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  1. Moniruzzaman M, Islam MT, Misran N, Samsuzzaman M, Alam T, Chowdhury MEH
    Sci Rep, 2021 Jun 07;11(1):11950.
    PMID: 34099814 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91432-8
    An inductively tuned modified split-ring resonator-based metamaterial (MTM) is presented in this article that provides multiple resonances covering S, C, X, and Ku-bands. The MTM is designed on an FR-4 substrate with a thickness of 1.5 mm and an electrical dimension of 0.063λ × 0.063λ where wavelength, λ is calculated at 2.38 GHz. The resonator part is a combination of three squared copper rings and one circular ring in which all the square rings are modified shaped, and the inner two rings are interconnected. The resonance frequency is tuned by adding inductive metal strips in parallel two vertical splits of the outer ring that causes a significant shift of resonances towards the lower frequencies and a highly effective medium ratio (EMR) of 15.75. Numerical simulation software CST microwave studio is used for the simulation and performance analysis of the proposed unit cell. The MTM unit cell exhibits six resonances of transmission coefficient (S21) at 2.38, 4.24, 5.98, 9.55, 12.1, and 14.34 GHz covering S, C, X, and Ku-bands with epsilon negative (ENG), near-zero permeability, and near-zero refractive index (NZI). The simulated result is validated by experiment with good agreement between them. The performance of the array of the unit cells is also investigated in both simulation and measurement. The equivalent circuit modeling has been accomplished using Advanced Design Software (ADS) that shows a similar S21 response compared to CST simulation. Noteworthy to mention that with the copper backplane, the same unit cell provides multiband absorption properties with four major absorption peaks of 99.6%, 95.7%, 99.9%, 92.7% with quality factors(Q-factor) of 28.4, 34.4, 23, and 32 at 3.98, 5.5, 11.73 and 13.47 GHz, respectively which can be applied for sensing and detecting purposes. The application of an array of the unit cells is investigated using it as a superstrate of an antenna that provides a 73% (average) increase of antenna gain. Due to its simple design, compact dimension with high EMR, ENG property with near-zero permeability, this multiband NZI metamaterial can be used for microwave applications, especially for multiband antenna gain enhancement.
  2. Astuti SD, Isyrofie AIFA, Nashichah R, Kashif M, Mujiwati T, Susilo Y, et al.
    J Med Signals Sens, 2022;12(4):306-316.
    PMID: 36726418 DOI: 10.4103/jmss.jmss_139_21
    BACKGROUND: Fish is a food ingredient that is consumed throughout the world. When fishes die, their freshness begins to decrease. The freshness of the fish can be determined by the aroma it produces. The purpose of this study is to monitor the odor of fish using a collection of gas sensors that can detect distinct odors.

    METHODS: The sensor was tested with three kinds of samples, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa, tuna, and tuna that was contaminated with P. aeruginosa bacteria. During the process of collecting sensor data, all samples were placed in a vacuum so that the gas or aroma produced was not contaminated with other aromas. Eight sensors were used which were designed and implemented in an electronic nose (E-nose) device that can withstand aroma. The data collection process was carried out for 48 h, with an interval of 6 h for each data collection. Data processing was performed by using the principal component analysis and support vector machine (SVM) methods to obtain a plot score visualization and classification and to determine the aroma pattern of the fish.

    RESULTS: The results of this study indicate that the E-nose system is able to smell fish based on the hour with 95% of the cumulative variance of the main component in the classification test between fresh tuna and tuna fish contaminated with P. aeruginosa.

    CONCLUSION: The SVM classifier was able to classify the healthy and unhealthy fish with an accuracy of 99%. The sensors that provided the highest response are the TGS 825 and TGS 826 sensors.

  3. Rizvi SM, Rahman AAA, Sheikh UU, Fuad KAA, Shehzad HMF
    Appl Intell (Dordr), 2023;53(4):4499-4523.
    PMID: 35730044 DOI: 10.1007/s10489-022-03756-1
    Conventional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) present a high computational workload and memory access cost (CMC). Spectral domain CNNs (SpCNNs) offer a computationally efficient approach to compute CNN training and inference. This paper investigates CMC of SpCNNs and its contributing components analytically and then proposes a methodology to optimize CMC, under three strategies, to enhance inference performance. In this methodology, output feature map (OFM) size, OFM depth or both are progressively reduced under an accuracy constraint to compute performance-optimized CNN inference. Before conducting training or testing, it can provide designers guidelines and preliminary insights regarding techniques for optimum performance, least degradation in accuracy and a balanced performance-accuracy trade-off. This methodology was evaluated on MNIST and Fashion MNIST datasets using LeNet-5 and AlexNet architectures. When compared to state-of-the-art SpCNN models, LeNet-5 achieves up to 4.2× (batch inference) and 4.1× (single-image inference) higher throughputs and 10.5× (batch inference) and 4.2× (single-image inference) greater energy efficiency at a maximum loss of 3% in test accuracy. When compared to the baseline model used in this study, AlexNet delivers 11.6× (batch inference) and 5× (single-image inference) increased throughput and 25× (batch inference) and 8.8× (single-image inference) more energy-efficient inference with just 4.4% reduction in accuracy.
  4. Beenish H, Javid T, Fahad M, Siddiqui AA, Ahmed G, Syed HJ
    Sensors (Basel), 2023 Jan 09;23(2).
    PMID: 36679565 DOI: 10.3390/s23020768
    An intelligent transportation system (ITS) aims to improve traffic efficiency by integrating innovative sensing, control, and communications technologies. The industrial Internet of things (IIoT) and Industrial Revolution 4.0 recently merged to design the industrial Internet of things-intelligent transportation system (IIoT-ITS). IIoT sensing technologies play a significant role in acquiring raw data. The application continuously performs the complex task of managing traffic flows effectively based on several parameters, including the number of vehicles in the system, their location, and time. Traffic density estimation (TDE) is another important derived parameter desirable to keep track of the dynamic state of traffic volume. The expanding number of vehicles based on wireless connectivity provides new potential to predict traffic density more accurately and in real time as previously used methodologies. We explore the topic of assessing traffic density by using only a few simple metrics, such as the number of surrounding vehicles and disseminating beacons to roadside units and vice versa. This research paper investigates TDE techniques and presents a novel Markov model-based TDE technique for ITS. Finally, an OMNET++-based approach with an implementation of a significant modification of a traffic model combined with mathematical modeling of the Markov model is presented. It is intended for the study of real-world traffic traces, the identification of model parameters, and the development of simulated traffic.
  5. Yehya AHS, Asif M, Abdul Majid AMS, Oon CE
    J Tradit Complement Med, 2023 Jan;13(1):39-50.
    PMID: 36685076 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2022.10.002
    BACKGROUND AND AIM: Gemcitabine remains the cornerstone of pancreatic cancer treatment, despite exhibiting a modest effect on patient survival due to the development of drug resistance. Nuvastatic™ polymolecular botanical drug Orthosiphon stamineus (O. stamineus) is a folklore Asian herbal medicine that is used for the treatment of a variety of ailments. However, little is known about the mechanism of actions of the Nuvastatic™ polymolecular botanical drug of O. stamineus as a complementary therapy in resistant pancreatic cancer. It is postulated that the proprietary O. stamineus extract formulation (ID: C5EOSEW5050ESA) in Nuvastatic™ may sensitise resistant pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine. This study was conducted to assess the cytotoxic activity and synergistic effects of C5EOSEW5050ESA in gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells.

    EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE: The effects of C5EOSEW5050ESA treatment on cell viability, multidrug-resistant genes, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cellular senescence, cell death, and Notch signalling pathway were evaluated in gemcitabine-resistant Panc-1 cells.

    RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: C5EOSEW5050ESA sensitised gemcitabine resistant cells towards C5EOSEW5050ESA-gemcitabine combination treatment by reducing the expression of multidrug-resistant genes and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in gemcitabine-resistant cells compared to the control group, possibly through the inhibition of Notch signalling. This study provides valuable insight into using C5EOSEW5050ESA as a potential complementary treatment for resistant pancreatic cancer.

  6. Аrbаin D, Saputri GA, Syahputra GS, Widiyastuti Y, Susanti D, Taher M
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2021 Oct 05;278:114316.
    PMID: 34116190 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114316
    ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The genus Pterocarpus (Fabaceae) has about 46 species that are distributed over Asia, especially Indonesia, Africa, and several countries in America. Particularly, P. indicus and P. santalinus have been recorded as ancestor recipe in the old Indonesian book (Cabe puyang warisan nenek moyang). These plants have found application in traditional medicine, such as in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, gonorrhoea, infection, coughs, mouth ulcers, boils, diarrhoea, as well as in the management of pain (as an analgesic).

    AIM OF THE REVIEW: The present review aimed to comprehensively summarise the current researches on the traditional and scientific applications of the genus Pterocarpus with regard to the phytochemical content, in vivo and in vitro bioactivities, as well as clinical evidence that may be useful for future drug development.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information about the Pterocarpus genus were obtained from local classic herbal literature and electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The scientific name of the species and its synonyms were checked with the information of The Plant List. Additionally, clinical trial results were obtained from the Cochrane library.

    RESULTS: Several phytochemical constituents of the plants, e.g., flavonoids, isoflavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and fatty acids have been reported. There are about 11 species of Pterocarpus that have been scientifically studied for their biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, analgesic, and anti-hyperglycemic. Of which, the anti-hyperglycemic activity of the extracts and phytochemicals of P. indicus and P. marsupium is particularly remarkable, allowing them to be further studied under clinical trial.

    CONCLUSION: The present review has provided an insight into the traditional applications of the plants and some of them have been validated by scientific evidence, particularly their applications as anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents. In addition, the genus has demonstrated notable anti-diabetic activity in various clinical trials.

  7. Abdullah N, Mohd Taib R, Mohamad Aziz NS, Omar MR, Md Disa N
    Heliyon, 2023 Jan;9(1):e12940.
    PMID: 36704268 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12940
    This study evaluated the properties of banana pseudo-stem (BPS) biochar derived from two different types of pyrolysis. The fast pyrolysis experiment was performed using a worktable-scale fluidized-bed reactor, while a bench-scale fixed-bed reactor was used in the slow pyrolysis experiment. The preliminary analysis shows that the feedstock contains 80.6 db wt% of volatile matter, 12.5 db wt% of ash and 33.6% of carbon content. Biochar yield reduces as the pyrolysis temperature elevates for both pyrolysis experiments. Fast pyrolysis yields a higher percentage of biochar (40.3%) than biochar yield obtained from the slow pyrolysis experiment (34.9 wt%) at a similar temperature of 500 °C. The evaluation of biochar derived at 500 °C shows that the biochar obtained from the slow pyrolysis process has higher carbon content, heating value, and surface area with lower ash content. Meanwhile, FESEM images show significant differences in surface morphology and the number of pores for biochar derived from fast and slow pyrolysis. These findings indicate the potential and suitability of BPS biochar derived from the slow pyrolysis process in applications such as soil amelioration and solid biofuel.
  8. Saleem MS, Isha ASNB, Benson C, Awan MI, Naji GMA, Yusop YB
    Front Public Health, 2022;10:1086843.
    PMID: 36620270 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1086843
    INTRODUCTION: Buildings and infrastructure are the primary focus of the construction industry, which also includes related activities such as design, planning, demolition, renovation, maintenance, and repair. Safety performance is crucial to the industry's ability to work effectively in spite of hazardous conditions on the job site during any given project. Improving construction workers' safety performance in Malaysia requires an in-depth examination of the interplay between workers' psychological capital, work pressure, employee engagement, and safety participation.

    METHODS: Administrative and field workers from different divisions across Malaysia's six regions were randomly sampled to collect data for this study. The workers were given a total of 500 questionnaires, of which 345 were returned to the team of researchers. Based on the data analysis, there is an effective interaction between the factors tested toward safety performance.

    RESULTS: According to findings, psychological capital positively and significantly affected workers' work engagement. Also, work engagement greatly impacted both workers' safety performance outcomes. Also, as expected, worker pressure significantly and negatively affected workers' safety performance.

    DISCUSSION: Insights gained from this research have helped us better organize work and involve employees in safety activities/policies to boost workplace safety performance. The study also suggested that firms should reduce their employees' workloads because doing so would not lower their Psychological Capital but would instead fortify them to better carry out their duties in a risk-free manner.

  9. Nik Abdull Halim NMH, Che Dom N, Dapari R, Salim H, Precha N
    Front Public Health, 2022;10:1074028.
    PMID: 36600940 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1074028
    INTRODUCTION: The Aedes mosquito species, which are the vectors for the transmission of the dengue virus (DENV) to humans, are becoming increasingly susceptible to the formidable effects of influential factors, especially temperature. However, there are still very few studies that have systematically reviewed the existing literature. Hence, in the present study, a systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted into the effects of temperature on dengue vectors.

    METHOD: Several research methodologies were incorporated into the current study, and a review was carried out using PRISMA as a guide. The publications for this study were chosen from two prominent databases, Scopus and Web of Science. All of the studies were assessed, reviewed, and evaluated independently by two reviewers. The meta-analysis tool, Review Manager (RevMan Copenhagen Version 5.4.1), was used to record the extracted data for the meta-analysis. Moran's I 2 and a funnel plot were utilized to measure heterogeneity, and publication bias was investigated. A 95% confidence interval (CI) and overall risk difference (RD) were estimated using a random-effects model.

    RESULT AND DISCUSSION: As a consequence of the search efforts, a total of 46 articles were selected for inclusion in the systematic review and meta-analysis. This review was divided into five major themes, based on a thematic analysis: (i) hatching rate, (ii) development time, (iii) longevity, (iv) survival rate, and (v) wing morphology. In addition, the development time, survival rate, and wing morphology revealed significantly higher risk differences between the maximum and minimum temperatures (RD: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.36; p = < 0.00001; RD: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.14; p < 0.0001; and RD: 0.07, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.12; p = 0.006, respectively). This study makes several substantial contributions to the body of knowledge and to practical applications. Finally, a number of recommendations are made at the conclusion of this research for the future reference of researchers.

  10. Rahman MA, Islam MT, Singh MSJ, Samsuzzaman M, Chowdhury MEH
    Sci Rep, 2021 Apr 07;11(1):7654.
    PMID: 33828155 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87100-6
    In this article, we propose SNG (single negative) metamaterial fabricated on Mg-Zn ferrite-based flexible microwave composites. Firstly, the flexible composites are synthesized by the sol-gel method having four different molecular compositions of MgxZn(1-x)Fe2O4, which are denoted as Mg20, Mg40, Mg60, and Mg80. The structural, morphological, and microwave properties of the synthesized flexible composites are analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and conventional dielectric assessment kit (DAK) to justify their possible application as dielectric substrate at microwave frequency regime. Thus the average grain size is found from 20 to 24 nm, and the dielectric constants are 6.01, 5.10, 4.19, and 3.28, as well as loss tangents, are 0.002, 0.004, 0.006, and 0.008 for the prepared Mg-Zn ferrites, i.e., Mg20, Mg40, Mg60, and Mg80 respectively. Besides, the prepared low-cost Mg-Zn ferrite composites exhibit high flexibility and lightweight, which makes them a potential candidate as a metamaterial substrate. Furthermore, a single negative (SNG) metamaterial unit cell is fabricated on the prepared, flexible microwave composites, and their essential electromagnetic behaviors are observed. Very good effective medium ratios (EMR) vales are obtained from 14.65 to 18.47, which ensure the compactness of the fabricated prototypes with a physical dimension of 8 × 6.5 mm2. Also, the proposed materials have shown better performances comparing with conventional FR4 and RO4533 materials, and they have covered S-, C-, X-, Ku-, and K-band of microwave frequency region. Thus, the prepared, flexible SNG metamaterials on MgxZn(1-x)Fe2O4 composites are suitable for microwave and flexible technologies.
  11. Md Yusoff BAH, Ramlan MKR, Mohd Don AF, Muhammed Ali Noor MI, Mohamad N
    Cureus, 2023 Jan;15(1):e33726.
    PMID: 36788828 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33726
    A ganglion cyst is a benign cystic lesion that can occur intraosseously. It is commonly a multiloculated lesion that consists of fibrous tissue with mucoid change and is usually located in the subchondral bone adjacent to the joint. Here, we present a rare case of a 33-year-old woman who presented to our orthopedic clinic with a five-year history of shoulder pain that gradually worsened. The pain was worst after any activity involving the right shoulder, and it also occurred at night and disturbed her sleep. Physical examination showed that the patient had limitations on the extreme range of movement. MRI revealed a subchondral bone cyst at the glenoid fossa. The ganglion cyst was subsequently curetted and packed with a bone graft from the iliac bone. Postoperatively, the pain resolved and the patient's range of movement improved. At the six-month follow-up, new bone formation over the void area caused by the cyst was observed on MRI.
  12. Jamil W, Shaikh J, Yousuf M, Taha M, Khan KM, Shah SAA
    J Biomol Struct Dyn, 2022;40(23):12723-12738.
    PMID: 34514955 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1975565
    This study reports synthesis of flavone hydrazide Schiff base derivatives with diverse functionalities for the cure of diabetic mellitus and their a-glucosidase inhibitor and in silico studies. In this regard, Flavone derivatives 1-20 has synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. These compounds showed significant potential towards a-glucosidase enzyme inhibition activity and found to be many fold better active than the standard Acarbose (IC50 = 39.45 ± 0.11 µM). The IC50values ranges 1.02-38.1 µM. Among these, compounds 1(IC50 = 4.6 ± 0.23 µM), 2(IC50 = 1.02 ± 0.2 µM), 3(IC50 = 7.1 ± 0.11 µM), 4(IC50 = 8.3 ± 0.34 µM), 5(IC50 = 7.4 ± 0.15 µM), 6(IC50 = 8.5 ± 0.27 µM) and 18 (IC50 = 1.09 ± 0.26 µM) showed highest activity. It was revealed that the analogues having -OH substitution have higher activity than their look likes. The molecular docking analysis revealed that these molecules have high potential to interact with the protein molecule and have high ability to bind with the enzyme. Furthermore, in silico pharmacokinetics, physicochemical studies were also performed for these derivatives. The bioavailability radar analysis explored that of all these compounds have excellent bioavailability for five (5) descriptors, however, the sixth descriptor of instauration is slightly increased in all compounds.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
  13. Yakubu Y, Ahmad MT, Chong CM, Ismail IS, Shaari K
    J Fish Biol, 2023 Feb;102(2):358-372.
    PMID: 36333916 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15266
    Despite the use of Terminalia catappa (TC) leaf by traditional fish farmers around the world to improve the health status of cultured fish, there is a paucity of information on comprehensive metabolite profile and the maximum safe dose of the plant. This study aims at profiling the methanol leaf extract of T. catappa, quantifying total phenolic content (TPC) as well as the total flavonoid content (TFC) and evaluating its acute toxicity on blood, plasma biochemical parameters and histopathology of some vital organs in red hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis sp.). The experimental fish were acclimatised for 2 weeks and divided into six groups. Group (1) served as a control group and was administered 0.2 ml,g-1 of phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Groups 2-6 were orally administered T. catappa leaf extracts (0.2 ml.50 g-1 ) in the following sequence; 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250 and 500 mg.kg-1 body weight. The metabolites identified in T. catappa using liquid chromatography-tandem mass electrospray ionisation spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) revealed the presence of organic acids, hydrolysable tannins, phenolic acids and flavonoids. Phenolic quantification revealed reasonable quantity of phenolic compounds (217.48 μg GAEmg-1 for TPC and 91.90 μg. QCEmg-1 for TFC). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in all the tested doses in terms of blood parameters and plasma biochemical analysis except for the packed cell volume (PCV) at 500 mg.kg-1 when compared to the control. Significant histopathological changes were observed in groups administered with the extract at 125, 250 and 500 mg.kg-1 doses. To a very large extent it is therefore safe to administer the extract at 31.25 and 62.5 mg.kg-1 in tilapia.
  14. Rasool U, Aslam MZ, Mahmood R, Barzani SHH, Qian J
    Heliyon, 2023 Feb;9(2):e13405.
    PMID: 36816292 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13405
    Researchers have been striving to investigate the causes and consequences associated with writing anxiety experienced by students of foreign languages. This study aimed to investigate the level and nature of writing anxiety experienced by learners of foreign languages, considering gender as a variable. The study's second goal was to uncover the learners' perspectives on writing anxiety and the factors that contribute to it. The convenience sample method was used to choose seventy-six students to participate in the English language teacher training course. Second Language Writing Anxiety Reasons Inventory (SLWARI) and Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) (Cheng, 2004; Kara, 2013) [1,2] were used in order to determine the levels and types of anxiety that are associated with learners' foreign language writing. Both inventories were used to determine what causes learners' foreign language writing. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of how students perceive the level of anxiety they feel when writing, a semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant. The data showed that there was no difference when taking into account learners' gender concerning their anxiety levels and kinds. The vast majority of individuals reported feeling a significant amount of anxiety. The subjects exhibited cognitive anxiety symptoms, although there were no indications of gender effect. The responses to the interview questions highlighted a deficiency in both writing practice and linguistic expertise as critical contributors to anxious sentiments.
  15. Goh KG, Zakaria MH, Raja Azwan RN, Bhajan Singh KK, Badrul Hisham MH, Hussein Z
    Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2023 Jan;17(1):102680.
    PMID: 36473336 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2022.102680
    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) carry higher risk of glycaemic variability during Ramadan. Glucose-lowering medications such as SGLT2 inhibitors are also associated with genitourinary infection, acute kidney injury, and euglycaemic diabetic ketoacidosis. Limited data is available on the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on T2D patients during Ramadan. We investigated effects of empagliflozin use in fasting T2D patients.

    METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study in a single diabetes centre in Malaysia. Empagliflozin group were on study drug for at least three months. For control group, subjects not receiving SGLT2 inhibitors were recruited. Follow-up were performed before and during Ramadan fasting. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, renal profile, and blood ketone were recorded during visits. Hypoglycaemia symptoms were assessed via hypoglycaemia symptom rating questionnaire (HypoSRQ).

    RESULTS: We recruited a total of 98 subjects. Baseline anthropometry, blood pressure, and renal parameters were similar in two groups. No significant changes in blood pressure, weight, urea, creatinine, eGFR, or haemoglobin levels during Ramadan was found in either group. Likewise, no difference was detected in blood ketone levels (empagliflozin vs control, 0.17 ± 0.247 mmol/L vs 0.13 ± 0.082 mmol/L, p = 0.304) or hypoglycaemia indices (empagliflozin vs control, 19.1% vs 16%, p = 0.684).

    CONCLUSIONS: Ramadan fasting resulted in weight loss and reduction in eGFR levels in patients with T2D. Empagliflozin use during Ramadan is safe and not associated with increased risk of dehydration, ketosis, or hypoglycaemia. Therefore, empagliflozin is a viable glucose-lowering drug for patients with T2D planning for Ramadan fasting.

  16. Pujiarti H, Pangestu ZA, Sholeha N, Nasikhudin N, Diantoro M, Utomo J, et al.
    Micromachines (Basel), 2023 Feb 04;14(2).
    PMID: 36838094 DOI: 10.3390/mi14020394
    Nanofiber membranes are starting to be used as an electrolyte storage medium because of their high porosity, which causes ionic conductivity, producing high energy. The ability of nanofiber membranes to absorb electrolytes proves their stability when used for a long time. In this study, the loading of acetylene carbon black (ACB) on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is made by the electrospun method, which in turn is applied as an electrolyte medium in DSSC. Materials characterization was carried out through FTIR to determine the functional groups formed and SEM to observe morphology and diameter distribution. Furthermore, for DSSC performance, efficiency and EIS tests were carried out. The optimum nanofiber membrane was shown by esPACB1, with the highest efficiency reaching 1.92% with a porosity of 73.43%, nanofiber diameter of 172.9 ± 2.2 nm, an absorbance of 1850, and an electron lifetime of 0.003 ms.
  17. Wan Zaki WM, Yahya MS, Norhisham AR, Sanusi R, van der Meer PJ, Azhar B
    Oecologia, 2023 Mar;201(3):863-875.
    PMID: 36914820 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05348-3
    Large-scale deforestation in the tropics, triggered by logging and subsequent agricultural monoculture has a significant adverse impact on biodiversity due to habitat degradation. Here, we measured the diversity of butterfly species in three agricultural landscapes, agroforestry orchards, oil palm, and rubber tree plantations. Butterfly species were counted at 127 sampling points over the course of a year using the point count method. We found that agroforestry orchards supported a greater number of butterfly species (74 species) compared to rubber tree (61 species) and oil palm plantations (54 species) which were dominated by generalist (73%) followed by forest specialists (27%). We found no significant difference of butterfly species composition between agroforestry orchards and rubber tree plantation, with both habitats associated with more butterfly species compared to oil palm plantations. This indicates butterflies were able to persist better in certain agricultural landscapes. GLMMs suggested that tree height, undergrowth coverage and height, and elevation determined butterfly diversity. Butterfly species richness was also influenced by season and landscape-level variables such as proximity to forest, mean NDVI, and habitat. Understanding the factors that contributed to butterfly species richness in an agroecosystem, stakeholders should consider management practices to improve biodiversity conservation such as ground vegetation management and retaining adjacent forest areas to enhance butterfly species richness. Furthermore, our findings suggest that agroforestry system should be considered to enhance biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
  18. Mazhar F, Hadi MA, Kow CS, Marran AMN, Merchant HA, Hasan SS
    Int J Infect Dis, 2020 Dec;101:107-120.
    PMID: 33007453 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.1470
    OBJECTIVES: We critically evaluated the quality of evidence and quality of harm reporting in clinical trials that evaluated the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) or chloroquine (CQ) for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

    STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Scientific databases were systematically searched to identify relevant trials of HCQ/CQ for the treatment of COVID-19 published up to 10 September 2020. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tools for randomized trials and non-randomized trials of interventions were used to assess risk of bias in the included studies. A 10-item Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) harm extension was used to assess quality of harm reporting in the included trials.

    RESULTS: Sixteen trials, including fourteen randomized trials and two non-randomized trials, met the inclusion criteria. The results from the included trials were conflicting and lacked effect estimates adjusted for baseline disease severity or comorbidities in many cases, and most of the trials recruited a fairly small cohort of patients. None of the clinical trials met the CONSORT criteria in full for reporting harm data in clinical trials. None of the 16 trials had an overall 'low' risk of bias, while four of the trials had a 'high', 'critical', or 'serious' risk of bias. Biases observed in these trials arise from the randomization process, potential deviation from intended interventions, outcome measurements, selective reporting, confounding, participant selection, and/or classification of interventions.

    CONCLUSION: In general, the quality of currently available evidence for the effectiveness of CQ/HCQ in patients with COVID-19 is suboptimal. The importance of a properly designed and reported clinical trial cannot be overemphasized amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and its dismissal could lead to poorer clinical and policy decisions, resulting in wastage of already stretched invaluable health care resources.

  19. Zhou Z, Asghar MA, Nazir D, Siddique K, Shorfuzzaman M, Mehmood RM
    Cluster Comput, 2023;26(2):1253-1266.
    PMID: 36349064 DOI: 10.1007/s10586-022-03705-0
    Affective Computing is one of the central studies for achieving advanced human-computer interaction and is a popular research direction in the field of artificial intelligence for smart healthcare frameworks. In recent years, the use of electroencephalograms (EEGs) to analyze human emotional states has become a hot spot in the field of emotion recognition. However, the EEG is a non-stationary, non-linear signal that is sensitive to interference from other physiological signals and external factors. Traditional emotion recognition methods have limitations in complex algorithm structures and low recognition precision. In this article, based on an in-depth analysis of EEG signals, we have studied emotion recognition methods in the following respects. First, in this study, the DEAP dataset and the excitement model were used, and the original signal was filtered with others. The frequency band was selected using a butter filter and then the data was processed in the same range using min-max normalization. Besides, in this study, we performed hybrid experiments on sash windows and overlays to obtain an optimal combination for the calculation of features. We also apply the Discrete Wave Transform (DWT) to extract those functions from the preprocessed EEG data. Finally, a pre-trained k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN) machine learning model was used in the recognition and classification process and different combinations of DWT and kNN parameters were tested and fitted. After 10-fold cross-validation, the precision reached 86.4%. Compared to state-of-the-art research, this method has higher recognition accuracy than conventional recognition methods, while maintaining a simple structure and high speed of operation.
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