Potential applications of wastes from energy generation particularly biochar in Malaysia.

In Malaysia, abundant agricultural wastes are generated yearly. Therefore it is beneficial to discover new ways to utilize the wastes and employ the carbon source in different industries. Biochar are produced through many heat treatments such as combustion, gasification and pyrolysis for energy generation. The characteristics of these stable carbons such as the physical properties, chemical composition, surface area and surface chemistry determine the effectiveness of the cabon in different applications. Biochar has the ability to retain carbon and this condition is advantageous to prevent the release of carbon back to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. Application of biochar to soil helps to improve soil fertility and raise agricultural productivity. Biochar also has the ability to reduce carbon dioxide in the flue gas system. There have only been a few studies that discuss on the potential applications of this agriculture waste. The biochar's potential application as carbon sequester for soil application, energy production and dye sorption is being explored in this paper

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Evidence of the Intrusion of the Oceanic Lightfish (Vinciguerria nimbaria) into Korean Waters Based on High-Throughput Sequencing of Mixed Fish Eggs

The oceanic lightfish Vinciguerria nimbaria is a mesopelagic species found in tropical and subtropical waters. In this study, we collected a total of 266 mixed fish egg samples from 78 stations in Korean waters of the Northwest Pacific Ocean from January to November 2021, and analysed these samples for V. nimbaria using cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) metabarcoding. We detected V. nimbaria eggs five times in May and once in August, with 20 V. nimbaria eggs to be estimated among the 266 mixed samples, which consisted of 68,844 eggs. To verify the accuracy of the metabarcoding results, two samples consisting of 1 and 6 eggs (diameter, 0.82 ± 0.07 mm; n = 5), respectively, that were identified as V. nimbaria were reanalysed using partial COI regions with the Sanger sequencing method. COI sequences obtained using both sequencing methods showed 100% identity in the overlapping regions. The mixed eggs formed one clade with V. nimbaria (average pairwise genetic distance, 0.002 ± 0.003; n = 7) in a phylogenetic ML tree based on the mitogenome (2 rRNAs and 13 protein-coding genes) of order Stomiiformes, including partial COIs from the mixed egg samples. The pairwise genetic distances in this clade were smaller than that of Stomiiformes (0.468 ± 0.081), except for V. nimbaria. These eggs represent direct evidence of the intrusion or distribution of adult V. nimbaria, an unrecorded species, in Korean waters

Activation of toll-like receptor-9 induces matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression through Akt and tumor necrosis factor-a signaling

Abstract CpG oligodeoxunucleotide (ODN) plays an important role in immune cell function. The present study examined whether temporal control of toll-like receptor (TLR)-9 by CpG ODN can regulate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). CpG ODN induced the release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a and the expression of TNF receptor (TNFR)-II, but not of TNFR-I, in a time-dependent manner and stimulated significant, though delayed, MMP-9 expression. The endosomal acidification inhibitors, chloroquine or bafilomycin A, inhibited CpG ODN-induced TNF-a, TNFR-II, and MMP-9 expression. CpG ODN induced the phosphorylation of Akt, and the inhibition of Akt by LY294002 suppressed CpG ODNinduced TNF-a, TNFR-II, and MMP-9 expressions. Moreover, neutralizing TNF-a antibody significantly suppressed CpG ODN-induced MMP-9 expression, suggesting the involvement of TNF-a. These observations suggest that CpG ODN may play important roles in macrophage activation by regulating the expression of MMP-9 via a TLR-9/Akt/TNF-a-dependent signaling pathway

Progression of hip displacement during radiographic surveillance in patients with cerebral palsy

Progression of hip displacement is common in patients with cerebral palsy (CP). We aimed to investigate the rate of progression of hip displacement in patients with CP by assessing changes in radiographic indices according to Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level during hip surveillance. We analyzed the medical records of patients with CP aged < 20 years who underwent at least 6 months interval of serial hip radiographs before any surgical hip intervention, including reconstructive surgery. After panel consensus and reliability testing, radiographic measurements of migration percentage (MP), neck-shaft angle (NSA), acetabular index (AI), and pelvic obliquity (PO) were obtained during hip surveillance. For each GMFCS level, annual changes in radiographic indices were analyzed and adjusted for affecting factors, such as sex, laterality, and type of CP. A total of 197 patients were included in this study, and 1,097 radiographs were evaluated. GMFCS classifications were as follows: 100 patients were level I-III, 48 were level IV, and 49 were level V. MP increased significantly over the duration of hip surveillance in patients with GMFCS levels I-III, IV, and V by 0.3%/year (P< 0.001), 1.9%/year (P< 0.001), and 6.2%/year (P< 0.001), respectively. In patients with GMFCS level IV, NSA increased significantly by 3.4 degrees/year (P< 0.001). Our results suggest that periodic monitoring and radiographic hip surveillance is warranted for patients with CP, especially those with GMFCS level IV or V. Furthermore, physicians can predict and inform parents or caregivers regarding the progression of hip displacement in patients with CP.Y

Normative values of physical examinations commonly used for cerebral palsy

Purpose: The aim of this study was to establish normative values and to identify age-related change in physical examinations that are commonly used while evaluating patients with cerebral palsy (CP). Materials and Methods: One hundred four healthy volunteers (mean age 36 years, standard deviation 15 years) were enrolled and divided into four age groups: 13-20, 21-35, 36-50, and 51 years and older. The eighteen physical examination tests for CP were selected by five orthopedic surgeons in consensus-building session. The measurements were taken by three orthopedic surgeons. Results: There was no significant difference in the measures of physical examination among all the age groups, except for the Sta-heli test (p=0.002). The post hoc test revealed that the mean hip extension was 2.7 degrees higher in the 13-20-year-old group than in the other age groups. The bilateral popliteal angle had a tendency to increase in those over 36-years-old. There were 31 participants (30%) with a unilateral popliteal angle greater than 40 degrees. Conclusion: We documented normative values that can be widely used for evaluating CP in patients 13 years and older.Y

Association of gross motor function classification system level and school attendance with bone mineral density in patients with cerebral palsy

The present study aimed to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) and to critically analyze the effects of a variety of factors, particularly the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level, the Caregiver Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities questionnaire, and the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI), on BMD. Fifty patients with CP who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were included. Collected data included the extent of involvement, muscle tone, demographic data, factors determined through chart review, and laboratory results. Factors associated with BMD in this group were analyzed by performing multiple regression analysis. The mean Z-scores in male and female patients were -3.252 +/- 1.822 and -3.789 +/- 1.764, respectively, in the proximal part of the femur and -2.219 +/- 1.323 and -2.451 +/- 1.434, respectively, in the lumbar spine. In multiple regression analysis, the GMFCS level and the average frequency of missed school in the PODCI were significant factors associated with both femur and lumbar spine BMD. Both the GMFCS level and school attendance were independently associated with BMD and should be considered for the prevention and management of osteoporosis in patients with CP.N

Undercorrection of planovalgus deformity after calcaneal lengthening in patients with cerebral palsy

Calcaneal lengthening (CL) is one of the treatment options for planovalgus deformity in patients with cerebral palsy (CP). However, its indication still needs to be clarified according to the functional status of CP. The aim of this study was to investigate the radiographic outcome after CL in patients with CP and to evaluate the risk factors causing undercorrection of planovalgus deformities. We included consecutive patients with CP who underwent CL for planovalgus deformity, were followed for more than 2 years, and had preoperative and postoperative weight-bearing anteroposterior (AP) and lateral foot radiographs. Six radiographic indices were used to assess the radiographic outcome. The patient age, sex, and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level were evaluated as possible risk factors, and we controlled for the interaction of potentially confounding variables using multivariate analysis. A total of 44 (77 feet) patients were included in this study. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 10.5 +/- 4.0 years and the mean follow-up was 5.1 +/- 2.2 years. Patients with GMFCS III/IV achieved less correction than those with GMFCS I/II in the AP talus-first metatarsal angle (P=0.001), lateral talocalcaneal angle (P=0.028), and the lateral talus-first metatarsal angle (P<0.001). The rate of undercorrection in the GMFCS III/IV group was 1.6 times higher than that in the GMFCS I/II group in the AP talus-first metatarsal angle (odds ratios: 1.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-2.0; P<0.001) and 1.6 times higher in the lateral talus-first metatarsal angle (odds ratios: 1.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.3-1.9; P<0.001). In GMFCS I/II patients with CP, we found CL to be an effective procedure for the correction of planovalgus foot deformities. However, in GMFCS III/IV patients with planovalgus deformities, CL appears to be insufficient on the basis of the high rate of undercorrection in these patients. For patients with GMFCS level III/IV, additional or alternative procedures should be considered to correct the deformity and maintain the correction achieved. Level of evidence: Level III, therapeutic study.N