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Practice and knowledge of dietary supplement consumption among Indonesian adults post-delta wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

d'Arqom A, Nasution MZ, Kadir SZSA, Yusof J, Govindaraju K

F1000Res, 2023;12:3.
PMID: 37469719 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.129045.2

Background: Increasing dietary supplement (DS) consumption was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, including during the post-Delta wave period. This study aimed to measure the practice of DS consumption and respondents' knowledge of DS. Methods: An internet-based survey was distributed from October-December 2021 and obtained 541 valid and completed responses. Descriptive analysis was performed to present the practice of DS consumption, including frequency, duration, aim, preferable dosage form etc. Level of knowledge on DS principles, side effects and regulation were also measured. Inferential analyses were conducted to determine the predictors of the respondents' DS practice and level of knowledge. Results: Data from 541 valid responses showed that 77.63% of respondents consumed DS in the last 3 months, with only 59.52% reporting also consuming DS before the COVID-19 pandemic. One half of the respondents had good knowledge about DS; however, some knowledge regarding side effects and possible drug-supplement interaction needed improvement. Their DS consumption practice was affected by their economic status and history of contracting COVID-19. Nevertheless, the level of knowledge was not affected by the sociodemographic factors and DS supplement experience. Conclusions: Taken together, the practice of self-consumption of DS in Indonesia is increasing; hence, knowledge of DS is necessary to avoid detrimental effects that might occur in the future. Increasing access to information on better labelling and educating consumers about DS are important actions to consider.
Fulltext Drivers of green purchasing behaviour: a systematic review and a research agenda

Yusoff N, Alias M, Ismail N

F1000Res, 2023;12:1286.
PMID: 38196406 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.140765.1

Background: Green purchasing is an important aspect of sustainable consumption, which decreases society's environmental effect. Although numerous research has been conducted to investigate the determinants of green buying behaviour, there has been a lack of effort in comprehensively analysing these findings. The purpose of this study is to examine the available literature on the factors that influence green purchasing behaviour. Methods: The review focused on empirical research published in peer-reviewed English-language publications between 2017 and 2021 in Web of Science and Scopus. The research took place from May to June 2021. Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) is used to assess the risk of bias in systematic literature reviews. Results: 41 articles were included, with significant focus on the retailing sector. Most of these studies were centred in Asian countries, primarily China and India. The Theory of Planned Behaviour was the most prominent, appearing 15 times, followed by the Theory of Reasoned Action (seven times). Analysis identified five main themes and 15 sub-themes related to green purchase behaviour drivers. These themes were categorized by occurrence: People (34 papers), marketing (13), knowledge (12), environment (12), and influence (nine). The dominant driver was people (34 studies), encompassing sub-themes including motivation (three), perception (eight), behavioural (13), and psychographic characteristics (10). Conclusions: This study has given an overview of the present status of green purchasing behaviour, which serves as a foundation for future studies and guidance for policymakers and practitioners. However, it does not include unpublished materials and non-English papers. Secondly, it focuses on articles from two databases within the last five years which doesn't encompass all article types, prompting the need for future exploration. Thirdly, extending the review's time frame could unveil more pronounced GPB patterns. Lastly, although all eligible papers were assessed based on criteria, the chance of overlooking some papers is acknowledged.
Fulltext Lightning Behaviour during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Yusfiandika F, Lim SC, Gomes C, Chockalingam A, Cheng Pay L

F1000Res, 2021 09 09;10:906.
PMID: 34804502 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.70650.2

Background COVID-19 has drastically dampened human activities since early 2020. Studies have shown that this has resulted in changes in air temperature and humidity. Since lightning activities are dependent on air temperature and humidity, this study is conducted to evaluate the correlation between the intensity of lightning activities with the atmospheric changes, and investigates the changes, in lightning activities due to atmospheric changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The hypothesis was tested through a t-test and Pearson's correlation study. The variation trend of lightning strikes count (LSC) in Europe and Oceania during the five months COVID-19 lockdown period (March - July) compared to the same period in the previous five years from 2015 to 2019 is investigated. Results Statistical analysis shows the LSC in Europe and Oceania during the lockdown period dropped significantly by more than 50% and 44% respectively compared to the same period in previous five years. Furthermore, LSC was found to be positively correlated with air temperature and relative humidity in Europe. However, in Oceania, LSC seems to be only positively correlated with air temperature but negatively correlated with relative humidity. Conclusions This study seems to suggest that lightning activities have significantly changed during this pandemic due to reduction in human activities.
Fulltext Ocimum basilicum (kemangi) intervention on powder and microencapsulated Spirulina platensis and its bioactive molecules

Yuliani Y, Riyadi PH, Dewi EN, Jaswir I, Agustini TW

F1000Res, 2021;10:485.
PMID: 35083034 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.52394.2

Background: Spirulina platensis contains several bioactive molecules such as phenol, flavonoid and phycocyanin pigments. This study unveils total phenol, flavonoid, antioxidant activity, phycocyanin content and evaluated encapsulation efficiency from Ocimum basilicum intervention on S. platensis. O. basilicum intervention aims to reduce unpleasant odors from S. platensis that will increase consumption and increase bioactive compounds. Methods: The intervention was carried out by soaking a S. platensis control sample (SP) in O. basilicum with a ratio of 1:4 (w/v) and it was then dried (DSB) and microencapsulated by freeze drying methods (MSB) using a combination of maltodextrin and gelatin. Total flavonoid and phenolic analysis with curve fitting analysis used a linear regression approach. Antioxidant activity of samples was analysed with the 2,2'-azino-bis-3-3thylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) method. Data were analysed using ANOVA at significance level (p < 0.05) followed by Tukey test models using SPSS v.22. Results: The result of this study indicated that O. basilicum intervention treatment (DSB) has the potential to increase bioactive compounds such as total phenol, antioxidant activity and phycocyanin, and flavonoid content. Intervention of O. basilicum on S. platensis (DSB) significantly increases total phenol by 49.5% and phycocyanin by 40.7%. This is due to the phenol and azulene compounds in O. basilicum which have a synergistic effect on phenol and phycocyanin in S. platensis. Microencapsulation using a maltodexrin and gelatin coating is effective in phycocyanin protection and antioxidant activity with an encapsulation efficiency value of 71.58% and 80.5%. Conclusion: The intervention of O. basilicum on S. platensis improved the total phenol and phycocyanin content and there is potential for a pharmaceutical product for a functional food and pharmaceutical product.
Fulltext Health and saliva microbiomes of a semi-urbanized indigenous tribe in Peninsular Malaysia

Yeo LF, Aghakhanian FF, Tan JSY, Gan HM, Phipps ME

F1000Res, 2019;8:175.
PMID: 31275564 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.17706.3

Background: The indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia, also known as Orang Asli, have gradually been urbanized. A shift towards non-communicable diseases commonly associated with sedentary lifestyles have been reported in many tribes. This study engaged with a semi-urbanized Temiar tribe from Kampong Pos Piah, Perak, who are experiencing an epidemiological transition. Methods: Weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, HbA1C and lipid levels were measured as indicators of cardio-metabolic health. DNA was extracted from saliva using salting-out method followed by PCR amplification of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and sequencing on Illumina MiSeq. Microbiome analysis was conducted on Qiime v1.9. Statistical analysis was conducted using Qiime v1.9 and R. Results: The study revealed that 60.4% of the Temiar community were overweight/obese, with a higher prevalence among women. HbA1C levels showed that 45% of Temiar had pre-diabetes. Insulin resistance was identified in 21% of Temiar by using a surrogate marker, TG/HDL. In total, 56.5% of Temiar were pre-hypertensive, and the condition was prevalent across all age-groups. The saliva microbiome profiles of Temiar revealed significant differences by gender, BMI, abdominal obesity as well as smoking status. The relative abundance of the genus Bifidobacterium was increased in men whereas the genera Prevotella, Capnocytophaga, Leptotrichia, Neisseria and Streptococcus were increased in women. Proteobacteria was significantly depleted in smokers. Conclusions: Temiar from Pos Piah had a high prevalence of cardio-metabolic risks, including general and abdominal obesity, pre-diabetes, prehypertension and hypertension. This phenomenon has not been previously reported in this tribe. The saliva microbiome profiles were significantly different for individuals of different gender, BMI, abdominal obesity and smoking status.
Numerical model for enhancing stimulated Brillouin scattering in optical microfibers

Yeap SH, Emami SD, Abdul-Rashid HA

F1000Res, 2021;10:521.
PMID: 37745939 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.51029.2

Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is useful, among others for generating slow light, sensing and amplification. SBS was previously viewed as a poor method due to the limitation on optical power in high-powered photonic applications. However, considering the many possible applications using SBS, it is now of interest to enhance SBS in areas of Brillouin frequency shift together with Brillouin Gain. A numerical model, using a fully vectorial approach, by employing the finite element method, was developed to investigate methods for enhancing SBS in optical fiber. This paper describes the method related to the numerical model and discusses the analysis between the interactions of longitudinal, shear and hybrid acoustic modes; and optical modes in optical fiber. Two case studies were used to demonstrate this. Based on this numerical model, we report the influence of core radius, clad radius and effective refractive index on the Brillouin frequency shift and gain. We observe the difference of Brillouin shift frequency between a normal silica optical fiber and that of a microfiber - a uniformed silica fiber of a much smaller core and cladding dimensions where nonlinearities are higher. Also observed, the different core radii used and their respective Brillouin shift. For future work, the COMSOL model can also be used for the following areas of research, including simulating "surface Brillouin shift" and also to provide in-sights to the Brillouin shift frequency vB of various structures of waveguides, e.g circular, and triangular, and also to examine specialty fibers, e.g. Thulium and Chalcogenide doped fibers, and their effects on Brillouin shift frequency.
Fulltext Visual acuity measured with luminance-modulated and contrast-modulated noise letter stimuli in young adults and adults above 50 years old

Woi PJ, Kaur S, Waugh SJ, Hairol MI

F1000Res, 2016;5:1961.
PMID: 28184281 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.9410.1

The human visual system is sensitive in detecting objects that have different luminance level from their background, known as first-order or luminance-modulated (LM) stimuli. We are also able to detect objects that have the same mean luminance as their background, only differing in contrast (or other attributes). Such objects are known as second-order or contrast-modulated (CM), stimuli. CM stimuli are thought to be processed in higher visual areas compared to LM stimuli, and may be more susceptible to ageing. We compared visual acuities (VA) of five healthy older adults (54.0±1.83 years old) and five healthy younger adults (25.4±1.29 years old) with LM and CM letters under monocular and binocular viewing. For monocular viewing, age had no effect on VA [F(1, 8)= 2.50, p> 0.05]. However, there was a significant main effect of age on VA under binocular viewing [F(1, 8)= 5.67, p< 0.05]. Binocular VA with CM letters in younger adults was approximately two lines better than that in older adults. For LM, binocular summation ratios were similar for older (1.16±0.21) and younger (1.15±0.06) adults. For CM, younger adults had higher binocular summation ratio (1.39±0.08) compared to older adults (1.12±0.09). Binocular viewing improved VA with LM letters for both groups similarly. However, in older adults, binocular viewing did not improve VA with CM letters as much as in younger adults. This could reflect a decline of higher visual areas due to ageing process, most likely higher than V1, which may be missed if measured with luminance-based stimuli alone.
Fulltext BioHackathon 2015: Semantics of data for life sciences and reproducible research

Vos RA, Katayama T, Mishima H, Kawano S, Kawashima S, Kim JD, et al.

F1000Res, 2020;9:136.
PMID: 32308977 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.18236.1

We report on the activities of the 2015 edition of the BioHackathon, an annual event that brings together researchers and developers from around the world to develop tools and technologies that promote the reusability of biological data. We discuss issues surrounding the representation, publication, integration, mining and reuse of biological data and metadata across a wide range of biomedical data types of relevance for the life sciences, including chemistry, genotypes and phenotypes, orthology and phylogeny, proteomics, genomics, glycomics, and metabolomics. We describe our progress to address ongoing challenges to the reusability and reproducibility of research results, and identify outstanding issues that continue to impede the progress of bioinformatics research. We share our perspective on the state of the art, continued challenges, and goals for future research and development for the life sciences Semantic Web.
Fulltext Relationship and career challenges faced by people infected with HIV in Malaysia

Tuan Abdullah TN, Mat Min R, Hossain M, Abdullah SS

F1000Res, 2019;8:1994.
PMID: 33214871 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.21079.3

Background: In Malaysia, there are still lack of studies related to the challenges of people infected with HIV (PIWH). Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the experiences of PIWH and how they cope with HIV. Methods: This qualitative study was based on a social constructivist and grounded theory approach. A total of 12 PIWH were selected by purposive sampling, all of whom participated in semi-structured and audio-recorded interviews, which were supported with non-participant observations and diary entries on three occasions for each participant. The interviews and diaries were transcribed and analysed using the grounded theory approach, which was assisted by utilizing NVIVO-8 to identify the themes related to the experiences of the participants. Results: PIWH experienced challenges related to their career and relationships with family and others. These challenges led to difficulties in gaining employment and career development, as well as feelings of denial, being uncomfortable, rejection, and labelling. They found that their lives were totally and dramatically changed after being tested positive for HIV. Conclusions: Among PIWH, HIV impacted relationships with significant others and career development. The absence of support and acceptance from significant others affected the ability of PIWH to cope with their daily challenges. The results of this study have implications for policymakers in terms of gaining sufficient knowledge and awareness to provide prevention programmes for HIV/AIDS.
Academic entrepreneurial engagement for frugal innovation in higher education institutions: a systematic literature review

Toyin Ojo O, Dorasamy M, W Migin M, Jayabalan J, R R, Tung SS

F1000Res, 2021;10:1078.
PMID: 37593130 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.73312.2

Higher education institutions (HEI) are faced with increasing challenges related to shrinking resources, high operation costs, the COVID-19 pandemic, decreasing student enrolment rates, and pressure to contribute to regional development and economic growth. To overcome such challenges, academics must move beyond their traditional functions of research and teaching and engage in entrepreneurial activities. Through engagement in entrepreneurial activities, academics can contribute to frugal innovation (FI) in private HEI (PHEI). The literature in this context emphasizes that academic entrepreneurial engagement (AEE) will lead to innovation, the identification of opportunities for new business ventures, financial rewards for institutions and academics, an impact on the economy, and the enhancement of social welfare. This study presents a systematic review of the literature and adopts the Transfield five-phase strategy to review the literature on AEE from the past two decades (2000-2020). A total of 1,067 papers on FI are obtained, only five of which focus on AEE. Moreover, papers related to AEE for FI are few. The study presents the research gaps, challenges, and potential factors for further research in this context. We conclude that FI for AEE in PHEI can be a game-changer for future sustainability. Moreover, we believe that the outcome of this review warrants further research.
Fulltext Behavioural and emotional issues among primary school pupils with congenital colour vision deficiency in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A case-control study

Thomas BAWM, Kaur S, Hairol MI, Ahmad M, Wee LH

F1000Res, 2018;7:1834.
PMID: 30815251 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.17006.1

Background: Congenital colour vision deficiency (CCVD) is an untreatable disorder which has lifelong consequences. Increasing use of colours in schools has raised concern for pupils with CCVD. This case-control study was conducted to compare behavioural and emotional issues among age, gender and class-matched pupils with CCVD and normal colour vision (NCV). Methods: A total of 1732 pupils from 10 primary schools in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur were screened, of which 46 pupils (45 males and 1 female) had CCVD. Mothers of male pupils with CCVD (n=44) and NCV (n=44) who gave consent were recruited to complete a self-administered parent report form, Child Behaviour Checklist for Ages 4-18 (CBCL/ 4-18) used to access behavioural and emotional problems. The CBCL/ 4-18 has three broad groupings: Internalising, Externalising and Total Behaviour Problems. Internalising Problems combines the Withdrawn, Somatic Complaints and Anxiety/ Depression sub constructs, while Externalising Problems combines the Delinquent and Aggressive Behaviour sub constructs. Results: Results from CBCL/ 4-18 showed that all pupils from both groups had scores within the normal range for all constructs. However, results from the statistical analysis for comparison, Mann-Whitney U test, showed that pupils with CCVD scored significantly higher for Externalising Problems (U=697.50, p=0.02) and Total Behaviour Problems (U=647.00, p= 0.01). Significantly higher scores were observed in Withdrawn (U=714.00, p=0.02), Thought Problems (U=438.50, p<0.001) and Aggressive Behaviour (U=738.00, p=0.04). Odds ratios, 95% CI, showed significant relative risk for high Total Behaviour Problem (OR:2.39 ,CI:1.0-5.7), Externalising Problems (OR:2.32, CI:1.0-5.5), Withdrawn (OR:2.67, CI:1.1-6.5), Thought Problems (OR:9.64, CI:3.6-26.1) and Aggressive Behaviour (OR:10.26, CI:3.4-31.0) scores among pupils with CCVD. Conclusion: Higher scores among CCVD pupils indicates that they present more behavioural and emotional problems compared to NCV pupils. Therefore, school vision screenings in Malaysia should also include colour vision to assist in the early clinical management of CCVD children.
Corporate governance and shareholders' confidence in cooperativess a systematic literature review

Thangaveloo A, Dorasamy M, Bin Ahmad AA, Marimuthu SB, Jayabalan J

F1000Res, 2022;11:144.
PMID: 38434005 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.73317.2

Background: The confidence of Bottom 40 (B40) shareholders is crucial for cooperative's sustenance within wider corporate governance. An in-depth study on cooperatives is needed, as they play a crucial role in the Malaysian economic system and contribute greatly to the country's social development. However, in the current landscape, confidence among shareholders is at stake. This study aims to identify the research gap into corporate governance for cooperativess in relation to B40 shareholder confidence, as well as identify current study challenges and develop a conceptual framework for future research. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review, with the use of agency theory to assess shareholders' confidence. Emerald, ProQuest, InderScience, Scopus and Science Direct were the online databases used in this study to search five keyword phrases: corporate governance, confidence, cooperative, agency theory and Bottom 40% (B40) household. Tranfield's five stages were used to conduct the systematic review. Results: Only 5 of the 324 studies assess shareholders' confidence in cooperatives, as well as one paper on B40 and two papers on agency theory. Our review presents three major findings. First, research in the context of B40 shareholder's confidence in cooperatives is scarce. Second, the challenges related to shareholders' confidence in B40 are major issues in the context. Third, research on agency theory in the context of shareholders' confidence within cooperatives and corporate governance is still scant. Conclusions: This review urges the research community to conduct more studies based on the highlighted research gaps.
Modified recurrent equation-based cubic spline interpolation for missing data recovery in phasor measurement unit (PMU)

Thangaraj S, Goh VT, Yap TTV

F1000Res, 2022;11:246.
PMID: 38152076 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.73182.3

BACKGROUND: Smart grid systems require high-quality Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) data for proper operation, control, and decision-making. Missing PMU data may lead to improper actions or even blackouts. While the conventional cubic interpolation methods based on the solution of a set of linear equations to solve for the cubic spline coefficients have been applied by many researchers for interpolation of missing data, the computational complexity increases non-linearly with increasing data size.
METHODS: In this work, a modified recurrent equation-based cubic spline interpolation procedure for recovering missing PMU data is proposed. The recurrent equation-based method makes the computations of spline constants simpler. Using PMU data from the State Load Despatch Center (SLDC) in Madhya Pradesh, India, a comparison of the root mean square error (RMSE) values and time of calculation (ToC) is calculated for both methods.
RESULTS: The modified recurrent relation method could retrieve missing values 10 times faster when compared to the conventional cubic interpolation method based on the solution of a set of linear equations. The RMSE values have shown the proposed method is effective even for special cases of missing values (edges, continuous missing values).
CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method can retrieve any number of missing values at any location using observed data with a minimal number of calculations.
Fulltext Parents' perceptions on policies of early childhood care and education programmes in selected states of Malaysia

Tang D, Peng Chew F, Abdul Rahman M, Dhamotharan M

F1000Res, 2022;11:938.
PMID: 36226043 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.122443.2

BACKGROUND: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development proposed global equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all children . The quality of early childhood care and education (ECCE) programs helps shape children's minds, attitudes and behaviors, and has short and long-term effects on a child, a family and a country. In Malaysia, the government has formulated some policies and laws to protect children's rights. However, ECCE is facing some challenges. The purpose of this study is to investigate parents' perceptions of the quality of ECCE programs implemented by Malaysian government.
METHODS: A mixed method was used to collect data on parents' perceptions of ECCE policies in selected states in Malaysia. The questionnaires, (P1/POL) from the research project "Development of a Comprehensive and Integrated Model of Quality Malaysian ECCE", were distributed among 629 respondents who have a child in a preschool, and 22 participants were randomly selected to take part in five focus group interviews Results: The key findings of the study revealed 68% parents were not familiar with ECCE Malaysian government policy, however 84.3% stressed it is important for the government to educate them about ECCE. Thus findings indicated that the majority of parents lack awareness of the ECCE policies and quality of early childhood care and education programs related to the policies remain the issue. While interviewing the focus group ,most of them were not aware of ECCE and pointed out parents are stressing children's academic learning in particular preschools.
CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that parents' awareness regarding the ECCE program must be part of the policies and needs to improve. It is recommended that the government of Malaysia should supply more information on ECCE policies to parents and focus on policy implementation. Moreover, the quality of ECCE programs should be improved based on the parents' perceptions.
Integrating augmented reality technology in education: vector personal computer augmented reality

Tan SY, Tay NNW

F1000Res, 2021;10:987.
PMID: 37767360 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.72948.2

Background: Educators often face difficulties in explaining abstract concepts such as vectors. During the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, fully online classes have also caused additional challenges to using conventional teaching methods. To explain a vector concept of more than 2 dimensions, visualization becomes a problem. Although Microsoft PowerPoint can integrate animation, the illustration is still in 2-dimensions. Augmented reality (AR) technology is recommended to aid educators and students in teaching-learning vectors, namely via a vector personal computer augmented reality system (VPCAR), to fulfil the demand for tools to support the learning and teaching of vectors. Methods: A PC learning module for vectors was developed in a 3-dimensional coordinate system by using AR technology. Purposive sampling was applied to get feedback from educators and students in Malaysia through an online survey. The supportiveness of using VPCAR based on six items (attractiveness, easiness, visualization, conceptual understanding, inspiration and helpfulness) was recorded on 5-points Likert-type scales. Findings are presented descriptively and graphically. Results: Surprisingly, both students and educators adapted to the new technology easily and provided significant positive feedback that showed a left-skewed and J-shaped distribution for each measurement item, respectively. The distributions were proven significantly different among the students and educators, where supportive level result of educators was higher than students. This study introduced a PC learning module other than mobile apps as students mostly use laptops to attend online class and educators also engage other IT tools in their teaching. Conclusions: Based on these findings, VPCAR provides a good prospect in supporting educators and students during their online teaching-learning process. However, the findings may not be generalizable to all students and educators in Malaysia as purposive sampling was applied. Further studies may focus on government-funded schools using the newly developed VPCAR system, which is the novelty of this study.
Fulltext A TRIZ-driven conceptualisation of finger grip enhancer designs for the elderly

Tan DWH, Ng PK, Noor EEM

F1000Res, 2021;10:392.
PMID: 34354817 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.51705.1

Background: Elderly people with severe finger weakness may need assistive health technology interventions. Finger weakness impedes the elderly in executing activities of daily living such as unbuttoning shirts and opening clothes pegs. While studies have related finger weakness with ageing effects, there appears to be no research that uses an algorithmic problem-solving approach such as the theory of inventive problem-solving (TRIZ) to recommend finger grip assistive technologies that resolve the issue of finger weakness among the elderly. Using TRIZ, this study aims to conceptualise finger grip enhancer designs for elderly people. Methods: Several TRIZ tools such as the cause-and-effect chain (CEC) analysis, engineering contradiction, physical contradiction, and substance-field analysis are used to conceptualise solutions that assist elderly people in their day-to-day pinching activities. Results: Based on the segmentation principle, a finger assistant concept powered by a miniature linear actuator is recommended. Specific product development processes are used to further conceptualise the actuation system. The study concluded that the chosen concept should use a DC motor to actuate fingers through tendon cables triggered by a push start button. Conclusions: Finger pinch degradation worsens the quality of life of the elderly. A finger grip enhancer that assists in day-to-day activities may be an effective option for elderly people, not only for their physical but also their mental well-being in society.
Fulltext Improving the data access control using blockchain for healthcare domain

Tahir Yinka O, Haw SC, Yap TTV, Subramaniam S

F1000Res, 2021;10:901.
PMID: 34858590 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.72890.3

Introduction: Unauthorized access to data is one of the most significant privacy issues that hinder most industries from adopting big data technologies. Even though specific processes and structures have been put in place to deal with access authorization and identity management for large databases nonetheless, the scalability criteria are far beyond the capabilities of traditional databases. Hence, most researchers are looking into other solutions, such as big data management. Methods: In this paper, we firstly study the strengths and weaknesses of implementing cryptography and blockchain for identity management and authorization control in big data, focusing on the healthcare domain. Subsequently, we propose a decentralized data access and sharing system that preserves privacy to ensure adequate data access management under the blockchain. In addition, we designed a blockchain framework to resolve the decentralized data access and sharing system privacy issues, by implementing a public key infrastructure model, which utilizes a signature cryptography algorithm (elliptic curve and signcryption). Lastly, we compared the proposed blockchain model to previous techniques to see how well it performed. Results: We evaluated the blockchain on four performance metrics which include throughput, latency, scalability, and security. The proposed blockchain model was tested using a sample of 5000 patients and 500,000 observations. The performance evaluation results further showed that the proposed model achieves higher throughput and lower latency compared to existing approaches when the workload varies up to 10,000 transactions. Discussion: This research reviews the importance of blockchains as they provide infinite possibilities to individuals, companies, and governments.
Fulltext The protective effects of antigen-specific IgY on pyocyanin-treated human lymphoma Raji cells

Susilowati H, Artanto S, Yulianto HDK, Sosroseno W, Hutomo S

F1000Res, 2019;8:1008.
PMID: 32025288 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.19327.2

Background: Pyocyanin (PCN), a highly pathogenic pigment produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, induces caspase 3-dependent human B cell (Raji cells) death. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to assess whether antigen-specific IgY antibodies may be protective on PCN-induced Raji cell death. Methods: Chickens were subcutaneously immunized with Freund's complete adjuvant containing PCN, and then given two boosted immunizations. Anti-PCN IgY antibodies were purified from egg yolk and detected using an agar gel precipitation test (AGPT) and ELISA. Protective effects of antigen-specific IgY on Raji cells were tested using a cell viability assay. Results: AGPT results showed the formation of strong immune complex precipitates, whilst ELISA further confirmed the presence of IgY antibodies specific to PCN at significant concentration. Further experiments showed that anti-PCN IgY antibodies significantly increased PCN-treated Raji cell viability in a dose-dependent fashion (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that anti-PCN IgY antibodies may be protective on PCN-induced Raji cell death.
Fulltext Knowledge creation in IT projects to accelerate digital innovation: two decade systematic literature review

Soon Seng T, Dorasamy M, Razak R, Kaliannan M, Sambasivan M

F1000Res, 2021;10:1040.
PMID: 34950455 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.70646.3

The interactivity and ubiquity of digital technologies are exerting a significant impact on the knowledge creation in information technology (KC-IT) projects. According to the literature, the critical relevance of KC-IT is highly associated with digital innovation (DI) for organisational success. However, DI is not yet a fully-fledged research subject but is an evolving corpus of theory and practise that draws from a variety of social science fields. Given the preceding setting, this study explores the interaction of KC-IT with DI. This work provides a systemic literature review (SLR) to examine the literature in KC-IT and its connection to DI. A SLR of 527 papers from 2001 to 2021 was performed across six online databases. The review encompasses quantitative and qualitative studies on KC-IT factors, processes and methods. Three major gaps were found in the SLR. Firstly, only 57 (0.23%) papers were found to examine the association between KC and IT projects. These works were analysed for theories, type of papers, KC-IT factors, processes and methods. Secondly, the convergence reviews indicate that scarce research has examined TMS and trust in KC-IT as factors. Thirdly, only 0.02% (5) core papers appeared in the search relevant to KC in IT projects to accelerate DI. The majority of the papers examined were not linked to DI. A significant gap also exists in these areas. These findings warrant the attention of the research community.
Fulltext Modelling age-friendly environment for social connectedness: a cross-sectional study

Shi Ying L, Ming Ming L, Siok Hwa L

F1000Res, 2021;10:955.
PMID: 35035892 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.73032.1

Background: The increase in aged populations in Malaysia has brought unprecedented challenges to families, policy makers, scholars, and business organisations. This paper adapted the WHO 2007 framework of features of age-friendly cities to examine age-friendly environment constructs and their linkages with social connectedness from the perspective of Malaysian middle-aged and older adults caring for themselves. Methods: A face-to-face cross-sectional survey was conducted on 402 middle-aged and older adults caring for themselves across selected states in west Malaysia, selected via purposive sampling. Firstly, features of age-friendly cities were explored through exploratory factor analysis involving 82 respondents. Subsequently, structural equation modelling was performed, involving 320 respondents. Results: The results indicated that the constructs of an age-friendly environment were built environment, community support and health services, civic participation, and employment as well as communication and information. The structural model provided evidence that implementing age-friendly initiatives relating to built environment, community support and health services, civic participation and employment as well as communication and information enables the ageing population to improve their connectedness with society. These findings supported the ecological theories, agreeing that age-friendly environments help middle-aged and older adults caring for themselves to increase their adaptability and reduce perceived pressure from the environment. This result was in line with the current literature in which an age-friendly environment is a form of support and an enabling environment to cultivate positive social relationships and connectivity. Conclusions: Creating an age-friendly environment that supports active and healthy living for middle-aged and older adults caring for themselves allows them to continue to share their experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. This is helpful and beneficial for societal well-being and economic development as well as for the future generations.

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