Homogenous strain analysis (HSA) was developed to evaluate regional cardiac function using tagged cine magnetic resonance images of heart. Current cardiac applications of HSA are however limited in accurately detecting tag intersections within the myocardial wall, producing consistent triangulation of tag cells throughout the image series and achieving optimal spatial resolution due to the large size of the triangles. To address these issues, this article introduces a harmonic phase (HARP) interference method. In principle, as in the standard HARP analysis, the method uses harmonic phases associated with the two of the four fundamental peaks in the spectrum of a tagged image. However, the phase associated with each peak is wrapped when estimated digitally. This article shows that special combination of wrapped phases results in an image with unique intensity pattern that can be exploited to automatically detect tag intersections and to produce reliable triangulation with regularly organized partitioning of the mesh for HSA. In addition, the method offers new opportunities and freedom for evaluating myocardial function when the power and angle of the complex filtered spectra are mathematically modified prior to computing the phase. For example, the triangular elements can be shifted spatially by changing the angle and/or their sizes can be reduced by changing the power. Interference patterns obtained under a variety of power and angle conditions were presented and specific features observed in the results were explained. Together, the advanced processing capabilities increase the power of HSA by making the analysis less prone to errors from human interactions. It also allows strain measurements at higher spatial resolution and multi-scale, thereby improving the display methods for better interpretation of the analysis results.
Matched MeSH terms: Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine/methods*
A novel technique to quantify the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of magnetic resonance images is developed. The image SNR is quantified by estimating the amplitude of the signal spectrum using the autocorrelation function of just one single magnetic resonance image. To test the performance of the quantification, SNR measurement data are fitted to theoretically expected curves. It is shown that the technique can be implemented in a highly efficient way for the magnetic resonance imaging system.
Matched MeSH terms: Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*
This paper presents the results obtained for medical image compression using autoencoder neural networks. Since mammograms (medical images) are usually of big sizes, training of autoencoders becomes extremely tedious and difficult if the whole image is used for training. We show in this paper that the autoencoders can be trained successfully by using image patches instead of the whole image. The compression performances of different types of autoencoders are compared based on two parameters, namely mean square error and structural similarity index. It is found from the experimental results that the autoencoder which does not use Restricted Boltzmann Machine pre-training yields better results than those which use this pre-training method.
Posterior translation of the spinal cord occurs passively following laminoplasty with the presence lordotic spine and availability of a space for the spinal cord to shift. This study is to predict the distance of posterior spinal cord migration after expansive laminoplasty at different cervical levels based on measurement of posterior translation of the spinal cord in normal cervical morphometry.
Matched MeSH terms: Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*; Decompression, Surgical/methods*
In this batch study, the adsorption of malathion by using granular activated carbon with different parameters due to the particle size, dosage of carbons, as well as the initial concentration of malathion was investigated. Batch tests were carried out to determine the potential and the effectiveness of granular activated carbon (GAC) in removal of pesticide in agricultural run off. The granular activated carbon; coconut shell and palm shells were used and analyzed as the adsorbent material. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms models were applied to describe the characteristics of adsorption behavior. Equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir model and Freundlich model with maximum adsorption capacity of 909.1mg/g. The results indicate that the GAC could be used to effectively adsorb pesticide (malathion) from agricultural runoff.
Matched MeSH terms: Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods*; Water Purification/methods*
The purpose of this study was to explore the University of Malaya (UM) dental graduates' competence in holistic care in real settings from the employers' and graduates' perspectives. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of ten domains was sent to thirty senior dental officers of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and 164 UM graduates. In this article, nineteen major competencies that best represent the graduates' competence in the provision of holistic care are discussed. Each competency was rated on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 4 (very good) and was categorized as "poor and of major concern" (if less than 60 percent of respondents scored good or very good), "satisfactory and of minor concern" (60-69 percent), or "excellent" (70 percent and above). One hundred and six out of 164 graduates (64.6 percent) and twenty-nine out of thirty employers (96.7 percent) responded. Overall, the employers rated the graduates lower than what the graduates rated themselves on all items. While the graduates felt they were excellent and satisfactory in sixteen out of nineteen items (84.2 percent), the employers felt they were poor in fourteen out of nineteen (73.7 percent). Both groups agreed that the graduates were excellent in communication, but poor in life-saving skills, obtaining patient's family and psychosocial histories, and recognizing signs and symptoms (not intraoral) indicating the presence of a systemic disease. In conclusion, although the graduates felt competent in the majority of the holistic care competencies, the employers had some reservations over such claims. Outcomes of the study led to recommendations to incorporate longer community-based learning hours, an improved behavioral science component, a module for special care patients, and multidepartmental collaborative teachings in the new integrated program aimed for implementation in 2011.
In this study, palm oil mill effluent (POME) was solubilized by batch thermo-alkaline pre-treatments. A three-factor central composite design (CCD) was applied to identify the optimum COD solubilization condition. The individual and interactive effects of three factors, temperature, NaOH concentration and reaction time, on solubilization of POME were evaluated by employing response surface methodology (RSM). The experimental results showed that temperature, NaOH concentration and reaction time all had an individual significant effect on the solubilization of POME. But these three factors were independent, or there was insignificant interaction on the response. The maximum COD solubilization of 82.63% was estimated under the optimum condition at 32.5 degrees C, 8.83g/L of NaOH and 41.23h reaction time. The confirmation experiment of the predicted optimum conditions verified that the RSM with the central composite design was useful for optimizing the solubilization of POME.
Enteroviruses are positive stranded RNA viruses belonging to the genus Enterovirus of the Picornaviridae family. Human enteroviruses are transmitted through the fecal-oral route and have been shown to cause mild to life-threatening diseases. Various diagnostic methods have been developed to detect enteroviruses from clinical specimens but many were impeded by requirements for special reagents, lengthy procedures, low sensitivity or cross-reactivity. This chapter describes rapid and highly sensitive methods of enteroviral detection directly from clinical specimens based on a conventional one-step Reverse Transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a one-step real-time RT-PCR.
The range-gated imaging systems are reliable underwater imaging system with the capability to minimize backscattering effect from turbid media. The tail-gating technique has been developed to fine tune the signal to backscattering ratio and hence improve the gated image quality. However, the tail-gating technique has limited image quality enhancement in high turbidity levels. In this paper, we developed a numerical model of range-gated underwater imaging system for near target in turbid medium. The simulation results matched the experimental work favorably. Further investigation using this numerical model shows that the multiple scattering components of the backscattering noise dominate for propagation length larger than 4.2 Attenuation Length (AL). This has limited the enhancement of tail-gating technique in high turbidity conditions.
Matched MeSH terms: Environmental Monitoring/methods*; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry/methods*
There is an urgent need globally to find alternative sustainable steps to treat municipal solid wastes (MSW) originated from mismanagement of urban wastes with increasing disposal cost. Furthermore, a conglomeration of ever-increasing population and consumerist lifestyle is contributing towards the generation of more MSW. In this context, vermicomposting offers excellent potential to promote safe, hygienic and sustainable management of biodegradable MSW. It has been demonstrated that, through vermicomposting, MSW such as city garbage, household and kitchen wastes, vegetable wastes, paper wastes, human faeces and others could be sustainably transformed into organic fertiliser or vermicompost that provides great benefits to agricultural soil and plants. Generally, earthworms are sensitive to their environment and require temperature, moisture content, pH and sometimes ventilation at proper levels for the optimum vermicomposting process. Apart from setting the optimum operational conditions for the vermicomposting process, other approaches such as pre-composting, inoculating micro-organisms into MSW and redesigning the conventional vermireactor could be introduced to further enhance the vermicomposting of MSW. Thus the present mini-review discusses the potential of introducing vermicomposting in MSW management, the benefits of vermicomposted MSW to plants, suggestions on how to enhance the vermicomposting of MSW as well as risk management in the vermicomposting of MSW.
A three-phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction method coupled with CE was developed and used for the determination of partition coefficients and analysis of selected nitrophenols in water samples. The selected nitrophenols were extracted from 14 mL of aqueous solution (donor solution) with the pH adjusted to pH 3 into an organic phase (1-octanol) immobilized in the pores of the hollow fiber and finally backextracted into 40.0 microL of the acceptor phase (NaOH) at pH 12.0 located inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. The extractions were carried out under the following optimum conditions: donor solution, 0.05 M H(3)PO(4), pH 3.0; organic solvent, 1-octanol; acceptor solution, 40 microL of 0.1 M NaOH, pH 12.0; agitation rate, 1050 rpm; extraction time, 15 min. Under optimized conditions, the calibration curves for the analytes were linear in the range of 0.05-0.30 mg/L with r(2)>0.9900 and LODs were in the range of 0.01-0.04 mg/L with RSDs of 1.25-2.32%. Excellent enrichment factors of up to 398-folds were obtained. It was found that the partition coefficient (K(a/d)) values were high for 2-nitrophenol, 3-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol and 2,6-dinitrophenol and that the individual partition coefficients (K(org/d) and K(a/org)) promoted efficient simultaneous extraction from the donor through the organic phase and further into the acceptor phase. The developed method was successfully applied for the analysis of water samples.
Dental plaque has a harmful influence on periodontal tissue. When a porcelain restoration is fabricated and refinishing of the glazed surface is inevitable, the increase in surface roughness facilitates the adhesion of plaque and its components. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of surface roughness of glazed or polished porcelain on the adhesion of oral Streptococcus mutans.
Neonatal neoplasms are rare tumours notorious for their atypical presentation and unpredictable behaviour. Their optimal treatment remains uncertain, a dilemma compounded by the deleterious effects of adjuvant chemo- or radiotherapy during this vulnerable period of growth. This paper examined the relatively high incidence of these tumours and its impact on paediatric surgery in Malaysia.
The growths of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) were evaluated in recirculation aquaponic system (RAS). Fish production performance, plant growth and nutrient removal were measured and their dependence on hydraulic loading rate (HLR) was assessed. Fish production did not differ significantly between hydraulic loading rates. In contrast to the fish production, the water spinach yield was significantly higher in the lower hydraulic loading rate. Fish production, plant growth and percentage nutrient removal were highest at hydraulic loading rate of 1.28 m/day. The ratio of fish to plant production has been calculated to balance nutrient generation from fish with nutrient removal by plants and the optimum ratio was 15-42 gram of fish feed/m(2) of plant growing area. Each unit in RAS was evaluated in terms of oxygen demand. Using specified feeding regime, mass balance equations were applied to quantify the waste discharges from rearing tanks and treatment units. The waste discharged was found to be strongly dependent on hydraulic loading rate.
Feedback is essential to guide students towards expected performance goals. The usefulness of teacher feedback on improving communication skills (CS) has been well documented. It has been proposed that self-assessment and peer-feedback has an equally important role to play in enhancing learning. This is the focus of this study. Objectively structured self-assessment and peer feedback (OSSP) was incorporated into small group CS teaching sessions of a group of semester one medical students who were learning CS for the first time, to minimise the influence of previous educational interventions. A control group matched for academic performance, gender and age was used to enable parallel evaluation of the innovation. A reflective log containing closed and open ended questions was used for OSSP. Facilitators and simulated patients provided feedback to students in both groups during CS learning as per routine practice. Student perceptions on OSSP and acceptability as a learning method were explored using a questionnaire. CS were assessed in both groups using objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) as per routine practice and assessors were blinded as to which group the student belonged. Mean total score and scores for specific areas of interview skills were significantly higher in the experimental group. Analysis of the questionnaire data showed that students gained fresh insights into specific areas such as empathy, addressing patients' concerns and interview style during OSSP which clearly corroborated the specific differences in scores. The free text comments were highly encouraging as to acceptability of OSSP, in spite of 67% being never exposed to formal self- and peer-assessment during pre-university studies. OSSP promotes effective CS learning and learner acceptability is high.
Concern about environmental protection has increased over the years from a global viewpoint. To date, the infiltration of oil palm ash into the groundwater tables and aquifer systems which poses a potential risk and significant hazards towards the public health and ecosystems, remain an intricate challenge for the 21st century. With the revolution of biomass reutilization strategy, there has been a steadily growing interest in this research field. Confirming the assertion, this paper presents a state of art review of oil palm ash industry, its fundamental characteristics and environmental implications. Moreover, the key advance of its implementations, major challenges together with the future expectation are summarized and discussed. Conclusively, the expanding of oil palm ash in numerous field of application represents a plausible and powerful circumstance, for accruing the worldwide environmental benefit and shaping the national economy.
Matched MeSH terms: Agriculture/methods*; Conservation of Natural Resources/methods*
In this paper, we investigate the use of heart rate variability (HRV) for automatic newborn seizure detection. The proposed method consists of a sequence of processing steps, namely, obtaining HRV from the ECG, extracting a discriminating HRV feature set, selecting an optimal subset from the full feature set, and, finally, classifying the HRV into seizure/nonseizure using a supervised statistical classifier. Due to the fact that HRV signals are nonstationary, a set of time-frequency features from the newborn HRV is proposed and extracted. In order to achieve efficient HRV-based automatic newborn seizure detection, a two-phase wrapper-based feature selection technique is used to select the feature subset with minimum redundancy and maximum class discriminability. Tested on ECG recordings obtained from eight newborns with identified EEG seizure, the proposed HRV-based neonatal seizure detection algorithm achieved 85.7% sensitivity and 84.6% specificity. These results suggest that the HRV is sensitive to changes in the cardioregulatory system induced by the seizure, and therefore, can be used as a basis for an automatic seizure detection.
HbA1c measurement is currently routinely used to predict long term outcome of diabetes, thus playing a fundamental role in the management of diabetes. The relationship between HbA1c value and long term diabetic complications has been established by a randomised control Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) which used high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as a reference method for HbA1c assay. To ensure that HbA1c results from a variety HbA1c assay methods are similar to the DCCT values, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommended that all laboratories should use methods certified by the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Programme (NGSP) with interassay coefficient variation (CV) of < 5% (ideally < 3%). The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) working group on HbA1c standardisation has set a CV < 2.5% as a criteria for its reference laboratories.
Matched MeSH terms: Blood Chemical Analysis/methods; Chemistry, Clinical/methods
Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) is a new molecular technique that has the potential to revolutionize cytogenetics. However, use of high resolution array CGH in the clinical setting is plagued by the problem of widespread copy number variations (CNV) in the human genome. Constitutional microarray, containing only clones that interrogate regions of known constitutional syndromes, may circumvent the dilemma of detecting CNV of unknown clinical significance.