Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 90 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Mustafa M, Batul R, Karobari MI, Alamri HM, Abdulwahed A, Almokhatieb AA, et al.
    BMC Oral Health, 2024 Mar 16;24(1):343.
    PMID: 38493123 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04101-3
    INTRODUCTION: Root canal treatment procedures require a thorough understanding of root and canal anatomy. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the morphological differences of teeth root and their canals assessed using cone-beam computed and micro-computed tomography in Saudi Arabian population.

    METHODOLOGY: An electronic search was conducted in PubMed / Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases until January 2023 to retrieve related studies. "Root canal morphology," "Saudi Arabia," "Micro-CT," and "cone-beam computed tomography" were used as keywords. A modified version of previously published risk of bias assessment tool was used to determine the quality assessment of included studies.

    RESULTS: The literature search revealed 47 studies that matched the criteria for inclusion, out of which 44 studies used cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and three were micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) studies. According to the modified version of risk of bias assessment tool, the studies were categorized as low, moderate, and high risk of bias. A total of 47,612 samples were included which comprised of either maxillary teeth (5,412), or mandibular teeth (20,572), and mixed teeth (21,327). 265 samples were used in micro-CT studies while 47,347 teeth samples were used in CBCT studies. Among the CBCT studies, except for three, all the studies were retrospective studies. Frequently used imaging machine and software were 3D Accuitomo 170 and Morita's i-Dixel 3D imaging software respectively. Minimum and maximum voxel sizes were 75 and 300 μm, Vertucci's classification was mostly used to classify the root canal morphology of the teeth. The included micro-CT studies were in-vitro studies where SkyScan 1172 X-ray scanner was the imaging machine with pixel size ranging between 13.4 and 27.4 μm. Vertucci, Ahmed et al. and Pomeranz et al. classifications were applied to classify the root canal morphology.

    CONCLUSION: This systematic review revealed wide variations in root and canal morphology of Saudi population using high resolution imaging techniques. Clinicians should be aware of the common and unusual root and canal anatomy before commencing root canal treatment. Future micro-CT studies are needed to provide additional qualitative and quantitative data presentations.

  2. Ismael BH, Khaleel F, Ibrahim SS, Khaleel SR, AlOmar MK, Masood A, et al.
    Membranes (Basel), 2023 Dec 05;13(12).
    PMID: 38132904 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13120900
    Vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) has attracted increasing interest for various applications besides seawater desalination. Experimental testing of membrane technologies such as VMD on a pilot or large scale can be laborious and costly. Machine learning techniques can be a valuable tool for predicting membrane performance on such scales. In this work, a novel hybrid model was developed based on incorporating a spotted hyena optimizer (SHO) with support vector machine (SVR) to predict the flux pressure in VMD. The SVR-SHO hybrid model was validated with experimental data and benchmarked against other machine learning tools such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), classical SVR, and multiple linear regression (MLR). The results show that the SVR-SHO predicted flux pressure with high accuracy with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.94. However, other models showed a lower prediction accuracy than SVR-SHO with R-values ranging from 0.801 to 0.902. Global sensitivity analysis was applied to interpret the obtained result, revealing that feed temperature was the most influential operating parameter on flux, with a relative importance score of 52.71 compared to 17.69, 17.16, and 14.44 for feed flowrate, vacuum pressure intensity, and feed concentration, respectively.
  3. Omer ME, Mustafa M, Ali N, Abd Rahman NH
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2023 Dec 01;24(12):4167-4177.
    PMID: 38156852 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.12.4167
    OBJECTIVE: Cure models are frequently used in survival analysis to account for a cured fraction in the data. When there is a cure rate present, researchers often prefer cure models over parametric models to analyse the survival data. These models enable the ability to define the probability distribution of survival durations for patients who are at risk. Various distributions can be considered for the survival times, such as Exponentiated Weibull Exponential (EWE), Exponential Exponential (EE), Weibull and lognormal distribution. The objective of this research is to choose the most appropriate distribution that accurately represents the survival times of patients who have not been cured. This will be accomplished by comparing various non-mixture cure models that are based on the EWE distribution with its sub-distributions, and distributions distinct from those belonging to the EWE distribution family.

    MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of 85 patients diagnosed with superficial bladder tumours was selected to be used in fitting the non-mixture cure model. In order to estimate the parameters of the suggested model, which takes into account the presence of a cure rate, censored data, and covariates, we utilized the maximum likelihood estimation technique using R software version 3.5.7.

    RESULT: Upon conducting a comparison of various parametric models fitted to the data, both with and without considering the cure fraction and without incorporating any predictors, the EE distribution yields the lowest AIC, BIC, and HQIC values among all the distributions considered in this study, (1191.921/1198.502, 1201.692/1203.387, 1195.851/1200.467). Furthermore, when considering a non-mixture cure model utilizing the EE distribution along with covariates, an estimated ratio was obtained between the probabilities of being cured for placebo and thiotepa groups (and its 95% confidence intervals) were 0.76130 (0.13914, 6.81863).

    CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that EE distribution is the optimal selection for determining the duration of survival in individuals diagnosed with bladder cancer.

  4. Fiyadh SS, Alardhi SM, Al Omar M, Aljumaily MM, Al Saadi MA, Fayaed SS, et al.
    Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e17675.
    PMID: 37539279 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17675
    [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15455.].
  5. Lavanya Priya KP, Gill S, Banik A, Marvaniya J, Marella K, Anusha Y, et al.
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2023 Jul;15(Suppl 1):S132-S136.
    PMID: 37654297 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_436_22
    INTRODUCTION: The best treatment for the deeply carious tooth that cannot be restored is by the root canal therapy. This method has saved many patients from the loss of tooth. The common practice is either to deliver a full crown or close the access cavity with restoration. Hence in this study, the clinical longevity of the routine practice is tested for by analyzing the fracture toughness and the survival of the teeth that were restored endodontically with various materials.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hospital records were retrospectively evaluated from 2000 to 2010 for a decade. The demographics as well as the survival and the failure rates noted and compared for the various types of the restorations. The number of the walls of the teeth was also compared.

    RESULTS: Thousand teeth were considered in the study. Less than 7% of teeth had coronal fractures. Of the 93% teeth that had survived, the most common restoration was Individual post (+ crown) followed by GIC, amalgams, and crowns. The mean survival of the crown+ bridge & gold restoration was highest. The mean survival was 10 ± 2 years for the restored teeth without any fractures at the coronal level. The failure was greatest for the GIC followed by amalgam, and the variations when compared with other restorations were significant. There was no significant difference for the number of the walls on the crown; however, the number of walls present was proportional to the survival rate.

    CONCLUSION: The teeth that were covered with a crown were comparatively fracture resistant and had a better survival rate compared to other restorations. GIC showed highest fracture, and the post core with crown had the best survival. Restoration of the lost crown architecture and the reinforcement are the best methods that can be followed for the survivals.

  6. Mudhafar M, Zainol I, Alsailawi HA, Zorah M, Karhib MM, Mahmood Mahdi N
    Heliyon, 2023 May;9(5):e15838.
    PMID: 37206015 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15838
    The present study was conducted to prepare the fish scales' hydroxyapatite/collagen beads (FsHA/FsCol) and characterize their biological, physical, and chemical properties. A new method was used to prepare FsHA/FsCol composite beads by infiltrating the beads of FsHA in the solution of FsCol as a green method. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), used to evaluate the physical-chemical properties of the synthesized samples. Meanwhile, the cytotoxic and attachment studies of the FsHA/FsCol beads were used to investigate the biological features against the MG-63 human cell line. The results specified the efficiency of the new method, functional groups of FsCol were indicated to be present inside the beads of FsHA according to the XRD analysis which shows the functional peaks of FsCol. The SEM image were conformed successfully use starch as a porous agent to increasing the porous of the FsHA beads after adding 20 wt% of it. Alamar Blue assay has been used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of FsHA/FsCol beads the results were shown 87% average cell viability of the MG-63 human cell line on the beads and attached very well to the surface of the composites, indicating no toxicity being exerted by all the composites at high concentrations.
  7. Mustafa M, Hatah E, Makmor-Bakry M
    Res Social Adm Pharm, 2023 Apr;19(4):673-680.
    PMID: 36529621 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.12.005
    BACKGROUND: Pharmacists' roles have been evolving to include more patient-centered care services such as medication reviews that help patients receive the most benefits from their medication. In Malaysia, medication review is yet to be widely implemented in the community pharmacy setting for several reasons, including the non-dispensing separation healthcare system. To establish and implement a feasible medication review service model in Malaysia, it is important to gather community pharmacists' perspectives on such services.

    AIM: To explore community pharmacists' perceptions of barriers, facilitators, and strategies for the implementation of a medication review service in Malaysia.

    METHODS: A focus group discussion followed by semi-structured interviews were conducted among purposively sampled community pharmacists with an interest in medication review service. A framework analysis approach using the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) was utilized to generate and analyze the data. After data mapping, the CFIR-ERIC (expert recommendations for implementing change) matching tool was used to generate the strategies according to the barriers identified.

    RESULTS: Twenty community pharmacists participated in this study. Several barriers and facilitators to service implementation were identified based on the respondent's input. The CFIR-ERIC strategies matching tool analysis reported potential plans that can mitigate the barriers such as: identify and prepare champions, conduct local consensus discussions, conduct educational meetings, alter incentive/allowance structures, and develop a formal implementation blueprint.

    CONCLUSION: Multifaceted strategies are required to ensure the successful implementation of medication review services in Malaysia. The findings of this study will assist in the development of a sustainable medication review service blueprint for the Malaysian community pharmacy setting.

  8. Fiyadh SS, Alardhi SM, Al Omar M, Aljumaily MM, Al Saadi MA, Fayaed SS, et al.
    Heliyon, 2023 Apr;9(4):e15455.
    PMID: 37128319 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15455
    Water is the most necessary and significant element for all life on earth. Unfortunately, the quality of the water resources is constantly declining as a result of population development, industry, and civilization progress. Due to their extreme toxicity, heavy metals removal from water has drawn researchers' attention. A lot of scientific applications use artificial neural networks (ANNs) because of their excellent ability to map nonlinear relationships. ANNs shown excellent modelling capabilities for the water treatment remediation. The adsorption process uses a variety of variables, making the interaction between them nonlinear. Selecting the best technique can produce excellent results; the adsorption approach for removing heavy metals is highly effective. Different studies show that the ANNs modelling approach can accurately forecast the adsorbed heavy metals and other contaminants in order to remove them.
  9. Heboyan A, Vardanyan A, Karobari MI, Marya A, Avagyan T, Tebyaniyan H, et al.
    Molecules, 2023 Feb 08;28(4).
    PMID: 36838607 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041619
    The cementation of indirect restoration is one of the most important steps in prosthetic and restorative dentistry. Cementation aims to bond the prosthetic restoration to the prepared enamel or enamel and dentine. Successful cementation protocols prevent biofilm formation at the margin between tooth and restoration and minimize mechanical and biological complications. With the advancements in dental cements, they have been modified to be versatile in terms of handling, curing, and bond strengths. This review presents updates on dental cements, focusing on the composition, properties, advantages, limitations, and indications of the various cements available. Currently, dental restorations are made from various biomaterials, and depending on each clinical case, an appropriate luting material will be selected. There is no luting material that can be universally used. Therefore, it is important to distinguish the physical, mechanical, and biological properties of luting materials in order to identify the best options for each case. Nowadays, the most commonly used dental cements are glass-ionomer and resin cement. The type, shade, thickness of resin cement and the shade of the ceramic, all together, have a tangible influence on the final restoration color. Surface treatments of the restoration increase the microtensile bond strength. Hence, the proper surface treatment protocol of both the substrate and restoration surfaces is needed before cementation. Additionally, the manufacturer's instructions for the thin cement-layer thickness are important for the long-term success of the restoration.
  10. Salman HA, Yaakop AS, Aladaileh S, Mustafa M, Gharaibeh M, Kahar UM
    Heliyon, 2023 Jan;9(1):e12730.
    PMID: 36685394 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12730
    Inflammation is a physiological reaction of the immune system required to remove the presence of pathogenic germs. Many herbal-derived extracts and phytoconstituents show anti-inflammatory effects. Among these natural phytoconstituents is Ephedra alte (E. alte), which shows pepsin enzyme inhibitory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities. In this work, molecular docking study is conducted on five major human anti-inflammatory cytokines receptors (IL-6, hybrid TLR4, TNF-α, IL-1β, and extracted TLR4) to explore the molecular recognition process and complex ligand-receptor interactions of E. alte phytoconstituents. Human TLR4 receptor has been computationally extracted, for the first time, from the hybrid TLR4 human and VLRB inshore hagfish. Among E. alte phytoconstituents, only β-Sitosterol and Androstan-3-one have better LBE (Lowest Binding Energy) scores with inhibition constant (K i) values than those of other tested compounds. The β-Sitosterol and Androstan-3-one results indicate that these compounds could be efficient inhibitors of inflammation and reduce the oxidative stress by interfering with the activity of the five studied proteins.
  11. Chimonyo VGP, Govender L, Nyathi M, Scheelbeek PFD, Choruma DJ, Mustafa M, et al.
    Front Nutr, 2023;10:1060246.
    PMID: 36793925 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1060246
    INTRODUCTION: Intercropping cereals with legumes can intensify rainfed cereal monocropping for improved household food and nutritional security. However, there is scant literature confirming the associated nutritional benefits.

    METHODOLOGY: A systematic review and meta-analysis of nutritional water productivity (NWP) and nutrient contribution (NC) of selected cereal-legume intercrop systems was conducted through literature searches in Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect databases. After the assessment, only nine articles written in English that were field experiments comprising grain cereal and legume intercrop systems were retained. Using the R statistical software (version 3.6.0), paired t-tests were used to determine if differences existed between the intercrop system and the corresponding cereal monocrop for yield (Y), water productivity (WP), NC, and NWP.

    RESULTS: The intercropped cereal or legume yield was 10 to 35% lower than that for the corresponding monocrop system. In most instances, intercropping cereals with legumes improved NY, NWP, and NC due to their added nutrients. Substantial improvements were observed for calcium (Ca), where NY, NWP, and NC improved by 658, 82, and 256%, respectively.

    DISCUSSION: Results showed that cereal-legume intercrop systems could improve nutrient yield in water-limited environments. Promoting cereal- legume intercrops that feature nutrient-dense legume component crops could contribute toward addressing the SDGs of Zero Hunger (SDG 3), Good Health and Well-3 (SDG 2) and Responsible consumption and production (SDG 12).

  12. Karobari MI, Adil AH, Basheer SN, Murugesan S, Savadamoorthi KS, Mustafa M, et al.
    Comput Math Methods Med, 2023;2023:7049360.
    PMID: 36761829 DOI: 10.1155/2023/7049360
    AIM: This comprehensive review is aimed at evaluating the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of artificial intelligence in endodontic dentistry.

    INTRODUCTION: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a relatively new technology that has widespread use in dentistry. The AI technologies have primarily been used in dentistry to diagnose dental diseases, plan treatment, make clinical decisions, and predict the prognosis. AI models like convolutional neural networks (CNN) and artificial neural networks (ANN) have been used in endodontics to study root canal system anatomy, determine working length measurements, detect periapical lesions and root fractures, predict the success of retreatment procedures, and predict the viability of dental pulp stem cells. Methodology. The literature was searched in electronic databases such as Google Scholar, Medline, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus, published over the last four decades (January 1980 to September 15, 2021) by using keywords such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, application, endodontics, and dentistry.

    RESULTS: The preliminary search yielded 2560 articles relevant enough to the paper's purpose. A total of 88 articles met the eligibility criteria. The majority of research on AI application in endodontics has concentrated on tracing apical foramen, verifying the working length, projection of periapical pathologies, root morphologies, and retreatment predictions and discovering the vertical root fractures.

    CONCLUSION: In endodontics, AI displayed accuracy in terms of diagnostic and prognostic evaluations. The use of AI can help enhance the treatment plan, which in turn can lead to an increase in the success rate of endodontic treatment outcomes. The AI is used extensively in endodontics and could help in clinical applications, such as detecting root fractures, periapical pathologies, determining working length, tracing apical foramen, the morphology of root, and disease prediction.

  13. Lee SH, Yeoh ZX, Sachlin IS, Gazali N, Soelar SA, Foo CY, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2022 02 08;12(1):2111.
    PMID: 35136124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06029-6
    Alterations in the three chemosensory modalities-smell, taste, and chemesthesis-have been implicated in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet emerging data suggest a wide geographic and ethnic variation in the prevalence of these symptoms. Studies on chemosensory disorders in COVID-19 have predominantly focused on Caucasian populations whereas Asians remain understudied. We conducted a nationwide, multicentre cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire on a cohort of RT-PCR-confirmed adult COVID-19 patients in Malaysia between 6 June and 30 November 2020. The aim of our study was to investigate their presenting symptoms and assess their chemosensory function using self-ratings of perceived smell, taste, chemesthesis, and nasal blockage. In this cohort of 498 patients, 41.4% reported smell and/or taste loss when diagnosed with COVID-19, which was the commonest symptom. Blocked nose, loss of appetite, and gastrointestinal disturbances were independent predictors of smell and/or taste loss on multivariate analysis. Self-ratings of chemosensory function revealed a reduction in smell, taste, and chemesthesis across the entire cohort of patients that was more profound among those reporting smell and/or taste loss as their presenting symptom. Perceived nasal obstruction accounted for only a small proportion of changes in smell and taste, but not for chemesthesis, supporting viral disruption of sensorineural mechanisms as the dominant aetiology of chemosensory dysfunction. Our study suggests that chemosensory dysfunction in COVID-19 is more widespread than previously reported among Asians and may be related to the infectivity of viral strains.Study Registration: NMRR-20-934-54803 and NCT04390165.
  14. Bilgrami A, Alam MK, Qazi FUR, Maqsood A, Basha S, Ahmed N, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2022 Jan 24;14(3).
    PMID: 35160456 DOI: 10.3390/polym14030466
    A vital feature of conservative dentistry is the adhesion of the restorative material to the tooth structure for restoration of the tooth substance lost due to dental decay, trauma, or dental imperfections. In a perfect world, a restorative material should generate a lasting adhesion by bonding the restoration with tooth tissues. The ingress of micro-organisms, oral fluids, molecules, and ions through microscopic spaces due to faulty adhesion between restoration and tooth structure is known as microleakage. This study is focuses on the evaluation of adhesive failures between the restorative materials. In the past, studies have focused more on the bonding potential of a restorative material with the tooth surface. Therefore, there is need to carry out a study that compares the microleakage between resin-based restorative materials in a sandwich manner with and without the intermediate bonding layer after immersion in 2% methylene blue dye at different time intervals. The restorative materials used were composite Ceram X Mono plus (DENTSPLY) and Z350 (3M ESPE), Vitremer resin modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) (3M ESPE), smart dentine replacement SDR (3M ESPE), Bond NT (DENTSPLY), and Universal Bond (3M ESPE). A light emitting diode (LED) was used to cure the specimens. Artificial saliva was used as a storage medium for the specimens. Thermocycling of specimens was carried out at 500 cycles/30 s and 1000 cycles/30 s. The world health organization (WHO) grading tool for microleakage was used to analyze fluid ingress in the specimens through disclosing by 2% methylene blue dye. The statistical analysis was carried out with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey post hoc test, keeping the level of significance at p ≤ 0.05. In Grade 0 = 85 samples, Grade 1 = 10 samples, Grade 2 = 7 samples, Grade 3 = 16 samples, and in Grade 4 = 2 samples were identified. This study describes that no microleakage was observed in SDR and resin composite groups as compared to Vitremer and resin composite groups.
  15. Ismail SMY, Murray CM, Olusa TAO, Ismail MM, Hailat NQ, Yen HH, et al.
    Anat Histol Embryol, 2022 Jan;51(1):143-152.
    PMID: 34882828 DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12771
    This study was conducted to describe the morphometrics of nuchal ligament and investigate the effects of different neck and body positions on the nuchal ligament in greyhounds. Nine adult greyhounds cadavers without any locomotion abnormalities were dissected through the neck musculature on the left side to expose the nuchal ligament. Three pins were placed to mark regions of interest on the nuchal ligament: at one cm cranial to the site of origin (the most dorsal point of the spinous process of the first thoracic vertebra), at the midpoint of the nuchal ligament and one cm caudal to the nuchal ligament site of insertion (close to the caudal aspect of the spinous process of the axis). Each cadaver was positioned on a masonite board and placed on a table on the floor in their lateral recumbency and seven different standardized body positions; P1-P7 were mimicked using goniometers and metal wires. Photographs were taken by positioning and fixing the camera above the nuchal ligament region. The length and widths (W1, W2 and W3) of nuchal ligament were measured using Image Pro software (Image-Pro Express version 5.0) on standardized photographs of each of seven different body and neck positions. The length of nuchal ligament in relation to the neutral position (P1) was less (- 7%, p > 0·05) in P6 (neck elevated) and increased in all other positions (+1%, p > 0·05 for P2, +19%, p  0·05 for P5, +40%, p 
  16. Alomar MK, Khaleel F, Aljumaily MM, Masood A, Razali SFM, AlSaadi MA, et al.
    PLoS One, 2022;17(11):e0277079.
    PMID: 36327280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277079
    Atmospheric air temperature is the most crucial metrological parameter. Despite its influence on multiple fields such as hydrology, the environment, irrigation, and agriculture, this parameter describes climate change and global warming quite well. Thus, accurate and timely air temperature forecasting is essential because it provides more important information that can be relied on for future planning. In this study, four Data-Driven Approaches, Support Vector Regression (SVR), Regression Tree (RT), Quantile Regression Tree (QRT), ARIMA, Random Forest (RF), and Gradient Boosting Regression (GBR), have been applied to forecast short-, and mid-term air temperature (daily, and weekly) over North America under continental climatic conditions. The time-series data is relatively long (2000 to 2021), 70% of the data are used for model calibration (2000 to 2015), and the rest are used for validation. The autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation functions have been used to select the best input combination for the forecasting models. The quality of predicting models is evaluated using several statistical measures and graphical comparisons. For daily scale, the SVR has generated more accurate estimates than other models, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE = 3.592°C), Correlation Coefficient (R = 0.964), Mean Absolute Error (MAE = 2.745°C), and Thiels' U-statistics (U = 0.127). Besides, the study found that both RT and SVR performed very well in predicting weekly temperature. This study discovered that the duration of the employed data and its dispersion and volatility from month to month substantially influence the predictive models' efficacy. Furthermore, the second scenario is conducted using the randomization method to divide the data into training and testing phases. The study found the performance of the models in the second scenario to be much better than the first one, indicating that climate change affects the temperature pattern of the studied station. The findings offered technical support for generating high-resolution daily and weekly temperature forecasts using Data-Driven Methodologies.
  17. Sahani M, Othman H, Kwan SC, Juneng L, Ibrahim MF, Hod R, et al.
    Front Public Health, 2022;10:909779.
    PMID: 36311578 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.909779
    The impacts of climate change and degradation are increasingly felt in Malaysia. While everyone is vulnerable to these impacts, the health and wellbeing of children are disproportionately affected. We carried out a study composed of two major components. The first component is an environmental epidemiology study comprised of three sub-studies: (i) a global climate model (GCM) simulating specific health-sector climate indices; (ii) a time-series study to estimate the risk of childhood respiratory disease attributable to ambient air pollution; and (iii) a case-crossover study to identify the association between haze and under-five mortality in Malaysia. The GCM found that Malaysia has been experiencing increasing rainfall intensity over the years, leading to increased incidences of other weather-related events. The time-series study revealed that air quality has worsened, while air pollution and haze have been linked to an increased risk of hospitalization for respiratory diseases among children. Although no clear association between haze and under-five mortality was found in the case-crossover study, the lag patterns suggested that health effects could be more acute if haze occurred over a longer duration and at a higher intensity. The second component consists of three community surveys on marginalized children conducted (i) among the island community of Pulau Gaya, Sabah; (ii) among the indigenous Temiar tribe in Pos Kuala Mu, Perak; and (iii) among an urban poor community (B40) in PPR Sg. Bonus, Kuala Lumpur. The community surveys are cross-sectional studies employing a socio-ecological approach using a standardized questionnaire. The community surveys revealed how children adapt to climate change and environmental degradation. An integrated model was established that consolidates our overall research processes and demonstrates the crucial interconnections between environmental challenges exacerbated by climate change. It is recommended that Malaysian schools adopt a climate-smart approach to education to instill awareness of the impending climate change and its cascading impact on children's health from early school age.
  18. Memon A, Wazir Bin Mustafa M, Anjum W, Ahmed A, Ullah S, Altbawi SMA, et al.
    PLoS One, 2022;17(5):e0265611.
    PMID: 35551274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265611
    A brushless double-fed induction generator (BDFIG) has shown tremendous success in wind turbines due to its robust brushless design, smooth operation, and variable speed characteristics. However, the research regarding controlling of machine during low voltage ride through (LVRT) need greater attention as it may cause total disconnection of machine. In addition, the BDFIG based wind turbines must be capable of providing controlled amount of reactive power to the grid as per modern grid code requirements. Also, a suitable dynamic response of machine during both normal and fault conditions needs to be ensured. This paper, as such, attempts to provide reactive power to the grid by analytically calculating the decaying flux and developing a rotor side converter control scheme accordingly. Furthermore, the dynamic response and LVRT capability of the BDFIG is enhanced by using one of the very intelligent optimization algorithms called the Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA). To prove the efficacy of the proposed control scheme, its performance is compared with that of the particle swan optimization (PSO) based controller in terms of limiting the fault current, regulating active and reactive power, and maintaining the stable operation of the power system under identical operating conditions. The simulation results show that the proposed control scheme significantly improves the dynamic response and LVRT capability of the developed BDFIG based wind energy conversion system; thus proves its essence and efficacy.
  19. Maeno H, Wong PF, AbuBakar S, Yang M, Sam SS, Jamil-Abd J, et al.
    Micromachines (Basel), 2021 Nov 30;12(12).
    PMID: 34945351 DOI: 10.3390/mi12121503
    Serum is commonly used as a specimen in immunoassays but the presence of heterophilic antibodies can potentially interfere with the test results. Previously, we have developed a microfluidic device called: 3D Stack for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). However, its evaluation was limited to detection from a single protein solution. Here, we investigated the sensitivity of the 3D Stack in detecting a severe dengue biomarker-soluble CD163 (sCD163)-within the serum matrix. To determine potential interactions with serum matrix, a spike-and-recovery assay was performed, using 3D Stacks with and without surface modification by an EDC-NHS (N-ethyl-N'-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide) coupling. Without surface modification, a reduced analyte recovery in proportion to serum concentration was observed because of the Vroman effect, which resulted in competitive displacement of coated capture antibodies by serum proteins with stronger binding affinities. However, EDC-NHS coupling prevented antibody desorption and improved the sensitivity. Subsequent comparison of sCD163 detection using a 3D Stack with EDC-NHS coupling and conventional ELISA in dengue patients' sera revealed a high correlation (R = 0.9298, p < 0.0001) between the two detection platforms. Bland-Altman analysis further revealed insignificant systematic error between the mean differences of the two methods. These data suggest the potentials of the 3D Stack for further development as a detection platform.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links