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Fulltext Directional slack-based measure for the inverse data envelopment analysis

Mirsalehy A, Abu Bakar MR, Lee LS, Jaafar AB, Heydar M

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:138923.
PMID: 24883350 DOI: 10.1155/2014/138923

A novel technique has been introduced in this research which lends its basis to the Directional Slack-Based Measure for the inverse Data Envelopment Analysis. In practice, the current research endeavors to elucidate the inverse directional slack-based measure model within a new production possibility set. On one occasion, there is a modification imposed on the output (input) quantities of an efficient decision making unit. In detail, the efficient decision making unit in this method was omitted from the present production possibility set but substituted by the considered efficient decision making unit while its input and output quantities were subsequently modified. The efficiency score of the entire DMUs will be retained in this approach. Also, there would be an improvement in the efficiency score. The proposed approach was investigated in this study with reference to a resource allocation problem. It is possible to simultaneously consider any upsurges (declines) of certain outputs associated with the efficient decision making unit. The significance of the represented model is accentuated by presenting numerical examples.
Homotopy analysis method to study a quadrupole mass filter

Seddighi Chaharborj S, Seddighi Chahrborj S, Sadat Kiai SM, Abu Bakar MR, Ziaeian I, Gheisari Y

J Mass Spectrom, 2012 Apr;47(4):484-9.
PMID: 22689625 DOI: 10.1002/jms.2041

The homotopy analysis method (HAM) is applied to study the behavior of a hyperbolic rods of quadrupole mass filter and a sinusoidal potential form V(ac) cos(Ωt). Numerical computation method of a 20th-order HAM is employed to compare the physical properties of the confined ions with fifth-order Runge-Kutta method. Also, comparison is made for the first stability region, the ion trajectories in real time, the polar plots, and the ion trajectory in x - y plan. The results show that the two methods are fairly similar; therefore, the HAM method has potential application to solve linear and nonlinear equations of the charge particle confinement in quadrupole field.
Fulltext Investigation of struvite crystals formed in palm oil mill effluent anaerobic digester

Ngatiman M, Jami MS, Abu Bakar MR, Subramaniam V, Loh SK

Heliyon, 2021 Jan;7(1):e05931.
PMID: 33490684 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e05931

The formation of struvite crystals or magnesium ammonium phosphate (MgNH4PO4) in palm oil mill effluent (POME) occurs as early as in the secondary stage of POME treatment system. Its growth continues in the subsequent tertiary treatment which reduces piping diameter, thus affecting POME treatment efficiency. Hypothesis. The beneficial use of the crystal is the motivation. This occurrence is rarely reported in scientific articles despite being a common problem faced by palm oil millers. The aim of this study is to characterize struvite crystals found in an anaerobic digester of a POME treatment facility in terms of their physical and chemical aspects. The compositions, morphology and properties of these crystals were determined via energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Solubility tests were carried out to establish solubility curve for struvite from POME. Finally, crystal growth experiment was done applying reaction crystallization method to demonstrate struvite precipitation from POME. Results showed that high phosphorous (P) (24.85 wt%) and magnesium (Mg) (21.33 wt%) content was found in the struvite sample. Elemental analysis detected carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) below 4 wt%. The crystals analysed by XRD in this study were confirmed as struvite with 94.8% struvite mineral detected from its total volume. Having an orthorhombic crystal system, struvite crystals from POME recorded an average density of 1.701 g cm-3. Solubility curve of struvite from POME was established with maximum solubility of 275.6 mg L-1 at pH 3 and temperature 40 °C. Minimum solubility of 123.6 mg L-1 was recorded at pH 7 and temperature 25 °C. Crystal growth experiment utilizing POME as the source medium managed to achieve 67% reduction in phosphorous content. This study concluded that there is a potential of harnessing valuable nutrients from POME in the form of struvite. Struvite precipitation technology can be adapted in the management of POME in order to achieve maximum utilization of the nutrients that are still abundant in POME. At the same time maximization of nutrient extractions from POME will also reduce pollutants loading in the final discharge.
Improving Gastric Cancer Outcome Prediction Using Single Time-Point Artificial Neural Network Models

Nilsaz-Dezfouli H, Abu-Bakar MR, Arasan J, Adam MB, Pourhoseingholi MA

Cancer Inform, 2017;16:1176935116686062.
PMID: 28469384 DOI: 10.1177/1176935116686062

In cancer studies, the prediction of cancer outcome based on a set of prognostic variables has been a long-standing topic of interest. Current statistical methods for survival analysis offer the possibility of modelling cancer survivability but require unrealistic assumptions about the survival time distribution or proportionality of hazard. Therefore, attention must be paid in developing nonlinear models with less restrictive assumptions. Artificial neural network (ANN) models are primarily useful in prediction when nonlinear approaches are required to sift through the plethora of available information. The applications of ANN models for prognostic and diagnostic classification in medicine have attracted a lot of interest. The applications of ANN models in modelling the survival of patients with gastric cancer have been discussed in some studies without completely considering the censored data. This study proposes an ANN model for predicting gastric cancer survivability, considering the censored data. Five separate single time-point ANN models were developed to predict the outcome of patients after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. The performance of ANN model in predicting the probabilities of death is consistently high for all time points according to the accuracy and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.
Study of a quadrupole ion trap with damping force by the two-point one block method

Seddighi Chaharborj S, Phang PS, Sadat Kiai SM, Majid ZA, Abu Bakar MR, Fudziah I

Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 2012 Jun 30;26(12):1481-7.
PMID: 22592992 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.6232

The capabilities and performances of a quadrupole ion trap under damping force based on collisional cooling is of particular importance in high-resolution mass spectrometry and should be analyzed by Mathieu's differential solutions. These solutions describe the stability and instability of the ion's trajectories confined in quadrupole devices. One of the methods for solving Mathieu's differential equation is a two-point one block method. In this case, Mathieu's stability diagram, trapping parameters a(z) and q(z) and the secular frequency of the ion motion w(z), can be derived in a precise manner. The two-point one block method (TPOBM) of Adams Moulton type is presented to study these parameters with and without the effect of damping force and compared to the 5th-order Runge-Kutta method (RKM5). The simulated results show that the TPOBM is more accurate and 10 times faster than the RKM5. The physical properties of the confined ions in the r and z axes are illustrated and the fractional mass resolutions m/Δm of the confined ions in the first stability region were analyzed by the RKM5 and the TPOBM.
Fulltext Tocotrienols for normalisation of hepatic echogenic response in nonalcoholic fatty liver: a randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial

Magosso E, Ansari MA, Gopalan Y, Shuaib IL, Wong JW, Khan NA, et al.

Nutr J, 2013;12(1):166.
PMID: 24373555 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2891-12-166

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the commonest liver disorders. Obesity, insulin resistance, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress have been identified amongst the possible hits leading to the onset and progression of this disease. Nutritional evaluation of NAFLD patients showed a lower-than-recommended intake of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a family of 8 isoforms, 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols. Alpha-tocopherol has been widely investigated in liver diseases, whereas no previous clinical trial has investigated tocotrienols for NAFLD. Aim of the study was to determine the effects of mixed tocotrienols, in normalising the hepatic echogenic response in hypercholesterolaemic patients with ultrasound-proven NAFLD.
Fulltext Clinical investigation of the protective effects of palm vitamin E tocotrienols on brain white matter

Gopalan Y, Shuaib IL, Magosso E, Ansari MA, Abu Bakar MR, Wong JW, et al.

Stroke, 2014 May;45(5):1422-8.
PMID: 24699052 DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.113.004449

Previous cell-based and animal studies showed mixed tocotrienols are neuroprotective, but the effect is yet to be proven in humans. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the protective activity of mixed tocotrienols in humans with white matter lesions (WMLs). WMLs are regarded as manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease, reflecting varying degrees of neurodegeneration and tissue damage with potential as a surrogate end point in clinical trials.
Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver in a hypercholesterolemic population of northwestern peninsular Malaysia

Magosso E, Ansari MA, Gopalan Y, Abu Bakar MR, Karim Khan NA, Wong JW, et al.

Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2010 Jul;41(4):936-42.
PMID: 21073069

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide and a frequent finding on ultrasound examination. NAFLD is considered as the liver component of metabolic syndrome and is linked to accelerated atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. No data from systematic studies regarding the prevalence of NAFLD are available for the Malaysian population. One hundred eighty untreated hypercholesterolemic volunteers underwent blood and ultrasound examinations to evaluate their livers. NAFLD was diagnosed in 102 subjects (56.7%) with similar prevalences between sexes. Of the 102 positive subjects 82 (80.4%) were graded as mild, 17 (16.7%) as moderate and 3 (2.9%) as severe fatty liver cases. Elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels were found in 13 of 180 subjects (7.2%), while elevated AST and ALT levels were seen in 30 (16.7%) and 22 (12.2%) of the180 subjects, respectively.
Fulltext Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effect of Channa striatus Extract on Measurement of the Uterus, Pulsatility Index, Resistive Index of Uterine Artery and Superficial Skin Wound Artery in Post Lower Segment Caesarean Section Women

Abu Bakar MR, Abdul Kadir A, Abdul Wahab SZ, Abdul Karim AH, Nik Hussain NH, Mohd Noor N, et al.

PLoS One, 2015;10(7):e0133514.
PMID: 26222158 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133514

AIM: To compare the mean of anteroposterior (AP) measurements of the uterus in longitudinal and oblique transverse planes, and the pulsatility index (PI) and resistive index (RI) of the uterine artery and superficial skin wound artery between patients taking Channa striatus and placebo.
BACKGROUND: Channa striatus, also known as haruan, is a fresh water snakehead fish consumed in many parts of Southeast Asia. Channa striatus is also normally consumed by women postpartum to promote wound healing as well as to reduce post-operative pain.
METHODOLOGY: This study is a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in women after Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS). Subjects were randomised to either a Channa striatus or a placebo group and were given a daily dosage of 500 mg of Channa striatus extract or 500 mg maltodextrin, respectively, for six weeks post LSCS. The anteroposterior measurements of the uterus in the longitudinal and oblique transverse planes, and the pulsatility index (PI) and resistive index (RI) of the uterine and superficial skin wound arteries were assessed using pelvic Gray-scale ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound at baseline (Day 3) and at two weeks, four weeks and six weeks post-operatively.
RESULTS: Sixty-six subjects were randomised into the study with 33 in the Channa striatus group and 33 in the placebo group. No significant differences were detected in terms of the pulsatility index (PI) and the resistive index (RI) of the uterine and superficial skin wound arteries between the Channa striatus and placebo groups. However, in the Channa striatus group, the AP measurements of the uterus on the longitudinal and oblique transverse planes were significantly lower compared to the placebo group (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Daily intake of Channa striatus extract results in marked differences compared to placebo in terms of uterine involution and recovery in women post LSCS.
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