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Identification of Distributed Denial of Services Anomalies by Using Combination of Entropy and Sequential Probabilities Ratio Test Methods

Ali BH, Sulaiman N, Al-Haddad SAR, Atan R, Hassan SLM, Alghrairi M

Sensors (Basel), 2021 Sep 27;21(19).
PMID: 34640773 DOI: 10.3390/s21196453

One of the most dangerous kinds of attacks affecting computers is a distributed denial of services (DDoS) attack. The main goal of this attack is to bring the targeted machine down and make their services unavailable to legal users. This can be accomplished mainly by directing many machines to send a very large number of packets toward the specified machine to consume its resources and stop it from working. We implemented a method using Java based on entropy and sequential probabilities ratio test (ESPRT) methods to identify malicious flows and their switch interfaces that aid them in passing through. Entropy (E) is the first technique, and the sequential probabilities ratio test (SPRT) is the second technique. The entropy method alone compares its results with a certain threshold in order to make a decision. The accuracy and F-scores for entropy results thus changed when the threshold values changed. Using both entropy and SPRT removed the uncertainty associated with the entropy threshold. The false positive rate was also reduced when combining both techniques. Entropy-based detection methods divide incoming traffic into groups of traffic that have the same size. The size of these groups is determined by a parameter called window size. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) 1998, DARPA2000, and Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC-DDoS2019) databases were used to evaluate the implementation of this method. The metric of a confusion matrix was used to compare the ESPRT results with the results of other methods. The accuracy and f-scores for the DARPA 1998 dataset were 0.995 and 0.997, respectively, for the ESPRT method when the window size was set at 50 and 75 packets. The detection rate of ESPRT for the same dataset was 0.995 when the window size was set to 10 packets. The average accuracy for the DARPA 2000 dataset for ESPRT was 0.905, and the detection rate was 0.929. Finally, ESPRT was scalable to a multiple domain topology application.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
An Architecture of a Query Evaluation System For Deductive Databases

Ali Mamat

Sains Malaysiana, 1996;25.

The technology of deductive database is now mature enough due to the considerable research efforts that have been made on the field for the last ten years. This achievement is demonstrated by the emergence of efficient and easy to use systems with their capability of supporting a declarative, rule based style of expressing queries and applications on databases. This paper describes an overview of architecture of a query evaluation system for deductive databases that has been developed.
Teknologi pangkalan data deduktif sudah matang hasil daripada penyelidikan yang telah banyak dilakukan dalam tempoh 10 tahun yang lepas. Pencapaian ini dibuktikan melalui kemunculan sistem yang cekap dan mudah guna serta mempunyai keupayaan untuk mengungkap pertanyaan dan penggunaan ke atas pangkalan data secara deklaratif menerusi penggunaan petua. Dalam kertas ini diterangkan suatu ringkasan mengenai senibina sistem penilaian pertanyaan untuk pangkalan data deduktif yang sudah dibangunkan.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Fulltext Development and validation of a Database Forensic Metamodel (DBFM)

Al-Dhaqm A, Razak S, Othman SH, Ngadi A, Ahmed MN, Ali Mohammed A

PLoS One, 2017;12(2):e0170793.
PMID: 28146585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170793

Database Forensics (DBF) is a widespread area of knowledge. It has many complex features and is well known amongst database investigators and practitioners. Several models and frameworks have been created specifically to allow knowledge-sharing and effective DBF activities. However, these are often narrow in focus and address specified database incident types. We have analysed 60 such models in an attempt to uncover how numerous DBF activities are really public even when the actions vary. We then generate a unified abstract view of DBF in the form of a metamodel. We identified, extracted, and proposed a common concept and reconciled concept definitions to propose a metamodel. We have applied a metamodelling process to guarantee that this metamodel is comprehensive and consistent.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual*
A walk of corporate sustainability towards sustainable development: a bibliometric analysis of literature from 2005 to 2021

Jan AA, Lai FW, Siddique J, Zahid M, Ali SEA

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Mar;30(13):36521-36532.
PMID: 36547839 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24842-4

Recent years have seen a burgeoning interest in the involvement of corporate sustainability (CS) in sustainable development (SD), yet both concepts are fewer and newer in the academic field. This study aims to present a thorough bibliometric analysis that provides fresh new insights on the subject. Using VOSviewer software, this study analyzed and visualized 1214 documents for the period 2005-2021 in the Web of Science (WoS) database. The findings of the study indicate that the co-theme CS and SD are lasting but thriving research subjects. The findings also revealed that authors from the USA published the highest number of articles followed by the UK, Spain, Italy, and Germany. The co-authorship network showed strong links between these countries. Three main clusters are identified based on research titles frequently co-cited and have significant co-citation connections. In general, this study provides valuable insight into the current status and future trends for research on SDGs. The outcome of the study could be useful to policymakers, regulators, sustainability practitioners, and researchers in understanding the key research areas, influential authors, institutions, and countries actively involved in the field. Considering the involvement of corporate sustainability in sustainable development is a useful and informative endeavor for all community actors. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study that presents the holistic picture of CS and SD-related research to identify the knowledge map between the two subjects.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Fulltext A control chart based on cluster-regression adjustment for retrospective monitoring of individual characteristics

Ong HC, Alih E

PLoS One, 2015;10(4):e0125835.
PMID: 25923739 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125835

The tendency for experimental and industrial variables to include a certain proportion of outliers has become a rule rather than an exception. These clusters of outliers, if left undetected, have the capability to distort the mean and the covariance matrix of the Hotelling's T2 multivariate control charts constructed to monitor individual quality characteristics. The effect of this distortion is that the control chart constructed from it becomes unreliable as it exhibits masking and swamping, a phenomenon in which an out-of-control process is erroneously declared as an in-control process or an in-control process is erroneously declared as out-of-control process. To handle these problems, this article proposes a control chart that is based on cluster-regression adjustment for retrospective monitoring of individual quality characteristics in a multivariate setting. The performance of the proposed method is investigated through Monte Carlo simulation experiments and historical datasets. Results obtained indicate that the proposed method is an improvement over the state-of-art methods in terms of outlier detection as well as keeping masking and swamping rate under control.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual*
Fulltext Role of probiotics in patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review protocol of randomised controlled trial studies

Dikeocha IJ, Al-Kabsi AM, Hussin S, Alshawsh MA

BMJ Open, 2020 08 07;10(8):e038128.
PMID: 32771989 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038128

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity worldwide and it has been reported to be associated with poor lifestyle habits which include excess tobacco and alcohol intake as well as genetics and age factors. Probiotics such as the lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacterium as well as probiotic containing foods (kombucha, kefir, miso etc) have received lots of attention as anticancer agents for prevention and treatment. The effects of the administration of probiotics to patients with colorectal cancer is the primary goal of this systematic review. The overall aim is to assess how the use of probiotics in patients with colorectal cancer helps in the management of colorectal cancer and its effect on the diversity of gut microbiota. The final systematic review will provide a comprehensive evidence base for the use and efficacy of probiotics in patient with colorectal cancer care.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The systematic review, will be conducted by extensively searching different databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Wiley and ProQuest to identify randomised controlled trials (with no time frame) which relate to the administration of probiotics to patients with colorectal cancer. The search strategy will include words like colorectal cancer, probiotics, Bifidobacterium, clinical trials etc. A systematic search of databases was performed between 17 and 20 January 2020. Two reviewers will independently review the studies and also search the reference lists of the eligible studies to obtain more references. Data will be extracted from the eligible studies using standardised data extraction form. After assessing the risk of bias, qualitative analysis will be used to synthesise the systematic review.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This is a protocol for a systematic review; therefore, it doesn't require any ethics approval. We intend to disseminate the protocol in a peer reviewed journal.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Parkinson's disease diagnosis using deep learning: A bibliometric analysis and literature review

Abumalloh RA, Nilashi M, Samad S, Ahmadi H, Alghamdi A, Alrizq M, et al.

Ageing Res Rev, 2024 Apr;96:102285.
PMID: 38554785 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102285

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative illness triggered by decreased dopamine secretion. Deep Learning (DL) has gained substantial attention in PD diagnosis research, with an increase in the number of published papers in this discipline. PD detection using DL has presented more promising outcomes as compared with common machine learning approaches. This article aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis and a literature review focusing on the prominent developments taking place in this area. To achieve the target of the study, we retrieved and analyzed the available research papers in the Scopus database. Following that, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to inspect the structure of keywords, authors, and countries in the surveyed studies by providing visual representations of the bibliometric data using VOSviewer software. The study also provides an in-depth review of the literature focusing on different indicators of PD, deployed approaches, and performance metrics. The outcomes indicate the firm development of PD diagnosis using DL approaches over time and a large diversity of studies worldwide. Additionally, the literature review presented a research gap in DL approaches related to incremental learning, particularly in relation to big data analysis.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Correlation between subjective and objective assessment of magnetic resonance (MR) images

Chow LS, Rajagopal H, Paramesran R, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Magn Reson Imaging, 2016 07;34(6):820-831.
PMID: 26969762 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2016.03.006

Medical Image Quality Assessment (IQA) plays an important role in assisting and evaluating the development of any new hardware, imaging sequences, pre-processing or post-processing algorithms. We have performed a quantitative analysis of the correlation between subjective and objective Full Reference - IQA (FR-IQA) on Magnetic Resonance (MR) images of the human brain, spine, knee and abdomen. We have created a MR image database that consists of 25 original reference images and 750 distorted images. The reference images were distorted with six types of distortions: Rician Noise, Gaussian White Noise, Gaussian Blur, DCT compression, JPEG compression and JPEG2000 compression, at various levels of distortion. Twenty eight subjects were chosen to evaluate the images resulting in a total of 21,700 human evaluations. The raw scores were then converted to Difference Mean Opinion Score (DMOS). Thirteen objective FR-IQA metrics were used to determine the validity of the subjective DMOS. The results indicate a high correlation between the subjective and objective assessment of the MR images. The Noise Quality Measurement (NQM) has the highest correlation with DMOS, where the mean Pearson Linear Correlation Coefficient (PLCC) and Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (SROCC) are 0.936 and 0.938 respectively. The Universal Quality Index (UQI) has the lowest correlation with DMOS, where the mean PLCC and SROCC are 0.807 and 0.815 respectively. Student's T-test was used to find the difference in performance of FR-IQA across different types of distortion. The superior IQAs tested statistically are UQI for Rician noise images, Visual Information Fidelity (VIF) for Gaussian blur images, NQM for both DCT and JPEG compressed images, Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) for JPEG2000 compressed images.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual/statistics & numerical data
MPS-FFA: A multiplane and multiscale feature fusion attention network for Alzheimer's disease prediction with structural MRI

Liu F, Wang H, Liang SN, Jin Z, Wei S, Li X, et al.

Comput Biol Med, 2023 May;157:106790.
PMID: 36958239 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106790

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) is a popular technique that is widely applied in Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis. However, only a few structural atrophy areas in sMRI scans are highly associated with AD. The degree of atrophy in patients' brain tissues and the distribution of lesion areas differ among patients. Therefore, a key challenge in sMRI-based AD diagnosis is identifying discriminating atrophy features. Hence, we propose a multiplane and multiscale feature-level fusion attention (MPS-FFA) model. The model has three components, (1) A feature encoder uses a multiscale feature extractor with hybrid attention layers to simultaneously capture and fuse multiple pathological features in the sagittal, coronal, and axial planes. (2) A global attention classifier combines clinical scores and two global attention layers to evaluate the feature impact scores and balance the relative contributions of different feature blocks. (3) A feature similarity discriminator minimizes the feature similarities among heterogeneous labels to enhance the ability of the network to discriminate atrophy features. The MPS-FFA model provides improved interpretability for identifying discriminating features using feature visualization. The experimental results on the baseline sMRI scans from two databases confirm the effectiveness (e.g., accuracy and generalizability) of our method in locating pathological locations. The source code is available at https://github.com/LiuFei-AHU/MPSFFA.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Systematic review on the current state of disaster preparation Simulation Exercises (SimEx)

Mahdi SS, Jafri HA, Allana R, Battineni G, Khawaja M, Sakina S, et al.

BMC Emerg Med, 2023 May 24;23(1):52.
PMID: 37226121 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-023-00824-8

INTRODUCTION: The simulation exercise (SimEx) simulates an emergency in which an elaboration or description of the response is applied. The purpose of these exercises is to validate and improve plans, procedures, and systems for responding to all hazards. The purpose of this study was to review disaster preparation exercises conducted by various national, non-government, and academic institutions.
METHODOLOGY: Several databases, including PubMed (Medline), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), BioMed Central, and Google Scholar, were used to review the literature. Information was retrieved using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and documents were selected according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). To assess the quality of the selected articles, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) technique was utilized.
RESULTS: A total of 29 papers were selected for final review based on PRISMA guidelines and the NOS quality assessment. Studies have shown that many forms of SimEx commonly used in disaster management including tabletop exercises, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises have their benefits and limitations. There is no doubt that SimEx is an excellent tool for improving disaster planning and response. It is still necessary to give SimEx programs a more rigorous evaluation and to standardize the processes more thoroughly.
CONCLUSIONS: Drills and training can be improved for disaster management, which will enable medical professionals to face the challenges of disaster management in the 21st century.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Fulltext Root-oriented words generation: an easier way towards dictionary making for the Dusunic family of languages

Cosmas Julius Abah, Wong, Jane Kong Ling, Anantha Raman Govindasamy

Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018;3(2):95-112.
MyJurnal

Dictionary production is one of the most effective methods of preserving languages and cultures. The
Dusunic Family of Languages (DFL) in Sabah, Malaysia would have welcomed the efforts to
document their languages through dictionary production as there are still lacking of dictionary,
vocabulary and phrase books. Furthermore, more than half of the languages in DFL are unwritten.
However, making dictionary conventionally is tedious and time consuming. The Dusunic Family of
Languages which are facing extinction threats do not have the luxury of time to wait for dictionary
production via the conventional method. Hence, this study explores the use of a method called Root-
Oriented Words Generation (ROWG) which is formulated based on spelling orthography of DFL to
generate one and two-syllable words list. From the words list, root words registers were compiled
which can then be used as database for dictionary production. Findings of this study showed that
ROWG was able to generate an exhaustive word lists of DFL and compile a large volume of root
words register in DFL. Hence, this study was able to highlight the feasibility and viability of using
ROWG to produce root words register of DFL which could possibly reduce the time for dictionary
production significantly. In future studies, it is recommended that the ROWG is extended to include
more than two syllable words. This study showed the potentiality of ROWG to address the looming
demise of DFL by providing a more efficient way of compiling root words for the purpose of making a
dictionary.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Fulltext Internet application for online cadastral services : a case study in Nigeria

Babalola Sunday Oyetayo, Abdul Rahman Alias, Tan, Liat Choon, Abidoye Ayodeji Iyanu, Anthony Olatunbosun

Journal of Advanced Research Design, 2017;36(1):1-12.
MyJurnal

The new innovative of technology by (GIS) Geographic Information System, (LIS) Land
Information System and (CIS) Cadastral Information System has been playing a leading
role in the development of cadastral and land administration in this study area. The
Customary ways and approach to the land titling and registration in the time past has
resulted in the delay in the processes of obtaining title to the land. Land administration
system in Nigeria includes the processes of land registration, cadastral mapping, land
valuation and land inventory. Most of developing nation particularly Nigeria is faced
with the problem of poor land administration and management. Technology is
paramount in acquiring a proper technological development in land administration.
This study tried to encourage land title registration by providing web technologies that
are faster and suitable with a low rate and minimum delay. The need to develop a
dynamic web for the processes in the land registration arises from the dynamic
relationship to the land of the people. The delay in time and process of land registration
couple with the exploitation in land related activities has called for the urgent
intervention of all the stakeholders in land administration. PHP programming language
was used as a server side scripting languages together with MyAdmin SQL, a website
was developed for the processes involved in the land registration having examined the
fastest way to solve the problem. A robust dynamic database that is reliable and easy
to use was also developed which is capable of accommodating several numbers of
applicants. The applicants, monitoring agency and the government have the advantage
of checking all the processes on line without any contact with the officers working on
the certificate.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Fulltext Mouth-clicks used by blind expert human echolocators - signal description and model based signal synthesis

Thaler L, Reich GM, Zhang X, Wang D, Smith GE, Tao Z, et al.

PLoS Comput Biol, 2017 Aug;13(8):e1005670.
PMID: 28859082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005670

Echolocation is the ability to use sound-echoes to infer spatial information about the environment. Some blind people have developed extraordinary proficiency in echolocation using mouth-clicks. The first step of human biosonar is the transmission (mouth click) and subsequent reception of the resultant sound through the ear. Existing head-related transfer function (HRTF) data bases provide descriptions of reception of the resultant sound. For the current report, we collected a large database of click emissions with three blind people expertly trained in echolocation, which allowed us to perform unprecedented analyses. Specifically, the current report provides the first ever description of the spatial distribution (i.e. beam pattern) of human expert echolocation transmissions, as well as spectro-temporal descriptions at a level of detail not available before. Our data show that transmission levels are fairly constant within a 60° cone emanating from the mouth, but levels drop gradually at further angles, more than for speech. In terms of spectro-temporal features, our data show that emissions are consistently very brief (~3ms duration) with peak frequencies 2-4kHz, but with energy also at 10kHz. This differs from previous reports of durations 3-15ms and peak frequencies 2-8kHz, which were based on less detailed measurements. Based on our measurements we propose to model transmissions as sum of monotones modulated by a decaying exponential, with angular attenuation by a modified cardioid. We provide model parameters for each echolocator. These results are a step towards developing computational models of human biosonar. For example, in bats, spatial and spectro-temporal features of emissions have been used to derive and test model based hypotheses about behaviour. The data we present here suggest similar research opportunities within the context of human echolocation. Relatedly, the data are a basis to develop synthetic models of human echolocation that could be virtual (i.e. simulated) or real (i.e. loudspeaker, microphones), and which will help understanding the link between physical principles and human behaviour.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Epidemiology of surgically treated patient in road traffic accident with lower extremity vascular injury from a single centre in Kelantan

Koh SC, Wan Faisham Nu'man WI, Siti Fatimah NMJ, Wan Azman WS, Mohammad P, Arman Zaharil MS

Med J Malaysia, 2020 05;75(3):292-294.
PMID: 32467547

INTRODUCTION: Lower extremity vascular injury can result in either temporary or permanent disability.
METHODS: This is a clinical audit involving all patients admitted to our institution from January 2008 to June 2018 of those who had undergone revascularization surgery for lower limb trauma.
RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients were in this study with a mean age of 28.1 years. Most of the patients were motorcyclist involved in road traffic accidents with cars (n=30, 50.8%). The popliteal artery was most commonly seen injury (n=41, 69.5%). The mean duration of ischaemia was 14.1 hours. The limb salvage rate was 89.8%.
CONCLUSION: Lower extremity vascular injury caused by RTA treated in our institution predominantly involved young patients aged between 18-30 years associated with long bone fractures causing contusion and thrombosis of the popliteal artery.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Fulltext Adding glycaemic index and glycaemic load functionality to DietPLUS, a Malaysian food composition database and diet intake calculator

Shyam S, Wai TN, Arshad F

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2012;21(2):201-8.
PMID: 22507605

This paper outlines the methodology to add glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) functionality to food DietPLUS, a Microsoft Excel-based Malaysian food composition database and diet intake calculator. Locally determined GI values and published international GI databases were used as the source of GI values. Previously published methodology for GI value assignment was modified to add GI and GL calculators to the database. Two popular local low GI foods were added to the DietPLUS database, bringing up the total number of foods in the database to 838 foods. Overall, in relation to the 539 major carbohydrate foods in the Malaysian Food Composition Database, 243 (45%) food items had local Malaysian values or were directly matched to International GI database and another 180 (33%) of the foods were linked to closely-related foods in the GI databases used. The mean ± SD dietary GI and GL of the dietary intake of 63 women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus, calculated using DietPLUS version3 were, 62 ± 6 and 142 ± 45, respectively. These values were comparable to those reported from other local studies. DietPLUS version3, a simple Microsoft Excel-based programme aids calculation of diet GI and GL for Malaysian diets based on food records.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual*
The top 50 most-cited articles published in the International Endodontic Journal

Ahmad P, Dummer PMH, Noorani TY, Asif JA

Int Endod J, 2019 Jun;52(6):803-818.
PMID: 30667524 DOI: 10.1111/iej.13083

AIM: To analyse the main characteristics of the top 50 most-cited articles published in the International Endodontic Journal from 1967 to 2018.
METHODOLOGY: The Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science 'All Databases', Elsevier's Scopus, Google Scholar and PubMed Central were searched to retrieve the 50 most-cited articles in the IEJ published from April 1967 to December 2018. The articles were analysed and information including number of citations, year of publication, contributing authors, institutions and countries, study design, study topic, impact factor and keywords was extracted.
RESULTS: The number of citations of the 50 selected papers varied from 575 to 130 (Web of Science), 656 to164 (Elsevier's Scopus), 1354 to 199 (Google Scholar) and 123 to 3 (PubMed). The majority of papers were published in the year 2001 (n = 7). Amongst 102 authors, the greatest contribution was made by four contributors that included Gulabivala K (n = 4), Ng YL (n = 4), Pitt Ford TR (n = 4) and Wesselink PR (n = 4). The majority of papers originated from the United Kingdom (n = 8) with most contributions from King's College London Dental Institute (UK) and Eastman Dental Hospital, London. Reviews were the most common study design (n = 19) followed by Clinical Research (n = 16) and Basic Research (n = 15). The majority of topics covered by the most-cited articles were Outcome Studies (n = 9), Intracanal medicaments (n = 8), Endodontic microbiology (n = 7) and Canal instrumentation (n = 7). Amongst 76 unique keywords, Endodontics (n = 7), Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) (n = 7) and Root Canal Treatment (n = 7) were the most frequently used.
CONCLUSION: This is the first study to identify and analyse the top 50 most-cited articles in a specific professional journal within Dentistry. The analysis has revealed information regarding the development of the IEJ over time as well as scientific progress in the field of Endodontology.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Improved GART neural network model for pattern classification and rule extraction with application to power systems

Yap KS, Lim CP, Au MT

IEEE Trans Neural Netw, 2011 Dec;22(12):2310-23.
PMID: 22067292 DOI: 10.1109/TNN.2011.2173502

Generalized adaptive resonance theory (GART) is a neural network model that is capable of online learning and is effective in tackling pattern classification tasks. In this paper, we propose an improved GART model (IGART), and demonstrate its applicability to power systems. IGART enhances the dynamics of GART in several aspects, which include the use of the Laplacian likelihood function, a new vigilance function, a new match-tracking mechanism, an ordering algorithm for determining the sequence of training data, and a rule extraction capability to elicit if-then rules from the network. To assess the effectiveness of IGART and to compare its performances with those from other methods, three datasets that are related to power systems are employed. The experimental results demonstrate the usefulness of IGART with the rule extraction capability in undertaking classification problems in power systems engineering.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual*
Allopurinol-induced severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions: Risk minimization measures in Malaysia

Panickar R, Wo WK, Ali NM, Tang MM, Ramanathan GRL, Kamarulzaman A, et al.

Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf, 2020 10;29(10):1254-1262.
PMID: 33084196 DOI: 10.1002/pds.5033

PURPOSE: To describe risk minimization measures (RMMs) implemented in Malaysia for allopurinol-induced severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs) and examine their impact using real-world data on allopurinol usage and adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports associated with allopurinol.
METHODS: Data on allopurinol ADR reports (2000-2018) were extracted from the Malaysian ADR database. We identified RMMs implemented between 2000 and 2018 from the minutes of relevant meetings and the national pharmacovigilance newsletter. We obtained allopurinol utilization data (2004-2018) from the Pharmaceutical Services Programme. To determine the impact of RMMs on ADR reporting, we considered ADR reports received within 1 year of RMM implementation. We used the Pearson χ2 test to examine the relation between the implementation of RMMs and allopurinol ADR reports.
RESULTS: The 16 RMMs for allopurinol-related SCARs implemented in Malaysia involved nine risk communications, four prescriber or patient educational material, and three health system innovations. Allopurinol utilization decreased by 21.5% from 2004 to 2018. ADR reporting rates for all drugs (n = 144 507) and allopurinol (n = 1747) increased. ADR reports involving off-label use decreased by 6% from 2011. SCARs cases remained between 20% and 50%. RMMs implemented showed statistically significant reduction in ADR reports involving off-label use for August 2014 [χ2(1, N = 258) = 5.32, P = .021] and October 2016 [χ2(1, N = 349) = 3.85, P = .0499].
CONCLUSIONS: RMMs to promote the appropriate use of allopurinol and prescriber education have a positive impact. We need further measures to reduce the incidence and severity of allopurinol-induced SCARs, such as patient education and more research into pharmacogenetic screening.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual
Fulltext National Cancer Patient Registry--a patient registry/clinical database to evaluate the health outcomes of patients undergoing treatment for cancers in Malaysia

Lim GC, Azura D

Med J Malaysia, 2008 Sep;63 Suppl C:55-6.
PMID: 19230247

Cancer burden in Malaysia is increasing. Although there have been improvements in cancer treatment, these new therapies may potentially cause an exponential increase in the cost of cancer treatment. Therefore, justification for the use of these treatments is mandated. Availability of local data will enable us to evaluate and compare the outcome of our patients. This will help to support our clinical decision making and local policy, improve access to treatment and improve the provision and delivery of oncology services in Malaysia. The National Cancer Patient Registry was proposed as a database for cancer patients who seek treatment in Malaysia. It will be a valuable tool to provide timely and robust data on the actual setting in oncology practice, safety and cost effectiveness of treatment and most importantly the outcome of these patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual/statistics & numerical data
Fulltext Perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of asthma patients towards the use of short-acting β2-agonists: A systematic review

Loh ZC, Hussain R, Balan S, Saini B, Muneswarao J, Ong SC, et al.

PLoS One, 2023;18(4):e0283876.
PMID: 37079594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283876

BACKGROUND: Short-acting β2-agonists (SABA), the most potent and rapid-acting relievers are commonly used to provide quick relief of asthma symptoms. However, there is an increasing concern regarding the misuse of SABA medicines.
OBJECTIVE: This qualitative systematic review aims to determine, evaluate, and summarize the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors towards the use of SABA from the patients' perspectives.
METHODS: The databases searched included PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane database. Original research articles reporting the perceptions, attitudes, or behaviors of asthma patients towards the use of SABA, which was available as full text, published in the English language between the year 2000 and February 2023 were included in the review. Commentaries, letters to editor, review articles, and conference proceedings were excluded.
RESULTS: A total of five articles were included. Six overarching themes were obtained: (1) perceptions on health status; (2) perceptions and attitudes towards the impact of asthma; (3) perceptions towards asthma control; (4) perceptions towards asthma knowledge; (5) risk perceptions; (6) perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors towards the use of SABA.
CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that SABA could rapidly alleviate asthma symptoms, SABA over-users were less likely to describe their health status and asthma control as 'excellent'. Most SABA over-users did not know that frequent SABA usage would worsen their asthma control, and they exhibited psychological linkage towards the use of SABA. Collaborative efforts between policymakers, healthcare professionals and patients are warranted to reconstruct SABA prescribing practice and usage.

Matched MeSH terms: Databases, Factual

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