Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Davenport C, Swami V
    Issues Ment Health Nurs, 2023 Dec;44(12):1188-1199.
    PMID: 37819864 DOI: 10.1080/01612840.2023.2262574
    Understandings of paternal postnatal depression (PND) in fathers from the United Kingdom (UK) have received limited attention, particularly in view of changing dynamics of contemporary parenthood. To rectify this, eight UK fathers with PND took part in one-to-one interviews, with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis used to understand their lived experiences. Our findings demonstrate that UK fathers with PND experienced extremely distressing emotions, including anger and misery, after their babies are born. Their working practices were highly relevant to their fatherhood, with working considered a key responsibility and a source of stress, but also a "legitimate" escape from the home. Fathers' relationships with their partners were experienced as less intimate and conflicted. Fathers often hid their feelings to protect their partners, but also reported their partners as being aware of their challenging and difficult emotions. Healthcare providers should be professionally curious about fathers' mental health and consider the assistance of mothers in identifying cases of paternal PND.
    MeSH terms: Depression; Fathers/psychology; Female; Great Britain; Humans; Infant; Male; Pregnancy; Parturition/psychology
  2. Kaleem S, Sohail A, Tariq MU, Babar M, Qureshi B
    PLoS One, 2023;18(10):e0292587.
    PMID: 37819992 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292587
    Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has caused a global pandemic, continues to have severe effects on human lives worldwide. Characterized by symptoms similar to pneumonia, its rapid spread requires innovative strategies for its early detection and management. In response to this crisis, data science and machine learning (ML) offer crucial solutions to complex problems, including those posed by COVID-19. One cost-effective approach to detect the disease is the use of chest X-rays, which is a common initial testing method. Although existing techniques are useful for detecting COVID-19 using X-rays, there is a need for further improvement in efficiency, particularly in terms of training and execution time. This article introduces an advanced architecture that leverages an ensemble learning technique for COVID-19 detection from chest X-ray images. Using a parallel and distributed framework, the proposed model integrates ensemble learning with big data analytics to facilitate parallel processing. This approach aims to enhance both execution and training times, ensuring a more effective detection process. The model's efficacy was validated through a comprehensive analysis of predicted and actual values, and its performance was meticulously evaluated for accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measure, and compared to state-of-the-art models. The work presented here not only contributes to the ongoing fight against COVID-19 but also showcases the wider applicability and potential of ensemble learning techniques in healthcare.
    MeSH terms: Machine Learning; Health Facilities; Humans
  3. Kayani UN, Aysan AF, Gul A, Haider SA, Ahmad S
    PLoS One, 2023;18(10):e0291261.
    PMID: 37819995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291261
    Maintaining a stable exchange rate is a challenging task for the world, especially for developing economies. This study examines the impact of asymmetric exchange rates on trade flows in selected Asian countries and finds that the effects of increased exchange rate volatility on exports and imports differ among Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, and Korea. The quarterly data from the period 1980 to 2018 is collected from the International Financial Statistics (IFS) database maintained by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). We employ both linear and non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) models for estimation. The non-linear models yielded more significant findings, while the linear models did not indicate any significant effects of exchange rate volatility on trade flows. The results of the study suggest that in the case of Pakistan, both the linear and non-linear models indicate that increased exchange rate volatility adversely affects exports and imports, while decreased volatility enhances both. This implies that stabilizing the exchange rate would be beneficial for Pakistan's trade. In contrast, the linear model applied to Malaysia shows no long-run effects of exchange rate volatility on exports. However, the result suggests that decreased volatility stimulates Malaysia's exports. Therefore, in the case of Malaysia, stabilizing the exchange rate could contribute to boosting exports. We also found that increased exchange rate volatility boosts exports of Japan. On the other hand, decreased volatility hurts exports of Japan. As for the long-run effects of exchange rate volatility on imports, we found that increased volatility boosts imports of Korea. The study provides various policy implications regarding the impact of exchange rate volatility on trade flows in developing economies. The study highlights the importance of country-specific considerations in understanding the impact of exchange rate volatility on trade flows, and has important policy implications for promoting trade and economic growth in these nations. It emphasizes the need to model exchange rate volatility separately for developed and developing countries and to continue research and analysis to identify ways to mitigate its negative effects on the economy.
    MeSH terms: Malaysia; Pakistan; Economic Development*; Policy
  4. Li M, Li H, Azar AS
    Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992), 2023;69(10):e20230940.
    PMID: 37820179 DOI: 10.1590/1806-9282.20230940
    MeSH terms: Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Tissue and Organ Procurement*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tissue Donors; Organ Transplantation*
  5. Kozhina E, Panov D, Kovalets N, Apel P, Bedin SA
    Nanotechnology, 2023 Oct 11.
    PMID: 37820633 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad0247
    This study presents a method for fabricating a film-based heating element using a polymer material with an array of intersecting conductive elements embedded within it. Track-etched membranes (TM) with a thickness of 12 μm were used as the template, and their pores were filled with metal, forming a three-dimensional grid. Due to the unique manufacturing process of TM, the pores inside intersect with each other, allowing for contacts between individual nanowires (NWs) when filled with metal. Experimental results demonstrated that filling the TM pores with silver allows for heating temperatures up to 60 degrees without deformation or damage to the heating element. The resulting flexible heating element can be utilized in medical devices for heating purposes or as a thermal barrier coating.
  6. Kumar M, Kumar D, Garg Y, Mahmood S, Chopra S, Bhatia A
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 6):127331.
    PMID: 37820901 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127331
    Polysaccharides originating from marine sources have been studied as potential material for use in wound dressings because of their desirable characteristics of biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity. Marine-derived polysaccharides used as wound dressing, provide several benefits such as promoting wound healing by providing a moist environment that facilitates cell migration and proliferation. They can also act as a barrier against external contaminants and provide a protective layer to prevent further damage to the wound. Research studies have shown that marine-derived polysaccharides can be used to develop different types of wound dressings such as hydrogels, films, and fibres. These dressings can be personalised to meet specific requirements based on the type and severity of the wound. For instance, hydrogels can be used for deep wounds to provide a moist environment, while films can be used for superficial wounds to provide a protective barrier. Additionally, these polysaccharides can be modified to improve their properties, such as enhancing their mechanical strength or increasing their ability to release bioactive molecules that can promote wound healing. Overall, marine-derived polysaccharides show great promise for developing effective and safe wound dressings for various wound types.
    MeSH terms: Bandages; Wound Healing*; Hydrogels
  7. Ibrahim IAA, Alzahrani AR, Alanazi IM, Shahzad N, Shahid I, Falemban AH, et al.
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 7):127334.
    PMID: 37820908 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127334
    Our study produced GO-TiO2-chitosan-escin nanocomposites (GTCEnc), characterized them using physical and biological methods, and evaluated their potential as cancer treatment candidates. Standard protocols were used to produce GTCEnc. Nanocomposites are created using XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis, and PL spectroscopy analysis. The morphology and ultrastructure of nanocomposites were investigated using SEM and TEM. Nanocomposites containing TiO2, GO, chitosan, and escin nanostructures were characterized using diffraction, microscopy, and spectroscopy; the antimicrobial activity of GTCEnc was investigated. Various methods were used to test the anticancer activity of GTCEnc against COLO 205 cell lines, including MTT, EtBr/AO, DAPI, JC-1, Annexin-V/FITC, cell cycle analysis, and activation of pro-apoptotic markers, such as caspase-3, -8, and -9. The nanocomposites were cytotoxic to COLO 205 cells, with an IC50 of 22.68 μg/mL, but not to 293T cells. In cells treated with nanomaterials, cytotoxicity, nuclear damage, apoptosis induction, and free radical production were significantly increased. Our finding suggests that GTCEnc has potent anticancer and antibacterial activity in vitro because of its unique nanocomposite properties and antibacterial and anticancer activity in vitro. Additional research is required to understand the clinical efficacy of these nanocomposites.
  8. Ravindiran G, Rajamanickam S, Kanagarathinam K, Hayder G, Janardhan G, Arunkumar P, et al.
    Environ Res, 2023 Dec 15;239(Pt 1):117354.
    PMID: 37821071 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117354
    The impact of air pollution in Chennai metropolitan city, a southern Indian coastal city was examined to predict the Air Quality Index (AQI). Regular monitoring and prediction of the Air Quality Index (AQI) are critical for combating air pollution. The current study created machine learning models such as XGBoost, Random Forest, BaggingRegressor, and LGBMRegressor for the prediction of the AQI using the historical data available from 2017 to 2022. According to historical data, the AQI is highest in January, with a mean value of 104.6 g/gm, and the lowest in August, with a mean AQI value of 63.87 g/gm. Particulate matter, gaseous pollutants, and meteorological parameters were used to predict AQI, and the heat map generated showed that of all the parameters, PM2.5 has the greatest impact on AQI, with a value of 0.91. The log transformation method is used to normalize datasets and determine skewness and kurtosis. The XGBoost model demonstrated strong performance, achieving an R2 (correlation coefficient) of 0.9935, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.02, a mean square error (MSE) of 0.001, and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.04. In comparison, the LightGBM model's prediction was less effective, as it attained an R2 of 0.9748. According to the study, the AQI in Chennai has been increasing over the last two years, and if the same conditions persist, the city's air pollution will worsen in the future. Furthermore, accurate future air quality level predictions can be made using historical data and advanced machine learning algorithms.
    MeSH terms: Machine Learning; Air Pollutants*; Air Pollution*; India; Climate Change
  9. Kim H, Kang DY, Ahn JM, Lee J, Choi Y, Hur SH, et al.
    JACC Cardiovasc Interv, 2023 Oct 09;16(19):2412-2422.
    PMID: 37821187 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcin.2023.07.028
    BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is associated with more complex coronary artery diseases. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a preferred revascularization strategy over percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in diabetics with multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD).

    OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine the different prognostic effects of revascularization strategies according to the diabetes status from the randomized BEST (Randomized Comparison of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation in the Treatment of Patients With Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease) trial.

    METHODS: Patients (n = 880) with MVD were randomly assigned to undergo PCI with an everolimus-eluting stent vs CABG stratified by diabetics (n = 363) and nondiabetics (n = 517). The primary endpoint was the composite of death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization during a median follow-up of 11.8 years (IQR: 10.6-12.5 years).

    RESULTS: In diabetics, the primary endpoint rate was significantly higher in the PCI group than in the CABG group (43% and 32%; HR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.12-2.08; P = 0.008). However, in nondiabetics, no significant difference was found between the groups (PCI group, 29%; CABG group, 29%; HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.67-1.39; P = 0.86; Pinteraction= 0.009). Irrespective of the presence of diabetes, no significant between-group differences were found in the rate of a safety composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke and mortality rate. However, the rate of any repeat revascularization was significantly higher in the PCI group than in the CABG group.

    CONCLUSIONS: In diabetics with MVD, CABG was associated with better clinical outcomes than PCI. However, the mortality rate was similar between PCI and CABG irrespective of diabetes status during an extended follow-up. (Ten-Year Outcomes of Randomized Comparison of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation in the Treatment of Patients With Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease [BEST Extended], NCT05125367; Randomized Comparison of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation in the Treatment of Patients With Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease [BEST], NCT00997828).

    MeSH terms: Everolimus/adverse effects; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Stents; Treatment Outcome
  10. Jonaitis P, Nyssen OP, Saracino IM, Fiorini G, Vaira D, Pérez-Aísa Á, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2023 Oct 11;13(1):17235.
    PMID: 37821503 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43287-4
    The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori remains high in the older population. Specific age-related peculiarities may impact the outcomes of H. pylori treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostics and effectiveness of H. pylori eradication between the younger and older European populations. "European Registry on H. pylori Management (Hp-EuReg)" data from 2013 to 2022 were analyzed. Patients were divided into older (≥ 60 years) and younger (18-59 years) groups. Modified intention-to-treat (mITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis was performed. 49,461 patients included of which 14,467 (29%) were older-aged. Concomitant medications and penicillin allergy were more frequent among the older patients. Differences between younger and older populations were observed in treatment duration in first-line treatment and in proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) doses in second-line treatment. The overall incidence of adverse events was lower in the older adults group. The overall first-line treatment mITT effectiveness was 88% in younger and 90% in the older patients (p 
    MeSH terms: Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents/adverse effects; Bismuth/therapeutic use; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Penicillins/therapeutic use; Helicobacter pylori*; Treatment Outcome; Proton Pump Inhibitors/adverse effects
  11. Idris N, Leong KH, Wong EH, Abdul Rahim N
    J Antibiot (Tokyo), 2023 Dec;76(12):711-719.
    PMID: 37821539 DOI: 10.1038/s41429-023-00659-2
    Polymyxins are last-line antibiotics against multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae but using polymyxins alone may not be effective due to emerging resistance. A previous study found that combining polymyxin B with chloramphenicol effectively kills MDR K. pneumoniae, although the bone marrow toxicity of chloramphenicol is concerning. The aim of this study is to assess the antibacterial efficacy and cytotoxicity of polymyxin B when combined with chloramphenicol and its derivatives, namely thiamphenicol and florfenicol (reported to have lesser toxicity compared to chloramphenicol). The antibacterial activity was evaluated with antimicrobial susceptibility testing using broth microdilution and time-kill assays, while the cytotoxic effect on normal bone marrow cell line, HS-5 was evaluated using the MTT assay. All bacterial isolates tested were found to be susceptible to polymyxin B, but resistant to chloramphenicol, thiamphenicol, and florfenicol when used alone. The use of polymyxin B alone showed bacterial regrowth for all isolates at 24 h. The combination of polymyxin B and florfenicol demonstrated additive and synergistic effects against all isolates (≥ 2 log10 cfu ml-1 reduction) at 4 and 24 h, respectively, while the combination of polymyxin B and thiamphenicol resulted in synergistic killing at 24 h against ATCC BAA-2146. Furthermore, the combination of polymyxin B with florfenicol had the lowest cytotoxic effect on the HS-5 cells compared to polymyxin B combination with chloramphenicol and thiamphenicol. Overall, the combination of polymyxin B with florfenicol enhanced bacterial killing against MDR K. pneumoniae and exerted minimal cytotoxic effect on HS-5 cell line.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology; Chloramphenicol/pharmacology; Drug Synergism; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Polymyxins/pharmacology; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
  12. Low SM, Abdullah DF, Khatib SFA
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Nov;30(52):111648-111675.
    PMID: 37821734 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30122-6
    This paper examines the common themes delivered in studies on corporate reporting in relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Articles of the aforesaid studies were mostly acquired from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) archives from year 2015 to 2022 in which the contents were carefully reviewed for selection. To systematise the literature, PRISMA 2020 statement is used. Descriptive analysis reveals an increase in publications on corporate SDG reporting, although most are focused on developed nations. The analysis also shows a scarcity of studies on the consumer goods, agricultural, fishery, and forestry sectors. Furthermore, current studies have yet to adopt a qualitative or mixed-method approach. There are fundamentally six themes that emerged from the review of literature-the degree of SDG engagement, the quality of SDG reporting, the determining factor in SDG reporting mechanism, the consequences of SDG reporting, the legitimisation approaches, as well as the institutional/stakeholder pressure. For determinants of SDG reporting, it is observed that environmental governance is not explored. This paper identifies the least addressed SDGs that businesses can focus on to accelerate their SDG contribution rate. This paper guides future research and informs decision-making by organisations and stakeholders interested in promoting sustainable development through SDG reporting.
    MeSH terms: Conservation of Natural Resources*; United Nations; Global Health; Environmental Policy
  13. He S, Lai SL
    Geriatr Gerontol Int, 2023 Nov;23(11):817-829.
    PMID: 37822092 DOI: 10.1111/ggi.14688
    AIM: Functional disability is a widespread challenge faced by the older population in China, where those with functional disabilities demand greater healthcare and geriatric services. This study performs a longitudinal analysis examining the effects of physiological conditions, intra-, and extra-individual factors, and life-course socioeconomic status risk factors on the disability levels and change rates of functional disability trajectories in old age.

    METHODS: Data for this study came from the four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey. A latent growth model was used to analyze the functional disability of 5044 older adults aged 60 and over in 2011 who survived to 2018.

    RESULTS: Pathologies are closely associated with functional disability trajectories, and higher numbers of comorbidities relate to more disabilities. Risk factors and intra- and extra-individual factors affect functional disability trajectories and work through independent and shared mechanisms. The effects of risk factors can be traced to childhood conditions, and higher childhood and adulthood socioeconomic status is related to fewer functional disabilities.

    CONCLUSION: Functional disability trajectories are dynamic processes related to pathologies, intra-, and extra-individual factors, and life-course risk factors, and thus prevention and control measures should focus on both childhood and adulthood. Promoting working in later life and improving childhood socioeconomic status deserve prompt attention. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 817-829.

    MeSH terms: Aged; Child; China/epidemiology; Disabled Persons*; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Middle Aged; Retirement; Social Class
  14. Mohidin SRNSP, Moshawih S, Hermansyah A, Asmuni MI, Shafqat N, Ming LC
    J Evid Based Integr Med, 2023;28:2515690X231206227.
    PMID: 37822215 DOI: 10.1177/2515690X231206227
    Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is considered one of the essential tuber crops, serving as a dietary staple food for various populations. This systematic review provides a comprehensive summary of the nutritional and therapeutic properties of cassava, which is an important dietary staple and traditional medicine. The review aims to evaluate and summarize the phytochemical components of cassava and their association with pharmacological activities, traditional uses, and nutritional importance in global food crises. To collect all relevant information, electronic databases; Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Preprint Platforms were searched for studies on cassava from inception until October 2022. A total of 1582 studies were screened, while only 34 were included in this review. The results of the review indicate that cassava has diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic effects, and wound healing properties. However, more studies that aim to isolate the phytochemicals in cassava extracts and evaluate their pharmacological property are necessary to further validate their medical and nutritional values.
    MeSH terms: Nutritive Value; Vegetables; Crops, Agricultural/chemistry; Plant Tubers
  15. Chen Y, Wang H, Zhang D, Zhang L, Tao L
    Front Neurosci, 2023;17:1272834.
    PMID: 37822349 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1272834
    INTRODUCTION: Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD) lesions via visual examination of Electroencephalography (EEG) signals poses a considerable challenge. This has prompted the exploration of deep learning techniques, such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Visual Transformers (ViTs), for AD prediction. However, the classification performance of CNN-based methods has often been deemed inadequate. This is primarily attributed to CNNs struggling with extracting meaningful lesion signals from the complex and noisy EEG data.

    METHODS: In contrast, ViTs have demonstrated proficiency in capturing global signal patterns. In light of these observations, we propose a novel approach to enhance AD risk assessment. Our proposition involves a hybrid architecture, merging the strengths of CNNs and ViTs to compensate for their respective feature extraction limitations. Our proposed Dual-Branch Feature Fusion Network (DBN) leverages both CNN and ViT components to acquire texture features and global semantic information from EEG signals. These elements are pivotal in capturing dynamic electrical signal changes in the cerebral cortex. Additionally, we introduce Spatial Attention (SA) and Channel Attention (CA) blocks within the network architecture. These attention mechanisms bolster the model's capacity to discern abnormal EEG signal patterns from the amalgamated features. To make well-informed predictions, we employ a two-factor decision-making mechanism. Specifically, we conduct correlation analysis on predicted EEG signals from the same subject to establish consistency.

    RESULTS: This is then combined with results from the Clinical Neuropsychological Scale (MMSE) assessment to comprehensively evaluate the subject's susceptibility to AD. Our experimental validation on the publicly available OpenNeuro database underscores the efficacy of our approach. Notably, our proposed method attains an impressive 80.23% classification accuracy in distinguishing between AD, Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Normal Control (NC) subjects.

    DISCUSSION: This outcome outperforms prevailing state-of-the-art methodologies in EEG-based AD prediction. Furthermore, our methodology enables the visualization of salient regions within pathological images, providing invaluable insights for interpreting and analyzing AD predictions.

  16. Rashidah AR, Shariff M, Yusoff FM, Ismail IS
    Fish Shellfish Immunol Rep, 2023 Dec 15;5:100118.
    PMID: 37822351 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsirep.2023.100118
    Aquaculture plays a significant role in the overall fish production in Malaysia, contributing a substantial quantity of food-fish amounting to roughly 573,683 tonnes with an estimated economic value of US$860 million in 2022. However, diseases have become a significant limitation for aquaculture production. Therefore, herbal immunostimulant has been considered a natural and practical approach of preventing disease infection in fish. The ability of Polygonum chinense extract (PCE) on haemato-biochemistry parameters, immunomodulatory properties, and disease resistance of Lates calcarifer (Asian seabass) under Vibrio harveyi challenge was evaluated in this study, with a focus on dose-response associations and variability over various exposure durations (0-, 7- and 14-day post-infection). A total of 480 Asian seabass (9.5 ± 0.2 g) were distributed in 12 aquaria and fed four diets supplemented with 0 (control), 2, 5 and 10 g/kg diet for 60 days before being challenged with V. harveyi. Dietary PCE significantly improved (P < 0.05) survival, with the dose of 10 g/kg showing the highest survival rate (90 %) when compared to the control (60 %). Additionally, hematological (red and white blood cell counts, hemoglobulin, packed cell volume, and mean corpuscular volume) and immunological (activities of lysozyme, phagocytic activity and respiratory burst, and serum total immunoglobulin) properties were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in comparison to the control group. In contrast, serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, as well as glucose level were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in PCE-fed fish compared to the control group. Conclusively, the current study discovered that supplementing fish feed with P. chinense extract improves fish haemato-biochemical profile, immunocompetence and disease resistance to V. harveyi infection.
  17. Dani A, Al Quraan E
    Heliyon, 2023 Oct;9(10):e20423.
    PMID: 37822608 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20423
    In the information society, there is a vast amount of data that needs to be analyzed quantitatively. The ability to perform quantitative analysis based on statistical thinking and data mining, is becoming extremely important. It is important that research students develop positive attitude towards both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. But many research students try to avoid applying quantitative methods in their research and prefer to rely on qualitative research approach due to lack of interest and confidence in statistical skills. This research aims to explore if research students' choice of research approach is affected by their attitude towards Statistics. 81 research students from three different universities participated in a survey in which there was one open ended question. Quantitative data from the survey was analyzed by using cluster analysis and independent sample t-test was applied to examine differences in the attitudes of masters and doctoral research students. Other data analysis methods, such as cross-tabular analysis, chi-square and ANOVA tests were also applied. Responses to open ended question were analyzed qualitatively by detecting the themes, such as, focus on technique, data or meaning. This study found that students pursuing postgraduate degrees in social science streams are not very keen on using a quantitative research approach. Masters students' attitudes towards statistics are different than the doctoral students. Findings of our research indicate that the majority of students who think that statistics is only about numeric methods, prefer to go away from it and choose a qualitative approach. Based on the findings, recommendations for changes in curriculum are presented.
  18. Nugroho A, Mamat R, Xiaoxia J, Bo Z, Jamlos MF, Ghazali MF
    Heliyon, 2023 Oct;9(10):e20333.
    PMID: 37822631 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20333
    This paper aims to evaluate residential air conditioning systems' performance enhancement and optimization by adopting a novel functionalized Al2O3 (FAl2O3)-Polyolester (POE) nanolubricant. Comprehensive discussions were conducted on key performance parameters, including heat absorption, compressor work, cooling capacity, coefficient of performance (COP), and power consumption. Novel FAl2O3 nanoparticles were dispersed into the POE lubricant using a two-step method. The findings reveal that FAl2O3-POE nanolubricant exhibits superior heat absorption compared to pure POE. Heat absorption decreases with an increased initial refrigerant charge, while cooling capacity performance improves with an increased initial refrigerant charge. The COP shows an increasing trend at all concentrations of FAl2O3-POE nanolubricant when operating with R32. FAl2O3-POE/R32 demonstrates an enhanced range of 3.12%-32.26% for COP. The results suggest that applying novel FAl2O3-POE nanolubricant with R32 can reduce electrical power consumption by 13.79%-19.35%. The central composite design (CCD) offers an optimal condition for FAl2O3-POE nanolubricant with a concentration of 0.11 vol%, an initial refrigerant charge of 0.442 kg, resulting in a COP of 3.982, a standard error of 0.019, and a desirability of 1.0.
  19. Adilla Norzawary NH, Soid SK, Ishak A, Anuar Mohamed MK, Khan U, Sherif EM, et al.
    Nanoscale Adv, 2023 Oct 10;5(20):5627-5640.
    PMID: 37822899 DOI: 10.1039/d3na00675a
    Objective: hybrid nanofluids have superior thermal efficiency and physical durability in contrast to regular nanofluids. The stagnation point flow of MHD micropolar hybrid nanofluids over a deformable sheet with viscous dissipation is investigated. Methodology: the controlling partial differential equations are converted to nonlinear ordinary differential equations using the transmuted similarity, and are subsequently solved using the bvp4c solver in MATLAB. The hybrid nanofluids consist of aluminum and copper nanoparticles, dispersed in a base fluid of water. Results: multiple solutions are obtained in the given problem for the case of shrinking as well as for the stretching sheet due to the variation in several influential parameters. Non-unique solutions, generally, exist for the case of shrinking sheets. In addition, the first branch solution is physically stable and acceptable according to the stability analysis. The friction factor is higher for the branch of the first solution and lower in the second branch due to the higher magnetic parameters, while the opposite behavior is seen in the case of the local heat transfer rate. Originality: the novelty of this model is that it finds multiple solutions in the presence of Cu and Al2O3 nanoparticles and also performs the stability analysis. In general, non-unique solutions exist for the phenomenon of shrinking sheets.
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