Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Sharma A, Sundaram S, Malviya R, Verma S, Fuloria NK, Fuloria S, et al.
    Infect Disord Drug Targets, 2023;23(3):e190922208916.
    PMID: 36121085 DOI: 10.2174/1871526522666220919105643
    The perspective of the people of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) toward both traditional and western healthcare systems varies. The goal of the current study is to examine the SSA's unique skin disease health care system. This study comprises numerous research that sought to examine how the general public feels about the SSA's current healthcare system. In this review, common skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, buruli ulcers, dermatophytosis, and scabies, are addressed. According to this report, government agencies must pay particular attention to skin illnesses in SSA and raise public awareness. Availability of medical care, socioeconomic factors, degree of education, and other factors influence patients' attitudes toward traditional and western health care differently in different geographic areas. Facts suggest that self-medication is the preference of the majority of patients before seeking dermatological care. The present study concludes that the magnitude of skin diseases is neglected or underestimated in many regions of SSA. Also, western healthcare facilities of many regions of SSA are not up to the mark. The present study recommends that proper access to the health care system and awareness about skin diseases through various government programs can be helpful in the regulation of skin disorders among people of SSA.
    MeSH terms: Delivery of Health Care*; Patient Care; Humans; Skin; Africa South of the Sahara/epidemiology
  2. Yee A, Meei TI, Ling GC
    Prim Dent J, 2023 Mar;12(1):51-56.
    PMID: 36916614 DOI: 10.1177/20501684231153909
    Fibrous ridges on the edentulous maxillary arch are commonly found in combination syndrome or due to ill-fitting dentures. Often, these cases are managed conservatively using modified impression techniques to achieve better support and peripheral seal without displacing the movable tissue. Many impression techniques were proposed and justified with their respective ideologies, but some may complicate both the clinical and laboratory procedures. In this report, two simplified techniques are demonstrated to make an impression of the maxillary arch with fibrous ridges. Laboratory steps in custom tray fabrication are also emphasised for a successful and predictable impression.
    MeSH terms: Dental Impression Materials; Dental Impression Technique; Denture Design; Humans; Jaw, Edentulous*; Maxilla; Mouth, Edentulous*
  3. Petyunina O, Kopytsya M, Kobets A, Berezin A
    Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars, 2023 Mar;51(2):119-128.
    PMID: 36916808 DOI: 10.5543/tkda.2022.31531
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate whether increased left ventricular mechanical dispersion is an early predictor for adverse cardiac remodeling in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients who had post-percutaneous coronary intervention thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade > 2.

    METHODS: A total of 119 post-percutaneous coronary intervention ST elevation myocardial infarction patients with TIMI flow grade >2 were prospectively included in the study. Left ventricular global longitudinal strain was quantified by 2-dimensional speckletracking echocardiography, and left ventricular mechanical dispersion was determined at baseline and after 1 year to assess adverse cardiac remodeling. The levels of circulating biomarkers were measured at the baseline. TIMI score and the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events score systems were used to evaluate the prognosis of patients.

    RESULTS: Patients with high quartile versus low quartile of left ventricular mechanical dispersion exerted higher Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events and TIMI score grades, left ventricular endsystolic volume, global longitudinal strain, and levels of the N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide and lower left ventricular ejection fraction. Multivariate log regression showed that N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide > 953 pg/mL, global longitudinal strain > -8%, and high quartile of left ventricular mechanical dispersion remained independent predictors for adverse cardiac remodeling. Addition of left ventricular mechanical dispersion to the N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide improved the discriminative potency of the whole model.

    CONCLUSION: Measurement of left ventricular mechanical dispersion might be useful in determining the risk of adverse cardiac remodeling in post-percutaneous coronary intervention ST elevation myocardial infarction patients.

    MeSH terms: Humans; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function, Left; Treatment Outcome; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Ventricular Remodeling*; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention*
  4. Idris FN, Nadzir MM
    Arch Microbiol, 2023 Mar 14;205(4):115.
    PMID: 36917278 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03455-6
    Infections by ESKAPE (Enterococcus sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) pathogens cause major concern due to their multi-drug resistance (MDR). The ESKAPE pathogens are frequently linked to greater mortality, diseases, and economic burden in healthcare worldwide. Therefore, the use of plants as a natural source of antimicrobial agents provide a solution as they are easily available and safe to use. These natural drugs can also be enhanced by incorporating silver nanoparticles and combining them with existing antibiotics. By focussing the attention on the ESKAPE organisms, the MDR issue can be addressed much better.
    MeSH terms: Cross Infection/drug therapy; Cross Infection/microbiology; Humans; Plants/chemistry; Silver/chemistry; Metal Nanoparticles/therapeutic use; Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry
  5. Lai ZY, Yiin CL, Lock SSM, Chin BLF, Zauzi NSA, Sar-Ee S
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Nov;30(55):116878-116905.
    PMID: 36917382 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26288-8
    Natural based deep eutectic solvent (NADES) is a promising green solvent to replace the conventional soil washing solvent due to the environmental benign properties such as low toxicity, high biodegradability, high polarity or hydrophilicity, and low cost of fabrication process. The application of NADES is intensively studied in the extraction of organic compounds or natural products from vegetations or organic matters. Conversely, the use of the solvent in removing heavy metals from soil is severely lacking. This review focuses on the potential application of NADES as a soil washing agent to remove heavy metal contaminants. Hydrophilicity is an important feature of a NADES to be used as a soil washing solvent. In this context, choline chloride is often used as hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) whereby choline chloride based NADESs showed excellent performance in the extraction of various solutes in the past studies. The nature of NADES along with its chemistry, preparation and designing methods as well as potential applications were comprehensively reviewed. Subsequently, related studies on choline chloride-based NADES in heavy metal polluted soil remediation were also reviewed. Potential applications in removing other soil contaminants as well as the limitations of NADES were discussed based on the current advancements of soil washing and future research directions were also proposed.
    MeSH terms: Choline/chemistry; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Solvents/chemistry; Metals, Heavy*
  6. Liang Y, Mazlan NS, Mohamed AB, Mhd Bani NYB, Liang B
    PLoS One, 2023;18(3):e0282913.
    PMID: 36917591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282913
    The aging population is a common problem faced by most countries in the world. This study uses 18 years (from 2002 to 2019) of panel data from 31 regions in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Province), and establishes a panel threshold regression model to study the non-linear impact of the aging population on economic development. It is different from traditional research in that this paper divides 31 regions in China into three regions: Eastern, Central, and Western according to the classification standard of the National Bureau of Statistics of China and compares the different impacts of the aging population on economic development in the three regions. Although this study finds that the aging population promotes the economy of China's eastern, central, and western regions, different threshold variables have dramatically different influences. When the sum of export and import is the threshold variable, the impact of the aging population on the eastern and the central region of China is significantly larger than that of the western region of China. However, when the unemployment rate is the threshold variable, the impact of the aging population on the western region of China is dramatically higher than the other regions' impact. Thus, one of the contributions of this study is that if the local government wants to increase the positive impact of the aging population on the per capita GDP of China, the local governments of different regions should advocate more policies that align with their economic situation rather than always emulating policies from other regions.
    MeSH terms: China/epidemiology; Hong Kong; Population Dynamics; Economic Development*
  7. Hamis AA, Md Bukhori AB, Heng PP, Jane Ling MY, Shaharuddin MA, A Fauzi NAF, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2023 Mar 14;13(3):e067227.
    PMID: 36918252 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067227
    OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 has strained healthcare systems, requiring the redesign of their structure, human resource management and clinical approach. Countries have adopted implementation strategies and maximise field hospital functionality to address the issue of overflow of patients with COVID-19. This scoping review was based on the main research question, 'What are the implementation strategies, challenges and opportunities in managing the field hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic?', and aimed to consolidate all recent evidence on COVID-19 field hospital implementation approaches, challenges and potentialities.

    DESIGN: Scoping review, following the Arksey and O'Malley's framework, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines.

    DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were searched from 1 January 2020 through 31 December 2021.

    ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Original articles, reviews, case studies and reports written in English were included. Works without full article and articles that did not answer the research questions were excluded.

    DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data were extracted using a standardised data extraction form in Microsoft Excel. The findings of all included articles were synthesised narratively.

    RESULTS: Eighty-five records were reviewed and 25 studies were included. For the field hospital implementation strategies, 'surge capacity', namely space, human resource, supply and system, was discussed in addition to the preparation and workflow of other services such as pharmacy, rehabilitation, food and nutrition. The management of COVID-19 field hospitals is challenging with respect to staff and resource shortages, inability to anticipate patient load and poor communication. The opportunities and recommendations for improvement of management were also highlighted.

    CONCLUSIONS: The compilation of lessons learnt may help improve the future management of field hospitals, administratively and clinically.

    MeSH terms: Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Mobile Health Units; Pandemics
  8. Jairoun AA, Al-Hemyari SS, Shahwan M, Zyoud SH, Suliman A
    Res Social Adm Pharm, 2023 Jun;19(6):841-842.
    PMID: 36918312 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.03.002
    MeSH terms: Disasters*; Humans; Pharmaceutical Services*; Pharmacies*; Disaster Medicine*
  9. Azuddin NF, Mohamad Noor Azmy MS, Zakaria L
    Sci Rep, 2023 Mar 14;13(1):4239.
    PMID: 36918601 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31291-7
    Lawn grass (Axonopus compressus) is a widely distributed grass species from the family Poaceae that is ubiquitous in Malaysia. We isolated endophytic fungi from the leaves of A. compressus and molecularly identified them as Fusarium parceramosum, Colletotrichum siamense, C. gigasporum, C. endophyticum, Curvularia lunata, Stagonospora bicolor, Calonectria gracilis, and Albifimbria verrucari. These fungal endophytes are considered host generalists, as they have been isolated from other plants and have also been reported to be latent plant pathogens. We tested the pathogenicity of selected endophytic fungal isolates on A. compressus leaves, chili (Capsicum annum), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and found that they were pathogenic to wounded A. compressus leaves with low to moderate virulence, and several were pathogenic to wounded and unwounded chili and tomato fruits. This indicated that the endophytes could infect both vegetable fruits with low to very high virulence. Pathogenicity tests demonstrated that endophytic fungi from the leaves of A. compressus can become pathogenic and infect the host and other plant species. The findings also indicated that leaves of A. compressus may harbor pathogens with latent ability that can become active due to changes in environmental conditions, thereby disrupting the balance between host-endophyte antagonism.
    MeSH terms: Fungi; Fusarium*; Poaceae; Malaysia; Endophytes
  10. Yusuf A, Mohd S
    SN Bus Econ, 2023;3(4):88.
    PMID: 36919014 DOI: 10.1007/s43546-023-00468-7
    The COVID-19 pandemic induced governments all over the world to momentarily accumulate higher levels of public debt in order to invest in deficit spending and social protection programs to tackle the anticipated economic slump. The Nigerian government has borrowed heavily from domestic and foreign sources in order to resolve the growing budget deficits and return the economy to a sustainable growth trajectory. Previous studies frequently made the incorrect assumption that the relationship between public debt and growth is linear and symmetric, leading to empirical results that is frequently disputed and imprecise. This study's main objective is to examine the asymmetric impact of public debt on economic growth in Nigeria from 1980 to 2020 using the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag method. Empirical evidence indicated that external debt have a significant positive and symmetric impact on economic growth in the long and short run, while debt service payment supporting the debt overhang hypothesis activated a symmetric effect that stifle growth. Domestic debt retarded growth asymmetrically in the short term and linearly over the long term. Foreign reserve holding, on the other hand, had an asymmetric long-run influence and a symmetric short-run impact on growth motivation. To mitigate the negative effects of unsustainable public debt, the study advocated for fiscal reforms that effectively reduce deficit financing to keep the level of government debt low and be able to respond robustly to an economic shock, improve domestic revenue generation and infrastructure spending, and strengthen governance practices and institutions.
  11. Hossain MI, Tabash MI, Siow ML, Ong TS, Anagreh S
    J Innov Entrep, 2023;12(1):12.
    PMID: 36919091 DOI: 10.1186/s13731-023-00279-y
    This research examines a variety of restrictions preventing Bangladeshi youth, particularly Generation Z university students, from becoming involved in entrepreneurship. Moreover, the study examines the influence of Entrepreneurial Attitude (EA), Subjective Entrepreneurial Norms (SEN), Entrepreneurial Perceived Behavioural Control (EPBC), and Entrepreneurial Resilience (ER) on Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) of Bangladeshi Gen Z university students. A systematic literature review methodology following PRISMA procedure was performed to identify the relevant articles. A quantitative method with a positivism philosophy, cross-sectional time horizon and deductive approach was applied to the study. The data of 206 university students from the BBA department of ten universities were collected using convenience sampling and a self-administrated structured questionnaire survey. SPSS 26.0 and Smart PLS 3.0 were used to analyse the data. The output shows a positive and significant association amongst EA, SEN, EPBC, ER, and EI. Various constraints were identified from the literature and ranked based on the respondents' feedback. This research will help entrepreneurs, scholars, policymakers and practitioners to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem and develop young people's understanding of the entrepreneurial decision process and the importance of ER. This paper contributes through empirical investigation to an understanding of the actions that prevent Gen Z students from entrepreneurial activities; decisions are affected by socio-psychological constructions integrating ER with the Theory of Planned behaviour (TPB) model. Triple, Quadruple and Quintuple Helix models are considered supporting theories in this study to shed light on tackling the constraints. To the best knowledge of the researcher, integrating ER with TPB model's constructs is a pioneer scholarly contribution in the context of South-East Asian, specifically Bangladeshi Gen Z students.
  12. Kia P, Ruman U, Pratiwi AR, Hussein MZ
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2023;18:1159-1191.
    PMID: 36919095 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S364634
    Tuberculosis (TB), derived from bacterium named Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has become one of the worst infectious and contagious illnesses in the world after HIV/AIDS. Long-term therapy, a high pill burden, lack of compliance, and strict management regimens are disadvantages which resulted in the extensively drug-resistant (XDR) along with multidrug-resistant (MDR) in the treatment of TB. One of the main thrust areas for the current scenario is the development of innovative intervention tools for early diagnosis and therapeutics towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). This review discusses various nanotherapeutic agents that have been developed for MTB diagnostics, anti-TB drugs and vaccine. Undoubtedly, the concept of employing nanoparticles (NPs) has strong potential in this therapy and offers impressive outcomes to conquer the disease. Nanocarriers with different types were designed for drug delivery applications via various administration methods. Controlling and maintaining the drug release might be an example of the benefits of utilizing a drug-loaded NP in TB therapy over conventional drug therapy. Furthermore, the drug-encapsulated NP is able to lessen dosage regimen and can resolve the problems of insufficient compliance. Over the past decade, NPs were developed in both diagnostic and therapeutic methods, while on the other hand, the therapeutic system has increased. These "theranostic" NPs were designed for nuclear imaging, optical imaging, ultrasound, imaging with magnetic resonance and the computed tomography, which includes both single-photon computed tomography and positron emission tomography. More specifically, the current manuscript focuses on the status of therapeutic and diagnostic approaches in the treatment of TB.
    MeSH terms: Antitubercular Agents/therapeutic use; Humans; Mycobacterium tuberculosis*; Drug Delivery Systems; Nanotechnology
  13. Shishir MRI, Suo H, Taip FS, Ahmed M, Xiao J, Wang M, et al.
    PMID: 36919601 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2188564
    Seed mucilages are potential sources of natural polysaccharides. They are biodegradable, biocompatible, sustainable, renewable, and safe for human consumption. Due to the desirable physicochemical and functional properties (e.g. gelling, thickening, stabilizing, and emulsifying), seed mucilages have attracted extensive attention from researchers for utilization as a promising material for the development of advanced carrier systems. Seed mucilages have been utilized as natural polymers to improve the properties of various carrier systems (e.g. complex coacervates, beads, nanofibers, and gels) and for the delivery of diverse hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds (e.g. vitamins, essential oils, antioxidants, probiotics, and antimicrobial agents) to achieve enhanced stability, bioavailability, bioactivity of the encapsulated molecules, and improved quality attributes of food products. This review highlights the recent progress in seed mucilage-based carrier systems for food and nutraceutical applications. The main contents include (1) sources, extraction methods, and physicochemical and functional characteristics of seed mucilages, (2) application of seed mucilages for the development of advanced carrier systems, (3) major issues associated with carrier fabrication, and (4) mechanisms of carrier development, latest improvements in carrier formulation, carrier efficiency in the delivery of bioactive agents, and application in food and nutraceuticals. Furthermore, major challenges and future perspectives of seed mucilage-based carriers for a commercial application are discussed.
  14. Chapman N, Ching SM, Konradi AO, Nuyt AM, Khan T, Twumasi-Ankrah B, et al.
    Hypertension, 2023 Jun;80(6):1140-1149.
    PMID: 36919603 DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.20448
    Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and premature death among women globally. However, there is a fundamental lack of knowledge regarding the sex-specific pathophysiology of the condition. In addition, risk factors for hypertension and cardiovascular disease unique to women or female sex are insufficiently acknowledged in clinical guidelines. This review summarizes the existing evidence on women and female-specific risk factors and clinical management of hypertension, to identify critical knowledge gaps relevant to research, clinical practice, and women's heart health awareness. Female-specific risk factors relate not only to reproduction, such as the association of gynecological conditions, adverse pregnancy outcomes or menopause with hypertension, but also to the specific roles of women in society and science, such as gender differences in received medical care and the underrepresentation of women in both the science workforce and as participants in research, which contribute to the limited evidence-based, gender- or sex-specific recommendations. A key point is that the development of hypertension starts in young, premenopausal women, often in association with disorders of reproductive organs, and therefore needs to be managed early in life to prevent future cardiovascular disease. Considering the lower blood pressure levels at which cardiovascular disease occurs, thresholds for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension may need to be lower for women.
    MeSH terms: Female; Humans; Male; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Women's Health
  15. Ramle AQ, Tiekink ERT
    Org Biomol Chem, 2023 Apr 05;21(14):2870-2888.
    PMID: 36919641 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob00192j
    Dibenzo[1,5]diazocine scaffolds are present in a wide range of organic building blocks, for example in pharmaceuticals, materials and structural chemistry. However, the development of these structural frameworks has not received significant attention owing to limited synthetic protocols and strategies. Herein, a summary of the attractive synthetic approaches for the construction of dibenzo[1,5]diazocines, epiminodibenzo[1,5]diazocines and epoxydibenzo[1,5]diazocines developed over the past two decades is presented. The spectroscopic, synthetic mechanisms for the formation of the heterocyclic rings and remarkable structural features, including in the solid-state, are discussed.
  16. Hasan NS, Ling JG, Bakar MFA, Seman WMKW, Murad AMA, Bakar FDA, et al.
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2023 Nov;195(11):6708-6736.
    PMID: 36913095 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-022-04304-w
    Enzymatic halogenation captures scientific interest considering its feasibility in modifying compounds for chemical diversity. Currently, majority of flavin-dependent halogenases (F-Hals) were reported from bacterial origin, and as far as we know, none from lichenized fungi. Fungi are well-known producers of halogenated compounds, so using available transcriptomic dataset of Dirinaria sp., we mined for putative gene encoding for F-Hal. Phylogenetic-based classification of the F-Hal family suggested a non-tryptophan F-Hals, similar to other fungal F-Hals, which mainly act on aromatic compounds. However, after the putative halogenase gene from Dirinaria sp., dnhal was codon-optimized, cloned, and expressed in Pichia pastoris, the ~63 kDa purified enzyme showed biocatalytic activity towards tryptophan and an aromatic compound methyl haematommate, which gave the tell-tale isotopic pattern of a chlorinated product at m/z 239.0565 and 241.0552; and m/z 243.0074 and 245.0025, respectively. This study is the start of understanding the complexities of lichenized fungal F-hals and its ability to halogenate tryptophan and other aromatic. compounds which can be used as green alternatives for biocatalysis of halogenated compounds.
    MeSH terms: Flavins/genetics; Flavins/metabolism; Organic Chemicals; Phylogeny; Tryptophan/metabolism; Halogenation
  17. Grubbs JB, Reid RC, Bőthe B, Demetrovics Z, Coleman E, Gleason N, et al.
    J Behav Addict, 2023 Mar 30;12(1):242-260.
    PMID: 36913189 DOI: 10.1556/2006.2023.00005
    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) includes Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD), a new diagnosis that is both controversial and groundbreaking, as it is the first diagnosis to codify a disorder related to excessive, compulsive, and out-of-control sexual behavior. The inclusion of this novel diagnosis demonstrates a clear need for valid assessments of this disorder that may be quickly administered in both clinical and research settings.

    DESIGN: The present work details the development of the Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder Diagnostic Inventory (CSBD-DI) across seven samples, four languages, and five countries.

    SETTING: In the first study, data were collected in community samples drawn from Malaysia (N = 375), the U.S. (N = 877), Hungary (N = 7,279), and Germany (N = 449). In the second study, data were collected from nationally representative samples in the U.S. (N = 1,601), Poland (N = 1,036), and Hungary (N = 473).

    FINDINGS: Across both studies and all samples, results revealed strong psychometric qualities for the 7-item CSBD-DI, demonstrating evidence of validity via correlations with key behavioral indicators and longer measures of compulsive sexual behavior. Analyses from nationally representative samples revealed residual metric invariance across languages, scalar invariance across gender, strong evidence of validity, and utility in classifying individuals who self-identified as having problematic and excessive sexual behavior, as evidenced by ROC analyses revealing suitable cutoffs for a screening instrument.

    CONCLUSION: Collectively, these findings demonstrate the cross-cultural utility of the CSBD-DI as a novel measure for CSBD and provide a brief, easily administrable instrument for screening for this novel disorder.

    MeSH terms: Compulsive Behavior/diagnosis; Compulsive Personality Disorder; Humans; Paraphilic Disorders*; Sexual Behavior
  18. Lai LY, Wong JE
    J Nutr, 2023 Jan;153(1):393-399.
    PMID: 36913476 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2022.11.014
    BACKGROUND: Accurate measurement of dietary intake throughout childhood is important to monitor children's growth and development and for their long-term health. However, measuring dietary intake in children is challenging because of misreporting, difficulties in establishing portion size, and heavy reliance on proxy reporters.

    OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the accuracy of self-reported food intake by primary school children aged 7-9 y.

    METHODS: A total of 105 children (51% boys), aged 8.0 ± 0.8 y, were recruited from three primary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. Individual meal intakes during a school break time were determined using a food photography method as the reference method. The children were then interviewed the following day to assess their recall of their meal intakes the previous day. ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine mean differences in the accuracy of reporting food items and amount by age and weight status, respectively.

    RESULTS: On average, the children achieved 85.8% match rate, 14.2% omission rate, and 3.2% intrusion rate for accuracy in reporting food items. The children also achieved 85.9% correspondence rate and 6.8% inflation ratio for accuracy in reporting food amounts. Children living with obesity had notably higher intrusion rates compared with normal weight children (10.6% vs. 1.9%) (P < 0.05). Children aged >9 y had notably higher correspondence rates, compared with children aged 7 y (93.3% vs. 78.8%) (P < 0.05).

    CONCLUSIONS: The low omission and intrusion rates and the high correspondence rate indicate that primary school children aged 7-9 y are capable of self-reporting food intake accurately for a lunch meal without proxy assistance. However, to confirm children's abilities to report their daily food intakes, further studies should be conducted to assess the accuracy of children in reporting their food intakes for more than one meal in a day.

    MeSH terms: Child; Eating*; Female; Food Services*; Humans; Male; Mental Recall; Schools; Reproducibility of Results; Meals; Lunch
  19. Rabba JA, Suhaimi FM, Mat Jafri MZ, Jaafar HA, Osman ND
    Radiography (Lond), 2023 May;29(3):533-538.
    PMID: 36913788 DOI: 10.1016/j.radi.2023.02.028
    INTRODUCTION: The daily image quality assessment involves large datasets that consume a lot of time and effort. This study aims to evaluate a proposed automated calculator for image distortion analysis in 2-dimensional (2D) panoramic imaging mode for a dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) system in comparison with present manual calculations.

    METHODS: A ball phantom was scanned using panoramic mode of the Planmeca ProMax 3D Mid CBCT unit (Planmeca, Helsinki, Finland) with standard exposure settings used in clinical practice (60 kV, 2 mA, and maximum FOV). An automated calculator algorithm was developed in MATLAB platform. Two parameters associated with panoramic image distortion such as balls diameter and distance between middle and tenth balls were measured. These automated measurements were compared with manual measurement using the Planmeca Romexis and ImageJ software.

    RESULTS: The findings showed smaller deviation in distance difference measurements by proposed automated calculator (ranged 3.83 mm) as compared to manual measurements (ranged 5.00 for Romexis and 5.12 mm for ImageJ software). There was a significant difference (p 

    MeSH terms: Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Radiography, Panoramic; Phantoms, Imaging; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography/methods; Spiral Cone-Beam Computed Tomography*
  20. Ivorra T, Rahimi R, Zaini NA, Heo CC
    Leg Med (Tokyo), 2023 May;62:102238.
    PMID: 36913819 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102238
    This case study reports on two unrecorded Coleopteran species found together on a human corpse in Malaysia. The mummified human remains were discovered in a house in Selangor, Malaysia. The pathologist confirmed that the death was due to a traumatic chest injury. Maggots, beetles, and fly pupal casings were found mainly on the front part of the body. Empty puparia of Diptera were collected during the autopsy and identified later as the muscid Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp, 1883) (Diptera: Muscidae). Also, the insect evidence received included larvae and pupae of Megaselia sp. (Diptera: Phoridae). According to the insect development data, the minimum postmortem period was estimated by the time to reach the pupal developmental stage (in days). The entomological evidence included the first record of Dermestes maculatus De Geer, 1774 (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) and Necrobia rufipes (Fabricius, 1781) (Coleoptera: Cleridae), which have not previously been recorded on human remains in Malaysia.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Beetles*; Cadaver; Diptera*; Humans; Insects; Larva; Malaysia; Body Remains
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