Browse publications by year: 2021

  1. Muftah Eltariki FE, Tiwari K, Alhoot MA
    F1000Res, 2021;10:895.
    PMID: 34745563 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.70644.1
    Background: A large number of undiscovered fungal species still exist on earth, which can be useful for bioprospecting, particularly for single cell oil (SCO) production. Mortierella is one of the significant genera in this field and contains about hundred species. Moreover, M. alpina is the main single cell oil producer at commercial scale under this genus. Methods: Soil samples from four unique locations of North-East Libya were collected for the isolation of oleaginous Mortierella alpina strains by a serial dilution method. Morphological identification was carried out using light microscopy (Olympus, Japan) and genetic diversity of the isolated Mortierella alpina strains was assessed using conserved internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequences available on the NCBI GenBank database for the confirmation of novelty. The nucleotide sequences reported in this study have been deposited at GenBank (accession no. MZ298831:MZ298835). The MultAlin program was used to align the sequences of closely related strains. The DNA sequences were analyzed for phylogenetic relationships by molecular evolutionary genetic analysis using MEGA X software consisting of Clustal_X v.2.1 for multiple sequence alignment. The neighbour-joining tree was constructed using the Kimura 2-parameter substitution model. Results: The present research study confirms four oleaginous fungal isolates from Libyan soil. These isolates (barcoded as MSU-101, MSU-201, MSU-401 and MSU-501) were discovered and reported for the first time from diverse soil samples of district Aljabal Al-Akhdar in North-East Libya and fall in the class: Zygomycetes; order: Mortierellales. Conclusions: Four oleaginous fungal isolates barcoded as MSU-101, MSU-201, MSU-401 and MSU-501 were identified and confirmed by morphological and molecular analysis. These fungal isolates showed highest similarity with Mortierella alpina species and can be potentialistic single cell oil producers. Thus, the present research study provides insight to the unseen fungal diversity and contributes to more comprehensive Mortierella alpina reference collections worldwide.
    MeSH terms: Libya; Phylogeny; Genetic Variation
  2. Muthaiyah S, Anbananthen KSM, Phuong Lan NT
    F1000Res, 2021;10:899.
    PMID: 34745564 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.72987.1
    Background Digital transformation is changing the structure and landscape of future banking needs with much emphasis on value creation. Autonomous banking solutions must incorporate on-the-fly processing for risky transactions to create this value. In an autonomous environment, access control with role and trust delegation has been said to be highly relevant. The aim of this research is to provide an end to end working solution that will enable autonomous transaction and task processing for banking. Method We illustrate the use case for task delegation with the aid of risk graphs, risk bands and finite state machines. This paper also highlights a step by step task delegation process using a risk ordering relation methodology that can be embedded into smart contracts. Results Task delegation with risk ordering relation is illustrated with six process owners that share immutable ledgers. Task delegation properties using Multi Agent Systems (MAS) is used to eliminate barriers for autonomous transaction processing. Secondly, the application of risk graph and risk ordering relation with reference to delegation of tasks is a novel approach that is nonexistent in RBAC. Conclusion The novelty of this study is the logic for task delegation and task policies for autonomous execution on autonomous banking platforms akin to the idea of federated ID (Liberty Alliance).
    MeSH terms: Trust*
  3. Haque R, Ho SB, Chai I, Abdullah A
    F1000Res, 2021;10:911.
    PMID: 34745565 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.73026.1
    Background - Recently, there have been attempts to develop mHealth applications for asthma self-management. However, there is a lack of applications that can offer accurate predictions of asthma exacerbation using the weather triggers and demographic characteristics to give tailored response to users. This paper proposes an optimised Deep Neural Network Regression (DNNR) model to predict asthma exacerbation based on personalised weather triggers. Methods - With the aim of integrating weather, demography, and asthma tracking, an mHealth application was developed where users conduct the Asthma Control Test (ACT) to identify the chances of their asthma exacerbation. The asthma dataset consists of panel data from 10 users that includes 1010 ACT scores as the target output. Moreover, the dataset contains 10 input features which include five weather features (temperature, humidity, air-pressure, UV-index, wind-speed) and five demography features (age, gender, outdoor-job, outdoor-activities, location). Results - Using the DNNR model on the asthma dataset, a score of 0.83 was achieved with Mean Absolute Error (MAE)=1.44 and Mean Squared Error (MSE)=3.62. It was recognised that, for effective asthma self-management, the prediction errors must be in the acceptable loss range (error<0.5). Therefore, an optimisation process was proposed to reduce the error rates and increase the accuracy by applying standardisation and fragmented-grid-search. Consequently, the optimised-DNNR model (with 2 hidden-layers and 50 hidden-nodes) using the Adam optimiser achieved a 94% accuracy with MAE=0.20 and MSE=0.09. Conclusions - This study is the first of its kind that recognises the potentials of DNNR to identify the correlation patterns among asthma, weather, and demographic variables. The optimised-DNNR model provides predictions with a significantly higher accuracy rate than the existing predictive models and using less computing time. Thus, the optimisation process is useful to build an enhanced model that can be integrated into the asthma self-management for mHealth application.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Temperature; Weather; Neural Networks (Computer); Telemedicine*
  4. Thomas DC, Tsu CL, Nain RA, Arsat N, Fun SS, Sahid Nik Lah NA
    Ann Med Surg (Lond), 2021 Nov;71:102876.
    PMID: 34745599 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102876
    Objective: To provide an overview of the types of wound debridement and update the available scientific consensus on the effect of wound debridement.

    Methods: The articles were searched through CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Medline database for relevant articles on all types of wound debridement. Articles included were all systematic review on the effectiveness of wound debridement-related outcome, published within the year 2017 until Aug 2021, in English.

    Results: A total of seven scientific articles had been selected for review out of 318 screened. The authors reviewed a total of 318 titles and abstracts related to wound debridement effectiveness. Seven articles that were selected were narratively reviewed by two authors. The findings of the review were organized into autolytic, enzymatic, sharp, surgical, biological, and mechanical debridement methods and includes the advantages and disadvantages of each. The author further explored on the role of wound debridement according to wound bed preparation model. Articles were synthesized and organized based on the authors, year, total studies included in the systematic review, study range of year, total sample, debridement method, wound types, and findings.

    Conclusion: Maggot debridement therapy showed a consistent finding in terms of effectiveness in debriding chronic wounds. The newer debridement method includes hydro-surgery, low-frequency ultrasonic and enzymatic collagenase debridement were getting more attention due to faster wound bed preparation and less painful. However, these newer method of debridements showed inconclusive findings and the patient safety was not clearly defined. A higher level of review is warranted in the future study.

  5. Yi L, Jimeno ZKL, Sasidaran RA, Feng PA, Nik Lah NAS
    Ann Med Surg (Lond), 2021 Nov;71:102933.
    PMID: 34745600 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102933
    Introduction and importance: Lateral abdominal wall (LAW) defect presents as a rare and unique challenge to the reconstructive surgeons.

    Case presentation: We report a huge recurrent right lateral abdominal DFSP with local invasion in a 35-year-old lady. After wide local excision, the reconstruction was done by using pedicled anterolateral thigh fasciocutaneous flap and gluteal fasciocutaneous rotational flap.

    Clinical discussion: The goal of reconstruction of the lateral abdominal wall is similar to that of the anterior abdominal wall, namely to provide a static repair that will not attenuate and form a bulge or hernia over time. Anchoring a mesh to stable fixation points is expected to ensure structural integrity in the LAW defect. However, we selected fascial inset from our flaps which did not lead to hernia formation or a bulge following a 7-month postoperative review. In terms of soft tissue coverage, the pedicled anterolateral thigh fasciocutaneous flap and gluteal fasciocutaneous rotational flap were used. The standard free flap will require more complexity of works, especially if the recipient vessels for microsurgical reconstruction are remotely situated or sometimes not even available.

    Conclusion: Huge full-thickness LAW defect following an oncological resection can be reconstructed with combination of simpler locoregional flaps which yield good functional and aesthetic outcome.

  6. Helmy Abdelmalek Fahmy E, Yeap BT, Pg Baharuddin DM, M A Abdelhafez M, Than WW, Soe MZ, et al.
    Ann Med Surg (Lond), 2021 Nov;71:102995.
    PMID: 34745605 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102995
    The severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic impacts the health of women at reproductive age in different ways, starting from pregnancy planning to post-delivery. This narrative review summarises the challenges to obstetric practice posed by the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this paper, we highlight the impacts of COVID-19 to obstetric practice globally and the efforts taken to address these challenges. Further study is critical to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy, the outcome of COVID-19 positive pregnant women, and the safety of vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  7. Cheng H, Wang FF, Dong DW, Liang JC, Zhao CF, Yan B
    Front Public Health, 2021;9:769687.
    PMID: 34746088 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.769687
    This article takes the Guangdong Province of China as the research object and uses the difference-in-difference model to evaluate the impact of smart city construction on the quality of public occupational health and intercity differences. The obtained results show that smart city construction significantly improves the quality of public occupational health, and it is still valid after a series of robustness tests. The effect of this policy is stronger in cities that belong to the Pearl River Delta region or sub-provincial level cities. This study indicates that the central government should improve the pilot evaluation system and the performance appraisal mechanism of smart cities from the perspective of top-level design during the process of promoting smart city construction, which aims to correctly guide local governments to promote the construction of smart cities. To achieve the full improvement effect of smart city construction on the quality of public occupational health, local governments should implement smart city strategies in a purposeful and planned way according to the actual situation of the development of the jurisdiction.
    MeSH terms: China; Cities; Public Health; Occupational Health*; Rivers
  8. Karobari MI, Maqbool M, Ahmad P, Abdul MSM, Marya A, Venugopal A, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2021;2021:6657167.
    PMID: 34746305 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6657167
    Background: Citation analysis has emerged to play a significant role in recognition of the most useful areas of research. Endodontic microbiology has been a topic of interest for endodontists as well as periodontists and oral surgeons. This bibliometric analysis is aimed at identifying and reporting the characteristics of the top 50 cited articles on endodontic microbiology.

    Methods: The articles were identified through a search on Web of Science (WoS), property of Clarivate Analytics database published on endodontic microbiology. The citation information of the selected articles was recorded. The Journal of Endodontics, International Endodontic Journal, Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology Oral Radiology and Endodontology, Dental Traumatology, and Australian Endodontic Journal were searched in the search title. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed using a statistical software package SPSS. Statistical analysis was performed using Shapiro-Wilk, Kruskal-Wallis, Post hoc, Mann-Kendall trend, and Spearman-rank tests.

    Results: The 50 most cited articles were published from 1965 to 2012 with citation count varying from 1065 to 103 times. The total citation counts of articles recorded were 11,525 (WoS), 12,602 (Elseviers' Scopus), and 28,871 (Google Scholar). The most prolific years in terms of publications were 2001, 2002, and 2003, with five publications each, followed by 2005 with four. The year with most citations was 1998, with 1,330 citations, followed by 1965 and 2001, with 1,065 and 1,015 citations, respectively. A total of 136 authors contributed to the top 50 most cited articles with 27 corresponding institutions from 12 different countries. The most common methodological design was in vitro study, followed by clinic-laboratory study, literature review, systematic review and meta-analysis, and animal study.

    Conclusions: The present study provided a detailed list of the top 50 most cited and classic articles on microbiology in endodontics. This will help researchers, students, and clinicians in the field of endodontics as an impressive source of information.

    MeSH terms: Dental Pulp/microbiology*; Endodontics/methods; Endodontics/trends*; Humans; Publications; Records as Topic; Research Design; Bibliometrics*; Databases, Factual
  9. Wang ZF, Yu EP, Zeng QS, Deng HG, Cao HL, Li ZA, et al.
    Mitochondrial DNA B Resour, 2021;6(12):3327-3328.
    PMID: 34746403 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2021.1994901
    Ormosia purpureiflora is endemic to China. It is named after its purple flowers. It is a small tree only up to 3 m. It has leathery leaves, racemose inflorescences. The seeds are elliptic and red in coat. It is only confined to Luofushan Provincial Nature Reserve in Huizhou of Guangdong Province. Herein, we first reported on its complete chloroplast genome sequence as genomic resource for conservation purposes. The chloroplast genome of O. purpureiflora was 173,364 bp in length, with a large single-copy region of 73,465 bp, a small single-copy region of 18,751 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat regions that were 40,574 bp each. A total of 90 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA genes, and eight ribosomal RNA genes were predicted, while 106 simple sequence repeats were recorded throughout the genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that O. purpureiflora was sister to O. emarginata.
  10. Bukar UA, Jabar MA, Sidi F, Nor RB, Abdullah S, Ishak I
    J Comput Soc Sci, 2021 Nov 01.
    PMID: 34746496 DOI: 10.1007/s42001-021-00151-7
    Community resilience following a crisis has become essential to avoid panic. In contrast, social media usage has been practical to improve public resilience. However, the impacts of social media crisis response and social interaction have not been fully addressed. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of social media crisis communication on public resilience. The study data were collected through an online medium, and the final responses consist of 393 observations, mainly of Malaysians who have experienced Covid-19 isolation, quarantine, or lockdown. The assessments of the reflective measurement models based on path analysis in PLS-SEM are reliable and valid. The Cronbach's alpha, rho_A, composite reliability, and discriminant validity revealed acceptable values. PLS prediction algorithm was run to assess the model's predictive power, and the findings show that the predictive relevance is satisfactory. Furthermore, the IPMA was applied to evaluate the model's usefulness, which compares the level of the variables from the performance scale mean value against the importance level. The result shows that all the variables are useful and reveal good performance. Thus, crisis management and communication activities should pay more attention to these variables for effective social media crisis communication. Thus, the study offers theoretical and practical implications in the field of social media-based crisis communication and crisis informatics.
  11. Naz S, Uroos M, Ayoub M
    ACS Omega, 2021 Nov 02;6(43):29233-29242.
    PMID: 34746611 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04881
    This work presents a cost-effective approach for processing of renewable carbon-rich biomass using pyridinium-based Lewis acidic ionic liquids (LAILs). Rice husk as carbon-rich lignocellulosic waste was pretreated with a series of neutral and Lewis acidic ionic liquids to yield valuable intermediate platform monosaccharides. Novelty in the work lies in direct conversion of lignocellulosic carbohydrates into reducing sugars without their further conversion into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural or any other platform chemicals that are fermentation inhibitors for bioethanol production. The unconverted cellulose-rich material (CRM) is regenerated as a delignified material by the simultaneous addition of antisolvents. CRM and recovered lignin obtained after pretreatment were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The process was optimized with respect to a high yield of platform sugars and the quantity as well as quality of recovered CRM and lignin contents. Various reaction parameters involving the molecular structure of ionic liquids (ILs), Lewis acidic strength of ILs, biomass loading into IL, time, temperature, and biomass particle size were screened thoroughly. From all of the tested ILs, unsymmetrical 3-methylpyridinium IL having N-octyl substitution and chloroaluminate anion showed a greater conversion efficiency at 100 °C for 1.5 h. FTIR and SEM analyses of recovered CRM justify >90% lignin removal from rice husk. From all of the removed lignin, 60 wt % of original lignin content was recovered. The Lewis acidic system possessed recycling ability up to 3 times for subsequent treatment of rice husk without a significant loss of efficiency.
  12. Patil VM, Gaurav A, Garg P, Masand N
    J Egypt Natl Canc Inst, 2021 Nov 08;33(1):33.
    PMID: 34746987 DOI: 10.1186/s43046-021-00091-3
    BACKGROUND: The expression of hERG K+ channels is observed in various cancer cells including epithelial, neuronal, leukemic, and connective tissue. The role of hERG potassium channels in regulating the growth and death of cancer cells include cell proliferation, survival, secretion of proangiogenic factors, invasiveness, and metastasis.

    METHODS: In the reported study, an attempt has been made to investigate some non-cancer hERG blockers as potential cancer therapeutics using a computational drug repurposing strategy. Preliminary investigation for hERG blockers/non-blockers has identified 26 potential clinically approved compounds for further studies using molecular modeling.

    RESULTS: The interactions at the binding pockets have been investigated along with the prioritization based on the binding score. Some of the identified potential hERG inhibitors, i.e., Bromocriptine, Darglitazone, and Troglitazone, have been investigated to derive the mechanism of cancer inhibition.

    CONCLUSIONS: The proposed mechanism for anti-cancer properties via hERG blocking for some of the potential compounds is required to be explored using other experimental methodologies. The drug repurposing approach applied to investigate anti-cancer therapeutics may direct to provide a therapeutic solution to late-stage cancer and benefit a significant population of patients.

    MeSH terms: Ethers; Humans
  13. Yeak Dieu Siang J, Mohamed MNAB, Mohd Ramli NB, Zahari MB
    Eur J Ophthalmol, 2021 Nov 06.
    PMID: 34747249 DOI: 10.1177/11206721211051236
    BACKGROUND: Exercise may potentially provide an adjunctive measure to help control intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients. However, currently, there is still no substantial evidence that regular exercise can produce a prolonged effect of intraocular pressure reduction. We aim to determine the effects of regular exercise on intraocular pressure in healthy individuals.

    METHODS: We conducted a prospective, interventional study at the University of Malaya Medical Centre. Our subjects consist of 45 healthy participants in the intervention arm, and 38 healthy control participants who were age- and gender-matched. The intervention arm was enrolled into a supervised exercise programme for a 6-week period, where controls were asked to continue their usual daily lifestyle. The intervention consists of three sessions every week, which focused on aerobic exercise and strength training.

    RESULTS: Baseline intraocular pressure was measured, and then remeasured again at the end of 6 weeks of exercise conditioning. In the intervention group, there was a reduction of baseline intraocular pressure from pre-intervention mean intraocular pressure of 15.55 ± 2.63 mmHg, down to 13.36 ± 3.16 mmHg at 6 weeks, a statistically significant reduction of -2.18 ± 2.25 mmHg (p 

  14. Jasim RK, Hassan Z, Singh D, Boyer E, Gam LH
    J Addict Dis, 2021 Nov 08.
    PMID: 34747343 DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2021.1981122
    Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) also known as kratom or ketum has been traditionally used for its diverse medicinal value in Southeast Asia. Despite of its therapeutic value, kratom's safety profile remains deficiently elucidated. Our study aims to characterize the urinary protein profile of regular kratom users to determine its toxic effects on renal functioning. A total of 171 respondents (comprising of n = 88 regular kratom users, and n = 83 healthy controls) were recruited for this study. Urine specimens were collected and analyzed using SDS-PAGE, followed by LC/MS/MS analysis. Our results show albumin is the primary, and most abundant form of protein excreted in kratom user's urine specimens (n = 60/64), indicating that kratom users are predisposed to proteinuria. Kratom users had an elevated urinary protein (with an intensity of 66.7 kDa band), and protein: creatinine ratio (PCR) concentrations relative to healthy controls. However, kratom user's urinary creatinine concentration was found to be in the normal range as the healthy control group. While, kratom users who tested positive for illicit drug use had an elevated urinary albumin concentration. Our preliminary findings indicate that regular consumption of freshly brewed kratom solution over a protracted period (for an average of eleven years) seems to induce proteinuria, suggestive of an early stage of kidney injury. Hence, further studies are urgently needed to confirm our findings, and establish kratom's renal impairing effects.
  15. Ng CF, Remli R, Tan HJ
    Neurol India, 2021 11 9;69(5):1412-1413.
    PMID: 34747827 DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.329533
    Transverse myelitis in multiple sclerosis is typically a short cord lesion with patchy distribution. Rarely, longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis can be seen in those with highly active disease or frequent relapses. The recognition of this uncommon phenotype in multiple sclerosis is important as the treatment is largely different from other demyelinating diseases. We describe a patient with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis on interferon beta-1a who developed LETM after multiple relapses.
    MeSH terms: Autoantibodies; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Multiple Sclerosis*; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neuromyelitis Optica*; Aquaporin 4
  16. Raaj S, Navanathan S, Tharmaselan M, Lally J
    BJPsych Int, 2021 Nov;18(4):97-99.
    PMID: 34747937 DOI: 10.1192/bji.2021.4
    There is an increasing prevalence of mental disorders in Malaysia, with a growing need to improve access to timely and efficient mental healthcare to address this burden. This review outlines the current legislative framework and the challenges of delivering mental healthcare and treating mental disorders in Malaysia.
  17. Ng HM, Khor BH, Sahathevan S, Sualeheen A, Chinna K, Gafor AHA, et al.
    Qual Life Res, 2021 Nov 08.
    PMID: 34748139 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-021-03018-6
    PURPOSE: To identify relationships between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and nutritional status in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

    METHOD: Secondary data from a cross-sectional survey was utilized. HRQOL was assessed for 379 HD patients using the generic Short Form 36 (SF-36) and disease-specific Kidney-Disease Quality of Life-36 (KDQOL-36). Malnutrition was indicated by malnutrition inflammation score (MIS) ≥ 5, and presence of protein-energy wasting (PEW). The individual nutritional parameters included the domains of physical status, serum biomarkers, and dietary intake. Multivariate associations were assessed using the general linear model.

    RESULTS: MIS ≥ 5 was negatively associated with SF-36 scores of physical functioning (MIS 

  18. Lee B, Ibrahim SA, Zhang T
    JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 2021 Nov 11;9(11):e32093.
    PMID: 34748515 DOI: 10.2196/32093
    BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic increased attention to digital tools to support governmental public health policies in East and South-East Asia. Mobile apps related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to emerge and evolve with a wide variety of characteristics and functions. However, there is a paucity of studies evaluating such apps in this region, with most of the available studies conducted in the early days of the pandemic.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine free apps developed or supported by governments in the East and South-East Asian region and highlight their key characteristics and functions. We also sought to interpret how the release dates of these apps were related to the commencement dates of other COVID-19 public health policies.

    METHODS: We systematically searched for apps in Apple App Store and Google Play Store and analyzed the contents of eligible apps. Mobile apps released or updated with COVID-19-related functions between March 1 and May 7, 2021, in Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, China (mainland), Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines were included. The CoronaNet Research Project database was also examined to determine the timeline of public health policy commencement dates in relation to the release dates of the included apps. We assessed each app's official website, media reports, and literature through content analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize relevant information gathered from the mobile apps using RStudio.

    RESULTS: Of the 1943 mobile apps initially identified, 46 were eligible, with almost 70% of the apps being intended for the general public. Most apps were from Vietnam (n=9, 20%), followed by Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand (n=6 each, 13%). Of note, most apps for quarantine monitoring (n=6, 13%) were mandatory for the target users or a population subset. The most common function was health monitoring (32/46, 70%), followed by raising public health awareness (19/46, 41%) through education and information dissemination. Other functions included monitoring quarantine (12/46, 26%), providing health resources (12/46, 26%). COVID-19 vaccination management functions began to appear in parallel with vaccine rollout (7/46, 15%). Regarding the timing of the introduction of mobile solutions, the majority of mobile apps emerged close to the commencement dates of other public health policies in the early stages of the pandemic between March and April 2020.

    CONCLUSIONS: In East and South-East Asia, most governments used mobile health apps as adjuncts to public health measures for tracking COVID-19 cases and delivering credible information. In addition, these apps have evolved by expanding their functions for COVID-19 vaccination.

    MeSH terms: China; Humans; Pandemics/prevention & control; Mobile Applications*
  19. Rashid N, Khan S, Wahid A, Ibrar D, Irshad S, Bakhsh A, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(11):e0259214.
    PMID: 34748570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259214
    Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has gained significant popularity among agricultural scientists and farmers throughout the world due to its high nutritive value. It is cultivated under a range of soil and climatic conditions; however, late sowing adversely affects its productivity and yield due to shorter growth period. Inorganic and organic phyto-stimulants are promising for improving growth, development, and yield of field crops under stressful environments. Field experiments were conducted during crop cultivation seasons of 2016-17 and 2017-18, to explore the role of inorganic (hydrogen peroxide and ascorbic acid) and organic [moringa leaf extract (MLE) and sorghum water extract (sorgaab)] phyto-stimulants in improving growth and productivity of quinoa (cultivar UAF-Q7). Hydrogen peroxide at 100 μM, ascorbic acid at 500 μM, MLE at 3% and sorgaab at 3% were exogenously applied at anthesis stage of quinoa cultivated under normal (November 21st and 19th during 2016 and 2017) and late-sown (December 26th and 25th during 2016 and 2017) conditions. Application of inorganic and organic phyto-stimulants significantly improved biochemical, physiological, growth and yield attributes of quinoa under late sown conditions. The highest improvement in these traits was recorded for MLE. Application of MLE resulted in higher chlorophyll a and b contents, stomatal conductance, and sub-stomatal concentration of CO2 under normal and late-sowing. The highest improvement in soluble phenolics, anthocyanins, free amino acids and proline, and mineral elements in roots, shoot and grains were observed for MLE application. Growth attributes, including plant height, plant fresh weight and panicle length were significantly improved with MLE application as compared to the rest of the treatments. The highest 1000-grain weight and grain yield per plant were noted for MLE application under normal and late-sowing. These findings depict that MLE has extensive crop growth promoting potential through improving physiological and biochemical activities. Hence, MLE can be applied to improve growth and productivity of quinoa under normal and late-sown conditions.
    MeSH terms: Anthocyanins/pharmacology*; Plant Extracts/pharmacology*; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Chenopodium quinoa/drug effects; Chenopodium quinoa/growth & development*; Chenopodium quinoa/metabolism; Moringa/chemistry*; Phytochemicals/pharmacology*
  20. Asif M, Ahmadian A, Azeem M, Pansera BA
    PLoS One, 2021;16(11):e0259423.
    PMID: 34748588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259423
    In this paper, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) and Duckworth-Lewis-McHale-Asif (DLMA) methods of revising targets for a team batting in second innings in an interrupted Limited Overs International Cricket (LOI), are examined for fairness. The work discusses four significant points: flexibility, intuition, simplicity, and goodness-of-fit of the two mentioned methods. The research findings have shown that the DLMA method is better in every aspect than the DLS method. Further, the data of 1764 ODI matches played during 2004-2021 to investigate the compatibility of the DLMA for high run-scoring One-Day International matches. The results show that DLMA is compatible to the situation of the well-above run-scoring situation.
    MeSH terms: Models, Biological; Research Design; Task Performance and Analysis*; Athletic Performance/physiology*; Athletic Performance/psychology*
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