Knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning presence of molds in foods among members of the general public in Malawi

This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of the public in Malawi on issues related to molds in foodstuffs. A survey involving structured questionnaire was conducted with 805 respondents from seven districts of Malawi. Descriptive statistics, t tests, and analyses of variance were calculated. A majority of respondents recognized that molds were dangerous to human health (88 %); however, about 50 % of respondents were not informed that mold toxins are thermally stable and that they are not destroyable by normal cooking processes. About 33 % of the respondents asserted that they buy moldy maize, while approximately 20 % of respondents reported that they consume moldy fruits having discarded moldy fraction. There were significant differences in knowledge scores among different demographic groups. Females had significantly (p < 0.05) lower knowledge scores on issues related to molds in foods. Additionally, the respondent’s location had a significant effect. However, respondent’s education had subtle effect on knowledge score and the overall population’s knowledge score was generally low (3.55 ± 1.32 score out of 9). Results of the study underline the need to raise public’s knowledge about health risks associated with spoilage molds in food and prevention and management options

Thermal-mechanical detector array with integrated diffraction grating

An uncooled thermal detector array with low NETD is designed and fabricated using MEMS bimaterial structures. A diffraction grating is embedded on the pixel membrane for sensing sub-nm mechanical deflections. The first order reflected light was focused on a CCD camera to monitor the entire array. Results show that it is possible to achieve <50mK NETD using a 12 bit CCD camera

Arsenic trioxide induces cell cycle arrest and alters DNA methylation patterns of cell cycle regulatory genes in colorectal cancer cells

Aims Cell cycle dysregulation is important in tumorigenesis. Transcriptional silencing of cell cycle regulatory genes, due to DNA methylation, is a common epigenetic event in malignancies. As2O3 has been shown to induce cell cycle arrest and also to be a potential hypomethylating agent. Our study aimed to investigate DNA methylation patterns of cell cycle regulatory genes promoters, the effects of Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on the methylated genes and cell cycle distribution in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. Main methods The methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and/or restriction enzyme-based methods were used to study the promoter methylation patterns of 24 cell cycle regulatory genes in CRC cell lines. Gene expression level and cell cycle distribution were determined by Real-time PCR and flow cytometric analyses, respectively. Key findings Our methylation analysis indicated that only promoters of RBL1 (p107), CHFR and p16 genes were aberrantly methylated in three cell lines. As2O3 significantly decreased DNA methylation in promoter regions of these genes and restored their expression. We found that As2O3 significantly reduced the expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and increased arsenic methyltransferase (AS3MT). Furthermore, As2O3 altered transcriptional activity of several unmethylated cell cycle regulatory genes including cyclin B1, E1, D1, GADD45A and p21. Cell cycle flow cytometry analysis showed As2O3 induced G2/M arrest in all three cell lines. Significance These data suggest that demethylation and alteration in the expression level of the cell cycle-related genes may be possible mechanisms in As2O3-induced cell cycle arrest in colorectal cancer cells. � 2016 Elsevier Inc

Brothers in Arms : DNA Enzymes, Short Interfering RNA, and the Emerging Wave of Small-Molecule Nucleic Acid-Based Gene-Silencing Strategies

The past decade has seen the rapid evolution of small-molecule gene-silencing strategies, driven largely by enhanced understanding of gene function in the pathogenesis of disease. Over this time, many genes have been targeted by specifically engineered agents from different classes of nucleic acid-based drugs in experimental models of disease to probe, dissect, and characterize further the complex processes that underpin molecular signaling. Arising from this, a number of molecules have been examined in the setting of clinical trials, and several have recently made the successful transition from the bench to the clinic, heralding an exciting era of gene-specific treatments. This is particularly important because clear inadequacies in present therapies account for significant morbidity, mortality, and cost. The broad umbrella of gene-silencing therapeutics encompasses a range of agents that include DNA enzymes, short interfering RNA, antisense oligonucleotides, decoys, ribozymes, and aptamers. This review tracks current movements in these technologies, focusing mainly on DNA enzymes and short interfering RNA, because these are poised to play an integral role in antigene therapies in the future