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Fulltext Novel Functionalized Polythiophene-Coated Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles for Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction of Phthalates

Baharin SNA, Muhamad Sarih N, Mohamad S

Polymers (Basel), 2016 Apr 28;8(5).
PMID: 30979266 DOI: 10.3390/polym8050117

Poly(phenyl-(4-(6-thiophen-3-yl-hexyloxy)-benzylidene)-amine) (P3TArH) was successfully synthesized and coated on the surface of Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, analyzer transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). P3TArH-coated MNPs (MNP@P3TArH) showed higher capabilities for the extraction of commonly-used phthalates and were optimized for the magnetic-solid phase extraction (MSPE) of environmental samples. Separation and determination of the extracted phthalates, namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dipropyl phthalate (DPP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCP), di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), were conducted by a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The best working conditions were as follows; sample at pH 7, 30 min extraction time, ethyl acetate as the elution solvent, 500-µL elution solvent volumes, 10 min desorption time, 10-mg adsorbent dosage, 20-mL sample loading volume and 15 g·L-1 concentration of NaCl. Under the optimized conditions, the analytical performances were determined with a linear range of 0.1⁻50 µg·L-1 and a limit of detection at 0.08⁻0.468 µg·L-1 for all of the analytes studied. The intra-day (n = 7) and inter-day (n = 3) relative standard deviations (RSD%) of three replicates were each demonstrated in the range of 3.7⁻4.9 and 3.0⁻5.0, respectively. The steadiness and reusability studies suggested that the MNP@P3TArH could be used up to five cycles. The proposed method was executed for the analysis of real water samples, namely commercial bottled mineral water and bottled fresh milk, whereby recoveries in the range of 68%⁻101% and RSD% lower than 7.7 were attained.
Fulltext A preliminary study of malay and chinese bite mark in UKM using dental wax

Wong, Lai Hong, Balkis Bashuri, Atiah Ayunni Abdul Ghani, Khairul Osman, Nor Atika Md Ashar

Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia, 2015;13(1):1-5.
MyJurnal

Identifi cation of unknown suspect through bite marks has always been challenging. Narrowing list of suspects through sex and race markers is always recommend but rarely utilized due to limited publication in this area. Thus, this preliminary research was aimed to study the difference of bite mark made on dental wax between sex and race. A sample size of 40 UKM undergraduates comprising of Malay (male = 10, female = 10) and Chinese (male = 10, female = 10) were used in this study. Bite mark of subject was obtained through dental wax, digitally scanned and analyzed using Image-J software. Parameters measured were anterior teeth size, intercanine width and anterior teeth relative rotation. Result indicated that mandible left canine tooth size had signifi cant sexual dimorphism (p < 0.05) in differentiating sex. The means for male and female measured were 4.63 ± 1.05 mm and 5.35 ± 0.87 mm respectively. In addition to the result, tooth size of maxillary left canine and mandible left lateral incisor were signifi cantly different (p < 0.05) between races. Means for mandible left canine Malay and Chinese were 5.27 ± 1.01 mm and 4.50 ± 1.22 mm respectively. Furthermore, left lateral incisor mandible had means of 5.15 ± 0.87 mm and 4.60 ± 0.74 mm for Malay and Chinese respectively. Unfortunately, there were no signifi cant differences for intercanine width and anterior teeth relative rotation between the two major races in Malaysia. In conclusion, this research has demonstrated the possibility of using tooth size of mandible left canine, maxillary left canine and mandible left lateral discriminate sex and race.
Fulltext External marker in bisecting-angle-technique: a new approach to minimize dental radiographic error

Azizah, A. F., Muhamad Aqil, A. A, Mohd Amirul, Z., Atika, A.

Medicine & Health, 2017;12(2):304-311.
MyJurnal

Bisecting-angle-technique is a method used to improve patient comfort during periapical radiography. This technique is usually performed without X-ray beam aiming device and has been commonly associated with dental radiographic error. The use of external marker as a beam aiming device in bisecting-angle-technique is potentially effective to reduce the number of errors occurring during periapical radiography. In this study, 240 periapical radiographs were taken by undergraduate dental students. Periapical radiographs were taken using traditional method of bisecting-angle-technique (BAT), bisecting-angle-technique with the use of external marker (BAT-M) and the standard method in periapical radiography; paralleling technique (PT). All radiographic images were evaluated and errors were classified and tabled according to the type and number of errors. Chi-square test was used to compare the total number of radiographic errors made using these three techniques. One of the most common errors with BAT was cone cut error (13.8%). This error had been markedly reduced to 1.3% and 2.5% by implementation of BAT-M and PT, respectively. The total number of errors was also found to be significantly lesser for BAT-M compared to BAT, p< 0.05.
Keywords: errors, dental, radiography
In vitro evaluation of biological activities of citrus leaf extracts

Adnan M, Umer A, Ahmad I, Hayat K, Shakeel SN

Sains Malaysiana, 2014;43:185-194.

Leaves extracts of three different citrus species namely Citrus sinensis (Malta), Citrus paradisi (Grape fruit) and Citrus jambhiri (Khatti) were evaluated for their antioxidant, cytotoxic, antitumor, antimicrobial activities and finally the mineral contents were determined. Four types of extraction solvents (100, 80 and 50% methanol and distilled water heated at 50oC) were used for extraction of antioxidant compounds. Extracts yield increased with the elevated levels of aqueous component of organic solvent and our data showed the highest yield in aqueous extracts. All extraction regimes showed in vitro antioxidant activity. Citrus paradisi showed the highest total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC), reducing power and 1,1-Diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazil free radical scavenging activity in all combinations of solvents followed by Citrus sinensis and Citrus jambhiri. Antioxidant activity was also increased with higher aqueous component of organic solvents in each case. While Citrus sinensis (in 100% methanolic solvent) and Citrus paradisi (in 50% methanolic extract) showed significant cytotoxicity (LD50 values <1000). Antitumor activity was observed in all extracts, however Citrus sinensis and Citrus paradisi (in 50% aqueous methanolic) extracts had the highest antitumor activity from the selected citrus species whereas no antimicrobial activity was observed at higher concentrations (4000 μgmL-1) against specified strains. We found high calcium contents in all three citrus species tested by atomic absorption method. The results showed that the leaves of selected Citrus species possess significant antioxidant, antitumor and cytotoxic activities. Citrus leaves extracts can be potentially helpful in antioxidant protection in food as well as in human body against lipid peroxidation and free radicals damage. It can further be evaluated after in vivo studies using animal models or identifications of high throughput methods for enhanced biological activities.
Fulltext Effect of exercise on body weight and insulin sensitivity following glucose loading in chronic leptin treated rats

Siti Nur Atika Mohd Sanif, Justin Vijay Gnanou, Brinnell Annette Caszo, Harbindarjeet Singh

Jurnal Sains Sukan & Pendidikan Jasmani, 2019;8(1):1-12.
MyJurnal

Leptin affects insulin secretion and action through either a central or peripheral mechanism. It increases glucose metabolism and energy expenditure. Though overweight and obese individuals have been reported to have high circulating leptin levels, these effects of leptin are not evident. Exercise, on the other hand, has been found to increase glucose uptake in these individuals. This study examined the effect of chronic leptin treatment and exercise on body weight, glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in Sprague-Dawley rats. Eight-week old rats were treated with either intraperitoneal injection of normal saline (Control; n=8), or leptin (60 μg/kg body weight/day; Leptin; n=8), or leptin and exercise (60 μg/kg body weight/day plus running on a treadmill every other day for 30 minutes at a speed of 30 m/min with 10° inclinations; Leptin-exercise; n=8) or exercise only (running every other day for 30 minutes at a speed of 30 m/min with 10° inclinations on a treadmill; Exercise; n=8) for six weeks. Following six weeks of treatment, glucose challenge was performed by intravenous infusion of 100 mg/ml of glucose for 5 minutes. During the protocol, blood was drawn at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30-min for blood glucose, serum glucose, and serum insulin levels determination. Data were analyzed using One Way ANOVA with post-hoc analysis and expressed as mean ± standard error of mean (SEM). Despite no different in body weight between the groups, leptin group had a slightly higher trend of mean body weight compared to other groups. Glucose clearance was delayed in the leptin group. This delay in glucose clearance might be associated with lower insulin level and action in leptin group. More importantly, exercise reversed the leptin effects by promoting glucose clearance despite a significantly lower insulin peak, indicating increase in insulin sensitivity. In conclusion, six weeks of daily leptin administration resulted in delayed glucose clearance, but concurrent exercise however prevented these effects of leptin by promoting glucose clearance and increasing insulin sensitivity.
Fulltext In-vitro comparative study of marginal leakage and penetration ability of moisture-tolerant and conventional resin-based pit and fissure sealants with different surface preparations

Thavamalar Marimuthoo, Nor Atika Md Asfar, Mariati Abd. Rahman, S. Nagarajan M.P. Sockalingam

Archives of Orofacial Sciences, 2017;12(1):12-22.
MyJurnal

This in-vitro study aimed to evaluate and compare the marginal leakage and penetration ability of
a moisture-tolerant (Embrace WetBondTM) and a conventional (ClinproTM) resin-based sealants under three
different enamel surface preparations (acid etched, acid etched and saliva contaminated and bur
preparation and acid etched). One hundred and twenty extracted caries free human premolars teeth were
cleaned and randomly divided into six groups of equal numbers, according to the type of sealants used and
surface preparations. All the sealed teeth were subjected to thermocycling and immersed in a methylene
blue dye. Each tooth was then embedded into acrylic resin before it was sectioned into four sections per
tooth. Marginal leakage and unfilled surface area (indicating penetration depth of resin) were then
measured using an optical 3D measurement device (Alicona Infinite Focus®). Both sealants exhibited
comparable proportion of marginal leakage on acid etched only surfaces. Moisture-tolerant sealant showed
the least proportion of marginal leakage on bur prepared and etched surfaces. Presence of saliva has
detrimental effect on adhesion of both sealants. Nevertheless, depth of penetration of sealant into the
fissures is comparable with both sealant types irrespective of the surface preparations.
Fulltext Screening of aphrodisiac property in sea slug, Aplysia dactylomela

Hashim R, Roslan NA, Zulkipli FH, Daud JM

Asian Pac J Trop Med, 2014 Sep;7S1:S150-4.
PMID: 25312111 DOI: 10.1016/S1995-7645(14)60222-4

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the aphrodisiac property of Aplysia dactylomela (A. dactylomelan), locally known as 'dugu-dugu', which is one of the sea slug species.
METHODS: Two types of extractions were used; aqueous and lipid. Three doses of each A. dactylomelan extract, respectively; 50, 100, 200 mg/kg were administered (i.p.) to male mice for mounting behavior test. Sildenafil citrate or Viagra® (5 mg/kg) being positive control while negative control received saline solution.
RESULTS: The animals treated with lipid extract at the respective dose exhibited mounting behavior, but the mounting frequency decreased at higher doses (100 and 200 mg/kg). However, all doses of aqueous extract did not show any mounting behavior. Meanwhile, in all doses of lipid extracts administered displayed significant difference (P<0.05) from the positive control. Despite this, only the lipid extract of 50 mg/kg showed significant difference (P<0.05) with negative control. This signifies that lipid extracts especially in dose 50 mg/kg have a substantial effect of aphrodisiac property. In addition, the presence of steroids was detected in the phytochemical screening of lipid extract.
CONLUSIONS: The findings from this study provides preliminary scientific evidence that A. dactylomela could be used as an alternative medication of natural product for promoting sexual activity in men.
Fulltext Curcumin derivative, 2,6-bis(2-fluorobenzylidene)cyclohexanone (MS65) inhibits interleukin-6 production through suppression of NF-κB and MAPK pathways in histamine-induced human keratinocytes cell (HaCaT)

Razali NA, Nazarudin NA, Lai KS, Abas F, Ahmad S

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2018 Jul 16;18(1):217.
PMID: 30012134 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2223-8

BACKGROUND: Histamine is a well-known mediator involved in skin allergic responses through up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Antihistamines remain the mainstay of allergy treatment, but they were found limited in efficacy and associated with several common side effects. Therefore, alternative therapeutic preferences are derived from natural products in an effort to provide safe yet reliable anti-inflammatory agents. Curcumin and their derivatives are among compounds of interest in natural product research due to numerous pharmacological benefits including anti-inflammatory activities. Here, we investigate the effects of chemically synthesized curcumin derivative, 2,6-bis(2-fluorobenzylidene)cyclohexanone (MS65), in reducing cytokine production in histamine-induced HaCaT cells.
METHODS: Interleukin (IL)-6 cytokine production in histamine-induced HaCaT cells were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and cytotoxicity effects were determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was carried out to determine the inhibitory effects of MS65 on nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways.
RESULTS: Histamine enhanced IL-6 production in HaCaT cells, with the highest production of IL-6 at 97.41 ± 2.33 pg/mL after 24 h of exposure. MS65 demonstrated a promising anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting IL-6 production with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 4.91 ± 2.50 μM and median lethal concentration (LC50) value of 28.82 ± 7.56 μM. In gene expression level, we found that MS65 inhibits NF-κB and MAPK pathways through suppression of IKK/IκB/NFκB and c-Raf/MEK/ERK inflammatory cascades.
CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results suggest that MS65 could be used as a lead compound on developing new medicinal agent for the treatment of allergic skin diseases.
Fulltext Factors associated with tuberculosis disease among children who are household contacts of tuberculosis cases in an urban setting in Malaysia

Azit NA, Ismail A, Ahmad N, Ismail R, Ishak S

BMC Public Health, 2019 Nov 01;19(1):1432.
PMID: 31675946 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7814-x

BACKGROUND: With the rise in prevalence of childhood tuberculosis (TB) globally, contact tracing should be a powerful strategy for early diagnosis and management, especially in children who are household contacts of active TB cases. Here, we aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with TB disease in children who are household contacts of TB cases.
METHODS: We used a cross-sectional study with data from the Malaysian TB Information System (TBIS) recorded from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2017. All children aged 0-14 years who were registered in the TBIS with at least one household contact of TB cases were included in the study. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (adj. OR) and for adjusting the confounding factors.
RESULTS: A total of 2793 children were included in the study. The prevalence of active TB was 1.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.31, 1.77%). Children aged 6 weeks [adj. OR 7.48 (95% CI: 2.88, 19.43), p
Correlation and agreement of a digital and conventional method to measure arch parameters

Nawi N, Mohamed AM, Marizan Nor M, Ashar NA

J Orofac Orthop, 2018 Jan;79(1):19-27.
PMID: 29116344 DOI: 10.1007/s00056-017-0111-3

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine the overall reliability and validity of arch parameters measured digitally compared to conventional measurement.
METHODS: A sample of 111 plaster study models of Down syndrome (DS) patients were digitized using a blue light three-dimensional (3D) scanner. Digital and manual measurements of defined parameters were performed using Geomagic analysis software (Geomagic Studio 2014 software, 3D Systems, Rock Hill, SC, USA) on digital models and with a digital calliper (Tuten, Germany) on plaster study models. Both measurements were repeated twice to validate the intraexaminer reliability based on intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) using the independent t test and Pearson's correlation, respectively. The Bland-Altman method of analysis was used to evaluate the agreement of the measurement between the digital and plaster models.
RESULTS: No statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were found between the manual and digital methods when measuring the arch width, arch length, and space analysis. In addition, all parameters showed a significant correlation coefficient (r ≥ 0.972; p
Mechanochemical activation of palm kernel shell using the L9 Taguchi orthogonal array for carbon dioxide adsorption

Rashidi NA, Lai YJ, Lakadir MSA

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Nov 06.
PMID: 37930571 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30703-5

The problem faced during bio-based activated carbon synthesis is related to its low yield production, which is plausibly due to intricate conventional activation processes, along with utilization of corrosive chemical activator. Therefore, in this study, the activated carbon synthesis from palm kernel shell as starting material has been carried out via a facile solid-solid mixing (mechanochemical) activation. The feasibility and optimization of the high-yielded palm kernel shell activated carbon production has been done via the L9 Taguchi orthogonal array, whereby the larger-the-better signal to noise (S/N) ratio has been applied to determine the optimum operating conditions. Four parameters have been studied including the activation temperature (600-800 °C), impregnation ratio (1-3:1), activation time (60-120 min), and nitrogen flow rate (300-900 mL/min). Depending on the operating conditions, the activated carbon yield is ranging from 10 to 50 wt.%. Upon optimization, both the pristine precursor and activated carbon at the optimal conditions are characterized in terms of their surface morphology, porosity, and the surface functionalities. In context of carbon dioxide adsorption, the adsorption capacity at an ambient condition is found to be approximately 1.65 mmol/g, which is comparable to the values reported in the literatures.
Design and validation of small interfering RNA on respiratory syncytial virus M2-2 gene: A potential approach in RNA interference on viral replication

Chin VK, Atika Aziz NA, Hudu SA, Harmal NS, Syahrilnizam A, Jalilian FA, et al.

J Virol Methods, 2016 10;236:117-125.
PMID: 27432115 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2016.07.012

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children globally and is a significant pathogen of the elderly and immunocompromised. The M2-2 protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is particularly important in regulation of viral RNA transcription and replication that could be a potential anti-viral candidate against RSV infection. In this study, we designed and validated siRNAs that specifically target the RSV M2-2 gene. Four siRNAs targeting different regions of the M2-2 gene were designed using web tool. In-vitro evaluation of silencing effect was performed by using RSV infected Vero cell line. Viral M2-2 linked GFP recombinant plasmid was co-transfected with non-targeted siRNA, Pooled siRNA, siRNA 1, siRNA 2, siRNA 3 and siRNA 4 using synthetic cationic polymer. The silencing effect of M2-2 gene at the protein level was measured both qualitatively and quantitatively by using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Meanwhile, the silencing effect at the mRNA level was assessed by using RT-qPCR. This study showed that all four designed siRNAs can effectively and efficiently silence M2-2 gene. siRNA 2 showed the highest (98%) silencing effect on protein level and siRNA 4 with 83.1% at the mRNA level. The viral assay showed no significant cytopathic effects observed after 6days post-infection with siRNAs. In conclusion, this study showed the effectiveness of siRNA in silencing M2-2 gene both at the protein and mRNA level which could potentially be used as a novel therapeutic agent in the treatment of RSV infection. However, further study is warranted to investigate the silencing effect of M2-2 protein and inhibition of RSV infection.
Fulltext A preliminary investigation of user perception and behavioral intention for different review types: customers and designers perspective

Qazi A, Raj RG, Tahir M, Waheed M, Waheed M, Khan SU, et al.

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:872929.
PMID: 24711739 DOI: 10.1155/2014/872929

Existing opinion mining studies have focused on and explored only two types of reviews, that is, regular and comparative. There is a visible gap in determining the useful review types from customers and designers perspective. Based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and statistical measures we examine users' perception about different review types and its effects in terms of behavioral intention towards using online review system. By using sample of users (N = 400) and designers (N = 106), current research work studies three review types, A (regular), B (comparative), and C (suggestive), which are related to perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention. The study reveals that positive perception of the use of suggestive reviews improves users' decision making in business intelligence. The results also depict that type C (suggestive reviews) could be considered a new useful review type in addition to other types, A and B.
Fulltext Corrigendum to "A preliminary investigation of user perception and behavioral intention for different review types: customers and designers perspective"

Qazi A, Raj RG, Tahir M, Waheed M, Khan SU, Abraham A

ScientificWorldJournal, 2015;2015:258150.
PMID: 25945359 DOI: 10.1155/2015/258150
An optimization of fungal chitin grafted polyaniline for ammonia gas detection via Box Behnken design

Sambasevam KP, Sateria SF, Baharin SNA, Azman NJ, Ahmad Wakid S, Shahabuddin S

Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Mar 18;238:124079.
PMID: 36934823 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124079

In this work, chitin (Ch) was chemically extracted from wild mushrooms and then grafted to polyaniline (PANI) to form a composite (Ch-g-PANI) to detect ammonia (NH3) gas. The Ch-g-PANI was comprehensively characterized using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental mapping, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The NH3 gas detection optimization was evaluated using Box-Behnken Design. Typically, physical factors such as (A)film layer, (B)loading %, and (C)contact time were investigated and validated through the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The ANOVA revealed that dual interactions between (A)film layer - (C)contact time, and (B)loading % - (C)contact time are among the significant factors. By considering these significant interactions, the highest sensitivity was obtained when (A)film layer (3), (B)loading (5 %), and (C)contact time (10 min) in NH3 gas detection. Then, the optimized Ch-g-PANI was tested in the linear range of NH3 gas concentration from 10 to 50 ppm, which resulted in a linear calibration curve with R2 = 0.994 and a detection limit of 15.03 ppm. Sensor performances showed that Ch-g-PANI films possess high selectivity for NH3 gas among the common interfering gases and the film can be reused for up to 6 cycles. Therefore, the new mushroom-sourced Ch-g-PANI is an inexpensive and economical sensor in the NH3 gas sensor field.
Fulltext The survival outcomes and prognostic factors of hepatocellular carcinoma among type 2 diabetes patients: a two-centre retrospective cohort study

Azit NA, Sahran S, Meng LV, Subramaniam MK, Mokhtar S, Nawi AM

Turk J Med Sci, 2022 Oct;52(5):1580-1590.
PMID: 36422484 DOI: 10.55730/1300-0144.5498

BACKGROUND: To determine the survival outcomes and prognostic factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) survival in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients.
METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study involving two hepatobiliary centres from January 1, 2012, to June 30, 2018. Medical records were analysed for sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, laboratory testing, and HCC treatment information. Survival outcomes were examined using the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test. Prognostic factors were determined using multivariate Cox regression.
RESULTS: A total of 212 patients were included in the study. The median survival time was 22 months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 64.2%, 34.2%, and 18.0%, respectively. Palliative treatment (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 2.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.75-4.52), tumour size ≥ 5 cm (AHR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.45-2.82), traditional medication (AHR = 1.94, 95%CI: 1.27-2.98), raised alkaline phosphatase (AHR = 1.74, 95%CI: 1.25-2.42), and metformin (AHR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.03-2.00) were significantly associated with poor prognosis for HCC survival. Antiviral hepatitis treatment (AHR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.34-0.87), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (AHR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.84), and family history of malignancies (AHR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.26-0.96) were identified as good prognostic factors for HCC survival.
DISCUSSION: Traditional medication, metformin treatment, advanced stage and raised alkaline phosphatase were the poor prognostic factors, while antiviral hepatitis treatment, NAFLD, and family history of malignancies were the good prognostic factors for our HCC cases comorbid with T2D.
Fulltext Risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma in type 2 diabetes patients: A two-centre study in a developing country

Azit NA, Sahran S, Voon Meng L, Subramaniam M, Mokhtar S, Mohammed Nawi A

PLoS One, 2021;16(12):e0260675.
PMID: 34882716 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260675

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasingly known as a risk factor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we determined the risk factors associated with HCC in T2DM patients. This was a matched case-control study conducted at two hepatobiliary referral centres in a developing country. Patients' sociodemographic, clinical, and biochemical characteristics between 1 January 2012 and 30 June 2018 were extracted from the electronic medical records and analysed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 212 case-control pairs were included. Significant risk factors included Chinese and Malay ethnicities that interacted with viral hepatitis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 11.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39-99.79) and (AOR = 37.94, 95% CI: 3.92-367.61) respectively, weight loss (AOR = 5.28, 95% CI: 2.29-12.19), abdominal pain/ discomfort (AOR = 6.73, 95% CI: 3.34-13.34), alcohol (AOR = 4.08, 95% CI: 1.81-9.22), fatty liver (AOR = 3.29, 95% CI: 1.40-7.76), low platelet (AOR = 4.03, 95% CI:1.90-8.55), raised alanine transaminase (AOR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.16-3.86). and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.17-4.00). Statins reduced the risk of HCC by 63% (AOR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.21-0.65). The identification of these factors aids the risk stratification for HCC among T2DM patients for early detection and decision-making in patient management in the primary care setting.
Fulltext Enhancing business intelligence by means of suggestive reviews

Qazi A, Raj RG, Tahir M, Cambria E, Syed KB

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:879323.
PMID: 25054188 DOI: 10.1155/2014/879323

Appropriate identification and classification of online reviews to satisfy the needs of current and potential users pose a critical challenge for the business environment. This paper focuses on a specific kind of reviews: the suggestive type. Suggestions have a significant influence on both consumers' choices and designers' understanding and, hence, they are key for tasks such as brand positioning and social media marketing. The proposed approach consists of three main steps: (1) classify comparative and suggestive sentences; (2) categorize suggestive sentences into different types, either explicit or implicit locutions; (3) perform sentiment analysis on the classified reviews. A range of supervised machine learning approaches and feature sets are evaluated to tackle the problem of suggestive opinion mining. Experimental results for all three tasks are obtained on a dataset of mobile phone reviews and demonstrate that extending a bag-of-words representation with suggestive and comparative patterns is ideal for distinguishing suggestive sentences. In particular, it is observed that classifying suggestive sentences into implicit and explicit locutions works best when using a mixed sequential rule feature representation. Sentiment analysis achieves maximum performance when employing additional preprocessing in the form of negation handling and target masking, combined with sentiment lexicons.
Efficacy of natural enzymes mouthwash: a randomised controlled trial

Chiam TL, Choo J, Ashar A, Hussaini HM, Rajandram RK, Nordin R

Clin Oral Investig, 2024 Apr 19;28(5):259.
PMID: 38639763 DOI: 10.1007/s00784-024-05658-7

OBJECTIVES: Natural enzymes mouthwash has been proposed as salivary substitutes to treat xerostomia. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the mouthwash to treat xerostomia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A double-blind, parallel group randomised control clinical trial involving N = 49 adult participants with xerostomia was carried out. Intervention group received natural enzymes moisturising mouthwash (with active ingredients lactoferrin, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase and glucose oxidase); while control group received benzydamine mouthwash. Mouthwashes were repacked, labelled with specific code, and were given to participants by third-party. Subjects were instructed to rinse with the mouthwash 4 times per day at a specific period, for 2 weeks. Symptoms of xerostomia were assessed using Xerostomia Inventory at day 0 and 14; together with the assessment of Clinical Oral Dryness Score (CODS), and measurement of resting and stimulated salivary flow rate.
RESULTS: 48 participants completed the clinical follow-up, and n = 1 had lost of follow-up. From the 48 participants, n = 23 received natural enzymes mouthwash, while n = 25 received benzydamine mouthwash. Intervention group achieved reduction in symptoms of xerostomia from baseline. Intervention group also showed significantly better improvements in the cognitive perception of dry mouth and oromotor function such as chewing, swallowing and speech of the participants; and reduction in waking up at night to drink water (p
Fulltext A systematic review on noncommunicable diseases among working women

Idris IB, Azit NA, Abdul Ghani SR, Syed Nor SF, Mohammed Nawi A

Ind Health, 2021 Aug 17;59(3):146-160.
PMID: 33551443 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2020-0204

The increasing involvement of women in the paid-labor market has led to multifactorial exposure towards the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This review aims to identify the prevalence of NCDs and the associated risk factors among working women. A systematic review was performed using PubMed and Scopus databases. Twelve articles published between 2015 and 2019 satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were selected for qualitative synthesis. Among working women, the prevalence of NCDs was as follows: coronary heart disease, 0.3%-5.9%; metabolic syndrome, 52.0%; diabetes mellitus, 8.9%-16.0%; hypertension, 16.6%-66.4%; non-skin cancer, 3.7%. The prevalence of NCD risk factors was as follows: overweight/obesity, 33.8%-77.0%; low physical activity, 51.0%; unhealthy diet, 44.9%-69.9%; dyslipidemia, 27.8%-44.0%. The factors associated with NCDs were long working hours, double work burden, and stress. NCD is an important burden of working women that will lead to reduced work quality and affect family well-being. Disease prevention approaches, such as the intervention of common workplace risk factors and specific work schedule design, are among the strategies for improving the situation.

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