With the aging of the world's population, osteoporosis has emerged as a formidable health concern. Bone mineral density (BMD) is the only available clinical parameter for bone strength evaluation and is determined through the use of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, and peripheral DEXA, such as calcaneal quantitative ultrasonography (QUS). This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study which aimed to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis among Filipinos, based on T-scores utilizing calcaneal quantitative ultrasonography. Baseline bone mineral density of 20,726 Filipinos were gathered based on the T-scores from calcaneal quantitative ultrasound results. The WHO criteria standardized the classification of BMD based on T-scores. Results showed that 3 percent of Filipinos were osteoporotic, 22 percent were osteopenic, while the rest were normal. The female sex and advanced age were key determinants of osteoporotic risk wheareas geographic location appears to have no influence.
OSTEOPOROSIS ; CALCANEAL ; QUANTITATIVE ; ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Background: Deletion and duplication mutations of dystrophin gene make up from 70 to 75% of patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Two thirds of children with DMD inherited from the heterozygous mothers the mutated gene which is located on one of the sex chromosomes. Objective: To detect the asymptomatic carriers of dystrophin gene mutation using molecular techniques. Subject and methods: 3 DMD patients and their 9 relatives. Using techniques: DNA extraction and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results: Successfully detected 4 heterozygous individuals from 9 female members of three different families that have already confirmed DMD patients. Conclusion: This method could lead to a new way of prenatal diagnosis of DMD as well as other genetic disorders that are caused by deletion or duplication mutation.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy ; carrier ; quantitative PCR

Three dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship between diazabicyclo[4.2.0]octanes and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (h alpha4beta2 and h alpha3beta4) agonists was studied using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). From 11 CoMFA and CoMSIA models, CoMSIA with steric and electrostatic fields gave the best predictive models (q2=0.926 and 0.945, r2(ncv)=0.983 and 0.988). This study can be used to develop potent h alpha4beta2 receptor agonists with low activity on h alpha3beta4 subtype.
Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship ; Receptors, Nicotinic

The chemical characterization analysis of a medical device often results in chemical substances with unknown toxicities. While identification of each individual toxicity could result in a time-consuming hurdle with tremendous labor and financial burden, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) is of great significance for toxicity risk assessment of such chemical substances. By establishing quantitative relationship between the molecular structures or active groups of similar chemical compounds with their biological activities, QSAR can be utilized to predict the toxicity of such target compounds with significantly reduced cost and time. In this article, the authors generally summarized the mechanisms of QSAR approaches, current applications of QSAR modeling in the field of medical device, an introduction of the characteristics of publicly and commercially-available QSAR software, and briefly explored future trends of QSAR modeling in medical device toxicological risk assessment. The utilization of QSAR would undoubtedly further advance the toxicological risk assessment of medical devices.
Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship ; Risk Assessment ; Software

Carpamic acid was an alkaloid as a hydrolysate from carpamic alkaloid in the past. Today, the carpamic acid is extracted from leaves of carisa papaya L. by many ways and isolated by column chromatography so it is proven as originated from leaves of carica papaya L. caricaceae.
Quantitative dosage of the total alkaloids in the leaves of some species of branch Crinum. Amryllidaceae

OBJECTIVES: For successful adoption of legislation controlling registration and assessment of chemical substances, it is important to obtain sufficient toxicological experimental evidence and other related information. It is also essential to obtain a sufficient number of predicted risk and toxicity results. Particularly, methods used in predicting toxicities of chemical substances during acquisition of required data, ultimately become an economic method for future dealings with new substances. Although the need for such methods is gradually increasing, the-required information about reliability and applicability range has not been systematically provided. METHODS: There are various representative environmental and human toxicity models based on quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR). Here, we secured the 10 representative QSAR-based prediction models and its information that can make predictions about substances that are expected to be regulated. We used models that predict and confirm usability of the information expected to be collected and submitted according to the legislation. After collecting and evaluating each predictive model and relevant data, we prepared methods quantifying the scientific validity and reliability, which are essential conditions for using predictive models. RESULTS: We calculated predicted values for the models. Furthermore, we deduced and compared adequacies of the models using the Alternative non-testing method assessed for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals Substances scoring system, and deduced the applicability domains for each model. Additionally, we calculated and compared inclusion rates of substances expected to be regulated, to confirm the applicability. CONCLUSIONS: We evaluated and compared the data, adequacy, and applicability of our selected QSAR-based toxicity prediction models, and included them in a database. Based on this data, we aimed to construct a system that can be used with predicted toxicity results. Furthermore, by presenting the suitability of individual predicted results, we aimed to provide a foundation that could be used in actual assessments and regulations.
Humans ; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Social Control, Formal

Colorectal carcinoma ranks third among ten leading causes of cancer in Malaysia. The colorectal carcinoma tumourigenesis involves the inactivation of tumour suppressor genes, and activation of proto-oncogenes. The p53 is one of the tumour suppressor genes that is involved in the colorectal carcinogenesis. The p53 gene is located on human chromosome 17p13.1 and comprises of 11 exons. Deficiencies in the p53 gene can cause the cancerous cells to spread to distant organs such as liver, lungs, lymph nodes, spine and bone. The most common p53 abnormalities that can lead to the metastasis of colorectal tumours are mutation and deregulation of the gene. In this study, nine colorectal carcinoma samples were used to establish a simple and sensitive strategy in the study on in vivo p53 expression by using realtime LightCycler SYBR Green I technology.
Colorectal ; Genes, p53 ; Carcinoma ; Quantitative ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Genetic epidemiology studies have established that the natural variation of gene expression profiles is heritable and has genetic bases. A number of proximal and remote DNA variations, known as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), that are associated with the expression phenotypes have been identified, first in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines and later expanded to other cell and tissue types. Integration of the eQTL information and the network analysis of transcription modules may lead to a better understanding of gene expression regulation. As these network modules have relevance to biological or disease pathways, these findings may be useful in predicting disease susceptibility.
Cell Line ; Disease Susceptibility ; DNA ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Metagenomics ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Phenotype ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; Transcriptome

To understand genetic patterns of the morphological and physiological traits in flag leaf of barley, a double haploid (DH) population derived from the parents Yerong and Franklin was used to determine quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling length, width, length/width, and chlorophyll content of flag leaves. A total of 9 QTLs showing significantly additive effect were detected in 8 intervals on 5 chromosomes. The variation of individual QTL ranged from 1.9% to 20.2%. For chlorophyll content expressed as SPAD value, 4 QTLs were identified on chromosomes 2H, 3H and 6H; for leaf length and width, 2 QTLs located on chromosomes 5H and 7H, and 2 QTLs located on chromosome 5H were detected; and for length/width, 1 QTL was detected on chromosome 7H. The identification of these QTLs associated with the properties of flag leaf is useful for barley improvement in breeding programs.
Chlorophyll ; analysis ; Chromosome Mapping ; Hordeum ; genetics ; Phenotype ; Plant Leaves ; genetics ; Quantitative Trait Loci

A method was proposed for the detection of outliers and influential observations in the framework of a mixed linear model, prior to the quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping analysis. We investigated the impact of outliers on QTL mapping for complex traits in a mouse BXD population, and observed that the dropping of outliers could provide the evidence of additional QTL and epistatic loci affecting the 1stBrain-OB and the 2ndBrain-OB in a cross of the abovementioned population. The results could also reveal a remarkable increase in estimating heritabilities of QTL in the absence of outliers. In addition, simulations were conducted to investigate the detection powers and false discovery rates (FDRs) of QTLs in the presence and absence of outliers. The results suggested that the presence of a small proportion of outliers could increase the FDR and hence decrease the detection power of QTLs. A drastic increase could be obtained in the estimates of standard errors for position, additive and additivex environment interaction effects of QTLs in the presence of outliers.
Animals ; Chromosome Mapping ; methods ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Inbred DBA ; Quantitative Trait Loci