Based on the Nottingham Histopathology Grading (NHG) system, mitosis cells detection is one of the important criteria to determine the grade of breast carcinoma. Mitosis cells detection is a challenging task due to the heterogeneous microenvironment of breast histopathology images. Recognition of complex and inconsistent objects in the medical images could be achieved by incorporating domain knowledge in the field of interest. In this study, the strategies of the histopathologist and domain knowledge approach were used to guide the development of the image processing framework for automated mitosis cells detection in breast histopathology images. The detection framework starts with color normalization and hyperchromatic nucleus segmentation. Then, a knowledge-assisted false positive reduction method is proposed to eliminate the false positive (i.e., non-mitosis cells). This stage aims to minimize the percentage of false positive and thus increase the F1-score. Next, features extraction was performed. The mitosis candidates were classified using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. For evaluation purposes, the knowledge-assisted detection framework was tested using two datasets: a custom dataset and a publicly available dataset (i.e., MITOS dataset). The proposed knowledge-assisted false positive reduction method was found promising by eliminating at least 87.1% of false positive in both the dataset producing promising results in the F1-score. Experimental results demonstrate that the knowledge-assisted detection framework can achieve promising results in F1-score (custom dataset: 89.1%; MITOS dataset: 88.9%) and outperforms the recent works.
The current work discusses ground coffee waste (GCW) reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composite. GCW underwent two types of treatment (oil extraction, and oil extraction followed by mercerization). The composites were prepared using stacking HDPE film and GCW, followed by hot compression molding with different GCW particle loadings (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%). Particle loadings of 5% and 10% of the treated GCW composites exhibited the optimum level for this particular type of composite, whereby their mechanical and thermal properties were improved compared to untreated GCW composite (UGC). SEM fracture analysis showed better adhesion between HDPE and treated GCW. The FTIR conducted proved the removal of unwanted impurities and reduction in water absorption after the treatment. Specific tensile modulus improved for OGC at 5 vol% particle loading. The highest impact energy absorbed was obtained by OGC with a 16% increment. This lightweight and environmentally friendly composite has potential in high-end packaging, internal automotive parts, lightweight furniture, and other composite engineering applications.
Work productivity is one of the most important economic measures in the manufacturing industry. However, the physical, psychosocial and individual risk factors of an industrial work environment affect workers' physical or mental health, resulting in work productivity loss, absenteeism and presenteeism. Therefore, this study aims to identify the most critical risk factors and develop statistical models for predicting work productivity loss, absenteeism and presenteeism of garment industry workers. A sample of 224 sewing machine operators was taken for data collection through observation and self-reported studies. The results indicated that the average work productivity loss, absenteeism and presenteeism was 38.21, 2.35 and 37.23%, respectively. Finally, the statistical models of work productivity loss, absenteeism and presenteeism was developed using multiple linear regression with precision of 69.9, 53.7 and 84.0%, respectively. Hence, this study will help garment industries to improve their work productivity by taking initiatives based on the developed models.
Government-owned small-ruminant breeding farms in Malaysia provide the source of sheep and goats to smallholder farmers in the country. In the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah, high-level stock losses have been recorded on these farms for several years, frequently accompanied by clinical signs indicating pathogenic levels of infections with the nematode parasite Haemonchus contortus. This suggests that their dependence on chemotherapy to control parasite infections had failed. Accordingly, tests for anthelmintic efficacy using the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) on the range of drugs used to control nematode parasites were carried out on the five government small-ruminant breeding farms in Sabah. These tests showed a total failure of the benzimidazole, imidothiazole, macrocyclic lactone and salicylanilide groups of anthelmintics to control H. contortus infections of sheep and goats on all farms. Drastic changes in animal management need to be made in an attempt to deal with this situation, for which suggestions are made.
Introduction: The aims of this study are to define the coracoid process anatomy in a Malaysian population, carried out on patients in Hospital Serdang with specific emphasis on the dimension of the base of coracoid process which is important in coraco-acromial (CC) ligament reconstruction, to define the average amount of bone available for use in coracoid transfer, and to compare the size of coracoid process based on gender and race, and with findings in previous studies. Materials and Methods: Fifteen pairs of computed tomography (CT) based 3-dimensional models of shoulders of patients aged between 20 to 60 years old were examined. The mean dimensions of coracoid were measured and compared with regards to gender and race. The data were also compared to previously published studies. Results: The mean length of the coracoid process was 37.94 ± 4.30 mm. Male subjects were found to have larger-sized coracoids in all dimensions as compared to female subjects. The mean tip of coracoid dimension overall was 19.99 + 1.93mm length × 10.03 + 1.48mm height × 11.63 + 2.12mm width. The mean base of coracoid dimension was 18.96 + 3.71mm length × 13.84 + 1.76mm width. No significant differences were observed with regards to racial denomination. The overall coracoid size measurements were found to be smaller compared to previous studies done on the Western population. Conclusion: This study may suggest that Malaysians have smaller coracoid dimension compared to Caucasians. The findings further suggest that the incidence of coracoid fracture and implants pull out in Malaysian subjects may be higher.
The effects of xanthan gum (XG) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) in sponge cakes were studied. Hydrocolloids enhanced the thickening effect in batter that affected the textural attributes of sponge cakes. During storage, the structural changes in XG-cake resulted in higher hardness compared to HPMC-cake. Similar to XG, HPMC also contributed moistness to cake. The moisture loss of cake containing XG was slower than HPMC-cake. FTIR study showed absorption of OH at region of 3600-2900 cm-1 that explained the strong interaction of water in cake containing XG compared to other cake formulations.
The present study compared the performance of sticky traps in order to identify the most effective and practical trap for capturing Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Three phases were conducted in the study, with Phase 1 evaluating the five prototypes (Models A, B, C, D, and E) of sticky trap release-and-recapture using two groups of mosquito release numbers (five and 50) that were released in each replicate. Similarly, Phase 2 compared the performance between Model E and the classical ovitrap that had been modified (sticky ovitrap), using five and 50 mosquito release numbers. Further assessment of both traps was carried out in Phase 3, in which both traps were installed in nine sampling grids. Results from Phase 1 showed that Model E was the trap that recaptured higher numbers of mosquitoes when compared to Models A, B, C, and D. Further assessment between Model E and the modified sticky ovitrap (known as Model F) found that Model F outperformed Model E in both Phases 2 and 3. Thus, Model F was selected as the most effective and practical sticky trap, which could serve as an alternative tool for monitoring and controlling dengue vectors in Malaysia.
The study assessed the distribution of Malaysian Ae. albopictus adults associated with Wolbachia detection in low-rise residential areas using a modified sticky ovitrap (MSO). The relationship between Ae. albopictus and climatological parameters were also determined. Fifty-two weeks of surveillance using 273 MSOs were conducted in four installation areas of eleven sampling sites. Specimens were subjected to PCR using wsp-specific primers for Wolbachia detection. The relationship between climatological parameters and Ae. albopictus captured were analyzed using Spearman rank correlation coefficient test. The majority of Ae. albopictus were captured in residential houses (87%), followed by playgrounds or parks (11.5%), guardhouses (1%), and community halls (0.5%). Most of the specimens (92%) were superinfected with wAlbA and wAlbB strains. A positive correlation with no significant association was found for rainfall (r = 0.015, P = 0.072), relative humidity (r = 0.005, P = 0.526), minimum temperature (r = 0.005, P = 0.516), and mean temperature (r = 0.003, P = 0.689). MSO effectively captured a high number of Ae. albopictus that was determined to be the predominant mosquito species found in low-rise residential areas. The adult collection is not only influenced by climatological parameters but also by other factors, including environmental conditions and general sanitation status.
High sodium intake was found to be associated with increased blood pressure. Decreasing dietary sodium intake can effectively reduce blood pressure, especially among hypertensive individuals, but the extent of reduction remains debatable. The effectiveness of different sodium reduction strategies on blood pressure reduction was identified in the current review. Randomized controlled trials and clinical trials on dietary sodium intake and blood pressure published from 23 March 2008 to 23 March 2021 were collected from the PubMed database. Twenty-six studies were included and divided into four subgroups based on the types of interventions identified. Subgroups included a low-sodium diet (1) in a group with or without added sodium, (2) through food substitutes, (3) through health education and behavior change, and (4) through salt substitutes. Reduction of dietary sodium intake resulted in a mean difference of 4.51 mmHg (95% CI: 3.35-5.67) in systolic blood pressure and 2.42 mmHg (95% CI: 1.61-3.23) in diastolic blood pressure. The effectiveness of these strategies was approximated from the difference in 24-h urinary sodium excretion between the intervention and control groups, which was 53.74 mmol/day (95% CI: 31.95-75.53). When analyzed, the low-sodium diet without added sodium showed the greatest significant differences in blood pressure (7.58/4.01 mmHg) and 24-h urinary sodium excretion (101.49 mmol/day), whereas the low-sodium diet through food substitutes yielded the lowest significant differences in blood pressure (2.26/0.81 mmHg) and 24-h urinary sodium excretion (25.78 mmol/day). Thus, reducing sodium intake can be an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.
The present study applied the use of sequential extraction technique and simple bioaccessibility extraction test to investigate the bioavailable fractions and the human bioaccessible concentration of metals collected from nine stations in surface sediment of the Bernam River. The concentrations of total and bioaccessible metals from different stations were in the range of 0.30-1.43 μg g(-1) and 0.04-0.14 μg g(-1) for total cadmium and bioaccessibility of cadmium, respectively, 6.20-288 μg kg(-1) and 2.06-8.53 μg kg(-1) for total mercury and bioaccessibility of mercury, respectively, and 9.2-106.59 μg g(-1) and 0.4-2.75 μg kg(-1) for total tin and bioaccessibility of tin, respectively. The chemical speciation of Cd in most sampling stations was in the order of oxidisable-organic > acid-reducible > residual > exchangeable, while the chemical speciation of Hg was in the order of exchangeable > residual > oxidisable-organic > acid-reducible and the chemical speciation of Hg was in the order of residual > oxidisable-organic > acid-reducible > exchangeable. The principal component analysis showed that the main factors influencing the bioaccessibility of mercury in surface sediments were the sediment total organic matter, cation exchange capacity, and easily, freely, or leachable and exchangeable fraction, and the factors influencing the bioaccessibility of tin were the total tin and cation exchange capacity, while the bioaccessibility of Cd in surface sediments was influenced by the only factor which is the easily, freely, or leachable and exchangeable fraction.
Many types of materials such as inorganic semiconductors have been employed as detectors for nuclear radiation, the importance of which has increased significantly due to recent nuclear catastrophes. Despite the many advantages of this type of materials, the ability to measure direct cellular or biological responses to radiation might improve detector sensitivity. In this context, semiconducting organic materials such as deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA have been studied in recent years. This was established by studying the varying electronic properties of DNA-metal or semiconductor junctions when exposed to radiation. In this work, we investigated the electronics of aluminium (Al)/DNA/silicon (Si) rectifying junctions using their current-voltage (I-V) characteristics when exposed to alpha radiation. Diode parameters such as ideality factor, barrier height and series resistance were determined for different irradiation times. The observed results show significant changes with exposure time or total dosage received. An increased deviation from ideal diode conditions (7.2 to 18.0) was observed when they were bombarded with alpha particles for up to 40 min. Using the conventional technique, barrier height values were observed to generally increase after 2, 6, 10, 20 and 30 min of radiation. The same trend was seen in the values of the series resistance (0.5889-1.423 Ω for 2-8 min). These changes in the electronic properties of the DNA/Si junctions could therefore be utilized in the construction of sensitive alpha particle detectors.
The concentration, distribution, and risk assessment of parabens were determined in the surface water of the Terengganu River, Malaysia. Target chemicals were extracted via solid-phase extraction, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Method optimization produced a high percentage recovery for methylparaben (MeP, 84.69 %), ethylparaben (EtP, 76.60 %), and propylparaben (PrP, 76.33 %). Results showed that higher concentrations were observed for MeP (3.60 μg/L) as compared with EtP (1.21 μg/L) and PrP (1.00 μg/L). Parabens are ubiquitously present in all sampling stations, with >99 % of detection. Salinity and conductivity were the major factors influencing the level of parabens in the surface water. Overall, we found no potential risk of parabens in the Terengganu River ecosystem due to low calculated risk assessment values (risk quotient
As a result of the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials for various opto-electronics applications, a new class of materials named MXenes have been attracting interests due to their outstanding nonlinear properties. In this work, an MXene niobium carbide (Nb2C) was proposed and demonstrated as a saturable absorber to induce mode-locking in thulium- and thulium/holmium-doped fiber lasers. The Nb2C solution was first prepared using the liquid exfoliation technique, and then deposited onto a microfiber for integration into the laser cavity. Stable mode-locking operation was observed in both laser cavities, where the center wavelengths of the laser were recorded at 1944 nm for the TDFL and 1950 nm for the THDFL. The generated pulses in the TDFL and THDFL had repetition rates of 9.35 and 11.76 MHz respectively, while their corresponding pulse widths were 1.67 and 1.34 ps. Both of the lasers were highly stable, having SNR values of more than 52 dB and showed no major fluctuations when tested for their long-term stabilities. The results demonstrate an excellent performance of the Nb2C as a saturable absorber, offering opportunities to further explore MXenes for future photonics devices.
Spinal infection comprises pyogenic and non-pyogenic spondylodiscitis. This condition may manifest with non-specific clinical symptoms, elevated infective parameters and imaging findings that are difficult to distinguish. The cornerstone of a definitive diagnosis and subsequent successful treatment lies in tissue analysis through culture and histopathological studies. In this context, we present a case of Salmonella pyogenic spondylodiscitis affecting the C5/C6 vertebrae, complicated by Salmonella bacteraemia and characterised by mechanical neck pain that curtails daily activities and overall functioning, although without neurological deficits. The uniqueness of this case stems from its occurrence in an immunocompetent individual from a non-endemic area, with no identifiable sources of Salmonella infection or preceding gastrointestinal symptoms.
The ctxB gene, the causative agent of cholera epidemic was successfully cloned from V. cholerae in E. coli. The insertion of the gene was confirmed by PCR as well as restriction digestion analyses. The sequencing results for the gene confirmed that the insert was in the correct orientation and in-frame with the P(BAD) promoter and it showed that the gene was 99% homologous to the published ctxB sequence. The CTB protein was successfully expressed in E. coli using the pBAD/His vector system. The expected protein of approximately 14 kDa was detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The use of pBAD/His vector to express the cholera toxin gene in E. coli would facilitate future study of toxin gene products.
Spinal involvement in primary amyloidosis is an exceedingly rare condition, presenting with typical pathological fracture symptoms that are often indistinguishable from other pathologies such as bone metastasis, metabolic disorders and infections. Histopathological studies for tissue diagnosis are the cornerstone of a definitive diagnosis, leading to successful treatment. Early diagnosis and intervention play a pivotal role in the care of patients with amyloidosis. Here, we present a unique case of a pathological fracture in the L4 vertebra following minor trauma. This fracture manifested with pain, instability and limitations in daily activities in a patient who had already been diagnosed with systemic amyloidosis and was undergoing chemotherapy. This case represents a distinct instance of vertebral involvement in amyloidosis and was managed with both chemotherapy and surgical intervention to address the spinal pathology, resulting in favourable outcomes.
Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA based sensors, especially as humidity and alpha particle sensors have become quite popular in recent times due to flexible and highly optimizable nature of this fundamental biomaterial. Application of DNA electronics allow for more sensitive, accurate and effective sensors to be developed and fabricated. In this work, we examined the effect of different humidity conditions on the capacitive and resistive response of Aluminum (Al)/DNA/Al Schottky barrier structure when bombarded by time-dependent dosages of alpha particles. Based on current-voltage profiles, which demonstrated rectifying behaviours, Schottky diode parameters such as ideality factor, barrier height and series resistance was calculated. Results observed generally pointed towards a decrease in the resistance value from the pristine to the radiated structures. It was also demonstrated that under the effect of humidity, the capacitance of the DNA thin film increased from 0.05894 to 92.736 nF, with rising relative humidity level. We also observed the occurrence of the hypersensitivity phenomena after alpha irradiation between 2 to 4 min by observing a drop in the series resistance, crucial in the study of DNA damage and repair mechanisms. These observations may also suggest the exciting possibility of utilizing Al/DNA/Al Schottky diodes as potentially sensitive humidity sensors.
A MAX phase Ti3AlC2 thin film is demonstrated as a saturable absorber (SA) to induce Q-switching in the 2.0 μm region. The Ti3AlC2 thin film is sandwiched between two fiber ferrules and integrated into thulium doped fiber laser (TDFL) and thulium-holmium doped fiber laser (THDFL) cavities. Stable Q-switched pulses are observed at 1980.79 nm and 1959.3 nm in the TDFL and THDFL cavities respectively, with repetition rates of 32.57 kHz and 21.94 kHz and corresponding pulse widths of 2.72 μs and 3.9 μs for both cavities. The performance of the Ti3AlC2 based SA for Q-switching operation indicates the high potential of other MAX phase materials to serve as SAs in future photonics systems.
This data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 188 final year Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students in a Malaysian Public University. The survey was self-administered to final year BBA students undergoing seminar course prior to the commencement of their industrial training in the coming semester. A regression analysis was conducted in order to assess the link between students' self-esteem, pro-active personality, and social support with their career adaptability using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20. Specifically, this data article provides data about the participants' demographic characteristics, as well as the mean, standard deviation and reliability of the measured constructs. It is believed by the authors that the dataset will guide policy makers on the choice of predictor(s) that could boost the level of students' career adaptability, most especially during the school to work transition, in this current volatile labour market.
Spinal tuberculosis is an uncommon extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis infection, known as a great masquerade that often mimics other pathologies, such as pyogenic and non-pyogenic infection, bone metastasis, haematological malignancy, and metabolic bone disease. It presents great challenges in establishing a diagnosis, deciding on treatment, and monitoring the response to treatment. A tissue-proven diagnosis is the cornerstone of a definitive diagnosis before initiating medical antitubercular therapy, leading to successful treatment. Here, we present a distinct and rare instance of spinal tuberculosis with an atypical presentation of upper thoracic myelopathy. It involved the cervicothoracic junction, exhibiting minimal axial symptoms but intensive destruction of the affected levels radiologically, along with an incomplete neurological deficit and the possibility of catastrophic neurological complications. The ultimate distinctiveness of this case lies in the diagnostic challenge it posed. Despite undergoing three separate tissue biopsies, tuberculosis infection could not be established, as all results returned negative for cellular, molecular, and histopathological markers, leading to a delay in initiating empirical medical therapy. Nonetheless, the patient responded well to empirical antitubercular therapy, resulting in favourable outcomes. To the best of our knowledge, a case of spinal tuberculosis with numerous negative tissue diagnoses has not been previously reported.