkholderia (2 isolates), Pseudomonas (4 isolates), Priestia (4 isolates), Enterobacter (2 isolates), Acinetobacter (2 isolates), Novosphingobium (2 isolates), Curtobacterium (2 isolates), and each of Nguyenibacter, Aureimonas, Bacillus, Peribacillus, Sphingobium, Staphylococcus, Brevibacillus, Aneurinibacillus, and Pseudarthrobacter based on their phenotypic characteristics and 16S rRNA gene analyzes. According to the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, strain Sx8-5T was a member of genus Novosphingobium and shared the highest sequence similarity to Novosphingobium barchaimii LL02T of 99.4% and other Novosphingobium species (<99.4%). The ANIb and ANIm values of whole genome comparison between strain Sx8-5T and seven closely related type strains were 72.33-82.14%, 83.82-87.38%, respectively, and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values ranged from 21.0% to 28.6% when compared to the type strains of the member of Novosphingobium. Based on the results obtained, demonstrated that strain Sx8-5T represents a novel species of the genus Novosphingobium, the name Novosphingobium kaempferiae sp. nov. is proposed. Sixty-one strains were positive in fixing nitrogen through nitrogenase activity by converting of N2 in the air to ammonia, which was supported by nif genes found in the genome of G. dulcium PS25. Sixty-nine strains were able to solubilize tricalcium phosphate (SI=1.18-4.4) and 72 strains were able to solubilize zinc oxide (SI=1.59-5.6). Sixteen strains could produce IAA (6.13 to 202.25 µg/mL) in NF medium supplemented with 0.01% L-tryptophan, a main precursor for IAA biosynthesis. The maximum IAA produced by the Sphingobium sp. Sx8-8 increased to 232.1 µg/mL at optimized conditions: pH 7, 30oC, 0.5% L-tryptophan and 48 h cultivation. In in vitro 2 rice varieties germination, the Sphingobium sp. Sx8-8 and Pantoea sp. S5-1 increased root length (4.83, 3.24 cm), shoot length (18.7, 13.75 cm) and number of lateral roots of rice ‘RD6’ seedlings more than control and standard IAA, similar to Aureimonas sp. SK2, G. dulcium PS25 and G. liquefaciens LSG1 significantly increased root length (3.09-3.49 cm), shoot length (10.14-11.21 cm), number of lateral roots, and biomass of ‘Khao Dawk Mali 105’ rice seedlings. This study indicated that endophytic bacteria could potentially promote plant growth and be utilized as bioinoculant or biofertilizers in agriculture.
Renieramycin t derivative dh_22 induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells by downregulation of C-Myc protein
Authors:   , Anggraeni Indiana
Published: September 2023

Lung cancer is a prevalent cause of death, indicated by an elevated c-Myc level. We synthesized a new derivative of renieramycin T (RT), named DH_22, and tested it for anti-cancer activities in human lung cancer cells. In the cell viability and nuclear staining tests, DH_22 was discovered to be cytotoxic, with an IC50 of around 13 μM; and found to mediate apoptosis in the lung cancer cells. Meanwhile, in a mechanistic sense, DH_22 contributed to the activation of p53-dependent apoptosis and decreased the cellular level of c-Myc. The p53-dependent mechanism was indicated by an increase of p53, an induction of the pro-apoptotic Bax protein, and a decrease of the anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein. The fluorescence intensity of Akt, p-Akt, and c-Myc also declined significantly. Akt and p-Akt were detected in the cytoplasm and nucleus, while most of c-Myc was located in the nucleus of the untreated control cells. These results demonstrated that DH_22 could reduce c-Myc, supported by molecular docking. The mechanism of action of renieramycin T derivative DH_22 starts with the inhibition of mTOR, which reduces the phosphorylation of Akt, which then reduces the phosphorylation of GSK3b and accelerates the degradation of c-Myc. In addition, DH_22 itself could inhibit Akt via allosteric inhibition, which could disrupt the c-Myc stabilization.
Development of plant-produced subunit vaccines to elicit the immunogenicity against SARS-CoV-2 variant viruses
Authors:   , Khorattanakulchai Narach
Published: September 2023

Since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 (COVID-19), the development of effective vaccines to combat the infection has accelerated worldwide. While the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) with high transmissibility, enhanced infectivity, and immune escape from vaccination is also predominantly emerging. Effective vaccines against variant of concern (VOC) and optimized booster vaccination strategies are thus highly required. Here, the gene encoding seven different RBD (ancestral (Wuhan), Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Kappa, Delta, and Epsilon variants) fused with the fragment crystallizable region (Fc) of human IgG1 (RBD-Fc) was constructed and cloned into the plant expression vector and produced in Nicotiana benthamiana by transient expression. Further, the immunogenicity of plant-produced variant RBD-Fc subunit vaccines was tested in cynomolgus monkeys. First, monkeys were intramuscularly immunized with prime-booster and 4-month booster dose with the Wuhan RBD-Fc vaccine (Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1) on day 0, 21, and 133. Second, each group of monkeys were intramuscularly injected thrice with different variant RBD-Fc vaccines on day 0, 21, and 42. Then, the blood samples were collected for evaluating the antigen-specific and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1 immunized monkeys elicited significantly high levels of anti-RBD antibodies. Interestingly, the sera collected from 4-month booster dose monkeys showed cross-neutralizing antibody response against the SARS-CoV-2 variants; Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron. The three doses of variant RBD-Fc vaccines also elicited high levels of antigen-specific and neutralizing antibodies, especially in Delta and Epsilon vaccine groups. However, the high neutralizing activity of immunized variant vaccine sera was demonstrated specifically against the homologous variants. These findings suggested that the long-term booster dose might be helpful for protecting against further SARS-CoV-2 variants and the variant-specific vaccine might be applied as a booster or cocktail vaccine to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies. These results revealed the potential for using the plant-produced protein subunit vaccines in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.
Photochemical reaction of renieramycins and evaluation of cytotoxicity against lung cancer cells
Authors:   , Sinsook Suwimon
Published: September 2023

Lung cancer causes more deaths than any other type of cancers, with the majority of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Lung cancer is a difficult disease to treat because of the drug resistant problem. Therefore, there is an immediate need for effective, safe, and easily accessible anti-lung cancer drug. Ecteinascidin 743 (Trabectedin or Yondelis®), a marine-derived tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid, is an approved drug for treating human lung cancer. This research was studied on the semi-syntheses of new renieramycins derivatives with similar structures to above drug for discovery and development of potent NSCLC cytotoxic agents. Renieramycins was extracted from Xestospongia sp., a blue sponge found at the vicinity of Si-Chang island, Chonburi, Thailand. Renieramycin M was reported as a major alkaloid possessing a bis-tetrahydroisoquinolinequinone as core structure. Regarding the previous report, renieramycin M shows cytotoxicity against NSCLC. Thus, structural modifications focusing on the transformation of substituents at carbon positions 7 and 8 of natural renieramycins including renieramycin M, N, and O were performed by photochemical reaction in conjugation with the reaction optimizations using various light sources and solvents to obtain the [1,3]-dioxole group at carbon positions 7 and 8, efficiently. The result showed that the photochemical reaction with blue light in dichloromethane furnished the highest yield. Under this optimized photochemical reaction, renieramycin M transformed to renieramycin T and renieramycin N and O produced renieramycin U. The results of photochemical reaction support chemical transformations of natural renieramycins under the ocean with sunlight exposure. Furthermore, semi-syntheses of the ester derivatives of renieranycins containing a 4'-pyridinecarbonyl substituent at carbon position 22, using an esterification reaction and new derivatives from the sequential esterification and photochemical reaction containing both 4'-pyridinecarbonyl substituent at carbon position 22 and [1,3]-dioxole group at carbon positions 7 and 8 were conducted. The series of natural renieramycins and derivatives totally 10 compounds were evaluated their cytotoxicity against H292 and H460 NSCLC cell lines. As the results, 22-O-(4'-pyridinecarbonyl) jorunnamycin A exhibited IC50 at 3.52 ± 0.62 µM and 3.98 ± 0.38 µM against H292 and H460, respectively with 10 and 8 folds more potent than that of renieramycin M, mother compound. Besides, 22-O-(4'-pyridinecarbonyl) renieramycin T showed IC50 at 1.27 ± 0.20 µM and 1.83 ± 0.83 µM against H292 and H460, respectively with 2 and 3 folds more potent than that of Cisplatin, a first-line chemotherapeutic drug. Hence, these new renieramycins derivatives are the promising candidates for further development an anti-lung cancer agent.
Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic risk factors among firefighters
Authors:   , Farooq Hamza
Published: September 2023

Background: Injury to the musculoskeletal system or the human body's ability to move is known as a musculoskeletal disorder (i.e. muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs, blood vessels, etc.). Firefighting is a physically hard and dangerous job. Firefighters carry out emergencies and prevent fire and respond to disaster. Workers who deal with fireworks often have musculoskeletal disorders.

Objective: To investigated the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic risk factors among firefighters.

Methodology: Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to report musculoskeletal disorders in 106 firefighters and quick exposure check (QEC) questionnaire was used in 20 firefighters for
3 different tasks to evaluated the ergonomic risk factors.

Results: Firefighters experienced low back pain as major pain in last 12 months. Followed by shoulder and neck pain. Low back pain along with knee pain caused trouble in working in last 12 months. While pain in last 7 days were low back pain followed by knee and upper back pain. Task of lifting ladders on shoulder was the major ergonomic risk factor for developing musculoskeletal
disorders as compared to holding up hose and folding the hose task.

Conclusion: High prevalence was shown in low back, knees, neck and shoulder. Lifting up ladders on shoulder task leads to ergonomic risk for development of musculoskeletal disorders.

Keywords: Firefighters, musculoskeletal disorders, ergonomic risk factors, QEC (quick exposure check), Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire.
Effects of lower extremity muscle strengthening exercise and foot orthoseson medial longitudinal arch height in individuals with flexible flatfoot
Authors:   , Engkananuwat Phoomchai
Published: September 2023

Background: Foot orthoses and lower extremity exercises have been widely recommended to improve medial longitudinal arch (MLA) height in adults with flexible flatfoot. However, there is little evidence to guide the choice between foot orthoses or lower extremity exercises.

Objectives: This study comprised two separate studies. Study 1 aimed to establish the more effective exercise protocol by comparing the MLA height in groups performing foot exercises with and without gluteus medius (GMed) muscle strengthening exercise. Study 2 compared the established exercise protocol in Study 1 with foot orthoses to determine the actual effectiveness of each intervention.

Main outcome measures: Navicular drop (ND), arch height index (AHI), plantar pressure, static balance, dynamic balance, and lower extremity muscle strength were measured at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks.

Results: Study 1 included 52 participants with bilateral flatfoot who were randomly assigned to either the foot exercise group (n = 26) or the foot plus GMed exercise group (n = 26). After 4 and 8 weeks, the foot plus GMed exercise group showed significant improvements in all outcome measures, except dynamic balance, compared to the foot exercise group. Study 2 included 38 bilateral flatfoot participants who were randomly assigned to either the foot plus GMed exercise group (n = 19) and the foot orthoses group (n = 19). The foot plus GMed exercise group showed significant improvements in all outcome measures, except plantar pressure, static and dynamic balance in certain directions, compared to the foot orthoses group.

Conclusion: Adding GMed muscle strengthening exercise to foot exercise proved to be more effective in supporting the MLA compared to performing foot exercise alone. In healthy adults with flexible flatfoot, lower extremity exercise was found to be more effective than foot orthoses in improving MLA height and related parameters.
Mathematical modeling of the mechanical response of coupled inner-ear hair cells with opposite polarity
Authors:   , Ngampattrapan Tanawat
Published: September 2023

Hair cells are specialized receptors that detect mechanical forces in the auditory and vestibular systems of vertebrates. In vivo hair-cell bundles are typically anchored to an overlying structure which provides mechanical coupling between neighboring hair cells. Cooperativity between hair bundles has been previously proposed to have strong effects on signal detection.  While the coupling of hair cells with the same polarity as those in the auditory organs has been extensively studied, the dynamics of hair cells with opposite polarity in the vestibular system and the inner ear of lizards remain unexplored. In this study, we aim to investigate the dynamics of two hair cells arranged with opposite polarity under a coupling spring using a mathematical model previously proposed to describe hair bundle motility. We focused on three scenarios: spontaneous dynamics, responses to sinusoidal force stimulation, and responses to step force stimulation. Through our analyses, we showed that the coupling force applied to each hair cell by the coupling element served as an additional force that modulated the individual cell's dynamics. Notably, when coupled with opposite polarity, the coupling force counteracted the applied constant force, which affected the hair cell's operating point. Under sinusoidal force stimulation, the coupling force oscillated at twice the frequency of the driving force. This oscillatory force could affect the response of the coupled hair bundle at the driving frequency, leading to reduced responses at high force amplitudes and frequencies below the resonance frequency. This phenomenon could improve the hair cell's compressive nonlinearity and frequency selectivity. Furthermore, we observed that the coupling force increased the responses to positive step forces while decreasing responses to negative forces. Our study contributes to the understanding of coupled hair-bundle dynamics which could play important roles in the signal detections by the vestibular systems and inner ear of lizards.
Antiproliferative agents from mushroom phellinus sp.
Authors:   , Pichayaphinyo Kulrut
Published: September 2023

In this study, Phellinus powdered (600 g) was extracted with methanol and DI water. The methanolic crude extract of the mushroom was partitioned with hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol respectively. All crude extracts were evaluated antiproliferative activity against lung cancer (A549) and neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell lines by MTT assay. It was found that the dichloromethane extract (CDE) exhibited the strongest antiproliferative activity with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 132.4 and 106.87 µg/mL against human lung cancer and neuroblastoma cell lines, respectively. The ethyl acetate extract (CEE) exhibited moderate antiproliferative activity with IC50 values of 138.64 and >250 µg/mL against SH-SY5Y and A549 cell lines, respectively. The hexane extract, methanol extract and aqueous extracts from reflux extraction and decoction exhibited weak antiproliferative activity against both cancer cell lines with IC50 >250 µg/mL. Isolation by repeated column chromatographic, followed by NMR characterization, ergosta-7,22-dien-3-one and 7-methoxyindole-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester, 7-methoxyindole-3-carboxaldehyde and protocatechualdehyde from hexane extract, dichloromethane extract and ethyl acetate extract, respectively.