Browse publications by year: 2014

  1. Magableh A, Shukur Z, Ali NM
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:327808.
    PMID: 25136656 DOI: 10.1155/2014/327808
    Unified Modeling Language is the most popular and widely used Object-Oriented modelling language in the IT industry. This study focuses on investigating the ability to expand UML to some extent to model crosscutting concerns (Aspects) to support AspectJ. Through a comprehensive literature review, we identify and extensively examine all the available Aspect-Oriented UML modelling approaches and find that the existing Aspect-Oriented Design Modelling approaches using UML cannot be considered to provide a framework for a comprehensive Aspectual UML modelling approach and also that there is a lack of adequate Aspect-Oriented tool support. This study also proposes a set of Aspectual UML semantic rules and attempts to generate AspectJ pseudocode from UML diagrams. The proposed Aspectual UML modelling approach is formally evaluated using a focus group to test six hypotheses regarding performance; a "good design" criteria-based evaluation to assess the quality of the design; and an AspectJ-based evaluation as a reference measurement-based evaluation. The results of the focus group evaluation confirm all the hypotheses put forward regarding the proposed approach. The proposed approach provides a comprehensive set of Aspectual UML structural and behavioral diagrams, which are designed and implemented based on a comprehensive and detailed set of AspectJ programming constructs.
    MeSH terms: Language*; Models, Theoretical; Software*; Software Design
  2. Alkawaz MH, Basori AH, Mohamad D, Mohamed F
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:367013.
    PMID: 25136663 DOI: 10.1155/2014/367013
    Generating extreme appearances such as scared awaiting sweating while happy fit for tears (cry) and blushing (anger and happiness) is the key issue in achieving the high quality facial animation. The effects of sweat, tears, and colors are integrated into a single animation model to create realistic facial expressions of 3D avatar. The physical properties of muscles, emotions, or the fluid properties with sweating and tears initiators are incorporated. The action units (AUs) of facial action coding system are merged with autonomous AUs to create expressions including sadness, anger with blushing, happiness with blushing, and fear. Fluid effects such as sweat and tears are simulated using the particle system and smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) methods which are combined with facial animation technique to produce complex facial expressions. The effects of oxygenation of the facial skin color appearance are measured using the pulse oximeter system and the 3D skin analyzer. The result shows that virtual human facial expression is enhanced by mimicking actual sweating and tears simulations for all extreme expressions. The proposed method has contribution towards the development of facial animation industry and game as well as computer graphics.
    MeSH terms: Color; Computer Simulation*; Emotions; Facial Expression*; Humans; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Skin; Sweat*; Tears*
  3. Kamali KZ, Alagarsamy P, Huang NM, Ong BH, Lim HN
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:396135.
    PMID: 25136664 DOI: 10.1155/2014/396135
    Hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles were synthesized by the solid transformation of ferrous hydroxide and ferrihydrite in hydrothermal condition. The as-prepared α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis, PL, XRD, Raman, TEM, AFM, FESEM, and EDX analysis. The experimental results indicated the formation of uniform hematite nanoparticles with an average size of 45 nm and perfect crystallinity. The electrochemical behavior of a GC/α-Fe2O3 electrode was studied using CV and EIS techniques with an electrochemical probe, [Fe(CN)6](3-/4-) redox couple. The electrocatalytic activity was investigated toward DA oxidation in a phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.8) by varying different experimental parameters. The chronoamperometric study showed a linear response in the range of 0-2 μM with LoD of 1.6 μM for DA. Square wave voltammetry showed a linear response in the range of 0-35 μM with LoD of 236 nM for DA.
    MeSH terms: Dopamine/chemistry*; Electrochemistry/methods; Electrodes*; Ferric Compounds/chemistry*; Nanoparticles/chemistry*
  4. Ali A, Sharma RK, Ganesan P, Akib S
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:412136.
    PMID: 25136666 DOI: 10.1155/2014/412136
    A numerical investigation of incompressible and transient flow around circular pipe has been carried out at different five gap phases. Flow equations such as Navier-Stokes and continuity equations have been solved using finite volume method. Unsteady horizontal velocity and kinetic energy square root profiles are plotted using different turbulence models and their sensitivity is checked against published experimental results. Flow parameters such as horizontal velocity under pipe, pressure coefficient, wall shear stress, drag coefficient, and lift coefficient are studied and presented graphically to investigate the flow behavior around an immovable pipe and scoured bed.
    MeSH terms: Kinetics; Models, Theoretical*; Stress, Mechanical
  5. Rozali SE, Rashid KA, Taha RM
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:457092.
    PMID: 25136669 DOI: 10.1155/2014/457092
    A successful protocol was established for micropropagation in two selected varieties of exotic ornamental plants, Calathea crotalifera. The effects of different sterilization techniques, explant type, and the combination and concentration of plant growth regulators on shoots induction were studied. The axillary shoot buds explants sprouted from rhizomes in soil free conditions showed high induction rate of shoots with lowest contamination percentage when treated with combination of 30% (v/v) NaOCl, 70% (v/v) ethanol, and 0.3% (w/v) HgCl2. In the present study, the highest number of multiple shoots was obtained in MS basal medium supplemented with 3.5 mg/L 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), 1.0 mg/L 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 3% sucrose, and 6 g/L plant agar for both varieties and was used as multiplication medium. Microshoots were highly induced when the young shoot bud explants were incised longitudinally prior subculture. Chlorophyll analysis was studied to test the effects of activated charcoal and L-glutamine on reduction of necrosis problem. The maximum roots induction was recorded on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) compared to indolebutyric acid (IBA). The complete regenerated plantlets were successfully acclimatized in the soilless medium under greenhouse condition. This is the first report of rapid mass propagation for C. crotalifera.
    MeSH terms: Benzyl Compounds/pharmacology; Culture Media/pharmacology*; Indoles/pharmacology; Naphthaleneacetic Acids/pharmacology; Purines/pharmacology; Regeneration/drug effects*; Plant Shoots/drug effects; Marantaceae/drug effects*; Marantaceae/physiology*
  6. Khan N, Yaqoob I, Hashem IA, Inayat Z, Ali WK, Alam M, et al.
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:712826.
    PMID: 25136682 DOI: 10.1155/2014/712826
    Big Data has gained much attention from the academia and the IT industry. In the digital and computing world, information is generated and collected at a rate that rapidly exceeds the boundary range. Currently, over 2 billion people worldwide are connected to the Internet, and over 5 billion individuals own mobile phones. By 2020, 50 billion devices are expected to be connected to the Internet. At this point, predicted data production will be 44 times greater than that in 2009. As information is transferred and shared at light speed on optic fiber and wireless networks, the volume of data and the speed of market growth increase. However, the fast growth rate of such large data generates numerous challenges, such as the rapid growth of data, transfer speed, diverse data, and security. Nonetheless, Big Data is still in its infancy stage, and the domain has not been reviewed in general. Hence, this study comprehensively surveys and classifies the various attributes of Big Data, including its nature, definitions, rapid growth rate, volume, management, analysis, and security. This study also proposes a data life cycle that uses the technologies and terminologies of Big Data. Future research directions in this field are determined based on opportunities and several open issues in Big Data domination. These research directions facilitate the exploration of the domain and the development of optimal techniques to address Big Data.
    MeSH terms: Automatic Data Processing*; Information Storage and Retrieval; Internet*; Access to Information; Information Dissemination
  7. Yew MC, Ramli Sulong NH, Yew MK, Amalina MA, Johan MR
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:805094.
    PMID: 25136687 DOI: 10.1155/2014/805094
    This paper aims to synthesize and characterize an effective intumescent fire protective coating that incorporates eggshell powder as a novel biofiller. The performances of thermal stability, char formation, fire propagation, water resistance, and adhesion strength of coatings have been evaluated. A few intumescent flame-retardant coatings based on these three ecofriendly fire retardant additives ammonium polyphosphate phase II, pentaerythritol and melamine mixed together with flame-retardant fillers, and acrylic binder have been prepared and designed for steel. The fire performance of the coatings has conducted employing BS 476: Part 6-Fire propagation test. The foam structures of the intumescent coatings have been observed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. On exposure, the coated specimens' B, C, and D had been certified to be Class 0 due to the fact that their fire propagation indexes were less than 12. Incorporation of ecofriendly eggshell, biofiller into formulation D led to excellent performance in fire stopping (index value, (I) = 4.3) and antioxidation of intumescent coating. The coating is also found to be quite effective in water repellency, uniform foam structure, and adhesion strength.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Egg Shell*; Fires/prevention & control*; Flame Retardants*; Models, Theoretical*
  8. Khalaj N, Abu Osman NA, Mokhtar AH, George J, Abas WA
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:815184.
    PMID: 25136689 DOI: 10.1155/2014/815184
    Knee osteoarthritis is a common cause of disability which influences the quality of life. It is associated with impaired knee joint proprioception, which affects postural stability. Postural stability is critical for mobility and physical activities. Different types of treatment including nonsurgical and surgical are used for knee osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid injection is a nonsurgical popular treatment used worldwide. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effect of hyaluronic acid injections on postural stability in individuals with bilateral knee osteoarthritis. Fifty patients aged between 50 and 70 years with mild and moderate bilateral knee osteoarthritis participated in our study. They were categorized into treatment (n = 25) and control (n = 25) groups. The treatment group received five weekly hyaluronic acid injections for both knees, whereas the control group did not receive any treatment. Postural stability and fall risk were assessed using the Biodex Stability System and clinical "Timed Up and Go" test. All the participants completed the study. The treatment group showed significant decrease in postural stability and fall risk scores after five hyaluronic acid injections. In contrast, the control group showed significant increase. This study illustrated that five intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections could significantly improve postural stability and fall risk in bilateral knee osteoarthritis patients. This trial is registered with: NCT02063373.
    MeSH terms: Accidental Falls/prevention & control*; Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Postural Balance/drug effects*; Female; Humans; Hyaluronic Acid/administration & dosage*; Hyaluronic Acid/therapeutic use*; Injections, Intra-Articular; Male; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Severity of Illness Index; Osteoarthritis, Knee/drug therapy*; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology*
  9. Ganikhodjaev N, Hamzah NZ
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:832861.
    PMID: 25136692 DOI: 10.1155/2014/832861
    We construct the family of Poisson nonlinear transformations defined on the countable sample space of nonnegative integers and investigate their trajectory behavior. We have proved that these nonlinear transformations are regular.
  10. Ganikhodjaev N, Saburov M, Nawi AM
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:835069.
    PMID: 25136693 DOI: 10.1155/2014/835069
    We shall explore a nonlinear discrete dynamical system that naturally occurs in population systems to describe a transmission of a trait from parents to their offspring. We consider a Mendelian inheritance for a single gene with three alleles and assume that to form a new generation, each gene has a possibility to mutate, that is, to change into a gene of the other kind. We investigate the derived models and observe chaotic behaviors of such models.
    MeSH terms: Alleles; Female; Humans; Male; Mutation; Nonlinear Dynamics*; Heredity*
  11. Hussein HT, Kadhim A, Al-Amiery AA, Kadhum AA, Mohamad AB
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:842062.
    PMID: 25136694 DOI: 10.1155/2014/842062
    Influence of laser treatment on mechanical properties, wear resistance, and Vickers hardness of aluminum alloy was studied. The specimens were treated by using Nd:YaG laser of energy 780 mj, wavelength 512 nm, and duration time 8 ns. The wear behavior of the specimens was studied for all specimens before and after treatment by Nd:YaG laser and the dry wear experiments were carried out by sing pinon-disc technique. The specimens were machined as a disk with diameter of 25 mm and circular groove in depth of 3 mm. All specimens were conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDS), optical microscopy, and Vickers hardness. The results showed that the dry wear rate was decreased after laser hardening and increased Vickers hardness values by ratio of 2.4:1. The results showed that the values of wear rate for samples having circular grooves are less than samples without grooves after laser treatment.
    MeSH terms: Alloys/chemistry*; Aluminum/chemistry*; Lasers*; Microscopy; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  12. Low WS, Kadri NA, Abas WA
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:961301.
    PMID: 25136701 DOI: 10.1155/2014/961301
    We propose a strategy for optimizing distribution of flow in a typical benchtop microfluidic chamber for dielectrophoretic application. It is aimed at encouraging uniform flow velocity along the whole analysis chamber in order to ensure DEP force is evenly applied to biological particle. Via the study, we have come up with a constructive strategy in improving the design of microfluidic channel which will greatly facilitate the use of DEP system in laboratory and primarily focus on the relationship between architecture and cell distribution, by resorting to the tubular structure of blood vessels. The design was validated by hydrodynamic flow simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics v4.2a software. Simulations show that the presence of 2-level bifurcation has developed portioning of volumetric flow which produced uniform flow across the channel. However, further bifurcation will reduce the volumetric flow rate, thus causing undesirable deposition of cell suspension around the chamber. Finally, an improvement of microfluidic design with rounded corner is proposed to encourage a uniform cell adhesion within the channel.
    MeSH terms: Computer Simulation; Models, Theoretical*; Microfluidics*; Hydrodynamics
  13. Atif M, Sulaiman SA, Shafie AA, Asif M, Babar ZU
    BMC Health Serv Res, 2014 Aug 19;14:353.
    PMID: 25138659 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-14-353
    BACKGROUND: Studies from both developed and developing countries have demonstrated a considerable fluctuation in the average cost of TB treatment. The objective of this study was to analyze the medical resource utilization among new smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients. We also estimated the cost of tuberculosis treatment from the provider and patient perspectives, and identified the significant cost driving factors.
    METHODS: All new smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients who were registered at the chest clinic of the Penang General Hospital, between March 2010 and February 2011, were invited to participate in the study. Provider sector costs were estimated using bottom-up, micro-costing technique. For the calculation of costs from the patients' perspective, all eligible patients who agreed to participate in the study were interviewed after the intensive phase and subsequently at the end of the treatment by a trained nurse. PASW was used to analyze the data (Predictive Analysis SoftWare, version 19.0, Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.).
    RESULTS: During the study period, 226 patients completed the treatment. However, complete costing data were available for 212 patients. The most highly utilized resources were chest X-ray followed by sputum smear examination. Only a smaller proportion of the patients were hospitalized. The average provider sector cost was MYR 992.34 (i.e., USD 325.35 per patient) whereby the average patient sector cost was MYR 1225.80 (i.e., USD 401.90 per patient). The average patient sector cost of our study population accounted for 5.7% of their annual family income. In multiple linear regression analysis, prolonged treatment duration (i.e., > 6 months) was the only predictor of higher provider sector costs whereby higher patient sector costs were determined by greater household income and persistent cough at the end of the intensive phase of the treatment.
    CONCLUSION: In relation to average provider sector cost, our estimates are substantially higher than the budget allocated by the Ministry of Health for the treatment of a tuberculosis case in Malaysia. The expenses borne by the patients and their families on the treatment of the current episode of tuberculosis were not catastrophic for them.
    Study site: Chest clinic, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitude to Health*; Female; Health Resources/economics; Health Resources/statistics & numerical data*; Hospitals, General; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Malaysia; Male; Medical Audit; Middle Aged; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; Prospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/drug therapy*; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/economics*; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/psychology; Qualitative Research; Young Adult
  14. Grigg MJ, William T, Dhanaraj P, Menon J, Barber BE, von Seidlein L, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2014 Aug 19;4(8):e006005.
    PMID: 25138814 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006005
    INTRODUCTION: Malaria due to Plasmodium knowlesi is reported throughout South-East Asia, and is the commonest cause of it in Malaysia. P. knowlesi replicates every 24 h and can cause severe disease and death. Current 2010 WHO Malaria Treatment Guidelines have no recommendations for the optimal treatment of non-severe knowlesi malaria. Artemisinin-combination therapies (ACT) and chloroquine have each been successfully used to treat knowlesi malaria; however, the rapidity of parasite clearance has not been prospectively compared. Malaysia's national policy for malaria pre-elimination involves mandatory hospital admission for confirmed malaria cases with discharge only after two negative blood films; use of a more rapidly acting antimalarial agent would have health cost benefits. P. knowlesi is commonly microscopically misreported as P. malariae, P. falciparum or P. vivax, with a high proportion of the latter two species being chloroquine-resistant in Malaysia. A unified ACT-treatment protocol would provide effective blood stage malaria treatment for all Plasmodium species.

    METHODS AND ANALYSIS: ACT KNOW, the first randomised controlled trial ever performed in knowlesi malaria, is a two-arm open-label trial with enrolments over a 2-year period at three district sites in Sabah, powered to show a difference in proportion of patients negative for malaria by microscopy at 24 h between treatment arms (clinicaltrials.gov #NCT01708876). Enrolments started in December 2012, with completion expected by September 2014. A total sample size of 228 is required to give 90% power (α 0.05) to determine the primary end point using intention-to-treat analysis. Secondary end points include parasite clearance time, rates of recurrent infection/treatment failure to day 42, gametocyte carriage throughout follow-up and rates of anaemia at day 28, as determined by survival analysis.

    ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by relevant institutional ethics committees in Malaysia and Australia. Results will be disseminated to inform knowlesi malaria treatment policy in this region through peer-reviewed publications and academic presentations.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01708876.

    MeSH terms: Antimalarials/therapeutic use*; Chloroquine/therapeutic use*; Female; Humans; Malaria/drug therapy*; Malaria/parasitology; Malaysia; Male; Research Design; Severity of Illness Index; Mefloquine/therapeutic use*; Plasmodium knowlesi*; Artemisinins/therapeutic use*
  15. Lo TY, Sim KS, Tso CP, Nia ME
    Scanning, 2014 Sep-Oct;36(5):530-9.
    PMID: 25139061 DOI: 10.1002/sca.21152
    An improvement to the previously proposed adaptive Canny optimization technique for scanning electron microscope image colorization is reported. The additional feature, called pseudo-mapping technique, is that the grayscale markings are temporarily mapped to a set of pre-defined pseudo-color map as a mean to instill color information for grayscale colors in chrominance channels. This allows the presence of grayscale markings to be identified; hence optimization colorization of grayscale colors is made possible. This additional feature enhances the flexibility of scanning electron microscope image colorization by providing wider range of possible color enhancement. Furthermore, the nature of this technique also allows users to adjust the luminance intensities of selected region from the original image within certain extent.
    MeSH terms: Color; Image Enhancement; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  16. Moore MA
    J Prev Med Public Health, 2014 Jul;47(4):183-200.
    PMID: 25139165 DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.2014.47.4.183
    Cancer is a major cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world, including the countries of North-East and South-East Asia. Assessment of burden through cancer registration, determination of risk and protective factors, early detection and screening, clinical practice, interventions for example in vaccination, tobacco cessation efforts and palliative care all should be included in comprehensive cancer control programs. The degree to which this is possible naturally depends on the resources available at local, national and international levels. The present review concerns elements of cancer control programs established in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan in North-East Asia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia as representative larger countries of South-East Asia for comparison, using the published literature as a guide. While major advances have been made, there are still areas which need more attention, especially in South-East Asia, and international cooperation is essential if standard guidelines are to be generated to allow effective cancer control efforts throughout the Far East. Cancer is a major cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world, including the countries of North-East and South-East Asia. Assessment of burden through cancer registration, determination of risk and protective factors, early detection and screening, clinical practice, interventions for example in vaccination, tobacco cessation efforts and palliative care all should be included in comprehensive cancer control programs. The degree to which this is possible naturally depends on the resources available at local, national and international levels. The present review concerns elements of cancer control programs established in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan in North-East Asia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia as representative larger countries of South-East Asia for comparison, using the published literature as a guide. While major advances have been made, there are still areas which need more attention, especially in South-East Asia, and international cooperation is essential if standard guidelines are to be generated to allow effective cancer control efforts throughout the Far East.
    MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern; Far East; Humans; Neoplasms/diagnosis; Neoplasms/epidemiology; Neoplasms/prevention & control*; Periodicals as Topic; Public Policy; Registries; Risk Factors; Incidence; Databases, Factual; Smoke-Free Policy
  17. Traub RJ, Pednekar RP, Cuttell L, Porter RB, Abd Megat Rani PA, Gatne ML
    Vet Parasitol, 2014 Sep 15;205(1-2):233-8.
    PMID: 25139393 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.06.037
    A gastrointestinal parasite survey of 411 stray and refuge dogs sampled from four geographical and climactically distinct locations in India revealed these animals to represent a significant source of environmental contamination for parasites that pose a zoonotic risk to the public. Hookworms were the most commonly identified parasite in dogs in Sikkim (71.3%), Mumbai (48.8%) and Delhi (39.1%). In Ladakh, which experiences harsh extremes in climate, a competitive advantage was observed for parasites such as Sarcocystis spp. (44.2%), Taenia hydatigena (30.3%) and Echinococcus granulosus (2.3%) that utilise intermediate hosts for the completion of their life cycle. PCR identified Ancylostoma ceylanicum and Ancylostoma caninum to occur sympatrically, either as single or mixed infections in Sikkim (Northeast) and Mumbai (West). In Delhi, A. caninum was the only species identified in dogs, probably owing to its ability to evade unfavourable climatic conditions by undergoing arrested development in host tissue. The expansion of the known distribution of A. ceylanicum to the west, as far as Mumbai, justifies the renewed interest in this emerging zoonosis and advocates for its surveillance in future human parasite surveys. Of interest was the absence of Trichuris vulpis in dogs, in support of previous canine surveys in India. This study advocates the continuation of birth control programmes in stray dogs that will undoubtedly have spill-over effects on reducing the levels of environmental contamination with parasite stages. In particular, owners of pet animals exposed to these environments must be extra vigilant in ensuring their animals are regularly dewormed and maintaining strict standards of household and personal hygiene.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Dog Diseases/epidemiology; Dog Diseases/parasitology*; Dogs; Female; Gastrointestinal Diseases/epidemiology; Gastrointestinal Diseases/parasitology; Gastrointestinal Diseases/veterinary*; India/epidemiology; Male; Parasitic Diseases, Animal/epidemiology; Parasitic Diseases, Animal/parasitology*; Prevalence
  18. Hussan F, Teoh SL, Muhamad N, Mazlan M, Latiff AA
    J Wound Care, 2014 Aug;23(8):400, 402, 404-7.
    PMID: 25139598 DOI: 10.12968/jowc.2014.23.8.400
    Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) plays an important role in wound healing. Delayed wound healing is a consequence of diabetes, leading to high morbidity and poor quality of life. Momordica charantia (MC) fruit possesses anti-diabetic and wound healing properties. This study aimed to explore the changes in TGF-β expression in diabetic wounds treated with topical MC fruit extract.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Fruit; Male; Phytotherapy*; Ointments/therapeutic use; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use*; Wound Healing/drug effects*; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism*; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Diabetic Foot/drug therapy*; Diabetic Foot/metabolism*; Momordica charantia*; Rats
  19. Leow HR, Ching SM, Sujarita R, Yap CF, Chia YC, Ho SH, et al.
    J Dig Dis, 2014 Nov;15(11):591-6.
    PMID: 25139629 DOI: 10.1111/1751-2980.12183
    OBJECTIVE:
    To develop and validate a Mandarin version of the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire (M-LDQ) in Asian patients with dyspepsia.

    METHODS:
    The M-LDQ was developed according to standardized methods. The validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the instrument were evaluated in both primary and secondary care patients.

    RESULTS:
    A total of 184 patients (mean age 54.0 ± 15.8 years, of whom 59% were women and 72.3% of whom had at least secondary level education) were recruited between August 2012 and March 2013, from both primary (n = 100) and secondary care clinics (n = 84). Both the internal consistency of all components of the M-LDQ (Cronbach's α 0.79) and test-retest reliability (Spearman's correlation coefficient 0.78) were good. The M-LDQ was valid in diagnosing dyspepsia in primary care (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.84) and was able to discriminate between secondary and primary care patients (median cumulative LDQ score 13.0 vs 3.0, P < 0.0001). Among eight patients with organic dyspepsia, the median M-LDQ score reduced significantly from 21.0 (pretreatment) to 9.5 (4 weeks post-treatment) (P < 0.0001).

    CONCLUSION:
    The M-LDQ is a valid and responsive instrument for assessing ethnic Chinese adults with dyspepsia.

    KEYWORDS:
    Mandarin; ethnic Chinese; functional dyspepsia; outcome measure; questionnaire; validation
    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Cultural Characteristics; Dyspepsia/diagnosis*; Dyspepsia/ethnology*; Female; Humans; Language; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychometrics*; Surveys and Questionnaires*; ROC Curve; Translations; Reproducibility of Results; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Young Adult
  20. Md Noh SM, Sheikh Abdul Kadir SH, Bannur ZM, Froemming GA, Abdul Hamid Hasani N, Mohd Nawawi H, et al.
    Exp Eye Res, 2014 Oct;127:236-42.
    PMID: 25139730 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2014.08.005
    Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (Anti-VEGF) agents have received recent interest as potential anti-fibrotic agents for their concurrent use with trabeculectomy. Preliminary cohort studies have revealed improved bleb morphology following trabeculectomy augmented with ranibizumab. The effects of this humanized monoclonal antibody on human Tenon's fibroblast (HTF), the key player of post trabeculectomy scar formation, are not fully understood. This study was conducted to understand the effects of ranibizumab on extracellular matrix production by HTF. The effect of ranibizumab on HTF proliferation and cell viability was determined using MTT assay (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazone-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium). Ranibizumab at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 mg/mL were administered for 24, 48 and 72 h in serum and serum free conditions. Supernatants and cell lysates from samples were assessed for collagen type 1 alpha 1 and fibronectin mRNA and protein level using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After 48-h, ranibizumab at 0.5 mg/mL, significantly induced cell death under serum-free culture conditions (p 
    MeSH terms: Ranibizumab; Cell Survival/drug effects; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fibroblasts/drug effects*; Fibroblasts/metabolism; Fibronectins/genetics*; Fibronectins/metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation/physiology*; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/surgery; Humans; RNA, Messenger/genetics; Trabeculectomy; Vimentin/metabolism; Cell Culture Techniques; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Angiogenesis Inhibitors/pharmacology*; Collagen Type I/genetics*; Collagen Type I/metabolism; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/antagonists & inhibitors; Cell Proliferation/drug effects; Tenon Capsule/cytology*; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/pharmacology*
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