Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 26 in total

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  1. Javanmard A, Azadzadeh N, Esmailizadeh AK
    Vet Res Commun, 2011 Mar;35(3):157-67.
    PMID: 21327517 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-011-9467-9
    The objective of this study was to investigate association between GDF9 and BMP15 gene polymorphism and litter size in fat-tailed sheep, a total of 97 mature ewes from four breeds (Afshari=19; Baluchi=18; Makui=30 and Mehraban=30) were genotyped for the BMP15 HinfI and GDF9 HhaI polymorphisms by PCR-RFLP technique. The highest and lowest mutant allele frequencies were found in Makui (0.27) and Afshari (0.10) sheep for the BMP15 gene and in Afshari (0.24) and Mehraban (0.18) sheep for the GDF9 gene, respectively. Litter size was significantly influenced by genotype of the ewe for two genes (P < 0.01). Heterozygous genotypes for both loci showed higher litter size than homozygous genotypes (P < 0.01). None of the individuals carried homozygous genotype for both of the GDF9 and BMP15 variants in these breeds. The individuals carrying the mutant allele for one of the investigated candidate gene still showed fertile phenotype. Thus, existence of homozygosity at one of the BMP15 and GDF9 variant is not probably able to block normal hormonal pathway of reproduction in fat-tailed sheep.
  2. Jackson N, Shukri A, Ali K
    Br J Haematol, 1993 Sep;85(1):203-4.
    PMID: 8251394
    A patient being treated for chronic myeloid leukaemia with hydroxyurea became pregnant. Despite an increase in the dose of hydroxyurea (to 3 g per day) during the pregnancy, her white blood cell count could only be controlled at about 150 x 10(9)/l. A healthy baby girl was born at 37 weeks with normal blood counts and no evidence of congenital abnormality. There are now five reports of the use of hydroxyurea in pregnancy, and where leukapheresis is not available it may be the treatment of choice.
  3. Daher AM, Ibrahim HS, Daher TM, Anbori AK
    BMC Public Health, 2011;11:407.
    PMID: 21624118 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-407
    Migrants everywhere face several demands for health and maintaining good health and quality of life could be challenging. Iraqis are the second largest refugee group that has sought refuge in the recent years, yet little is known about their health related quality of life (HRQOL). The study aims at assessing the HRQOL among Iraqis living in Malaysia.
  4. Murugappan M, Bourisly AK, Prakash NB, Sumithra MG, Acharya UR
    Neural Comput Appl, 2023;35(21):15343-15364.
    PMID: 37273912 DOI: 10.1007/s00521-023-08407-1
    Lung segmentation algorithms play a significant role in segmenting theinfected regions in the lungs. This work aims to develop a computationally efficient and robust deep learning model for lung segmentation using chest computed tomography (CT) images with DeepLabV3 + networks for two-class (background and lung field) and four-class (ground-glass opacities, background, consolidation, and lung field). In this work, we investigate the performance of the DeepLabV3 + network with five pretrained networks: Xception, ResNet-18, Inception-ResNet-v2, MobileNet-v2 and ResNet-50. A publicly available database for COVID-19 that contains 750 chest CT images and corresponding pixel-labeled images are used to develop the deep learning model. The segmentation performance has been assessed using five performance measures: Intersection of Union (IoU), Weighted IoU, Balance F1 score, pixel accu-racy, and global accuracy. The experimental results of this work confirm that the DeepLabV3 + network with ResNet-18 and a batch size of 8 have a higher performance for two-class segmentation. DeepLabV3 + network coupled with ResNet-50 and a batch size of 16 yielded better results for four-class segmentation compared to other pretrained networks. Besides, the ResNet with a fewer number of layers is highly adequate for developing a more robust lung segmentation network with lesser computational complexity compared to the conventional DeepLabV3 + network with Xception. This present work proposes a unified DeepLabV3 + network to delineate the two and four different regions automatically using CT images for CoVID-19 patients. Our developed automated segmented model can be further developed to be used as a clinical diagnosis system for CoVID-19 as well as assist clinicians in providing an accurate second opinion CoVID-19 diagnosis.
  5. Ali K, Khan SA, Jafri MZ
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):175.
    PMID: 24721986 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-175
    Indium tin oxide (ITO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) anti-reflective coatings (ARCs) were deposited on a (100) P-type monocrystalline Si substrate by a radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Polycrystalline ITO and anatase TiO2 films were obtained at room temperature (RT). The thickness of ITO (60 to 64 nm) and TiO2 (55 to 60 nm) films was optimized, considering the optical response in the 400- to 1,000-nm wavelength range. The deposited films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The XRD analysis showed preferential orientation along (211) and (222) for ITO and (200) and (211) for TiO2 films. The XRD analysis showed that crystalline ITO/TiO2 films could be formed at RT. The crystallite strain measurements showed compressive strain for ITO and TiO2 films. The measured average optical reflectance was about 12% and 10% for the ITO and TiO2 ARCs, respectively.
  6. Zhang BS, Ali K, Kanesan T
    Front Psychol, 2022;13:1080414.
    PMID: 36591066 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1080414
    Technology has contributed significantly to the adoption of EVs (EVs) in the era of industry 4. 0. However, consumer intentions for EVs have been elusive, and the pace of adoption has been confined. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the influence of external factors in promoting customer behavioral intention for EVs. The study also investigates the mediating role of perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived usefulness (PU) between external factors and consumer intentions for EVs. It also examined the moderating role of gender on the study variables. A study approach based on the expanded version of the technology acceptance model (TAM) was utilized to analyse data from 203 customers in China. The model was tested using structural equation model (SEM) and multigroup analysis (MGA) techniques. The results indicated that two external factors have a positive relationship with TAM constructs. The results also indicate that PEU and PU have a serial mediating relationship between external factors and behavioral intention. Finally, the study revealed gender-related differences in TAM for EVs. The study's findings help managers to design successful strategies by knowing the external factors impacting customer EV intentions and gender differences. Finally, this is a ground-breaking research that applies TAM to the automobile sector. As a result, examining both new and current factors and evaluating them in a new setting adds to the body of the literature on the adoption of technology.
  7. Rifai D, Abdalla AN, Ali K, Razali R
    Sensors (Basel), 2016;16(3):298.
    PMID: 26927123 DOI: 10.3390/s16030298
    Non-destructive eddy current testing (ECT) is widely used to examine structural defects in ferromagnetic pipe in the oil and gas industry. Implementation of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensors as magnetic field sensors to detect the changes of magnetic field continuity have increased the sensitivity of eddy current techniques in detecting the material defect profile. However, not many researchers have described in detail the structure and issues of GMR sensors and their application in eddy current techniques for nondestructive testing. This paper will describe the implementation of GMR sensors in non-destructive testing eddy current testing. The first part of this paper will describe the structure and principles of GMR sensors. The second part outlines the principles and types of eddy current testing probe that have been studied and developed by previous researchers. The influence of various parameters on the GMR measurement and a factor affecting in eddy current testing will be described in detail in the third part of this paper. Finally, this paper will discuss the limitations of coil probe and compensation techniques that researchers have applied in eddy current testing probes. A comprehensive review of previous studies on the application of GMR sensors in non-destructive eddy current testing also be given at the end of this paper.
  8. Pazikadin AR, Rifai D, Ali K, Mamat NH, Khamsah N
    Sensors (Basel), 2020 Nov 25;20(23).
    PMID: 33255797 DOI: 10.3390/s20236744
    Photovoltaic (PV) systems need measurements of incident solar irradiance and PV surface temperature for performance analysis and monitoring purposes. Ground-based network sensor measurement is preferred in many near real-time operations such as forecasting and photovoltaic (PV) performance evaluation on the ground. Hence, this study proposed a Fuzzy compensation scheme for temperature and solar irradiance wireless sensor network (WSN) measurement on stand-alone solar photovoltaic (PV) system to improve the sensor measurement. The WSN installation through an Internet of Things (IoT) platform for solar irradiance and PV surface temperature measurement was fabricated. The simulation for the solar irradiance Fuzzy Logic compensation (SIFLC) scheme and Temperature Fuzzy Logic compensation (TFLC) scheme was conducted using Matlab/Simulink. The simulation result identified that the scheme was used to compensate for the error temperature and solar irradiance sensor measurements over a variation temperature and solar irradiance range from 20 to 60 °C and from zero up to 2000 W/m2. The experimental results show that the Fuzzy Logic compensation scheme can reduce the sensor measurement error up to 17% and 20% for solar irradiance and PV temperature measurement.
  9. Rifai D, Abdalla AN, Razali R, Ali K, Faraj MA
    Sensors (Basel), 2017 Mar 13;17(3).
    PMID: 28335399 DOI: 10.3390/s17030579
    The use of the eddy current technique (ECT) for the non-destructive testing of conducting materials has become increasingly important in the past few years. The use of the non-destructive ECT plays a key role in the ensuring the safety and integrity of the large industrial structures such as oil and gas pipelines. This paper introduce a novel ECT probe design integrated with the distributed ECT inspection system (DSECT) use for crack inspection on inner ferromagnetic pipes. The system consists of an array of giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensors, a pneumatic system, a rotating magnetic field excitation source and a host PC acting as the data analysis center. Probe design parameters, namely probe diameter, an excitation coil and the number of GMR sensors in the array sensor is optimized using numerical optimization based on the desirability approach. The main benefits of DSECT can be seen in terms of its modularity and flexibility for the use of different types of magnetic transducers/sensors, and signals of a different nature with either digital or analog outputs, making it suited for the ECT probe design using an array of GMR magnetic sensors. A real-time application of the DSECT distributed system for ECT inspection can be exploited for the inspection of 70 mm carbon steel pipe. In order to predict the axial and circumference defect detection, a mathematical model is developed based on the technique known as response surface methodology (RSM). The inspection results of a carbon steel pipe sample with artificial defects indicate that the system design is highly efficient.
  10. Alkhawari M, Ali K, Al-Abdul Razzaq F, Saleheen HN, Almuneef M, Al-Eissa MA
    Public Health, 2020 Apr;181:182-188.
    PMID: 32088599 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.01.005
    OBJECTIVE: To assess the readiness to implement child maltreatment (CM) prevention programs at a national level.

    STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study.

    METHODS: This study was completed alongside similar studies undertaken by the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and led by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study will allow further understanding of possible obstacles that may be encountered while implementing a nationwide prevention program. The 10-dimensional model of readiness had been developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with five countries (Brazil, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa) through a five-stage process. Stakeholders and decision makers were invited to participate. Scores for each dimension were compared with those for the rest of the GCC countries.

    RESULTS: The overall score of Kuwait was 39.17 out of 100. This was below the mean average score for the GCC countries (47.83). Out of the 10 dimensions, key informants scored the highest on legislation, mandates and policies (6.61). The lowest score was reported on attitudes towards CM prevention (1.94). Informal social resources (5.72) ranked the highest as compared to the rest of the GCC countries.

    CONCLUSIONS: The readiness of Kuwait is weak on several dimensions and needs to be strengthened. Despite that, the country is moderately ready to implement large-scale evidence-based CM prevention programs because it is strong in the infrastructure of knowledge, legislation, mandates, and policies and informal social resources.

  11. Keerio MA, Saand A, Kumar A, Bheel N, Ali K
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021 Nov;28(42):60000-60018.
    PMID: 34151404 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14960-w
    The carbon dioxide emissions from Portland cement production have increased significantly, and Portland cement is the main binder used in self-compacting concrete, so there is an urgent need to find environmentally friendly materials as alternative resources. In most developing countries, the availability of huge amounts of agricultural waste has paved the way for studying how these materials can be processed into self-compacting concrete as binders and aggregate compositions. Therefore, this experimental program was carried out to study the properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) made with local metakaolin and coal bottom ash separately and combined. Total 25 mixes were prepared with four mixes as 5, 10, 15, and 20% replacement of cement with metakaolin; four mixes as 10, 20, 30, and 40% of coal bottom ash as partial replacement of fine aggregates separately; and 16 mixes prepared combined with metakaolin and coal bottom ash. The fresh properties were explored by slump flow, T50 flow, V-funnel, L-box, and J-ring sieve segregation test. Moreover, the hardened properties of concrete were performed for compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strength and permeability of SCC mixtures. Fresh concrete test results show that even if no viscosity modifier is required, satisfactory fresh concrete properties of SCC can be obtained by replacing the fine aggregate with coal bottom ash content. At 15% replacement of cement with local metakaolin is optimum and gave better results as compared to control SCC. At 30% replacement of fine aggregate is optimum and gave better results as compared to control SCC. In the combined mix, 10% replacement of cement with metakaolin combined with 30% replacement of fine aggregate with coal bottom ash is optimum and gave better results as compared to control SCC.
  12. Dastan D, Mohammed MKA, Al-Mousoi AK, Kumar A, Salih SQ, JosephNg PS, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2023 Jun 05;13(1):9076.
    PMID: 37277466 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36427-3
    According to recent reports, planar structure-based organometallic perovskite solar cells (OPSCs) have achieved remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE), making them very competitive with the more traditional silicon photovoltaics. A complete understanding of OPSCs and their individual parts is still necessary for further enhancement in PCE. In this work, indium sulfide (In2S3)-based planar heterojunction OPSCs were proposed and simulated with the SCAPS (a Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator)-1D programme. Initially, OPSC performance was calibrated with the experimentally fabricated architecture (FTO/In2S3/MAPbI3/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au) to evaluate the optimum parameters of each layer. The numerical calculations showed a significant dependence of PCE on the thickness and defect density of the MAPbI3 absorber material. The results showed that as the perovskite layer thickness increased, the PCE improved gradually but subsequently reached a maximum at thicknesses greater than 500 nm. Moreover, parameters involving the series resistance as well as the shunt resistance were recognized to affect the performance of the OPSC. Most importantly, a champion PCE of over 20% was yielded under the optimistic simulation conditions. Overall, the OPSC performed better between 20 and 30 °C, and its efficiency rapidly decreases above that temperature.
  13. Elkeraie AF, Al-Ghamdi S, Abu-Alfa AK, Alotaibi T, AlSaedi AJ, AlSuwaida A, et al.
    PMID: 38196830 DOI: 10.2147/IJNRD.S430532
    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health concern in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region and a leading cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. Early initiation of sodium-glucose cotransporter - 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) and proper sequencing with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) in these patients may result in better clinical outcomes due to their cardioprotective properties and complementary mechanisms of action. In this review, we present guideline-based consensus recommendations by experts from the MEA region, as practical algorithms for screening, early detection, nephrology referral, and treatment pathways for CKD management in patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This study will help physicians take timely and appropriate actions to provide better care to patients with CKD or those at high risk of CKD.
  14. Musa M, Mohd Ali K, Kannan TP, Azlina A, Omar NS, Chatterji A, et al.
    Cell J, 2015;17(2):253-63.
    PMID: 26199904
    OBJECTIVE: Perivitelline fluid (PVF) of the horseshoe crab embryo has been reported to possess an important role during embryogenesis by promoting cell proliferation. This study aims to evaluate the effect of PVF on the proliferation, chromosome aberration (CA) and mutagenicity of the dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs).

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an in vitro experimental study. PVF samples were collected from horseshoe crabs from beaches in Malaysia and the crude extract was prepared. DPSCs were treated with different concentrations of PVF crude extract in an 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay (cytotoxicity test). We choose two inhibitory concentrations (IC50 and IC25) and two PVF concentrations which produced more cell viability compared to a negative control (100%) for further tests. Quantitative analysis of the proliferation activity of PVF was studied using the AlamarBlue®assay for 10 days. Population doubling times (PDTs) of the treatment groups were calculated from this assay. Genotoxicity was evaluated based on the CA and Ames tests. Statistical analysis was carried out using independent t test to calculate significant differences in the PDT and mitotic indices in the CA test between the treatment and negative control groups. Significant differences in the data were P<0.05.

    RESULTS: A total of four PVF concentrations retrieved from the MTT assay were 26.887 mg/ml (IC50), 14.093 mg/ml (IC25), 0.278 mg/ml (102% cell viability) and 0.019 mg/ml (102.5% cell viability). According to the AlamarBlue®assay, these PVF groups produced comparable proliferation activities compared to the negative (untreated) control. PDTs between PVF groups and the negative control were insignificantly different (P>0.05). No significant aberrations in chromosomes were observed in the PVF groups and the Ames test on the PVF showed the absence of significant positive results.

    CONCLUSION: PVF from horseshoe crabs produced insignificant proliferative activity on treated DPSCs. The PVF was non-genotoxic based on the CA and Ames tests.

  15. Chauhan HA, Rafatullah M, Ahmed Ali K, Siddiqui MR, Khan MA, Alshareef SA
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Jul 20;13(14).
    PMID: 34301131 DOI: 10.3390/polym13142374
    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of naturally occurring chemicals resulting from the insufficient combustion of fossil fuels. Among the PAHs, phenanthrene is one of the most studied compounds in the marine ecosystems. The damaging effects of phenanthrene on the environment are increasing day by day globally. To lessen its effect on the environment, it is essential to remove phenanthrene from the water resources in particular and the environment in general through advanced treatment methods such as photocatalytic degradation with high-performance characteristics and low cost. Therefore, the combination of metals or amalgamation of bimetallic oxides as an efficient photocatalyst demonstrated its propitiousness for the degradation of phenanthrene from aqueous solutions. Here, we reviewed the different nanocomposite materials as a photocatalyst, the mechanism and reactions to the treatment of phenanthrene, as well as the influence of other variables on the rate of phenanthrene degradation.
  16. Abdalla AN, Ali K, Paw JKS, Rifai D, Faraj MA
    Sensors (Basel), 2018 Jun 30;18(7).
    PMID: 29966367 DOI: 10.3390/s18072108
    Eddy current testing (ECT) is an accurate, widely used and well-understood inspection technique, particularly in the aircraft and nuclear industries. The coating thickness or lift-off will influence the measurement of defect depth on pipes or plates. It will be an uncertain decision condition whether the defects on a workpiece are cracks or scratches. This problem can lead to the occurrence of pipe leakages, besides causing the degradation of a company’s productivity and most importantly risking the safety of workers. In this paper, a novel eddy current testing error compensation technique based on Mamdani-type fuzzy coupled differential and absolute probes was proposed. The general descriptions of the proposed ECT technique include details of the system design, intelligent fuzzy logic design and Simulink block development design. The detailed description of the proposed probe selection, design and instrumentation of the error compensation of eddy current testing (ECECT) along with the absolute probe and differential probe relevant to the present research work are presented. The ECECT simulation and hardware design are proposed, using the fuzzy logic technique for the development of the new methodology. The depths of the defect coefficients of the probe’s lift-off caused by the coating thickness were measured by using a designed setup. In this result, the ECECT gives an optimum correction for the lift-off, in which the reduction of error is only within 0.1% of its all-out value. Finally, the ECECT is used to measure lift-off in a range of approximately 1 mm to 5 mm, and the performance of the proposed method in non-linear cracks is assessed.
  17. Pazikadin AR, Rifai D, Ali K, Malik MZ, Abdalla AN, Faraj MA
    Sci Total Environ, 2020 May 01;715:136848.
    PMID: 32040994 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136848
    The increased demand for solar renewable energy sources has created recent interest in the economic and technical issues related to the integration of Photovoltaic (PV) into the grid. Solar photovoltaic power generation forecasting is a crucial aspect of ensuring optimum grid control and power solar plant design. Accurate forecasting provides significant information to grid operators and power system designers in generating an optimal solar photovoltaic plant and to manage the power of demand and supply. This paper presents an extensive review on the implementation of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) on solar power generation forecasting. The instrument used to measure the solar irradiance is analysed and discussed, specifically on studies that were published from February 1st, 2014 to February 1st, 2019. The selected papers were obtained from five major databases, namely, Direct Science, IEEE Xplore, Google Scholar, MDPI, and Scopus. The results of the review demonstrate the increased application of ANN on solar power generation forecasting. The hybrid system of ANN produces accurate results compared to individual models. The review also revealed that improvement forecasting accuracy can be achieved through proper handling and calibration of the solar irradiance instrument. This finding indicates that improvements in solar forecasting accuracy can be increased by reducing instrument errors that measure the weather parameter.
  18. Sahathevan R, Mohd Ali K, Ellery F, Mohamad NF, Hamdan N, Mohd Ibrahim N, et al.
    Int Psychogeriatr, 2014 May;26(5):781-6.
    PMID: 24472343 DOI: 10.1017/S1041610213002615
    Many stroke research trials do not include assessment of cognitive function. A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial (AVERT) is an international multicenter study that includes the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as an outcome. At the Malaysian AVERT site, completion of the MoCA has been limited by low English proficiency in some participants. We aimed to develop a Bahasa Malaysia (BM) version of the MoCA and to validate it in a stroke population.
  19. Yaw CT, Koh SP, Sandhya M, Ramasamy D, Kadirgama K, Benedict F, et al.
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2023 May 10;13(10).
    PMID: 37242013 DOI: 10.3390/nano13101596
    Response surface methodology (RSM) is used in this study to optimize the thermal characteristics of single graphene nanoplatelets and hybrid nanofluids utilizing the miscellaneous design model. The nanofluids comprise graphene nanoplatelets and graphene nanoplatelets/cellulose nanocrystal nanoparticles in the base fluid of ethylene glycol and water (60:40). Using response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) and mini tab 20 standard statistical software, the impact of temperature, volume concentration, and type of nanofluid is used to construct an empirical mathematical formula. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is applied to determine that the developed empirical mathematical analysis is relevant. For the purpose of developing the equations, 32 experiments are conducted for second-order polynomial to the specified outputs such as thermal conductivity and viscosity. Predicted estimates and the experimental data are found to be in reasonable arrangement. In additional words, the models could expect more than 85% of thermal conductivity and viscosity fluctuations of the nanofluid, indicating that the model is accurate. Optimal thermal conductivity and viscosity values are 0.4962 W/m-K and 2.6191 cP, respectively, from the results of the optimization plot. The critical parameters are 50 °C, 0.0254%, and the category factorial is GNP/CNC, and the relevant parameters are volume concentration, temperature, and kind of nanofluid. From the results plot, the composite is 0.8371. The validation results of the model during testing indicate the capability of predicting the optimal experimental conditions.
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