58178 research outputs found
Sort by
Anti cancer effect of paddy husk extracts in human salivary gland epidermoid cancer cells in vitro model
Get PDFGlobal agriculture produces millions of tons of waste yearly. Paddy husk is an inedible agriculture waste obtained during the process of rice milling. Studies reported that it has chemopreventive potential due to the presence of related phytochemicals. The aim of this study is to elucidate the presence of anti-cancer related phytochemicals from paddy husk extract and evaluate its inhibitory and anti-proliferative effects against human submaxillary salivary gland epidermoid carcinoma cells (HTB-41). Two types of solvent for paddy husk extract have been used; water and aqueous methanol. The phytochemical constituents of paddy husk extracts were identified using GC-MS. The inhibitory activity and cytotoxicity analysis was calculated using Trypan Blue Exclusion Assay (TBEA). Apoptosis and cell cycle analysis were evaluated by flow cytometer, and cell morphology post treatment was analysed ultrastructurally, while Western blot was performed for proteomic analysis. Our results showed presence of vitamin E and other phytochemicals in paddy husk extracts. Both water and aqueous methanol extracts demonstrated inhibitory activity on HTB- 41 cells where IC50 dose of water extract (400 μg/ml) managed to reduce cell viability to 53.0 % and IC50 dose of aqueous methanol extract (200 μg/ml) managed to reduce cell viability to 51.12 % without exhibiting any significant cytotoxic effects. Apoptosis analysis revealed that water and aqueous methanol extracts induce apoptosis effect on HTB-41 as supported with microscopic findings of cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing and apoptotic bodies, meanwhile, Hoechst 33342 staining showed nuclear shrinkage and fragmentation. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that paddy husk extracts promote a significant amount of apoptotic cellular population from 76.00% (untreated) to 47.86% (paddy husk water extract) and 43.13% (paddy husk aqueous methanol) and arresting the cells at S-phase from 19.90% (control) to 36.90 % (paddy husk aqueous methanol extract) and 27.86 % (paddy husk water extract). Western blot analysis reveals that apoptosis was induced through caspase 3-mediated intrinsic pathway. Pro-apoptotic and tumour suppressor proteins; Bax, p27kip1 expressed higher (P <0.05), while anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2 downregulated after treatment (P <0.01). This leads to increase of caspase 9 expression which in turn activate caspase 3 and 7 leading to cell apoptosis. In conclusion, the presence of phytochemicals in paddy husk especially in aqueous methanol extract successfully showed better inhibitory and anti-proliferative effects on the human submaxillary salivary gland epidermoid carcinoma cells (HTB-41), while it acted in a tumour-selective manner by not inducing any significant changes on human gingival fibroblast cell (HGF-1)
Effects of brain breaks on physical activity, academic self-efficacy, emotion regulation, sleep and resilience among Chinese university students
Get PDFEncouraging physical activity is vital for university students' well-being. Brain Breaks, an online video program designed for classrooms, has shown positive effects on primary and secondary school students but is rarely used among university students. This study sought to explore the associations among physical activity, academic self-efficacy, emotion regulation, sleep, and resilience in Chinese university students from Jiangsu Province. It also aimed to assess the impact of the Brain Breaks physical activity program on these variables among students at Jiangsu Vocational University of Medicine in Yancheng city. The study consisted of two phases: Phase 1 (a cross-sectional study) and Phase 2 (a cluster-randomised trial). In Phase 1, 1534 participants completed questionnaires, which were translated using forward and backward method. The data were split randomly into two groups: 737 for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and 797 for structural equation modelling (SEM). Phase 2 involved 103 Chinese university students in the mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA). Chinese versions of the Brunel Lifestyle Physical Activity Questionnaire (BLPAQ-C), Academic Self-efficacy Scale (ASES-C), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-8 (ERQ-8-C), Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS-C), and Five-by-Five Resilience Scale (5×5RS-C) were used to measure physical activity, academic self-efficacy, emotion regulation, sleep and resilience among university students. After the validity and reliability of the questionnaires and the relationship between the variables were determined, Phase 2
was performed to explore the effects of the intervention on the measured variables. Participants, divided by classes, underwent an eight-week intervention, with the experimental group engaging in Brain Breaks physical activity five times a week for five to ten minutes per session. Both groups completed the questionnaire before and after the intervention. The collected data were analysed with SPSS 26.0 for descriptive statistics and mixed ANOVA, Mplus 8.3 for CFA and SEM. In phase 1, most participants were female (70.40%). After removing items with low factor loadings and/or adding correlated residuals within the same factor, all models exhibited good fit. The questionnaires of Chinese version were determined, and the final structural model fitted the data of the questionnaire well. The SEM produced a significant inter-relationship between the variables, with nine specific hypotheses supported by the final model. In Phase 2, the majority of participants also comprised females (71.84%). There was a significant time effect for planned physical activity (p < 0.001) and suppression (p = 0.020). The interaction effect was significant in the ASES-C (p < 0.001), Optimism (p = 0.001) and Social Support (p = 0.009) in the 5×5RS-C. Other variables were not observed to be statistically significant. The scores for ASES-C showed a significant increase in the experimental group after the intervention. In conclusion, the study: 1) confirmed the above questionnaires’ reliability and validity among Chinese university students; 2) revealed a positive link between physical activity and academic self-efficacy, emotion regulation, resilience, and sleep; 3) suggested an eight-week Brain Breaks intervention could significantly boosts students’ academic self-efficacy, positioning it as a promising strategy to use in university students
Development and evaluation of the effectiveness of a mobile application module on medication adherence, medicine beliefs, health literacy and blood pressure for older adult stroke survivors in China
Get PDFImproved stroke care has resulted in a significant 84% increase in global stroke survivors over the past two decades. As society ages, more research is needed for older stroke survivors. The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred the development of mobile health (mHealth). However, the data on the efficacy of the mHealth innovations in stroke is limited. This study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile application for older adult stroke survivors on medication adherence, medicine beliefs, health literacy on stroke, and blood pressure (BP) in Chenzhou, China. The study was divided into three phases: identifying medication non-adherence and its factors (Phase 1), developing a mobile application (Phase 2), and evaluating its usability and effectiveness for older aadult stroke survivors (Phase 3). Phase 1 was a cross-sectional study that involved 402 older adult stroke survivors from three tertiary hospitals in China. In Phase 2, a mobile application intervention module (e-MAIMOASS) was developed and validated. In phase 3, 82 older adult stroke survivors were randomly allocated to either the e-MAIMOASS group (n=41) or the control group (n=41). All subjects had to report medication adherence and BP at baseline, 1-month, and 3-month follow-ups. Medicine beliefs and health literacy were assessed at baseline and three months post-intervention. In Phase 1, 61.4% of participants exhibited medication non-adherence. Compared to individuals with primary education or less, those with a junior school education level had their odds of medication non-adherence decrease by 0.450 times, while those with a senior secondary or junior college education level experienced a decrease of 0.440 times. The higher the number of prescription medications an individual takes per day, the greater the likelihood of medication non-adherence (OR = 1.315). A significant association was found between medication non-adherence and health literacy (β = -0.059), BMQ Specific-Necessity score (β = -0.130), and BMQ Specific-Concerns score (OR=1.127). In Phase 2, a validated e-MAIMOASS comprising five core components received positive feedback and user satisfaction from Alpha and Beta testing. In Phase 3, older adult stroke survivors with the intervention exhibited enhanced medication adherence (p<0.001), significantly lower systolic BP (SBP) (p=0.009), improved health literacy (p=0.024), and better BMQ necessity scores (p=0.002) compared to the control group. The usability score for e-MAIMOASS was recorded with an average of 70.36 ± 7.05, surpassing the System Usability Scale (SUS) threshold of 68. In conclusion, the e-MAIMOASS effectively improved older adult stroke survivors' medication adherence, medicine beliefs, health literacy on stroke, and BP. However, more studies need to be conducted to improve the outcomes of this promising intervention
BBT404- Economic Botany (Botani Ekonomi)
Get PDFFirst Semester Examination
2023/2024 Academic Session
February 2024
BBT404- Economic Botany
(Botani Ekonomi)
Duration : 2 hours
(Masa : 2 jam
BMT402- Medical Microbiology (Mikrobiologi Perubatan)
Get PDFFirst Semester Examination
2023/2024 Academic Session
February 2024
BMT402- Medical Microbiology
(Mikrobiologi Perubatan)
Duration: 2 hours
(Masa: 2 jam
Dosimetric verification of monaco treatment planning system (TPS) in heterogeneous medium for 6 mv linac
Get PDFThe Monaco TPS, employing the Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm, offers high precision in radiotherapy planning. Accurate dose calculation in heterogeneous tissues necessitates comprehensive commissioning and verification due to its impact on patient outcomes. This study evaluates the dose calculation accuracy of Monaco TPS using Rando phantoms, thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD-100) dosimeters, EBT3 Gafchromic films, and clinical patient data through patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA). Methods : Dosimetric verification of Monaco TPS was conducted on a head and neck Rando phantom for 3D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) meningioma planning in heterogeneous environments, using 12 TLD-100s and EBT3 Gafchromic films. Additionally, six Eclipse TPS patient plans were replicated on Monaco TPS, and PSQA was performed using gamma criteria of 3% dose difference (DD) and 3 mm distance-to-agreement (DTA). Results :Monaco TPS demonstrated consistent percentage deviations within ±10% (ranging from 1.8% to 9.1%) between TPS calculated and TLD-measured doses for 3DCRT, with no significant difference (p > 0.05). EBT3 Gafchromic film dosimetry showed good agreement with TPS dose distributions, achieving a 97.3% gamma passing rate. However, VMAT planning revealed significant deviations (3.06% to 67.88%) between calculated and measured doses, with a significant difference (p < 0.01) and a 52.5% gamma passing rate for film dosimetry. PSQA for six patient plans yielded high gamma passing rates (97.5% to 100%) and absolute dose deviations ranging from 0.29% to 3.48%.Conclusion : Monaco TPS is reliable and accurately commissioned for 3DCRT planning but shows significant deviations in VMAT planning. Future efforts should aim to improve verification methods, address challenges in gamma index analysis, and enhance VMAT dose calculation accuracy for consistent treatment planning
BGT404 – Horticultural Science (Sains Hortikultur)
Get PDFSecond Semester Examination
2023/2024 Academic Session
July/August 2024
BGT404 – Horticultural Science
(Sains Hortikultur)
Duration: 2 hours
(Masa: 2 jam
BOE203 – Microscopy and Histological Techniques (Mikroskopi dan Teknik Histologi)
Get PDFSecond Semester Examination
2023/2024 Academic Session
July/August 2024
BOE203 – Microscopy and Histological Techniques
(Mikroskopi dan Teknik Histologi)
Duration : 2 hours
(Masa : 2 jam
BZT404 – Animal Conservation Genetics (Genetik Pemuliharaan Haiwan)
Get PDFSecond Semester Examination
2023/2024 Academic Session
July/August 2024
BZT404 – Animal Conservation Genetics
(Genetik Pemuliharaan Haiwan)
Duration : 2 hours
(Masa : 2 jam
The association between cognitive function, sleep quality and psychosocial status among older adults with sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia in Kelantan
Get PDFSarcopenia may influence an elderly’s cognitive ability, quality of sleep and psychosocial condition due to aging. The aim of this study was to explore the association between cognitive function, sleep quality and psychosocial status among older adults with sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 92 older adults with possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia using convenience sampling technique in Kelantan aged 60 years old and above. Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI), hand grip strength (HGS) and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was used to determine sarcopenia status. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) was used to assess cognitive impairment through a quick cognitive screening process. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was an internally consistent and valid measure of self-reported sleep quality that made up of the global score of the 21-item PSQI. Flourishing Scale (FS) was created to assess wellness in the areas of optimism, relationships, self-esteem, and life purpose. Sociodemographic data, medical history, anthropometric measurement and body composition were also included during interview. The mean and standard deviation of age was 69.05 ± 6.35. 51 subjects (55.4%) were male and 41 subjects (44.6%) were female. There is statistically significant association between cognitive function and gender. However, it was found that there is no statistically significant association between sleep quality and gender as well as there is no significant difference of the median psychosocial status score between men and women. Out of 92 subjects, it was discovered that 80 subjects (87%) have poor cognitive function and 18 subjects (19.6%) have poor sleep quality. Next, it was found that there is no statistically significant association between sleep quality and cognitive function, whereas there are significant different of flourishing scale score between normal cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment as well as between normal cognitive function and dementia. Nonetheless, further studies should be carried out to provide clear understanding on mechanism of cognitive function, sleep quality and psychosocial status in sarcopenia to prevent or delayed the incidence of this condition