Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Hui LY, Mun CS, Sing LC, Rajak H, Karunakaran R, Ravichandran V
    Med Chem, 2023;19(3):297-309.
    PMID: 35713125 DOI: 10.2174/1573406418666220616110351
    BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 is causing a disaster through coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), affecting the world population with a high mortality rate. Although numerous scientific efforts have been made, we do not have any specific drug for COVID-19 treatment.

    OBJECTIVE: Aim of the present study was to analyse the molecular interaction of nitrogen heterocyclic based drugs (hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir and lomefloxacin) with various SARSCoV- 2 proteins (RdRp, PLPro, Mpro and spike proteins) using a molecular docking approach.

    METHODS: We have performed docking study using PyRx software, and Discovery Studio Visualizer was used to visualise the molecular interactions. The designed nitrogen heterocyclic analogues were checked for Lipinski's rule of five, Veber's Law and Adsorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) threshold. After obtaining the docking results of existing nitrogen heterocyclic drugs, we modified the selected drugs to get molecules with better affinity against SARS-CoV-2.

    RESULTS: Hydroxychloroquine bound to RdRp, spike protein, PLPro and Mpro at -5.2, -5.1, -6.7 and -6.0 kcal/mol, while remdesivir bound to RdRp, spike protein, PLPro, and Mpro at -6.1, -6.9, -6.4 and -6.9 kcal/mol, respectively. Lomefloxacin bound to RdRp, spike protein, PLPro and Pro at -6.4, -6.6, -7.2 and -6.9 kcal/mol. ADME studies of all these compounds indicated lipophilicity and high gastro intestine absorbability. The modified drug structures possess better binding efficacy towards at least one target than their parent compounds.

    CONCLUSION: The outcome reveals that the designed nitrogen heterocyclics could contribute to developing the potent inhibitory drug SARS-CoV-2 with strong multi-targeted inhibition ability and reactivity.

    MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/pharmacology; Humans; Hydroxychloroquine; RNA Replicase; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Molecular Docking Simulation; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  2. Pines R, Sheeran N, Jones L, Pearson A, Pamoso AH, Jin YB, et al.
    Med Care Res Rev, 2023 Apr;80(2):205-215.
    PMID: 35815591 DOI: 10.1177/10775587221108749
    Inadequate consideration has been given to patient preferences for patient-centered care (PCC) across countries or cultures in our increasingly global society. We examined what 1,698 participants from the United States, Hong Kong, Philippines, and Australia described as important when making health care decisions. Analysis of frequencies following directed content coding of open-ended questions revealed differences in patients' preferences for doctor behaviors and decision-making considerations across countries. Being well informed by their doctor emerged as most important in decision-making, especially in Hong Kong. Participants in Australia and the United States wanted their doctor to meet their emotional needs. The safety and efficacy of treatments were the most common consideration, especially for Hong Kong. Findings suggest that doctors should focus on information exchange and identifying patient concerns about efficacy, lifestyle impact, cost, and recovery speed. Rather than assuming patients prefer shared decision-making, doctors must assess patient's decision control preferences.
    MeSH terms: Decision Making; Humans; Patient Participation; Physician-Patient Relations; Physicians*; United States; Patient-Centered Care
  3. Kundu M, Ng JC, Awuah WA, Huang H, Yarlagadda R, Mehta A, et al.
    Postgrad Med J, 2023 May 22;99(1170):240-243.
    PMID: 36892407 DOI: 10.1093/postmj/qgad002
    The tremendous evolution in modern technology has led to a paradigm shift in neurosurgery. The latest advancements such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and mobile applications have been incorporated into neurosurgical practice. NeuroVerse, representing the application of the metaverse in neurosurgery, brings enormous potential to neurology and neurosurgery. Implementation of NeuroVerse could potentially elevate neurosurgical and interventional procedures, enhance medical visits and patient care, and reshape neurosurgical training. However, it is also vital to consider the challenges that may be associated with its implementation, such as privacy issues, cybersecurity breaches, ethical concerns, and widening of existing healthcare inequalities. NeuroVerse adds phenomenal dimensions to the neurosurgical environment for patients, doctors, and trainees, and represents an incomparable advancement in the delivery of medicine. Therefore, more research is needed to encourage widespread use of the metaverse in healthcare, particularly focusing on the areas of morality and credibility. Although the metaverse is expected to expand rapidly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains to be seen whether it represents an emerging technology that will revolutionize our society and healthcare or simply an immature condition of the future.
    MeSH terms: Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Neurosurgery*; Neurosurgical Procedures/methods; Pandemics
  4. Harrison AJ, Naqvi NC, Smit AK, Kumar PN, Muhammad NA, Saade S, et al.
    J Autism Dev Disord, 2023 Mar 09.
    PMID: 36892718 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05936-5
    Substantial variability exists with regard to autism service provision around the world. Service disparities observed in many low- and middle-income countries may be driven, in part, by limited autism knowledge; however, measurement limitations have made it difficult to quantify autism knowledge across countries. The current study uses the autism stigma and knowledge questionnaire (ASK-Q) to quantify autism knowledge and stigma between different countries and demographics. The current study compiled data from 6830 participants collected using adapted versions of the ASK-Q administered in 13 different countries, representing four different continents. Structural equation modeling was used to examine how autism knowledge varied across country and individual factors. Results reveal cross country variability with a large, 17-point difference between the countries with the highest knowledge (Canada) and the lowest knowledge (Lebanon). As expected, countries with higher economies had higher levels of knowledge. We also documented differences based on country worldview, participant occupation, gender, age, and education level. These results help to identify specific regions and populations that might most need greater information about autism.
  5. Jamil FN, Hashim AM, Yusof MT, Saidi NB
    Mycologia, 2023;115(2):178-186.
    PMID: 36893072 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2023.2180975
    Banana (Musa spp.), an important food crop in many parts of the world, is threatened by a deadly wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (TR4). Increasing evidence indicates that plant actively recruits beneficial microbes in the rhizosphere to suppress soil-borne pathogens. Hence, studies on the composition and diversity of the root-associated microbial communities are important for banana health. Research on beneficial microbial communities has focused on bacteria, although fungi can also influence soil-borne disease. Here, high-throughput sequencing targeting the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) was employed to systematically characterize the difference in the soil fungal community associated with Fusarium wilt (FW) of banana. The community structure of fungi in the healthy and TR4-infected rhizospheres was significantly different compared with that of bulk soil within the same farm. The rhizosphere soils of infected plants exhibited higher richness and diversity compared with healthy plants, with significant abundance of Fusarium genus at 14%. In the healthy rhizosphere soil, Penicillium spp. were more abundant at 7% and positively correlated with magnesium. This study produced a detailed description of fungal community structure in healthy and TR4-infected banana soils in Malaysia and identified candidate biomarker taxa that may be associated with FW disease promotion and suppression. The findings also expand the global inventory of fungal communities associated with the components of asymptomatic and symptomatic banana plants infected by TR4.
    MeSH terms: Malaysia; Plant Diseases/microbiology; Soil/chemistry; Incidence; Mycobiome*
  6. Xu X, Rogers RA
    PLoS One, 2023;18(3):e0275625.
    PMID: 36893159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275625
    After the cold war, some countries gradually seek to regional cooperation when they could not handle various transnational challenges alone. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a good example. It brought Central Asian countries together. This paper applies the text-mining method, using co-word analysis, co-occurrence matrix, cluster analysis, and strategic diagram to analyze the selected articles from newspapers quantitatively and visually. In order to investigate the Chinese government's attitude toward the SCO, this study collected data from the China Core Newspaper Full-text Database, which contains high-impact government newspapers revealing the Chinese government's perception of the SCO. This study characterizes the changing role of SCO as perceived by the Chinese government from 2001 to 2019. Beijing's changing expectations in each of the three identified subperiods are described.
    MeSH terms: Asia; China; Government; Motivation*; Organizations*
  7. Perwez M, Lau SY, Hussain D, Anboo S, Arshad M, Thakur P
    Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 2023 May;225:113241.
    PMID: 36893662 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113241
    Natural enzymes possess several drawbacks which limits their application in industries, wastewater remediation and biomedical field. Therefore, in recent years researchers have developed enzyme mimicking nanomaterials and enzymatic hybrid nanoflower which are alternatives of enzyme. Nanozymes and organic inorganic hybrid nanoflower have been developed which mimics natural enzymes functionalities such as diverse enzyme mimicking activities, enhanced catalytic activities, low cost, ease of preparation, stability and biocompatibility. Nanozymes include metal and metal oxide nanoparticles mimicking oxidases, peroxidases, superoxide dismutase and catalases while enzymatic and non-enzymatic biomolecules were used for preparing hybrid nanoflower. In this review nanozymes and hybrid nanoflower have been compared in terms of physiochemical properties, common synthetic routes, mechanism of action, modification, green synthesis and application in the field of disease diagnosis, imaging, environmental remediation and disease treatment. We also address the current challenges facing nanozyme and hybrid nanoflower research and the possible way to fulfil their potential in future.
    MeSH terms: Catalysis; Metals; Oxides; Superoxide Dismutase; Metal Nanoparticles*
  8. Imtiaz A, Othman MHD, Jilani A, Khan IU, Kamaludin R, Ayub M, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2023 Jun;325:138300.
    PMID: 36893870 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138300
    Among wide range of membrane-based operations, membrane contactors, as they reify comparatively modern membrane-based mechanism are gaining quite an attention in both pilot and industrial scales. In recent literature, carbon capture is one of the most researched applications of membrane contactors. Membrane contactors have the potential to minimize the energy consumption and capital cost of traditional CO2 absorptions columns. In a membrane contactor, CO2 regeneration can take place below the solvent boiling point, resulting into lower consumption of energy. Various polymeric as well as ceramic membrane materials have been employed in gas liquid membrane contactors along with several solvents including amino acids, ammonia, amines etc. This review article provides detailed introduction of membrane contactors in terms of CO2 removal. It also discusses that the main challenge that is faced by membrane contactors is membrane pore wetting caused by solvent that in turn can reduce the mass transfer coefficient. Other potential challenges such as selection of suitable solvent and membrane pair as well as fouling are also discussed in this review and are followed by potential ways to reduce them. Furthermore, both membrane gas separation and membrane contactor technologies are analysed and compared in this study on the basis of their characteristics, CO2 separation performances and techno economical transvaluation. Consequently, this review provides an opportunity to thoroughly understand the working principle of membrane contactors along its comparison with membrane-based gas separation technology. It also provides a clear understanding of latest innovations in membrane contactor module designs as well as challenges encountered by membrane contactors along with possible solutions to overcome these challenges. Finally, semi commercial and commercial implementation of membrane contactors has been highlighted.
    MeSH terms: Amines; Ammonia; Membranes, Artificial*; Solvents/chemistry
  9. Azwar E, Mahari WAW, Liew RK, Ramlee MZ, Verma M, Chong WWF, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2023 Mar 08;876:162673.
    PMID: 36894104 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162673
    Fast growing Kariba weed causes major problems and pollution on freshwater and shellfish aquaculture systems by interfering with nutrient uptake of crops, restricting sunlight penetration, and decreasing water quality due to massive biomass of Kariba weed remnants. Solvothermal liquefaction is considered an emerging thermochemical technique to convert waste into high yield of value-added products. Solvothermal liquefaction (STL) of Kariba weed as an emerging contaminant was performed to investigate the effects of different types of solvents (ethanol and methanol) and Kariba weed mass loadings (2.5-10 % w/v) on treating and reducing the weed via conversion into potentially useful crude oil product and char. Up to 92.53 % of Kariba weed has been reduced via this technique. The optimal conditions for crude oil production were found to be at 5 % w/v of mass loading in methanol medium, resulting in a high heating value (HHV) of 34.66 MJ/kg and yield of 20.86 wt%, whereas the biochar production was found to be optimum at 7.5 % w/v of mass loading in methanol medium, resulting in 29.92 MJ/kg of HHV and 25.38 wt% of yield. The crude oil consisted of beneficial chemical compounds for biofuel production such as hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (65.02 peak area %) and the biochar showed high carbon content (72.83 %). In conclusion, STL as a remediation for emerging Kariba weed is a feasible process for shellfish aquaculture waste treatment and biofuels production.
  10. Kim JH, Ajani PA, Murray SA, Kang SM, Kim SH, Lim HC, et al.
    Harmful Algae, 2023 Mar;123:102392.
    PMID: 36894213 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102392
    Pseudo-nitzschia pungens is a widely distributed marine pennate diatom. Hybrid zones, regions in which two different genotypes may interbreed, are important areas for speciation and ecology, and have been reported across the globe for this species. However, sexual reproduction between differing clades in the natural environment is yet to be observed and is difficult to predict. Here we carried out experiments using two mono-clonal cultures of P. pungens from different genotypes to measure the frequency and timing of sexual reproduction across varying biotic (growth phases and cell activity potential) and abiotic conditions (nutrients, light, turbulence). We found the mating rates and number of zygotes gradually decreased from exponential to late stationary growth phases. The maximum zygote abundance observed was 1,390 cells mL-1 and the maximum mating rate was 7.1%, both which occurred during the exponential growth phase. Conversely, only 9 cells mL-1 and a maximum mating rate of 0.1% was observed during the late stationary phase. We also found the higher the relative potential cell activity (rPCA) in parent cells, as determined by the concentration of chlorophyll a per cell and the ratio of colony formation during parent cultivations, revealed higher mating rates. Furthermore, sexual events were reduced under nutrient enrichment conditions, and mating pairs and zygotes were not formed under aphotic (dark) or shaking culture conditions (150 rpm). In order to understand the sexual reproduction of Pseudo-nitzschia in the natural environment, our results highlight that it is most likely the combination of both biotic (growth phase, Chl. a content) and abiotic factors (nutrients, light, turbulence) that will determine the successful union of intraspecific populations of P. pungens in any given region.
    MeSH terms: Genotype; Reproduction
  11. Noviani W, Chong MC, Tang LY
    Heliyon, 2023 Mar;9(3):e13433.
    PMID: 36895334 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13433
    BACKGROUND: Professional socialization could support competency achievement and assist the transition phase. It is rare to find quantitative studies examining the effects of professional socialization for nursing students (NS).

    OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of a socialization in professional reality integration for nursing student transition (SPRINT) to improve the professional competence of undergraduate NS in Indonesia.

    DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study non-equivalent control group pre-test post-test design was conducted using convenience sampling.

    PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty NS (60 participants in the experimental group and 60 participants in the control group) from two nursing departments in private universities in Indonesia.

    METHODS: The SPRINT educational intervention consisted of professional socialization training using several learning methods and activities. Meanwhile, the control group received conventional socialization. The Nurse Professional Competence short-form (NPC-SF) scale was evaluated prior to the participants' internship program, lasting from 6 to 12 weeks after clinical education in both groups.

    RESULTS: SPRINT intervention significantly increased overall professional competence scores of the experimental groups higher than the control group. By comparing the mean scores in three times measurement, the six competency areas mean score increased significantly for the experimental group while, for the control only three areas of competence increased in twelve week post-test.

    CONCLUSION: A "SPRINT" as an innovative educational program developed in collaboration with academia, clinical preceptors, could improve professional competence. It is recommended to implement SPRINT program to assist the smooth transition from academic into clinical education.

  12. Rattanathamsakul N, Siritho S, Viswanathan S, Hiew FL, Apiwattanakul M, Tan K, et al.
    J Clin Apher, 2023 Aug;38(4):437-446.
    PMID: 36896493 DOI: 10.1002/jca.22047
    INTRODUCTION: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for neuroimmunological disorders has played an important role in the Southeast Asian region. This study investigates the challenges of performing TPE within the region.

    METHOD: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted and launched to 15 South East Asian Therapeutic Plasma Exchange Consortium (SEATPEC) members from seven countries in January 2021. It included demographics, TPE techniques, indications, challenges, timing, outcome measurement, and access to laboratory testing in each local center.

    RESULTS: A total of 15 neurologists from 12 participating centers were included. They usually perform five sessions of TPE (100.0%), with 1 to 1.5 plasma volume (93.3%), and exchanges via the central catheter (100.0%). Acute relapses of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and myasthenia gravis are the most common indications. They used a combination of normal saline and 5% albumin (60.0%) as replacement fluid. Most (66.7%) used TPE as an add-on treatment in steroid-refractory cases or as first-line treatment for severe attacks. They suggested assessing the TPE efficacy of TPE by the interval to the next attack, post-TPE relapse rates, and TPE-related complications. The major challenges within our region are expense, reimbursibility, and access to TPE.

    CONCLUSION: Although countrywise differences exist, all share similarities regarding methods, indications, timing, obstacles, and challenges of TPE for neuroimmunological conditions. Regional collaboration will be essential to identify strategies to reduce these barriers to access to TPE in the future.

    MeSH terms: Humans; Myasthenia Gravis/therapy; Plasmapheresis; Retrospective Studies
  13. Vivekanandhan G, Abdolmohammadi HR, Natiq H, Rajagopal K, Jafari S, Namazi H
    Math Biosci Eng, 2023 Jan;20(3):4760-4781.
    PMID: 36896521 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2023220
    Human evolution is carried out by two genetic systems based on DNA and another based on the transmission of information through the functions of the nervous system. In computational neuroscience, mathematical neural models are used to describe the biological function of the brain. Discrete-time neural models have received particular attention due to their simple analysis and low computational costs. From the concept of neuroscience, discrete fractional order neuron models incorporate the memory in a dynamic model. This paper introduces the fractional order discrete Rulkov neuron map. The presented model is analyzed dynamically and also in terms of synchronization ability. First, the Rulkov neuron map is examined in terms of phase plane, bifurcation diagram, and Lyapunov exponent. The biological behaviors of the Rulkov neuron map, such as silence, bursting, and chaotic firing, also exist in its discrete fractional-order version. The bifurcation diagrams of the proposed model are investigated under the effect of the neuron model's parameters and the fractional order. The stability regions of the system are theoretically and numerically obtained, and it is shown that increasing the order of the fractional order decreases the stable areas. Finally, the synchronization behavior of two fractional-order models is investigated. The results represent that the fractional-order systems cannot reach complete synchronization.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms*; Brain; Humans; Time Factors; Nonlinear Dynamics
  14. Mahdi AY, Yuhaniz SS
    Math Biosci Eng, 2023 Jan 11;20(3):5268-5297.
    PMID: 36896545 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2023244
    Though several AI-based models have been established for COVID-19 diagnosis, the machine-based diagnostic gap is still ongoing, making further efforts to combat this epidemic imperative. So, we tried to create a new feature selection (FS) method because of the persistent need for a reliable system to choose features and to develop a model to predict the COVID-19 virus from clinical texts. This study employs a newly developed methodology inspired by the flamingo's behavior to find a near-ideal feature subset for accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 patients. The best features are selected using a two-stage. In the first stage, we implemented a term weighting technique, which that is RTF-C-IEF, to quantify the significance of the features extracted. The second stage involves using a newly developed feature selection approach called the improved binary flamingo search algorithm (IBFSA), which chooses the most important and relevant features for COVID-19 patients. The proposed multi-strategy improvement process is at the heart of this study to improve the search algorithm. The primary objective is to broaden the algorithm's capabilities by increasing diversity and support exploring the algorithm search space. Additionally, a binary mechanism was used to improve the performance of traditional FSA to make it appropriate for binary FS issues. Two datasets, totaling 3053 and 1446 cases, were used to evaluate the suggested model based on the Support Vector Machine (SVM) and other classifiers. The results showed that IBFSA has the best performance compared to numerous previous swarm algorithms. It was noted, that the number of feature subsets that were chosen was also drastically reduced by 88% and obtained the best global optimal features.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms; Animals; Birds; Humans; Support Vector Machine
  15. Kushwaha OS, Uthayakumar H, Kumaresan K
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Feb;30(10):24927-24948.
    PMID: 35349067 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19683-0
    In this study, we are reporting a novel prediction model for forecasting the carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation of microalgae which is based on the hybrid approach of adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and genetic algorithm (GA). The CO2 fixation rate of various algal strains was collected and the cultivation conditions of the microalgae such as temperature, pH, CO2 %, and amount of nitrogen and phosphorous (mg/L) were taken as the input variables, while the CO2 fixation rate was taken as the output variable. The optimization of ANFIS parameters and the formation of the optimized fuzzy model structure were performed by genetic algorithm (GA) using MATLAB in order to achieve optimum prediction capability and industrial applicability. The best-fitting model was figured out using statistical analysis parameters such as root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of regression (R2), and average absolute relative deviation (AARD). According to the analysis, GA-ANFIS model depicted a greater prediction capability over ANFIS model. The RMSE, R2, and AARD for GA-ANFIS were observed to be 0.000431, 0.97865, and 0.044354 in the training phase and 0.00056, 0.98457, and 0.032156 in the testing phase, respectively, for the GA-ANFIS Model. As a result, it can be concluded that the proposed GA-ANFIS model is an efficient technique having a very high potential to accurately predict the CO2 fixation rate.
    MeSH terms: Algorithms; Artificial Intelligence*; Carbon Dioxide; Fuzzy Logic; Microalgae*
  16. Gan QF, Lim YT, Foo CN, Yu CW, Woon CK, Cheong SK, et al.
    Curr Stem Cell Res Ther, 2023;18(2):202-215.
    PMID: 35392790 DOI: 10.2174/1574888X17666220407085901
    BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the world's leading causes of increased morbidity and mortality. Current interventions for CVD, including percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), carry certain risks and complications, which may also affect the patient's quality of life. It is important to minimize those risks and complications while speeding up the recovery. Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) is a growth factor responsible for cellular migration, proliferation, differentiation, and angiogenesis, which supports cardiovascular regeneration.

    METHODS: In light of the current trend of regenerative medicine, the present review aims to pool data relating to the incorporation of IGF-1 in regenerative medicine and provide input on the current research gaps and concerns arising on translating this approach from benchwork into clinical settings.

    RESULTS: Using the keywords IGF-1 'OR' Insulin Growth Factor 1 'AND' Mesenchymal Stem Cells 'AND' Tissue Healing from 2009 to 2020, we identified 160 and 52 from Medline and PubMed, screening out 202 articles due to non-fulfilment of the inclusion criteria.

    CONCLUSION: Incorporating IGF-1 into regenerative and personalized medicine may be promising for treating CVD; however, the concerns include the role of IGF-1 in inducing cancer growth and its ability to migrate to the specific site of injury, especially for those who present with multiple pathologies should be addressed prior to its translation from bench work into clinical settings.

    MeSH terms: Humans; Insulin; Quality of Life; Precision Medicine
  17. Rajendran S, Lim JH, Yogalingam K, Kallarakkal TG, Zain RB, Jayasinghe RD, et al.
    Oral Dis, 2023 Jul;29(5):2230-2238.
    PMID: 35398971 DOI: 10.1111/odi.14206
    OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of a platform for image collection and annotation that resulted in a multi-sourced international image dataset of oral lesions to facilitate the development of automated lesion classification algorithms.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a web-interface, hosted on a web server to collect oral lesions images from international partners. Further, we developed a customised annotation tool, also a web-interface for systematic annotation of images to build a rich clinically labelled dataset. We evaluated the sensitivities comparing referral decisions through the annotation process with the clinical diagnosis of the lesions.

    RESULTS: The image repository hosts 2474 images of oral lesions consisting of oral cancer, oral potentially malignant disorders and other oral lesions that were collected through MeMoSA® UPLOAD. Eight-hundred images were annotated by seven oral medicine specialists on MeMoSA® ANNOTATE, to mark the lesion and to collect clinical labels. The sensitivity in referral decision for all lesions that required a referral for cancer management/surveillance was moderate to high depending on the type of lesion (64.3%-100%).

    CONCLUSION: This is the first description of a database with clinically labelled oral lesions. This database could accelerate the improvement of AI algorithms that can promote the early detection of high-risk oral lesions.

    MeSH terms: Algorithms*; Humans; Mouth Neoplasms*
  18. Chantiratikul A, Thongpitak P, Arunsangseesod O, Wangkahart E, Leamsamrong K, Aengwanich W, et al.
    Anim Biosci, 2023 Mar;36(3):484-491.
    PMID: 36108682 DOI: 10.5713/ab.22.0067
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this trial was to investigate the effect of supplementation and withdrawal of selenium-enriched kale sprouts (SeKS) on productivity and egg Se concentration of laying hens. Selenium from commercial Se-enriched yeast (SeY) was used as a comparative Se source.

    METHODS: One-hundred and eighty 61-week-old laying hens were randomly divided into 5 treatment groups with 4 replicates (9 hens each) in a 2×2+1 Augmented Factorial Experiment in a completely randomized design. The experimental diets were basal diet, basal diet supplemented with 0.2 and 0.4 mg Se/kg from SeKS and SeY, respectively. The 8-week feeding trial was divided into 2 periods, namely the Se supplemental period (week 1 to 4) and the Se withdrawal period (week 5 to 8).

    RESULTS: Productive performance, egg quality and egg Se concentration of laying hens were not affected by sources of Se (SeKS and SeY) during both, the Se supplemental and withdrawal periods. Egg production and egg Se concentration increased (p<0.05) with increasing levels of Se supplementation. The egg Se concentration increased and reached a peak 1 week after Se supplementation. However, concentration of Se in eggs of hens fed Se from both sources decreased rapidly from the second week of the Se withdrawal period to reach the same egg Se concentration of hens fed the basal diet by the fourth week of the Se withdrawal period.

    CONCLUSION: The efficacy of Se from SeKS on productivity and egg Se concentration in laying hens was comparable to commercial SeY. Thus, SeKS can provide an alternate organic Se source for production of Se-enriched eggs.

  19. Khare SK, Bajaj V, Acharya UR
    Physiol Meas, 2023 Mar 08;44(3).
    PMID: 36787641 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/acbc06
    Objective.Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe chronic illness characterized by delusions, cognitive dysfunctions, and hallucinations that impact feelings, behaviour, and thinking. Timely detection and treatment of SZ are necessary to avoid long-term consequences. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are one form of a biomarker that can reveal hidden changes in the brain during SZ. However, the EEG signals are non-stationary in nature with low amplitude. Therefore, extracting the hidden information from the EEG signals is challenging.Approach.The time-frequency domain is crucial for the automatic detection of SZ. Therefore, this paper presents the SchizoNET model combining the Margenau-Hill time-frequency distribution (MH-TFD) and convolutional neural network (CNN). The instantaneous information of EEG signals is captured in the time-frequency domain using MH-TFD. The time-frequency amplitude is converted to two-dimensional plots and fed to the developed CNN model.Results.The SchizoNET model is developed using three different validation techniques, including holdout, five-fold cross-validation, and ten-fold cross-validation techniques using three separate public SZ datasets (Dataset 1, 2, and 3). The proposed model achieved an accuracy of 97.4%, 99.74%, and 96.35% on Dataset 1 (adolescents: 45 SZ and 39 HC subjects), Dataset 2 (adults: 14 SZ and 14 HC subjects), and Dataset 3 (adults: 49 SZ and 32 HC subjects), respectively. We have also evaluated six performance parameters and the area under the curve to evaluate the performance of our developed model.Significance.The SchizoNET is robust, effective, and accurate, as it performed better than the state-of-the-art techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to explore three publicly available EEG datasets for the automated detection of SZ. Our SchizoNET model can help neurologists detect the SZ in various scenarios.
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Brain; Electroencephalography/methods; Emotions; Humans; Neural Networks (Computer)
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