Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 118 in total

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  1. Simulated electronic health documentation: A cross-sectional exploration of factors influencing nursing students' intention to use
    Chan KG, Pawi S, Ong MF, Kowitlawakul Y, Goy SC
    Nurse Educ Pract, 2020 Oct;48:102864.
    PMID: 32920369 DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102864
    The aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing nursing students' intention to use a simulated web-application 'Integrated Nursing Education System' for practicing electronic health documentation. The cross-sectional study was conducted at a Malaysian University that provides undergraduate nursing degree program. A total of 133 undergraduate nursing students in their year 2 to year 4 of the program were recruited. They had accessed the simulated web-application as part of the teaching-learning activities during the academic year 2016/2017. Technology Acceptance Model was used to guide the study. Validated questionnaires were used to measure the students' perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitudes and intention to use the application. Data collection was done at the end of the semester. Data analysis was done using SPSS (19.0) and AMOS (23.0). Perceived usefulness was the most influential factor of the students' intention to use the simulated web-application. Perceived ease of use influenced their perceived usefulness significantly. Nurse educators should explain the usefulness of the simulated web-application before assigning students to access it to practice electronic health documentation. The availability of a stable internet access and IT support is important to influence students' perceived ease of use and intention to use the application.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  2. Fulltext Semi-analytical modelling and evaluation of uniformly doped silicene nanotransistors for digital logic gates
    Chuan MW, Wong KL, Riyadi MA, Hamzah A, Rusli S, Alias NE, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(6):e0253289.
    PMID: 34125874 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253289
    Silicene has attracted remarkable attention in the semiconductor research community due to its silicon (Si) nature. It is predicted as one of the most promising candidates for the next generation nanoelectronic devices. In this paper, an efficient non-iterative technique is employed to create the SPICE models for p-type and n-type uniformly doped silicene field-effect transistors (FETs). The current-voltage characteristics show that the proposed silicene FET models exhibit high on-to-off current ratio under ballistic transport. In order to obtain practical digital logic timing diagrams, a parasitic load capacitance, which is dependent on the interconnect length, is attached at the output terminal of the logic circuits. Furthermore, the key circuit performance metrics, including the propagation delay, average power, power-delay product and energy-delay product of the proposed silicene-based logic gates are extracted and benchmarked with published results. The effects of the interconnect length to the propagation delay and average power are also investigated. The results of this work further envisage the uniformly doped silicene as a promising candidate for future nanoelectronic applications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  3. Role of cytokines produced by T helper immune-modulators in dengue pathogenesis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    Tran L, Radwan I, Minh LHN, Low SK, Hashan MR, Gomaa MD, et al.
    Acta Trop, 2021 Jan 06.
    PMID: 33421421 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105823
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Modulation of the immune reaction is essential in the development of various diseases, including dengue's "Cytokine Tsunami", an increase in vascular permeability with concomitant severe vascular leakage. We aim to identify the role of T-helper (Th) cells, Th2 and Th7, with their related cytokines in dengue pathogenesis.

    MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nine electronic databases and manual search were applied to detect available publications. A meta-analysis using a fixed- or random-effect model was performed to measure standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). The National Institute of Health (NIH) tools for observational cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies were used to examine the risk of bias. The protocol was recorded in PROSPERO with CRD42017060230.

    RESULTS: A total of 38 articles were found including 19 case-control, 11 cross-sectional and 8 prospective cohort studies. We indicated that Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-8) and Th17 cytokine (IL-17) in dengue patients were notably higher than in a healthy control group in acute phase (SMD = 1.59, 95% CI [0.68, 2.51], p = 0.001; SMD = 1.24, 95% CI [0.41, 2.06], p = 0.003; SMD = 1.13, 95% CI [0.61, 1.66], p<0.0001; SMD = 1.74, 95% CI [0.87, 2.61], p<0.0001), respectively.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of the significant roles of IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-17 in the pathogenesis of developing a severe reaction in dengue fever. However, to fully determine the association of Th cytokines with dengue, it is necessary to perform further studies to assess kinetic levels during the duration of the illness.

    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  4. Fulltext Role of Hypnosis in Dental Treatment: A Narrative Review
    Venkiteswaran A, Tandon S
    J Int Soc Prev Community Dent, 2021 04 15;11(2):115-124.
    PMID: 34036071 DOI: 10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_320_20
    Aim: This narrative aims to outline the use of hypnosis in managing dental anxiety in during dental treatment. The PICO used to answer the objectives are (P) dental patients, (I) hypnosis, (C) conventional behaviour management techniques & (O) reduced pain/anxiety.

    Materials and Methods: An electronic search of three databases; PubMed, Scopus and EBSCOhost was conducted using the keywords "hypnosis or hypnotherapy" AND "dentistry or dental" between the year 2000 and 2020. A total of 19 studies were selected based on eligibility. Data extracted were study subject, design of study, parameters used to assess, type of hypnosis script used and the study outcome.

    Results: The studies show that hypnosis is effective in pain management and dental anxiety. It can also be used for improving compliance in patients who are wearing orthodontic appliances (Trakyali et al, 2008) and reducing salivary flow during dental treatment (Satlz et al, 2014).

    Conclusion: Hypnosis has the potential to be a useful tool in the management of children and adults.

    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  5. Fulltext Reconfigurable ring filter with controllable frequency response
    Ab Wahab N, Mohd Salleh MK, Ismail Khan Z, Abd Rashid NE
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:671369.
    PMID: 25121132 DOI: 10.1155/2014/671369
    Reconfigurable ring filter based on single-side-access ring topology is presented. Using capacitive tuning elements, the electrical length of the ring can be manipulated to shift the nominal center frequency to a desired position. A synthesis is developed to determine the values of the capacitive elements. To show the advantage of the synthesis, it is applied to the reconfigurable filter design using RF lumped capacitors. The concept is further explored by introducing varactor-diodes to continuously tune the center frequency of the ring filter. For demonstration, two prototypes of reconfigurable ring filters are realized using microstrip technology, simulated, and measured to validate the proposed concept. The reconfigured filter using lumped elements is successfully reconfigured from 2 GHz to 984.4 MHz and miniaturized by 71% compared to the filter directly designed at the same reconfigured frequency, while, for the filter using varactor-diodes, the frequency is chosen from 1.10 GHz to 1.38 GHz spreading over 280 MHz frequency range. Both designs are found to be compact with acceptable insertion loss and high selectivity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics/instrumentation*
  6. Fulltext Reactions in Electrodeposited Cu/Sn and Cu/Ni/Sn Nanoscale Multilayers for Interconnects
    Chia PY, Haseeb ASMA, Mannan SH
    Materials (Basel), 2016 May 31;9(6).
    PMID: 28773552 DOI: 10.3390/ma9060430
    Miniaturization of electronic devices has led to the development of 3D IC packages which require ultra-small-scale interconnections. Such small interconnects can be completely converted into Cu-Sn based intermetallic compounds (IMCs) after reflow. In an effort to improve IMC based interconnects, an attempt is made to add Ni to Cu-Sn-based IMCs. Multilayer interconnects consisting of stacks of Cu/Sn/Cu/Sn/Cu or Cu/Ni/Sn/Ni/Sn/Cu/Ni/Sn/Ni/Cu with Ni = 35 nm, 70 nm, and 150 nm were electrodeposited sequentially using copper pyrophosphate, tin methanesulfonic, and nickel Watts baths, respectively. These multilayer interconnects were investigated under room temperature aging conditions and for solid-liquid reactions, where the samples were subjected to 250 °C reflow for 60 s and also 300 °C for 3600 s. The progress of the reaction in the multilayers was monitored by using X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope, and Energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy. FIB-milled samples were also prepared for investigation under room temperature aging conditions. Results show that by inserting a 70 nanometres thick Ni layer between copper and tin, premature reaction between Cu and Sn at room temperature can be avoided. During short reflow, the addition of Ni suppresses formation of Cu₃Sn IMC. With increasing Ni thickness, Cu consumption is decreased and Ni starts acting as a barrier layer. On the other hand, during long reflow, two types of IMC were found in the Cu/Ni/Sn samples which are the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ and (Cu,Ni)₃Sn, respectively. Details of the reaction sequence and mechanisms are discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  7. Rapid identification of pork for halal authentication using the electronic nose and gas chromatography mass spectrometer with headspace analyzer
    Nurjuliana M, Che Man YB, Mat Hashim D, Mohamed AK
    Meat Sci, 2011 Aug;88(4):638-44.
    PMID: 21420795 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2011.02.022
    The volatile compounds of pork, other meats and meat products were studied using an electronic nose and gas chromatography mass spectrometer with headspace analyzer (GCMS-HS) for halal verification. The zNose™ was successfully employed for identification and differentiation of pork and pork sausages from beef, mutton and chicken meats and sausages which were achieved using a visual odor pattern called VaporPrint™, derived from the frequency of the surface acoustic wave (SAW) detector of the electronic nose. GCMS-HS was employed to separate and analyze the headspace gasses from samples into peaks corresponding to individual compounds for the purpose of identification. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied for data interpretation. Analysis by PCA was able to cluster and discriminate pork from other types of meats and sausages. It was shown that PCA could provide a good separation of the samples with 67% of the total variance accounted by PC1.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  8. Fulltext Radiographic appearance of susuk in the facial region: a systematic review
    Ahmad Badruddin Ghazali, Nur Imanina Abdullah Thaidi
    Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020;16(3):295-299.
    MyJurnal
    The purpose of this study was to integrate the available data published to date on susuk or charm needles into a com- prehensive analysis of their clinical/radiological features. An electronic search was undertaken in September 2019. Eligibility criteria included publications having enough clinical and radiological to confirm a definite diagnosis. The initial literature search resulted in 48 publications. Ten publications were excluded for duplicates, and another 17 excluded after a screening of the abstract. Besides, the screening of the abstract shows that five publications were not meeting the inclusion criteria, resulting in a total of 14 publications of susuk that were included in the systematic review. Bias analysis was conducted according to Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine. The resulting total of 78 cases from the selected publications were analysed, showing a wide age range with different distribution among gender and ethnicity. Three cases reported in the literature having symptoms related to susuk. Susuk can be seen as an incidental finding during a routine radiographic assessment, and clinicians should be able to differentiate it from other radiopaque foreign bodies. The practice is not limited to South East Asian population and can be seen in wide racial profiles.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  9. Fulltext Pulse shaping amplifier (PSA) for nuclear spectroscopy system
    Lombigit, Lojius, Maslina Ibrahim, Nolida Yusup, Nur Aira Abdul Rahman, Yong, Chong Fong
    Jurnal Sains Nuklear Malaysia, 2014;26(1):25-35.
    MyJurnal
    Pulse Shaping Amplifier (PSA) is an essential component in nuclear spectroscopy system. This
    amplifier has two functions; to shape the output pulse and performs noise filtering. In this paper,
    we describe the procedure for the design and development of a pulse shaping amplifier which can
    be used in a nuclear spectroscopy system. This prototype was developed using high performance
    electronics devices and assembled on a FR4 type printed circuit board. Performance of this
    prototype was tested by comparing it with an equivalent commercial spectroscopy amplifier (Model
    Silena 7611). The test results showed that the performance of this prototype was comparable
    to the commercial spectroscopic amplifier.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  10. Fulltext Prevalence of occupational diseases among small and medium industry workers in Malaysia: a systematic review
    Muhammad Zubir Yusof, Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod, Nor Azlina A. Rahman, Ailin Razali, Niza Samsuddin, Nik Mohamed Nizan Nik Mohamed, et al.
    Journal of Clinical and Health Sciences, 2019;4(2):4-30.
    MyJurnal
    Occupational diseases are one of the major health problems related to workplace hazards.
    However, the epidemiological data for this problem is scarce especially among Small and
    Medium Industry (SMI) workers. These workers are vulnerable to occupational health problem
    due to lack of knowledge and implementation of health and safety in the workplace. In Malaysia,
    most of the SMI workers have limited coverage for basic occupational health services which
    may worsen their health. Thus, this article aims to provide a review on the burden of
    occupational health problems among them. The electronic and library searches were used to
    extract the information from both published and unpublished articles that were not limited to any
    year of publication until 2017. One hundred and ninety-six published articles and 198
    unpublished articles were retrieved from the database. Only 19 published articles and 25
    unpublished articles met the eligibility criteria. Prevalence data of occupational
    diseases/poisoning, including overall and body specific (musculoskeletal disorders) was
    extracted in raw data from the eligible studies. Prevalent statistics on occupational
    musculoskeletal diseases (1.3% - 97.6%), noise-induced hearing loss (29.4% - 73.3%),
    occupational skin diseases (10.5% - 84.3%), respiratory (1.9% - 92.2%) and occupational
    poisoning (14.9% - 17.7%) among the working population is different within published papers
    compared to unpublished ones. In Malaysia, there are no specific statistic that give a true picture
    of the burden of occupational diseases in the SMI. However, this review concludes that
    musculoskeletal diseases are significant occupational problems among SMI workers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  11. Fulltext Prevalence of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Patients with Dermatomyositis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Irekeola AA, Shueb RH, E A R ENS, Wada Y, Abdul Rahman Z, Ahmad S, et al.
    Cancers (Basel), 2021 Apr 14;13(8).
    PMID: 33919987 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081886
    For more than 50 years, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been associated with dermatomyositis (DM), a rare idiopathic inflammatory disorder that mainly affects the skin and muscles. Although the association between these rare diseases is well-documented, the actual prevalence of NPC in DM patients remains unknown. Here, a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched without year or language restrictions for studies reporting the occurrence of NPC in DM patients. The study protocol was lodged with PROSPERO (CRD42021225335). A total of 95 studies covering 303 cases of NPC among 16,010 DM patients was included. Summary estimates were calculated using the random-effects model. The pooled prevalence of NPC in DM was 3.3% (95% CI, 2.5-4.3). When stratified according to study location, higher prevalence estimates were obtained for Hong Kong (36.5%), Malaysia (27.7%), and Singapore (11.9%). There was a predominance of cases among male DM patients compared with females, and most patients were aged 40 and above. Many of the NPC cases were found to be diagnosed after the diagnosis of DM. It is therefore pertinent to screen for NPC in DM patients, especially among older DM patients in the Asian region.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  12. Preadmission use of inhaled corticosteroids and risk of fatal or severe COVID-19: a meta-analysis
    Kow CS, Hasan SS
    J Asthma, 2021 Feb 08.
    PMID: 33461348 DOI: 10.1080/02770903.2021.1878531
    Objective: With emerging of observational evidence, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis to summarize the overall effect of the chronic use of inhaled corticosteroids on the clinical outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods:Systematic literature search in electronic databases was performed to identify observational studies that investigated the preadmission use of inhaled corticosteroids on the risk of a fatal or severe course of illness in patients with COVID-19 and reported adjusted measures of association. Adjusted odds ratios or relative risks and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals from each study were pooled to produce pooled odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Results: The meta-analysis revealed no significant difference in the risk for the development of a fatal course of COVID-19 with preadmission use of inhaled corticosteroids in patients with COVID-19 relative to non-use of inhaled corticosteroids (pooled odds ratio=1.28; 95% confidence interval 0.73-2.26). Similarly, the meta-analysis observed no significant difference in the risk for the development of a severe course of COVID-19 with preadmission use of inhaled corticosteroids in patients with COVID-19 relative to non-use of inhaled corticosteroids (pooled odds ratio=1.45; 95% confidence interval 0.96-2.20).Conclusions: Our findings assured the safety of continued use of inhaled corticosteroids during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  13. Photonics-powered augmented reality skin electronics for proactive healthcare: multifaceted opportunities
    Taha BA, Addie AJ, Kadhim AC, Azzahran AS, Haider AJ, Chaudhary V, et al.
    Mikrochim Acta, 2024 Apr 08;191(5):250.
    PMID: 38587660 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-024-06314-3
    Rapid technological advancements have created opportunities for new solutions in various industries, including healthcare. One exciting new direction in this field of innovation is the combination of skin-based technologies and augmented reality (AR). These dermatological devices allow for the continuous and non-invasive measurement of vital signs and biomarkers, enabling the real-time diagnosis of anomalies, which have applications in telemedicine, oncology, dermatology, and early diagnostics. Despite its many potential benefits, there is a substantial information vacuum regarding using flexible photonics in conjunction with augmented reality for medical purposes. This review explores the current state of dermal augmented reality and flexible optics in skin-conforming sensing platforms by examining the obstacles faced thus far, including technical hurdles, demanding clinical validation standards, and problems with user acceptance. Our main areas of interest are skills, chiroptical properties, and health platform applications, such as optogenetic pixels, spectroscopic imagers, and optical biosensors. My skin-enhanced spherical dichroism and powerful spherically polarized light enable thorough physical inspection with these augmented reality devices: diabetic tracking, skin cancer diagnosis, and cardiovascular illness: preventative medicine, namely blood pressure screening. We demonstrate how to accomplish early prevention using case studies and emergency detection. Finally, it addresses real-world obstacles that hinder fully realizing these materials' extraordinary potential in advancing proactive and preventative personalized medicine, including technical constraints, clinical validation gaps, and barriers to widespread adoption.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  14. Fulltext Performance Analysis of a Defected Ground-Structured Antenna Loaded with Stub-Slot for 5G Communication
    Rahman MM, Islam MS, Wong HY, Alam T, Islam MT
    Sensors (Basel), 2019 Jun 10;19(11).
    PMID: 31185676 DOI: 10.3390/s19112634
    In this paper, a defected ground-structured antenna with a stub-slot configuration is proposed for future 5G wireless applications. A simple stub-slot configuration is used in the patch antenna to get the dual band frequency response in the 5G mid-band and the upper unlicensed frequency region. Further, a 2-D double period Electronic band gap (EBG) structure has been implemented as a defect in the metallic ground plane to get a wider impedance bandwidth. The size of the slots and their positions are optimized to get a considerably high impedance bandwidth of 12.49% and 4.49% at a passband frequency of 3.532 GHz and 6.835 GHz, respectively. The simulated and measured realized gain and reflection coefficients are in good agreement for both operating bandwidths. The overall antenna structure size is 33.5 mm × 33.5 mm. The antenna is fabricated and compared with experimental results. The proposed antenna shows a stable radiation pattern and high realized gain with wide impedance bandwidth using the EBG structure, which are necessary for the requirements of IoT applications offered by 5G technology.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  15. Fulltext One-year outcomes of two-week double-dose clopidogrel treatment following percutaneous coronary intervention in a state general hospital in Malaysia
    Doris George, Chang Chee Tao, Kumutha Kumarasamy, Asri Ranga
    Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020;16(2):187-192.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Previous studies reported that a two-week double-dose clopidogrel treatment following percutaneous coronary intervention has no difference in safety compared to standard therapy. This study aimed to determine the all-cause readmission rate and survival after a year of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients who were treated with two-week double-dose clopidogrel regimen. Methods: This was a retrospective study on patients who underwent PCI in a state general hospital in Malaysia in 2014. Patients’ one month and one-year survival status were retrieved using the hospital electronic patient management system. Patients who received a two-week course of 150mg clopidogrel and subsequently a one-year course of standard double antiplatelet therapy were included. Results: A total of 381 out of 563 patients who underwent PCI were included in the analysis, while those who were switched to ticagrelor and transferred to other hospitals post-PCI excluded. Patients had a mean age of 56.9 (SD 10.7), with majority male (331, 86.9%) and Malay (144, 37.8%). The PCI was mainly indicated for ST-elevated myocardial infarction (188, 49.3%), non-STEMI (114, 29.9%) and unstable angina (36, 9.4%). A total of 107 (28.1%) patients were readmitted within the one year post-PCI period. Readmissions were mainly due to ACS (55.5%) and bleeding events (2.4%). The 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality was 33 cases and 43 cases, respectively. Conclu- sion: The low readmission and bleeding related readmission suggested that the two-week double-dose clopidogrel regimen was safe for the post PCI patients. Future randomised trial to establish the efficacy of this dosing regimen is therefore warranted.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  16. On the feasibility of self-mixing interferometer sensing for detection of the surface electrocardiographic signal using a customized electro-optic phase modulator
    Bakar AA, Lim YL, Wilson SJ, Fuentes M, Bertling K, Taimre T, et al.
    Physiol Meas, 2013 Feb;34(2):281-9.
    PMID: 23363933 DOI: 10.1088/0967-3334/34/2/281
    Optical sensing offers an attractive option for detection of surface biopotentials in human subjects where electromagnetically noisy environments exist or safety requirements dictate a high degree of galvanic isolation. Such circumstances may be found in modern magnetic resonance imaging systems for example. The low signal amplitude and high source impedance of typical biopotentials have made optical transduction an uncommon sensing approach. We propose a solution consisting of an electro-optic phase modulator as a transducer, coupled to a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser and the self-mixing signal detected via a photodiode. This configuration is physically evaluated with respect to synthesized surface electrocardiographic (EKG) signals of varying amplitudes and using differing optical feedback regimes. Optically detected EKG signals using strong optical feedback show the feasibility of this approach and indicate directions for optimization of the electro-optic transducer for improved signal-to-noise ratios. This may provide a new means of biopotential detection suited for environments characterized by harsh electromagnetic interference.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics/instrumentation*
  17. Fulltext Occupational lead exposure of soldering workers in an electronic factory
    Mimala Arasaratnam, Zailina Hashim, Shamsul Bahari Shamsudin
    Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, 2004;1(2):39-55.
    MyJurnal
    A cross-sectional study was conducted on 83 female electronics factory workers. The respondents comprised 50 exposed workers who use lead alloy solder and 33 unexposed workers. The objective of this study was to assess the lead exposure of these workers. Breathing zone were sampled using air sampling pumps. Dust samples were collected by wipe method. Venous blood collected and blood pressure were measured. All lead analyses were carried out with Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The mean air lead for exposed workers (57 0. ± 0.93 μg/m³) was significantly higher than the unexposed workers (0.0067 ± 0.0045μg/m³) (p
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  18. Occupational hazards in the electronics industry
    Phoon WO
    Family Practitioner, 1984;7:44-47.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  19. Nicotine dependence and associated factors among persons who use electronic e-cigarettes in Malaysia - an online survey
    Sreeramareddy CT, Shroff SM, Gunjal S
    Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy, 2023 Aug 29;18(1):51.
    PMID: 37644524 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-023-00558-7
    BACKGROUND: Nicotine dependence, factors associated with dependence, and self-reported side effects among people who use e-cigarettes are scarce in developing countries.

    METHODS: A sample of 302 persons who currently use e-cigarettes was recruited from discussion forums on Reddit, Facebook, and the forum 'lowyat'. The online Google form survey collected data on demographics, e-cigarette use, and the reasons, for cigarette smoking, Fagerstorm Test for Nicotine Dependence adapted for e-cigarettes (eFTND), and side effects experienced.

    RESULTS: The mean age was 25.5 years (6.5), 60.6% were males and 86% had higher education. About 47% were using e-cigarettes only, 27.8% were currently using dual products (both electronic and conventional cigarettes), and 25.2% had also smoked cigarettes in the past. 'Less harmful than cigarettes' (56.3%), 'because I enjoy it' (46.7%), and 'it has a variety of flavors (40.4%) were the common reasons for e-cigarette use. The mean eFTND score was 3.9 (SD = 2.2), with a median of four side effects (IQR 3-6), sore or dry mouth/throat (41.4%), cough 33.4%, headache (20.5%), dizziness (16.2%) were commonly reported side effects. eFTND score and side effects were higher among persons using dual products. By multiple linear regression analysis, males (β = 0.56 95% CI 0.45, 1.05, p = 0.033), dual-use (β = 0.95 95% CI 0.34, 1.56, p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
  20. Fulltext New crystal structure prediction of fully hydrogenated borophene by first principles calculations
    Wang Z, Lü TY, Wang HQ, Feng YP, Zheng JC
    Sci Rep, 2017 04 04;7(1):609.
    PMID: 28377622 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00667-x
    New crystal structures of fully hydrogenated borophene (borophane) have been predicted by first principles calculation. Comparing with the chair-like borophane (C-boropane) that has been reported in literature, we obtained four new borophane conformers with much lower total-energy. The most stable one, washboard-like borophane (W-borophane), has energy about 113.41 meV/atom lower than C-borophane. In order to explain the relative stability of different borophane conformers, the atom configuration, density of states, charge transfer, charge density distribution and defect formation energy of B-H dimer have been calculated. The results show that the charge transfer from B atoms to H atoms is crucial for the stability of borophane. In different borophane conformers, the bonding characteristics between B and H atoms are similar, but the B-B bonds in W-borophane are much stronger than that in C-borophane or other structures. In addition, we examined the dynamical stability of borophane conformers by phonon dispersions and found that the four new conformers are all dynamically stable. Finally the mechanical properties of borophane conformers along an arbitrary direction have been discussed. W-borophane possesses unique electronic structure (Dirac cone), good stability and superior mechanical properties. W-borophane has broad perspective for nano electronic device.
    Matched MeSH terms: Electronics
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