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  1. Fulltext Leptospirosis Outbreak After the 2014 Major Flooding Event in Kelantan, Malaysia: A Spatial-Temporal Analysis
    Mohd Radi MF, Hashim JH, Jaafar MH, Hod R, Ahmad N, Mohammed Nawi A, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2018 05;98(5):1281-1295.
    PMID: 29532771 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0922
    Severe floods increase the risk of leptospirosis outbreaks in endemic areas. This study determines the spatial-temporal distribution of leptospirosis in relation to environmental factors after a major flooding event in Kelantan, Malaysia. We conducted an observational ecological study involving incident leptospirosis cases, from the 3 months before, during, and three months after flood, in reference to the severe 2014 Kelantan flooding event. Geographical information system was used to determine the spatial distribution while climatic factors that influenced the cases were also analyzed. A total of 1,229 leptospirosis cases were notified within the three study periods where incidence doubled in the postflood period. Twelve of 66 subdistricts recorded incidence rates of over 100 per 100,000 population in the postflood period, in comparison with only four subdistricts in the preflooding period. Average nearest neighborhood analysis indicated that the cases were more clustered in the postflood period as compared with the preflood period, with observed mean distance of 1,139 meters and 1,666 meters, respectively (both at P < 0.01). Global Moran's I was higher in the postflood period (0.19; P < 0.01) as compared with the preflood period (0.06; P < 0.01). Geographic weighted regression showed that living close to water bodies increased the risk of contracting the disease. Postflooding hotspots were concentrated in areas where garbage cleanup occurred and the incidence was significantly associated with temperature, humidity, rainfall, and river levels. Postflooding leptospirosis outbreak was associated with several factors. Understanding the spatial distribution and associated factors of leptospirosis can help improve future disease outbreak management after the floods.
  2. Fulltext Pollination by the locally endangered island flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) enhances fruit production of the economically important durian (Durio zibethinus)
    Aziz SA, Clements GR, McConkey KR, Sritongchuay T, Pathil S, Abu Yazid MNH, et al.
    Ecol Evol, 2017 Nov;7(21):8670-8684.
    PMID: 29152168 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3213
    Fruit bats provide valuable pollination services to humans through a unique coevolutionary relationship with chiropterophilous plants. However, chiropterophily in the Old World and the pollination roles of large bats, such as flying foxes (Pteropus spp., Acerodon spp., Desmalopex spp.), are still poorly understood and require further elucidation. Efforts to protect these bats have been hampered by a lack of basic quantitative information on their role as ecosystem service providers. Here, we investigate the role of the locally endangered island flying fox Pteropus hypomelanus in the pollination ecology of durian (Durio zibethinus), an economically important crop in Southeast Asia. On Tioman Island, Peninsular Malaysia, we deployed 19 stations of paired infrared camera and video traps across varying heights at four individual flowering trees in a durian orchard. We detected at least nine species of animal visitors, but only bats had mutualistic interactions with durian flowers. There was a clear vertical stratification in the feeding niches of flying foxes and nectar bats, with flying foxes feeding at greater heights in the trees. Flying foxes had a positive effect on mature fruit set and therefore serve as important pollinators for durian trees. As such, semi-wild durian trees-particularly tall ones-may be dependent on flying foxes for enhancing reproductive success. Our study is the first to quantify the role of flying foxes in durian pollination, demonstrating that these giant fruit bats may have far more important ecological, evolutionary, and economic roles than previously thought. This has important implications and can aid efforts to promote flying fox conservation, especially in Southeast Asian countries.
  3. Fulltext Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Effects of Flavonoids: A Structure-Activity Relationship Based Study
    Sarian MN, Ahmed QU, Mat So'ad SZ, Alhassan AM, Murugesu S, Perumal V, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2017;2017:8386065.
    PMID: 29318154 DOI: 10.1155/2017/8386065
    The best described pharmacological property of flavonoids is their capacity to act as potent antioxidant that has been reported to play an important role in the alleviation of diabetes mellitus. Flavonoids biochemical properties are structure dependent; however, they are yet to be thoroughly understood. Hence, the main aim of this work was to investigate the antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of some structurally related flavonoids to identify key positions responsible, their correlation, and the effect of methylation and acetylation on the same properties. Antioxidant potential was evaluated through dot blot, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, ABTS+ radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and xanthine oxidase inhibitory (XOI) assays. Antidiabetic effect was investigated through α-glucosidase and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) assays. Results showed that the total number and the configuration of hydroxyl groups played an important role in regulating antioxidant and antidiabetic properties in scavenging DPPH radical, ABTS+ radical, and FRAP assays and improved both α-glucosidase and DPP-4 activities. Presence of C-2-C-3 double bond and C-4 ketonic group are two essential structural features in the bioactivity of flavonoids especially for antidiabetic property. Methylation and acetylation of hydroxyl groups were found to diminish the in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of the flavonoids.
  4. Fulltext Angiogenic and osteogenic potentials of dental stem cells in bone tissue engineering
    Yusof MFH, Zahari W, Hashim SNM, Osman ZF, Chandra H, Kannan TP, et al.
    J Oral Biol Craniofac Res, 2017 10 19;8(1):48-53.
    PMID: 29556464 DOI: 10.1016/j.jobcr.2017.10.003
    Manipulation of dental stem cells (DSCs) using current technologies in tissue engineering unveil promising prospect in regenerative medicine. DSCs have shown to possess angiogenic and osteogenic potential in both in vivo and in vitro. Neural crest derived DSCs can successfully be isolated from various dental tissues, exploiting their intrinsic great differentiation potential. In this article, researcher team intent to review the characteristics of DSCs, with focus on their angiogenic and osteogenic differentiation lineage. Clinical data on DSCs are still lacking to prove their restorative abilities despite extensive contemporary literature, warranting research to further validate their application for bone tissue engineering.
  5. Local and transboundary factors' impacts on trace gases and aerosol during haze episode in 2015 El Niño in Malaysia
    Samsuddin NAC, Khan MF, Maulud KNA, Hamid AH, Munna FT, Rahim MAA, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2018 Jul 15;630:1502-1514.
    PMID: 29554768 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.289
    Southeast Asian haze is a semi-natural phenomenon that chokes the region each year during the dry monsoon season. Smoke-haze episodes caused by the vegetation and peat fires in Indonesia severely affected large parts of Malaysia during the 2015 El Niño phenomenon. This study aimed to evaluate the factors that influenced the concentrations of aerosol and trace gases during the 2015 haze and non-haze period on a semi-urban site in the southern part of Malaysian peninsula that facing Sumatra (Muar, Site A), and on an urban site near to Kuala Lumpur, influenced by the city centre (Cheras, Site B). Local land use data and the cluster of air mass weighted backward trajectory were used to identify the potential factors from local sources and the transboundary region, respectively. The annual median concentrations of PM10 for semi-urban and urban sites were 45.0μg/m3 and 47.0μg/m3, respectively for the study period (Jan-Dec 2015) from the hourly observation dataset. The highest PM10 concentrations during the haze were 358μg/m3 and 415μg/m3 for the two sites, respectively, representing absolutely unhealthy air. However, the trace gases were within the safe threshold. The average concentrations of PM10 and carbon monoxide were two fold higher during the haze than the non-haze episodes on both sites. Nitrogen dioxide was more influenced by haze compared with sulphur dioxide and ozone. The results of the land use change suggest that the local factor can also partially affect the air pollution on the urban area (Site B) but more visible in 2015. The results of the backward trajectory and the wildfire radiative power showed that the smoke-haze episodes that affected Malaysia in 2015 were mainly initiated in the Indonesian Sumatra and Kalimantan regions. This study provides a very useful information towards the impacted region during El Niño haze episode.
  6. Fulltext Experimental and molecular modeling approach to optimize suitable polymers for fabrication of stable fluticasone nanoparticles with enhanced dissolution and antimicrobial activity
    Ahmed S, Govender T, Khan I, Rehman NU, Ali W, Shah SMH, et al.
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2018;12:255-269.
    PMID: 29440875 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S148912
    Background and aim: The challenges with current antimicrobial drug therapy and resistance remain a significant global health threat. Nanodrug delivery systems are playing a crucial role in overcoming these challenges and open new avenues for effective antimicrobial therapy. While fluticasone (FLU), a poorly water-soluble corticosteroid, has been reported to have potential antimicrobial activity, approaches to optimize its dissolution profile and antimicrobial activity are lacking in the literature. This study aimed to combine an experimental study with molecular modeling to design stable FLU nanopolymeric particles with enhanced dissolution rates and antimicrobial activity.

    Methods: Six different polymers were used to prepare FLU nanopolymeric particles: hydroxyl propyl methylcellulose (HPMC), poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), ethyl cellulose (EC), Eudragit (EUD), and Pluronics®. A low-energy method, nanoprecipitation, was used to prepare the polymeric nanoparticles.

    Results and conclusion: The combination of HPMC-PVP and EUD-PVP was found most effective to produce stable FLU nanoparticles, with particle sizes of 250 nm ±2.0 and 280 nm ±4.2 and polydispersity indices of 0.15 nm ±0.01 and 0.25 nm ±0.03, respectively. The molecular modeling studies endorsed the same results, showing highest polymer drug binding free energies for HPMC-PVP-FLU (-35.22 kcal/mol ±0.79) and EUD-PVP-FLU (-25.17 kcal/mol ±1.12). In addition, it was observed that Ethocel® favored a wrapping mechanism around the drug molecules rather than a linear conformation that was witnessed for other individual polymers. The stability studies conducted for 90 days demonstrated that HPMC-PVP-FLU nanoparticles stored at 2°C-8°C and 25°C were more stable. Crystallinity of the processed FLU nanoparticles was confirmed using differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction analysis and TEM. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies showed that there was no chemical interaction between the drug and chosen polymer system. The HPMC-PVP-FLU nanoparticles also showed enhanced dissolution rate (P<0.05) compared to the unprocessed counterpart. The in vitro antibacterial studies showed that HPMC-PVP-FLU nanoparticles displayed superior effect against gram-positive bacteria compared to the unprocessed FLU and positive control.

  7. Application of stacked convolutional and long short-term memory network for accurate identification of CAD ECG signals
    Tan JH, Hagiwara Y, Pang W, Lim I, Oh SL, Adam M, et al.
    Comput Biol Med, 2018 03 01;94:19-26.
    PMID: 29358103 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2017.12.023
    Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of heart disease globally. This is because there is no symptom exhibited in its initial phase until the disease progresses to an advanced stage. The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a widely accessible diagnostic tool to diagnose CAD that captures abnormal activity of the heart. However, it lacks diagnostic sensitivity. One reason is that, it is very challenging to visually interpret the ECG signal due to its very low amplitude. Hence, identification of abnormal ECG morphology by clinicians may be prone to error. Thus, it is essential to develop a software which can provide an automated and objective interpretation of the ECG signal. This paper proposes the implementation of long short-term memory (LSTM) network with convolutional neural network (CNN) to automatically diagnose CAD ECG signals accurately. Our proposed deep learning model is able to detect CAD ECG signals with a diagnostic accuracy of 99.85% with blindfold strategy. The developed prototype model is ready to be tested with an appropriate huge database before the clinical usage.
  8. Fulltext Subchronic toxicity, immunoregulation and anti-breast tumor effect of Nordamnacantal, an anthraquinone extracted from the stems of Morinda citrifolia L
    Abu N, Zamberi NR, Yeap SK, Nordin N, Mohamad NE, Romli MF, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2018 Jan 27;18(1):31.
    PMID: 29374471 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2102-3
    BACKGROUND: Morinda citrifolia L. that was reported with immunomodulating and cytotoxic effects has been traditionally used to treat multiple illnesses including cancer. An anthraquinone derived from fruits of Morinda citrifolia L., nordamnacanthal, is a promising agent possessing several in vitro biological activities. However, the in vivo anti-tumor effects and the safety profile of nordamnacanthal are yet to be evaluated.

    METHODS: In vitro cytotoxicity of nordamnacanthal was tested using MTT, cell cycle and Annexin V/PI assays on human MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells. Mice were orally fed with nordamnacanthal daily for 28 days for oral subchronic toxicity study. Then, the in vivo anti-tumor effect was evaluated on 4T1 murine cancer cells-challenged mice. Changes of tumor size and immune parameters were evaluated on the untreated and nordamnacanthal treated mice.

    RESULTS: Nordamnacanthal was found to possess cytotoxic effects on MDA-MB231, MCF-7 and 4T1 cells in vitro. Moreover, based on the cell cycle and Annexin V results, nordamnacanthal managed to induce cell death in both MDA-MB231 and MCF-7 cells. Additionally, no mortality, signs of toxicity and changes of serum liver profile were observed in nordamnacanthal treated mice in the subchronic toxicity study. Furthermore, 50 mg/kg body weight of nordamncanthal successfully delayed the progression of 4T1 tumors in Balb/C mice after 28 days of treatment. Treatment with nordamnacanthal was also able to increase tumor immunity as evidenced by the immunophenotyping of the spleen and YAC-1 cytotoxicity assays.

    CONCLUSION: Nordamnacanthal managed to inhibit the growth and induce cell death in MDA-MB231 and MCF-7 cell lines in vitro and cease the tumor progression of 4T1 cells in vivo. Overall, nordamnacanthal holds interesting anti-cancer properties that can be further explored.

  9. Fulltext Status of the undisturbed mangroves at Brunei Bay, East Malaysia: a preliminary assessment based on remote sensing and ground-truth observations
    Satyanarayana B, M Muslim A, Izzaty Horsali NA, Mat Zauki NA, Otero V, Nadzri MI, et al.
    PeerJ, 2018;6:e4397.
    PMID: 29479500 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4397
    Brunei Bay, which receives freshwater discharge from four major rivers, namely Limbang, Sundar, Weston and Menumbok, hosts a luxuriant mangrove cover in East Malaysia. However, this relatively undisturbed mangrove forest has been less scientifically explored, especially in terms of vegetation structure, ecosystem services and functioning, and land-use/cover changes. In the present study, mangrove areal extent together with species composition and distribution at the four notified estuaries was evaluated through remote sensing (Advanced Land Observation Satellite-ALOS) and ground-truth (Point-Centred Quarter Method-PCQM) observations. As of 2010, the total mangrove cover was found to be ca. 35,183.74 ha, of which Weston and Menumbok occupied more than two-folds (58%), followed by Sundar (27%) and Limbang (15%). The medium resolution ALOS data were efficient for mapping dominant mangrove species such asNypa fruticans,Rhizophora apiculata,Sonneratia caseolaris,S. albaandXylocarpus granatumin the vicinity (accuracy: 80%). The PCQM estimates found a higher basal area at Limbang and Menumbok-suggestive of more mature vegetation, compared to Sundar and Weston. Mangrove stand structural complexity (derived from the complexity index) was also high in the order of Limbang > Menumbok > Sundar > Weston and supporting the perspective of less/undisturbed vegetation at two former locations. Both remote sensing and ground-truth observations have complementarily represented the distribution ofSonneratiaspp. as pioneer vegetation at shallow river mouths,N. fruticansin the areas of strong freshwater discharge,R. apiculatain the areas of strong neritic incursion andX. granatumat interior/elevated grounds. The results from this study would be able to serve as strong baseline data for future mangrove investigations at Brunei Bay, including for monitoring and management purposes locally at present.
  10. Fulltext Honey as a Potential Natural Antioxidant Medicine: An Insight into Its Molecular Mechanisms of Action
    Ahmed S, Sulaiman SA, Baig AA, Ibrahim M, Liaqat S, Fatima S, et al.
    Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2018;2018:8367846.
    PMID: 29492183 DOI: 10.1155/2018/8367846
    Honey clasps several medicinal and health effects as a natural food supplement. It has been established as a potential therapeutic antioxidant agent for various biodiverse ailments. Data report that it exhibits strong wound healing, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, and antidiabetic effects. It also retains immunomodulatory, estrogenic regulatory, antimutagenic, anticancer, and numerous other vigor effects. Data also show that honey, as a conventional therapy, might be a novel antioxidant to abate many of the diseases directly or indirectly associated with oxidative stress. In this review, these wholesome effects have been thoroughly reviewed to underscore the mode of action of honey exploring various possible mechanisms. Evidence-based research intends that honey acts through a modulatory road of multiple signaling pathways and molecular targets. This road contemplates through various pathways such as induction of caspases in apoptosis; stimulation of TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, IFNGR1, and p53; inhibition of cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest; inhibition of lipoprotein oxidation, IL-1, IL-10, COX-2, and LOXs; and modulation of other diverse targets. The review highlights the research done as well as the apertures to be investigated. The literature suggests that honey administered alone or as adjuvant therapy might be a potential natural antioxidant medicinal agent warranting further experimental and clinical research.
  11. Fulltext Evaluation and comparison the performance of titanium and zirconium(IV) tetrachloride in textile wastewater treatment
    Aziz HA, Razak MHA, Rahim MZA, Kamar WISW, Abu Amr SS, Hussain S, et al.
    Data Brief, 2018 Jun;18:920-927.
    PMID: 29900259 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.03.113
    Wastewater treatment is a key challenge in the textile industry. The current treatment methods for textile wastewater are insufficient or ineffective for complex dyes generated from the textile industry. This study evaluated the performances of two novel inorganic coagulants with high cationic charges, namely, titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and zirconium tetrachloride (ZrCl4). They were utilised to treat textile industry wastewater. Both coagulation processes were performed under the same experimental operational conditions. Turbidity, suspended solids (SS), colour, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia were measured to assess the efficiencies of the coagulants. Results indicated that ZrCl4 and TiCl4 exhibited high potentials for textile wastewater treatment. ZrCl4 presented high removal efficiency in COD and SS, whereas TiCl4 showed excellent removal in ammonia.
  12. Fulltext Triglyceride to HDL-C Ratio is Associated with Insulin Resistance in Overweight and Obese Children
    Iwani NA, Jalaludin MY, Zin RM, Fuziah MZ, Hong JY, Abqariyah Y, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2017 Jan 06;7:40055.
    PMID: 28059134 DOI: 10.1038/srep40055
    The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of triglyceride to hdl-c ratio (TG:HDL-C) as an insulin resistance (IR) marker for overweight and obese children. A total of 271 blood samples of obese and overweight children aged 9-16 years were analysed for fasting glucose, lipids and insulin. Children were divided into IR and non-insulin resistance, using homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). The children were then stratified by tertiles of TG: HDL-C ratio. The strength between TG:HDL-C ratio and other parameters of IR were quantified using Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Odds ratio was estimated using multiple logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, pubertal stages and IR potential risk factors. Children with IR had significantly higher TG:HDL-C ratio (2.48) (p = 0.01). TG:HDL-C ratio was significantly correlated with HOMA-IR (r = 0.104, p 
  13. Fulltext Awareness of cervical cancer among women in Malaysia
    Seng LM, Rosman AN, Khan A, Haris NM, Mustapha NAS, Husaini NSM, et al.
    Int J Health Sci (Qassim), 2018 7 20;12(4):42-48.
    PMID: 30022903
    Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate and ascertain the current knowledge, perception, level of awareness, and attitudes toward cervical cancer (CC) among women in Malaysia.

    Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted which involved 210 women aged between 21 and 60 years old at the public in Malaysia, a subsequent statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 22.

    Results: In comparison with other studies, there is still lacking of awareness on CC and these induced informal cluelessness and poor attitudes toward it. In terms of risk factors, there are two factors with some degree of awareness among women in Malaysia, i.e., multiple sexual partners and sexually transmitted diseases. Women in Malaysia have less awareness on the causes and clinical manifestations of the disease (P < 0.05). They are aware that regular papanicolaou (Pap) smear would screen CC and surgery could be a treatment of choice. In addition, women in Malaysia also have moderate awareness about Pap smear as prevention to detect and prevent CC at the early stage.

    Conclusions: Women in Malaysia only has a good awareness about multiple sex partner and sexually transmitted disease as a risk factor for CC, they also have good knowledge on regular Pap smear as a tool to diagnose and surgery as a treatment. Future, further effort is required to promote awareness of women's perception and attitudes toward CC.
  14. Fulltext The advantages of using drones over space-borne imagery in the mapping of mangrove forests
    Ruwaimana M, Satyanarayana B, Otero V, M Muslim A, Syafiq A M, Ibrahim S, et al.
    PLoS One, 2018;13(7):e0200288.
    PMID: 30020959 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200288
    Satellite data and aerial photos have proved to be useful in efficient conservation and management of mangrove ecosystems. However, there have been only very few attempts to demonstrate the ability of drone images, and none so far to observe vegetation (species-level) mapping. The present study compares the utility of drone images (DJI-Phantom-2 with SJ4000 RGB and IR cameras, spatial resolution: 5cm) and satellite images (Pleiades-1B, spatial resolution: 50cm) for mangrove mapping-specifically in terms of image quality, efficiency and classification accuracy, at the Setiu Wetland in Malaysia. Both object- and pixel-based classification approaches were tested (QGIS v.2.12.3 with Orfeo Toolbox). The object-based classification (using a manual rule-set algorithm) of drone imagery with dominant land-cover features (i.e. water, land, Avicennia alba, Nypa fruticans, Rhizophora apiculata and Casuarina equisetifolia) provided the highest accuracy (overall accuracy (OA): 94.0±0.5% and specific producer accuracy (SPA): 97.0±9.3%) as compared to the Pleiades imagery (OA: 72.2±2.7% and SPA: 51.9±22.7%). In addition, the pixel-based classification (using a maximum likelihood algorithm) of drone imagery provided better accuracy (OA: 90.0±1.9% and SPA: 87.2±5.1%) compared to the Pleiades (OA: 82.8±3.5% and SPA: 80.4±14.3%). Nevertheless, the drone provided higher temporal resolution images, even on cloudy days, an exceptional benefit when working in a humid tropical climate. In terms of the user-costs, drone costs are much higher, but this becomes advantageous over satellite data for long-term monitoring of a small area. Due to the large data size of the drone imagery, its processing time was about ten times greater than that of the satellite image, and varied according to the various image processing techniques employed (in pixel-based classification, drone >50 hours, Pleiades <5 hours), constituting the main disadvantage of UAV remote sensing. However, the mangrove mapping based on the drone aerial photos provided unprecedented results for Setiu, and was proven to be a viable alternative to satellite-based monitoring/management of these ecosystems. The improvements of drone technology will help to make drone use even more competitive in the future.
  15. Diesel engine emission analysis using fuel from diverse emulsification methods
    Sugeng DA, Yahya WJ, Ithnin AM, Abdul Rashid MA, Mohd Syahril Amri NS, Abd Kadir H, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2018 Sep;25(27):27214-27224.
    PMID: 30030755 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2760-1
    The focus of this work is to investigate the emission characteristics of a stationary diesel engine while utilizing an emulsion fuel from a novel preparation process. The emulsion preparation was performed in real time without using any surfactant. Instead of mechanically breaking the water down into droplets, the water is delivered thermally, by changing its phase from gas to liquid. Steam is used in this proposed process, where it will be converted into suspended water droplets once it meets colder diesel. The product is called steam-generated water-in-diesel emulsion fuel (S/D). The method is expected to reduce the moving components of a previous surfactant-less system; therefore, reducing costs and increasing the system reliability. The emission characteristics of S/D were compared with EURO 2 diesel (D2), and a conventional emulsion denoted as E10. E10 was prepared using 10% water (volumetric) and SPAN80 as a surfactant. The emission characterizations were carried out based on the exhaust gas of a single cylinder naturally aspirated CI engine fueled with D2, S/D, and E10. Compared to D2, both emulsions significantly reduced the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) (E10 max ↓58.0%, S/D max ↓40.0%) and particulate matter (PM) (E10 max ↓20.0%, S/D max ↓57.0%).
  16. Combustion performance and exhaust emissions fuelled with non-surfactant water-in-diesel emulsion fuel made from different water sources
    Ahmad MA, Yahya WJ, Ithnin AM, Hasannuddin AK, Bakar MAA, Fatah AYA, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2018 Aug;25(24):24266-24280.
    PMID: 29948709 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2492-2
    Non-surfactant water-in-diesel emulsion fuel (NWD) is an alternative fuel that has the potential to reduce major exhaust emissions while simultaneously improving the combustion performance of a diesel engine. NWD comprises of diesel fuel and water (about 5% in volume) without any additional surfactants. This emulsion fuel is produced through an in-line mixing system that is installed very close to the diesel engine. This study focuses mainly on the performance and emission of diesel engine fuelled with NWD made from different water sources. The engine used in this study is a direct injection diesel engine with loads varying from 1 to 4 kW. The result shows that NWD made from tap water helps the engine to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 32%. Rainwater reduced it by 29% and seawater by 19%. In addition, all NWDs show significant improvements in engine performance as compared to diesel fuel, especially in the specific fuel consumption that indicates an average reduction of 6%. It is observed that all NWDs show compelling positive effects on engine performance, which is caused by the optimum water droplet size inside NWD.
  17. Automated characterization of cardiovascular diseases using relative wavelet nonlinear features extracted from ECG signals
    Adam M, Oh SL, Sudarshan VK, Koh JE, Hagiwara Y, Tan JH, et al.
    Comput Methods Programs Biomed, 2018 Jul;161:133-143.
    PMID: 29852956 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2018.04.018
    Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of deaths worldwide. The rising mortality rate can be reduced by early detection and treatment interventions. Clinically, electrocardiogram (ECG) signal provides useful information about the cardiac abnormalities and hence employed as a diagnostic modality for the detection of various CVDs. However, subtle changes in these time series indicate a particular disease. Therefore, it may be monotonous, time-consuming and stressful to inspect these ECG beats manually. In order to overcome this limitation of manual ECG signal analysis, this paper uses a novel discrete wavelet transform (DWT) method combined with nonlinear features for automated characterization of CVDs. ECG signals of normal, and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and myocardial infarction (MI) are subjected to five levels of DWT. Relative wavelet of four nonlinear features such as fuzzy entropy, sample entropy, fractal dimension and signal energy are extracted from the DWT coefficients. These features are fed to sequential forward selection (SFS) technique and then ranked using ReliefF method. Our proposed methodology achieved maximum classification accuracy (acc) of 99.27%, sensitivity (sen) of 99.74%, and specificity (spec) of 98.08% with K-nearest neighbor (kNN) classifier using 15 features ranked by the ReliefF method. Our proposed methodology can be used by clinical staff to make faster and accurate diagnosis of CVDs. Thus, the chances of survival can be significantly increased by early detection and treatment of CVDs.
  18. Fulltext Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of a pyridiniminium bromide salt: 1-[2-([1,1'-biphen-yl]-4-yl)-2-oxoeth-yl]-3-methyl-1,4-di-hydro-pyridin-4-iminium bromide
    Sheshadri SN, Kwong HC, Chidan Kumar CS, Quah CK, Siddaraju BP, Veeraiah MK, et al.
    Acta Crystallogr E Crystallogr Commun, 2018 May 01;74(Pt 5):752-756.
    PMID: 29850106 DOI: 10.1107/S2056989018006217
    In the cation of the title salt, C20H19N2O+·Br-, the phenyl rings are inclined to one another by 38.38 (8)°, whereas the central phenyl ring and the pyridiniminium ring are almost perpendicular with a dihedral angle of 87.37 (9)°. The N+=C cationic double bond was verified by the shortened bond length of 1.337 (2) Å. In the crystal, the Br- anion is linked to the cation by an N-H⋯Br hydrogen bond. C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link adjacent pyridiniminium cations into inversion dimers with an R22(18) graph-set motif. These dimers are stacked in a phen-yl-phenyl T-shaped geometry through C-H⋯π inter-actions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis was conducted to verify the contributions of the different inter-molecular inter-actions.
  19. Effects of Newcastle Disease Virus Infection on Chicken Intestinal Intraepithelial Natural Killer Cells
    Abdolmaleki M, Yeap SK, Tan SW, Satharasinghe DA, Bello MB, Jahromi MZ, et al.
    Front Immunol, 2018;9:1386.
    PMID: 29973933 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01386
    The intestinal intraepithelial natural killer cells (IEL-NK) are among the earliest effectors of antiviral immunity in chicken. Unfortunately, their role during Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection remains obscure. Previous study has reported the development of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) known as 28-4, which is specifically directed against the CD3- IEL-NK cells. In the present study, we used this mAb to investigate the effects of velogenic and lentogenic NDV infection on avian IEL-NK cells. Our findings revealed that chickens infected with velogenic NDV strains have a reduced population of purified CD3-/28-4+ IEL-NK cells as determined by flow cytometry. Furthermore, the CD3-/28-4+ IEL-NK cells from chicken infected with velogenic NDV strains were shown to have a downregulated expression of activating receptors (CD69 and B-Lec), effector peptide (NK-LYSIN), and IFN gamma. On the contrary, the expression of the inhibitory receptor (B-NK) and bifunctional receptor (CHIR-AB1) were upregulated on these purified CD3-/28-4+ IEL-NK cells following velogenic NDV infection. Meanwhile, the lentogenic NDV demonstrated insignificant effects on both the total population of CD3-/28-4+ IEL-NK cells and the expression of their surface receptors. In addition, using real-time PCR and transmission electron microscopy, we showed that CD3-/28-4+ IEL-NK cells were susceptible to velogenic but not lentogenic NDV infection. These findings put together demonstrate the ability of different strains of NDV to manipulate the activating and inhibitory receptors of CD3-/28-4+ IEL-NK cells following infection. Further studies are, however, required to ascertain the functional importance of these findings during virulent or avirulent NDV infection.
  20. Fulltext Risk factors for childhood pneumonia in North Eastern Pakistan: a case-control study
    Aftab S, Ejaz I, Waqar U, Khan HI, Hanif A, Usman A, et al.
    Malaysian Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2016;22(1):26-34.
    MyJurnal
    Background: Pneumonia is defined as the inflammation of parenchyma of the lung. It is a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood throughout the world. The incidence of pneumonia in children under the age of five years is 0.29 episodes per child-year, which equates 151.8 million cases annually in developing countries. Objective: To determine the risk factors for complicated pneumonia.

    Material and Methods: This case-control study conducted in Medical Unit III, The Children’s Hospital & Institute of Child Health Lahore. Out of total of 180 cases of pneumonia, 100 were labeled as complicated pneumonia (case) and 80 were labeled as uncomplicated pneumonia (control). Complicated pneumonia included pneumonia with associated complications. Detail history was taken in both groups and recorded on predesigned proforma. Data was analyzed by SPSS 20. Quantitative risk factors like child age, maternal age and father age were analyzed by mean and standard deviation. However qualitative risk factors like method of feeding, malnutrition, immunization, anaemia, and non-vaccination were analyzed by applying chi-square test and finding odd ratios.

    Results: Most significant risk factors associated with complicated pneumonia included younger age, maternal and father education, rural area, malnutrition, anaemia, rickets, birth problems, admission during neonatal life due to pneumonia, bottle feeding, nonvaccination, referral and delayed in presentation (p
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