The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of eliminating the nephrographic phase from the four-phase renal computed tomography (CT) imaging to a three-phase protocol without affecting its diagnostic value. Thirty patients undergoing four-phase renal CT scans for assessment of renal lesions (>10 mm) were included in the study. A three-phase renal CT, without nephrographic phase, had similar diagnostic ability to a four-phase renal CT in the detection and characterization of renal lesions. A three-phase CT (plain, corticomedullary, and excretory phase) is therefore adequate in the clinical diagnosis of renal lesions.
Visual field defects are a conglomerate of patterns of visual impairment derived from diseases affecting the optic nerve as it extends from the globe to the visual cortex. They are complex signs requiring perimetry or visual confrontation for delineation and are associated with diverse aetiologies. This review considers the chiasmatic and post-chiasmatic causes of visual disturbances, with an emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Newer MRI sequences are considered, such as diffusion-tensor imaging. MRI images are correlated with perimetric findings in order to demonstrate localization of lesions in the visual pathway. This may serve as a valuable reference tool to clinicians and radiologists in the early diagnostic process of differentiating causes of various visual field defects in daily practice.
Matched MeSH terms: Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*
Designs of the double sampling (DS) X chart are traditionally based on the average run length (ARL) criterion. However, the shape of the run length distribution changes with the process mean shifts, ranging from highly skewed when the process is in-control to almost symmetric when the mean shift is large. Therefore, we show that the ARL is a complicated performance measure and that the median run length (MRL) is a more meaningful measure to depend on. This is because the MRL provides an intuitive and a fair representation of the central tendency, especially for the rightly skewed run length distribution. Since the DS X chart can effectively reduce the sample size without reducing the statistical efficiency, this paper proposes two optimal designs of the MRL-based DS X chart, for minimizing (i) the in-control average sample size (ASS) and (ii) both the in-control and out-of-control ASSs. Comparisons with the optimal MRL-based EWMA X and Shewhart X charts demonstrate the superiority of the proposed optimal MRL-based DS X chart, as the latter requires a smaller sample size on the average while maintaining the same detection speed as the two former charts. An example involving the added potassium sorbate in a yoghurt manufacturing process is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed MRL-based DS X chart in reducing the sample size needed.
The knowledge of genetic diversity of tree crop is very important for breeding and improvement program for the purpose of improving the yield and quality of its produce. Genetic diversity study and analysis of genetic relationship among 20 Moringa oleifera were carried out with the aid of twelve primers from, random amplified polymorphic DNA marker. The seeds of twenty M. oleifera genotypes from various origins were collected and germinated and raised in nursery before transplanting to the field at University Agricultural Park (TPU). Genetic diversity parameter, such as Shannon's information index and expected heterozygosity, revealed the presence of high genetic divergence with value of 1.80 and 0.13 for Malaysian population and 0.30 and 0.19 for the international population, respectively. Mean of Nei's gene diversity index for the two populations was estimated to be 0.20. In addition, a dendrogram constructed, using UPGMA cluster analysis based on Nei's genetic distance, grouped the twenty M. oleifera into five distinct clusters. The study revealed a great extent of variation which is essential for successful breeding and improvement program. From this study, M. oleifera genotypes of wide genetic origin, such as T-01, T-06, M-01, and M-02, are recommended to be used as parent in future breeding program.
Matched MeSH terms: Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique/methods*
The objective of this study is to identify spatial and temporal patterns in the air quality at three selected Malaysian air monitoring stations based on an eleven-year database (January 2000-December 2010). Four statistical methods, Discriminant Analysis (DA), Hierarchical Agglomerative Cluster Analysis (HACA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), were selected to analyze the datasets of five air quality parameters, namely: SO2, NO2, O3, CO and particulate matter with a diameter size of below 10 μm (PM10). The three selected air monitoring stations share the characteristic of being located in highly urbanized areas and are surrounded by a number of industries. The DA results show that spatial characterizations allow successful discrimination between the three stations, while HACA shows the temporal pattern from the monthly and yearly factor analysis which correlates with severe haze episodes that have happened in this country at certain periods of time. The PCA results show that the major source of air pollution is mostly due to the combustion of fossil fuel in motor vehicles and industrial activities. The spatial pattern recognition (S-ANN) results show a better prediction performance in discriminating between the regions, with an excellent percentage of correct classification compared to DA. This study presents the necessity and usefulness of environmetric techniques for the interpretation of large datasets aiming to obtain better information about air quality patterns based on spatial and temporal characterizations at the selected air monitoring stations.
Regrowth of the cryopreserved protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of Dendrobium Bobby Messina was assessed based on the plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2) optimisation conditions. The optimized protocol obtained based on TTC spectrophotometrical analysis and growth recovery were 3-4 mm of PLBs size precultured in 0.2 M sucrose for 1 day, treated with a mixture of 2 M glycerol and 0.4 M sucrose supplemented with half-strength liquid MS media at 25 °C for 20 min and subsequently dehydrated with PVS2 at 0 °C for 20 min prior to storage in liquid nitrogen. Following rapid warming in a water bath at 40 °C for 90 s, PLBs were treated with unloading solution containing half-strength liquid MS media supplemented with 1.2 M sucrose. Subsequently, the PLBs were cultured on half-strength semi-solid MS media supplemented with 2 % (w/v) sucrose without any growth regulators and resulted in 40 % growth recovery. In addition, ascorbic acid treatment was used to evaluate the regeneration process of cryopreserved PLBs. However, growth recovery rates of non-cryopreserved and cryopreserved PLBs were 30 and 10 % when 0.6 mM ascorbic acid was added. Scanning electron microscopy analysis indicates that there are not much damages observed on both cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved PLBs in comparison to PLBs stock culture.
This study was conducted to evaluate the response of Bali bulls (Bos javanicus) to different semen collection methods and their effects on fresh and post-thawed semen quality. The collection methods employed were electro-ejaculation (EE), transrectal massage (RM) and RM followed by EE (RM + EE). A total of 25 untrained Bali bulls (age between 2 and 4 years old) were subjected to the different semen collection methods. Fresh semen samples from all the 25 bulls were evaluated for volume, pH, general motility, live/dead ratio and abnormality using the conventional method. For fresh and frozen samples collected by EE and RM from 10 bulls, computer-assisted semen analysis system was used for precise quantitative measurement of motility, velocity and forward progression. Accucell photometer was used to measure sperm concentration in all samples, regardless fresh and frozen. Semen samples were obtained 100% of the attempts using EE, 84% using RM and 96% using RM + EE. There were no differences among the collection methods for fresh semen quality characteristics, including motility, morphology and viability, but pH and volume were higher for EE than RM and RM + EE. Higher sperm concentration was observed in semen collected by RM than the other two methods. Different age groups (2-3 and >3-4 years old) of the bulls did not show significant differences in volume, pH, sperm concentration, percentages in motility, live/dead ratio and normal sperm morphology. The quality of semen for general and progressive motility, VAP, VSL and VCL and acrosomal integrity after thawing was higher for RM than EE. In conclusion, Bali bulls appeared to respond best to EE and the combination of RM + EE than RM, as a method of semen collection, with a shorter time of stimulation required. Differences in age of the Bali bulls did not affect the semen quality.
Matched MeSH terms: Tissue and Organ Harvesting/methods
Estimation of age from microscopic examination of human bone utilizes bone remodeling. This allows 2 regression equation to be determined in a specific population based on the variation in osteon turnover in different populations. The aim of this study was to provide age estimation for Malaysian males. Ground undecalcified cross sections were prepared from long limb bones of 50 deceased males aged between 21 and 78 years. Ten microstructural parameters were measured and subjected to multivariate regression analysis. Results showed that osteon count had the highest correlation with age (R = 0.43), and age was estimated to be within 10.94 years of the true value in 98% of males. Cross validation of the equation on 50 individuals showed close correspondence of true ages with estimated ages. Further studies are needed to validate and expand these results.
Matched MeSH terms: Age Determination by Skeleton/methods*
To investigate the capability and diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Matched MeSH terms: Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*
This study compared the effectiveness of a Specially Designed Paste Carrier technique with the Syringe-Spreader technique and the Syringe-Lentulo spiral technique in the intracanal placement of calcium hydroxide.
Interest in the cognitive radio sensor network (CRSN) paradigm has gradually grown among researchers. This concept seeks to fuse the benefits of dynamic spectrum access into the sensor network, making it a potential player in the next generation (NextGen) network, which is characterized by ubiquity. Notwithstanding its massive potential, little research activity has been dedicated to the network layer. By contrast, we find recent research trends focusing on the physical layer, the link layer and the transport layers. The fact that the cross-layer approach is imperative, due to the resource-constrained nature of CRSNs, can make the design of unique solutions non-trivial in this respect. This paper seeks to explore possible design opportunities with wireless sensor networks (WSNs), cognitive radio ad-hoc networks (CRAHNs) and cross-layer considerations for implementing viable CRSN routing solutions. Additionally, a detailed performance evaluation of WSN routing strategies in a cognitive radio environment is performed to expose research gaps. With this work, we intend to lay a foundation for developing CRSN routing solutions and to establish a basis for future work in this area.
Matched MeSH terms: Information Storage and Retrieval/methods*
Psoriasis is an incurable skin disorder affecting 2-3% of the world population. The scaliness of psoriasis is a key assessment parameter of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Dermatologists typically use visual and tactile senses in PASI scaliness assessment. However, the assessment can be subjective resulting in inter- and intra-rater variability in the scores. This paper proposes an assessment method that incorporates 3D surface roughness with standard clustering techniques to objectively determine the PASI scaliness score for psoriasis lesions. A surface roughness algorithm using structured light projection has been applied to 1999 3D psoriasis lesion surfaces. The algorithm has been validated with an accuracy of 94.12%. Clustering algorithms were used to classify the surface roughness measured using the proposed assessment method for PASI scaliness scoring. The reliability of the developed PASI scaliness algorithm was high with kappa coefficients>0.84 (almost perfect agreement).
Dengue is a major public health concern worldwide, with the number of infections increasing globally. The illness imposes the greatest economic and human burden on developing countries that have limited resources to deal with the scale of the problem. No cure for dengue exists; treatment is limited to rehydration therapy, and with vector control strategies proving to be relatively ineffective, a vaccine is an urgent priority. Despite the numerous challenges encountered in the development of a dengue vaccine, several vaccine candidates have shown promise in clinical development and it is believed that a vaccination program would be at least as cost-effective as current vector control programs. The lead candidate vaccine is a tetravalent, live attenuated, recombinant vaccine, which is currently in Phase III clinical trials. Vaccine introduction is a complex process that requires consideration and is discussed here. This review discusses the epidemiology, burden and pathogenesis of dengue, as well as the vaccine candidates currently in clinical development.
Nitrate concentration in groundwater is influenced by complex and interrelated variables, leading to great difficulty during the modeling process. The objectives of this study are (1) to evaluate the performance of two artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, namely artificial neural networks and support vector machine, in modeling groundwater nitrate concentration using scant input data, as well as (2) to assess the effect of data clustering as a pre-modeling technique on the developed models' performance. The AI models were developed using data from 22 municipal wells of the Gaza coastal aquifer in Palestine from 2000 to 2010. Results indicated high simulation performance, with the correlation coefficient and the mean average percentage error of the best model reaching 0.996 and 7 %, respectively. The variables that strongly influenced groundwater nitrate concentration were previous nitrate concentration, groundwater recharge, and on-ground nitrogen load of each land use land cover category in the well's vicinity. The results also demonstrated the merit of performing clustering of input data prior to the application of AI models. With their high performance and simplicity, the developed AI models can be effectively utilized to assess the effects of future management scenarios on groundwater nitrate concentration, leading to more reasonable groundwater resources management and decision-making.
Recently, the recognition of different facial gestures using facial neuromuscular activities has been proposed for human machine interfacing applications. Facial electromyograms (EMGs) analysis is a complicated field in biomedical signal processing where accuracy and low computational cost are significant concerns. In this paper, a very fast versatile elliptic basis function neural network (VEBFNN) was proposed to classify different facial gestures. The effectiveness of different facial EMG time-domain features was also explored to introduce the most discriminating.
Sternotomy and sternal closure occur prior to and post cardiac surgery, respectively. Although post-operative complications associated with poor sternal fixation can result in morbidity, mortality, and considerable resource utilization, sternotomy is preferred over other methods such as lateral thoracotomy. Rigid sternal fixation is associated with stability and reduced incidence of post-operative complications. This is a comprehensive review of the literature evaluating in vivo, in vitro, and clinical responses to applying commercial and experimental surgical tools for sternal fixation after median sternotomy. Wiring, interlocking, plate-screw, and cementation techniques have been examined for closure, but none have experienced widespread adoption. Although all techniques have their advantages, serious post-operative complications were associated with the use of wiring and/or plating techniques in high-risk patients. A fraction of studies have analyzed the use of sternal interlocking systems and only a single study analyzed the effect of using kryptonite cement with wires. Plating and interlocking techniques are superior to wiring in terms of stability and reduced rate of post-operative complications; however, further clinical studies and long-term follow-up are required. The ideal sternal closure should ensure stability, reduced rate of post-operative complications, and a short hospitalization period, alongside cost-effectiveness.
The effect of Leucaena leucocephala hybrid-Bahru (LLB), which contains a high concentration of condensed tannins, on cellulolytic rumen fungal population in goats was investigated using real-time PCR. The fungal population in goats fed LLB was inhibited during the first 10 days of feeding, but after 15 days of feeding, there was a tremendous increase of fungal population (157.0 μg/ml), which was about fourfold more than that in control goats (39.7 μg/ml). However, after this period, the fungal population decreased continuously, and at 30 days of feeding, the fungal population (50.6 μg/ml) was not significantly different from that in control goats (55.4 μg/ml).
The tradeoff between computational complexity and speed, in addition to growing demands for real-time BMI (brain-machine interface) systems, expose the necessity of applying methods with least possible complexity. Willison amplitude (WAMP) and slope sign change (SSC) are two promising time-domain features only if the right threshold value is defined for them. To overcome the drawback of going through trial and error for the determination of a suitable threshold value, modified WAMP and modified SSC are proposed in this paper. Besides, a comprehensive assessment of statistical time-domain features in which their effectiveness is evaluated with a support vector machine (SVM) is presented. To ensure the accuracy of the results obtained by the SVM, the performance of each feature is reassessed with supervised fuzzy C-means. The general assessment shows that every subject had at least one of his performances near or greater than 80%. The obtained results prove that for BMI applications, in which a few errors can be tolerated, these combinations of feature-classifier are suitable. Moreover, features that could perform satisfactorily were selected for feature combination. Combinations of the selected features are evaluated with the SVM, and they could significantly improve the results, in some cases, up to full accuracy.
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of different types of sugar on the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCA) in marinated grilled chicken. Chicken breast samples were marinated with table sugar, brown sugar, and honey for 24h at 4 °C. The internal temperature, weight loss, free amino acids, sugars, and HCA were determined. The concentrations of all types of HCA (except IQx) in samples that were marinated with table sugar were significantly higher (p<0.006) than brown sugar; whereas those were marinated with honey had the lowest HCA concentrations. A substantial reduction in the concentration of MeIQ, PhIP, DiMeIQx, IQ, IQx, and norharman was achieved in chicken marinated with honey. A correlation study indicated that adding honey into the recipe retarded the formation of most HCA (MeIQ, DiMeIQx, IQ, IQx, norharman, and harman), whereas table sugars enhanced the formation of all HCA except norharman, harman, and AαC.
Breast cancer mostly arises from the glandular (dense) region of the breast. Consequently, breast density has been found to be a strong indicator for breast cancer risk. Therefore, there is a need to develop a system which can segment or classify dense breast areas. In a dense breast, the sensitivity of mammography for the early detection of breast cancer is reduced. It is difficult to detect a mass in a breast that is dense. Therefore, a computerized method to separate the existence of a mass from the glandular tissues becomes an important task. Moreover, if the segmentation results provide more precise demarcation enabling the visualization of the breast anatomical regions, it could also assist in the detection of architectural distortion or asymmetry. This study attempts to segment the dense areas of the breast and the existence of a mass and to visualize other breast regions (skin-air interface, uncompressed fat, compressed fat, and glandular) in a system. The graph cuts (GC) segmentation technique is proposed. Multiselection of seed labels has been chosen to provide the hard constraint for segmentation of the different parts. The results are promising. A strong correlation (r = 0.93) was observed between the segmented dense breast areas detected and radiological ground truth.