The Eurasia Proceedings of Health, Environment and Life Sciences

Evaluation of XRCC2 Expression in Breast Cancer

Naser Gilani — 2024-07-22

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of mortality among women worldwide. The X-ray repair cross-complementing group 2 (XRCC2) gene is implicated in DNA repair processes, and its role in BC remains controversial. This study aimed to analyze XRCC2 mRNA expression in BC tissues compared to normal breast tissues to elucidate its potential role in BC pathogenesis. An observational analytical study with a case-control design was conducted at Zheen International Hospital, Erbil, Iraq, from 2021 to 2024. The study included 44 adult women diagnosed with BC, and XRCC2 mRNA levels were measured using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). RNA was extracted, converted to cDNA, and analyzed by qRT-PCR. The XRCC2 mRNA expression levels were normalized using GAPDH and statistically analyzed using the 2−ΔCt method. The study found a significant upregulation of XRCC2 expression in BC tissues compared with normal controls (p<0.05), especially in patients aged 40-55 years and those > 56 years (p=0.0392 and p=0.0191, respectively), and in higher BC grades II and III (p=0.0013 and p=0.0051, respectively). Invasive ductal carcinoma exhibited a notable increase in XRCC2 expression (p=0.0006). In conclusion, the increased XRCC2 mRNA expression in BC tissues suggests a possible oncogenic role of XRCC2 in BC development. The correlation between age and cancer grade indicates its potential as a marker for BC progression.

Mathematical Models for Tuberculosis Disease Transmission in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Literature Review

Zulfaidil Zulfaidil — 2024-07-22

Research on tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a primary focus, given its status as a serious threat to global health, including in the Southeast Asia region. Enhancing understanding of the TB transmission model is imperative, with the main objectives of this study being (1) identifying developed models, (2) describing the study methodologies employed, and (3) identifying proposed interventions within these models. By applying for a Systematic Literature Review following the 2020 PRISMA guidelines, we successfully collected 872 articles from the Scopus database, specifically focusing on those studying TB spread through compartmental mathematical models. However, only 21 articles met the eligibility criteria for further analysis utilizing the meta-synthesis analysis method. Each article was then thoroughly analyzed to identify its characteristics and research context. Various interventions proposed in each model were evaluated, identified, and summarized to understand the potential for model development in future research. The entire content of the articles discusses the role of mathematics in analyzing TB models and transmission studies, with various interventions explained in detail. The results of the analysis indicate that the mathematical modelling of TB transmission can be enhanced by developing models with direct and indirect interventions for the human population. Various approaches in tuberculosis transmission dynamics, including compartmental models and spatial modelling techniques, are highlighted in this research. Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and control measures implemented in the models also serves as a focal point to assess their impact on TB spread. This review contributes to synthesizing existing knowledge, identifying research gaps, and highlighting opportunities for future advancements in mathematical modelling for TB control strategies in the Southeast Asia region.

Bibliometric Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 on Athlete Performance: Publication Trends and Implications for Future Research

Muh. Aswar — 2024-07-22

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected various sectors, including the realm of sports. The importance of researching the impact of COVID-19 on athlete performance lies in the urgency to prevent similar repercussions in the future. Therefore, this study aims to explore publication trends related to the influence of COVID-19 on athlete performance from 2020 to 2023, using bibliometric analysis methods. In this analysis, VOSviewer software and the bibliometric analysis application biblioshiny were utilized to analyze bibliographic data. From the Scopus database, a total of 977 documents were analyzed after undergoing the screening process. The results indicate fluctuations in publication trends, with the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health being the highest contributor with 87 documents. The United States ranks first in the number of documents, with a primary focus on athlete performance, totaling 907. Semmelweis University emerged as the most productive affiliation with 25 documents. Research findings highlight contributions from 19 Indonesian researchers, with the highest number of authors originating from the United States with 14 documents. The most globally cited document, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, has reached 387 citations. Visualization of research trends reveals popular topics aligning with the research, including "human," "Covid-19," "male," "female," "athlete," "adult," and "pandemic." The implications of these findings provide significant benefits to researchers by offering guidance for future analysis and serving as considerations in determining research themes. Furthermore, this supports global efforts to enhance understanding of the pandemic's impact on athlete performance and design more effective strategies to protect their health and well-being in the future.

The Effect of Corn Cob Powder and Oat Fibre Incorporation in Physicochemical Properties and Sensory Acceptance of Otak-Otak

Fisal Ahmad — 2024-07-22

Otak-otak is well-known as a traditional local food in Malaysia. It is made from fish meat, tapioca flour, and many spices. This study investigates the effect of corn cob powder and oat fibre incorporation on the physicochemical properties and sensory acceptance of otak-otak with different formulations. The formulations used control A (100% tapioca flour), B (0% CCP: 100% oat fibre), C (25% CCP: 75% oat fibre), D (50% CCP: 50% oat fibre), E (75% CCP: 25% oat fibre), and F (100% CCP: 0% oat fibre). The proximate analysis showed that otak-otak incorporated with CCP and oat fibre significantly differed (p<0.05) regarding crude fibre and fat. Physical analysis showed that the colour of the otak-otak for L* value ranges from 53.71 to 57.58, a* value ranges from 13.15 to 15.10, b* value ranges from 32.80 to 35.21 and the ΔE 0.96 to 4.86. For texture profile analysis, the hardness ranges from 2147.60 to 5006.00 (g), springiness ranges from 0.39 to 0.66 (mm), cohesiveness ranges from 0.35 to 0.48, and chewiness ranges from 370.40 to 1459.90 (gf). For sensory evaluation, the control formulation still the highest chosen by the panellist but has no significant difference (p<0.05) with formulation E (75% CCP: 25% oat fibre) and formulation C (25% CCP: 75% oat fibre). Therefore, from this study, we successfully developed otak-otak by adding corn cob powder and oat fibre.

Menstrual Patterns and Identifying Health Trends

Rusudan Vadatchkoria — 2024-07-22

Menstrual cycle is natural and one of the most important processes of female life, which gives us insight about significant hormonal and behavioral changes in female organism. In this regard, in order to have a better understanding of the different, and very specific factors, associated with menstrual health status, we conducted a survey study of some aspects of menstrual period. The survey was based on several targeted groups of the age between 8 and 49 years old, Indian and Georgian women. Various assumptions were made on behalf of the survey regarding the menstrual health and factors affecting or reliving the menstrual cycle related problems. Besides, the survey was a precious confirmation of the assumption of females conceive, that menstrual cycle affects their everyday lifestyle, the survey research method undoubtedly has some priorities to facilitate the understanding of real circumstances and to provide a basis for planning subsequent studies, which will certainly be expanded and deepened in the near future. In addition, factors that may be associated with the state of menstrual health, as well as the level of awareness of the female population about the characteristics of the menstrual cycle are shown. The final achievement of this study is a broader knowledge of the characteristics of the female body during these rather difficult days in the life of every woman, in order to properly manage this period, better adapt to everyday life and maintain normal ongoing activities.

Cytotoxic Activity of Onobrychis Megataphros Leaf Extract

Salih Muvakit — 2024-07-22

This study aims to determine the cytotoxic effects of Onobrychis megataphros plant leaves. Therefore, firstly, the O. megataphros samples included in our study were collected from Şanlıurfa and the surrounding areas (Siverek-Hilvan) during the vegetation periods between 2021-2022. The surface parts of the plants were dried in the shade, in the open air, and then pulverised to a suitable size with the help of a scale mill. The plant material was extracted three times separately with methanol at room temperature. After filtration, the samples were subjected to methanol extraction in Soxhlet apparatus for 6-8 hours. The extract was then filtered with Whatman blue band filter paper and evaporated at 40°C to remove the solvent. The cytotoxic activity of plants is associated with the presence of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids and saponins. Studies have shown that these sustances have anticancer effects by inducing apoptosis that inhibits cell proliferation and preventing angiogenesis. In our study, the cytotoxic activity of Onobrychis megataphros was investigated. The focus of our study is to fully understand the mechanisms underlying the cytotoxic activity of O.megataphros and to determine its potential as a therapeutic agent in cancer treatment. In vitro cytotoxicity experiments that were carried out in the laboratory, PC-3 prostate cancer cell line (CRL-1435) was obtained commercially from ATCC. Cytotoxic activity of the O.megataphros was detected with MTT (3-4,5-dimetiltiyazolil2,5-difeniltetrazolyum bromid) test. The results have shown that the sample has not decreased vitality in all cell tests. The vitality was 100%. In conclusion, O. megataphros is a promising plant as a natural source of cytotoxicity with potential anticancer activity, and further research on this topic may contribute to the development of new cancer therapies that are both safe and effective.

Bibliometric Analysis of Mental Health in Athletes

Syaipul Hari Baharuddin — 2024-07-22

Mental health in athletes is crucial as it significantly impacts sports performance, overall well-being, and the daily lives of athletes. The importance of mental health in the athlete context indicates that attention to this aspect not only affects sports performance but also the overall well-being and lives of athletes. This research aims to understand publication trends related to mental health in athletes through bibliometric analysis. In this analysis, VOSviewer software and the bibliometric analysis application biblioshiny were used to graphically analyze bibliographic data. After filtering, 729 documents were analyzed from the Scopus database. The results show fluctuating trends in the number of publications, with the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health as the highest contributor with 125 documents. The USA ranks first in documents focusing on mental health in athletes, with 637 documents. Additionally, Ulster University is the most prolific affiliation, contributing the highest number of publications, each with 30 documents. The globally most cited document, published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, has been cited 177 times. Visualization of research trends reveals popular topics aligned with research and discussions, including mental health, male, human, female, athlete, adult, psychology. This research can significantly contribute to understanding and treating the mental health of athletes, as well as stimulate further research and interventions in the future.

Peptide Analysis of Protein Extracts from Caulerpa Lentillifera by Nano LC-ESI-Ms/Ms and Their Potential as Precursor of Biologically Active Peptides – In Silico Approach

Fisal Ahmad — 2024-07-22

Peptidomics research is gradually positioning in food science fields due to an increasing interest in peptides released from food proteins with health benefits and nutraceutical properties. Referable to the complexity of these compounds, their study requires advanced analytical techniques such as tandem mass spectrometry. Seaweed naturally has high nutritional value and many health-promoting effects. Hence, this work aimed to characterize the peptide and to virtual screening for their potential as a precursor of biologically active peptides. The total soluble protein was extracted from Caulerpa lentillifera using the phenol ammonium acetate precipitation method. In solution, digestion was carried out using trypsin on 500 µg of protein. Peptide sequencing was accomplished using nano liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-ESI-MS/MS), and Peaks Studio 7 was used for the analysis of MS/MS data and de novo peptide sequencing using an average local confidence above 90%. The results showed that 76 peptides mapped to selected proteins and 145 were de novo peptide sequences. In silico approaches of both peptide sequences resulted in 15 types of biological activity characteristics of peptides from among 44 categories as listed in the BIOPEP-UWM database, and motifs with the ACE inhibitory activity occur most frequently. These findings are relevant to the search for bio-functional ingredients as constituents of functional foods or provide added value to nutraceutical foods. Significantly, the methodology described here might apply to discovering the potential in any organism with incomplete genome data.

XRCC2 Gene Study by Next Generation Sequencing and Establishing Its Relation with Breast Cancer

Naser Gilani — 2024-07-22

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women, with its development influenced by genetic factors such as mutations in the XRCC2 gene, a key player in DNA repair via homologous recombination. This study aimed to elucidate the role of XRCC2 in BC by utilizing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to identify genetic variants and assess their association with BC risk and progression. This study was done between 2021 and 2024. Specimens were meticulously collected from Zheen International Hospital, located in Erbil, Iraq. In total, 44 peripheral blood samples of 44 BC patients were included in this study. DNA extracted from these samples underwent NGS, revealing seven XRCC2 variants with varying predictions of pathogenicity. In terms of pathogenicity, 5 of these mutations were Uncertain Significance, including (c.134A>C, c.271C>T, c.283A>C, c.181C>A, c.-1G>A (5UTR variant)), 1 of them was Likely Pathogenic including (c.651_652del) and other (c.582G>T) was Likely benign. In conclusion, the XRCC2 could serve as a biomarker for BC, warranting further investigation for its inclusion in genetic screening programs.

SLC5A6 Gene Mutations Associated with Developmental Delay in a Child: Case Report

Victoria Kononets — 2024-09-01

Building Public Awareness: Education and Campaigns to Prevent Stunting in the Next Generation

Debi S Fuadi — 2024-09-01

This study aims to explore the effectiveness of education and campaign approaches in building public awareness about the importance of preventing stunting in future generations. Employing a qualitative descriptive study approach, the researcher engaged three informants with relevant experience and knowledge in the field of child health and stunting prevention. Through in-depth interviews and content analysis, this study describes the perceptions, understandings, and experiences of informants regarding the education and campaign efforts conducted to prevent stunting. The results reveal a variety of strategies employed, including direct counselling, provision of educational materials, social media campaigns, and community activities. Data analysis underscores challenges encountered in implementing the program, such as low levels of community participation, limited access to health services, and financial constraints. Nonetheless, the findings also identify opportunities to enhance the program's effectiveness, such as collaboration with community institutions and a culturally nuanced approach. This research offers valuable insights for the development of more effective strategies to cultivate community awareness about stunting and foster positive behavior change to prevent stunting in future generations. In conclusion, education and campaigns play a pivotal role in stunting prevention efforts, but sustained and coordinated endeavors are requisite to achieve substantial impact.

Adiwiyata Certification: Introducing Sustainability through Green School and Education

Nur Hamidah — 2024-09-01

Age-Specific Reference Values for Free Carnitine and Short Chain Acylcarnitines Content in Dried Blood Spots in Newborns in Western Kazakhstan: A Tandem Mass Spectrometry Measurement

Lyazzat Syrlybayeva — 2024-09-01

Sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) deficiency is a recently described multivitamindependent inherited metabolic disorder (IMD). SMVT is encoded by the SLC5A6 gene located on chromosome 2p23.3. We describe a clinical case of SMVT deficiency in a child with developmental delay, microcephaly, persistent neurological symptoms, skin lesions and frequent upper respiratory tract infections. A tandem mass spectrometry study of the metabolic profile of amino acids and acylcarnitines, carried out twice, showed increased blood levels of methylmalonylcarnitine + 3-hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine (C4DC/C5OH). Urine analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed persistently increased excretion of 3-OH-isovaleric acid. The combination of increased blood concentrations of C4DC/C5OH and increased urinary excretion of 3-OHisovaleric acid suggested a metabolic disorder associated with impaired biotin metabolism. Determination of the level of biotinidase in the blood did not reveal deviations from the reference values. Biotin was prescribed. As a result of clinical exome sequencing, complex heterozygous variants of the SLC5A6 gene encoding SMVT were identified. The patient was treated with increased doses of oral biotin, pantothenic acid, and lipoic acid, which resulted in significant clinical improvement.This study aims to explore the effectiveness of education and campaign approaches in building public awareness about the importance of preventing stunting in future generations. Employing a qualitative descriptive study approach, the researcher engaged three informants with relevant experience and knowledge in the field of child health and stunting prevention. Through in-depth interviews and content analysis, this study describes the perceptions, understandings, and experiences of informants regarding the education and campaign efforts conducted to prevent stunting. The results reveal a variety of strategies employed, including direct counselling, provision of educational materials, social media campaigns, and community activities. Data analysis underscores challenges encountered in implementing the program, such as low levels of community participation, limited access to health services, and financial constraints. Nonetheless, the findings also identify opportunities to enhance the program's effectiveness, such as collaboration with community institutions and a culturally nuanced approach. This research offers valuable insights for the development of more effective strategies to cultivate community awareness about stunting and foster positive behavior change to prevent stunting in future generations. In conclusion, education and campaigns play a pivotal role in stunting prevention efforts, but sustained and coordinated endeavors are requisite to achieve substantial impact.Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) gives learners the knowledge, skills, values and behavior to face the global challenges. ESD offers countries to develop and expand educational activities that focus on sustainability issues. Green school is one of the initiatives that introduce global challenges to schools such as climate change, water, biodiversity, the oceans, sustainable urbanization, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable lifestyles through education. The research aims to describe the implementation of integrated green school in Bandung public school as an initiative to introduce sustainability through education. Descriptive qualitative method is used in this research. Observations and interviews were conducted to principal, teachers, students, and other parts of the school community. Literature study was also conducted to compare the implementation of Bandung green school to other schools in sustainability. The result showed that Bandung integrated green school has the whole-school approach to sustainability than non- green school. There are 20 programs implemented by Bandung green school by integrating them to the whole school community. Integrated green school initiative led the school to introduce sustainability through education.Measuring the level of acylcarnitines and free carnitine in the blood is one of the stages of early diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism, including disorders of fatty acid oxidation, and ensures timely initiation of therapeutic measures. Currently, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is successfully used for these purposes. Dried blood spot acylcarnitine reference values developed for neonates are critical for interpreting test results and diagnosing fatty acid metabolic disorders. Objectives: To establish reference values for the concentrations of free carnitine and short-chain acylcarnitines in samples of dried blood spots of newborns in Western Kazakhstan using LC-MS/MS technology (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). Methods: The cross-sectional study included 250 healthy newborns from Western Kazakhstan aged 1-3 days, born at term and breastfed, 49.2% boys and 50.2% girls. To establish age reference values for C0 and shortchain acylcarnitines, newborns were divided into three groups (1) 1-day, (2) 2-day and (3) 3-day. Guthrie blood samples were collected on days 1–3 of life and quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Nonparametric statistical approaches were used to obtain percentile distributions for newborns ranging from 2.5 to 97.5. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in the mean levels of acetylcarnitine (C2), butyrylcarnitine (C4) and tiglylcarnitine (C5:1) in men and women. The highest values were determined in the female group. Age-related differences were observed in the concentration levels of malonylcarnitine (C3DC), butyrylcarnitine (C4), isovalerylcarnitine (C5) and glutarylcarnitine (C5DC). No significant correlations were found between the content of C0 and 10 short-chain acetylcarnitines in dried blood spots and the body weight of newborns. Conclusion: The present study established concentrations of acylcarnitines and free carnitine that can be used as reference standards in a newborn screening program for inherited metabolic diseases in Kazakhstan.

Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Gene Mutations in Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia

Ayşe Dalyan — 2024-09-01

Chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of leukemia in adults in western countries and is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease. Although the diseaseusually follows a slow course, significant survival differences are observed depending on clinical and biological factors. Some patients with CLL do not need treatment for many years, while others need urgent treatment. It is noteworthy that staging systems are inadequate in patient follow-up and predicting the course of the disease. Therefore, parameters that determine prognosis in CLL independent of disease stage have been developed. In recent years, mutation status of Immunoglobulin heavy chain variableregion(IgVH) genes has emerged as a strong marker for prognosis in CLL. Patients with CLL are divided into 2 subgroups with different clinical courses according to the mutation status in the IgVH genes: one refers to mutated IgVH segments with a more favorable clinical course and the other refers to non-mutated IgVH segments associated with a poor outcome. In this study, we will try to clarify the relationship between IgVH mutation status and CLL prognosis and survival.

Essential and Conditionally Essential Amino Acid Profile in West Kazakhstan Children with Suspected Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Gulmira Zharmakhanova — 2024-09-01

Measuring the concentration of amino acids in the blood and compiling a metabolic profile of amino acids, taking into account the influence of factors such as age, gender, body weight, region of residence, is extremely important in the diagnosis of amino acid metabolic disorders, especially when conducting selective screening for inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). Aims: To describe the metabolic profile of essential and conditionally essential amino acids in samples of dried blood spots from children in Western Kazakhstan with suspected IEM using LC-MS/MS technology (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). Methods: The cross-sectional study included 200 clinical-risk children of West Kazakhstan aged one day to 18 years, 52.5 % male and 47.5 % female. Depending on their age, the children were divided into the following groups: group A (newborns, age 1-30 days), group B (age 1 month -7 years) and group C (age 8-18 years). Blood samples on Guthrie cards were collected and quantified by LC-MS/MS. Nonparametric statistical approaches were used. The concentrations of arginine, glycine, leucine, isoleucine, hydroxyproline, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine, valine in dried blood spots of children with suspected IEM were determined. Results: Significant differences were established between children with suspected IEM of different age groups in the concentrations of hydroxyproline, arginine, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine and valine. A negative correlation with age for the majority of essential and conditionally essential Amino Acids indicates their decline with age in children with suspected hereditary metabolic diseases. Significant differences between groups of female and male children with suspected IEM were established only in the concentration of methionine in dried blood spots. The highest values were determined in female group. Conclusion: The results of this study may be important in conducting selective screening for IEM in various age groups of the pediatric population.

Determination of miRNA Expression Levels in Bladder Cancer

Mehmet Aydin Dagdeviren — 2024-09-01

Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer worldwide, with the highest incidence rates observed in men in some countries in Southern and Western Europe, North America, North Africa, or Western Asia (Antoni, S. et al., 2017). Although gender differences vary greatly between countries, incidence rates are lower in men than in women. According to the data announced by the World Health Organization in 2022: In European and Asian comparisons; This rate is 21.1% and 5.6% per 100,000 people, respectively, and 22.6% in Turkey (Globocan, 2022). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-protein-coding, single-stranded RNA molecules of 18-25 nucleotides in length and constitute a class of endogenous small RNAs (Celik et al., 2013). Studies have shown that microRNAs may also function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in Bladder cancer. Although the expression levels of microRNA 22 5p and microRNA 337 have been determined in many cancers, including lung, prostate and colon cancer, no studies have been found on their expression levels in bladder cancer patients. In our study, miRNA 22 5p and miRNA 337 5p expression levels in bladder cancer patients will be calculated quantitatively using the Real-Time PCR method. In the first stage of the study, samples will be taken from the bladder using the TUR method, one from healthy tissue and the other from cancerous tissue. miRNA will be isolated from the tissue samples taken, cDNA will be synthesized from the miRNA samples and expression levels will be determined with the Real-Time PCR method using miRNA 22 5p, miRNA 337 5p specific primers and U6 primer as the reference gene. The data will be analyzed and interpreted with the SPSS package program.This study was planned to determine whether these two miRNAs can guide early diagnosis and diagnosis in bladder cancer patients and to provide clinicians with diagnosis and treatment planning.

Prevention of Venous Congestion in Superficial Temporal Artery Pedicled Scalp Flaps Using Deep Temporal Fascia

Aydin Turan — 2024-09-05

Background: Venous congestion is an important complication in superficial temporal artery pedicled scalp flaps. In this study, we added deep temporal fascia, including the middle temporal vein, to the flap pedicle to prevent venous congestion in these flaps. Methods: A horn-shaped superficial temporal artery pedicled scalp flap was used to repair scalp and facial defects in 16 patients with a mean age of 52 years. The flaps were raised together with the superficial and deep temporal fascia at the base of the pedicle. The flap sizes ranged from 9 × 4 cm to 23 × 7 cm, and the mean follow-up period was seven months. Results: Venous congestion did not develop in any of the flaps. Abnormal hair distribution developed in three patients and hematoma in one patient. In all of the patients, the donor site was closed primarily and there was no flap loss. Conclusions: In scalp flaps with a superficial temporal artery pedicle, venous congestion can be prevented, and elevated more safely by adding a deep temporal fascia to the flap pedicle.