Browse publications by year: 2016

  1. Ramli N, Khairy AM, Seow P, Tan LK, Wong JH, Ganesan D, et al.
    Eur Radiol, 2016 Jul;26(7):2019-29.
    PMID: 26560718 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-015-4045-0
    OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the feasibility of using chemical shift gradient-echo (GE) in- and opposed-phase (IOP) imaging to grade glioma.

    METHODS: A phantom study was performed to investigate the correlation of (1)H MRS-visible lipids with the signal loss ratio (SLR) obtained using IOP imaging. A cross-sectional study approved by the institutional review board was carried out in 22 patients with different glioma grades. The patients underwent scanning using IOP imaging and single-voxel spectroscopy (SVS) using 3T MRI. The brain spectra acquisitions from solid and cystic components were obtained and correlated with the SLR for different grades.

    RESULTS: The phantom study showed a positive linear correlation between lipid quantification at 0.9 parts per million (ppm) and 1.3 ppm with SLR (r = 0.79-0.99, p 

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Brain Neoplasms/classification; Brain Neoplasms/pathology; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Feasibility Studies; Female; Glioma/classification; Glioma/pathology; Humans; Lipids/administration & dosage*; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*; Male; Middle Aged; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods*; Phantoms, Imaging; Young Adult
  2. Wey MC, Loh S, Doss JG, Abu Bakar AK, Kisely S
    Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 2016 Jul;50(7):685-94.
    PMID: 26560842 DOI: 10.1177/0004867415615947
    OBJECTIVE: People with chronic schizophrenia have high rates of physical ill-health such as heart disease. However, there has been less attention to the issue of poor oral health including dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal (gum) disease, although both have consequences for quality of life and systemic physical health. We therefore measured tooth decay and gum disease in Malaysians with schizophrenia.

    METHODS: We recruited long-stay inpatients with schizophrenia from June to October 2014. Four dental specialists assessed oral health using the decayed-missing-filled teeth index, the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs and the Debris Index of the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Results were compared with the 2010 Oral Health survey of the general Malaysian population.

    RESULTS: A total of 543 patients participated (66.7% males, 33.3% females; mean age = 54.8 years [standard deviation = 16.0]) with a mean illness duration of 18.4 years (standard deviation = 17.1). The mean decayed-missing-filled teeth was 20.5 (standard deviation = 9.9), almost double that of the general population (11.7). Higher decayed-missing-filled teeth scores were associated with both older age (p 

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Dental Caries/epidemiology*; Female; Health Promotion; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Oral Health*; Oral Hygiene Index; Periodontal Index; Public Health; Quality of Life; Schizophrenia/complications*; Comorbidity; Linear Models; Logistic Models; Tooth Loss/epidemiology*; Cost of Illness; Age Distribution; Young Adult
  3. Balakrishnan SR, Hashim U, Gopinath SC, Poopalan P, Ramayya HR, Veeradasan P, et al.
    Biosens Bioelectron, 2016 Oct 15;84:44-52.
    PMID: 26560969 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2015.10.075
    Rationally designed biosensing system supports multiplex analyses is warranted for medical diagnosis to determine the level of analyte interaction. The chemically functionalized novel multi-electrode polysilicon nanogap (PSNG) lab-on-chip is designed in this study, facilitates multiplex analyses for a single analyte. On the fabricated 69nm PSNG, biocompatibility and structural characteristics were verified for the efficient binding of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). With the assistance of microfluidics, hCG sample was delivered via single-injection to 3-Aminopropyl(triethoxy)silane (APTES) and Glycidoxypropyl(trimethoxy)silane (GPMS) modified PSNG electrodes and the transduced signal was used to investigate the dielectric mechanisms for multiplex analyses. The results from amperometric response and impedance measurement delivered the scale of interaction between anti-hCG antibody and hCG that exhibited 6.5 times higher sensitivity for the chemical linker, APTES than GPMS. Under optimized experimental conditions, APTES and GPMS modified immunosensor has a limit of detection as 0.56mIU/ml and 2.93mIU/ml (at S/N=3), with dissociation constants (Kd) of 5.65±2.5mIU/ml and 7.28±2.6mIU/ml, respectively. These results suggest that multiplex analysis of single target could enhance the accuracy of detection and reliable for real-time comparative analyses. The designed PSNG is simple, feasible, requires low sample consumption and could be applied for any given multiplex analyses.
    MeSH terms: Electrodes; Equipment Design; Chorionic Gonadotropin/analysis*; Humans; Immunoassay/instrumentation; Silanes/chemistry; Silicon/chemistry*; Biosensing Techniques/instrumentation*; Nanostructures/ultrastructure; Nanostructures/chemistry*; Antibodies, Immobilized/chemistry*; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices*; Limit of Detection
  4. Kinoshita K, Kuze N, Kobayashi T, Miyakawa E, Narita H, Inoue-Murayama M, et al.
    Primates, 2016 Jan;57(1):51-9.
    PMID: 26561334 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-015-0501-3
    For promoting in situ conservation, it is important to estimate the density distribution of fertile individuals, and there is a need for developing an easy monitoring method to discriminate between physiological states. To date, physiological state has generally been determined by measuring hormone concentration using radioimmunoassay or enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods. However, these methods have rarely been applied in situ because of the requirements for a large amount of reagent, instruments, and a radioactive isotope. In addition, the proper storage of the sample (including urine and feces) on site until analysis is difficult. On the other hand, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy requires no reagent and enables rapid measurement. In the present study, we attempted urinary NIR spectroscopy to determine the estrogen levels of orangutans in Japanese zoos and in the Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia. Reflectance NIR spectra were obtained from urine stored using a filter paper. Filter paper is easy to use to store dried urine, even in the wild. Urinary estrogen and creatinine concentrations measured by EIA were used as the reference data of partial least square (PLS) regression of urinary NIR spectra. High accuracies (R(2) > 0.68) were obtained in both estrogen and creatinine regression models. In addition, the PLS regressions in both standards showed higher accuracies (R(2) > 0.70). Therefore, the present study demonstrates that urinary NIR spectra have the potential to estimate the estrogen and creatinine concentrations.
  5. Samsudin A, Eames I, Brocchini S, Khaw PT
    J Glaucoma, 2016 07;25(7):e704-12.
    PMID: 26561421 DOI: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000000360
    PURPOSE: Intraocular pressure and aqueous humor flow direction determined by the scleral flap immediately after trabeculectomy are critical determinants of the surgical outcome. We used a large-scale model to objectively measure the influence of flap thickness and shape, and suture number and position on pressure difference across the flap and flow of fluid underneath it.

    METHODS: The model exploits the principle of dynamic and geometric similarity, so while dimensions were up to 30× greater than actual, the flow had similar properties. Scleral flaps were represented by transparent 0.8- and 1.6-mm-thick silicone sheets on an acrylic plate. Dyed 98% glycerin, representing the aqueous humor was pumped between the sheet and plate, and the equilibrium pressure measured with a pressure transducer. Image analysis based on the principle of dye dilution was performed using MATLAB software.

    RESULTS: The pressure drop across the flap was larger with thinner flaps, due to reduced rigidity and resistance. Doubling the surface area of flaps and reducing the number of sutures from 5 to 3 or 2 also resulted in larger pressure drops. Flow direction was affected mainly by suture number and position, it was less toward the sutures and more toward the nearest free edge of the flap. Posterior flow of aqueous humor was promoted by placing sutures along the sides while leaving the posterior edge free.

    CONCLUSION: We demonstrate a new physical model which shows how changes in scleral flap thickness and shape, and suture number and position affect pressure and flow in a trabeculectomy.

    MeSH terms: Aqueous Humor/physiology*; Glaucoma/physiopathology; Glaucoma/surgery*; Humans; Intraocular Pressure/physiology*; Models, Theoretical*; Sclera/pathology*; Surgical Flaps/pathology*; Sutures*; Tonometry, Ocular; Trabeculectomy*
  6. Yun K, Matheson J, Payton C, Scott KC, Stone BL, Song L, et al.
    Am J Public Health, 2016 Jan;106(1):128-35.
    PMID: 26562126 DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302873
    OBJECTIVES: We conducted a large-scale study of newly arrived refugee children in the United States with data from 2006 to 2012 domestic medical examinations in 4 sites: Colorado; Minnesota; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Washington State.

    METHODS: Blood lead level, anemia, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, tuberculosis infection or disease, and Strongyloides seropositivity data were available for 8148 refugee children (aged < 19 years) from Bhutan, Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Somalia.

    RESULTS: We identified distinct health profiles for each country of origin, as well as for Burmese children who arrived in the United States from Thailand compared with Burmese children who arrived from Malaysia. Hepatitis B was more prevalent among male children than female children and among children aged 5 years and older. The odds of HBV, tuberculosis, and Strongyloides decreased over the study period.

    CONCLUSIONS: Medical screening remains an important part of health care for newly arrived refugee children in the United States, and disease risk varies by population.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Asia/ethnology; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Health Status*; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Mass Screening/methods; Mass Screening/standards*; Mass Screening/statistics & numerical data; Refugees/statistics & numerical data*; Retrospective Studies; United States; Guidelines as Topic; Africa South of the Sahara/ethnology
  7. Tan CB, Sheppard E, Stephen ID
    Perception, 2016 Mar;45(3):300-14.
    PMID: 26562869 DOI: 10.1177/0301006615607247
    High performance level in face recognition studies does not seem to be replicable in real-life situations possibly because of the artificial nature of laboratory studies. Recognizing faces in natural social situations may be a more challenging task, as it involves constant examination of dynamic facial motions that may alter facial structure vital to the recognition of unfamiliar faces. Because of the incongruences of recognition performance, the current study developed stimuli that closely represent natural social situations to yield results that more accurately reflect observers' performance in real-life settings. Naturalistic stimuli of African, East Asian, and Western Caucasian actors introducing themselves were presented to investigate Malaysian Chinese participants' recognition sensitivity and looking strategies when performing a face recognition task. When perceiving dynamic facial stimuli, participants fixated most on the nose, followed by the mouth then the eyes. Focusing on the nose may have enabled participants to gain a more holistic view of actors' facial and head movements, which proved to be beneficial in recognizing identities. Participants recognized all three races of faces equally well. The current results, which differed from a previous static face recognition study, may be a more accurate reflection of observers' recognition abilities and looking strategies.
  8. Sarin SK, Kumar M, Lau GK, Abbas Z, Chan HL, Chen CJ, et al.
    Hepatol Int, 2016 Jan;10(1):1-98.
    PMID: 26563120 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-015-9675-4
    Worldwide, some 240 million people have chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), with the highest rates of infection in Africa and Asia. Our understanding of the natural history of HBV infection and the potential for therapy of the resultant disease is continuously improving. New data have become available since the previous APASL guidelines for management of HBV infection were published in 2012. The objective of this manuscript is to update the recommendations for the optimal management of chronic HBV infection. The 2015 guidelines were developed by a panel of Asian experts chosen by the APASL. The clinical practice guidelines are based on evidence from existing publications or, if evidence was unavailable, on the experts' personal experience and opinion after deliberations. Manuscripts and abstracts of important meetings published through January 2015 have been evaluated. This guideline covers the full spectrum of care of patients infected with hepatitis B, including new terminology, natural history, screening, vaccination, counseling, diagnosis, assessment of the stage of liver disease, the indications, timing, choice and duration of single or combination of antiviral drugs, screening for HCC, management in special situations like childhood, pregnancy, coinfections, renal impairment and pre- and post-liver transplant, and policy guidelines. However, areas of uncertainty still exist, and clinicians, patients, and public health authorities must therefore continue to make choices on the basis of the evolving evidence. The final clinical practice guidelines and recommendations are presented here, along with the relevant background information.
    MeSH terms: Acute Disease; Africa; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use; Asia; Female; Hepatitis B/diagnosis*; Hepatitis B/therapy*; Hepatitis B virus/isolation & purification; Humans; Male; Disease Management; Hepatitis B, Chronic/diagnosis*; Hepatitis B, Chronic/therapy*
  9. Mansuri S, Kesharwani P, Tekade RK, Jain NK
    Eur J Pharm Biopharm, 2016 May;102:202-13.
    PMID: 26563727 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2015.10.015
    Dendrimers are multifunctional carriers widely employed for delivering drugs in a variety of disease conditions including HIV/AIDS and cancer. Albendazole (ABZ) is a commonly used anthelmintic drug in human as well as veterinary medicine. In this investigation, ABZ was formulated as a "muco-dendrimer" based sustained released tablet. The mucoadhesive complex was synthesized by anchoring chitosan to fifth generation PPI dendrimer (Muco-PPI) and characterized by UV, FTIR, (1)H NMR spectroscopy and electron microscopy. ABZ was entrapped inside Muco-PPI followed by lyophilization and tableting as matrix tablet. A half-life (t1/2) of 8.06±0.15, 8.17±0.47, 11.04±0.73, 11.49±0.92, 12.52±1.04 and 16.9±1.18h was noted for ABZ (free drug), conventional ABZ tablet (F1), conventional ABZ matrix tablet (F2), PPI-ABZ complex, PPI-ABZ matrix tablet (F3) and Muco-PPI-ABZ matrix tablet (F4), respectively. Thus the novel mucoadhesive-PPI based formulation of ABZ (F4) increased the t1/2 of ABZ significantly by almost twofold as compared to the administration of free drug. The in vivo drug release data showed that the Muco-PPI based formulations have a significantly higher Cmax (2.40±0.02μg/mL) compared with orally administered free ABZ (0.19±0.07μg/mL) as well as conventional tablet (0.20±0.05μg/mL). In addition, the Muco-PPI-ABZ matrix tablet displayed increased mean residence time (MRT) and is therefore a potential candidate to appreciably improve the pharmacokinetic profile of ABZ.
  10. Chung FF, Mai CW, Ng PY, Leong CO
    Curr Cancer Drug Targets, 2016;16(1):71-8.
    PMID: 26563883
    Cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily W, polypeptide 1 (CYP2W1) is a newly identified monooxygenase enzyme that is expressed specifically in tumor tissues and during fetal life. Particularly, high expression of CYP2W1 was observed in up to 60% of colorectal cancers and its expression correlated with poor survival. CYP2W1 has been shown to metabolize various endogenous substrates including lysophospholipids and several procarcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. The specific substrate for CYP2W1, however, is currently unknown. Due to its tumor-specific expression and its unique catalytic activities in colorectal cancers, CYP2W1 was deemed as an interesting target in colorectal cancer therapy. This review sought to summarize the current understanding of the CYP2W1 biology and biochemistry, its genetic polymorphisms and cancer risk, and its implication as a tumor-specific diagnostic and therapeutic target.
  11. Selvarajah L, Choon SE, Tarekh NA, Chhetri AD
    Int J Dermatol, 2016 Feb;55(2):e115-7.
    PMID: 26566776 DOI: 10.1111/ijd.13047
    MeSH terms: Adalimumab/adverse effects*; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/adverse effects*; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Opportunistic Infections/chemically induced*; Opportunistic Infections/complications; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/chemically induced*; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/complications; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/antagonists & inhibitors*; Arthritis, Psoriatic/drug therapy*; Tuberculoma, Intracranial/chemically induced*; Tuberculoma, Intracranial/complications; Cerebrum
  12. Tan MS, Rahman S, Dykes GA
    Appl Environ Microbiol, 2016 01 15;82(2):680-8.
    PMID: 26567310 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02609-15
    Minimally processed fresh produce has been implicated as a major source of foodborne microbial pathogens globally. These pathogens must attach to the produce in order to be transmitted. Cut surfaces of produce that expose cell walls are particularly vulnerable. Little is known about the roles that different structural components (cellulose, pectin, and xyloglucan) of plant cell walls play in the attachment of foodborne bacterial pathogens. Using bacterial cellulose-derived plant cell wall models, we showed that the presence of pectin alone or xyloglucan alone affected the attachment of three Salmonella enterica strains (Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis ATCC 13076, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028, and Salmonella enterica subsp. indica M4) and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644. In addition, we showed that this effect was modulated in the presence of both polysaccharides. Assays using pairwise combinations of S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 and L. monocytogenes ATCC 7644 showed that bacterial attachment to all plant cell wall models was dependent on the characteristics of the individual bacterial strains and was not directly proportional to the initial concentration of the bacterial inoculum. This work showed that bacterial attachment was not determined directly by the plant cell wall model or bacterial physicochemical properties. We suggest that attachment of the Salmonella strains may be influenced by the effects of these polysaccharides on physical and structural properties of the plant cell wall model. Our findings improve the understanding of how Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes attach to plant cell walls, which may facilitate the development of better ways to prevent the attachment of these pathogens to such surfaces.
    MeSH terms: Bacterial Adhesion*; Cell Wall/microbiology*; Cell Wall/chemistry; Glucans/analysis*; Listeria monocytogenes/physiology*; Models, Biological; Pectins/analysis*; Xylans/analysis*; Salmonella enterica/physiology*; Plant Cells/microbiology*; Plant Cells/chemistry
  13. Othman MB, Khan A, Ahmad Z, Zakaria MR, Ullah F, Akil HM
    Carbohydr Polym, 2016 Jan 20;136:1182-93.
    PMID: 26572461 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.10.034
    This study attempted to clarify the influence of a cross-linker, N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA), and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) on the non-isothermal kinetic degradation, solid state and lifetime of hydrogels using the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (F-W-O), Kissinger, and Coats-Redfern (C-Red) methods. The series of dual-responsive Cs-PNIPAM-MBA microgels were synthesized by soapless-emulsion free radical copolymerization in an aqueous medium at 70 °C. The thermal properties were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under nitrogen atmosphere. The apparent activation energy using the chosen Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Kissinger methods showed that they fitted each other. Meanwhile, the type of solid state mechanism was determined using the Coats-Redfern method proposed for F1 (pure Cs) and F2 (Cs-PNIPAM-MBA hydrogel series) types, which comprise random nucleation with one nucleus reacting on individual particles, and random nucleation with two nuclei reacting on individual particles, respectively. On average, a higher Ea was attributed to the greater cross-linking density of the Cs hydrogel.
  14. Waziri SI, Mohamed Nor N, Raja Abdullah NM, Adamu P
    Glob J Health Sci, 2016;8(4):212-20.
    PMID: 26573032 DOI: 10.5539/gjhs.v8n4p212
    The productivity of countries around the globe is adversely affected by the health-related problems of their labour force. This study examined the effect of the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and life expectancy on the economic growth of 33 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries over a period of 11 years (2002-2012). The study employed a dynamic panel approach as opposed to the static traditional approach utilised in the literature. The dynamic approach became eminent because of the fact that HIV/AIDS is a dynamic variable as its prevalence today depends on the previous years. The result revealed that HIV/AIDS is negatively correlated with economic growth in the region, with a coefficient of 0.014, and significant at the 1% level. That is, a 10% increase in HIV/AIDS prevalence leads to a 0.14% decrease in the GDP of the region. Tackling HIV/AIDS is therefore imperative to the developing Sub-Saharan African region and all hands must be on deck to end the menace globally.
    MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology; Adolescent; Adult; Developing Countries/economics*; Female; Humans; Life Expectancy*; Male; Middle Aged; HIV Infections/epidemiology*; Prevalence; Africa South of the Sahara/epidemiology; Models, Economic*; Economic Development*
  15. Paka C, Atan IK, Dietz HP
    Tech Coloproctol, 2016 Feb;20(2):123-8.
    PMID: 26573810 DOI: 10.1007/s10151-015-1397-z
    Patient self-report is important in the assessment of the impact of anal incontinence (AI) on quality of life. This study aimed to (1) determine the correlation between total St. Mark's Incontinence Score (SMIS) and a single-item visual analogue scale (VAS) for bother from AI, and (2) determine the correlation between individual components of SMIS and VAS.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Anal Canal/physiopathology; Fecal Incontinence/physiopathology; Fecal Incontinence/psychology*; Female; Humans; Life Style; Middle Aged; Quality of Life*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Retrospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index*; Reproducibility of Results; Visual Analog Scale*
  16. Tang IP, Brand Y, Prepageran N
    PMID: 26575516 DOI: 10.1097/MOO.0000000000000218
    To review cause, clinical evaluation, medical and surgical management of isolated sphenoid sinus diseases.
    MeSH terms: Endoscopy/methods*; Humans; Paranasal Sinus Diseases/surgery*; Sphenoid Sinus/surgery*
  17. Kasabov N, Scott NM, Tu E, Marks S, Sengupta N, Capecci E, et al.
    Neural Netw, 2016 Jun;78:1-14.
    PMID: 26576468 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2015.09.011
    The paper describes a new type of evolving connectionist systems (ECOS) called evolving spatio-temporal data machines based on neuromorphic, brain-like information processing principles (eSTDM). These are multi-modular computer systems designed to deal with large and fast spatio/spectro temporal data using spiking neural networks (SNN) as major processing modules. ECOS and eSTDM in particular can learn incrementally from data streams, can include 'on the fly' new input variables, new output class labels or regression outputs, can continuously adapt their structure and functionality, can be visualised and interpreted for new knowledge discovery and for a better understanding of the data and the processes that generated it. eSTDM can be used for early event prediction due to the ability of the SNN to spike early, before whole input vectors (they were trained on) are presented. A framework for building eSTDM called NeuCube along with a design methodology for building eSTDM using this is presented. The implementation of this framework in MATLAB, Java, and PyNN (Python) is presented. The latter facilitates the use of neuromorphic hardware platforms to run the eSTDM. Selected examples are given of eSTDM for pattern recognition and early event prediction on EEG data, fMRI data, multisensory seismic data, ecological data, climate data, audio-visual data. Future directions are discussed, including extension of the NeuCube framework for building neurogenetic eSTDM and also new applications of eSTDM.
    MeSH terms: Action Potentials/physiology; Brain/physiology; Electroencephalography/methods; Equipment Design/methods*; Equipment Design/trends; Humans; Models, Neurological*; Neurosciences; Time Factors; Neural Networks (Computer)*
  18. Kwon WK, Sung TY, Yu GY, Sidik H, Kang WS, Lee Y, et al.
    J Anesth, 2016 Apr;30(2):223-31.
    PMID: 26577248 DOI: 10.1007/s00540-015-2094-9
    BACKGROUND: The direct impact of sevoflurane on intraoperative left ventricular (LV) systolic performance during cardiac surgery has not been fully elucidated. Peak systolic tissue Doppler velocities of the lateral mitral annulus (S') have been used to evaluate LV systolic long-axis performance. We hypothesized that incremental sevoflurane concentration (1.0-3.0 inspired-vol%) would dose-dependently reduce S' in patients undergoing cardiac surgery due to mitral or aortic insufficiency.

    METHODS: In 20 patients undergoing cardiac surgery in sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia, we analyzed intraoperative S' values which were determined after 10 min exposure to sevoflurane at 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 inspired-vol% (T1, T2, and T3, respectively) with a fixed remifentanil dose (1.0 μg/kg/min) using transesophageal echocardiography.

    RESULTS: Linear mixed-effect modeling demonstrated dose-dependent declines in S' according to the end-tidal sevoflurane concentration increments (C(ET)-sevoflurane, p < 0.001): the mean value of S' reduction for each 1.0 vol%-increment of C(ET)-sevoflurane was 1.7 cm/s (95 % confidence interval 1.4-2.1 cm/s). Medians of S' at T1, T2, and T3 (9.6, 8.9, and 7.5 cm/s, respectively) also exhibited significant declines (by 6.6, 15.6, and 21.2 % for T1 vs. T2, T2 vs. T3, and T1 vs. T3, p < 0.001, =0.002, and <0.001 in Friedman pairwise comparisons, respectively).

    CONCLUSIONS: Administering sevoflurane as a part of a sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia regimen appears to dose-dependently reduce S', indicating LV systolic performance, in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Further studies may be required to evaluate the clinical implications of these findings.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Anesthesia/methods*; Female; Cardiac Surgical Procedures/methods*; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Male; Methyl Ethers/administration & dosage*; Middle Aged; Piperidines/administration & dosage*; Prospective Studies; Systole; Echocardiography, Doppler
  19. Samsudin WS, Sundaraj K, Ahmad A, Salleh H
    Technol Health Care, 2016 Mar 14;24(2):287-94.
    PMID: 26578273 DOI: 10.3233/THC-151103
    An initial assessment method that can classify as well as categorize the severity of paralysis into one of six levels according to the House-Brackmann (HB) system based on facial landmarks motion using an Optical Flow (OF) algorithm is proposed. The desired landmarks were obtained from the video recordings of 5 normal and 3 Bell's Palsy subjects and tracked using the Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT) method. A new scoring system based on the motion analysis using area measurement is proposed. This scoring system uses the individual scores from the facial exercises and grades the paralysis based on the HB system. The proposed method has obtained promising results and may play a pivotal role towards improved rehabilitation programs for patients.
  20. Sahathevan R, Linden T, Villemagne VL, Churilov L, Ly JV, Rowe C, et al.
    Stroke, 2016 Jan;47(1):113-9.
    PMID: 26578658 DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.010528
    Cardiovascular risk factors significantly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer disease. A possible mechanism may be via ischemic infarction-driving amyloid deposition. We conducted a study to determine the presence of β-amyloid in infarct, peri-infarct, and hemispheric areas after stroke. We hypothesized that an infarct would trigger β-amyloid deposition, with deposition over time.
    MeSH terms: Aged; Brain Ischemia/metabolism*; Brain Ischemia/radionuclide imaging*; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism*; Stroke/metabolism*; Stroke/radionuclide imaging*; Positron-Emission Tomography/trends*
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