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  1. Rozman NASB, Hamin NSBMN, Ring LC, Nee TW, Mustapha MB, Yenn TW
    Mycobiology, 2017 Sep;45(3):178-183.
    PMID: 29138622 DOI: 10.5941/MYCO.2017.45.3.178
    Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder which affects millions of population worldwide. Global estimates published in 2010 reported the world diabetic prevalence as 6.4%, affecting 285 million adults. Foot ulceration and wound infection are major forms of disabilities arising from diabetic diseases. This study was aimed to develop a natural antimicrobial finishing on medical grade textile that meets American Association of Textiles Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) standard. The textile samples were finished with the ethanolic extract of Penicillium amestolkiae elv609, an endophytic fungus isolated from Orthosiphon stamineus Benth (common name: cat's whiskers). Endophyte is defined as microorganism that reside in the living plant tissue, without causing apparent disease symptom to the host. The antimicrobial efficacy of the ethanolic extract of P. minioluteum was tested on clinical pathogens isolated from diabetic wound. The extract exhibited significant inhibitory activity against 4 bacteria and 1 yeast with the minimal inhibitory concentration ranged from 6.25 to 12.5 mg/mL. The results indicate different susceptibility levels of the test microorganism to the ethanolic extract. However, the killing activity of the extract was concentration-dependent. The finished medical textile showed excellent antimicrobial efficacy on AATCC test assays. All the microbial cultures treated with the textile sample displayed a growth reduction of 99.9% on Hoheinstein Challenge Test. The wash durability of the finished textile was found good even after 50 washes with commercial detergent. Besides, the gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis showed that 6-octadecenoic acid and diethyl phthalate were the main bioactive constituents of the extract. In conclusion, the developed medical textile showed good antimicrobial efficacy on laboratory tests. This work can be extended to in vivo trials for developing healthcare textile products for antimicrobial applications.
  2. Habiba U, Siddique TA, Joo TC, Salleh A, Ang BC, Afifi AM
    Carbohydr Polym, 2017 Feb 10;157:1568-1576.
    PMID: 27987870 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.11.037
    A chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/zeolite composite was fabricated in this study. The composite was analyzed through field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis, and weight loss test. FTIR and XRD results revealed a strong interaction among chitosan, PVA, and zeolite. Weight loss test results indicated that the composite was stable in acidic and basic media. Congo red was removed through flocculation, and the removal rate was 94% at an initial concentration of 100mg/L for a dose of 1g/L. The removal rate of methyl orange was controlled by adsorption at an initial concentration of less than 100mg/L. Flocculation occurred at high concentrations. The removal rate was also 94% at an initial concentration of 500mg/L for a dose of 5g/L. The adsorption behavior of the composite for the removal of methyl orange and Cr(VI) was described by using a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption capacity of the composite for Cr(VI) was 450mg/g. Therefore, the synthesized composite exhibited versatility during the removal of dyes and heavy metals.
  3. Fatin SN, Boon-Khai T, Shu-Chien AC, Khairuddean M, Al-Ashraf Abdullah A
    Front Microbiol, 2017;8:2267.
    PMID: 29201023 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02267
    The resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to conventional antimicrobial treatment is a major scourge in healthcare. Therefore, it is crucial that novel potent anti-infectives are discovered. The aim of the present study is to screen marine actinomycetes for chemical entities capable of overcoming P. aeruginosa infection through mechanisms involving anti-virulence or host immunity activities. A total of 18 actinomycetes isolates were sampled from marine sediment of Songsong Island, Kedah, Malaysia. Upon confirming that the methanolic crude extract of these isolates do not display direct bactericidal activities, they were tested for capacity to rescue Caenorhabditis elegans infected with P. aeruginosa strain PA14. A hexane partition of the extract from one isolate, designated as Streptomyces sp. CCB-PSK207, could promote the survival of PA14 infected worms by more than 60%. Partial 16S sequence analysis on this isolate showed identity of 99.79% with Streptomyces sundarbansensis. This partition did not impair feeding behavior of C. elegans worms. Tested on PA14, the partition also did not affect bacterial growth or its ability to colonize host gut. The production of biofilm, protease, and pyocyanin in PA14 were uninterrupted, although there was an increase in elastase production. In lys-7::GFP worms, this partition was shown to induce the expression of lysozyme 7, an important innate immunity defense molecule that was repressed during PA14 infection. GC-MS analysis of the bioactive fraction of Streptomyces sp. CCB-PSK207 revealed the presence of methyl esters of branched saturated fatty acids. In conclusion, this is the first report of a marine actinomycete producing metabolites capable of rescuing C. elegans from PA14 through a lys-7 mediated activity.
  4. Gothai S, Muniandy K, Zarin MA, Sean TW, Kumar SS, Munusamy MA, et al.
    Pharmacogn Mag, 2017 Oct;13(Suppl 3):S462-S469.
    PMID: 29142400 DOI: 10.4103/pm.pm_368_16
    Background: Moringa oleifera (MO), commonly known as the drumstick tree, is used in folklore medicine for the treatment of skin disease.

    Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of MO leaves for in vitro antibacterial, antioxidant, and wound healing activities and conduct gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis.

    Materials and Methods: Antibacterial activity was evaluated against six Gram-positive bacteria and 10 Gram-negative bacteria by disc diffusion method. Free radical scavenging activity was assessed by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical hydrogen peroxide scavenging and total phenolic content (TPC). Wound healing efficiency was studied using cell viability, proliferation, and scratch assays in diabetic human dermal fibroblast (HDF-D) cells.

    Results: The EtOAc fraction showed moderate activity against all bacterial strains tested, and the maximum inhibition zone was observed against Streptococcus pyogenes (30 mm in diameter). The fraction showed higher sensitivity to Gram-positive strains than Gram-negative strains. In the quantitative analysis of antioxidant content, the EtOAc fraction was found to have a TPC of 65.81 ± 0.01. The DPPH scavenging activity and the hydrogen peroxide assay were correlated with the TPC value, with IC50 values of 18.21 ± 0.06 and 59.22 ± 0.04, respectively. The wound healing experiment revealed a significant enhancement of cell proliferation and migration of HDF-D cells. GC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of 17 bioactive constituents that may be the principal factors in the significant antibacterial, antioxidant, and wound healing activity.

    Conclusion: The EtOAc fraction of MO leaves possesses remarkable wound healing properties, which can be attributed to the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the fraction.

    SUMMARY: Moringa oleifera (MO) leaf ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction possesses antibacterial activities toward Gram-positive bacteria such as Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, and Gram-negative bacteria such as Proteus mirabilis and Salmonella typhimuriumMO leaf EtOAc fraction contained the phenolic content of 65.81 ± 0.01 and flavonoid content of 37.1 ± 0.03, respectively. In addition, the fraction contained 17 bioactive constituents associated with the antibacterial, antioxidant, and wound healing properties that were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysisMO leaf EtOAc fraction supports wound closure rate about 80% for treatments when compared with control group. Abbreviations used: MO: Moringa oleifera; EtOAc: Ethyl acetate; GC-MS: Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; HDF-D: Diabetic Human Dermal Fibroblast cells.

  5. Lee LY, Idris Z, Beng TB, Young TY, Chek WC, Abdullah JM, et al.
    Asian J Neurosurg, 2017;12(4):620-637.
    PMID: 29114274 DOI: 10.4103/ajns.AJNS_331_16
    INTRODUCTION: Degenerative spine disease is increasingly common. There are many spinal fusion techniques used to treat degenerative spine disease. This study aims to compare the functional outcome of open versus minimally invasive surgery (MIS) technique in posterior lumbar instrumentation and fusion in degenerative spine disease and to evaluate the perioperative outcome and complications between MIS and open surgery.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an observational cross-sectional study conducted on all degenerative spine disease patients who underwent both methods of posterior lumbar instrumentation and fusion from 2010 to 2014 by the Orthopedic and Neurosurgery Department, Sarawak General Hospital. The analyzed variables were method of surgery and the levels involved, demographic data, estimated blood loss, duration of operation, length of hospitalization, visual analog scale of back pain and radicular pain preoperative, postoperative 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and functional outcome.

    RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-two patients underwent posterior lumbar instrumentation and fusion from 2010 to 2014. Seventy patients were subjected to MIS transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) and 52 open TLIF. Total 89 patients underwent single level of lumbar fusion with sixty patients in MIS group and 29 in open surgeries. MIS TLIF has less estimated blood loss and shorter hospitalization and longer operation time compared to open TLIF, which were statistically significance. MIS TLIF has statistically significance better functional outcome based on Oswestry disability index, Modified NASS score, and RAND 36-item Health Survey 1.0 score. Complications such as infection, new onsets of neurological, and dural tear are equal in both methods of surgery.

    CONCLUSION: This study concluded that MIS has better functional outcome compared to open TLIF with shorter hospitalization, faster return to work, and less estimated blood loss.

  6. Bashirom N, Kian TW, Kawamura G, Matsuda A, Razak KA, Lockman Z
    Nanotechnology, 2018 Sep 14;29(37):375701.
    PMID: 29901455 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aaccbd
    Visible-light-active freestanding zirconia (ZrO2) nanotube (FSZNT) arrays were fabricated by a facile electrochemical anodization method in fluoride containing ethylene glycol electrolyte added to it was 1 vol% of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) at 60 V for 1 h. Poor adhesion at the metal∣oxide interface was induced by K2CO3 leading to the formation of FSZNT flakes. The effect of the crystal structures of the FSZNTs e.g., amorphous, amorphous/tetragonal, and tetragonal/monoclinic was investigated towards the photocatalytic reduction of 10 ppm hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI) at pH 2 under sunlight. The results demonstrate the amorphous FSZNTs exhibited the highest Cr(VI) removal efficiency than the crystalline FSZNTs (95% versus 33% after 5 h). The high photocatalytic activity of the amorphous FSZNTs can be attributed to enhanced Cr(VI) adsorption, high visible light absorption, and better charge carrier separation. The low photocatalytic activity of the crystalline FSZNTs annealed at 500 °C was mainly attributed to poor Cr(VI) adsorption, low visible light absorption, and less photoactive monoclinic-ZrO2.
  7. Faust O, Shenfield A, Kareem M, San TR, Fujita H, Acharya UR
    Comput Biol Med, 2018 11 01;102:327-335.
    PMID: 30031535 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2018.07.001
    Atrial Fibrillation (AF), either permanent or intermittent (paroxysnal AF), increases the risk of cardioembolic stroke. Accurate diagnosis of AF is obligatory for initiation of effective treatment to prevent stroke. Long term cardiac monitoring improves the likelihood of diagnosing paroxysmal AF. We used a deep learning system to detect AF beats in Heart Rate (HR) signals. The data was partitioned with a sliding window of 100 beats. The resulting signal blocks were directly fed into a deep Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The system was validated and tested with data from the MIT-BIH Atrial Fibrillation Database. It achieved 98.51% accuracy with 10-fold cross-validation (20 subjects) and 99.77% with blindfold validation (3 subjects). The proposed system structure is straight forward, because there is no need for information reduction through feature extraction. All the complexity resides in the deep learning system, which gets the entire information from a signal block. This setup leads to the robust performance for unknown data, as measured with the blind fold validation. The proposed Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) system can be used for long-term monitoring of the human heart. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed system is the first to incorporate deep learning for AF beat detection.
  8. Faust O, Hagiwara Y, Hong TJ, Lih OS, Acharya UR
    Comput Methods Programs Biomed, 2018 Jul;161:1-13.
    PMID: 29852952 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2018.04.005
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We have cast the net into the ocean of knowledge to retrieve the latest scientific research on deep learning methods for physiological signals. We found 53 research papers on this topic, published from 01.01.2008 to 31.12.2017.

    METHODS: An initial bibliometric analysis shows that the reviewed papers focused on Electromyogram(EMG), Electroencephalogram(EEG), Electrocardiogram(ECG), and Electrooculogram(EOG). These four categories were used to structure the subsequent content review.

    RESULTS: During the content review, we understood that deep learning performs better for big and varied datasets than classic analysis and machine classification methods. Deep learning algorithms try to develop the model by using all the available input.

    CONCLUSIONS: This review paper depicts the application of various deep learning algorithms used till recently, but in future it will be used for more healthcare areas to improve the quality of diagnosis.

  9. Habiba U, Siddique TA, Li Lee JJ, Joo TC, Ang BC, Afifi AM
    Carbohydr Polym, 2018 Jul 01;191:79-85.
    PMID: 29661324 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.02.081
    The chitosan/polyvinyl Alcohol/zeolite electrospun composite nanofibrous membrane was fabricated for adsorption of methyl orange. The EDX, TGA and tensile test were carried out for the characterization of the membrane. The Young's Modulus of the nanofibrous membranes increased by more than 100% with the addition of zeolite to chitosan/PVA. The batch adsorption tests were conducted by varying the initial concentration of methyl orange, contact time and pH of the dye solution. UV-vis results showed that most of the dye was adsorbed within 6 min. An adsorption kinetic study was carried out using the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, Lagergren-first-order model and intra particle diffusion model. The adsorption kinetics obeyed the Pseudo second order model. The adsorption mechanism was analyzed using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm model. The experimental data fits well with the Freundlich model. The adsorption capacity of the membrane was 153 mg/g. Adsorption capacity was decreased with increasing pH value. The resulting nanofiber became less active over methyl orange after several runs.
  10. Achin NA, Kit TJ, Ngah WZW, Makpol S, Mazlan M, Hamezah HS, et al.
    Curr Aging Sci, 2018;11(3):182-194.
    PMID: 30338748 DOI: 10.2174/1874609811666181019141217
    BACKGROUND: Cognitive frailty emerges as one of the threats to healthy aging. It is in continuum with advancing of age with uncertain indicator between pathological and physiological changes. Alterations in pathways associated with the aging process have been observed including oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and inflammation. However, the exact mechanisms leading to cognitive decline are still unclear.

    OBJECTIVE: This study was sought to assess the level of cognitive functions and linked with blood oxidative status during normal aging in rats.

    METHODS: A longitudinal study using male Sprague Dawley rats was performed starting from the age of 14 months old to 27 months old. Cognitive functions tests such as open field, Morris water maze and object recognition were determined at the age of 14, 18, 23, and 27 months old and were compared with group 3 months old. Blood was collected from the orbital venous sinus and oxidative status was determined by measuring the level of DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and antioxidant enzymes activity.

    RESULTS: Aged rats showed declining exploratory behavior and increased in the level of anxiety as compared to the young rats. The level of DNA damage increased with increasing age. Interestingly, our study found that both levels of malondialdehyde and plasma carbonyl content decreased with age. In addition, the level of superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased with age whereas catalase activity was significantly increased from 18 months of age. However, no significant difference was found in glutathione peroxidase activity among all age groups.

    CONCLUSION: The progressions of cognitive impairment in normal aging rats are linked to the increment in the level of DNA damage.

  11. Khim TP, Sanggar V, Shan TW, Peng KC, Western JS, Dicksit DD
    J Conserv Dent, 2018 10 9;21(5):562-568.
    PMID: 30294122 DOI: 10.4103/JCD.JCD_115_18
    Introduction: Among the various causes of tooth discoloration after root canal treatment, percolation of sealer remnants into the dentinal tubules of the pulp chamber is the most common cause.

    Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of dentin bonding agent (DBA) in preventing coronal discoloration caused by four different root canal sealers- MTA Fillapex, Sealapex, Zical and Z. O. B seal at different time intervals by measuring chromatic alterations using digital images analysis method.

    Methodology: Ninety mandibular premolars were collected and sectioned at 1 mm below the cementoenamel junction. Standard access cavity preparations of dimensions (depth-3 mm, width-0.8 mm, and length-3 mm) were prepared with a No. 245 bur through the cervical access. Following the standard irrigation protocol, specimens were then randomly divided into nine groups (four groups without DBA [1-4] +4 groups with DBA [5-8] +1 negative control [9]). In Groups 1-4, four different root canal sealers (MTA Fillapex, Sealapex, Zical, and Z.O.B seal) were applied to the walls of the pulp chamber. For Groups 5-8, the samples were etched with 37% phosphoric acid and DBA application was done before the respective root canal sealer application. The cervical access in all specimens was sealed using glass ionomer cement. Digital photographs were taken under standard lighting and environmental conditions at different time intervals: preprocedural, postprocedural, and after 1, 2, 3, and 4 months. These images were analyzed using Adobe Photoshop CS6 from which laboratory values and subsequently Delta E values were obtained.

    Results: Statistical analysis performed using repeated measures ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's tests show that the groups with DBA application had significantly lower mean Delta E values (P < 0.05) compared to the groups without DBA application.

    Conclusion: DBAs applied to the dentinal walls of the pulp chamber before obturation can effectively reduce the sealer-induced coronal discoloration.

  12. Nguyen HN, Nguyen TY, Tran KV, Tran TT, Nguyen TT, Phan VD, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2019 Feb 16;12(4).
    PMID: 30781542 DOI: 10.3390/ma12040598
    Triple-layered composite plates are created by joining three composite layers using shear connectors. These layers, which are assumed to be always in contact and able to move relatively to each other during deformation, could be the same or different in geometric dimensions and material. They are applied in various engineering fields such as ship-building, aircraft wing manufacturing, etc. However, there are only a few publications regarding the calculation of this kind of plate. This paper proposes novel equations, which utilize Mindlin's theory and finite element modelling to simulate the forced vibration of triple-layered composite plates with layers connected by shear connectors subjected to a moving load. Moreover, a Matlab computation program is introduced to verify the reliability of the proposed equations, as well as the influence of some parameters, such as boundary conditions, the rigidity of the shear connector, thickness-to-length ratio, and the moving load velocity on the dynamic response of the composite plate.
  13. Ralib AM, Nanyan S, Ramly NF, Har LC, Cheng TC, Mat Nor MB
    Indian J Crit Care Med, 2018 Dec;22(12):831-835.
    PMID: 30662220 DOI: 10.4103/ijccm.IJCCM_193_18
    Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in the intensive care unit (ICU) with a high risk of morbidity and mortality. The high incidence of AKI in our population may be attributed to sepsis. We investigated the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of AKI in four tertiary Malaysian ICUs. We also evaluated its association with sepsis.

    Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study extracted de-identified data from the Malaysian Registry of Intensive Care in four Malaysian tertiary ICUs between January 2010 and December 2014. The study was registered under the NMRR and approved by the ethics committee. AKI was defined as twice the baseline creatinine or urine output <0.5 ml/kg/h for 12 h.

    Results: Of 26,663 patients, 24.2% had AKI within 24 h of admission. Patients with AKI were older and had higher severity of illness compared to those without AKI. AKI patients had a longer duration of mechanical ventilation, length of ICU, and hospital stay. Age, Simplified Acute Physiological II Score, and the presence of sepsis and preexisting hypertension, chronic cardiovascular disease independently associated with AKI. About 32.3% had sepsis. Patients with both AKI and sepsis had the highest risk of mortality (relative risk 3.43 [3.34-3.53]).

    Conclusions: AKI is common in our ICU, with higher morbidity and mortality. Independent risk factors of AKI include age, the severity of illness, sepsis and preexisting hypertension, and chronic cardiovascular disease. AKI independently contributes to mortality. The presence of AKI and sepsis increased the risk of mortality by three times.

  14. Amanat MA, John J, Pin TM, Danaee M, Malhotra V, Abbas SA, et al.
    J Public Health (Oxf), 2020 May 26;42(2):304-311.
    PMID: 30796789 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdz014
    BACKGROUND: Poor oral health affects not only dietary choices but overall well-being. This study explores the influence of lifestyle, socio-demographics and utilization of dental services on the dentition status of an older urban Malaysian population.

    METHODS: A total of 1210 participants 60 years and above, representing the three main ethnic groups were recruited from a larger cohort study. Weighted factors valued for comparison included socio demographics and health status. Knowledge of and attitude and behaviour towards personal oral health were also assessed. Dentition status, adapted from WHO oral health guidelines, was the dependent variable investigated. Data were analysed using descriptive chi square test and multivariate binary logistic regression.

    RESULTS: Overall, 1187 respondents completed the study. The dentition status and oral health related knowledge, attitude and behaviour varied between the three ethnic groups. The Chinese were significantly less likely to have ≥13 missing teeth (OR = 0.698, 95% CI: 0.521-0.937) and ≥1 decayed teeth (0.653; 0.519-0.932) compared to the Malays, while the Indians were significantly less likely than the Malays to have ≥1 decayed teeth (0.695; 0.519-0.932) and ≥2 filled teeth (0.781; 0.540-1.128).

    CONCLUSION: Ethnic differences in dentition outcome are related to oral health utilization highlighting the influence of cultural differences and the need for culturally sensitivity interventions.

  15. Yeong TJ, Pin Jern K, Yao LK, Hannan MA, Hoon STG
    Molecules, 2019 May 27;24(10).
    PMID: 31137897 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24102025
    The agricultural industry has made a tremendous contribution to the foundations of civilization. Basic essentials such as food, beverages, clothes and domestic materials are enriched by the agricultural industry. However, the traditional method in agriculture cultivation is labor-intensive and inadequate to meet the accelerating nature of human demands. This scenario raises the need to explore state-of-the-art crop cultivation and harvesting technologies. In this regard, optics and photonics technologies have proven to be effective solutions. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of three photonic techniques, namely imaging, spectroscopy and spectral imaging, in a comparative manner for agriculture applications. Essentially, the spectral imaging technique is a robust solution which combines the benefits of both imaging and spectroscopy but faces the risk of underutilization. This review also comprehends the practicality of all three techniques by presenting existing examples in agricultural applications. Furthermore, the potential of these techniques is reviewed and critiqued by looking into agricultural activities involving palm oil, rubber, and agro-food crops. All the possible issues and challenges in implementing the photonic techniques in agriculture are given prominence with a few selective recommendations. The highlighted insights in this review will hopefully lead to an increased effort in the development of photonics applications for the future agricultural industry.
  16. Pfingstl T, Lienhard A, Shimano S, Yasin ZB, Shau-Hwai AT, Jantarit S, et al.
    J Zool Syst Evol Res, 2019 Feb;57(1):91-112.
    PMID: 30828135 DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12244
    This study demonstrates for the first time the presence of marine-associated mites in the Andaman Sea and Strait of Malacca and reveals a relatively high diversity of these taxa with six species from two different families: Selenoribatidae and Fortuyniidae. Indopacifica, a new genus of Selenoribatidae, is described from Thailand and Malaysia, with two new species, Indopacifica pantai n. sp. and Indopacifica parva n. sp. The genus is characterized by the unique combination of following characters: lacking lamellar ridges, incomplete dorsosejugal suture, fourteen pairs of notogastral setae, and presence of epimeral foveae. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on 18S ribosomal RNA sequences clearly confirms the distinctness of the new genus Indopacifica and places it close to the genus Rhizophobates. The lack of molecular genetic data of possible relatives impedes a clear assessment, and hence, we emphasize the need for further combined approaches using morphological and molecular genetic sequence data. All species show wide distribution areas within this geographic region suggesting that these taxa are good dispersers despite their minute size and wingless body. Molecular genetic data demonstrate recent gene flow between far distant populations of I. pantai n. sp. from the coasts of Thailand and two islands of Malaysia and hence confirm this assumption. The seasonally changing surface currents within this geographic area may favor hydrochorous dispersal and hence genetic exchange. Nevertheless, morphometric data show a slight trend to morphological divergence among the studied populations, whereas this variation is suggested to be a result of genetic drift but also of habitat differences in one population of Alismobates pseudoreticulatus.
  17. Saleem H, Zengin G, Ahmad I, Lee JTB, Htar TT, Mahomoodally FM, et al.
    J Pharm Biomed Anal, 2019 Jun 05;170:132-138.
    PMID: 30921647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2019.03.027
    The current research work was conducted in order to probe into the biochemical and toxicological characterisation of methanol and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of Bougainvillea glabra (Choisy.) aerial parts. Biological fingerprints were assessed for in vitro antioxidant, key enzyme inhibitory and cytotoxicity potential. Total bioactive contents were determined spectrophotometrically and the secondary metabolite components of methanol extract was assessed by UHPLC mass spectrometric analysis. The antioxidant capabilities were evaluated via six different in vitro antioxidant assays namely DPPH, ABTS (free radical scavenging), FRAP, CUPRAC (reducing antioxidant power), phosphomolybdenum (total antioxidant capacity) and ferrous chelating activity. Inhibition potential against key enzymes urease, α-glucosidase and cholinesterases were also determined. Methanol extract exhibited higher phenolic (24.01 mg GAE/g extract) as well as flavonoid (41.51 mg QE/g extract) contents. Phytochemical profiling of methanol extract identified a total of twenty secondary metabolites and the major compounds belonged to flavonoids, phenolics and alkaloid derivatives. The findings of antioxidant assays revealed the methanol extract to exhibit stronger antioxidant (except phosphomolybdenum) activities. Similarly, the methanol extract showed highest butyrylcholinesterase and urease inhibition. The DCM extract was most active for phosphomolybdenum and α-glucosidase inhibition assays. Moreover, both extracts exhibited significant cytotoxic potential against five (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, CaSki, DU-145, and SW-480) human carcinoma cell lines with half maximal inhibitory concentration values of 22.09 to 257.2 μg/mL. Results from the present study highlighted the potential of B. glabra aerial extracts to be further explored in an endeavour to discover novel phytotherapeutics as well as functional ingredients.
  18. Habiba U, Lee JJL, Joo TC, Ang BC, Afifi AM
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2019 Jun 15;131:821-827.
    PMID: 30904531 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.03.132
    In this study, chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/TiO2 nanofiber was fabricated via electrospinning at a pump rate of 1.5 mL/h and voltage 6 kV. Field-emission scanning electron microscopic images showed bead free finer nanofiber. Fourier transform infrared spectra proved the formation of strong bond among chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol and TiO2. X-ray powder diffraction showed that TiO2 became amorphous in the composite nanofiber. Toughness and thermal stability of the chitosan/PVA nanofibrous membrane was increased with addition TiO2. The chitosan/PVA/TiO2 nanofibrous membrane was stable at basic medium. But degraded in acidic and water medium after 93 and 162 h, respectively. The adsorption mechanism of congo red obeyed the Langmuir isotherm model. On the other hand, adsorption characteristic of methyl orange fitted well with both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The maximum adsorption capacity of the resulting membrane for congo red and methyl orange is 131 and 314 mg/g, respectively. However, a high dose of adsorbent was required for congo red.
  19. Cuzick J, De Stavola B, McCance D, Ho TH, Tan G, Cheng H, et al.
    Br. J. Cancer, 1989 Aug;60(2):238-43.
    PMID: 2548559
    Cervix cancer is about twice as common in Asia as in the Western world and its incidence varies among different Asian ethnic groups. A study based in Singapore, the population of which comprises Chinese, Indians and Malaysians, offers the opportunity to evaluate whether the same risk factors are important in this part of the world as in the West. A total of 135 cases and an equal number of controls were interviewed and details concerning reproductive and sexual history, smoking, hygiene, socio-economic status and education were collected. Seventy-three cases had invasive cancer while 62 had micro-invasive disease or CIN III. The most important risk factors were parity and number of sexual partners. Smoking was rare in cases and controls and did not appear to be an important determinant of risk. Of the socio-economic factors, education appeared most predictive and lowered the risk. Age at first intercourse was strongly correlated with education (positively) and parity (negatively), but not with number of sexual partners. Biopsies were available for HPV DNA analysis in 38 cases and 37% were positive, mostly for HPV type 16. All these factors gave similar risks in invasive and preinvasive disease.
  20. Jahmunah V, Oh SL, Wei JKE, Ciaccio EJ, Chua K, San TR, et al.
    Phys Med, 2019 Jun;62:95-104.
    PMID: 31153403 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2019.05.004
    The heart muscle pumps blood to vital organs, which is indispensable for human life. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is characterized by the inability of the heart to pump blood adequately throughout the body without an increase in intracardiac pressure. The symptoms include lung and peripheral congestion, leading to breathing difficulty and swollen limbs, dizziness from reduced delivery of blood to the brain, as well as arrhythmia. Coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and medical co-morbidities such as kidney disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure all take a toll on the heart and can impair myocardial function. CHF prevalence is growing worldwide. It afflicts millions of people globally, and is a leading cause of death. Hence, proper diagnosis, monitoring and management are imperative. The importance of an objective CHF diagnostic tool cannot be overemphasized. Standard diagnostic tests for CHF include chest X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear imaging, echocardiography, and invasive angiography. However, these methods are costly, time-consuming, and they can be operator-dependent. Electrocardiography (ECG) is inexpensive and widely accessible, but ECG changes are typically not specific for CHF diagnosis. A properly designed computer-aided detection (CAD) system for CHF, based on the ECG, would potentially reduce subjectivity and provide quantitative assessment for informed decision-making. Herein, we review existing CAD for automatic CHF diagnosis, and highlight the development of an ECG-based CAD diagnostic system that employs deep learning algorithms to automatically detect CHF.
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