Displaying publications 981 - 1000 of 5750 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext Assessment of Toxicity and Beneficiary Effects of Garcinia pedunculata on the Hematological, Biochemical, and Histological Homeostasis in Rats
    Paul S, Ali MY, Rumpa NE, Tanvir EM, Hossen MS, Saha M, et al.
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2017;2017:4686104.
    PMID: 28243309 DOI: 10.1155/2017/4686104
    This study was undertaken to investigate the toxicological profile of a methanolic extract of Garcinia pedunculata fruit in rats by conducting hematological, biochemical, and histopathological examinations. Long Evans rats were divided into four groups, each with 6 animals, and were treated with three oral doses (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) once daily for 21 days. The extract did not cause significant changes in body and relative organ weight, percent water content, or hematological parameters at any administered doses. However, a significant dose-dependent positive effect in serum lipid profile and all atherogenic indices including the cardiac risk ratio, Castelli's risk index-2, and the atherogenic coefficient were observed. Significant increases in the levels of iron and decreases in serum alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, and lactate dehydrogenase activities and the levels of serum glucose were noted when the extract was administered at the highest dose (1000 mg/kg). Histopathological examination of the target tissues further confirmed that the extract was safe and had no observed toxicological features. Our study indicates that G. pedunculata fruit is nontoxic, has the potential to be effective against atherosclerosis, and may be used as a hepatoprotectant. The fruit extract is also beneficial to those with iron deficiency and hyperglycemia.
  2. Fulltext Diagnostic Yield of CT Pulmonary Angiogram in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism and Its Predictive Factors
    Low CL, Kow RY, Abd Aziz A, Mohd Yusof M, Lim BC, Kamarudin NA, et al.
    Cureus, 2023 Jun;15(6):e40484.
    PMID: 37461753 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40484
    Introduction Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the reference investigation of choice to diagnose pulmonary embolism (PE). Nevertheless, the use of CTPA should be weighed against its risks, such as radiation and contrast-induced nephropathy. We aim to assess the yield of CTPA in diagnosing PE at a tertiary centre in Malaysia. We also identify predictive factors associated with the yield of CTPA in this cohort. Methods This was a cross-sectional study involving all patients who had had CTPA done at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Malaysia, from January 1, 2021, to November 30, 2021. All patients' records were retrieved and reviewed. CTPA images were retrieved from the Radiology Information System (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). They were double-reviewed by the authors, with the initial reports redacted from reporting radiologists to prevent reporting bias. The predictive factors were determined using simple logistic regression and multiple logistic regression. Results A total of 351 CTPAs were reviewed, of which 93 were found to be positive for PE, giving rise to an overall CTPA yield of 26.5%. Upon simple logistic regression, factors such as gender, discipline, history of trauma, presence of COVID-19 infection, and pneumonia were found to be associated with positive CTPA. Upon multiple logistic regression, male patients were found to have a higher chance of positive CTPA results. On the other hand, patients with COVID-19 infection and pneumonia have a lower chance of positive results in CTPA. Conclusion The yield of CTPA in diagnosing PE at our institution was acceptable at 26.5%. Upon multiple logistic regression, patients with COVID-19 infection and pneumonia were more likely to have a negative CTPA result, highlighting the need for clinicians to be more prudent in requesting CTPAs in these patients.
  3. Fulltext Electrospun nanofiber membrane diameter prediction using a combined response surface methodology and machine learning approach
    Pervez MN, Yeo WS, Mishu MMR, Talukder ME, Roy H, Islam MS, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2023 Jun 15;13(1):9679.
    PMID: 37322139 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36431-7
    Despite the widespread interest in electrospinning technology, very few simulation studies have been conducted. Thus, the current research produced a system for providing a sustainable and effective electrospinning process by combining the design of experiments with machine learning prediction models. Specifically, in order to estimate the diameter of the electrospun nanofiber membrane, we developed a locally weighted kernel partial least squares regression (LW-KPLSR) model based on a response surface methodology (RSM). The accuracy of the model's predictions was evaluated based on its root mean square error (RMSE), its mean absolute error (MAE), and its coefficient of determination (R2). In addition to principal component regression (PCR), locally weighted partial least squares regression (LW-PLSR), partial least square regression (PLSR), and least square support vector regression model (LSSVR), some of the other types of regression models used to verify and compare the results were fuzzy modelling and least square support vector regression model (LSSVR). According to the results of our research, the LW-KPLSR model performed far better than other competing models when attempting to forecast the membrane's diameter. This is made clear by the much lower RMSE and MAE values of the LW-KPLSR model. In addition, it offered the highest R2 values that could be achieved, reaching 0.9989.
  4. Fulltext Global and local mutations in Bangladeshi SARS-CoV-2 genomes
    Hasan MM, Das R, Rasheduzzaman M, Hussain MH, Muzahid NH, Salauddin A, et al.
    Virus Res, 2021 May;297:198390.
    PMID: 33737154 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2021.198390
    Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) warrants comprehensive investigations of publicly available Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes to gain new insight about their epidemiology, mutations, and pathogenesis. Nearly 0.4 million mutations have been identified so far among the ∼60,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences. In this study, we compared a total of 371 SARS-CoV-2 published whole genomes reported from different parts of Bangladesh with 467 sequences reported globally to understand the origin of viruses, possible patterns of mutations, and availability of unique mutations. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that SARS-CoV-2 viruses might have transmitted through infected travelers from European countries, and the GR clade was found as predominant in Bangladesh. Our analyses revealed 4604 mutations at the RNA level including 2862 missense mutations, 1192 synonymous mutations, 25 insertions and deletions and 525 other types of mutation. In line with the global trend, D614G mutation in spike glycoprotein was predominantly high (98 %) in Bangladeshi isolates. Interestingly, we found the average number of mutations in ORF1ab, S, ORF3a, M, and N were significantly higher (p < 0.001) for sequences containing the G614 variant compared to those having D614. Previously reported frequent mutations, such as R203K, D614G, G204R, P4715L and I300F at protein levels were also prevalent in Bangladeshi isolates. Additionally, 34 unique amino acid changes were revealed and categorized as originating from different cities. These analyses may increase our understanding of variations in SARS-CoV-2 virus genomes, circulating in Bangladesh and elsewhere.
  5. Fulltext Bibliometric Analysis of Diagnostic Yield of CT Pulmonary Angiogram (CTPA) in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
    Kow RY, Razali K, Low CL, Siron KN, Zakaria Mohamad Z, Mohd Yusof M, et al.
    Cureus, 2023 Jul;15(7):e41979.
    PMID: 37593261 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41979
    CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the investigation of choice for diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE). Due to the speed and ease of performing the CTPA scans, more clinicians are becoming overly reliant on them, even for patients without strong suspicion of PE. We conducted a bibliometric analysis on the PubMed database from 1990 to 2022 to investigate the literature on the diagnostic yield of CTPA in the diagnosis of PE. A total of 166 articles were published in 98 journals. The number of publications has steadily increased since 2010 and peaked in 2020. Authors from 24 countries contributed to these publications, with the overwhelming majority emanating from United States of America, totaling 66 articles. The authors' contributions were relatively well spread out, with the top four authors publishing the highest number of articles at six each. When we investigated the collaboration between the authors, we found limited multinational and multi-institutional collaborations on this topic. Therefore, more multinational and multi-institutional collaborations will be valuable in future studies. In conclusion, this bibliometric analysis summarizes the literature on diagnostic yield of CTPA in the diagnosis of PE and sheds light on the future pathway that researchers and institutions can focus on.
  6. Mechanistic insight into immunomodulatory effects of food-functioned plant secondary metabolites
    Ali Reza ASM, Nasrin MS, Hossen MA, Rahman MA, Jantan I, Haque MA, et al.
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2023;63(22):5546-5576.
    PMID: 34955042 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2021.2021138
    Medicinally important plant-foods offer a balanced immune function, which is essential for protecting the body against antigenic invasion, mainly by microorganisms. Immunomodulators play pivotal roles in supporting immune function either suppressing or stimulating the immune system's response to invading pathogens. Among different immunomodulators, plant-based secondary metabolites have emerged as high potential not only for immune defense but also for cellular immunoresponsiveness. These natural immunomodulators can be developed into safer alternatives to the clinically used immunosuppressants and immunostimulant cytotoxic drugs which possess serious side effects. Many plants of different species have been reported to possess strong immunomodulating properties. The immunomodulatory effects of plant extracts and their bioactive metabolites have been suggested due to their diverse mechanisms of modulation of the complex immune system and their multifarious molecular targets. Phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, carbohydrates and polyphenols have been reported as responsible for the immunomodulatory effects of several medicinal plants. This review illustrates the potent immunomodulatory effects of 65 plant secondary metabolites, including dietary compounds and their underlying mechanisms of action on cellular and humoral immune functions in in vitro and in vivo studies. The clinical potential of some of the compounds to be used for various immune-related disorders is highlighted.
  7. Fulltext Silicene Quantum Capacitance Dependent Frequency Readout to a Label-Free Detection of DNA Hybridization- A Simulation Analysis
    Rahman MS, Naima RL, Shetu KJ, Hossain MM, Kaiser MS, Hosen ASMS, et al.
    Biosensors (Basel), 2021 Jun 01;11(6).
    PMID: 34205927 DOI: 10.3390/bios11060178
    The use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridization to detect disease-related gene expression is a valuable diagnostic tool. An ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) with a graphene layer has been utilized for detecting DNA hybridization. Silicene is a two-dimensional silicon allotrope with structural properties similar to graphene. Thus, it has recently experienced intensive scientific research interest due to its unique electrical, mechanical, and sensing characteristics. In this paper, we proposed an ISFET structure with silicene and electrolyte layers for the label-free detection of DNA hybridization. When DNA hybridization occurs, it changes the ion concentration in the surface layer of the silicene and the pH level of the electrolyte solution. The process also changes the quantum capacitance of the silicene layer and the electrical properties of the ISFET device. The quantum capacitance and the corresponding resonant frequency readout of the silicene and graphene are compared. The performance evaluation found that the changes in quantum capacitance, resonant frequency, and tuning ratio indicate that the sensitivity of silicene is much more effective than graphene.
  8. A Case Report on Cervicofacial Subcutaneous Emphysema and Its Management: A Unique Presentation of Congenital Defect of the Foramen of Huschke
    Sharudin SN, Salahuddin NA, Md Arepen SA, Md Anuar NA, Hassan NE, Hitam S, et al.
    Cureus, 2023 Oct;15(10):e47078.
    PMID: 38021523 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.47078
    Congenital defect to the foramen of Huschke with a manifestation as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) soft tissue herniation in a radiological study is rare. The patient may present with nonspecific symptoms such as otalgia, mandibular joint pain, tinnitus and conductive hearing loss, and scarcely cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema. Here, we report a patient presented with cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema secondary to a congenital defect of the foramen of Huschke. A 45-year-old gentleman presented with right-sided neck swelling and right otalgia with a crackling sound over the right ear upon chewing. Examination shows right-sided fullness with subcutaneous emphysema from the zygoma to the upper neck. Otherwise, it is non-tender with no skin changes, and the facial nerve is intact. Otoendoscopy shows erythematous soft tissue bulging of the anterior wall of the right external auditory canal (EAC) upon closing the mouth and prolapsing upon mouth opening. The right tympanic membrane was intact. Contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CECT) of the neck and temporal region revealed extensive cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema with a bony defect at the anterior wall of the right EAC, indicating fistulous communication between the right EAC and TMJ. The subcutaneous emphysema resolved on the treatment of the right otitis externa. The patient is subjected to a combined approach of open and endoscopic-assisted repair of the anterior EAC wall defect. TMJ herniation into the anterior EAC is rare; however, the patient presentation may vary. CECT is the gold standard for diagnosing and facilitating treatment options. Treatment choice is based on the patient's condition, including conservative or surgical intervention.
  9. Fulltext Evaluation of Feasibility of Medial Plantar Artery Flap With Computed Tomography Angiography in Diabetic Patients: A Pilot Radioanatomic Study
    Ahmad Alwi AA, Low CL, Kow RY, Tajudin FA, Lim BC, Halim Lim AA, et al.
    Cureus, 2023 Oct;15(10):e48067.
    PMID: 38046487 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.48067
    Background A soft tissue defect resulting from a diabetic heel ulcer can be difficult to address due to limited reconstructive options and unique local area demand. The medial plantar artery flap is ideal for heel defect coverage as it provides a thick glabrous skin with good sensory feedback. The prerequisite of medial plantar artery flap surgery is a patent medial plantar artery, which is a branch of the posterior tibial artery (PTA). Nevertheless, no feasibility study of the medial plantar artery flap in diabetic patients with vascular insufficiency has been reported so far. We conducted a pilot study with the aim of investigating the patency of the medial plantar artery in diabetic patients with suspected peripheral artery disease to determine the vascular feasibility of the medial plantar artery flap in these patients. Material and methods A pilot study was performed at Sultan Ahmad Shah Medical Centre at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). A total of 15 diabetic patients with suspected vascular insufficiency who had undergone lower limb computed tomography angiography (CTA) from January 2022 to June 2023 were included in this study. All patients were identified via the electronic record system. Lower limb CTA images were retrieved from the Radiology Information System (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and were double-reviewed. Both the posterior tibial artery (PTA) and medial plantar artery (MPA) were assessed for their patency, and the diameter of the lumens was measured if they were patent. Bedside clinical assessments such as palpation of pulses and portable Doppler assessment were evaluated to determine whether they could serve as substitutes for computed tomography angiography (CTA) in assessing the feasibility of medial plantar artery flap using the McNemar test. Results In this study cohort, the medial plantar artery was present in 16 legs and absent in another 14 legs. The largest diameter of the medial plantar artery was 2.5mm (range 0-2.5mm). Palpation of the posterior tibial artery was not optimal for predicting the patency of the medial plantar artery, with a false positive of 21.4% and a false negative of 68.7%. Similarly, a hand-held Doppler assessment of the posterior tibial artery was also ineffective, with a false positive of 64.3% and a false negative of 18.8%. While the medial plantar artery is a continuation of the posterior tibial artery (PTA), PTA patency did not necessarily correlate with medial plantar artery patency. This was demonstrated on CTA assessment, where two legs with absent PTA still have reconstitution, resulting in patency of the medial plantar artery. Additionally, one leg with patent PTA did not have a patent medial plantar artery distally due to calcified vessels. Conclusion This is a first-of-its-kind pilot study attempting to determine the feasibility of medial plantar artery in diabetic patients with vascular insufficiency. The medial plantar artery was present in more than 50% of the investigated lower limbs, paving the way for using the medial plantar artery flap in these patients. Nevertheless, a computed tomography angiogram is essential to determine the patency of the medial plantar artery prior to the flap procedure, as palpation and hand-held Doppler were inadequate to predict the patency of the medial plantar artery in these high-risk patients.
  10. Virtual counselling of tobacco cessation during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study on the experiences and perceptions of Malaysian dental undergraduates and their patients
    Roslan N, Yusof N, Md Bohari NF, Md Sabri BA, Mohd Radzi NA, Bakri NN, et al.
    Eur J Dent Educ, 2024 Feb;28(1):28-40.
    PMID: 37132218 DOI: 10.1111/eje.12912
    INTRODUCTION: When dental institutions had to close down during the Movement Control Order (MCO) implementation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, dental students were faced with delays in completing their tobacco cessation schedule. An alternative was to allow students to conduct virtual counselling (VC) for smoking cessation for their patients to address their clinical requirements. This study aimed to explore Malaysian dental undergraduates' and patients' experiences undergoing smoking cessation counselling through virtual platforms.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study consisted of qualitative, semi-structured Focus Group Discussions (for students, n = 23) and in-depth interviews (for patients, n = 9); to phenomenologically describe the perceptions of participants involved in the VC. Each session was recorded with the participants' permission. The recorded session was transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using the qualitative data analysis software, NVivo™.

    RESULTS: The major themes that emerged were: (1) General opinions and experiences, (2) Content of VCs, (3) Remote access to counselling, (4) Patient-clinician relationships, (5) Technical issues, (6) Changes after VCs, and (7) Future application. Most students and patients were quite comfortable with VC as it is convenient, allowing students to be creative and avoid the hassle of transport and traffic. However, some of the students felt that it lacked the personal touch and guidance from lecturers who would normally be present during physical class.

    CONCLUSION: Virtual counselling enables remote access to counselling, but it is also subjected to some limitations, especially regarding lack of clinical assessments, human touch and internet issues. Though participants were optimistic about adapting it in the future, multiple factors must be considered. Ultimately, the behavioural change will depend on the patient's motivation in making a difference.

  11. ECG waveform generation from radar signals: A deep learning perspective
    Chowdhury FA, Hosain MK, Bin Islam MS, Hossain MS, Basak P, Mahmud S, et al.
    Comput Biol Med, 2024 Jun;176:108555.
    PMID: 38749323 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108555
    Cardiovascular diagnostics relies heavily on the ECG (ECG), which reveals significant information about heart rhythm and function. Despite their significance, traditional ECG measures employing electrodes have limitations. As a result of extended electrode attachments, patients may experience skin irritation or pain, and motion artifacts may interfere with signal accuracy. Additionally, ECG monitoring usually requires highly trained professionals and specialized equipment, which increases the treatment's complexity and cost. In critical care scenarios, such as continuous monitoring of hospitalized patients, wearable sensors for collecting ECG data may be difficult to use. Although there are issues with ECG, it remains a valuable tool for diagnosing and monitoring cardiac disorders due to its non-invasive nature and the detailed information it provides about the heart. The goal of this study is to present an innovative method for generating continuous ECG waveforms from non-contact radar data by using Deep Learning. The method can eliminate the need for invasive or wearable biosensors and expensive equipment to collect ECGs. In this paper, we propose the MultiResLinkNet, a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D CNN) model for generating ECG signals from radar waveforms. With the help of a publicly accessible radar benchmark dataset, an end-to-end DL architecture is trained and assessed. There are six ports of raw radar data in this dataset, along with ground truth physiological signals collected from 30 participants in five distinct scenarios: Resting, Valsalva, Apnea, Tilt-up, and Tilt-down. By using strong temporal and spectral measurements, we assessed our proposed framework's ability to convert ECG data from Radar signals in three distinct scenarios, namely Resting, Valsalva, and Apnea (RVA). ECG segmentation performed better by MultiResLinkNet than by state-of-the-art networks in both combined and individual cases. As a result of the simulations, the resting, valsalva, and RVA scenarios showed the highest average temporal values, respectively: 66.09523 ± 19.33, 60.13625 ± 21.92, and 61.86265 ± 21.37. In addition, it exhibited the highest spectral correlation values (82.4388 ± 18.42 (Resting), 77.05186 ± 23.26 (Valsalva), 74.65785 ± 23.17 (Apnea), and 79.96201 ± 20.82 (RVA)), along with minimal temporal and spectral errors in almost every case. The qualitative evaluation revealed strong similarities between generated and actual ECG waveforms. As a result of our method of forecasting ECG patterns from remote radar data, we can monitor high-risk patients, especially those undergoing surgery.
  12. Spatial distribution of heavy metal in sands and sediments of Parki Beach, Chattogram, Bangladesh
    Rusdi MS, Karim MR, Hossain S, Chowdhury MDA, Nazim-Ud-Doulah, Rahman MS, et al.
    Environ Monit Assess, 2024 Nov 30;196(12):1275.
    PMID: 39614922 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-13399-z
    To assess the sources, levels, spatial distributions and exposure to human health, the concentration of heavy metals Pb, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Fe in the sand/sediment of the Parki Beach area of Anowara, Chattogram, Bangladesh are determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) for the first time. A total of 40 surface and subsurface sand and sediment samples were collected from 20 different sampling points along the 15 km long Parki Beach area, Bangladesh. Average concentrations of Pb, Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe in surface samples are 14.60, 10.10, 283, 407 and 25,256 mg/kg respectively and 9.95, 4.20, 193, 156.6 and 24,404 mg/kg for sub-surface samples, respectively, which shows that the values are higher in surface samples than those in sub-surface samples. According to the Consensus-Based Sediment Quality Guidelines (CBSQG), the northern part of the beach becomes moderately polluted by Mn and Fe, and a smaller area of the southern part is highly polluted by Zn. The average Contamination Factor (CF) of Zn was greater than 1(CF > 1), while the CF of other metals was less than 1(CF 
  13. Fulltext Experience repatriation of citizens from epicentre using commercial flights during COVID-19 pandemic
    Shaikh Abdul Karim S, Md Tahir FA, Mohamad UK, Abu Bakar M, Mohamad KN, Suleiman M, et al.
    Int J Emerg Med, 2020 Oct 28;13(1):50.
    PMID: 33115412 DOI: 10.1186/s12245-020-00308-7
    BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries instituted closure of borders from international and local travels. Stranded citizens appeal to their governments to embark on citizen repatriation missions. Between February and April 2020, the Government of Malaysia directed repatriation of its citizens from China, Iran, Italy and Indonesia. We describe the preparation and execution of the repatriation mission using chartered commercial aircraft. The mission objectives were to repatriate as many citizens based on aircraft capacity and prevent onboard transmission of the disease to flight personnel.

    RESULTS: Five repatriation missions performed was led by the National Agency for Disaster Management (NADMA) with the Ministry of Health providing technical expertise. A total of 432 citizens were repatriated from the missions. The operations were divided into four phases: the pre-boarding screening phase, the boarding and in-flight phase, the reception phase and the quarantine phase. The commercial aircraft used were from two different commercial airlines. Each mission had flight crew members between 10 and 17 people. There were 82 positive cases detected among the repatriated citizens. There was a single positive case of a healthcare worker involved in the mission, based on the sample taken on arrival of the flight. There were no infections involving flight team members.

    CONCLUSION: Medical flight crew must be familiar with aircraft fittings that differ from one commercial airline to another as it influences infection control practices. A clear understanding of socio-political situation of a country, transmission routes of a pathogen, disease presentation, and knowledge of aviation procedures, aircraft engineering and design is of great importance in preparing for such missions. Our approach of multidiscipline team involvement managed to allow us to provide and execute the operations successfully.

  14. Fulltext The Influence of Heart Rate on Peripheral Vascular Function Among Pacemaker Patients
    Lazim MRMLM, Chellappan K, Ugusman A, Isa WYHW, Mohamad MSF, Ahmad WANW, et al.
    Int J Med Sci, 2025;22(2):309-317.
    PMID: 39781517 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.103341
    Background: The finger photoplethysmography fitness index (PPGF), a marker of peripheral vascular function, has been linked to heart rate (HR) variability. However, the influence of acute HR changes on resting PPGF, a purported indicator of local blood flow, remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to determine the influence of acute HR changes on resting PPGF. Methods: A total of 22 pacemaker recipients (mean age: 52.27 ± 10.43 years) underwent a controlled study. Baseline assessments included demographics, blood pressure (BP), blood analysis, PPGF, and vascular functions. HR was progressively increased from 70 bpm to 90 bpm in 10 bpm increments with 20 min resting periods at baseline and between pacing intervals. HR, PPGF, and BP were recorded at each pacing level. Results: Systolic and diastolic BP increased with rising HR. Conversely, PPGF remained stable across different HR levels (70 bpm: 51.02 ± 11.52%, 80 bpm: 51.15 ± 11.82%, 90 bpm: 49.73 ± 11.55%; p > 0.05), suggesting that resting PPGF is independent of acute HR fluctuations. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that PPGF accurately reflects local blood flow, unaffected by short-term HR variations. This study supports the use of PPGF as a reliable marker for vascular health and age assessment, even in individuals with fluctuating HR, such as older adults with multiple comorbidities. Further research is warranted to establish the applicability of PPGF in younger, healthier populations.
  15. Fulltext Prevalence of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Positivity Using SP142 in Patients With Advanced Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study
    Rajadurai P, Yap NY, Chiew SF, Md Zin RR, Md Pauzi SH, Jaafar ASB, et al.
    J Breast Cancer, 2024 Dec;27(6):362-371.
    PMID: 39622509 DOI: 10.4048/jbc.2024.0040
    PURPOSE: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer known for its poor prognosis and the absence of viable targets for standard receptor-based therapies. Several studies have suggested that targeting programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in tumors that express this biomarker, either on tumor cells and/or in the tumor inflammatory infiltrate, may be beneficial in some patients. This study aimed to assess the overall prevalence of PD-L1 positivity using the SP142 antibody clone in patients with advanced TNBC in Malaysia.

    METHODS: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional prevalence study on PD-L1 positivity among patients with advanced-stage TNBC in Malaysia. Patients were identified using medical records and were enrolled in the study if they met the inclusion criteria. PD-L1 evaluation was performed using archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens. Demographic and clinical data were also obtained and summarized using descriptive statistics. The association of these parameters with PD-L1 positivity was assessed using chi-square and logistic regression analysis.

    RESULTS: Three medical centers provided 138 complete cases for analysis. Of these 138 cases, 52 (37.7%; 95% confidence interval, 29.6%-46.3%) showed positive PD-L1 expression, defined as immune cell PD-L1 expression ≥ 1%. In a univariate analysis, stage III of the disease and tumor samples from resected specimens were significantly associated with a positive PD-L1 status. However, further assessment using a multivariate model revealed that only resected tumor samples remained significantly associated with PD-L1 positivity after controlling for disease staging.

    CONCLUSION: The prevalence of PD-L1 positivity among patients with stage III or IV TNBC was 37.7%. A significant association was noted between PD-L1 positivity and the tumor tissue obtained from resected specimens. Although the mechanism and clinical significance of this association remain unclear, this finding indicates a possible disparity in the PD-L1 status of samples obtained using surgical resection or biopsy.

  16. Source apportionment and health risk assessment of PM10 in a naturally ventilated school in a tropical environment
    Mohamad N, Latif MT, Khan MF
    Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2016 Feb;124:351-362.
    PMID: 26590697 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.11.002
    This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition and potential sources of PM10 as well as assess the potential health hazards it posed to school children. PM10 samples were taken from classrooms at a school in Kuala Lumpur's city centre (S1) and one in the suburban city of Putrajaya (S2) over a period of eight hours using a low volume sampler (LVS). The composition of the major ions and trace metals in PM10 were then analysed using ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), respectively. The results showed that the average PM10 concentration inside the classroom at the city centre school (82µg/m(3)) was higher than that from the suburban school (77µg/m(3)). Principal component analysis-absolute principal component scores (PCA-APCS) revealed that road dust was the major source of indoor PM10 at both school in the city centre (36%) and the suburban location (55%). The total hazard quotient (HQ) calculated, based on the formula suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), was found to be slightly higher than the acceptable level of 1, indicating that inhalation exposure to particle-bound non-carcinogenic metals of PM10, particularly Cr exposure by children and adults occupying the school environment, was far from negligible.
  17. Assessment of bioethanol yield by S. cerevisiae grown on oil palm residues: Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis
    Samsudin MD, Mat Don M
    Bioresour Technol, 2015 Jan;175:417-23.
    PMID: 25459850 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.10.116
    Oil palm trunk (OPT) sap was utilized for growth and bioethanol production by Saccharomycescerevisiae with addition of palm oil mill effluent (POME) as nutrients supplier. Maximum yield (YP/S) was attained at 0.464g bioethanol/g glucose presence in the OPT sap-POME-based media. However, OPT sap and POME are heterogeneous in properties and fermentation performance might change if it is repeated. Contribution of parametric uncertainty analysis on bioethanol fermentation performance was then assessed using Monte Carlo simulation (stochastic variable) to determine probability distributions due to fluctuation and variation of kinetic model parameters. Results showed that based on 100,000 samples tested, the yield (YP/S) ranged 0.423-0.501g/g. Sensitivity analysis was also done to evaluate the impact of each kinetic parameter on the fermentation performance. It is found that bioethanol fermentation highly depend on growth of the tested yeast.
  18. Pyrolysis kinetics of raw and hydrothermally carbonized Karanj (Pongamia pinnata) fruit hulls via thermogravimetric analysis
    Islam MA, Asif M, Hameed BH
    Bioresour Technol, 2015 Mar;179:227-233.
    PMID: 25545092 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.11.115
    The pyrolysis of karanj fruit hulls (KFH) and karanj fruit hull hydrothermal carbonization (KFH-HTC) hydrochar was thermogravimetrically investigated under a nitrogen environment at 5 °C/min, 10 °C/min, and 20 °C/min. The pyrolysis decomposition of KFH biomass was faster than that of KFH-HTC hydrochar because of the high volatility and fixed carbon of KFH biomass. Weight loss percentage was also affected by the heating rates. The kinetic data were evaluated with the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa methods. The activation energy values obtained with these two methods were 61.06 and 68.53 kJ/mol for KFH biomass and 130.49 and 135.87 kJ/mol for KFH-HTC hydrochar, respectively. The analysis of kinetic process mechanisms was verified with the Coats-Redfern method. KFH-HTC hydrochar may play a potential role in transforming biomass to energy-rich feedstock for thermochemical applications because of its high heating value, high fixed carbon, and low ash and sulfur contents.
  19. Fulltext Genetic transformation of Metroxylon sagu (Rottb.) cultures via Agrobacterium-mediated and particle bombardment
    Ibrahim ER, Hossain MA, Roslan HA
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:348140.
    PMID: 25295258 DOI: 10.1155/2014/348140
    Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) is a perennial plant native to Southeast Asia and exploited mainly for the starch content in its trunk. Genetic improvement of sago palm is extremely slow when compared to other annual starch crops. Urgent attention is needed to improve the sago palm planting material and can be achieved through nonconventional methods. We have previously developed a tissue culture method for sago palm, which is used to provide the planting materials and to develop a genetic transformation procedure. Here, we report the genetic transformation of sago embryonic callus derived from suspension culture using Agrobacterium tumefaciens and gene gun systems. The transformed embryoids cells were selected against Basta (concentration 10 to 30 mg/L). Evidence of foreign genes integration and function of the bar and gus genes were verified via gene specific PCR amplification, gus staining, and dot blot analysis. This study showed that the embryogenic callus was the most suitable material for transformation as compared to the fine callus, embryoid stage, and initiated shoots. The gene gun transformation showed higher transformation efficiency than the ones transformed using Agrobacterium when targets were bombarded once or twice using 280 psi of helium pressure at 6 to 8 cm distance.
  20. Fulltext Coblation tonsillectomy versus dissection tonsillectomy: a comparison of intraoperative time, intraoperative blood loss and post-operative pain
    Izny Hafiz Z, Rosdan S, Mohd Khairi MD
    Med J Malaysia, 2014 Apr;69(2):74-8.
    PMID: 25241816 MyJurnal
    The objective of this study was to compare the intraoperative time, intraoperative blood loss and post operative pain between coblation tonsillectomy and cold tonsillectomy in the same patient. A prospective single blind control trial was carried out on 34 patients whom underwent tonsillectomy. The patients with known bleeding disorder, history of unilateral peritonsillar abscess and unilateral tonsillar hypertrophy were excluded. Operations were done by a single surgeon using cold dissection tonsillectomy in one side while coblation tonsillectomy in the other. Intraoperative time, intraoperative blood loss and post operative pain during the first 3 days were compared between the two methods. Results showed that the intraoperative time was significantly shorter (p<0.001) and intraoperative blood loss was significantly lesser (p<0.001) in coblation tonsillectomy as compared to cold tonsillectomy. Post operative pain score was significantly less at 6 hours post operation (p<0.001) in coblation tonsillectomy as compared to cold tonsillectomy. However, there were no differences in the post operative pain scores on day 1, 2 and 3. In conclusion, coblation tonsillectomy does have superiority in improving intraoperative efficiency in term of intraoperative time and bleeding compared to cold dissection tonsillectomy. The patient will benefit with minimal post operative pain in the immediate post surgery duration.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

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

External Links