Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Abduh MS, Saghir SAM, Al Hroob AM, Bin-Ammar A, Al-Tarawni AH, Murugaiyah V, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2023;14:1134812.
    PMID: 36814487 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1134812
    Background: The star fruit [Averrhoa carambola L (Oxalidaceae)] is traditionally used in the treatment of many ailments in many countries. It possesses several pharmacological activities, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, it contains the neurotoxic caramboxin and its high content of oxalic acid limits its consumption by individuals with compromised kidney function. This study assessed the anti-hyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities of different fractions of the methanolic extract of A. carambola leaves (MEACL). Methods: The antioxidant activity was investigated using FRAP, and ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging assays and the inhibitory activity toward pancreatic lipase (PL) and HMG-CoA reductase was assayed in vitro. Acute hyperlipidemia was induced by poloxamer-407 (P-407) in rats and different fractions of MEACL (n-hexane, chloroform, n-butanol, ethyl acetate (EA), water, and chloroform) were orally administered. Cholesterol and triglycerides were determined at 0, 12, 24, and 48 h and LDL-C, vLDL-C, HDL-C, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and antioxidants were assayed after 48 h. The expression of ABCA1, ABCG5, ABCG8, LDL-R, SREBP-1, and SREBP-2 and the activity of HMG-CoA reductase were assayed in the liver of P-407-administered rats treated with the EA fraction. Results: The in vitro data revealed potent radical-scavenging activities of MEACL fractions with the most potent effect showed by the EA fraction that also suppressed the activities of HMG-CoA reductase and PL. In P-407-induced hyperlipidemic rats, all fractions prevented dyslipidemia as shown by the decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, vLDL-C and atherogenic index. MEACL and its fractions prevented LPO and boosted GSH, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase in P-407-administered rats. The EA fraction showed more effective anti-hyperlipidemic and antioxidant effects than other fractions and downregulated SREBP-2 while upregulated ABCA1 and LDL-R and ameliorated LPL and HMG-CoA reductase in hyperlipidemic rats. Conclusion: MEACL showed in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity and the EA fraction significantly ameliorated dyslipidemia in a rat model of P-407-induced acute hyperlipidemia by modulating LPL, PL, HMG-CoA reductase, and cholesterolgenesis-related factors. Therefore, the leaves of A. carambola represent a safe alternative for the star fruit particularly in kidney disease patients, and the EA is the most effective anti-hyperlipidemic and antioxidant fraction.
  2. Uddin S, Mehmood OU, Mohamad M, Roslan R, Khan I, Mohamed A
    Heliyon, 2023 Feb;9(2):e13210.
    PMID: 36814629 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13210
    In this paper, we studied the effect of a magnetic field on the non-isothermal second-grade fluid confined in a vertically oscillating cylinder. The flow solution is magnetized using the perpendicular magnetic field. The resultant fluid flow is due to the oscillating boundary motion and buoyancy force. Here, the MHD flow is modeled using the Caputo-Fabrizio non-integer derivative approach. The exact solution of the governing continuity, momentum and energy equations is obtained by means of Laplace and finite Hankel transforms. The commercial simulation software, Mathematica is used for calculating the roots of the Bessel function. The effects of dimensionless parameters such as Grashof and Prandtl numbers, magnetic field and fractional parameters on the second-grade fluid flow are analyzed. Heat transfer is high at a small Prandtl number. Velocity correlates positively with Grashof number and magnetic field, and negatively with Prandtl number. The heat and mass transfer results obtained from both conventional and fractional models are compared as well.
  3. Huang B, Dou J, Zhao H
    Front Psychol, 2023;14:980523.
    PMID: 36814658 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.980523
    This study introduces the application of deep-learning technologies in automatically generating guidance for independent reading. The study explores and demonstrates how to incorporate the latest advances in deep-learning-based natural language processing technologies in the three reading stages, namely, the pre-reading stage, the while-reading stage, and the post-reading stage. As a result, the novel design and implementation of a prototype system based on deep learning technologies are presented. This system includes connections to prior knowledge with knowledge graphs and summary-based question generation, the breakdown of complex sentences with text simplification, and the auto-grading of readers' writing regarding their comprehension of the reading materials. Experiments on word sense disambiguation, named entity recognition and question generation with real-world materials in the prototype system show that the selected deep learning models on these tasks obtain favorable results, but there are still errors to be overcome before their direct usage in real-world applications. Based on the experiment results and the reported performance of the deep learning models on reading-related tasks, the study reveals the challenges and limitations of deep learning technologies, such as inadequate performance, domain transfer issues, and low explain ability, for future improvement.
  4. Sheng J, Gong L, Zhou J
    Front Psychol, 2023;14:1103109.
    PMID: 36814667 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1103109
    This study explored the influence of the exercise health belief model and peer support on university students' physical activity PA and clarified the related mechanism. Three hundred and thirty-six healthy university students (aged 19.4 ± 1.3 years, 166 male and 170 female) from Sichuan University of Arts and Science in China were evaluated by the peer support scale, the health belief model scale for exercise, and the physical activity scale (short volume). The results showed that the male students' exercise self-efficacy and PA were markedly higher than female university students. Peer support was positively correlated with perceived benefits, exercise self-efficacy, perceived severity, and cues to action, and was adversely associated with perceived objective and subjective barriers. PA was positively correlated with perceived benefits and exercise self-efficacy, and negatively correlated with perceived objective and subjective barriers. Among the components of the exercise health belief model, only exercise self-efficacy was suitable for constructing a structural equation model (SEM) with peer support and PA. The analysis showed that the predictive effect of exercise self-efficacy on PA was more significant than peer support, and exercise self-efficacy played a critical intermediary role. It is worth noting that, in the grouping model, the effect of male college students' exercise self-efficacy on PA was greater than that of female students, and the model fit of male peer support was better than that of female students. Although the impact of peer support on PA was less than that of exercise self-efficacy and the direct effect of peer support was less than the indirect effect, the impact of peer support on the PA of female university students was higher than that of male university students. This study revealed the impact of exercise self-efficacy and peer support on university students' PA and suggested that exercise self-efficacy is the main path to promoting university students' PA, followed by peer support. Peer support could affect university students' PA not only through direct effects but also through indirect effects. This study also suggested that female university students' peer support has a higher impact on PA than male students. Therefore, when formulating physical exercise courses in the future, it is necessary to give more peer support to female university students to compensate for their low exercise self-efficacy.
  5. Zhao Z, Chuah JH, Lai KW, Chow CO, Gochoo M, Dhanalakshmi S, et al.
    Front Comput Neurosci, 2023;17:1038636.
    PMID: 36814932 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2023.1038636
    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes memory degradation and cognitive function impairment in elderly people. The irreversible and devastating cognitive decline brings large burdens on patients and society. So far, there is no effective treatment that can cure AD, but the process of early-stage AD can slow down. Early and accurate detection is critical for treatment. In recent years, deep-learning-based approaches have achieved great success in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. The main objective of this paper is to review some popular conventional machine learning methods used for the classification and prediction of AD using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The methods reviewed in this paper include support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), convolutional neural network (CNN), autoencoder, deep learning, and transformer. This paper also reviews pervasively used feature extractors and different types of input forms of convolutional neural network. At last, this review discusses challenges such as class imbalance and data leakage. It also discusses the trade-offs and suggestions about pre-processing techniques, deep learning, conventional machine learning methods, new techniques, and input type selection.
  6. Favaro L, Campanaro S, Fugaban JII, Treu L, Jung ES, d'Ovidio L, et al.
    Benef Microbes, 2023 Mar 14;14(1):57-72.
    PMID: 36815495 DOI: 10.3920/BM2022.0067
    Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria are proteinaceous antibacterial metabolites that normally exhibit bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity against genetically closely related bacteria. In this work, the bacteriocinogenic potential of Pediococcus pentosaceus strain ST58, isolated from oral cavity of a healthy volunteer was evaluated. To better understand the biological role of this strain, its technological and safety traits were deeply investigated through a combined approach considering physiological, metabolomic and genomic properties. Three out of 14 colonies generating inhibition zones were confirmed to be bacteriocin producers and, according to repPCR and RAPD-PCR, differentiation assays, and 16S rRNA sequencing it was confirmed to be replicates of the same strain, identified as P. pentosaceus, named ST58. Based on multiple isolation of the same strain (P. pentosaceus ST58) over the 26 weeks in screening process for the potential bacteriocinogenic strains from the oral cavity of the same volunteer, strain ST58 can be considered a persistent component of oral cavity microbiota. Genomic analysis of P. pentosaceus ST58 revealed the presence of operons encoding for bacteriocins pediocin PA-1 and penocin A. The produced bacteriocin(s) inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus spp. and some Lactobacillus spp. used to determine the activity spectrum. The highest levels of production (6400 AU/ml) were recorded against L. monocytogenes strains after 24 h of incubation and the antimicrobial activity was inhibited after treatment of the cell-free supernatants with proteolytic enzymes. Noteworthy, P. pentosaceus ST58 also presented antifungal activity and key metabolites potentially involved in these properties were identified. Overall, this strain can be of great biotechnological interest towards the development of effective bio-preservation cultures as well as potential health promoting microbes.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology; Humans; Listeria monocytogenes*; Pediococcus/genetics; Pediococcus/metabolism; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; Probiotics*; Genomics; Pediococcus pentosaceus/genetics; Pediococcus pentosaceus/metabolism
  7. Saqib SU, Raza MZ, Evans C, Bajwa AA
    J Robot Surg, 2023 Feb;17(1):73-78.
    PMID: 35325433 DOI: 10.1007/s11701-022-01400-1
    Robotic colorectal surgery allows for better ergonomics, superior retraction, and fine movements in the narrow anatomy of the pelvis. Recent years have seen the uptake of robotic surgery in all pelvic surgeries specifically in low rectal malignancies. However, the learning curve of robotic surgery in this cohort is unclear as established training pathways are not formalized. This study looks at the experience and learning curve of a single laparoscopic trained surgeon in performing safe and effective resections, mainly for low rectal and anal malignancies using the da Vinci robotic system by evaluating metrics related to surgical process and patient outcome. A serial retrospective review of the robotic colorectal surgery database, in the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW), was undertaken. All 48 consecutive cases, performed by a recently qualified colorectal surgeon, were included in our study. The surgical process was evaluated using both console and total operative time recorded in each case along with the adequacy of resections performed; in addition, patient-related outcomes including intraoperative and postoperative complications were analyzed to assess differences in the learning curve. Forty eight sequential recto-sigmoid resections were included in the study performed by a single surgeon. The cases were divided into four cohorts in chronological order with comparable demographics, tumour stage, location, and complexity of the operation (mean age 65, male 79%, and female 29%). The results showed that the mean console time dropped from 3 to 2.5 h, while total operative time dropped from 6 h to 5.5 h as the surgeon became more experienced; however, this was not found to be statistically significant. In addition, no significant difference in pathological staging was seen over the study period. No major intra-op and post-op complications were observed and no 30-day mortality was recorded. Moreover, after 30 cases, the learning curve developed the plateau phase, suggesting the gain of maximum proficiency of skills required for robotic colorectal resections. The learning curve in robotic rectal surgery is short and flattens early; complication rates are low during the learning curve and continue to decrease with time. This shows that with proper training and proctoring, new colorectal surgeons can be trained in a short time to perform elective colorectal pelvic resections.
  8. Ma'Arup R, Ali NS, Ahmad F, Ahmad Z, Mohamed Norawi MF, Moinuddin HF
    Int J Radiat Biol, 2023;99(3):516-522.
    PMID: 35675589 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2022.2087932
    PURPOSE: Lower doses (1-10 Krad) of gamma-rays (γ) are frequently used in obtaining useful mutants in diverse plant species, whereas no report on gamma (γ) irradiation being used to develop new varieties of vanilla from vanilla cuttings. This study assessed the potential of lower doses of gamma-rays for vanilla mutation breeding.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared the morphological differences between vanilla plants irradiated at different lower doses of gamma radiation (10, 30, 40, and 50 Gy). We quantified protein and compared variation from the extracted protein of vanilla shoots regenerated between treatments.

    RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: After 44 weeks, the results showed that the growth of M1V1 (mutation 1 in vegetative cycle 1) plants at 0 Gy (control) is highest compared with other doses of gamma radiation in terms of plant height and the number of shoots. However, the highest measurement for root length is at 10 Gy. The slowest growth rate was obtained from 40 to 50 Gy. Based on the unique band of protein that appears on the SDS-PAGE gel, 10 Gy has three unique bands at loci 0.105 RF, two bands lie at loci between 0.164 RF and 0.234 RF. While 30 Gy is absent two unique bands at loci 0.234 RF compared to 0 Gy. Thus, the dose of gamma rays at 10 Gy gave the highest number of protein fragments, which detected polymorphisms between the control (0 Gy) and the plants treated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the protein variation in M1V1 of irradiated vanilla plants.

  9. Riaz R M, Kotian CM, Devaramane V, Umakanth S
    Trop Doct, 2023 Jan;53(1):164-166.
    PMID: 35876405 DOI: 10.1177/00494755221105632
    We report the case of a 23-year-old man without any significant premorbid conditions initially presenting to a psychiatrist with suspected depression but later referred to our hospital owing to the possibility of systemic disease and subsequently diagnosed as having disseminated tuberculosis.
  10. Cheah YK, Appannah G, Abdul Adzis A
    Nutr Cancer, 2023;75(2):498-509.
    PMID: 36111368 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2022.2123534
    Background: The objective of the present study is to investigate the influences of sociodemographic and household factors on consumption expenditure on processed meat among households in Malaysia.Methods: Data were extracted from the Malaysian Household Expenditure Survey (HES) 2016. Lognormal hurdle models were utilized to assess the likelihood of consuming processed meat and the amount consumed. The independent variables consisted of household heads' age, educational level, gender, marital status, employment status, ethnicity, as well as household income, household region and household locality.Results: Bumiputera households with younger heads were more likely to consume processed meat and spent more than households with older heads. Chinese and Indian households in a higher income group had a higher likelihood of consuming and spending on processed meat than those in a lower income group. The probability of consuming processed meat and the amount consumed were positively associated with being from East Malaysia and urban areas.Conclusions: There are distinguished roles of sociodemographic and household factors across ethnic groups in consumption expenditure on processed meat. Policy makers should take account of age, income, education, household region and household locality factors when formulating intervention measures.
    MeSH terms: Educational Status; Health Expenditures*; Income*; Meat
  11. Azri S, Ujang U, Abdullah NS
    Waste Manag Res, 2023 Mar;41(3):687-700.
    PMID: 36129019 DOI: 10.1177/0734242X221123489
    Despite the government's policies and objectives, Malaysia lags behind in sustainable waste management techniques, particularly recycling. Bins should be located conveniently to encourage recycling and reduce waste. The current model of bin location-allocation is mostly determined by distance. However, it has been identified that previous studies excluded an important factor: litter pattern identification. Litter pattern is important to identify waste generation hotspots and litter distribution. Thus, we proposed the within cluster pattern identification (WCPI) approach to optimize the recycle point distribution. WCPI gathers the information on litter distribution using geotagged images and analyses the pattern distribution. The optimal location for recycle bin can be identified by incorporating k-means clustering to the pattern distribution. Since k-means faces the non-deterministic polynomial-time-hard challenge of selecting the ideal cluster and cluster centre, WCPI used the total within-cluster sum of square on top of k-means clustering. The proposed location by WCPI is validated in terms of accessibility and suitability. Furthermore, this study provides further analysis of carbon footprint that can be reduced by simulating the data from geotagged images. The results show that 10,323.55 kg of carbon emission can be reduced if the litter is sent for recycling. Thus, we believe that locating bins at an optimal location will embark on consumer motivation to dispose of recycled waste, reduce litter and lessen the carbon footprint. At the same time, these efforts could transform Malaysia into a clean and sustainable nation that aims to achieve Agenda 2030.
    MeSH terms: Malaysia; Policy; Recycling/methods
  12. Flaherty GT, Piyaphanee W
    J Travel Med, 2023 Feb 18;30(1).
    PMID: 36208173 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taac113
    MeSH terms: Artificial Intelligence*; Humans; Travel Medicine*
  13. Kumar M, Hilles AR, Ge Y, Bhatia A, Mahmood S
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Apr 15;234:123696.
    PMID: 36801273 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123696
    The current treatment strategies for diabetic wound care provide only moderate degree of effectiveness; hence new and improved therapeutic techniques are in great demand. Diabetic wound healing is a complex physiological process that involves synchronisation of various biological events such as haemostasis, inflammation, and remodelling. Nanomaterials like polymeric nanofibers (NFs) offer a promising approach for the treatment of diabetic wounds and have emerged as viable options for wound management. Electrospinning is a powerful and cost-effective method to fabricate versatile NFs with a wide array of raw materials for different biological applications. The electrospun NFs have unique advantages in the development of wound dressings due to their high specific surface area and porosity. The electrospun NFs possess a unique porous structure and biological function similar to the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), and are known to accelerate wound healing. Compared to traditional dressings, the electrospun NFs are more effective in healing wounds owing to their distinct characteristics, good surface functionalisation, better biocompatibility and biodegradability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the electrospinning procedure and its operating principle, with special emphasis on the role of electrospun NFs in the treatment of diabetic wounds. This review discusses the present techniques applied in the fabrication of NF dressings, and highlights the future prospects of electrospun NFs in medicinal applications.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Polymers; Polysaccharides; Wound Healing
  14. Kumar V, Lakkaboyana SK, Tsouko E, Maina S, Pandey M, Umesh M, et al.
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Apr 15;234:123733.
    PMID: 36801274 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123733
    The exponential increase in the use and careless discard of synthetic plastics has created an alarming concern over the environmental health due to the detrimental effects of petroleum based synthetic polymeric compounds. Piling up of these plastic commodities on various ecological niches and entry of their fragmented parts into soil and water has clearly affected the quality of these ecosystems in the past few decades. Among the many constructive strategies developed to tackle this global issue, use of biopolymers like polyhydroxyalkanoates as sustainable alternatives for synthetic plastics has gained momentum. Despite their excellent material properties and significant biodegradability, polyhydroxyalkanoates still fails to compete with their synthetic counterparts majorly due to the high cost associated with their production and purification thereby limiting their commercialization. Usage of renewable feedstocks as substrates for polyhydroxyalkanoates production has been the thrust area of research to attain the sustainability tag. This review work attempts to provide insights about the recent developments in the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates using renewable feedstock along with various pretreatment methods used for substrate preparation for polyhydroxyalkanoates production. Further, the application of blends based on polyhydroxyalkanoates, and the challenges associated with the waste valorization based polyhydroxyalkanoates production strategy is elaborated in this review work.
    MeSH terms: Biopolymers/chemistry; Petroleum*; Plastics; Ecosystem; Polyhydroxyalkanoates*
  15. Bidoglio GA, Mueller ND, Kastner T
    Sci Total Environ, 2023 May 15;873:162226.
    PMID: 36801408 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162226
    In our globalized world, local impacts of agricultural production are increasingly driven by consumption in geographically distant places. Current agricultural systems strongly rely on nitrogen (N) fertilization to increase soil fertility and crop yields. Yet, a large portion of N added to cropland is lost through leaching / runoff potentially leading to eutrophication in coastal ecosystems. By coupling data on global production and N fertilization for 152 crops with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based model, we first estimated the extent of oxygen depletion occurring in 66 Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) due to agricultural production in the watersheds draining into these LMEs. We then linked this information to crop trade data to assess the displacement from consuming to producing countries, in terms of oxygen depletion impacts associated to our food systems. In this way, we characterized how impacts are distributed between traded and domestically sourced agricultural products. We found that few countries dominate global impacts and that cereal and oil crop production accounts for the bulk of oxygen depletion impacts. Globally, 15.9 % of total oxygen depletion impacts of crop production are ascribable to export-driven production. However, for exporting countries like Canada, Argentina or Malaysia this share is much higher, often up to three-quarters of their production impacts. In some importing countries, trade contributes to reduce pressure on already highly affected coastal ecosystems. This is the case for countries whose domestic crop production is associated with high oxygen depletion intensities, i.e. the impact per kcal produced, such as Japan or South Korea. Next to these positive effects trade can play in lowering overall environmental burdens, our results also highlight the importance of a holistic food system perspective when aiming to reduce the oxygen depletion impacts of crop production.
    MeSH terms: Crop Production; Soil; Ecosystem*; Crops, Agricultural
  16. Ng HF, Ngeow YF
    Microb Drug Resist, 2023 Feb;29(2):41-46.
    PMID: 36802272 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2022.0068
    Linezolid is one of the antibiotics used to treat the Mycobacteroides abscessus infection. However, linezolid-resistance mechanisms of this organism are not well understood. The objective of this study was to identify possible linezolid-resistance determinants in M. abscessus through characterization of step-wise mutants selected from a linezolid-susceptible strain, M61 (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC]: 0.25 mg/L). Whole-genome sequencing and subsequent PCR verification of the resistant second-step mutant, A2a(1) (MIC: >256 mg/L), revealed three mutations in its genome, two of which were found in the 23S rDNA (g2244t and g2788t) and another one was found in a gene encoding the fatty-acid-CoA ligase FadD32 (c880t→H294Y). The 23S rRNA is the molecular target of linezolid and mutations in this gene are likely to contribute to resistance. Furthermore, PCR analysis revealed that the c880t mutation in the fadD32 gene first appeared in the first-step mutant, A2 (MIC: 1 mg/L). Complementation of the wild-type M61 with the pMV261 plasmid carrying the mutant fadD32 gene caused the previously sensitive M61 to develop a reduced susceptibility to linezolid (MIC: 1 mg/L). The findings of this study uncovered hitherto undescribed mechanisms of linezolid resistance in M. abscessus that may be useful for the development of novel anti-infective agents against this multidrug-resistant pathogen.
    MeSH terms: Linezolid/pharmacology; Bacterial Proteins/genetics; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mutation/genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 23S/genetics; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics
  17. Leong SS, Jalalonmuhali M, Md Shah MN, Ng KH, Vijayananthan A, Hisham R, et al.
    Br J Radiol, 2023 Mar 01;96(1144):20220288.
    PMID: 36802861 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20220288
    OBJECTIVE: Many studies have conflicting findings in using shear wave elastography (SWE) to assess renal fibrosis. This study reviews the use of SWE to evaluate pathological changes in native kidneys and renal allografts. It also tries to elucidate the confounding factors and care taken to ensure the results are consistent and reliable.

    METHODS: The review was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Literature search was conducted in Pubmed, Web of Science and Scopus database up to 23 October 2021. To evaluate risk and bias applicability, the Cochrane risk-of bias tool and GRADE was used. The review was registered under PROSPERO CRD42021265303.

    RESULTS: A total of 2921 articles were identified. 104 full texts were examined and 26 studies included in systematic review. 11 studies performed on native kidneys and 15 studies on transplanted kidney. A wide range of impact factors was found that affect the accuracy of SWE of renal fibrosis in adult patients.

    CONCLUSIONS: Compared to point SWE, two-dimensional SWE with elastogram could enable better selection of the region of interest in kidneys, leading to reproducible results. Tracking waves were attenuated as the depth from skin to region of interest increased, therefore, SWE is not recommended for overweight or obese patients. Variable transducer forces might also affect SWE reproducibility, thus, training of operators to ensure consistent operator-dependent transducer forces may be helpful.

    ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This review provides a holistic insight on the efficiency of using SWE in evaluating pathological changes in native and transplanted kidneys, thereby contributing to the knowledge of its utilisation in clinical practice.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Fibrosis; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis; Ultrasonography; Reproducibility of Results
  18. Alam MK, Alfawzan AA, Abutayyem H, Kanwal B, Alswairki HJ, Verma S, et al.
    Sci Prog, 2023;106(1):368504231156297.
    PMID: 36803068 DOI: 10.1177/00368504231156297
    The purpose of this meta-analysis was to strengthen the credibility of primary research results by combining open-source scientific material, namely a comparison of craniofacial features (Cfc) between Crouzon's syndrome (CS) patients and non-CS populations. All articles published up to October 7, 2021, were included in the search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Medline, and Web of Science. The PRISMA guidelines were followed to conduct this study. PECO framework was applied in the following ways: Those who have CS are denoted by the letter P, those who have been diagnosed with CS via clinical or genetic means by the letter E, those who do not have CS by the letter C, and those who have a Cfc of CS by the letter O. Independent reviewers collected the data and ranked the publications based on their adherence to the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. A total of six case-control studies were reviewed for this meta-analysis. Due to the large variation in cephalometric measures, only those published in at least two previous studies were included. This analysis found that CS patients had a smaller skull and mandible volumes than those without CS.in terms of SNA° (MD = -2.33, p = <0.001, I2 = 83.6%) and ANB°(MD = -1.89, p = <0.005, I2 = 93.1%)), as well as ANS (MD = -1.87, p = 0.001, I2 = 96.5%)) and SN/PP (MD = -1.99, p = 0.036, I2 = 77.3%)). In comparison to the general population, people with CS tend to have shorter and flatter cranial bases, smaller orbital volumes, and cleft palates. They differ from the general population in having a shorter skull base and more V-shaped maxillary arches.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Case-Control Studies
  19. Mazri FH, Manaf ZA, Shahar S, Mat Ludin AF, Karim NA
    Chronobiol Int, 2023 Mar;40(3):272-283.
    PMID: 36803265 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2023.2165092
    Previously we had demonstrated the development and feasibility of an integrated chrono-nutrition weight reduction program among non-shift workers with morning and evening chronotypes. In this current paper, we described the association between the changes in chrono-nutrition practice and weight loss outcomes upon completing the weight reduction program. A total of 91 overweight/obese non-shift workers participated in the 12-week integrated chrono-nutrition weight reduction program (Age: 39.6 ± 6.3 y; 74.7% women; BMI: 31.2 ± 4.5 kg/m2). All the assessments including anthropometry, dietary, sleep habits, physical activity, and process of change were measured during pre- and post-intervention. Participants who had lost ≥3% of their body weight were categorized as satisfactory weight loss outcome, and those who did not achieve 3% weight loss were categorized as unsatisfactory weight loss. The satisfactory weight loss had greater daily percent energy intake during earlier in the day from protein (Mean difference (MD): +3.2%, 95% CI: 1.6, 4.9, p
    MeSH terms: Adult; Energy Intake; Circadian Rhythm*; Feasibility Studies; Feeding Behavior*; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutritional Status; Weight Loss; Body Mass Index
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