Population growth leads to increased utilization of water resources.One of these resources is groundwater,which has steadily declined each year.The depletion of these resources brings about various environmental chall...Population growth leads to increased utilization of water resources.One of these resources is groundwater,which has steadily declined each year.The depletion of these resources brings about various environmental challenges.The present study aimed to explore the relationship between groundwater fluctuations and land subsidence in the Malayer Plain,Iran,focusing on quantifying subsidence resulting from groundwater extraction.Using Sentinel-1 satellite data(2014–2019)and monthly piezometric measurements(1996–2018),the analysis revealed an average deformation velocity of–6.3 cm yr–1,with accumulated subsidence of–32 cm over the 2014–2019 period.The maximum subsidence rate reached 10.3 cm yr–1 in areas of intensive agricultural activity.A wavelet-PCA spatiotemporal analysis of groundwater fluctuations identified critical multi-scale patterns strongly correlated with subsidence trends.Regression analysis between subsidence rates and groundwater fluctuations at various wavelet decomposition levels explained 75%of the variance(R2=0.75),indicating that intermediate-scale groundwater declines were the primary drivers of subsidence.Furthermore,land use analysis using Landsat data(1999–2021)revealed a 6230-ha increase in irrigated farmland,contributing to heightened groundwater extraction and subsidence rates.These findings highlight the critical need for sustainable groundwater management to mitigate the risks of continued subsidence in the region.展开更多
In the era of global tourism and creative economies,digital technology maturity has emerged as a critical factor for the sustainable development of small and medium enterprises(SMEs)in Indonesia.This research is imple...In the era of global tourism and creative economies,digital technology maturity has emerged as a critical factor for the sustainable development of small and medium enterprises(SMEs)in Indonesia.This research is implemented to find out current digital technology maturity levels among SMEs in the subdistrict of Cangkringan,district of Sleman,Yogyakarta,Indonesia,highlighting their role in fostering sustainable tourism and creative economic growth.Using a mixed-method approach,the research combines qualitative insights from in-depth interviews with three local government representatives and Focus Group Discussion with 15 SMEs in the area.Additionally,a quantitative analysis of SMEs across various sectors,including crafts and culinary services,supports the study’s conclusions.The finding reveals a significant gap between government’s training programs and the digital literacy of SMEs as well as a lack of affordable technological resources which could impede the full realization of digital benefits.Strengthening digital technology maturity among SMEs is essential for enhancing their competitiveness and long-term sustainability,yielding both financial and non-financial benefits.This also contributes to find out digital literacy gaps,impact on competitiveness and sustainability,policy and stakeholder recommendations,and government action.These insights offer valuable guidance for policymakers and stakeholders striving to support the digital transformation of SMEs in similar settings.The study also sheds light on digital literacy gaps,their impact on competitiveness and offers policy recommendations for government and stakeholders to address these challenges such as through government and community collaboration.展开更多
Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to (a) insulin-insufficiency (type I DM), or (b) impaired glucose cell-entry (insulin resistance) due to the downregulation of insulin...Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to (a) insulin-insufficiency (type I DM), or (b) impaired glucose cell-entry (insulin resistance) due to the downregulation of insulin cell receptors (type II DM). Type I DM usually presents with florid manifestations contrary to a slowly-progressive type II. Patients and methods: Over the past 10 years, we encountered 9 obese patients with controlled insulin-requiring type II DM for years, at a dose of 62 ± 5 units/day, who developed sudden and severe insulin resistance (IR) that required 210 ± 25 units daily. All patients had very high levels of anti-Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies. Despite a lack of previous testing for anti-GAD antibodies, they were treated, with Cyclosporin A (Cy), as an autoimmune disorder superimposed on their type II MD. Initially all patients were treated with 100 mg, of Cy, twice daily aiming at an initial trough level of 100 - 150 ng/ml. Three months later, the dose was reduced to 50 mg twice daily for a total of 2 years. Results: Amelioration of IR was achieved by 1 month with a reduction of daily insulin requirement to 123 ± 16 units that further decreased to 76 ± 11 by the end of the 3rd month. Such improvement persisted for 2 years and >1 year after Cy discontinuation. Moreover, a decline in insulin requirements was associated with a parallel decrease in anti-GAD antibody levels and an increase in C-peptide insulin without kidney disease. Conclusion: Anti-GAD antibodies can induce acute IR in type II DM, and this phenomenon can be treated safely and effectively with Cy.展开更多
We examined the impact of various coastal developments on mangrove cover along the Kilim River, Langkawi Island, Malaysia between 1996 and 2008. We analysed images from Systeme Probatoire d＇Observation de la Tarre （...We examined the impact of various coastal developments on mangrove cover along the Kilim River, Langkawi Island, Malaysia between 1996 and 2008. We analysed images from Systeme Probatoire d＇Observation de la Tarre （SPOT） of Kilim River using supervised classification and Principal Component Analysis （PCA）. Over 8% （176.83 ha] of mangrove cover was degraded along the Kilim River from its total area of 2153.07 ha during the past 14 years. We identified several causes of mangrove degradation, including mangrove clearing （38%）, mangrove conversion to commercial area （21%）, residential area （19%）, agriculture （12%）, aquaculture （12%） and wake current （6%）. Langkawi is one of the main tourism islands in Malaysia. Tthe pace of coastal development throughout the entire island including Kilim River had suppressed the mangroves propagation over the years. Long term monitoring of mangrove ecosystems is essentials to ensure the survival and sustainability of mangrove associated biodiversity.展开更多
Nanofluids and low-salinity water(LSW)flooding are two novel techniques for enhanced oil recovery.Despite some efforts on investigating benefits of each method,the pros and cons of their combined application need to b...Nanofluids and low-salinity water(LSW)flooding are two novel techniques for enhanced oil recovery.Despite some efforts on investigating benefits of each method,the pros and cons of their combined application need to be evaluated.This work sheds light on performance of LSW augmented with nanoparticles through examining wettability alteration and the amount of incremental oil recovery during the displacement process.To this end,nanofluids were prepared by dispersing silica nanoparticles(0.1 wt%,0.25 wt%,0.5 wt% and 0.75 wt%)in 2,10,20 and 100 times diluted samples of Persian Gulf seawater.Contact angle measurements revealed a crucial role of temperature,where no wettability alteration occurred up to 80 ℃.Also,an optimum wettability state(with contact angle 22°)was detected with a 20 times diluted sample of seawater augmented with 0.25 wt% silica nanoparticles.Also,extreme dilution(herein 100 times)will be of no significance.Throughout micromodel flooding,it was found that in an oil-wet condition,a combination of silica nanoparticles dispersed in 20 times diluted brine had the highest displacement efficiency compared to silica nanofluids prepared with deionized water.Finally,by comparing oil recoveries in both water-and oil-wet micromodels,it was concluded that nanoparticles could enhance applicability of LSW via strengthening wettability alteration toward a favorable state and improving the sweep efficiency.展开更多
AIM:To assess the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the large conductance potassium channel (BKCa) in isolated circular (CM) and sling (SM) muscle cells and muscle strips from the cat lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to ...AIM:To assess the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the large conductance potassium channel (BKCa) in isolated circular (CM) and sling (SM) muscle cells and muscle strips from the cat lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to determine its regulation of resting tone and relaxation.METHODS:Freshly enzymatically-digested and isolated circular smooth muscle cells were prepared from each LES region.To study outward K + currents,the perforated patch clamp technique was employed.To assess LES resting tone and relaxation,muscle strips were mounted in perfused organ baths.RESULTS:(1) Electrophysiological recordings from isolated cells:(a) CM was more depolarized than SM (-39.7 ± 0.8mV vs-48.1 ± 1.6 mV,P < 0.001),and maximal outward current was similar (27.1 ± 1.5 pA/pF vs 25.7 ± 2.0 pA/pF,P > 0.05);(b) The NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) increased outward currents only in CM (25.9 ± 1.9 to 46.7 ± 4.2 pA/pF,P < 0.001) but not SM (23.2 ± 3.1 to 27.0 ± 3.4 pA/pF,P > 0.05);(c) SNP added in the presence of the BK Ca antagonist iberiotoxin (IbTX) produced no increase in the outward current in CM (17.0 ± 2.8 vs 13.7 ± 2.2,P > 0.05);and (d) L-NNA caused a small insignificant inhibition of outward K + currents in both muscles;and (2) Muscle strip studies:(a) Blockade of the nerves with tetrodotoxin (TTX),or BK Ca with IbTX had no significant effect on resting tone of either muscle;and (b) SNP reduced tone in both muscles,and was unaffected by the presence of TTX or IbTX.CONCLUSION:Exogenous NO activates BK Ca only in CM of the cat.However,as opposed to other species,exogenous NO-induced relaxation is predominantly by a non-BK Ca mechanism,and endogenous NO has minimal effect on resting tone.展开更多
Titania coating of multi wall carbon nano tube(MWCNT) was carried out by sol-gel method in order to improve its photo catalytic properties.The effect of MWCNT/TiO_2 mass to volume ratio on adsorption ability,reaction ...Titania coating of multi wall carbon nano tube(MWCNT) was carried out by sol-gel method in order to improve its photo catalytic properties.The effect of MWCNT/TiO_2 mass to volume ratio on adsorption ability,reaction rate and photo-catalytic removal efficiency of dibenzothiophene(DBT) from n-hexane solution was investigated using a 9 W UV lamp.The results show that the addition of nanotubes improves the photo-catalytic properties of TiO_2 by two factors;however,the DBT removal rate versus MWCNT content is found to follow a bimodal pattern.Two factors are observed to affect the removal rate of DBT and produce two optimum values for MWCNT content.First,large quantities of MWCNTs prevent light absorption by the solution and decrease removal efficiency.By contrast,a low dosage of MWCNT causes recombination of the electron holes,which also decreases the DBT removal rate.The optimum MWCNT contents in the composite are found to be 0.25 g and 0.75 g MWCNT per 80 m L of sol.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the antimicrobial property of mangrove plantSonneratia alba(S. alba).Methods:The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using disc diffusion and microdilution methods against six microorganisms....Objective:To investigate the antimicrobial property of mangrove plantSonneratia alba(S. alba).Methods:The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using disc diffusion and microdilution methods against six microorganisms. Soxhlet apparatus was used for extraction with a series of solvents,n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol in sequence of increasing polarity.Results:Methanol extract appeared to be the most effective extract whilen-hexane extract showed no activity. The antimicrobial activities were observed against the gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) and Bacillus cereus(B. cereus), the gram negative Escherichia coli(E. coli) and the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans appeared to be not sensitive to the concentrations tested since no inhibition zone was observed.E. coli(17.5 mm) appeared to be the most sensitive strain followed by S. aureus(12.5 mm)and B. cereus(12.5 mm).Conclusions:From this study, it can be concluded that S. alba exhibit santim icrobial activities against certain microorganisms.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the antimicrobial activities of n-hexane.ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the leaves of Lumnitzera littorea(L littorea) against six human pathogenic microbes. Methods:The antimicrobial a...Objective:To investigate the antimicrobial activities of n-hexane.ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the leaves of Lumnitzera littorea(L littorea) against six human pathogenic microbes. Methods:The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using disc diffusion and microdilution methods.Results:The antimicrobial activities of the crude extracts were increased with increasing the concentration.It is clear that n-hexane extract was the most effective extract. Additionally.Gram positive Bacillus cereus(B.cereus) appear to be the most sensitive strain while Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P.aeruginosa) and the yeast strains(Candida albicans(C. albicans) and Cryptococcus neoformans(C.neqformans)) appear to be resistance to the tested concentrations since no inhibition zone was observed.The inhibition of microbial growth at concentration as low as 0.04 mg/ml.indicated the potent antimicrobial activity of L littorea extracts.Conclusions:The obtained results are considered sufficient for further study to isolate the compounds responsible for the activity and suggesting the possibility of finding potent antibacterial agents from L littorea extracts.展开更多
Rice crop growth and yield in the north Iran are affected by crop duration and phenology.The purpose of this study was to calibrate and validate the ORYZA2000 model under potential production based on experimental dat...Rice crop growth and yield in the north Iran are affected by crop duration and phenology.The purpose of this study was to calibrate and validate the ORYZA2000 model under potential production based on experimental data for simulating and quantifying the phenological development,crop duration and yield prediction of rice crop influenced by different seedling ages.In order to calibrate and validate the crop parameters of ORYZA2000 model,a two-year field experiment was conducted under potential growth condition for transplanted lowland rice during the 2008-2009 rice growing seasons,using three rice varieties with three seedling ages(17,24 and 33 days old).The results showed that the seedling age changed crop duration from 7 to 10 d.The ORYZA2000 model could predict well,but consistently underestimated the length of growing period.The range in normalized root mean square error(RMSEn) values for each phenological stage was between 4% and 6%.From our evaluation,we concluded that ORYZA2000 was sufficiently accurate in simulation of yield,leaf area index(LAI) and biomass of crop organs over time.On average,RMSEn values were 13%-15% for total biomass,18%-21% for green leaf biomass,17%-20% for stem biomass,16%-23% for panicle biomass and 24%-26% for LAI.The RMSEn values for final yield and biomass were 12%-16% and 6%-9%,respectively.Generally,the model simulated LAI,an exceeded measured value for younger seedlings,and best-fit was observed for older seedlings of short-duration varieties.The results revealed that the ORYZA2000 model can be applied as a supportive research tool for selecting the most appropriate strategies for rice yield improvement across the north Iran.展开更多
Objective:To identify the prevalence of Cryptosporidium from goats in three types of farm management systems in Terengganu,Malaysia and to determine the Cryptosporidium species infecting goats by using 18 S r RNA.Meth...Objective:To identify the prevalence of Cryptosporidium from goats in three types of farm management systems in Terengganu,Malaysia and to determine the Cryptosporidium species infecting goats by using 18 S r RNA.Methods:A total of 478 fecal samples were randomly collected from goats in three farms;199 samples were collected from intensive farm,179 samples from semi-intensive farm and 100 samples from extensive farm.The samples were processed by using formolether concentration technique and stained by using modified Ziehl–Neelsen.Positive samples were performed by using nested PCR analysis by using 18 S r RNA.Results:Out of 478 goats,207(43.3%) were found to be infected with Cryptosporidium.Goats reared under the intensive farm management system reported the highest prevalence of infection(49.7%),followed by intensive farm management system(41%) and the lowest prevalence was reported in the goats reared under semi-intensive management system(37.4%).Conclusions:The identified species found in goat was Cryptosporidium parvum.Future study on the zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium parvum in goats needs to be done in order to find the source of transmission of this parasite.展开更多
Objective: To determine the etiologies of tropical acute febrile illness(TAFI) in West Pahang, Malaysia and to investigate morbidity and mortality factors in relation to TAFI. Methods: A multicenter prospective cohort...Objective: To determine the etiologies of tropical acute febrile illness(TAFI) in West Pahang, Malaysia and to investigate morbidity and mortality factors in relation to TAFI. Methods: A multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted between January and June 2016 in six district hospitals throughout the western part of Pahang State in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 336 patients answered a standardized questionnaire and blood samples were collected for laboratory confirmation of infectious etiology. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were performed to identify factors associated with TAFI. Results: A total of 336 patients were included. The patients were mainly Malays(70.2%), males(61.3%), aged(44.6±17.4) years, with more than half(58.9%) presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms. The majority were diagnosed with dengue(35.7%) while malaria(4.5%) was the least frequent. The in-hospital mortality due to TAFI was 9.2%. Patients with meliodosis had five times higher mortality [Adjusted OR: 5.002, 95% CI:(1.233, 20.286)]. Patients with comorbidities such as cardiovascular symptoms(P<0.001) and renal replacement therapy initiation(P<0.001) were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality in all TAFI. Conclusions: The etiology of TAFI in the western Pahang includes dengue, leptospirosis, malaria and melioidosis, which carry the highest risk of in-hospital mortality. The presence of cardiovascular symptoms may be used to assess the disease severity in TAFI, but more studies are needed in the future.展开更多
Classification is one of the data mining processes used to predict predetermined target classes with data learning accurately.This study discusses data classification using a fuzzy soft set method to predict target cl...Classification is one of the data mining processes used to predict predetermined target classes with data learning accurately.This study discusses data classification using a fuzzy soft set method to predict target classes accurately.This study aims to form a data classification algorithm using the fuzzy soft set method.In this study,the fuzzy soft set was calculated based on the normalized Hamming distance.Each parameter in this method is mapped to a power set from a subset of the fuzzy set using a fuzzy approximation function.In the classification step,a generalized normalized Euclidean distance is used to determine the similarity between two sets of fuzzy soft sets.The experiments used the University of California(UCI)Machine Learning dataset to assess the accuracy of the proposed data classification method.The dataset samples were divided into training(75%of samples)and test(25%of samples)sets.Experiments were performed in MATLAB R2010a software.The experiments showed that:(1)The fastest sequence is matching function,distance measure,similarity,normalized Euclidean distance,(2)the proposed approach can improve accuracy and recall by up to 10.3436%and 6.9723%,respectively,compared with baseline techniques.Hence,the fuzzy soft set method is appropriate for classifying data.展开更多
Background: Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases can be associated with the different obstetrical condition. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to see the Presence of Obstetrical Conditions among Women with pelv...Background: Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases can be associated with the different obstetrical condition. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to see the Presence of Obstetrical Conditions among Women with pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID). Methodology: This cross-sectional of study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from January 2007 to June 2007 for a period of six (6) months. Women with the age group of 15 - 45 years presented with lower abdominal pain, tenderness, per vaginal discharge and cervical motion tenderness were included in this study. A pre-designed data collection sheet was used to record the history of different obstetrical condition. Result: A total number of 50 women presented with PID were recruited for this study of which majority was in para 2 to 5 which was 30 (60.0%) cases. Majority of the patients had given the history of home delivery (74.0%) which was performed by untrained birth attendance (60.0%). The history of induced abortion was given by 24.0% cases. History of more than 2 times menstrual regulation (MR) and 2 to 5 times were performed in 20 (40.0%) cases in each. Among 50 cases majority used intrauterine device (IUCD) which were 20 (40.0%) cases. Conclusion: In conclusion majority of the women presented with PID have given the history of para 2 to 5, home delivery with untrained birth attendance, induction abortion and history of more than two times MR.展开更多
The aim of the investigation was to determine the potential effect of lead on maize growth. Lead is considered as important potent environmental contaminant. Various ecological, environmental and evolutionary processe...The aim of the investigation was to determine the potential effect of lead on maize growth. Lead is considered as important potent environmental contaminant. Various ecological, environmental and evolutionary processes in the microsphere are disrupted because of lead toxicity to the microbial community. The effects of Lead Nitrate (Pb(No3)2) as heavy metal on germination, early growth seedling, root-shoot length, root-shoot fresh and dry weights, total protein content and the uptake of lead by roots and shoots of Zea-mays were investigated. All of the parameters were reduced by the increased lead concentrations. Such growth retardation was due to metals toxicity that resulted in damages to various physiological and biochemical processes.展开更多
This editorial commentary critically examines the systematic review by Miotti et al,which discusses the evolving trends in upper lid blepharoplasty towards a conservative,volume-preserving approach.The review emphasiz...This editorial commentary critically examines the systematic review by Miotti et al,which discusses the evolving trends in upper lid blepharoplasty towards a conservative,volume-preserving approach.The review emphasizes the shift from traditional tissue resection to techniques that maintain anatomical integrity,paralleling broader trends in panfacial rejuvenation.Miotti et al delve into the nuances of fat pad management,advocating for conservation over reduction to sustain natural contours and improve long-term aesthetic outcomes.This perspective is supported by comparative studies and empirical data,such as those from Massry and Alghoul et al,highlighting the benefits of conservative approaches in terms of patient satisfaction and aesthetic longevity.The review also stresses the importance of surgeon discretion in adapting procedures to diverse patient demographics,particularly in addressing distinct features such as the Asian upper eyelid.However,it identifies a significant gap in long-term comparative research,underscoring the need for future studies to substantiate the safety and efficacy of these minimalist techniques.Overall,Miotti et al.'s work contributes profoundly to the discourse on personalized,conservative cosmetic surgery,urging ongoing research to refine and validate surgical best practices in upper eyelid blepharoplasty.展开更多
The aim of the study was to develop protein enriched instant fish soup mix and analysis of the quality of various conditions. The study used a mechanical dryer for maintaining a constant air flow and temperature at it...The aim of the study was to develop protein enriched instant fish soup mix and analysis of the quality of various conditions. The study used a mechanical dryer for maintaining a constant air flow and temperature at its drying and dehydration stage. Powder was made after drying. An appropriate composition was used as an indicator. Various compositions like 75%, 65%, 55% and 45% fish powder were used as formulation 0, formulation 1, formulation 2, and formulation 3 respectively. Then these were reconstituted by boiled water for soup mix preparation. The result indicated that mixer 2 was the best composition. The finding suggested that 55% fish powder mix is the best composition for protein enriched instant soup mix. It will help to produce the instant soup mix and an alternative source of various costly animal and plant protein as a value-added material.展开更多
文摘Population growth leads to increased utilization of water resources.One of these resources is groundwater,which has steadily declined each year.The depletion of these resources brings about various environmental challenges.The present study aimed to explore the relationship between groundwater fluctuations and land subsidence in the Malayer Plain,Iran,focusing on quantifying subsidence resulting from groundwater extraction.Using Sentinel-1 satellite data(2014–2019)and monthly piezometric measurements(1996–2018),the analysis revealed an average deformation velocity of–6.3 cm yr–1,with accumulated subsidence of–32 cm over the 2014–2019 period.The maximum subsidence rate reached 10.3 cm yr–1 in areas of intensive agricultural activity.A wavelet-PCA spatiotemporal analysis of groundwater fluctuations identified critical multi-scale patterns strongly correlated with subsidence trends.Regression analysis between subsidence rates and groundwater fluctuations at various wavelet decomposition levels explained 75%of the variance(R2=0.75),indicating that intermediate-scale groundwater declines were the primary drivers of subsidence.Furthermore,land use analysis using Landsat data(1999–2021)revealed a 6230-ha increase in irrigated farmland,contributing to heightened groundwater extraction and subsidence rates.These findings highlight the critical need for sustainable groundwater management to mitigate the risks of continued subsidence in the region.
文摘In the era of global tourism and creative economies,digital technology maturity has emerged as a critical factor for the sustainable development of small and medium enterprises(SMEs)in Indonesia.This research is implemented to find out current digital technology maturity levels among SMEs in the subdistrict of Cangkringan,district of Sleman,Yogyakarta,Indonesia,highlighting their role in fostering sustainable tourism and creative economic growth.Using a mixed-method approach,the research combines qualitative insights from in-depth interviews with three local government representatives and Focus Group Discussion with 15 SMEs in the area.Additionally,a quantitative analysis of SMEs across various sectors,including crafts and culinary services,supports the study’s conclusions.The finding reveals a significant gap between government’s training programs and the digital literacy of SMEs as well as a lack of affordable technological resources which could impede the full realization of digital benefits.Strengthening digital technology maturity among SMEs is essential for enhancing their competitiveness and long-term sustainability,yielding both financial and non-financial benefits.This also contributes to find out digital literacy gaps,impact on competitiveness and sustainability,policy and stakeholder recommendations,and government action.These insights offer valuable guidance for policymakers and stakeholders striving to support the digital transformation of SMEs in similar settings.The study also sheds light on digital literacy gaps,their impact on competitiveness and offers policy recommendations for government and stakeholders to address these challenges such as through government and community collaboration.
文摘Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to (a) insulin-insufficiency (type I DM), or (b) impaired glucose cell-entry (insulin resistance) due to the downregulation of insulin cell receptors (type II DM). Type I DM usually presents with florid manifestations contrary to a slowly-progressive type II. Patients and methods: Over the past 10 years, we encountered 9 obese patients with controlled insulin-requiring type II DM for years, at a dose of 62 ± 5 units/day, who developed sudden and severe insulin resistance (IR) that required 210 ± 25 units daily. All patients had very high levels of anti-Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies. Despite a lack of previous testing for anti-GAD antibodies, they were treated, with Cyclosporin A (Cy), as an autoimmune disorder superimposed on their type II MD. Initially all patients were treated with 100 mg, of Cy, twice daily aiming at an initial trough level of 100 - 150 ng/ml. Three months later, the dose was reduced to 50 mg twice daily for a total of 2 years. Results: Amelioration of IR was achieved by 1 month with a reduction of daily insulin requirement to 123 ± 16 units that further decreased to 76 ± 11 by the end of the 3rd month. Such improvement persisted for 2 years and >1 year after Cy discontinuation. Moreover, a decline in insulin requirements was associated with a parallel decrease in anti-GAD antibody levels and an increase in C-peptide insulin without kidney disease. Conclusion: Anti-GAD antibodies can induce acute IR in type II DM, and this phenomenon can be treated safely and effectively with Cy.
基金funded by Mangrove Cluster Research under Institute of Oceanographic and Maritime Studies (INOCEM), International Islamic University Malaysia
文摘We examined the impact of various coastal developments on mangrove cover along the Kilim River, Langkawi Island, Malaysia between 1996 and 2008. We analysed images from Systeme Probatoire d＇Observation de la Tarre （SPOT） of Kilim River using supervised classification and Principal Component Analysis （PCA）. Over 8% （176.83 ha] of mangrove cover was degraded along the Kilim River from its total area of 2153.07 ha during the past 14 years. We identified several causes of mangrove degradation, including mangrove clearing （38%）, mangrove conversion to commercial area （21%）, residential area （19%）, agriculture （12%）, aquaculture （12%） and wake current （6%）. Langkawi is one of the main tourism islands in Malaysia. Tthe pace of coastal development throughout the entire island including Kilim River had suppressed the mangroves propagation over the years. Long term monitoring of mangrove ecosystems is essentials to ensure the survival and sustainability of mangrove associated biodiversity.
文摘Nanofluids and low-salinity water(LSW)flooding are two novel techniques for enhanced oil recovery.Despite some efforts on investigating benefits of each method,the pros and cons of their combined application need to be evaluated.This work sheds light on performance of LSW augmented with nanoparticles through examining wettability alteration and the amount of incremental oil recovery during the displacement process.To this end,nanofluids were prepared by dispersing silica nanoparticles(0.1 wt%,0.25 wt%,0.5 wt% and 0.75 wt%)in 2,10,20 and 100 times diluted samples of Persian Gulf seawater.Contact angle measurements revealed a crucial role of temperature,where no wettability alteration occurred up to 80 ℃.Also,an optimum wettability state(with contact angle 22°)was detected with a 20 times diluted sample of seawater augmented with 0.25 wt% silica nanoparticles.Also,extreme dilution(herein 100 times)will be of no significance.Throughout micromodel flooding,it was found that in an oil-wet condition,a combination of silica nanoparticles dispersed in 20 times diluted brine had the highest displacement efficiency compared to silica nanofluids prepared with deionized water.Finally,by comparing oil recoveries in both water-and oil-wet micromodels,it was concluded that nanoparticles could enhance applicability of LSW via strengthening wettability alteration toward a favorable state and improving the sweep efficiency.
基金Supported by A Postgraduate Fellowship Award to L'Heureux MC from the Department of Medicine,University of Torontoa doctoral research studentship and an Operating Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research(Gaisano HY and Diamant NE)
文摘AIM:To assess the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the large conductance potassium channel (BKCa) in isolated circular (CM) and sling (SM) muscle cells and muscle strips from the cat lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to determine its regulation of resting tone and relaxation.METHODS:Freshly enzymatically-digested and isolated circular smooth muscle cells were prepared from each LES region.To study outward K + currents,the perforated patch clamp technique was employed.To assess LES resting tone and relaxation,muscle strips were mounted in perfused organ baths.RESULTS:(1) Electrophysiological recordings from isolated cells:(a) CM was more depolarized than SM (-39.7 ± 0.8mV vs-48.1 ± 1.6 mV,P < 0.001),and maximal outward current was similar (27.1 ± 1.5 pA/pF vs 25.7 ± 2.0 pA/pF,P > 0.05);(b) The NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) increased outward currents only in CM (25.9 ± 1.9 to 46.7 ± 4.2 pA/pF,P < 0.001) but not SM (23.2 ± 3.1 to 27.0 ± 3.4 pA/pF,P > 0.05);(c) SNP added in the presence of the BK Ca antagonist iberiotoxin (IbTX) produced no increase in the outward current in CM (17.0 ± 2.8 vs 13.7 ± 2.2,P > 0.05);and (d) L-NNA caused a small insignificant inhibition of outward K + currents in both muscles;and (2) Muscle strip studies:(a) Blockade of the nerves with tetrodotoxin (TTX),or BK Ca with IbTX had no significant effect on resting tone of either muscle;and (b) SNP reduced tone in both muscles,and was unaffected by the presence of TTX or IbTX.CONCLUSION:Exogenous NO activates BK Ca only in CM of the cat.However,as opposed to other species,exogenous NO-induced relaxation is predominantly by a non-BK Ca mechanism,and endogenous NO has minimal effect on resting tone.
文摘Titania coating of multi wall carbon nano tube(MWCNT) was carried out by sol-gel method in order to improve its photo catalytic properties.The effect of MWCNT/TiO_2 mass to volume ratio on adsorption ability,reaction rate and photo-catalytic removal efficiency of dibenzothiophene(DBT) from n-hexane solution was investigated using a 9 W UV lamp.The results show that the addition of nanotubes improves the photo-catalytic properties of TiO_2 by two factors;however,the DBT removal rate versus MWCNT content is found to follow a bimodal pattern.Two factors are observed to affect the removal rate of DBT and produce two optimum values for MWCNT content.First,large quantities of MWCNTs prevent light absorption by the solution and decrease removal efficiency.By contrast,a low dosage of MWCNT causes recombination of the electron holes,which also decreases the DBT removal rate.The optimum MWCNT contents in the composite are found to be 0.25 g and 0.75 g MWCNT per 80 m L of sol.
基金financially supported by Faculty of Science,International Islamic University Malaysia
文摘Objective:To investigate the antimicrobial property of mangrove plantSonneratia alba(S. alba).Methods:The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using disc diffusion and microdilution methods against six microorganisms. Soxhlet apparatus was used for extraction with a series of solvents,n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol in sequence of increasing polarity.Results:Methanol extract appeared to be the most effective extract whilen-hexane extract showed no activity. The antimicrobial activities were observed against the gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) and Bacillus cereus(B. cereus), the gram negative Escherichia coli(E. coli) and the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans appeared to be not sensitive to the concentrations tested since no inhibition zone was observed.E. coli(17.5 mm) appeared to be the most sensitive strain followed by S. aureus(12.5 mm)and B. cereus(12.5 mm).Conclusions:From this study, it can be concluded that S. alba exhibit santim icrobial activities against certain microorganisms.
基金funded by faculty of science,International Islamic University Malaysia
文摘Objective:To investigate the antimicrobial activities of n-hexane.ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the leaves of Lumnitzera littorea(L littorea) against six human pathogenic microbes. Methods:The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using disc diffusion and microdilution methods.Results:The antimicrobial activities of the crude extracts were increased with increasing the concentration.It is clear that n-hexane extract was the most effective extract. Additionally.Gram positive Bacillus cereus(B.cereus) appear to be the most sensitive strain while Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P.aeruginosa) and the yeast strains(Candida albicans(C. albicans) and Cryptococcus neoformans(C.neqformans)) appear to be resistance to the tested concentrations since no inhibition zone was observed.The inhibition of microbial growth at concentration as low as 0.04 mg/ml.indicated the potent antimicrobial activity of L littorea extracts.Conclusions:The obtained results are considered sufficient for further study to isolate the compounds responsible for the activity and suggesting the possibility of finding potent antibacterial agents from L littorea extracts.
基金supported by HARAZ-Extension and Technology Development Center (HETDC) in Amol City,Iran
文摘Rice crop growth and yield in the north Iran are affected by crop duration and phenology.The purpose of this study was to calibrate and validate the ORYZA2000 model under potential production based on experimental data for simulating and quantifying the phenological development,crop duration and yield prediction of rice crop influenced by different seedling ages.In order to calibrate and validate the crop parameters of ORYZA2000 model,a two-year field experiment was conducted under potential growth condition for transplanted lowland rice during the 2008-2009 rice growing seasons,using three rice varieties with three seedling ages(17,24 and 33 days old).The results showed that the seedling age changed crop duration from 7 to 10 d.The ORYZA2000 model could predict well,but consistently underestimated the length of growing period.The range in normalized root mean square error(RMSEn) values for each phenological stage was between 4% and 6%.From our evaluation,we concluded that ORYZA2000 was sufficiently accurate in simulation of yield,leaf area index(LAI) and biomass of crop organs over time.On average,RMSEn values were 13%-15% for total biomass,18%-21% for green leaf biomass,17%-20% for stem biomass,16%-23% for panicle biomass and 24%-26% for LAI.The RMSEn values for final yield and biomass were 12%-16% and 6%-9%,respectively.Generally,the model simulated LAI,an exceeded measured value for younger seedlings,and best-fit was observed for older seedlings of short-duration varieties.The results revealed that the ORYZA2000 model can be applied as a supportive research tool for selecting the most appropriate strategies for rice yield improvement across the north Iran.
基金Supported by IIUM Research Initiative Grant,RIGS grant no.16-301-0465
文摘Objective:To identify the prevalence of Cryptosporidium from goats in three types of farm management systems in Terengganu,Malaysia and to determine the Cryptosporidium species infecting goats by using 18 S r RNA.Methods:A total of 478 fecal samples were randomly collected from goats in three farms;199 samples were collected from intensive farm,179 samples from semi-intensive farm and 100 samples from extensive farm.The samples were processed by using formolether concentration technique and stained by using modified Ziehl–Neelsen.Positive samples were performed by using nested PCR analysis by using 18 S r RNA.Results:Out of 478 goats,207(43.3%) were found to be infected with Cryptosporidium.Goats reared under the intensive farm management system reported the highest prevalence of infection(49.7%),followed by intensive farm management system(41%) and the lowest prevalence was reported in the goats reared under semi-intensive management system(37.4%).Conclusions:The identified species found in goat was Cryptosporidium parvum.Future study on the zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium parvum in goats needs to be done in order to find the source of transmission of this parasite.
文摘Objective: To determine the etiologies of tropical acute febrile illness(TAFI) in West Pahang, Malaysia and to investigate morbidity and mortality factors in relation to TAFI. Methods: A multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted between January and June 2016 in six district hospitals throughout the western part of Pahang State in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 336 patients answered a standardized questionnaire and blood samples were collected for laboratory confirmation of infectious etiology. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were performed to identify factors associated with TAFI. Results: A total of 336 patients were included. The patients were mainly Malays(70.2%), males(61.3%), aged(44.6±17.4) years, with more than half(58.9%) presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms. The majority were diagnosed with dengue(35.7%) while malaria(4.5%) was the least frequent. The in-hospital mortality due to TAFI was 9.2%. Patients with meliodosis had five times higher mortality [Adjusted OR: 5.002, 95% CI:(1.233, 20.286)]. Patients with comorbidities such as cardiovascular symptoms(P<0.001) and renal replacement therapy initiation(P<0.001) were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality in all TAFI. Conclusions: The etiology of TAFI in the western Pahang includes dengue, leptospirosis, malaria and melioidosis, which carry the highest risk of in-hospital mortality. The presence of cardiovascular symptoms may be used to assess the disease severity in TAFI, but more studies are needed in the future.
文摘Classification is one of the data mining processes used to predict predetermined target classes with data learning accurately.This study discusses data classification using a fuzzy soft set method to predict target classes accurately.This study aims to form a data classification algorithm using the fuzzy soft set method.In this study,the fuzzy soft set was calculated based on the normalized Hamming distance.Each parameter in this method is mapped to a power set from a subset of the fuzzy set using a fuzzy approximation function.In the classification step,a generalized normalized Euclidean distance is used to determine the similarity between two sets of fuzzy soft sets.The experiments used the University of California(UCI)Machine Learning dataset to assess the accuracy of the proposed data classification method.The dataset samples were divided into training(75%of samples)and test(25%of samples)sets.Experiments were performed in MATLAB R2010a software.The experiments showed that:(1)The fastest sequence is matching function,distance measure,similarity,normalized Euclidean distance,(2)the proposed approach can improve accuracy and recall by up to 10.3436%and 6.9723%,respectively,compared with baseline techniques.Hence,the fuzzy soft set method is appropriate for classifying data.
文摘Background: Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases can be associated with the different obstetrical condition. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to see the Presence of Obstetrical Conditions among Women with pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID). Methodology: This cross-sectional of study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from January 2007 to June 2007 for a period of six (6) months. Women with the age group of 15 - 45 years presented with lower abdominal pain, tenderness, per vaginal discharge and cervical motion tenderness were included in this study. A pre-designed data collection sheet was used to record the history of different obstetrical condition. Result: A total number of 50 women presented with PID were recruited for this study of which majority was in para 2 to 5 which was 30 (60.0%) cases. Majority of the patients had given the history of home delivery (74.0%) which was performed by untrained birth attendance (60.0%). The history of induced abortion was given by 24.0% cases. History of more than 2 times menstrual regulation (MR) and 2 to 5 times were performed in 20 (40.0%) cases in each. Among 50 cases majority used intrauterine device (IUCD) which were 20 (40.0%) cases. Conclusion: In conclusion majority of the women presented with PID have given the history of para 2 to 5, home delivery with untrained birth attendance, induction abortion and history of more than two times MR.
文摘The aim of the investigation was to determine the potential effect of lead on maize growth. Lead is considered as important potent environmental contaminant. Various ecological, environmental and evolutionary processes in the microsphere are disrupted because of lead toxicity to the microbial community. The effects of Lead Nitrate (Pb(No3)2) as heavy metal on germination, early growth seedling, root-shoot length, root-shoot fresh and dry weights, total protein content and the uptake of lead by roots and shoots of Zea-mays were investigated. All of the parameters were reduced by the increased lead concentrations. Such growth retardation was due to metals toxicity that resulted in damages to various physiological and biochemical processes.
文摘This editorial commentary critically examines the systematic review by Miotti et al,which discusses the evolving trends in upper lid blepharoplasty towards a conservative,volume-preserving approach.The review emphasizes the shift from traditional tissue resection to techniques that maintain anatomical integrity,paralleling broader trends in panfacial rejuvenation.Miotti et al delve into the nuances of fat pad management,advocating for conservation over reduction to sustain natural contours and improve long-term aesthetic outcomes.This perspective is supported by comparative studies and empirical data,such as those from Massry and Alghoul et al,highlighting the benefits of conservative approaches in terms of patient satisfaction and aesthetic longevity.The review also stresses the importance of surgeon discretion in adapting procedures to diverse patient demographics,particularly in addressing distinct features such as the Asian upper eyelid.However,it identifies a significant gap in long-term comparative research,underscoring the need for future studies to substantiate the safety and efficacy of these minimalist techniques.Overall,Miotti et al.'s work contributes profoundly to the discourse on personalized,conservative cosmetic surgery,urging ongoing research to refine and validate surgical best practices in upper eyelid blepharoplasty.
文摘The aim of the study was to develop protein enriched instant fish soup mix and analysis of the quality of various conditions. The study used a mechanical dryer for maintaining a constant air flow and temperature at its drying and dehydration stage. Powder was made after drying. An appropriate composition was used as an indicator. Various compositions like 75%, 65%, 55% and 45% fish powder were used as formulation 0, formulation 1, formulation 2, and formulation 3 respectively. Then these were reconstituted by boiled water for soup mix preparation. The result indicated that mixer 2 was the best composition. The finding suggested that 55% fish powder mix is the best composition for protein enriched instant soup mix. It will help to produce the instant soup mix and an alternative source of various costly animal and plant protein as a value-added material.
