Anticancer activity of Momordica cochinchinensis (red gac) aril and the impact of varietal diversity

Background: Momordica cochinchinensis (Cucurbitaceae) is a nutritionally and medicinally important fruit restricted to South East Asia with diverse morphological and genetic variations but there is limited information on its medicinal potential. Methods: M. cochinchinensis aril from 44 different samples in Australia, Thailand and Vietnam were extracted using different solvents and tested for its anticancer potential. Anticancer activity of M. cochinchinensis aril on breast cancer (MCF7 and BT474) and melanoma (MM418C1 and D24) cells were compared to control fibroblasts (NHDF). The cytotoxicity of the cells following treatment with the aril extract was determined using CCK-8 assay. Biochemical and morphological changes were analysed using flow cytometry, confocal and transmission electron microscopy to determine the mechanism of cell death. Results: The water extract from the aril of M. cochinchinensis elicited significantly higher cytotoxicity towards breast cancer and melanoma cells than the HAE extract. The IC50 concentration for the crude water extract ranged from 0.49 to 0.73 mg/mL and induced both apoptotic and necrotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependant manner with typical biochemical and morphological characteristics. The greatest cytotoxicity was observed from Northern Vietnam samples which caused 70 and 50% melanoma and breast cancer cell death, respectively. Conclusions: The water extract of M. cochinchinensis aril caused significant apoptosis and necrosis of breast cancer and melanoma cells, with varieties from Northern Vietnam possessing superior activity. This highlights the potential of this fruit in the development of novel anticancer agents against such tumours, with specific regions on where to collect the best variety and extraction solvent for optimum activity

On religion and cultural policy: notes on the Roman Catholic Church

This paper argues that religious institutions have largely been neglected within the study of cultural policy. This is attributed to the inherently secular tendency of most modern social sciences. Despite the predominance of the ‘secularisation paradigm’, the paper notes that religion continues to promote powerful attachments and denunciations. Arguments between the ‘new atheists’, in particular, Richard Dawkins, and their opponents are discussed, as is Habermas’s conciliatory encounter with Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI). The paper then moves to a consideration of the Roman Catholic Church as an agent of cultural policy, whose overriding aim is the promotion of ‘Christian consciousness’. Discussion focuses on the contested meanings of this, with reference to (1) the deliberations of Vatican II and (2) the exercise of theological and cultural authority by the Pope and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). It is argued that these doctrinal disputes intersect with secular notions of social and cultural policy and warrant attention outside the specialist realm of theological discourse

Association between Leptin (G2548A) and Leptin Receptor (Q223R) Polymorphisms with Plasma Leptin, BMI, Stress, Sleep and Eating Patterns among the Multiethnic Young Malaysian Adult Population from a Healthcare University

Relative leptin resistance in childhood to absolute leptin resistance in maturity suggests sleep, eating behaviour, and the psychological state as probable causes. The current body of research provides inconclusive evidence linking G2548A and Q223R to obesity. Furthermore, we could find very little data that have observed the association between the environment and gene polymorphism, especially in the multiethnic population that exists in Malaysia. This study searched for a possible link between sleeping habits, eating behaviour, and stress indicators with plasma leptin and its genetic variation in young adult Malaysian healthcare students. The study involved 185 first- and second-year medical and dental students from a healthcare university. Polymerase Chain Reaction– Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) determined the genotype, Enzyme Linked Immunoabsorbant Assay (ELISA) tested the serum leptin, and a self-administered questionnaire evaluated sleep, eating behaviour, and psychological condition. Gender and ethnicity are linked to fasting plasma leptin levels (p < 0.001). Plasma leptin also affects stress, anxiety, and sadness. Leptin (LEP) and Leptin Receptor (LEPR) polymorphisms were not associated with BMI, plasma leptin, sleep, eating behaviour, or psychological state. Young adult Malaysian Indians were obese and overweight, while Chinese were underweight. These findings imply overweight and obese participants were in stage I of leptin resistance and lifestyle change or leptin therapy could prevent them from becoming cripplingly obese as they age

Safety and Feasibility of Thoracic Malignancy Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has decreased surgical activity, particularly in the field of oncology, because of the suspicion of a higher risk of COVID-19–related severe events. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of thoracic cancer surgery in the most severely affected European and Canadian regions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study investigators prospectively collected data on surgical procedures for malignant thoracic diseases from January 1 to April 30, 2020. The study included patients from 6 high-volume thoracic surgery departments: Nancy and Strasbourg (France), Freiburg (Germany), Milan and Turin (Italy), and Montreal (Canada). The centers involved in this research are all located in the most severely affected regions of those countries. An assessment of COVID-19–related symptoms, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–confirmed COVID-19 infection, rates of hospital and intensive care unit admissions, and death was performed for each patient. Every deceased patient was tested for COVID-19 by PCR. Results: In the study period, 731 patients who underwent 734 surgical procedures were included. In the whole cohort, 9 cases (1.2%) of COVID-19 were confirmed by PCR, including 5 in-hospital contaminants. Four patients (0.5%) needed readmission for oxygen requirements. In this subgroup, 2 patients (0.3%) needed intensive care unit and mechanical ventilatory support. The total number of deaths in the whole cohort was 22 (3%). A single death was related to COVID-19 (0.14%). Conclusions: Maintaining surgical oncologic activity in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic seems safe and feasible, with very low postoperative morbidity or mortality. To continue to offer the best care to patients who do not have COVID-19, reports on other diseases are urgently needed

Analysis of equatorial rainfall characteristics by drop size distributions and rain rate-radar reflectivity relation

In remote sensing, it is vital to do a proper analysis of rainfall for the retrieval of rain data. The rain-induced attenuation and radar reflectivity mainly rely on drop size distribution (DSD). The rain rate-radar reflectivity (ZR) relation varies broadly over different climatic regions, rainfall regimes, and seasonal characteristics, especially in the tropical region. This study examines a one year of continuous measureements of DSD using ground-based distrometers at three different equatorial locations and investigates the rain types classification based on the microphysical properties of the rainfall. A large variation in the ZR relation parameters was discovered, highlighting the localized climate nature in the region. Additionally, the accumulated rain amounts were mainly influenced by convective rain although lower occurrence time of convective rain in comparison with stratiform rain

Impact of link elevation angles on rain attenuation statistics in heavy rain region predicted using the synthetic storm technique

In the absence of measured rain attenuation, prediction models are the best way to estimate statistics of rain attenuation. Synthetic Storm Technique (SST) model is one of the solutions to obtain time series of rain attenuation. By using SST, we will investigate the impact of link elevation angle on the prediction models; in particular, the results show that time series of rain attenuation at low elevation angles deviate significantly from those at high elevation angles. In addition, higher frequencies show considerably higher attenuation than lower frequencies. This is particularly severe in a tropical and equatorial region where the rainfall rate is higher with respect to the temperate region