Grain weight is a major component of rice grain yield and is controlled by quantitative trait loci. Previously, a rice grain weight quantitative trait locus (qGW6) was detected near marker RM587 on chromosome 6 in a backcross population (BC2F2) derived from a cross between Oryza rufipogon IRGC105491 and O. sativa cv. MR219. Using a BC2F5 population, qGW6 was validated and mapped to a region of 4.8 cM (1.2 Mb) in the interval between RM508 and RM588. Fine mapping using a series of BC4F3 near isogenic lines further narrowed the interval containing qGW6 to 88 kb between markers RM19268 and RM19271.1. According to the Duncan multiple range test, 8 BC4F4 near isogenic lines had significantly higher 100-grain weight (4.8 to 7.5% over MR219) than their recurrent parent, MR219 (P < 0.05). According to the rice genome automated annotation database, there are 20 predicted genes in the 88-kb target region, and 9 of them have known functions. Among the genes with known functions in the target region, in silico gene expression analysis showed that 9 were differentially expressed during the seed development stage(s) from gene expression series GSE6893; however, only 3 of them have known functions. These candidates provide targets for further characterization of qGW6, which will assist in understanding the genetic control of grain weight in rice.
Intraorbital foreign body (IOFB) has been a rare phenomenon in the cases of gunshot wounds and always represents a dilemma in medical management. In Sabah, this scenario is becoming common as there is still certain population in the interiors who owns self made guns for hunting. They either present with self inflicted gunshot injuries or after being mistakenly shot while hunting. There are very few articles on this topic especially when it is located posteriorly in the orbit and occurs without visual impairment. This case reports the challenges faced in the management of the patient with a posteriorly located metallic IOFB. The appropriate management of the patient is discussed based on several international literatures. Author describes a 37 years old male farmer, who was referred from a nearby district hospital after he sustained gunshot injuries to his face and scalp. Urgent computed tomography (CT) scan showed that bullet pellets were at the left orbital floor, the left mandible and the left frontal bone. All bullet pellets were located extracranially only without intracranial involvement. Patient clinically does not have any neurologic deficit and without any visual impairment, thus he refused any surgical intervention. As there is no proper guideline in managing such cases, decision was made based on evidences from international literatures. It was concluded that metallic IOFB located in the posterior orbit may be conservatively managed with observation and regular follow-ups as they are well-tolerated and does not cause much impact on visual deterioration unless inflammation, infection, optic neuropathy or functional deficit occurs. This avoids unnecessary surgery and prevents risk of iatrogenic injury to the eye.
Tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. White tea is made from the buds and young leaves of the tea plant which are steamed and dried, whilst undergoing minimal oxidation. The MTT assay was used to test the extract on the effect of the proliferation of the colorectal cancer cell line, HT-29. The extract inhibited the proliferation of HT-29 cells with an IC50 of 87μg/ml. The extract increased the levels of caspase-3, -8, and -9 activity in the cells. DNA damage in 3T3-L1 normal cells was detected by using the comet assay. The extract protected 3T3-L1 cells against H2O2-induced DNA damage. The results from this study show that white tea has antioxidant and antiproliferative effects against cancer cells, but protect normal cells against DNA damage. Regular intake of white tea can help to maintain good health and protect the body against disease.
An efficient simulation technique was proposed to examine the thermal-fluid structure interaction in the effects of solder temperature on pin through-hole during wave soldering. This study investigated the capillary flow behavior as well as the displacement, temperature distribution, and von Mises stress of a pin passed through a solder material. A single pin through-hole connector mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) was simulated using a 3D model solved by FLUENT. The ABAQUS solver was employed to analyze the pin structure at solder temperatures of 456.15 K (183(°)C) < T < 643.15 K (370(°)C). Both solvers were coupled by the real time coupling software and mesh-based parallel code coupling interface during analysis. In addition, an experiment was conducted to measure the temperature difference (ΔT) between the top and the bottom of the pin. Analysis results showed that an increase in temperature increased the structural displacement and the von Mises stress. Filling time exhibited a quadratic relationship to the increment of temperature. The deformation of pin showed a linear correlation to the temperature. The ΔT obtained from the simulation and the experimental method were validated. This study elucidates and clearly illustrates wave soldering for engineers in the PCB assembly industry.
Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of external ear canal is very rare, even in the pediatric population. We report an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of external acoustic canal, occurring in a 12-year-old Chinese girl who presented with left ear canal mass. Wide local excision of the mass was done under local anesthesia. Histopathological examination revealed the diagnosis. She then underwent 20 cycles of radiotherapy. CECT scan post treatment showed clearance of tumor cell. Now, patient is disease free for 5 years. We believe that early diagnosis followed by complete resection of the tumor with clear margin and radiotherapy improves the prognosis of the disease.
Biochar has received great attention recently due to its potential to improve soil fertility and immobilize contaminants as well as serving as a way of carbon sequestration and therefore a possible carbon sink. In this work, a series of biochars were produced from empty fruit bunch (EFB) and rice husk (RH) by slow pyrolysis at different temperatures (350, 500, and 650°C) and their physicochemical properties were analysed. The results indicate that porosity, ash content, electrical conductivity (EC), and pH value of both EFB and RH biochars were increased with temperature; however, yield, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and H, C, and N content were decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature. The Fourier transform IR spectra were similar for both RH and EFB biochars but the functional groups were more distinct in the EFB biochar spectra. There were reductions in the amount of functional groups as pyrolysis temperature increased especially for the EFB biochar. However, total acidity of the functional groups increased with pyrolysis temperature for both biochars.
Infrared thermography technology is one of the most effective non-destructive testing techniques for predictive faults diagnosis of electrical components. Faults in electrical system show overheating of components which is a common indicator of poor connection, overloading, load imbalance or any defect. Thermographic inspection is employed for finding such heat related problems before eventual failure of the system. However, an automatic diagnostic system based on artificial neural network reduces operating time, human efforts and also increases the reliability of system. In the present study, statistical features and artificial neural network (ANN) with confidence level analysis are utilized for inspection of electrical components and their thermal conditions are classified into two classes namely normal and overheated. All the features extracted from images do not produce good performance. Features having low performance reduce the diagnostic performance. The study reveals the performance of each feature individually for selecting the suitable feature set. In order to find the individual feature performance, each feature of thermal image was used as input for neural network and the classification of condition types were used as output target. The multilayered perceptron network using Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm was used as classifier. The performances were determined in terms of percentage of accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, false positive and false negative. After selecting the suitable features, the study introduces the intelligent diagnosis system using suitable features as inputs of neural network. Finally, confidence percentage and confidence level were used to find out the strength of the network outputs for condition monitoring. The experimental result shows that multilayered perceptron network produced 79.4% of testing accuracy with 43.60%, 12.60%, 21.40, 9.20% and 13.40% highest, high, moderate, low and lowest confidence level respectively.
There are increasing researches about non-communicable disease such as elevated blood pressure among people living with HIV before and after initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). This cross-sectional study was designed to determine the prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors among 340 HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy at a Malaysian public hospital providing HIV-related treatment. Data on socioeconomic background, anthropometry, medical history and dietary intake of the patients were collected. Hypertension is defined as blood pressure >=130/85 (mm Hg). Prevalence of hypertension was 45.60% (n=155) of which 86.5% of the hypertensive group were male (n=134). The results showed that increase in age (OR 1.051, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.024-1.078), higher body mass index (OR 1.18, 95%CI 1.106-2.71), bigger waist circumference (OR 1.18, 95%CI 1.106-2.71), higher waist-hip ratio (OR 1.070, 95%CI 1.034-1.106), higher fasting plasma glucose (OR 1.332, 95%CI 0.845-2.100) and percentage energy intake from protein >15 (OR 2.519, 95%CI 1.391-4.561) were significant risk factors for hypertension (p<0.001). After adjusting for other variables, increasing age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.069 95%CI 1.016-1.124, p=0.010), being male (aOR 3.026, 95%CI 1.175-7.794, p=0.022) and higher body mass index (aOR 1.26, 95%CI 1.032-1.551, p=0.024) were independently associated with hypertension. None of the antiretroviral therapy and immunologic factors was linked to hypertension. In conclusion hypertension among PLHIV was linked to the well-known risk factors such as age, gender and body mass index. With HAART, people can live longer by making monitoring and control of some reversible factors, especially excessive weight gain for maintaining quality of life.
Detection of basal stem rot (BSR) by Ganoderma of oil palms was based on foliar symptoms and production of basidiomata. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays-Polyclonal Antibody (ELISA-PAB) and PCR have been proposed as early detection methods for the disease. These techniques are complex, time consuming and have accuracy limitations. An ergosterol method was developed which correlated well with the degree of infection in oil palms, including samples growing in plantations. However, the method was capable of being optimised. This current study was designed to develop a simpler, more rapid and efficient ergosterol method with utility in the field that involved the use of microwave extraction. The optimised procedure involved extracting a small amount of Ganoderma, or Ganoderma-infected oil palm suspended in low volumes of solvent followed by irradiation in a conventional microwave oven at 70°C and medium high power for 30s, resulting in simultaneous extraction and saponification. Ergosterol was detected by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The TLC method was novel and provided a simple, inexpensive method with utility in the field. The new method was particularly effective at extracting high yields of ergosterol from infected oil palm and enables rapid analysis of field samples on site, allowing infected oil palms to be treated or culled very rapidly. Some limitations of the method are discussed herein. The procedures lend themselves to controlling the disease more effectively and allowing more effective use of land currently employed to grow oil palms, thereby reducing pressure to develop new plantations.
Relaxation training can be an important adjunct in reducing symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). Autogenic Training (AT) is a simple, easily administered and inexpensive technique for retraining the mind and the body to be able to relax. AT uses visual imagery and body awareness to promote a state of deep relaxation.
Few studies have explored diagnosis delay by tuberculosis (TB) patients and its effects on the rate of infection among their close contacts. A cross-sectional study of the close contacts of 505 newly diagnosed TB patients was conducted in a TB referral centre in Sana'a, Yemen from 2008 to 2010. Only the close contacts of 89 new TB patients agreed to participate and completed the tuberculin skin test (TST). Of the 239 close contacts investigated, 133 (55.6%) had a positive TST result. Index patients were classified as long or short diagnosis delay (above or below the median). There was no significant difference in the number of infected close contacts between long and short delay index patients (Mann-Whitney U-test). A larger sample size, with more incentives for patients to participate and the use of other investigative tools could provide a better picture of the pattern of TB transmission among all contacts.
We report a case of keratoacanthoma in a non-sun-exposed nasal vestibule of an 84-year-old man. He presented with a progressively growing left nasal mass that had been present for 8 months. Examination showed a non-tender protruding mass arising from medial vestibular wall of the left nostril. Histopathology indicated it was a keratoacanthoma. In an elderly patient with a history of a progressively growing mass in the nose, a differential diagnosis of malignancy should be ruled out, and histological conformation is essential. To our knowledge, only a very small number of cases of nasal vestibular keratoacanthoma have been reported.
Coriandrum sativum is a popular culinary and medicinal herb of the Apiaceae family. Health promoting properties of this herb have been reported in pharmacognostical, phytochemical and pharmacological studies. However, studies on C. sativum have always focused on the aerial parts of the herb and scientific investigation on the root is limited. The aim of this research was to investigate the antioxidant and anticancer activities of C. sativum root, leaf and stem, including its effect on cancer cell migration, and its protection against DNA damage, with special focus on the roots.
Consumption of repeatedly heated soy oil has been linked with incidence of atherosclerosis particularly in oestrogen deficient states. In the present study, effect of curcumin extract on the prevention of atherosclerosis was evaluated.
Semisolid metal (SSM) processing or thixoforming is widely known as a technology that involves the formation of metal alloys between solidus and liquidus temperatures. For the procedure to operate successfully, the microstructure of the starting material must consist of solid near-globular grains surrounded by a liquid matrix and a wide solidus-to-liquidus transition area. Currently, this process is industrially successful, generating a variety of products with high quality parts in various industrial sectors. Throughout the years since its inception, a number of technologies to produce the appropriate globular microstructure have been developed and applied worldwide. The main aim of this paper is to classify the presently available SSM technologies and present a comprehensive review of the potential mechanisms that lead to microstructural alterations during the preparation of feedstock materials for SSM processing.
The distribution of natural radionuclides ((238)U, (232)Th and (40)K) and their radiological hazard effect in rocks collected from the state of Johor, Malaysia were determined by gamma spectroscopy using a high-purity germanium detector. The highest values of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K activity concentrations (67±6, 85±7 and 722±18 Bg kg(-1), respectively) were observed in the granite rock. The lowest concentrations of (238)U and (232)Th (2±0.1 Bq kg(-1) for (238)U and 2±0.1 Bq kg(-1) for (232)Th) were observed in gabbro rock. The lowest concentration of (40)K (45±2 Bq kg(-1)) was detected in sandstone. The radium equivalent activity concentrations for all rock samples investigated were lower than the internationally accepted value of 370 Bq kg(-1). The highest value of radium equivalent in the present study (239±17 Bq kg(-1)) was recorded in the area of granite belonging to an acid intrusive rock geological structure. The absorbed dose rate was found to range from 4 to 112 nGy h(-1). The effective dose ranged from 5 to 138 μSv h(-1). The internal and external hazard index values were given in results lower than unity. The purpose of this study is to provide information related to radioactivity background levels and the effects of radiation on residents in the study area under investigation. Moreover, the relationships between the radioactivity levels in the rocks within the geological structure of the studied area are discussed.
Activated carbons can be produced from different precursors, including coals of different ranks, and lignocellulosic materials, by physical or chemical activation processes. The objective of this paper is to characterize oil-palm shells, as a biomass byproduct from palm-oil mills which were converted into activated carbons by nitrogen pyrolysis followed by CO2 activation. The effects of no holding peak pyrolysis temperature on the physical characteristics of the activated carbons are studied. The BET surface area of the activated carbon is investigated using N2 adsorption at 77 K with selected temperatures of 500, 600, and 700°C. These pyrolysis conditions for preparing the activated carbons are found to yield higher BET surface area at a pyrolysis temperature of 700°C compared to selected commercial activated carbon. The activated carbons thus result in well-developed porosities and predominantly microporosities. By using this activation method, significant improvement can be obtained in the surface characteristics of the activated carbons. Thus this study shows that the preparation time can be shortened while better results of activated carbon can be produced.
This paper presents the use of a modified add/drop optical filter incorporating with microring resonators known as a PANDA microring resonator system which can fabricate on small chip. By using an optical tweezer, the required molecules can be trapped and moved to the required destinations at the add/drop ports. The novelty is that the stored molecules in the designed chip can transport via the optical waveguide and can also be used to form molecular filter, which is an important technique for drug delivery, drug targeting, and molecular electronics. Results have shown that the multivariable filter can be obtained by tunable trapping control.
Optical vorticesare generated and controlled to form trapping tools in the same way as optical tweezers. By using the intense optical vortices generated within the PANDA ring resonator, the required atoms/molecules can be trapped and moved (transported) dynamically within the wavelength router or network. The advantage of the proposed system is that a transmitter and receiver can be formed within the same system, which is available for atoms/molecules storage and transportation based on methods that have been proposed to deliver drugs into cells for specific diagnosis.
Mucosal malignant melanoma (MMM) is an aggressive tumour occurring in the upper respiratory tract. It is rare compared to malignant melanoma of the skin. We report a case of a 53-year-old man with left paranasal swelling. A biopsy showed high-grade spindle cell tumour. Subsequently a subtotal maxillectomy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed a hypercellular tumour composed of mixed spindle and epitheloid cells with very occasional intracytoplasmic melanin pigment. The malignant cells were immunopositive for vimentin, S-100 protein and HMB-45. It was diagnosed as mucosal malignant melanoma (MMM). This article illustrates a rare case of MMM where the diagnosis may be missed or delayed without proper histopathological examination that include meticulous search for melanin pigment and appropriate immunohistochemical stains to confirm the diagnosis. Malignant melanoma can mimic many other types of high-grade malignancy and should be considered as a differential diagnosis in many of these instances.