Displaying publications 4941 - 4960 of 9881 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Discovering potential, transforming life
    Van Rostenberghe H, Yusoff MS, Jie TY, Shamsuddin S, Ibrahim WP
    Med Educ, 2010 May;44(5):504-5.
    PMID: 20518994 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03647.x
    Matched MeSH terms: Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods*
  2. Internal morphometry of thoracic pedicles in the immature spine
    Hassan E, Liau KM, Ariffin I, Halim Yusof A
    Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 2010 Jun 1;35(13):1253-6.
    PMID: 20461037 DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181c1172b
    A cross sectional study of thoracic pedicle morphometry in the immature spine of Malaysian population using reformatted computed tomographic (CT) images.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods*
  3. Trend of the research on construction and demolition waste management
    Yuan H, Shen L
    Waste Manag, 2011 Apr;31(4):670-9.
    PMID: 21169008 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2010.10.030
    Research interests in addressing construction and demolition (C&D) waste management issues have resulted in a large amount of publications during the last decade. This study demonstrates that there is no systematic examination on the research development in literature in the discipline of C&D waste management. This study presents the latest research trend in the discipline through analyzing the publications from 2000 to 2009 in eight major international journals. The analysis is conducted on the number of papers published annually, main authors' contributions, research methods and data analysis methods adopted, and research topics covered. The results exhibit an increasing research interest in C&D waste management in recent years. Researchers from developed economies have contributed significantly to the development of the research in the discipline. Some developing countries such as Malaysia and China have also been making good efforts in promoting C&D waste management research. The findings from this study also indicate that survey and case study are major methods for data collection, and the data are mostly processed through descriptive analysis. It is anticipated that more future studies on C&D waste management will be led by researchers from developing economies, where construction works will remain their major economic activities. On the other hand, more sophisticated modeling and simulating techniques have been used effectively in a number of studies on C&D waste management research, and this is considered a major methodology for future research in the discipline. C&D waste management will continue to be a hot research topic in the future, in particularly, the importance of human factors in C&D waste management has emerged as a new challenging topic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Waste Management/methods*
  4. Analysis of infant cry through weighted linear prediction cepstral coefficients and Probabilistic Neural Network
    Hariharan M, Chee LS, Yaacob S
    J Med Syst, 2012 Jun;36(3):1309-15.
    PMID: 20844933 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-010-9591-z
    Acoustic analysis of infant cry signals has been proven to be an excellent tool in the area of automatic detection of pathological status of an infant. This paper investigates the application of parameter weighting for linear prediction cepstral coefficients (LPCCs) to provide the robust representation of infant cry signals. Three classes of infant cry signals were considered such as normal cry signals, cry signals from deaf babies and babies with asphyxia. A Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) is suggested to classify the infant cry signals into normal and pathological cries. PNN is trained with different spread factor or smoothing parameter to obtain better classification accuracy. The experimental results demonstrate that the suggested features and classification algorithms give very promising classification accuracy of above 98% and it expounds that the suggested method can be used to help medical professionals for diagnosing pathological status of an infant from cry signals.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pattern Recognition, Automated/methods
  5. Fulltext Comparison of soil phosphorus tests for assessing plant availability of phosphorus in an ultisol amended with water-soluble and phosphate rock sources
    Gikonyo EW, Zaharah AR, Hanafi MM, Anuar RA
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2010 Sep 01;10:1679-93.
    PMID: 20842313 DOI: 10.1100/tsw.2010.174
    The effectiveness of different soil tests in assessing soil phosphorus (P) in soils amended with phosphate rocks (PRs) is uncertain. We evaluated the effects of triple superphosphate (TSP) and PRs on extractable P by conventional soil tests (Mehlich 3 [Meh3] and Bray-1 [B1]) and a nonconventional test (iron oxide-impregnated paper, strip). Extracted amounts of P were in the order: Meh3 >B1 > strip. All the tests were significantly correlated (p = 0.001). Acidic reagents extracted more P from TSP than PRs, while the strip removed equal amounts from the two sources. The P removed by the three tests was related significantly to dry matter yield (DMY), but only in the first harvest, except for B1. Established critical P levels (CPLs) differed for TSP and PRs. In PR-fertilized soils, CPLs were 27, 17, and 12 mg P kg(-1) soil for Meh3, B1, and strip, respectively, and 42, 31, and 12 mg P kg(-1) soil, respectively, in TSP-fertilized soils. Thus, the strip resulted in a common CPL for TSP and PRs (12 mg P kg(-1) soil). This method can be used effectively in soils where integrated nutrient sources have been used, but there is need to establish CPLs for different crops. For cost-effective fertilizer P recommendations based on conventional soil tests, there is a need to conduct separate calibrations for TSP- and PR-fertilized soils.
    Matched MeSH terms: Environmental Monitoring/methods
  6. Optimal conditions for bioremediation of oily seawater
    Zahed MA, Aziz HA, Isa MH, Mohajeri L, Mohajeri S
    Bioresour Technol, 2010 Dec;101(24):9455-60.
    PMID: 20705460 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.07.077
    To determine the influence of nutrients on the rate of biodegradation, a five-level, three-factor central composite design (CCD) was employed for bioremediation of seawater artificially contaminated with crude oil. Removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) was the dependent variable. Samples were extracted and analyzed according to US-EPA protocols. A significant (R(2)=0.9645, P<0.0001) quadratic polynomial mathematical model was generated. Removal from samples not subjected to optimization and removal by natural attenuation were 53.3% and 22.6%, respectively. Numerical optimization was carried out based on desirability functions for maximum TPH removal. For an initial crude oil concentration of 1g/L supplemented with 190.21 mg/L nitrogen and 12.71 mg/L phosphorus, the Design-Expert software predicted 60.9% hydrocarbon removal; 58.6% removal was observed in a 28-day experiment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Environmental Restoration and Remediation/methods*
  7. A decision support system for automatic screening of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy
    Reza AW, Eswaran C
    J Med Syst, 2011 Feb;35(1):17-24.
    PMID: 20703589 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-009-9337-y
    The increasing number of diabetic retinopathy (DR) cases world wide demands the development of an automated decision support system for quick and cost-effective screening of DR. We present an automatic screening system for detecting the early stage of DR, which is known as non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). The proposed system involves processing of fundus images for extraction of abnormal signs, such as hard exudates, cotton wool spots, and large plaque of hard exudates. A rule based classifier is used for classifying the DR into two classes, namely, normal and abnormal. The abnormal NPDR is further classified into three levels, namely, mild, moderate, and severe. To evaluate the performance of the proposed decision support framework, the algorithms have been tested on the images of STARE database. The results obtained from this study show that the proposed system can detect the bright lesions with an average accuracy of about 97%. The study further shows promising results in classifying the bright lesions correctly according to NPDR severity levels.
    Matched MeSH terms: Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted/methods*
  8. Diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy: automatic extraction of optic disc and exudates from retinal images using marker-controlled watershed transformation
    Reza AW, Eswaran C, Dimyati K
    J Med Syst, 2011 Dec;35(6):1491-501.
    PMID: 20703768 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-009-9426-y
    Due to increasing number of diabetic retinopathy cases, ophthalmologists are experiencing serious problem to automatically extract the features from the retinal images. Optic disc (OD), exudates, and cotton wool spots are the main features of fundus images which are used for diagnosing eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. In this paper, a new algorithm for the extraction of these bright objects from fundus images based on marker-controlled watershed segmentation is presented. The proposed algorithm makes use of average filtering and contrast adjustment as preprocessing steps. The concept of the markers is used to modify the gradient before the watershed transformation is applied. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated using the test images of STARE and DRIVE databases. It is shown that the proposed method can yield an average sensitivity value of about 95%, which is comparable to those obtained by the known methods.
    Matched MeSH terms: Diagnostic Imaging/methods
  9. Fulltext Wound healing potential of Elaeis guineensis Jacq leaves in an infected albino rat model
    Sasidharan S, Nilawatyi R, Xavier R, Latha LY, Amala R
    Molecules, 2010 Apr 30;15(5):3186-99.
    PMID: 20657471 DOI: 10.3390/molecules15053186
    ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Elaeis guineensis Jacq (Arecaceae) is one of the plants that are central to the lives of traditional societies in West Africa. It has been reported as a traditional folkloric medicine for a variety of ailments. The plant leaves are also used in some parts of Africa for wound healing, but there are no scientific reports on any wound healing activity of the plant.

    AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the effects of E. guineensis leaf on wound healing activity in rats.

    METHODS: A phytochemical screening was done to determine the major phytochemicals in the extract. The antimicrobial activity of the extract was examined using the disk diffusion technique and broth dilution method. The wound healing activity of leaves of E. guineensiswas studied by incorporating the methanolic extract in yellow soft paraffin in concentration of 10% (w/w). Wound healing activity was studied by determining the percentage of wound closure, microbial examination of granulated skin tissue and histological analysis in the control and extract treated groups.

    RESULTS: Phytochemical screening reveals the presence of tannins, alkaloids, steroids, saponins, terpenoids, and flavonoids in the extract. The extract showed significant activity against Candida albicans with an MIC value of 6.25 mg/mL. The results show that the E. guineensis extract has potent wound healing capacity, as evident from better wound closure, improved tissue regeneration at the wound site, and supporting histopathological parameters pertaining to wound healing. Assessment of granulation tissue every fourth day showed a significant reduction in microbial count.

    CONCLUSIONS: E. guineensis accelerated wound healing in rats, thus supporting this traditional use.

    Matched MeSH terms: Medicine, African Traditional/methods*
  10. Application of multiplex PCR for characterization of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and its differentiated progenies
    Mamidi MK, Pal R, Bhonde R, Zakaria Z, Totey S
    J Biomol Screen, 2010 Jul;15(6):630-43.
    PMID: 20530724 DOI: 10.1177/1087057110370211
    Techniques to evaluate gene expression profiling, including real-time quantitative PCR, TaqMan low-density arrays, and sufficiently sensitive cDNA microarrays, are efficient methods for monitoring human embryonic stem cell (hESC) cultures. However, most of these high-throughput tests have a limited use due to high cost, extended turnaround time, and the involvement of highly specialized technical expertise. Hence, there is a paucity of rapid, cost-effective, robust, yet sensitive methods for routine screening of hESCs. A critical requirement in hESC cultures is to maintain a uniform undifferentiated state and to determine their differentiation capacity by showing the expression of gene markers representing all germ layers, including ecto-, meso-, and endoderm. To quantify the modulation of gene expression in hESCs during their propagation, expansion, and differentiation via embryoid body (EB) formation, the authors developed a simple, rapid, inexpensive, and definitive multimarker, semiquantitative multiplex RT-PCR (mxPCR) platform technology. Among the 15 gene primers tested, 4 were pluripotent markers comprising set 1, and 3 lineage-specific markers from each ecto-, meso-, and endoderm layers were combined as sets 2 to 4, respectively. The authors found that these 4 sets were not only effective in determining the relative differentiation in hESCs, but were easily reproducible. In this study, they used the HUES-7 cell line to standardize the technique, which was subsequently validated with HUES-9, NTERA-2, and mouse embryonic fibroblast cells. This single-reaction mxPCR assay was flexible and, by selecting appropriate reporter genes, can be designed for characterization of different hESC lines during routine maintenance and directed differentiation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods*
  11. Optimisation of reactive dye removal by sequential electrocoagulation-flocculation method: comparing ANN and RSM prediction
    Nourouzi MM, Chuah TG, Choong TS
    Water Sci Technol, 2011;63(5):984-94.
    PMID: 21411950 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2011.280
    The removal of Reactive Black 5 dye in an aqueous solution by electrocoagulation (EC) as well as addition of flocculant was investigated. The effect of operational parameters, i.e. current density, treatment time, solution conductivity and polymer dosage, was investigated. Two models, namely the artificial neural network (ANN) and the response surface method (RSM), were used to model the effect of independent variables on percentage of dye removal. The findings of this work showed that current density, treatment time and dosage of polymer had the most significant effect on percentage of dye removal (p<0.001). In addition, interaction between time and current density, time and dosage of polymer, current density and dosage of polymer also significantly affected the percentage of dye removal (p=0.034, 0.003 and 0.024, respectively). It was shown that both the ANN and RSM models were able to predict well the experimental results (R(2)>0.8).
    Matched MeSH terms: Electrochemical Techniques/methods*
  12. Production of biodiesel from Jatropha curcas L. oil catalyzed by SO₄²⁻/ZrO₂ catalyst: effect of interaction between process variables
    Yee KF, Lee KT, Ceccato R, Abdullah AZ
    Bioresour Technol, 2011 Mar;102(5):4285-9.
    PMID: 21232947 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.12.048
    This study reports the conversion of Jatrophacurcas L. oil to biodiesel catalyzed by sulfated zirconia loaded on alumina catalyst using response surface methodology (RSM), specifically to study the effect of interaction between process variables on the yield of biodiesel. The transesterification process variables studied were reaction temperature, reaction duration, molar ratio of methanol to oil and catalyst loading. Results from this study revealed that individual as well as interaction between variables significantly affect the yield of biodiesel. With this information, it was found that 4h of reaction at 150°C, methanol to oil molar ratio of 9.88 mol/mol and 7.61 wt.% for catalyst loading gave an optimum biodiesel yield of 90.32 wt.%. The fuel properties of Jatropha biodiesel were characterized and it indeed met the specification for biodiesel according to ASTM D6751.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biotechnology/methods*
  13. Comparison study of growth plate fusion using MRI versus plain radiographs as used in age determination for exclusion of overaged football players
    George J, Nagendran J, Azmi K
    Br J Sports Med, 2012 Mar;46(4):273-8.
    PMID: 21173009 DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2010.074948
    MRI of distal radius fusion is currently being used in the U17 World Cup to exclude overaged players. Developing countries that cannot afford to perform MRI on their players are using plain radiographs based on the same MRI criteria of fusion.
    Matched MeSH terms: Age Determination by Skeleton/methods*
  14. A qualitative study on urut Melayu: the traditional Malay massage
    Anuar HM, Fadzil F, Sallehuddin SM, Ahmad N, Abd Ghani N
    J Altern Complement Med, 2010 Nov;16(11):1201-5.
    PMID: 21058886 DOI: 10.1089/acm.2009.0592
    OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to gain an insight into the experiences and views of practitioners of urut Melayu, the traditional Malay massage, which will be used in developing a preliminary framework of the urut Melayu process. DESIGN: We adopted a qualitative study design. We carried out a total of five focus group discussions (FGDs) comprising 6-10 urut Melayu practitioners each.
    LOCATION: We carried out three FGDs at the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health and two FGDs at a district Health Clinic.
    SUBJECTS: All participants of the FGDs were urut Melayu practitioners registered with the Ministry of Health. Three (3) FGDs comprised all females while two comprised all males. A total of 12 males and 24 females participated in the study.
    RESULTS: We identified six themes from the study, namely, indications for urut Melayu, the urut Melayu technique, other treatments in conjunction with urut Melayu, outcome of urut Melayu, ethics of urut Melayu, and practitioners' source of skills and knowledge.
    CONCLUSIONS: Urut Melayu is a unique form of massage carried out for various purposes. Although it is common belief that there are vast differences in the way it is performed from one practitioner to another, this study revealed that similarities do exist and there is potential to develop a standard framework for urut Melayu for regulation and training purposes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Massage/methods*
  15. Fulltext Accumulation of soil carbon and phosphorus contents of a rehabilitated forest
    Haruna Ahmed O, Aainaa Hasbullah N, Ab Majid NM
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2010 Oct 12;10:1988-95.
    PMID: 20953548 DOI: 10.1100/tsw.2010.196
    The world's tropical rainforests are decreasing at an alarming rate as they are converted to agricultural land, pasture, and plantations. Decreasing tropical forests affect global warming. As a result, afforestation progams have been suggested to mitigate this problem. The objective of this study was to determine the carbon and phosphorus accumulation of a rehabilitated forest of different ages. The size of the study area was 47.5 ha. Soil samples were collected from the 0-, 6-, 12-, and 17-year-old rehabilitated forest. Twenty samples were taken randomly with a soil auger at depths of 0-20 and 20-40 cm. The procedures outlined in the Materials and Methods section were used to analyze the soil samples for pH, total C, organic matter, total P, C/P ratio, yield of humic acid (HA), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The soil pH decreased significantly with increasing age of forest rehabilitation regardless of depth. Age did not affect CEC of the rehabilitated forest. Soil organic matter (SOM), total C, and total P contents increased with age. However, C/P ratio decreased with time at 0-20 cm. Accumulation of HA with time and soil depth was not consistent. The rehabilitated forest has shown signs of being a C and P sink.
    Matched MeSH terms: Environmental Monitoring/methods
  16. Effect of kaolin addition on the performance of controlled low-strength material using industrial waste incineration bottom ash
    Naganathan S, Razak HA, Hamid SN
    Waste Manag Res, 2010 Sep;28(9):848-60.
    PMID: 20852000 DOI: 10.1177/0734242X09355073
    Incineration of industrial waste produces large quantities of bottom ash which are normally sent to secured landfill, but is not a sustainable solution. Use of bottom ash in engineering applications will contribute to sustainability and generate revenue. One way of using the industrial waste incineration bottom ash is in controlled low-strength material (CLSM). Use of bottom ash in CLSM has problems related to bleeding and excessive strength development and so an additive has to be used to control bleeding and strength development. The main objective of this research is to study the effect of kaolin addition on the performance of CLSM made using industrial waste incineration bottom ash. CLSM mixes were made with bottom ash, cement, and refined kaolin. Various tests were performed on the CLSM in fresh and hardened states including compressive strength, water absorption, California bearing ratio (CBR) and the tests for concentration of leachable substances on the bleed and leachate. The compressive strength of CLSM tested ranged from 0.11 to 9.86 MPa. CBR values ranged from 6 to 46, and water absorption values from 12 to 36%. It was shown that the addition of kaolin delayed the initial setting time of CLSM mixtures, reduced bleeding, lowered the compressive strength, and increased the values of water absorption, sorption, and initial surface absorption. The CLSM tested did not have corrosivity. It was shown that the hardened CLSM was non hazardous, and the addition of kaolin increased the concentration of heavy metals and salts in the bleed and leachate.
    Matched MeSH terms: Refuse Disposal/methods*
  17. Effect of ultrasonic pre-treatment on low temperature acid hydrolysis of oil palm empty fruit bunch
    Yunus R, Salleh SF, Abdullah N, Biak DR
    Bioresour Technol, 2010 Dec;101(24):9792-6.
    PMID: 20719502 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.07.074
    Various pre-treatment techniques change the physical and chemical structure of the lignocellulosic biomass and improve hydrolysis rates. The effect of ultrasonic pre-treatment on oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibre prior to acid hydrolysis has been evaluated. The main objective of this study was to determine if ultrasonic pre-treatment could function as a pre-treatment method for the acid hydrolysis of OPEFB fibre at a low temperature and pressure. Hydrolysis at a low temperature was studied using 2% sulphuric acid; 1:25 solid liquid ratio and 100 degrees C operating temperature. A maximum xylose yield of 58% was achieved when the OPEFB fibre was ultrasonicated at 90% amplitude for 45min. In the absence of ultrasonic pre-treatment only 22% of xylose was obtained. However, no substantial increase of xylose formation was observed for acid hydrolysis at higher temperatures of 120 and 140 degrees C on ultrasonicated OPEFB fibre. The samples were then analysed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to describe the morphological changes of the OPEFB fibre. The SEM observations show interesting morphological changes within the OPEFB fibre for different acid hydrolysis conditions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ultrasonics/methods*
  18. Chiral separation of econazole using micellar electrokinetic chromatography with hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin
    Hermawan D, Wan Ibrahim WA, Sanagi MM, Aboul-Enein HY
    J Pharm Biomed Anal, 2010 Dec 15;53(5):1244-9.
    PMID: 20719457 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2010.07.030
    A cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CD-MEKC) method with hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin (HP-gamma-CD) as chiral selector for the enantiomeric separation of econazole is reported. Enantioseparation of econazole was successfully achieved by the optimized CD-MEKC system containing 40mM HP-gamma-CD, 50mM SDS and 20mM phosphate buffer (pH 8) solution with an analysis time of less than 9min. Calibration curves were linear for the two stereoisomers of econazole (r(2)>0.998). Good repeatabilities in the migration time, peak area and peak height were obtained in terms of RSD% ranging from 0.30 to 7.67%. Combination of solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure using diol column and the CD-MEKC method was successfully applied to the determination of econazole in a formulated cream sample.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chromatography, Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary/methods*
  19. Optimization of bioresource material from oil palm trunk core drying using microwave radiation; a response surface methodology application
    Amouzgar P, Khalil HP, Salamatinia B, Abdullah AZ, Issam AM
    Bioresour Technol, 2010 Nov;101(21):8396-401.
    PMID: 20639118 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.05.061
    In this study optimization of drying oil palm trunk core lumber (OPTCL) biomass using microwave radiation was reported. Optimizing of the drying conditions using microwave, avoid burning, shrinkage and increasing the permeability of OPT was aimed to develop a new value added material. A set of experiments was designed by central composite design using response surface methodology (RSM) to statistically evaluate the findings. Three independent process variables including time (2-10 min), sample weight (300-1000 g) and input power (660-3300 W) were studied under the given conditions designed by Design Expert software. The results showed the effectiveness of microwave drying in reducing the time and better removal of moisture as compared to that of oven drying with no significant changes. Employing optimum conditions at 6.89 min of time with a microwave power set at 4 for a sample of 1000 g, predicting 14.62% of moisture content.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biotechnology/methods*
  20. Tissue allograft coding and traceability in USM Tissue Bank, Malaysia
    Sheikh Ab Hamid S, Abd Rahman MN
    Cell Tissue Bank, 2010 Nov;11(4):401-5.
    PMID: 20582480 DOI: 10.1007/s10561-010-9188-2
    In Malaysia, tissue banking activities began in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Tissue Bank in early 1990s. Since then a few other bone banks have been set up in other government hospitals and institutions. However, these banks are not governed by the national authority. In addition there is no requirement set by the national regulatory authority on coding and traceability for donated human tissues for transplantation. Hence, USM Tissue Bank has taken the initiatives to adopt a system that enables the traceability of tissues between the donor, the processed tissue and the recipient based on other international standards for tissue banks. The traceability trail has been effective and the bank is certified compliance to the international standard ISO 9001:2008.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tissue and Organ Procurement/methods
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links