Displaying publications 161 - 180 of 249 in total

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  1. Atee HA, Ahmad R, Noor NM, Rahma AM, Aljeroudi Y
    PLoS One, 2017;12(2):e0170329.
    PMID: 28196080 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170329
    In image steganography, determining the optimum location for embedding the secret message precisely with minimum distortion of the host medium remains a challenging issue. Yet, an effective approach for the selection of the best embedding location with least deformation is far from being achieved. To attain this goal, we propose a novel approach for image steganography with high-performance, where extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm is modified to create a supervised mathematical model. This ELM is first trained on a part of an image or any host medium before being tested in the regression mode. This allowed us to choose the optimal location for embedding the message with best values of the predicted evaluation metrics. Contrast, homogeneity, and other texture features are used for training on a new metric. Furthermore, the developed ELM is exploited for counter over-fitting while training. The performance of the proposed steganography approach is evaluated by computing the correlation, structural similarity (SSIM) index, fusion matrices, and mean square error (MSE). The modified ELM is found to outperform the existing approaches in terms of imperceptibility. Excellent features of the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed steganographic approach is greatly proficient for preserving the visual information of an image. An improvement in the imperceptibility as much as 28% is achieved compared to the existing state of the art methods.
  2. Yousuf R, Akter S, Wasek SM, Sinha S, Ahmad R, Haque M
    Cureus, 2022 Dec;14(12):e32491.
    PMID: 36523854 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.32491
    Thalassemias are a group of congenital hemoglobin (Hb) disorders distinguished by dwindling or total curtailment of production of one or more globin chains of hemoglobin tetramers, ensuing in unrestrained destruction of red blood cells (RBC) that causes severe anemia. The severity of the disease often remains immensely variable. Children with thalassemia suffer from the disease's consequences and treatment complications. The disease also causes a negative impact on family members, who suffer mentally, socially, financially, and even physically. In this review, we highlight the challenges experienced by the family and caregivers; for instance, repeated blood transfusion as the dominant origin of tissue casualty, morbidity, and fatal clinical outcomes. Treatment modalities regarding thalassemias were not successful until the inception of bone marrow transplantation and gene therapy.
  3. Mohd Kamil MK, Zambri A, Azizah MA, Noor Azhar AM, Ahmad R
    Int Emerg Nurs, 2022 Sep;64:101214.
    PMID: 36037702 DOI: 10.1016/j.ienj.2022.101214
    BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is an international public health emergency. As hospitals receive more severe forms of COVID-19 that necessitate resuscitation, emergency health care workers (HCW) must follow interim COVID-19 resuscitation guidelines.

    OBJECTIVE: The aim is to evaluate the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice among emergency HCW of the COVID-19 resuscitation protocol by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC).

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a validated questionnaire was conducted among HCW in the emergency department of University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Malaysia from April to June 2021.

    RESULTS: A total of 159 respondents were included in the analysis (89% response rate). Sixty-eight percent of respondents had adequate knowledge regarding COVID-19 resuscitation. Majority of the respondents had knowledge on airborne-precaution personal protective equipment (PPE) (99%) and infection control measures (98%). Nearly 73% were pessimistic about the COVID-19 prognosis. Seventy-three percent of respondents thought an arrested COVID-19 patient may benefit from cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and 94% were willing to administer CPR provided airborne-precaution PPE was available. Ninety percent of respondents reported adherence to resuscitation guidelines. There were significant differences in the mean knowledge scores between designation, education levels, and COVID-19 training. Overall, the respondents' level of practice was insufficient (27%), with a mean score of 53.7%(SD = 14.7). There was a lack of practicein the resuscitation oftheintubatedand patients who were beingprone. There was insufficient practice about ventilation technique, use ofsupraglotticdevices, and intubation barriers. There was a positive correlation between adequate knowledge and good practice.

    CONCLUSION: Emergency HCW have adequate knowledge, but poor compliance to the ERC COVID-19 guidelines. Emergency HCW were willing and confident to resuscitate COVID-19 patients, despite fears of nosocomial infection and expectation of poor patients' prognosis. Ongoing education and trainingprogramsare recommended to improve their knowledge, cultivate a positive attitude, andachievegood compliance with COVID-19 resuscitation guidelines.

  4. Sharmin Moutushi S, Akter T, Haq MA, Ahmad R, Sinha S, Adnan N, et al.
    Cureus, 2023 Feb;15(2):e35352.
    PMID: 36860825 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.35352
    Introduction Infection with SARS-CoV-2 begins in the lower respiratory tract, but COVID-19 often involves the renal system, resulting in serum electrolyte imbalance. Monitoring serum electrolyte levels and parameters of liver and kidney function is essential to understand disease prognosis. Objectives This study aimed to determine the effect of imbalances in serum electrolytes and other parameters on COVID-19 severity. Material and method This retrospective study comprised 241 patients, ages 14 years and older, including 186 patients who were moderately affected and 55 who were categorized as severely affected by COVID-19. Serum electrolytes (sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), and chloride (Cl-)) and biomarkers of kidney and liver function (creatinine and alanine aminotransferase (ALT)) were measured and correlated with disease severity. This research was conducted among admitted patients of Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital designated into two groups based on retrospective hospital records. Individuals with moderate illness had evidence of lower respiratory tract infection (cough, cold, breathless, etc.) during clinical assessment or imaging (chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scan of the lungs) and have an oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2) ≥ 94% on room air at sea level. The severely ill group involved individuals with SpO2 ≤94% on room air at sea level and respiratory rate ≥ 30 breaths/minute, and critically ill patients are those who needed mechanical ventilation or required intensive care unit (ICU) care. This categorization was based on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines (https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/about-the-guidelines/whats-new/). Results Average Na+ and creatinine increased by 2.30 parts (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.20, 4.81, P = 0.041) and 0.35 units (95% CI = 0.03, 0.68, P = 0.043) in severe cases compared with moderate cases. Older participants had relatively Na+ lowered to -0.06 parts (95% CI = -0.12, -0.001, P = 0.045), significant Cl- reduction by 0.09 units (95% CI = -0.14, -0.04, P = 0.001), and ALT by 0.47 units (95% CI = -0.88, -0.06, P = 0.024), whereas serum creatinine was increased by 0.01 parts (95% CI = 0.001, 0.02, P = 0.024). The creatinine and ALT of COVID-19 participants were significantly higher in males by 0.34 units and 23.2 units, respectively, compared with females. In severe COVID-19 cases compared with moderate cases, the risks of hypernatremia, elevated chloride levels, and elevated serum creatinine levels were increased by 2.83-fold (95% CI = 1.26, 6.36, P = 0.012), 5.37-fold (95% CI = 1.90, 15.3, P = 0.002), and 2.00-fold (95% CI = 1.08, 4.31, P = 0.039), respectively. Conclusion Serum electrolyte and biomarker levels can serve as good indicators of the condition and disease prognosis of patients with COVID-19. Our purpose in this study was to determine the association between serum electrolyte imbalance and disease severity. We collected data from ex post facto hospital records and did not intend to assess the mortality rate. Consequently, this study expects that the prompt diagnosis of electrolyte disparity or disturbance possibly minimizes COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality.
  5. Rahman H, Naik Bukht TF, Ahmad R, Almadhor A, Javed AR
    Comput Intell Neurosci, 2023;2023:7717712.
    PMID: 36909966 DOI: 10.1155/2023/7717712
    Medical image analysis places a significant focus on breast cancer, which poses a significant threat to women's health and contributes to many fatalities. An early and precise diagnosis of breast cancer through digital mammograms can significantly improve the accuracy of disease detection. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems must analyze the medical imagery and perform detection, segmentation, and classification processes to assist radiologists with accurately detecting breast lesions. However, early-stage mammography cancer detection is certainly difficult. The deep convolutional neural network has demonstrated exceptional results and is considered a highly effective tool in the field. This study proposes a computational framework for diagnosing breast cancer using a ResNet-50 convolutional neural network to classify mammogram images. To train and classify the INbreast dataset into benign or malignant categories, the framework utilizes transfer learning from the pretrained ResNet-50 CNN on ImageNet. The results revealed that the proposed framework achieved an outstanding classification accuracy of 93%, surpassing other models trained on the same dataset. This novel approach facilitates early diagnosis and classification of malignant and benign breast cancer, potentially saving lives and resources. These outcomes highlight that deep convolutional neural network algorithms can be trained to achieve highly accurate results in various mammograms, along with the capacity to enhance medical tools by reducing the error rate in screening mammograms.
  6. Awang-Kechik NH, Ahmad R, Doustjalali SR, Sabet NS, Abd-Rahman AN
    J Clin Exp Dent, 2019 Mar;11(3):e269-e274.
    PMID: 31001398 DOI: 10.4317/jced.55546
    Background: The biological responses involved during retention phase have been studied for many years but little is known about the effect of saliva proteome during retention phase of post-orthodontic treatment. This study aims to identify the protein profiles during retention phase in relation to biological processes involved by Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) approach.

    Material and Methods: A total of 5 ml of unstimulated saliva was collected from each subject (10 non-orthodontic patients and 15 post-orthodontic patients with 6-months retention phase). Samples were then subjected to LC-MS analysis. The expressed proteins were identified and compared between groups. Incisor irregularity for both maxilla and mandible were determined with Little's Irregularity Index at 6-months retention phase.

    Results: 146 proteins and 135 proteins were expressed in control and 6-months retention phase group respectively. 15 proteins were identified to be co-expressed between groups. Immune system process was only detected in 6-months retention phase group. Detected protein in immune system process was identified as Tyrosine-protein kinase Tec. Statistical significant of incisor irregularity was only found in mandible at 6-months retention phase.

    Conclusions: Our study suggests that immune system process protein which is Tyrosine-protein kinase Tec could be used as biomarker for prediction of stability during retention phase of post-orthodontic treatment. Key words:Orthodontics, proteomics, retention, LC-MS, saliva.

  7. Ahmad R, Khairul Nizam Mazlan M, Firdaus Abdul Aziz A, Mohd Gazzali A, Amir Rawa MS, Wahab HA
    Saudi Pharm J, 2023 Jun;31(6):874-888.
    PMID: 37234341 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2023.04.006
    Phaleria macrocarpa (Scheff.) Boerl. is geographically distributed around Papua Island, Indonesia. Traditionally, P. macrocarpa is exercised to reduce pain, stomachache, diarrhea, tumor problems, blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure. A growing interest in the medicinal values of P. macrocarpa especially in Asia reflects the usage of diverse extraction techniques, particularly modern approaches. In this review article, the extraction methods and solvents relevant to P. macrocarpa were discussed, with the extent of its pharmacological activities. Recent bibliographic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Elsevier between 2010 and 2022 were assessed. Based on the findings, the pharmacological studies of P. macrocarpa are still pertinent to its traditional uses but primarily emphasise anti-proliferative activity especially colon and breast cancer cells with low toxicity and fruit as the most studied plant part. The utilization of modern separation techniques has predominantly been aimed at extracting mangiferin and phenolic-rich compounds and evaluating their antioxidant capacity. However, the isolation of bioactive compounds remains a challenge, leading to the extensive utilization of the extracts in in vivo studies. This review endeavors to highlight modern extraction methods that could potentially be used as a point of reference in the future for exploring novel bioactive compounds and drug discovery on a multi-scale extraction level.
  8. Al-Siweedi SYA, Ngeow WC, Nambiar P, Abu-Hassan MI, Ahmad R, Asif MK, et al.
    Folia Morphol (Warsz), 2023;82(2):315-324.
    PMID: 35285511 DOI: 10.5603/FM.a2022.0024
    BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify and classify the anatomic variation of mandibular canal among Malaysians of three ethnicities.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The courses of the mandibular canal in 202 cone-beam computed tomography scanned images of healthy Malaysians were evaluated, and trifid mandibular canal (TMC) when present, were recorded and studied in detail by categorizing them to a new classification (comprising of 12 types). The diameter and length of canals were also measured, and their shape determined.

    RESULTS: Trifid mandibular canals were observed in 12 (5.9%) subjects or 16 (4.0%) hemi-mandibles. There were 10 obvious categories out the 12 types of TMCs listed. All TMCs (except one) were observed in patients older than 30 years. The prevalence according to ethnicity was 6 in Malays, 5 in Chinese and 1 in Indian. Four (33.3%) patients had bilateral TMCs, which was not seen in the Indian subject. More than half (56.3%) of the accessory canals were located above the main mandibular canal. Their mean diameter was 1.32 mm and 1.26 mm for the first and second accessory canal, and the corresponding lengths were 20.42 mm and 21.60 mm, respectively. Most (62.5%) canals had irregularly shaped lumen; there were more irregularly shaped canals in the second accessory canal than the first branch. None of the second accessory canal was oval (in shape).

    CONCLUSIONS: This new classification can be applied for the variations in the branching pattern, length and shape of TMCs for better clinical description.

  9. Ong CE, Ahmad R, Goh YK, Azizan KA, Baharum SN, Goh KJ
    PLoS One, 2021;16(12):e0262029.
    PMID: 34972183 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262029
    Various phenolic compounds have been screened against Ganoderma boninense, the fungal pathogen causing basal stem rot in oil palms. In this study, we focused on the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on the growth of three G. boninense isolates with different levels of aggressiveness. In addition, study on untargeted metabolite profiling was conducted to investigate the metabolomic responses of G. boninense towards salicylic acid. The inhibitory effects of salicylic acid were both concentration- (P < 0.001) and isolate-dependent (P < 0.001). Also, growth-promoting effect was observed in one of the isolates at low concentrations of salicylic acid where it could have been utilized by G. boninense as a source of carbon and energy. Besides, adaptation towards salicylic acid treatment was evident in this study for all isolates, particularly at high concentrations. In other words, inhibitory effect of salicylic acid treatment on the fungal growth declined over time. In terms of metabolomics response to salicylic acid treatment, G. boninense produced several metabolites such as coumarin and azatyrosine, which suggests that salicylic acid modulates the developmental switch in G. boninense towards the defense mode for its survival. Furthermore, the liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS) analysis showed that the growth of G. boninense on potato dextrose agar involved at least four metabolic pathways: amino acid metabolism, lipid pathway, tryptophan pathway and phenylalanine pathway. Overall, there were 17 metabolites that contributed to treatment separation, each with P<0.005. The release of several antimicrobial metabolites such as eudistomin I may enhance G. boninense's competitiveness against other microorganisms during colonisation. Our findings demonstrated the metabolic versatility of G. boninense towards changes in carbon sources and stress factors. G. boninense was shown to be capable of responding to salicylic acid treatment by switching its developmental stage.
  10. Ahmad R, Azman KF, Yahaya R, Shafin N, Omar N, Ahmad AH, et al.
    AIMS Neurosci, 2023;10(1):5-32.
    PMID: 37077958 DOI: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2023002
    This review aims to perform a bibliometric analysis of the research related to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in schizophrenia and offer suggestions for further work. Based on the keywords used, our study retrieved 335 documents for further analysis using a combination of three bibliometric techniques: co-word analysis, document co-citation analysis, and bibliographic coupling. A general rising trend in the number of publications was found in BDNF and schizophrenia research. Researchers from China and the United States have mostly researched BDNF and schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry is the most prestigious journal in the field of BDNF and schizophrenia research. The main topics and important research areas are cognition and the involvement of BDNF as a neurobiological marker (pathogenesis, therapy monitoring, and risk factors). Future research is anticipated to concentrate on relevant subjects, such as factors that affect BDNF levels or are connected to BDNF dysfunction in schizophrenia, as well as animal models of schizophrenia, in addition to cognition in schizophrenia.
  11. Choudhary S, Mishra V, Kumari P, Sheth H, Ahmad R, Haque M, et al.
    Cureus, 2023 Sep;15(9):e45584.
    PMID: 37736241 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45584
    Background Infertility and problems of impaired fecundity have been a concern through the ages and are also considerable clinical problems today, affecting many couples worldwide. Most infertility cases are primarily attributed to male factors, which play a significant role. Additionally, a substantial number of these patients exhibit suboptimal sperm parameters. The study is mainly designed for individual intervention and outcome. We aim to evaluate the demographics, etiology, utilization of treatments, and outcomes of males undergoing infertility treatment. Methodology We retrospectively enrolled infertile couples from January 2021 to March 2023, covering the past two years. All patients were evaluated and investigated per the study protocol to identify the cause of infertility. Results Two thousand three hundred forty-eight males were enrolled in the study, of whom 1,484 (63%) were found to have a standard semen analysis. A total of 868 (37%) had abnormal semen parameters. Two hundred and seventy-two (12%) patients completed the evaluation. All parameters, except for hypospermia, displayed lower percentages of motility compared to normozospermia. All semen parameters, except for hypospermia, showed a significantly lower normal morphology in comparison to normozospermia. This reduction increased by 10% for each year of age increment. Conclusions The study concluded by following a protocol for evaluating male patients. If an abnormal sperm parameter is identified before considering intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), it is recommended to conduct at least karyotyping and microdeletion analysis on the Y-chromosome's q arm.
  12. Budiati T, Rusul G, Wan-Abdullah WN, Chuah LO, Ahmad R, Thong KL
    J Food Prot, 2016 Apr;79(4):659-65.
    PMID: 27052872 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-15-372
    A total of 43 Salmonella enterica isolates belonging to different serovars (Salmonella Albany, Salmonella Agona, Salmonella Corvallis, Salmonella Stanley, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Mikawasima, and Salmonella Bovismorbificans) were isolated from catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and tilapia (Tilapia mossambica) obtained from nine wet markets and eight ponds in Penang, Malaysia. Thirteen, 19, and 11 isolates were isolated from 9 of 32 catfish, 14 of 32 tilapia, and 11 of 44 water samples, respectively. Fish reared in ponds were fed chicken offal, spoiled eggs, and commercial fish feed. The genetic relatedness of these Salmonella isolates was determined by random amplified polymorphic DNA PCR (RAPD-PCR) using primer OPC2, repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (REP-PCR), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Composite analysis of the RAPD-PCR, REP-PCR, and PFGE results showed that the Salmonella serovars could be differentiated into six clusters and 15 singletons. RAPD-PCR differentiated the Salmonella isolates into 11 clusters and 10 singletons, while REP-PCR differentiated them into 4 clusters and 1 singleton. PFGE differentiated the Salmonella isolates into seven clusters and seven singletons. The close genetic relationship of Salmonella isolates from catfish or tilapia obtained from different ponds, irrespective of the type of feed given, may be caused by several factors, such as the quality of the water, density of fish, and size of ponds.
  13. Ali A, Sundaraj K, Badlishah Ahmad R, Ahamed NU, Islam A, Sundaraj S
    J Hum Kinet, 2015 Jun 27;46:69-76.
    PMID: 26240650 DOI: 10.1515/hukin-2015-0035
    The objective of the present study was to investigate the time to fatigue and compare the fatiguing condition among the three heads of the triceps brachii muscle using surface electromyography during an isometric contraction of a controlled forceful hand grip task with full elbow extension. Eighteen healthy subjects concurrently performed a single 90 s isometric contraction of a controlled forceful hand grip task and full elbow extension. Surface electromyographic signals from the lateral, long and medial heads of the triceps brachii muscle were recorded during the task for each subject. The changes in muscle activity among the three heads of triceps brachii were measured by the root mean square values for every 5 s period throughout the total contraction period. The root mean square values were then analysed to determine the fatiguing condition for the heads of triceps brachii muscle. Muscle fatigue in the long, lateral, and medial heads of the triceps brachii started at 40 s, 50 s, and 65 s during the prolonged contraction, respectively. The highest fatiguing rate was observed in the long head (slope = -2.863), followed by the medial head (slope = -2.412) and the lateral head (slope = -1.877) of the triceps brachii muscle. The results of the present study concurs with previous findings that the three heads of the triceps brachii muscle do not work as a single unit, and the fiber type/composition is different among the three heads.
  14. Khatri SA, Ahmad R, Osama M, Khan K, Khan MA, Ishaqui A, et al.
    Cureus, 2024 Jan;16(1):e52135.
    PMID: 38344495 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52135
    Background Community pharmacies are integral to the healthcare system, actively contributing to patient safety through accurate dispensing, education, collaboration, monitoring, and the implementation of safety protocols. Their accessibility and role as medication experts make them key partners in promoting positive health outcomes for individuals and communities. Objective The current study will evaluate the patient safety culture (PSC) among community pharmacies in Karachi, Pakistan. Additionally, this study will measure the association between patient safety culture in community pharmacies and the demographic characteristics of the pharmacy staff. Methods A cross-sectional survey of pharmacy staff was conducted using a survey instrument developed by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Demographic variables and assessments of safety culture in pharmacies were studied. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Among the 102 participants, positive responses ranged from 30% to 87.5%. The highest positive response was for the dimension "mistakes in communication" (86.3%), followed by "communication across shifts" (82.2%) and "communication openness" (81.7%). The dimensions "overall perceptions of patient safety" and "response to mistakes" had the lowest positive responses (56.0% and 60.9%, respectively). Furthermore, many staff did not regularly record the errors, even if they impacted the practices. Conclusion There was an overall unfavorable perception of patient safety culture among the surveyed pharmacies of Karachi, Pakistan. However, the communication dimensions showed the highest positive response. There is a strong need to improve the overall perception of patient safety among the staff and develop an optimistic response to mistakes.
  15. Sani NM, McAuslane N, Kasbon SH, Ahmad R, Yusof FAM, Patel P
    Ther Innov Regul Sci, 2020 Sep;54(5):1215-1224.
    PMID: 32865804 DOI: 10.1007/s43441-020-00140-4
    INTRODUCTION: The National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) embarked on a regulatory-strengthening program and is evaluating its processes. Optimising Efficiencies in Regulatory Agencies (OpERA) is a regulatory-strengthening program that provides benchmarking data that can define performance targets and focus performance improvement. The objective of this study was to use OpERA methodology to determine where time is spent in the NPRA approval process and to form a baseline to measure the performance improvements.

    METHODS: The OpERA tool was used to collect specific milestone data that identify time periods, review stages, and data points for new active substances and biosimilars approved by NPRA in 2017.

    RESULTS: In 2017, 25 new active substances and 1 biosimilar were approved by NPRA in a median of 515 days, representing both agency and applicant time. The median time between dossier receipt and the initiation of NPRA scientific assessment was 135 days, but there was a wide variation in queuing time. The median total assessment time was 279 days (agency and applicant timing). NPRA took a median of 166 days; applicants took a median of 131 days to respond to deficiency questions, with up to 6 cycles of review required for approval and 65% of applications requiring 4-5 cycles to provide satisfactory responses.

    CONCLUSIONS: As a result of these data, NPRA proposes three improvements: target start for scientific assessment 100 days after file acceptance, a maximum of 5 review cycles, and applicant response time limited to 6 months. These results will serve as a baseline for further assessment.

  16. Tan AW, Liau LL, Chua KH, Ahmad R, Akbar SA, Pingguan-Murphy B
    Sci Rep, 2016 Feb 17;6:21828.
    PMID: 26883761 DOI: 10.1038/srep21828
    One of the major challenges in bone grafting is the lack of sufficient bone vascularization. A rapid and stable bone vascularization at an early stage of implantation is essential for optimal functioning of the bone graft. To address this, the ability of in situ TiO2 nanofibrous surfaces fabricated via thermal oxidation method to enhance the angiogenic potential of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was investigated. The cellular responses of HUVECs on TiO2 nanofibrous surfaces were studied through cell adhesion, cell proliferation, capillary-like tube formation, growth factors secretion (VEGF and BFGF), and angiogenic-endogenic-associated gene (VEGF, VEGFR2, BFGF, PGF, HGF, Ang-1, VWF, PECAM-1 and ENOS) expression analysis after 2 weeks of cell seeding. Our results show that TiO2 nanofibrous surfaces significantly enhanced adhesion, proliferation, formation of capillary-like tube networks and growth factors secretion of HUVECs, as well as leading to higher expression level of all angiogenic-endogenic-associated genes, in comparison to unmodified control surfaces. These beneficial effects suggest the potential use of such surface nanostructures to be utilized as an advantageous interface for bone grafts as they can promote angiogenesis, which improves bone vascularization.
  17. Baharuddin KA, Rahman NH, Wahab SF, Halim NA, Ahmad R
    Int J Emerg Med, 2014;7(1):2.
    PMID: 24386899 DOI: 10.1186/1865-1380-7-2
    BACKGROUND: Parecoxib sodium is the first parenteral COX-2 inhibitor used for pain management licensed for postoperative pain. However, no study has assessed the usage of parecoxib for acute traumatic pain in the emergency department (ED). The objective of this study was to investigate a potential alternative analgesic agent in the ED by determining the mean reduction of pain score between acute traumatic pain patients who were administered with intravenous (IV) parecoxib sodium versus IV morphine sulfate. The onset of perceptible analgesic effect and side effects were also evaluated.
    METHODS: A randomized, double-blinded study comparing IV parecoxib 40 mg versus IV morphine at 0.10 mg/kg was conducted in adult patients presented with acute traumatic pain with numeric rating scale (NRS) of 6 or more within 6 hours of injury. Patients were randomized using a computer-generated randomization plan. Drug preparation and dispensing were performed by a pharmacist. Periodic assessment of blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and NRS were taken at 0, 5, 15, and 30 minute intervals after the administration of the study drug. The primary outcome was the reduction of NRS. Side effect and drug evaluation was conducted within 30 minutes of drug administration.
    RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the reduction of mean NRS between patients in the IV parecoxib group or IV morphine group (P = 0.095). The mean NRS for patients treated with IV morphine were 7.1 at 0 minutes, 4.5 at 5 minutes, 3.1 at 15 minutes, and 2.0 at 30 minutes. Whereas mean NRS for patients who received IV parecoxib were 7.8 at 0 minutes, 5.7 at 5 minutes, 4.7 at 15 minutes, and 3.9 at 30 minutes. The onset of perceptible analgesic effects could be seen as early as 5 minutes. Dizziness was experienced in 42.9% of patients who received IV morphine compared to none in the parecoxib group.
    CONCLUSIONS: There was non-significant trend toward superiority of IV morphine over IV parecoxib. Looking at its effectiveness and the lack of opioid-related side-effects, the usage of IV parecoxib sodium may be extended further to a variety of cases in the ED.
    Study site: Emergency department, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM)
  18. Ahmad R, Haq MA, Sinha S, Lugova H, Kumar S, Haque M, et al.
    Cureus, 2024 May;16(5):e60951.
    PMID: 38784687 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60951
    Introduction Cement dust emitted during cement manufacture consists of toxic components. Occupational cement dust exposure may cause inflammation in the human body, which may be detected early by observing changes in blood parameters such as red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Objectives The study aims to observe the effect of occupational cement dust exposure on RDW and MCV. Methods This study was performed in the Department of Physiology of Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and a factory in Munshiganj, Bangladesh, from September 2017 to August 2018. Ninety-two participants between 20 and 50 years were included (46 subjects were occupationally exposed to cement dust, and 46 were not exposed to cement dust). A pre-designed questionnaire was used for data collection. An independent sample t-test was used to analyze basic information, such as blood pressure and BMI. The multivariate regression model was used to analyze the effect of cement dust exposure on the study group. The impact of cement dust exposure duration was analyzed using the multivariate regression model. The level of significance was p < 0.05. The statistical analysis was performed using STATA-15 (StataCorp, College Station, TX), and the graphical presentation used GraphPad Prism v8.3.2. Results The cement dust-exposed participants had a significantly higher value of MCV by 1.19 fi (95% CI = 0.02, 4.84; p = 0.049) and a 5.92% increase in RDW (95% CI = 5.29, 6.55; p < 0.001) than that of the control group. Conclusion The study reveals that exposure to cement dust causes significant changes in RDW and MCV. These changes may indicate hemolysis due to inflammation.
  19. Sinha S, Haq MA, Ahmad R, Banik S, Kumar S, Haque M
    Cureus, 2024 Apr;16(4):e58708.
    PMID: 38651088 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58708
    Introduction Leprosy remains a significant cause of preventable disability worldwide. Early diagnosis and treatment of leprosy are critical not only to stop its spread but also to prevent physical and social complications and reduce the disease burden. Objectives The study aims to evaluate the factors that lead to a delayed leprosy diagnosis. Methods This study was conducted in the outpatient departments of Leprosy Control Institute and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and at Medical College for Women and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from March 2023 to June 2023. A total number of 252 male (148) and female (104) patients were selected with any sign of leprosy, including disability, age ranging from 15 to 74 years. Data was collected in a pre-designed structured questionnaire by the researchers. To assess the risk of independent exposures of Grade 2 leprosy disabilities, we used a logistic regression model. A chi-square test showed the association between significant effects and leprosy disabilities. A p-value of 0.05 was considered as significant. For statistical analysis, STATA version 15 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, Texas, USA) was used. Results The study participants exhibited a higher percentage of disability, with a rate of 25.8% for Grade 2 disabilities. In addition to this, males represented a more considerable proportion, 58.7%, than females among leprosy and disability patients across all levels of disability. In our study, lack of money and painless symptoms showed a significant association (p<0.001) with Grade 2 disability. Conclusion The study reveals that Grade 2 disabilities are more common in males and are particularly prevalent in lower socioeconomic groups.
  20. Kamar Affendi NH, Ahmad R, Tong Wah L, Abdul Hamid NF, Abdul Hakim AY
    Dent Med Probl, 2024;61(2):257-268.
    PMID: 38686968 DOI: 10.17219/dmp/155811
    BACKGROUND: The screw-retrievable cement-retained (SRCR) design combines the benefits of both screwand cement-retained implant-supported restorations. This concept has sparked interest in implant dentistry. However, there is a lack of research on fracture behaviors and clinical performance of such restorations.

    OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present article was to review the current literature on the fracture loads and fracture modes of SRCR implant restorations - in vitro studies, and also studies demonstrating the clinical performance of such design.

    MATERIAL AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted from January 2000 to June 2022, using 6 databases to identify studies on fracture load and clinical performance that fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Thirty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria (22 in vitro and16 in vivo). The in vivo studies comprised case reports/series/letters (9), clinical techniques (2), retrospective/prospective studies (3), and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (2).

    RESULTS: The reviewed articles reported the effects of the SRCR design on the fracture risk if screw access channels were filled or unfilled, with regard to their diameter, and the preparation before or after glazing. The effect of the type of material used in the construction on the fracture modes SRCR restorations was also reported. The long-term clinical data was mainly retrospective and referred to metal-ceramic constructions. Limited long-term clinical data was available for all-ceramic materials and high-performance polymers (HPPs).

    CONCLUSIONS: Screw-retrievable cement-retained implant restorations appear to have potential in the monolithic design. If the SRCR construction is metal-ceramic or made of a veneered material, special design and abutment selection should be considered. High-performance polymers may be recommended as a substitute for posterior implant restoration.

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