The purpose of this research was to study processing variables at the laboratory and pilot scales that can affect hydration rates of xanthan gum matrices containing diclofenac sodium and the rate of drug release. Tablets from the laboratory scale and pilot scale proceedings were made by wet granulation. Swelling indices of xanthan gum formulations prepared with different amounts of water were measured in water under a magnifying lens. Granules were thermally treated in an oven at 60 degrees C, 70 degrees C, and 80 degrees C to study the effects of elevated temperatures on drug release from xanthan gum matrices. Granules from the pilot scale formulations were bulkier compared to their laboratory scale counterparts, resulting in more porous, softer tablets. Drug release was linear from xanthan gum matrices prepared at the laboratory scale and pilot scales; however, release was faster from the pilot scales. Thermal treatment of the granules did not affect the swelling index and rate of drug release from tablets in both the pilot and laboratory scale proceedings. On the other hand, the release from both proceedings was affected by the amount of water used for granulation and the speed of the impeller during granulation. The data suggest that processing variables that affect the degree of wetness during granulation, such as increase in impeller speed and increase in amount of water used for granulation, also may affect the swelling index of xanthan gum matrices and therefore the rate of drug release.
Matched MeSH terms: Weights and Measures/standards
The functions of dams are for water supply, flood control and hydroelectric power generation. A concrete faced rockfill dam (CFRD) is preferred by dam consultants due to its many advantages. It is designed to withstand all applied loads, namely gravity load due to its massive weight and hydrostatic load due to water thrust from the reservoir. The structural response of the Bakun CFRD which is the second highest dam in the world after the Shuibuya Dam, was analyzed using finite element method. A two-dimensional plane strain finite element analysis of the non-linear Duncan-Chang hyperbolic model was used in the study of the dam in respect to the deformation and stresses of the main dam of Bakun CFRD project. The Dead-Birth-Ghost element technique was used to simulate sequences of the construction of the dam. The comparison of rigid and flexible foundation on the behaviour of the dam is discussed in this study. In the finite element modeling, the concrete slab on the upstream was represented through a six-noded element, while the interface characteristic between the dam body and the concrete slab was modeled using an interface element. The maximum settlement and stresses of the cross-section were found and their distribution was discussed and tabulated in the form of contours. The effect of reservoir filling loading had a gradual effect on the dam response behaviour. Comparisons with no water impoundment in the dam were also discussed.
CONTEXT: Selecting an appropriate size double-lumen tube (DLT) for one-lung ventilation has always been a challenge as most choose it based on experience or using the existing guidelines based on gender and height.
AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine if the appropriate choice of this tube could be based on the patients' height, weight, tracheal diameter (TD), or the left main stem bronchus diameter (LMBD) and also to determine the relationship between height and depth of insertion among Asians.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective review of 179 patients who were intubated with a left-sided DLT and also had a posterior-anterior view of a digital chest radiograph for tracheal and left main bronchus diameter measurements. Additional data collected included patients' demographics and DLT size used.
RESULTS: There were 123 (68.7%) males and 56 (31.3%) females with an overall mean age of 33.3 ± 16.3 years. Majority of the males (48.8%) used a size 39 Fr while females (46.4%) used a 35 Fr. There were weak correlations between DLT size with height (male: R2 = 0.222; female: R2 = 0.193), DLT size with weight (male: R2 = 0.109; female: R2 = 0.211), DLT size with TD (male: R2 = 0.027); female: R2 = 0.016), and DLT size with LMBD (male: R2 = 0.222; female: R2 = 0.193). There was a good correlation between depth of DLT inserted with patient's height for both genders.
CONCLUSION: The appropriate size of the left-sided DLT could not be predicted based on patients' height, weight, tracheal or left main bronchus diameter alone in Asians; however, the depth of insertion of the tube was dependent on the height in both genders.
A bulk of used paper supplied to recycling industry may contain water in their internal voids. This is because the price of the used paper is currently based on their weight and it has a huge potential of suppliers to add with water in order to increase the price. Currently used methods for detecting moisture content in a paper are restricted to a sheet of paper only. This paper presents a non-intrusive method for quick and in-situ measurement of water content in a bulk of used paper. The proposed method extends the capability of common paper moisture gauge, by using a neutron device. A fast neutron source (Am-Be 241) and a portable backscattering neutron detector are used for water measurement. It theoretically indicates that the slow neutron counts can be correlated to the hydrogen or water level in a paper. The method has the potential of being used by the paper-recycling industry for rapid and non-destructive measurement of water in a bulk of used paper.
Handgrip strength is useful for screening the nutritional status of adult population as it is strongly associated with physical disabilities and mortality. Therefore, we aimed to determine the predictors of handgrip strength among adults of a rural community in Malaysia using a cross-sectional study design with multistage sampling. All adults aged 30 years and older from 1250 households were invited to our study. Structured questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, occupation history, lifestyle practices, and measurements, including anthropometry and handgrip strength were taken. There were 2199 respondents with 55.2% females and majority were of Malay ethnicity. Their mean (standard deviation) age was 53.4 (13.2) years. The response rate for handgrip strength was 94.2%. Females had significantly lower handgrip strength than males (P < .05). In the multiple linear regression models, significant predictors of handgrip strength for males were age, height, job groups, and diabetes, while for females, the significant predictors were age, weight, height, and diabetes.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most established anthropometric indicator used for assessment of nutritional status. Other anthropometric indicators which are related closely to BMI are waist hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference. In this paper, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the value of waist circumference and waist hip ratio as a screening measure for the need of weight management using BMI as the reference test. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated at several cut-offs. The areas under the ROC curve calculated by comparing waist circumference with BMI were high (0.70 - 0.86) while the areas calculated for WHR were low (0.46 - 0.67). Sensitivities of 0.745 and 0.800 were observed at cut-off points of waist circumference at 90cm and 80cm for males and females respectively, while the false positive rates were 0.233 for males and 0.250 for females. These cut-off points could be considered as a fair trade-off. Therefore it is concluded that waist circumference performed better than WHR as a screening test. It is indicative that waist circumference could be used as a tool in raising awareness of weight management in this population.
Exposure to PCDD/PCDF (dioxin and furan) through consumption of fish and shellfish is closely related to the occurrence of skin diseases, such as chloracne and hyperpigmentation. This study aimed to determine the exposure of PCDD/PCDF and its congeners in fish and shellfish obtained from different regions of the Straits of Malacca among the fishing community.
Double-burden of malnutrition (DBM) is an emerging public health concern among the Orang Asli (indigenous peoples) of Peninsular Malaysia. This study aimed to identify the presence of DBM at the community and household levels in Orang Asli population and its associated demographic and socio-economic factors.
The central and north west coast of Sabah lies along the western extremity of the Coral Triangle, within which are situated several marine protected areas (MPAs). In the present study we determined in situ coral reef fish populations in several localities along the west coast of Sabah, by exploring species abundance, richness and diversity of ten economically important fish species. The underwater surveys were conducted from May to December 2015. During this eight- month period, surveys at each site were undertaken once every two months. Dives were conducted during the daylight hours. A total of 171 individuals from the targeted fish species were enumerated from the 349 still images and 220 minutes of video footage. Abundance was observed mainly in the semi-protected MPA (n=110) with only one fish species recorded with more than 2 individuals at protected MPA and unprotected sites. We observed a correlation between fish species richness and coral topographic complexity, with study sites at the semi-protected MPA having the most complex topography landscape, and accordingly recording the highest Shannon-Wiener index (H= 2.85). Higher abundance recorded at study sites in the unprotected sites and semi-protected MPA indicate that such areas could potentially become de facto MPAs. A long-term monitoring, assessment and evaluation of the multiple degrees of variables involved such as length-weight relationship, type of habitat, variation in depth, and species behaviour are recommended in order to understand better the relationship and dynamics between these variables.
The role of visual acuity and refractive errors in the academic performance of children is controversial due to the variable quality of the research in this area and the mixed findings reported. This review aims to provide clarity by reviewing and critiquing relevant peer-reviewed publications and also summarises what is known regarding the visual demands of modern classroom environments. The outcomes of this review suggest that while a number of studies have investigated the role of vision in relation to children's academic performances, the veracity of the evidence obtained from the majority of these studies is undermined by methodological limitations. Comparisons between studies are constrained by differences in experimental designs, instrumentation and sample characteristics. Despite these limitations, the weight of evidence suggests there is an association between academic performance and both visual acuity and refractive error in children. However, well-designed experimental studies are necessary to further understand the relationship between these parameters.
Previous reports of patients undergoing parathyroidectomy and of patients receiving teriparatide as antiosteoporotic treatment have suggested a plausible relationship between parathyroid hormone (PTH) and uric acid. However, similar data at population level were lacking. The current study aimed to determine the relationship between PTH and uric acid in a group of apparently healthy Malaysian men.
Cancer classification and gene selection in high-dimensional data have been popular research topics in genetics and molecular biology. Recently, adaptive regularized logistic regression using the elastic net regularization, which is called the adaptive elastic net, has been successfully applied in high-dimensional cancer classification to tackle both estimating the gene coefficients and performing gene selection simultaneously. The adaptive elastic net originally used elastic net estimates as the initial weight, however, using this weight may not be preferable for certain reasons: First, the elastic net estimator is biased in selecting genes. Second, it does not perform well when the pairwise correlations between variables are not high. Adjusted adaptive regularized logistic regression (AAElastic) is proposed to address these issues and encourage grouping effects simultaneously. The real data results indicate that AAElastic is significantly consistent in selecting genes compared to the other three competitor regularization methods. Additionally, the classification performance of AAElastic is comparable to the adaptive elastic net and better than other regularization methods. Thus, we can conclude that AAElastic is a reliable adaptive regularized logistic regression method in the field of high-dimensional cancer classification.
In this data article, we provide energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) spectra of the electrospun composite (SnO2-TiO2) nanowires with the elemental values measured in atomic and weight%. The linear sweep voltammetry data of composite and its component nanofibers are provided. The data collected in this article is directly related to our research article "Synergistic combination of electronic and electrical properties of SnO2 and TiO2 in a single SnO2-TiO2 composite nanowire for dye-sensitized solar cells" [1].
The dataset presented here are part of the data planned to produce biodiesel from flaxseed. Biodiesel production from flaxseed oil through transesterification process using KOH as catalyst, and the operating parameters were optimized with the help of face-centered central composite design (FCCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The operating independent variables selected such as, methanol oil ratio (4:1 to 6:1), catalyst (KOH) weight (0.40-1.0%), temperature (35 °C-65 °C), and reaction time (30 min-60 min) were optimized against biodiesel yield as response. The maximum yield (98.6%) of biodiesel from flaxseed can achieved at optimum methanol oil ratio (5.9:1), catalyst (KOH) weight (0.51%), reaction temperature (59.2 °C), and reaction time (33 min). The statistical significance of the data set was tested through the analysis of variance (ANOVA). These data were the part of the results reported in "Optimization of process variables for biodiesel production by transesterification of flaxseed oil and produced biodiesel characterizations" Renewable Energy [1].
This data article is about bats observed from fragmented forest understories interspaced by agricultural plantations, utility corridors, and man-made structures within rural areas of Setiu (Bukit Kesing Forest Reserve and Ladang Tayor TDM) and Hulu Terengganu (Pengkalan Utama and Sungai Buweh, Kenyir) that are situated in Terengganu state, Peninsular Malaysia. Surveys were conducted from October 2018 until January 2019. These bats were captured using harp traps and mist nets that were set 30 m apart across flyways, streams, rivers and less cluttered trees in the 50 m transect zones (identified at each site). All animals captured were distinguished by morphology and released at the same location it was caught. The data comprise of 15 species of bats from four family groups, namely Hipposideridae, Pteropodidae, Rhinolophidae and Vespertilionidae. The data were interpreted into weight-forearm length (W-FA) to inform about bats Body Condition Index (-0.25 to 0.25).
Free-piston engine generators (FPEGs) have huge potential to be the principal energy conversion device for generating electricity from fuel as part of a hybrid-electric vehicle (EV) powertrain system. The principal advantages lay in the fact that they are theoretically more efficient, more compact, and more lightweight compared to other competing EV hybrid and range-extender solutions (internal combustion engines, rotary engines, fuel cells, etc.). However, this potential has yet to be realized. This article details a novel dual-piston FPEG configuration and presents the full layout of a system and provides technical evidence of a commercial FPEG system's likely size and weight. The work also presents the first results obtained from a project which set-out to realize an operational FPEG system in hardware through the development and testing of a flexible prototype test platform. The work presents the performance and control system characteristics, for a first of a kind system; these show great technical potential with stable and repeatable combustion events achieved with around 700 W per cylinder and 26% indicated efficiency.
To assess the effect of dietary ascorbate on lipid metabolism, 1-year black sea bream (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) were reared on a casein-based purified diet and an ascorbate fortified diet (1,100 mg of L: -ascorbyl-2- monophosphate-Mg/kg diet). The fortified ascorbate was effectively incorporated into the fish body and elevated muscle carnitine content. Fortifications of dietary ascorbate depressed activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase as lipogenic enzymes in the hepatopancreas and intraperitoneal fat body. Starvation after feeding experiment activated carnitine palmitoyltransferase as a lipolysis enzyme in the hepatopancreas in both control and vitamin C(VC) groups, while the lipolysis activity was significantly higher in VC group. These results confirmed that dietary ascorbate depressed lipogenesis and activated lipolysis, i.e., influenced the lipid metabolism of black sea bream.
Cadaver body bags are the conventional method to contain a human body or human remains, which includes the use for storage and transportation of the deceased at any crime scene or disaster scene. During disasters, most often than not, the first responders including the police will be equipped with cadaver body bags to do scene processing of human remains and collection of personal belongings at the disaster site. However, in an unanticipated large scale disasters involving hundreds and thousands of fatalities, cadaver body bags supplies may be scarce. The authors have therefore innovated the cling film plastic wrap as an alternative for the cadaver body bag used at the disaster site. The plastic wrap was tested on six different experimental subjects, i.e. both adult and child mannequins; body parts of the mannequin figure (arm and hand); a human adult subject and an unknown dead body. The strengths of the cling film plastic wrap are discussed in comparison with the cadaver body bag in the aspects of costing, weight, duration of the wrap, water and body fluid resistant properties, visibility and other advantages. An average savings of more than 5000% are noted for both adult body wrap and child body wrap compared to the cadaver body wrap. This simply means that the authors can either wrap 25 adult dead bodies or 80 children dead bodies with the cost of 1 cadaver body bag. The cling film plastic wrap has proven to have significant innovation impact for dead body management particularly by the first responders in large scale disasters. With proper handling of dead bodies, first responders can manage the dead with dignity and respect in an overwhelmed situation to facilitate the humanitarian victim identification process later.
Monitoring clinical activity at the bedside in the intensive care unit (ICU) can provide useful information to evaluate nursing care and patient recovery. However, it is labour intensive to quantify these activities and there is a need for an automated method to record and quantify these activities. This paper presents an automated system, Clinical Activity Tracking System (CATS), to monitor and evaluate clinical activity at the patient's bedside. The CATS uses four Microsoft Kinect infrared sensors to track bedside nursing interventions. The system was tested in a simulated environment where test candidates performed different motion paths in the detection area. Two metrics, 'Distance' and 'Dwell time', were developed to evaluate interventions or workload in the detection area. Results showed that the system can accurately track the intervention performed by individual or multiple subjects. The results of a 30-day, 24-hour preliminary study in an ICU bed space matched clinical expectations. It was found that the average 24-hour intervention is 22.0minutes/hour. The average intervention during the day time (7am-11pm) is 23.6minutes/hour, 1.4 times higher than 11pm-7am, 16.8minutes/hour. This system provides a unique approach to automatically collect and evaluate nursing interventions that can be used to evaluate patient acuity and workload demand.
Matched MeSH terms: Weights and Measures/instrumentation*; Weights and Measures/standards
Protein-rich by-products from the canning industry, especially dark flesh of skipjack, have limited uses due to several factors such as darken color, susceptibility to oxidation and off flavour. Protein hydrolysates from skipjack dark flesh was produced with different type of industrial proteases (Alcalase®2.4L FG, Protamex®, Neutrase®1.5MG and Flavourzyme®500MG) for 60, 120, 180 and 240 min with level of proteases used of 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% per weight of raw material. The degree of hydrolysis and free tryptophan content of hydrolysate were investigated. The results shows longer time with higher concentration of enzyme has increased the degree of hydrolysis. Alcalase®2.4L FG had the highest degree of hydrolysis among all proteases followed by Protamex®, Flavourzyme®500MG and Neutrase® 1.5MG. All enzymes increase free tryptophan content linearly with the increament of protease enzyme level. The longer the hydrolysis time, the higher the content of free tryptophan produced.