Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Liew TW, Tan SM, Pang WM, Khan MTI, Kew SN
    Educ Inf Technol (Dordr), 2023;28(2):1455-1489.
    PMID: 35967831 DOI: 10.1007/s10639-022-11255-6
    Modern text-to-speech voices can convey social cues ideal for narrating multimedia learning materials. Amazon Alexa has a unique feature among modern text-to-speech vocalizers as she can infuse enthusiasm cues into her synthetic voice. In this first study examining modern text-to-speech voice enthusiasm effects in a multimedia learning environment, a between-subjects online experiment was conducted where learners from a large Asian university (n = 244) listened to either Alexa's: (1) neutral voice, (2) low-enthusiastic voice, (3) medium-enthusiastic voice, or (4) high-enthusiastic voice, narrating a multimedia lesson on distributed denial-of-service attack. While Alexa's enthusiastic voices did not enhance persona ratings compared to Alexa's neutral voice, learners could infer more enthusiasm expressed by Alexa's medium-and high-enthusiastic voices than Alexa's neutral voice. Regarding cognitive load, Alexa's low-and high-enthusiastic voices decreased intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load ratings compared to Alexa's neutral voice. While Alexa's enthusiastic voices did not impact affective-motivational ratings differently from Alexa's neutral voice, learners reported a significant increase of positive emotions from their baseline positive emotions after listening to Alexa's medium-enthusiastic voice. Finally, Alexa's enthusiastic voices did not enhance the learning performance on immediate retention and transfer tests compared to Alexa's neutral voice. This study demonstrates that a modern text-to-speech voice enthusiasm can positively affect learners' emotions and cognitive load during multimedia learning. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed through the lens of the Cognitive Affective Model of E-learning, Integrated-Cognitive Affective Model of Learning with Multimedia, and Cognitive Load Theory. We further outline this study's limitations and recommendations for extending and widening the text-to-speech voice emotions research.
  2. Yu M, Xu S, Hu H, Li S, Yang G
    Behav Brain Res, 2023 Apr 12;443:114209.
    PMID: 36368444 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114209
    OBJECTIVE: We investigated brain activity associated with executive control attention network in elite, expert, and novice female ice hockey athletes during the revised lateralized attention network tast to determine whether the neural correlates of performance differ by skill level.

    METHODS: We collected and analyzed functional near-infrared spectroscopy data of 38 participants while performing the revised lateralized attention network tast.

    RESULTS: Elite players were significantly faster than novices (p = .005), and the experts' overall accuracy rate (ACC) was higher than that of novices (p = .001). The effect of the executive network on reaction time was higher in novices than in elite players (p = .008) and experts (p = .004). The effect of the executive network on the ACC was lower in elite players than in experts (p = .009) and novices (p = .010). Finally, elite player had higher flanker conflict effects on RT (p = .005) under the invalid cue condition. the effect of the alertness network and orientation on the ACC was lower in elite players than in novices (p = .000) and experts (p = .022). Changes in the blood oxygen level-dependent signal related to the flanker effect were significantly different in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F=3.980, p = .028) and right inferior frontal gyrus (F=3.703, p = .035) among the three groups. Elit players showed more efficient executive control (reduced conflict effect on ACC) (p = .006)in the RH.The changes related to the effect of blood oxygen level on orienting were significantly different in the right frontal eye fields (F=3.883, p = .030) among the three groups, Accompanied by significant activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(p = .026).

    CONCLUSION: Our findings provide partial evidence of the superior cognitive performance and high neural efficiency of elite ice hockey players during cognitive tasks. These results demonstrate the right hemisphere superiority for executive control.We also found that specific brain activation in hockey players does not show a clear and linear relationship with skill level.

    MeSH terms: Brain/physiology; Female; Humans; Reaction Time; Executive Function; Athletes
  3. Agatonovic-Kustrin S, Wong S, Dolzhenko AV, Gegechkori V, Ku H, Tan WK, et al.
    J Pharm Biomed Anal, 2023 Apr 01;227:115308.
    PMID: 36827737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115308
    Extracts of two Salvia species, Salvia apiana (white sage) and Salvia officinalis (common sage) were screened for phytoconstituents with the ability to act as antidiabetic, cognitive enhancing, or antimicrobial agents, by hyphenation of high-performance thin-layer chromatography with enzymatic and microbial effect directed assays. Two bioactive zones with α-amylase inhibition (zone 1 and zone 2), 3 zones for acetylcholinesterase inhibition (zones 3, 4 and 5), and two zones for antimicrobial activity (zones 4 and 5) were detected. The compounds from the five bioactive zones were initially identified by coelution with standards and comparing the RF values of standards to the bioautograms. Identity was confirmed with ATR-FTIR spectra of the isolated compounds from the bioactive zones. A significantly higher α-amylase and acetylcholinesterase inhibition of S. apiana leaf extract was associated with a higher flavonoid and diterpenoid content. Fermented S. officinalis extract exhibited a significantly higher ability to inhibit α-amylase compared to other non-fermented extracts from this species, due to increased extraction of flavonoids. The ATR-FTIR spectra of 2 zones with α-amylase inhibition, indicated that flavonoids and phenolic acids were responsible for α-amylase inhibition. Multiple zones of acetylcholinesterase inhibition were related to the presence of phenolic abietane diterpenoids and triterpenoid acids. The presence of abietane diterpenoids and triterpenoid acids was also found responsible for the mild antimicrobial activity. Flash chromatography was used to isolate sufficient amounts of bioactive compounds for further characterisation via NMR and MS spectroscopy. Five compounds were assigned to the zones where bioactivity was observed: cirsimaritin (zone 1), a caffeic acid polymer (zone 2), 16-hydroxyrosmanol (zone 3), 16-hydroxycarnosic acid (zone 4), oleanolic and ursolic acids (zone 5).
    MeSH terms: Acetylcholinesterase; alpha-Amylases; Antioxidants/pharmacology; Chromatography, Thin Layer/methods; Flavonoids; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Triterpenes*; Diterpenes, Abietane
  4. Khare SK, Acharya UR
    Comput Biol Med, 2023 Mar;155:106676.
    PMID: 36827785 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106676
    BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person's sleep, mood, anxiety, and learning. Early diagnosis and timely medication can help individuals with ADHD perform daily tasks without difficulty. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals can help neurologists to detect ADHD by examining the changes occurring in it. The EEG signals are complex, non-linear, and non-stationary. It is difficult to find the subtle differences between ADHD and healthy control EEG signals visually. Also, making decisions from existing machine learning (ML) models do not guarantee similar performance (unreliable).

    METHOD: The paper explores a combination of variational mode decomposition (VMD), and Hilbert transform (HT) called VMD-HT to extract hidden information from EEG signals. Forty-one statistical parameters extracted from the absolute value of analytical mode functions (AMF) have been classified using the explainable boosted machine (EBM) model. The interpretability of the model is tested using statistical analysis and performance measurement. The importance of the features, channels and brain regions has been identified using the glass-box and black-box approach. The model's local and global explainability has been visualized using Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME), SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), Partial Dependence Plot (PDP), and Morris sensitivity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that explores the explainability of the model prediction in ADHD detection, particularly for children.

    RESULTS: Our results show that the explainable model has provided an accuracy of 99.81%, a sensitivity of 99.78%, 99.84% specificity, an F-1 measure of 99.83%, the precision of 99.87%, a false detection rate of 0.13%, and Mathew's correlation coefficient, negative predicted value, and critical success index of 99.61%, 99.73%, and 99.66%, respectively in detecting the ADHD automatically with ten-fold cross-validation. The model has provided an area under the curve of 100% while the detection rate of 99.87% and 99.73% has been obtained for ADHD and HC, respectively.

    CONCLUSIONS: The model show that the interpretability and explainability of frontal region is highest compared to pre-frontal, central, parietal, occipital, and temporal regions. Our findings has provided important insight into the developed model which is highly reliable, robust, interpretable, and explainable for the clinicians to detect ADHD in children. Early and rapid ADHD diagnosis using robust explainable technologies may reduce the cost of treatment and lessen the number of patients undergoing lengthy diagnosis procedures.

    MeSH terms: Machine Learning; Brain; Child; Electroencephalography/methods; Humans; Sleep
  5. Daood U, Fawzy A
    J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 2023 Apr;140:105737.
    PMID: 36827934 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.105737
    The aim is to evaluate the development of an experimental multi-mode/Universal resin-based dentin adhesive modified with synthetic Mg2+ doped hydroxyapatite crystals (HAp) having self-remineralization and antibiofilm properties. HAp doped with Mg2+ was prepared by the precipitation method. Experimental adhesives were subjected to degree of conversion and X-ray diffraction test for size and crystal structure. Bond strength was tested, and electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) imaging of resin-dentin interface was done along with nanoleakage, nanoindentation, confocal and Raman analyses. S. mutans was analysed using CLSM images against modified adhesive specimens. Nucleating abilities within the resin-dentin specimens are determined by measuring Ca2+. Alkaline phosphatase, Runx2, and Ocn transcripts are amplified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). A calcium assay is performed to quantify level of mineralisation. When compared to control adhesives, the 0.5% Hap/Mg2+ containing experimental dentin adhesive demonstrated improved interaction with dentin. The preservation of uniform intact hybrid layer with the absence of nanoleakage indicated dentin bond integrity with 0.5% HAP/Mg2+ modified adhesive. Self-remineralization and antibiofilm potentials are supported.
    MeSH terms: Adhesives/analysis; Dental Bonding*; Dental Cements; Dentin/chemistry; Hydroxyapatites; Materials Testing; Tensile Strength; Dentin-Bonding Agents/chemistry; Resin Cements/chemistry
  6. Nouri A, Ang WL, Mahmoudi E, Chua SF, Mohammad AW, Benamor A, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2023 May;322:138219.
    PMID: 36828108 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138219
    Decorating nanomaterials on graphene oxide (GO) can enhance its adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of water pollutants. In this study, for the first time, nano-sized polylactic acid (PLA) has been successfully decorated on the surface of GO through a facile synthesis approach. The adsorptive efficiency of GO-PLA for removing methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline (TC) from an aqueous solution was examined. The characterization confirmed the successful decoration of PLA on GO nanosheets with the nano size of PLA. It was hypothesized that the PLA was decorated on the surface of GO through covalent bonding between oxygen-containing functional groups and lactide molecules. The optimum adsorption parameters determined were at the adsorbent dose of 0.5 g L-1, pH 4, contact time of 120 min, and temperature of 318 K. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model described the contaminants' adsorption behaviour, and the intraparticle diffusion model revealed that both surface adsorption and intraparticle diffusion controlled the adsorption process. Langmuir isotherm model best described the adsorption behaviour of the pollutants on GO-PLA and demonstrated the maximum monolayer uptake capacities of MB (332.5 mg g-1) and TC (223.7 mg g-1). The adsorption results indicated that the uptake capacities of GO-PLA in comparison to GO have increased by approximately 70% and 110% for MB and TC, respectively. These observations reflect the remarkable role of nano-sized PLA that enhanced the adsorption capacity due to its additional functional group and larger surface area.
    MeSH terms: Adsorption; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry; Kinetics; Methylene Blue/chemistry; Polyesters; Tetracycline/chemistry
  7. Thew CXE, Lee ZS, Srinophakun P, Ooi CW
    Bioresour Technol, 2023 Apr;374:128772.
    PMID: 36828218 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128772
    Versatility and desirable attributes of synthetic plastics have greatly contributed towards their wide applications. However, vast accumulation of plastic wastes in environment as a result of their highly recalcitrant nature has given rise to plastic pollution. Existing strategies in alleviating plastic wastes accumulation are inadequate, and there is a pressing need for alternative sustainable approaches in tackling plastic pollution. In this context, plastic biodegradation has emerged as a sustainable and environmental-friendly approach in handling plastic wastes accumulation, due to its milder and less energy-intensive conditions. In recent years, extensive research effort has focused on the identification of microorganisms and enzymes with plastic-degrading abilities. This review aims to provide a timely and holistic view on the current status of plastic biodegradation, focusing on recent breakthroughs and discoveries in this field. Furthermore, current challenges associated to plastic biodegradation are discussed, and the future perspectives for continuous advancement of plastic biodegradation are highlighted.
    MeSH terms: Biodegradation, Environmental; Waste Management*
  8. Rusli RNM, Naomi R, Yazid MD, Embong H, Perumal K, Othman F, et al.
    Toxins (Basel), 2023 Feb 03;15(2).
    PMID: 36828439 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15020125
    The Bouea macrophylla fruit is native to Malaysia and is known for its many beneficial effects on one's health. Probiotics are well-known for their roles as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumour properties due to their widespread use. As a result, the purpose of this study was to incorporate the ethanolic extract of Bouea macrophylla into yoghurt and then assess the rodents for any toxicological effects. According to the findings of the nutritional analysis, each 100 mL serving of the newly formulated yoghurt contains 3.29 g of fat, 5.79 g of carbohydrates, 2.92 g of total protein, and 2.72 g of sugar. The ability of the newly developed yoghurt to stimulate the growth of Lactobacilli was demonstrated by the fact that the peak intensity of Lactobacillus species was measured at 1.2 × 106 CFU/g while the titratable acidity of the lactic acid was measured at 0.599 CFU/g. In order to carry out the toxicological evaluation, forty-eight male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were utilized. Oral administration of single doses of 2000 mg/kg over the course of 14 days was used for the study of acute toxicity. Subacute toxicity was studied by giving animals Bouea macrophylla yoghurt (BMY) at repeated doses of 50, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg/day over a period of 28 days, while the control group was given normal saline. The results of the acute toxicity test revealed that rats treated with increasing doses up to a maximum of 2000 mg/kg exhibited no signs of toxicity. After an additional 14 days without treatment, acute toxicity of a single dose (2000 mg/kg) of BMY did not show any treatment-related toxicity in any of the rats that were observed. According to the data from the subacute toxicity study, there were no differences between the treated groups and the control groups in terms of food and water intake, body weight, plasma biochemistry (AST, ALT, ALP, and creatinine), haematological products, or organ weights. The architecture of the liver, heart, and kidney were all found to be normal upon histological examination. This indicates that oral consumption of BMY did not result in any negative effects being manifested in the rodents.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Male; Plant Extracts*; Yogurt*; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Toxicity Tests, Acute; Rats; Phytochemicals
  9. Chin KL, Anibarro L, Sarmiento ME, Acosta A
    Trop Med Infect Dis, 2023 Jan 28;8(2).
    PMID: 36828505 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8020089
    Globally, it is estimated that one-quarter of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), also known as latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Recently, this condition has been referred to as tuberculosis infection (TBI), considering the dynamic spectrum of the infection, as 5-10% of the latently infected population will develop active TB (ATB). The chances of TBI development increase due to close contact with index TB patients. The emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and the risk of development of latent MDR-TB has further complicated the situation. Detection of TBI is challenging as the infected individual does not present symptoms. Currently, there is no gold standard for TBI diagnosis, and the only screening tests are tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs). However, these tests have several limitations, including the inability to differentiate between ATB and TBI, false-positive results in BCG-vaccinated individuals (only for TST), false-negative results in children, elderly, and immunocompromised patients, and the inability to predict the progression to ATB, among others. Thus, new host markers and Mtb-specific antigens are being tested to develop new diagnostic methods. Besides screening, TBI therapy is a key intervention for TB control. However, the long-course treatment and associated side effects result in non-adherence to the treatment. Additionally, the latent MDR strains are not susceptible to the current TBI treatments, which add an additional challenge. This review discusses the current situation of TBI, as well as the challenges and efforts involved in its control.
  10. Khairul-Fahmy N, Ismail J, Koay BT, Md-Zakariah MZ, Mansor S, Zulkifli N, et al.
    BMC Nephrol, 2023 Feb 24;24(1):42.
    PMID: 36829106 DOI: 10.1186/s12882-023-03085-6
    Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) still persists as the major hurdle towards successful renal allograft survival. This paper aims to report on the HLA antibody landscape of renal transplant candidates in Malaysia. A total of 2,219 adult samples from 2016 to 2019 were analysed for anti-HLA antibodies using solid-phase assay. Our findings highlight the prevalence and risk factors for antibodies against HLA antigens in renal transplant settings, which could be beneficial for selecting compatible recipients from deceased organ donors. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that ethnic Malay and Chinese showed significantly higher prevalence of anti-HLA antibodies. Based on our multivariate analysis: (i) female gender was associated with higher risk for panel reactive antibodies (PRAs) against Class I, Class II, and Class I and II (p 
    MeSH terms: Adult; Antibodies; Antilymphocyte Serum; Female; Graft Rejection; Graft Survival; HLA Antigens; Humans; Risk Factors; Transplantation, Homologous; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; Prevalence
  11. Tamel Selvan K, Goon JA, Makpol S, Tan JK
    Antioxidants (Basel), 2023 Feb 10;12(2).
    PMID: 36830009 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12020449
    Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic disturbances, including abdominal obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and hyperglycemia. Adopting a healthier lifestyle and multiple drug-based therapies are current ways to manage MetS, but they have limited efficacy, albeit the prevalence of MetS is rising. Microalgae is a part of the human diet and has also been consumed as a health supplement to improve insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and several components of MetS. These therapeutic effects of microalgae are attributed to the bioactive compounds present in them that exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, antihypertensive, hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory effects. Therefore, studies investigating the potential of microalgae in alleviating MetS are becoming more popular, but a review on this topic remains scarce. In this review, we discuss the effects of microalgae, specifically on MetS, by reviewing the evidence from scientific literature covering in vitro and in vivo studies. In addition, we also discuss the underlying mechanisms that modulate the effects of microalgae on MetS, and the limitations and future perspectives of developing microalgae as a health supplement for MetS. Microalgae supplementation is becoming a viable approach in alleviating metabolic disturbances and as a unique addition to the management of MetS.
  12. Al-Talib H, Abdulwahab MH, Murad K, Amiruddin ND, Mohamed NN
    Antibiotics (Basel), 2023 Jan 29;12(2).
    PMID: 36830182 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12020271
    Synthetic peptides, including tetraspanin CD9 peptides, are increasingly coming into focus as new treatment strategies against various organisms, including bacteria, that cause underarm odour. The use of deodorants and antiperspirants is associated with side effects. Therefore, it is critical to find an alternative therapeutic approach to combat underarm odour. The aim of this study is to investigate the antibacterial effect of tetraspanin CD9 peptides against the skin microbiota that cause malodour in the underarms. The antimicrobial activity of CD9 peptides against Micrococcus luteus (M. luteus), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), and Corynebacterium xerosis (C. xerosis) was investigated by the disc diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined by broth microdilution assays using CD9 peptide concentrations ranging from 1 mg/mL to 0.0078 mg/mL. In addition, the anti-biofilm activity of the CD9 peptides was determined. The CD9 peptides showed different antibacterial activity with an inhibition zone of 7.67, 9.67, 7.00, and 6.00 mm for S. epidermidis, M. luteus, C. xerosis, and B. subtilis, respectively. All bacteria had the same MBC value of 1 mg/mL. A high MIC of CD9 peptides was observed for S. epidermidis and M. luteus at 0.5 mg/mL. The MIC values of B. subtilis and C. xerosis were 0.125 mg/mL and 0.25 mg/mL, respectively. CD9 peptides significantly inhibited biofilm development of S. epidermidis, B. subtilis, and C. xerosis isolates. The CD9 tetraspanin peptide has excellent antibacterial activity against bacteria that cause underarm odour. Therefore, the CD9 tetraspanin peptide is a promising alternative to deodorants and antiperspirants to combat commensal bacteria of the skin that cause underarm odour.
  13. Yahya MM, Ismail MP, Ramanathan S, Kadir MN, Azhar A, Ibrahim NBC, et al.
    Biomedicines, 2023 Feb 11;11(2).
    PMID: 36831061 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020525
    Breast carcinoma is the most common cancer of women in Malaysia. The most common sites of metastasis are the lung, liver, bone and brain. A 45-year-old lady was diagnosed with left invasive breast carcinoma stage IV (T4cN1M1) with axillary lymph nodes and lung metastasis. She was noted to have a cervical mass through imaging, and biopsy showed CIN III. Post chemotherapy, the patient underwent left simple mastectomy with examination under anaesthesia of the cervix, cystoscopy and staging. The cervical histopathological examination (HPE) showed squamous cell carcinoma, and clinical staging was 2A. The breast tissue HPE showed invasive carcinoma with triple receptors positivity. The patient was given tamoxifen and put on concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for the cervical cancer. The management of each pathology of this patient involved a multi-disciplinary team that included surgeons, oncologists, gynaecologists, pathologists and radiologists. Due to the complexity of the case with two concurrent cancers, the gene expression profiles may help predict the patient's clinical outcome.
  14. Ayob N, Muhammad Nawawi KN, Mohamad Nor MH, Raja Ali RA, Ahmad HF, Oon SF, et al.
    Biomedicines, 2023 Feb 20;11(2).
    PMID: 36831176 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020640
    The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has soared globally. As our understanding of the disease grows, the role of the gut-liver axis (GLA) in NAFLD pathophysiology becomes more apparent. Hence, we focused mainly on the small intestinal area to explore the role of GLA. We looked at how multi-strain probiotics (MCP® BCMC® strains) containing six different Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species affected the small intestinal gut microbiota, inflammatory cytokines, and permeability in NAFLD patients. After six months of supplementation, biochemical blood analysis did not show any discernible alterations in either group. Five predominant phyla known as Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota and Fusobacteria were found in NAFLD patients. The probiotics group demonstrated a significant cluster formation of microbiota composition through beta-diversity analysis (p < 0.05). This group significantly reduced three unclassifiable species: unclassified_Proteobacteria, unclassified_Streptococcus, and unclassified_Stenotrophomonas. In contrast, the placebo group showed a significant increase in Prevotella_melaninogenica and Rothia_mucilaginosa, which were classified as pathogens. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis of small intestinal mucosal inflammatory cytokines revealed a significant decrease in IFN-γ (-7.9 ± 0.44, p < 0.0001) and TNF-α (-0.96 ± 0.25, p < 0.0033) in the probiotics group but an increase in IL-6 (12.79 ± 2.24, p < 0.0001). In terms of small intestinal permeability analysis, the probiotics group, unfortunately, did not show any positive changes through ELISA analysis. Both probiotics and placebo groups exhibited a significant increase in the level of circulating zonulin (probiotics: 107.6 ng/mL ± 124.7, p = 0.005 vs. placebo: 106.9 ng/mL ± 101.3, p = 0.0002) and a significant decrease in circulating zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1) (probiotics: -34.51 ng/mL ± 18.38, p < 0.0001 vs. placebo: -33.34 ng/mL ± 16.62, p = 0.0001). The consumption of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium suggested the presence of a well-balanced gut microbiota composition. Probiotic supplementation improves dysbiosis in NAFLD patients. This eventually stabilised the expression of inflammatory cytokines and mucosal immune function. To summarise, more research on probiotic supplementation as a supplement to a healthy diet and lifestyle is required to address NAFLD and its underlying causes.
  15. Yusoff M, Haryanto T, Suhartanto H, Mustafa WA, Zain JM, Kusmardi K
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2023 Feb 11;13(4).
    PMID: 36832171 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13040683
    Breast cancer is diagnosed using histopathological imaging. This task is extremely time-consuming due to high image complexity and volume. However, it is important to facilitate the early detection of breast cancer for medical intervention. Deep learning (DL) has become popular in medical imaging solutions and has demonstrated various levels of performance in diagnosing cancerous images. Nonetheless, achieving high precision while minimizing overfitting remains a significant challenge for classification solutions. The handling of imbalanced data and incorrect labeling is a further concern. Additional methods, such as pre-processing, ensemble, and normalization techniques, have been established to enhance image characteristics. These methods could influence classification solutions and be used to overcome overfitting and data balancing issues. Hence, developing a more sophisticated DL variant could improve classification accuracy while reducing overfitting. Technological advancements in DL have fueled automated breast cancer diagnosis growth in recent years. This paper reviewed studies on the capability of DL to classify histopathological breast cancer images, as the objective of this study was to systematically review and analyze current research on the classification of histopathological images. Additionally, literature from the Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) indexes was reviewed. This study assessed recent approaches for histopathological breast cancer image classification in DL applications for papers published up until November 2022. The findings of this study suggest that DL methods, especially convolution neural networks and their hybrids, are the most cutting-edge approaches currently in use. To find a new technique, it is necessary first to survey the landscape of existing DL approaches and their hybrid methods to conduct comparisons and case studies.
  16. Sonia JJ, Jayachandran P, Md AQ, Mohan S, Sivaraman AK, Tee KF
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2023 Feb 14;13(4).
    PMID: 36832207 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13040723
    Over the past few decades, the prevalence of chronic illnesses in humans associated with high blood sugar has dramatically increased. Such a disease is referred to medically as diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus can be categorized into three types, namely types 1, 2, and 3. When beta cells do not secrete enough insulin, type 1 diabetes develops. When beta cells create insulin, but the body is unable to use it, type 2 diabetes results. The last category is called gestational diabetes or type 3. This happens during the trimesters of pregnancy in women. Gestational diabetes, however, disappears automatically after childbirth or may continue to develop into type 2 diabetes. To improve their treatment strategies and facilitate healthcare, an automated information system to diagnose diabetes mellitus is required. In this context, this paper presents a novel system of classification of the three types of diabetes mellitus using a multi-layer neural network no-prop algorithm. The algorithm uses two major phases in the information system: the training phase and the testing phase. In each phase, the relevant attributes are identified using the attribute-selection process, and the neural network is trained individually in a multi-layer manner, starting with normal and type 1 diabetes, then normal and type 2 diabetes, and finally healthy and gestational diabetes. Classification is made more effective by the architecture of the multi-layer neural network. To provide experimental analysis and performances of diabetes diagnoses in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, a confusion matrix is developed. The maximum specificity and sensitivity values of 0.95 and 0.97 are attained by this suggested multi-layer neural network. With an accuracy score of 97% for the categorization of diabetes mellitus, this proposed model outperforms other models, demonstrating that it is a workable and efficient approach.
  17. Nazarudin AA, Zulkarnain N, Mokri SS, Zaki WMDW, Hussain A, Ahmad MF, et al.
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2023 Feb 16;13(4).
    PMID: 36832237 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13040750
    Experts have used ultrasound imaging to manually determine follicle count and perform measurements, especially in cases of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, due to the laborious and error-prone process of manual diagnosis, researchers have explored and developed medical image processing techniques to help with diagnosing and monitoring PCOS. This study proposes a combination of Otsu's thresholding with the Chan-Vese method to segment and identify follicles in the ovary with reference to ultrasound images marked by a medical practitioner. Otsu's thresholding highlights the pixel intensities of the image and creates a binary mask for use with the Chan-Vese method to define the boundary of the follicles. The acquired results were compared between the classical Chan-Vese method and the proposed method. The performances of the methods were evaluated in terms of accuracy, Dice score, Jaccard index and sensitivity. In overall segmentation evaluation, the proposed method showed superior results compared to the classical Chan-Vese method. Among the calculated evaluation metrics, the sensitivity of the proposed method was superior, with an average of 0.74 ± 0.12. Meanwhile, the average sensitivity for the classical Chan-Vese method was 0.54 ± 0.14, which is 20.03% lower than the sensitivity of the proposed method. Moreover, the proposed method showed significantly improved Dice score (p = 0.011), Jaccard index (p = 0.008) and sensitivity (p = 0.0001). This study showed that the combination of Otsu's thresholding and the Chan-Vese method enhanced the segmentation of ultrasound images.
  18. Gil N, Quinteros G, Blanco M, Samsuri S, Amran NA, Orellana-Palma P, et al.
    Foods, 2023 Feb 15;12(4).
    PMID: 36832909 DOI: 10.3390/foods12040836
    Block freeze concentration (BFC) is considered an emerging technology which allows the acquiring of high quality organoleptic products, due to the low temperatures employed. In this study we have outlined how the vacuum-assisted BFC of whey was investigated. The effects of vacuum time, vacuum pressure, and the initial solids concentration in whey were studied. The results obtained show that the three variables significantly affect each of the following parameters analysed: solute yield (Y) and concentration index (CI). The best Y results were obtained at a pressure of 10 kPa, 7.5 °Bx, and 60 min. For CI parameter, the highest values were given at 10 kPa, 7.5 °Bx, and 20 min, respectively. In a second phase, by applying the conditions that provide higher solute yield to three different types of dairy whey, Y values of 70% or higher are reached in a single step, while that the CI of lactose are higher than those of soluble solids. Therefore, it is possible to recover, in a single step, at least 70% of the lactose contained in the initial whey samples. This suggests that vacuum-assisted BFC technology may be an interesting alternative for the recovery of lactose contained in whey.
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