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  1. Macro-nutrients recovery from liquid waste as a sustainable resource for production of recovered mineral fertilizer: Uncovering alternative options to sustain global food security cost-effectively
    Sniatala B, Kurniawan TA, Sobotka D, Makinia J, Othman MHD
    Sci Total Environ, 2023 Jan 15;856(Pt 2):159283.
    PMID: 36208738 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159283
    Global food security, which has emerged as one of the sustainability challenges, impacts every country. As food cannot be generated without involving nutrients, research has intensified recently to recover unused nutrients from waste streams. As a finite resource, phosphorus (P) is largely wasted. This work critically reviews the technical applicability of various water technologies to recover macro-nutrients such as P, N, and K from wastewater. Struvite precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange, and membrane filtration are applied for nutrient recovery. Technological strengths and drawbacks in their applications are evaluated and compared. Their operational conditions such as pH, dose required, initial nutrient concentration, and treatment performance are presented. Cost-effectiveness of the technologies for P or N recovery is also elaborated. It is evident from a literature survey of 310 published studies (1985-2022) that no single technique can effectively and universally recover target macro-nutrients from liquid waste. Struvite precipitation is commonly used to recover over 95 % of P from sludge digestate with its concentration ranging from 200 to 4000 mg/L. The recovered precipitate can be reused as a fertilizer due to its high content of P and N. Phosphate removal of higher than 80 % can be achieved by struvite precipitation when the molar ratio of Mg2+/PO43- ranges between 1.1 and 1.3. The applications of artificial intelligence (AI) to collect data on critical parameters control optimization, improve treatment effectiveness, and facilitate water utilities to upscale water treatment plants. Such infrastructure in the plants could enable the recovered materials to be reused to sustain food security. As nutrient recovery is crucial in wastewater treatment, water treatment plant operators need to consider (1) the costs of nutrient recovery techniques; (2) their applicability; (3) their benefits and implications. It is essential to note that the treatment cost of P and/or N-laden wastewater depends on the process applied and local conditions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods
  2. Fulltext Advances in Aptamer-Based Biosensors and Cell-Internalizing SELEX Technology for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Application
    Gan Z, Roslan MAM, Abd Shukor MY, Halim M, Yasid NA, Abdullah J, et al.
    Biosensors (Basel), 2022 Oct 25;12(11).
    PMID: 36354431 DOI: 10.3390/bios12110922
    Aptamers are a group of synthetic single-stranded nucleic acids. They are generated from a random library of single-stranded DNA or RNA by a technology named systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). SELEX is a repetitive process to select and identify suitable aptamers that show high affinity and specificity towards target cells. Great strides have been achieved in the design, construction, and use of aptamers up to this point. However, only a small number of aptamer-based applications have achieved widespread commercial and clinical acceptance. Additionally, finding more effective ways to acquire aptamers with high affinity remains a challenge. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly examine the existing dearth and advancement in aptamer-related technologies. This review focuses on aptamers that are generated by SELEX to detect pathogenic microorganisms and mammalian cells, as well as in cell-internalizing SELEX for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The development of novel aptamer-based biosensors using optical and electrical methods for microbial detection is reported. The applications and limitations of aptamers are also discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: SELEX Aptamer Technique/methods
  3. Effect of various infection-control methods for light-cure units on the cure of composite resins
    Chong SL, Lam YK, Lee FK, Ramalingam L, Yeo AC, Lim CC
    Oper Dent, 1998 Mar-Apr;23(3):150-4.
    PMID: 9656927
    This study (1) compared the curing-light intensity with various barrier infection-control methods used to prevent cross contamination, (2) compared the Knoop hardness value of cured composite resin when various barrier control methods were used, and (3) correlated the hardness of the composite resin with the light-intensity output when different infection-control methods were used. The light-cure unit tips were covered with barriers, such as cellophane wrap, plastic gloves, Steri-shields, and finger cots. The control group had no barrier. Composite resins were then cured for each of the five groups, and their Knoop hardness values recorded. The results showed that there was significant statistical difference in the light-intensity output among the five groups. However, there was no significant statistical difference in the Knoop hardness values among any of the groups. There was also no correlation between the Knoop hardness value of the composite resin with the light-intensity output and the different infection-control methods. Therefore, any of the five infection-control methods could be used as barriers for preventing cross-contamination of the light-cure unit tip, for the light-intensity output for all five groups exceeded the recommended value of 300 W/m2. However, to allow a greater margin of error in clinical situations, the authors recommend that the plastic glove or the cellophane wrap be used to wrap the light-cure tip, since these barriers allowed the highest light-intensity output.
    Matched MeSH terms: Infection Control, Dental/methods*
  4. Fulltext Preparation, Optimisation, and In Vitro Evaluation of [18F]AlF-NOTA-Pamidronic Acid for Bone Imaging PET
    Hassan H, Othman MF, Abdul Razak HR, Zakaria ZA, Ahmad Saad FF, Osman MA, et al.
    Molecules, 2022 Nov 17;27(22).
    PMID: 36432069 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27227969
    [18F]sodium fluoride ([18F]NaF) is recognised to be superior to [99mTc]-methyl diphosphate ([99mTc]Tc-MDP) and 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) in bone imaging. However, there is concern that [18F]NaF uptake is not cancer-specific, leading to a higher number of false-positive interpretations. Therefore, in this work, [18F]AlF-NOTA-pamidronic acid was prepared, optimised, and tested for its in vitro uptake. NOTA-pamidronic acid was prepared by an N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester strategy and validated by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS/MS). Radiolabeling of [18F]AlF-NOTA-pamidronic acid was optimised, and it was ensured that all quality control analysis requirements for the radiopharmaceuticals were met prior to the in vitro cell uptake studies. NOTA-pamidronic acid was successfully prepared and radiolabeled with 18F. The radiolabel was prepared in a 1:1 molar ratio of aluminium chloride (AlCl3) to NOTA-pamidronic acid and heated at 100 °C for 15 min in the presence of 50% ethanol (v/v), which proved to be optimal. The preliminary in vitro results of the binding of the hydroxyapatite showed that [18F]AlF-NOTA-pamidronic acid was as sensitive as [18F]sodium fluoride ([18F]NaF). Normal human osteoblast cell lines (hFOB 1.19) and human osteosarcoma cell lines (Saos-2) were used for the in vitro cellular uptake studies. It was found that [18F]NaF was higher in both cell lines, but [18F]AlF-NOTA-pamidronic acid showed promising cellular uptake in Saos-2. The preliminary results suggest that further preclinical studies of [18F]AlF-NOTA-pamidronic acid are needed before it is transferred to clinical research.
    Matched MeSH terms: Positron-Emission Tomography/methods
  5. Investigations on the interactions of proteins with nanocellulose produced via sulphuric acid hydrolysis
    Gunathilake TMSU, Ching YC, Uyama H, Nguyen DH, Chuah CH
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2021 Dec 15;193(Pt B):1522-1531.
    PMID: 34740692 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.10.215
    The investigation of protein-nanoparticle interactions contributes to the understanding of nanoparticle bio-reactivity and creates a database of nanoparticles for use in nanomedicine, nanodiagnosis, and nanotherapy. In this study, hen's egg white was used as the protein source to study the interaction of proteins with sulphuric acid hydrolysed nanocellulose (CNC). Several techniques such as FTIR, zeta potential measurement, UV-vis spectroscopy, compressive strength, TGA, contact angle and FESEM provide valuable information in the protein-CNC interaction study. The presence of a broader peak in the 1600-1050 cm-1 range of CNC/egg white protein FTIR spectrum compared to the 1600-1050 cm-1 range of CNC sample indicated the binding of egg white protein to CNC surface. The contact angle with the glass surface decreased with the addition of CNC to egg white protein. The FESEM EDX spectra showed a higher amount of N and Na on the surface of CNC. It indicates the density of protein molecules higher around CNC. The zeta potential of CNC changed from -26.7 ± 0.46 to -21.7 ± 0.2 with the introduction of egg white protein due to the hydrogen bonding, polar bonds and electrostatic interaction between surface CNC and protein. The compressive strength of the egg white protein films increased from 0.064 ± 0.01 to 0.36 ± 0.02 MPa with increasing the CNC concentration from 0 to 4.73% (w/v). The thermal decomposition temperature of CNC/egg white protein decreased compared to egg white protein thermal decomposition temperature. According to UV-Vis spectroscopy, the far-UV light (207-222nm) absorption peak slightly changed in the CNC/egg white protein spectrum compared to the egg white protein spectrum. Based on the results, the observations of protein nanoparticle interactions provide an additional understanding, besides the theoretical simulations from previous studies. Also, the results indicate to aim CNC for the application of nanomedicine and nanotherapy. A new insight given by us in this research assumes a reasonable solution to these crucial applications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nanomedicine/methods
  6. Fulltext Review: Beyond conventional therapies: Complementary and alternative medicine in the management of hypertension: An evidence-based review
    Wong AP, Kassab YW, Mohamed AL, Abdul Qader AM
    Pak J Pharm Sci, 2018 Jan;31(1):237-244.
    PMID: 29348109
    Hypertension is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, Hypertension is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths, about 12.8% of the total of all deaths. This accounts for 57 million disability adjusted life years (DALYS) or 3.7% of total DALYS. This led WHO to set a target of 25% reduction in prevalence by 2025. To reach that, WHO has adopted non-conventional methods for the management of hypertension? Despite worldwide popularity of such non-conventional therapies, only small volume of evidence exists that supports its effectiveness. This review attempted to make a critical appraisal of the evidence, with the aim to (1) describe the therapeutic modalities frequently used, and (2) review the current level of evidence attributable to each modality. Databases from Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and EMBASE were searched from 2005-2015. A total of 23 publications have been identified and selected. Out of these, 15 systematic reviews and/or meta-analysis of RCTs, 5 RCTs, 1 non-RCT, and 2 observational studies without control. Among those 23 publications, therapeutic modalities identified are: fish oil, qigong, yoga, coenzyme Q10, melatonin, meditation, vitamin D, vitamin C, monounsaturated fatty acids, dietary amino-acids, chiropractic, osteopathy, folate, inorganic nitrate, beetroot juice, beetroot bread, magnesium, and L-arginine. The followings were found to have weak or no evidence: fish oil, yoga, vitamin D, monounsaturated fatty acid, dietary amino-acids, and osteopathy. Those found to have significant reduction in blood pressure are: magnesium, qigong, melatonin, meditation, vitamin C, chiropractic, folate, inorganic nitrate, beetroot juice and L-arginine. Coenzyme Q10on the other hand, showed contradicting results were some studies found weak or no effect on blood pressure while others showed significant blood pressure reduction effect. By virtue of the research designs and methodologies, the evidence contributed from these studies is at level 1. Results from this review suggest that certain non-conventional therapies may be effective in treating hypertension and improving cardiac function and therefore considered as part of an evidence-based approach.
    Matched MeSH terms: Complementary Therapies/methods*
  7. Fulltext Plasmon-Enhanced Biosensing for Multiplexed Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles
    Min J, Son T, Hong JS, Cheah PS, Wegemann A, Murlidharan K, et al.
    Adv Biosyst, 2020 12;4(12):e2000003.
    PMID: 32815321 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000003
    Extracellular vesicles (EVs)-nanoscale phospholipid vesicles secreted by cells-present new opportunities for molecular diagnosis from non-invasive liquid biopsies. Single EV protein analysis can be extremely valuable in studying EVs as circulating cancer biomarkers, but it is technically challenging due to weak detection signals associated with limited amounts of epitopes and small surface areas for antibody labeling. Here, a new, simple method that enables multiplexed analyses of EV markers with improved sensitivities is reported. Specifically, plasmon-enhanced fluorescence detection is implemented that amplifies fluorescence signals using surface plasmon resonances excited by periodic gold nanohole structures. It is shown that fluorescence signals in multiple channels are amplified by one order of magnitude, and both transmembrane and intravesicular markers can be detected at the single EV level. This approach can offer additional insight into understanding subtypes, heterogeneity, and production dynamics of EVs during disease development and progression.
    Matched MeSH terms: Surface Plasmon Resonance/methods*
  8. Hemoperitoneum after accidental dislodgement and subsequent replacement of PEG tube
    Tan YM, Abdullah M, Goh KL
    Gastrointest Endosc, 2001 May;53(6):671-3.
    PMID: 11323604
    Matched MeSH terms: Gastrostomy/methods*
  9. Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)-Based Photocatalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis and Environmental Remediation: Are We a Step Closer To Achieving Sustainability?
    Ong WJ, Tan LL, Ng YH, Yong ST, Chai SP
    Chem Rev, 2016 06 22;116(12):7159-329.
    PMID: 27199146 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00075
    As a fascinating conjugated polymer, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has become a new research hotspot and drawn broad interdisciplinary attention as a metal-free and visible-light-responsive photocatalyst in the arena of solar energy conversion and environmental remediation. This is due to its appealing electronic band structure, high physicochemical stability, and "earth-abundant" nature. This critical review summarizes a panorama of the latest progress related to the design and construction of pristine g-C3N4 and g-C3N4-based nanocomposites, including (1) nanoarchitecture design of bare g-C3N4, such as hard and soft templating approaches, supramolecular preorganization assembly, exfoliation, and template-free synthesis routes, (2) functionalization of g-C3N4 at an atomic level (elemental doping) and molecular level (copolymerization), and (3) modification of g-C3N4 with well-matched energy levels of another semiconductor or a metal as a cocatalyst to form heterojunction nanostructures. The construction and characteristics of each classification of the heterojunction system will be critically reviewed, namely metal-g-C3N4, semiconductor-g-C3N4, isotype g-C3N4/g-C3N4, graphitic carbon-g-C3N4, conducting polymer-g-C3N4, sensitizer-g-C3N4, and multicomponent heterojunctions. The band structures, electronic properties, optical absorption, and interfacial charge transfer of g-C3N4-based heterostructured nanohybrids will also be theoretically discussed based on the first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations to provide insightful outlooks on the charge carrier dynamics. Apart from that, the advancement of the versatile photoredox applications toward artificial photosynthesis (water splitting and photofixation of CO2), environmental decontamination, and bacteria disinfection will be presented in detail. Last but not least, this comprehensive review will conclude with a summary and some invigorating perspectives on the challenges and future directions at the forefront of this research platform. It is anticipated that this review can stimulate a new research doorway to facilitate the next generation of g-C3N4-based photocatalysts with ameliorated performances by harnessing the outstanding structural, electronic, and optical properties for the development of a sustainable future without environmental detriment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microscopy, Electron/methods
  10. Tabulation of organ dose conversion factors for terrestrial radioactivity monitoring program
    Sanusi MSM, Hassan WMSW, Hashim S, Ramli AT
    Appl Radiat Isot, 2021 Aug;174:109791.
    PMID: 34062400 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109791
    Terrestrial radioactivity monitoring of 238U and 232Th series, and 40K in soil is an essential practice for radioactivity and radiation measurement of a place. In conventional practice, only basic data can be in-situ measured using a survey instrument, for example radioactivity concentration in soil and ambient dose equivalent rate. For other physical quantities, for example organ absorbed dose and organ equivalent dose, the measurement is impossible to be performed and can only be computed using Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations. In the past, most of the works only focused on calculating air-kerma-to-effective dose conversion factors. However, the information on organ dose conversion factors is scarcely documented and reported. This study was conducted to calculate organ absorbed and tissue-weighted equivalent dose conversion factors as a result of exposure from terrestrial gamma radiation. Series of organ dose conversion factors is produced based on computations from Monte Carlo MCNP5 simulations using modelled gamma irradiation geometry and established adult MIRD phantom. The study found out that most of the radiation exposed organs absorb energy at comparable rates, except for dense and superficial tissues i.e., skeleton and skin, which indicated slightly higher values. The good agreement between this work and previous studies demonstrated that our gamma irradiation geometry and modelling of gamma radiation sources are adequate. Therefore, the proposed organ dose conversion factors from this study are reasonably acceptable for dose estimation in environmental radioactivity monitoring practices.
    Matched MeSH terms: Radiation Monitoring/methods*
  11. Functional Neuroproteomics: An Imperative Approach for Unravelling Protein Implicated Complexities of Brain
    Husain I, Ahmad W, Ali A, Anwar L, Nuruddin SM, Ashraf K, et al.
    CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets, 2021;20(7):613-624.
    PMID: 33530918 DOI: 10.2174/1871527320666210202121624
    A proteome is defined as a comprehensive protein set either of an organ or an organism at a given time and under specific physiological conditions. Accordingly, the study of the nervous system's proteomes is called neuroproteomics. In the neuroproteomics process, various pieces of the nervous system are "fragmented" to understand the dynamics of each given sub-proteome in a much better way. Functional proteomics addresses the organisation of proteins into complexes and the formation of organelles from these multiprotein complexes that control various physiological processes. Current functional studies of neuroproteomics mainly talk about the synapse structure and its organisation, the major building site of the neuronal communication channel. The proteomes of synaptic vesicle, presynaptic terminal, and postsynaptic density, have been examined by various proteomics techniques. The objectives of functional neuroproteomics are: to solve the proteome of single neurons or astrocytes grown in cell cultures or from the primary brain cells isolated from tissues under various conditions, to identify the set of proteins that characterize specific pathogenesis, or to determine the group of proteins making up postsynaptic or presynaptic densities. It is usual to solve a particular sub-proteome like the heat-shock response proteome or the proteome responding to inflammation. Post-translational protein modifications alter their functions and interactions. The techniques to detect synapse phosphoproteome are available. However, techniques for the analysis of ubiquitination and sumoylation are under development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Proteomics/methods*
  12. Fulltext Endodontic Microbiology: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Top 50 Classics
    Karobari MI, Maqbool M, Ahmad P, Abdul MSM, Marya A, Venugopal A, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2021;2021:6657167.
    PMID: 34746305 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6657167
    Background: Citation analysis has emerged to play a significant role in recognition of the most useful areas of research. Endodontic microbiology has been a topic of interest for endodontists as well as periodontists and oral surgeons. This bibliometric analysis is aimed at identifying and reporting the characteristics of the top 50 cited articles on endodontic microbiology.

    Methods: The articles were identified through a search on Web of Science (WoS), property of Clarivate Analytics database published on endodontic microbiology. The citation information of the selected articles was recorded. The Journal of Endodontics, International Endodontic Journal, Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology Oral Radiology and Endodontology, Dental Traumatology, and Australian Endodontic Journal were searched in the search title. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed using a statistical software package SPSS. Statistical analysis was performed using Shapiro-Wilk, Kruskal-Wallis, Post hoc, Mann-Kendall trend, and Spearman-rank tests.

    Results: The 50 most cited articles were published from 1965 to 2012 with citation count varying from 1065 to 103 times. The total citation counts of articles recorded were 11,525 (WoS), 12,602 (Elseviers' Scopus), and 28,871 (Google Scholar). The most prolific years in terms of publications were 2001, 2002, and 2003, with five publications each, followed by 2005 with four. The year with most citations was 1998, with 1,330 citations, followed by 1965 and 2001, with 1,065 and 1,015 citations, respectively. A total of 136 authors contributed to the top 50 most cited articles with 27 corresponding institutions from 12 different countries. The most common methodological design was in vitro study, followed by clinic-laboratory study, literature review, systematic review and meta-analysis, and animal study.

    Conclusions: The present study provided a detailed list of the top 50 most cited and classic articles on microbiology in endodontics. This will help researchers, students, and clinicians in the field of endodontics as an impressive source of information.

    Matched MeSH terms: Endodontics/methods
  13. Does the location of electrode on tympanic membrane matter when recording electrocochleography?
    Zakaria MN, Nik Othman NA, Musa Z
    Acta Otolaryngol, 2021 Nov;141(11):984-988.
    PMID: 34669557 DOI: 10.1080/00016489.2021.1990996
    BACKGROUND: The non-invasive tympanic electrocochleography (TM-ECochG) is useful for clinical diagnoses. Nevertheless, the influence of the electrode location on tympanic membrane (TM) on ECochG results needs to be studied.

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare the TM-ECochG results obtained when the electrode was placed on the superior region versus the inferior region of TM.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty healthy adults (aged 29 to 50 years) participated in this comparative study. The TM-ECochG testing was conducted with the electrode placed on the superior and inferior regions of TM.

    RESULTS: SP and AP amplitudes were statistically higher for the inferior region of TM (p < .05). In contrast, SP/AP ratios were comparable between the two regions of TM (p = .417).

    CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: In TM-ECochG recording, when the electrode was placed on the inferior region of TM, SP and AP amplitudes were greater than when the electrode was placed on the superior region of TM. On the other hand, SP/AP amplitude ratio was not affected by the location of electrode on TM. The findings from the present study could be useful to guide clinicians in optimizing TM-ECochG recording when testing their respective patients.

    Matched MeSH terms: Audiometry, Evoked Response/methods*
  14. A robust background correction algorithm for forensic bloodstain imaging using mean-based contrast adjustment
    Lee WC, Khoo BE, Abdullah AFL
    Sci Justice, 2016 May;56(3):201-209.
    PMID: 27162018 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2016.01.001
    Background correction algorithm (BCA) is useful in enhancing the visibility of images captured in crime scenes especially those of untreated bloodstains. Successful implementation of BCA requires all the images to have similar brightness which often proves a problem when using automatic exposure setting in a camera. This paper presents an improved background correction algorithm (BCA) that applies mean-based contrast adjustment as a pre-correction step to adjust the mean brightness of images to be similar before implementing BCA. The proposed modification, namely mean-based adaptive BCA (mABCA) was tested on various image samples captured under different illuminations such as 385 nm, 415 nm and 458 nm. We also evaluated mABCA of two wavelengths (415 nm and 458 nm) and three wavelengths (415 nm, 380 nm and 458 nm) in enhancing untreated bloodstains on different surfaces. The proposed mABCA is found to be more robust in processing images captured in different brightness and thus overcomes the main issue faced in the original BCA.
    Matched MeSH terms: Image Enhancement/methods*
  15. Fulltext Comparing flipped classroom and conventional live demonstration for teaching orthodontic wire-bending skill
    Lau MN, Kamarudin Y, Zakaria NN, Sivarajan S, Mohd Tahir NNZ, Bahar AD, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(7):e0254478.
    PMID: 34243187 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254478
    Flipped classroom may overcome weaknesses of live demonstration in teaching orthodontic wire-bending. This study aims to compare the effectiveness between flipped classroom and live demonstration in transferring skills for fabricating Adams clasp. Forty third-year undergraduate dental students were assigned to two groups. The students in group LD (n = 20) attended a live demonstration while students in group FC (n = 20) attended a flipped classroom. Both groups were taught on skills to fabricate Adams clasp in a standardised way. Each student from both groups were asked to submit an Adams clasp for a blinded quality assessment by two trained and calibrated assessors using a 18-item rubric, followed by validated students' satisfaction questionnaires to evaluate their perceived satisfaction on the teaching method received. A crossover study was then conducted three weeks later where LD attended a flipped classroom while FC attended a live demonstration. Students' satisfaction questionnaires were again collected from each student for blinded analysis. Mean scores for the quality of Adams clasp were 9.775 and 9.125 for LD and FC, respectively. No significant difference was detected between the two groups. Statistically significant association was found for one statement on the questionnaire, "I found the classroom arrangements conducive for the wire-bending activity" (p = 0.010). No significant differences were found between the two groups for other statements (p > 0.05). In conclusion, within the limitations of the study, flipped classroom is equally effective as conventional live demonstration in transferring orthodontic wire-bending skills for fabrication of Adams clasp. However, students perceived the classroom arrangements during the flipped classroom significantly more conducive for teaching orthodontic wire-bending.
    Matched MeSH terms: Problem-Based Learning/methods
  16. Can smoking cessation interventions reduce disease activity in persons with chronic autoimmune inflammatory diseases? A Cochrane Review summary with commentary
    Patrick Engkasan J
    Int J Rheum Dis, 2020 Aug;23(8):1104-1106.
    PMID: 32525275 DOI: 10.1111/1756-185X.13878
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking Cessation/methods*
  17. Fulltext Cross-cultural validation of the decisional balance scale in exercise across countries
    Kueh YC, Sabo A, Kim Y, Kuan G
    PLoS One, 2021;16(9):e0257511.
    PMID: 34591879 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257511
    BACKGROUND: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Korean and Malay version of the decisional balance (DB) for exercise (i.e. perceived benefits and perceived barriers) using a cross-sectional design. Also, this study assessed the measurement and structural invariance of the DB scale across countries.

    METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in Malaysia and Korea. The study sample consisted of 574 Korean participants and 562 Malaysian participants. The mean age of the participants was 19.8 (SD = 1.29) for the Korean sample and 19.8 (SD = 1.22) for the Malaysian sample. Participants were invited to complete the DB scale with the 10-item and two factors (i.e., perceived benefit and perceived barriers). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and invariance test were conducted on the data by using Mplus 8.3.

    RESULTS: The CFA results based on the hypothesised measurement model of two factors and ten items showed sufficient construct validity after adding residual covariance between items within the same factor: CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.970, SRMR = 0.036, RMSEA = 0.036 for the Korea sample, and CFI = 0.964, TLI = 0.949, SRMR = 0.055, RMSEA = 0.066 for the Malay sample. For the Korea sample, the construct reliability was 0.62 and 0.74 for perceived benefits and perceived barriers respectively. For the Malay sample, the construct reliability was 0.75 and 0.77 for perceived benefits and perceived barriers respectively. The findings presented evidence for measurement and structural invariance of the DB scale for the Korea and Malaysia samples.

    CONCLUSION: The DB scale was a valid and reliable measure for assessing exercise behaviour and for making comparisons between Korean and Malaysian samples.

    Matched MeSH terms: Psychometrics/methods
  18. The potential role of mesenchymal stem cells in modulating antiageing process
    Govindasamy V, Rajendran A, Lee ZX, Ooi GC, Then KY, Then KL, et al.
    Cell Biol Int, 2021 Oct;45(10):1999-2016.
    PMID: 34245637 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11652
    Ageing and age-related diseases share some basic origin that largely converges on inflammation. Precisely, it boils down to a common pathway characterised by the appearance of a fair amount of proinflammatory cytokines known as inflammageing. Among the proposed treatment for antiageing, MSCs gained attention in recent years. Since mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate itself into a myriad of terminal cells, previously it was believed that these cells migrate to the site of injury and perform their therapeutic effect. However, with the more recent discovery of huge amounts of paracrine factors secreted by MSCs, it is now widely accepted that these cells do not engraft upon transplantation but rather unveil their benefits through excretion of bioactive molecules namely those involved in inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. Conversely, the true function of these paracrine changes has not been thoroughly investigated all these years. Hence, this review will describe in detail on ways MSCs may capitalize its paracrine properties in modulating antiageing process. Through a comprehensive literature search various elements in the antiageing process, we aim to provide a novel treatment perspective of MSCs in antiageing related clinical conditions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/methods*
  19. Radioluminescence of cylindrical and flat Ge-doped silica optical fibers for real-time dosimetry applications
    Oresegun A, Tarif ZH, Ghassan L, Zin H, Abdul-Rashid HA, Bradley DA
    Appl Radiat Isot, 2021 Oct;176:109812.
    PMID: 34166948 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109812
    Investigation has been made of the radioluminescence dose response of Ge-doped silica flat and cylindrical fibers subjected to 6 and 10 MV photon beams. The fibers have been custom fabricated, obtaining Ge dopant concentrations of 6 and 10 mol%, subsequently cut into 20 mm lengths. Each sample has been exposed under a set of similar conditions, with use made of a fixed field size and source to surface distance (SSD). Investigation of dosimetric performance has involved radioluminescence linearity, dose-rate dependence, energy dependence, and reproducibility. Mass for mass, the 6 mol% Ge-doped samples provided the greater radioluminescence yield, with both flat and cylindrical fibers responding linearly to the absorbed dose. Further found has been that the cylindrical fibers provided a yield some 38% greater than that of the flat fibers. At 6 MV, the cylindrical fibers were also found to exhibit repeatability variation of <1%, superior to that of the flat fibers, offering strong potential for use in real-time dosimetry applications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Radiometry/methods*
  20. Study on the criteria for assessing skull-face correspondence in craniofacial superimposition
    Ibáñez O, Valsecchi A, Cavalli F, Huete MI, Campomanes-Alvarez BR, Campomanes-Alvarez C, et al.
    Leg Med (Tokyo), 2016 Nov;23:59-70.
    PMID: 27890106 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2016.09.009
    Craniofacial superimposition has the potential to be used as an identification method when other traditional biological techniques are not applicable due to insufficient quality or absence of ante-mortem and post-mortem data. Despite having been used in many countries as a method of inclusion and exclusion for over a century it lacks standards. Thus, the purpose of this research is to provide forensic practitioners with standard criteria for analysing skull-face relationships. Thirty-seven experts from 16 different institutions participated in this study, which consisted of evaluating 65 criteria for assessing skull-face anatomical consistency on a sample of 24 different skull-face superimpositions. An unbiased statistical analysis established the most objective and discriminative criteria. Results did not show strong associations, however, important insights to address lack of standards were provided. In addition, a novel methodology for understanding and standardizing identification methods based on the observation of morphological patterns has been proposed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Forensic Anthropology/methods*
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