In vitro antioxidant and anticancer activities of Clinacanthus nutans extracts

Clinacanthus nutans (CN), from the Acanthaceae family is a medicinal plant widely used in Thailand and Malaysia. CN is commonly used as a treatment of inflammation, cancer, and herpes virus infection. This study aimed to determine the antioxidant activity and anticancer properties of CN leaves extracts on human colorectal cancer cell lines, HCT 116 and HT-29. In this study, CN leaves powders were extracted in methanol, chloroform, and acetone at different durations. The crude extracts were assessed for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) tetrazolium reduction assay. The extract using acetone showed with the highest TPC. The highest total flavonoid content was the methanol extract. The DPPH radical scavenging activity, IC50 of methanol extract was 19.67 µg/mL and exhibited the most efficacious antioxidant property among the others. The 24-hour methanol extract showed the most promising results on MTT assay. Therefore, CN methanol extract is a promising candidate to proceed in other anticancer studies such as cell cycle arrest and apoptosis assays

Recognizing the Continuous Nature of Expression Heterogeneity and Clinical Outcomes in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been previously classified into putative discrete prognostic subtypes by gene expression profiling. To investigate the robustness of these proposed subtype classifications, we evaluated 12 public datasets, together with a new dataset of 265 ccRCC gene expression profiles. Consensus clustering showed unstable subtype and principal component analysis (PCA) showed a continuous spectrum both within and between datasets. Considering the lack of discrete delineation and continuous spectrum observed, we developed a continuous quantitative prognosis score (Continuous Linear Enhanced Assessment of RCC, or CLEAR score). Prognostic performance was evaluated in independent cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (n = 414) and EMBL-EBI (n = 53), CLEAR score demonstrated both superior prognostic estimates and inverse correlation with anti-angiogenic tyrosine-kinase inhibition in comparison to previously proposed discrete subtyping classifications. Inverse correlation with high-dose interleukin-2 outcomes was also observed for the CLEAR score. Multiple somatic mutations (VHL, PBRM1, SETD2, KDM5C, TP53, BAP1, PTEN, MTOR) were associated with the CLEAR score. Application of the CLEAR score to independent expression profiling of intratumoral ccRCC regions demonstrated that average intertumoral heterogeneity exceeded intratumoral expression heterogeneity. Wider investigation of cancer biology using continuous approaches may yield insights into tumor heterogeneity; single cell analysis may provide a key foundation for this approach

Recognizing the Continuous Nature of Expression Heterogeneity and Clinical Outcomes in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been previously classified into putative discrete prognostic subtypes by gene expression profiling. To investigate the robustness of these proposed subtype classifications, we evaluated 12 public datasets, together with a new dataset of 265 ccRCC gene expression profiles. Consensus clustering showed unstable subtype and principal component analysis (PCA) showed a continuous spectrum both within and between datasets. Considering the lack of discrete delineation and continuous spectrum observed, we developed a continuous quantitative prognosis score (Continuous Linear Enhanced Assessment of RCC, or CLEAR score). Prognostic performance was evaluated in independent cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (n = 414) and EMBL-EBI (n = 53), CLEAR score demonstrated both superior prognostic estimates and inverse correlation with anti-angiogenic tyrosine-kinase inhibition in comparison to previously proposed discrete subtyping classifications. Inverse correlation with high-dose interleukin-2 outcomes was also observed for the CLEAR score. Multiple somatic mutations (VHL, PBRM1, SETD2, KDM5C, TP53, BAP1, PTEN, MTOR) were associated with the CLEAR score. Application of the CLEAR score to independent expression profiling of intratumoral ccRCC regions demonstrated that average intertumoral heterogeneity exceeded intratumoral expression heterogeneity. Wider investigation of cancer biology using continuous approaches may yield insights into tumor heterogeneity; single cell analysis may provide a key foundation for this approach

A global catalog of whole-genome diversity from 233 primate species.

The rich diversity of morphology and behavior displayed across primate species provides an informative context in which to study the impact of genomic diversity on fundamental biological processes. Analysis of that diversity provides insight into long-standing questions in evolutionary and conservation biology and is urgent given severe threats these species are facing. Here, we present high-coverage whole-genome data from 233 primate species representing 86% of genera and all 16 families. This dataset was used, together with fossil calibration, to create a nuclear DNA phylogeny and to reassess evolutionary divergence times among primate clades. We found within-species genetic diversity across families and geographic regions to be associated with climate and sociality, but not with extinction risk. Furthermore, mutation rates differ across species, potentially influenced by effective population sizes. Lastly, we identified extensive recurrence of missense mutations previously thought to be human specific. This study will open a wide range of research avenues for future primate genomic research

The landscape of tolerated genetic variation in humans and primates.

Personalized genome sequencing has revealed millions of genetic differences between individuals, but our understanding of their clinical relevance remains largely incomplete. To systematically decipher the effects of human genetic variants, we obtained whole-genome sequencing data for 809 individuals from 233 primate species and identified 4.3 million common protein-altering variants with orthologs in humans. We show that these variants can be inferred to have nondeleterious effects in humans based on their presence at high allele frequencies in other primate populations. We use this resource to classify 6% of all possible human protein-altering variants as likely benign and impute the pathogenicity of the remaining 94% of variants with deep learning, achieving state-of-the-art accuracy for diagnosing pathogenic variants in patients with genetic diseases

Characterizing the Genotypic Spectrum of Retinitis Pigmentosa in East Asian Populations: A Systematic Review

10.1080/13816810.2023.2182329Ophthalmic Genetics442109-11

Usability and Player Experience of Input Device for Mobile Gaming

Input devices for mobile gaming consist of hard keypad (HK) and soft keypad (SK). Different interaction for both input devices have an impact on usability and player experience. Although there are publications that evaluate on input devices and game, little is known on how HK and SK affect mobile gaming. The implication to usability aspect is not fully understood and the list of recommendation on player experience is limited. The aim of this paper is to examine usability and construct recommendation list for player experience by comparing two different types of mobile devices, namely HK and SK. For usability, an experiment was employed to measure effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. The studies conducted an interview after the experiment. From the interview, a list of recommendation was constructed to identify player experience of input devices for mobile games. Results of the experiment were significant for effectiveness and satisfaction measures where HK performed better than SK. The recommendation list revealed both devices most mentioned positive and negative comments

Wound Healing, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Clinacanthus nutans (Burm.f.) Lindau and Strobilanthes crispus (L.) Blume Extracts

Clinacanthus nutans is known to be an anticancer and antiviral agent, and Strobilanthes crispus has proven to be an antidiuretic and antidiabetic agent. However, there is a high possibility that these plants possess multiple beneficial properties, such as antimicrobial and wound healing properties. This study aims to assess the wound healing, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of Clinacanthus nutans and Strobilanthes crispus. The Clinacanthus nutans and Strobilanthes crispus leaves were dried, ground, and extracted with ethanol, acetone, and chloroform through cold maceration. In a modified scratch assay with co-incubation of skin fibroblast and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clinacanthus nutans and Strobilanthes crispus extracts were assessed for their wound healing potential, and the antimicrobial activities of Clinacanthus nutans and Strobilanthes crispus extracts were performed on a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on Mueller–Hinton agar based ona disc diffusion assay. To assess for antioxidant potential, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), total phenolic and total flavonoid assays were conducted. In the modified scratch assay, Clinacanthus nutans extracts aided in the wound healing activity while in the presence of MRSA, and Strobilanthes crispus extracts were superior in antimicrobial and wound healing activities. In addition, Strobilanthes crispus extracts were superior to Clinacanthus nutans extracts against Pseudomonas aeruginosa on Mueller–Hinton agar. Acetone-extracted Clinacanthus nutans contained the highest level of antioxidant in comparison with other Clinacanthus nutans extracts

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Wound Healing Properties of Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau and Strobilanthes crispus (L.) Blume Extracts

Clinacanthus nutans (C. nutans) and Strobilanthes crispus (S. crispus) both are well-known for their specific beneficial properties against different diseases. C. nutans is known to be anticancer and antiviral, especially against colon cancer, varicella-zoster virus, and herpes simplex virus. S. crispus has proven to be anti-diuretic and antidiabetic by multiple studies. In the previous studies, S. crispus extract showed promising results, capable of aiding in the wound healing process. Since C. nutans was commonly available as a balm in the traditional market, there is a high possibility that it contains antimicrobial and wound healing properties as well. Thus, this study aimed to confirm the medicinal benefits of C. nutans and S. crispus, specifically antimicrobial and wound healing properties. The C. nutans and S. crispus leaves were extracted with different polarity solvents; ethanol, acetone, and chloroform, through cold maceration and kept refrigerated at 2-8°C in the dark. The presence of phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponin in the extracts were screened. These extracts were then assessed for their antioxidant potential by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay using ascorbic acid as standard; determination of Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and Total Flavonoids Content (TFC) using Gallic Acid and Rutin as standard, respectively. Disk Diffusion Assay was performed to determine their antimicrobial properties. Modified scratch assay by co-incubating skin fibroblast with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and treated with the C. nutans and S. crispus extracts to determine their wound healing effects. These extracts were observed at 1, 3, 6, 10, 24, and 48 hours to investigate the cell migration activity depicting the closing up of wound. The phytochemical profiles for both C. nutans and S. crispus extracts were similar, except the C. nutans extracts have a higher saponin level compared with S. crispus extracts. The C. nutans acetone extract contained the highest level of antioxidant potential and TPC than the other C. nutans extracts. However, the ethanol extract of C. nutans showed the highest TFC, which was corresponded to the flavonoid content obtained from the phytochemical screening. The highest TPC value was recorded by the S. crispus ethanol extract, while the TFC test revealed similar pattern results among these S. crispus extracts. The C. nutans extracts showed a zone of inhibition of 14 to 16 mm when treated on Ps. aeruginosa, while S. crispus extracts showed distinctive zone of inhibition range between 11 to 15 mm on Ps. aeruginosa. There was no positive result observed when the extracts were treated on other bacteria. Fibroblasts were sensitive to acetone extracts, and S. crispus extracts were proven to have higher toxicity during the MTT assay. During the scratch assay with extracts only, C. nutans extracts showed wound healing properties, whereas S. crispus extracts seemed to be delayed the wound healing activity. However, when MRSA was added for the co-incubation, S. crispus extracts showed inhibition against the growth of MRSA and aided the wound healing activity, but this situation did not demonstrate in C. nutans extracts. The C. nutans and S. crispus extracts exhibited strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. C. nutans extracts aids in the wound healing activity, but if MRSA was involved, S. crispus extracts were capable of inhibiting the growth and aiding in the wound healing activity