Nutritional status, energy and protein consumption among primary schoolchildren in Pulau Mantanani, Kota Belud, Sabah

This study was conducted in April 2007 in Pulau Mantanani, an isolated island northwest of Kota Belud, 80 km north of Kota Kinabalu. Forty-six schoolchildren, boys and girls aged 10, 11 and 12 were included in the study. Anthropometric measurements were taken and compared with the growth charts of the National Centre for Health Statistics. Food consumption based on the 24- hours dietary recall was recorded and calculated using the NutriCal software. It was interesting to know that despite the acceptable protein consumption, the growth indicators showed otherwise. Results showed that 50.0% of the children were stunted (<-2 standard deviation of height for age), 52.2% were underweight (<-2 standard deviation of weight for age) and 17.4% were wasted (<-2 standard deviation of weight for height). 2.2% had a energy consumption of less than 1/3 of the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for Malaysia, 43.5% consumed energy between 1/3-2/3 of the RNI whereas 41.3% consumed between 2/3 to 100% of the RNI while 13% consumed energy more than the RNI. As for protein intake, 39.1% children had protein intake below the RNI. However, there was no significant correlation between growth indicators and energy consumption. In conclusion, this study showed poor nutritional status of the children as shown by the growth indicators. Energy intake was also inadequate among the majority of the children although protein consumption was higher than the RNI by 2/3 of the subjects

A review on hyperthermia via nanoparticle-mediated therapy

Hyperthermia treatment, generated by magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is promising since it is tumour-focused, minimally invasive and uniform. The most unique feature of magnetic nanoparticles is their reaction to and manipulation by a magnetic force which is responsible for enabling their potential as heating mediators for cancer therapy. With magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia, a tumour is preferentially loaded with systemically administered nanoparticles with high-absorption cross section for transduction of an extrinsic energy source to heat. To maximize the energy deposited in the tumour while limiting the exposure in healthy tissues, the heating is achieved by exposing the region of tissue containing magnetic nanoparticles to an alternating magnetic field. The magnetic nanoparticles dissipate heat from relaxation losses thereby heating localized tissue above normal physiological ranges. Besides thermal efficiency, the biocompatibility of magnetite nanoparticles assists in their deployment as efficient drug carriers for targeted therapeutic regimes. In the present article we provide a state-of-the-art review focused on progress in nanoparticle induced hyperthermia treatments which have several potential advantages over both global and local hyperthermia treatments achieved without nanoparticles. Green bio-nanotechnology has attracted substantial attention and has demonstrable abilities to improve cancer therapy. Furthermore we have listed the challenges associated with this treatment along with future opportunities in this field which it is envisaged will be of interest to biomedical engineers, bio-materials scientists, medical researchers and pharmacological research groups

Role of key players in paradigm shifts of prostate cancer bone metastasis

Prostate cancer is one of the most common human cancers and bone metastasis is a frequent finding in the natural history of several types of cancers. The molecular mechanisms that makes prostate cancer metastasize to bone have recently been identified, and provide new molecular targets for drug development, several biochemical by-products that provide insight into the tumorbone interaction, with potential to enhance the clinical management of patients with bone metastases, have been reported during the past decade, however, its anticipated risk, diagnosis and response to therapy are still challenging to assess in clinical practice. In this article, we will discuss these challenges with an emphasis on the communication pathways between each cell type involved and the roles of Wnts, sclerostin, RANKL, PTHrP and macrophages

Cancer drug therapy and stochastic modelling of “nano-motors”

Controlled inhibition of kinesin motor proteins is highly desired in the field of oncology. Among other interventions, the selective Eg5 competitive and allosteric inhibitors is the most successful targeted chemotherapeutic regime/options, inducing cancer cell apoptosis and tumor regression with improved safety profile. Though promising, this approach is under clinical trials, for the discovery of efficient and least harmful Eg5 inhibitors. The aim of present research is to bridge the computational modelling approach with drug design and therapy of cancer cells. Thus a computational model, interfaced with the clinical data of “Eg5 dynamics” and “inhibitors” via special functions is presented in this article. Comparisons are made for the drug efficacy and the threshold values are predicted through numerical simulations

Opinion Poll: Big Data Implementation of Unstructured Data Analytics of Social Network Reviews Using Sentiment Analysis SVM

Recent systems developed are dependent on user feedbacks or opinions. These feedbacks or opinions are generated in volumes everyday which are difficult to filter and analyse. We propose Sentiment based analysis is the major key in categorizing the user\u27s Feedback. In thispaper, we study the processing of all the reviews posted in an online shopping application and classify them using SVM. We use big data to analyze the vast amounts of data generated. User reviews are the input to the Big Data HDFS System. Data are stored in the Data Nodes. Index is maintained in the Name Node. Reviews are analyzed using Sentiment Analysis and Positive Negative Tweets are classified. Also products are recommended based on the previous purchases and group notification is sent to all the customers in a group

Ex Vivo Perfusion Characteristics of Donation After Cardiac Death Kidneys Predict Long-Term Graft Survival

Background. Ex vivo perfusion is used in our unit for kidneys donated after cardiac death (DCD). Perfusion flow index (PFI), resistance, and perfusate glutathione S-transferase (GST) can be measured to assess graft viability. We assessed whether measurements taken during perfusion could predict long-term outcome after transplantation. Methods. All DCD kidney transplants performed from 2002 to 2014 were included in this study. The exclusion criteria were: incomplete data, kidneys not machine perfused, kidneys perfused in continuous mode, and dual transplantation. There were 155 kidney transplantations included in the final analysis. Demographic data, ischemia times, donor hypertension, graft function, survival and machine perfusion parameters after 3 hours were analyzed. Each perfusion parameter was divided into 3 groups as high, medium, and low. Estimated glomerular filtration rate was calculated at 12 months and then yearly after transplantation. Results. There was a significant association between graft survival and PFI and GST (P values, .020 and .022, respectively). PFI was the only independent parameter to predict graft survival. Conclusions. A low PFI during ex vivo hypothermic perfusion is associated with inferior graft survival after DCD kidney transplantation. We propose that PFI is a measure of the health of the graft vasculature and that a low PFI indicates vascular disease and therefore predicts a worse long-term outcome

Analysis of Parking Characteristics and Demand in Teratai Traditional Market, Pontianak

The Teratai Traditional Market in Pontianak, Indonesia, faces significant transportation challenges, particularly regarding parking management amid increasing vehicle ownership. The analysis focused on the parking patterns, utilization rates, and efficiency across various zones within the market. The study revealed that Zone A experiences the highest motorcycle activity, especially on weekends, with a utilization rate of 66%. In contrast, car parking in this zone remains limited, with a high turnover but insufficient spaces, resulting in an overcapacity index of 150%. Zones B to E display varied motorcycle and car usage, with motorcycle parking consistently outstripping car usage. The parking area is often inefficient due to irregular vehicle arrangements, lack of surface maintenance, and interference from street vendors, leading to congestion. Improvements include introducing designated markings, restructuring parking angles, and enhancing surface conditions to optimize space and reduce bottlenecks. The analysis recommended expanding motorcycle spaces and better-managing car parking to meet demand. Realignment plans propose 255 motorcycle slots and 12 car spaces, suggesting sufficient motorcycle capacity but a continued shortage of cars. These measures aim to enhance market accessibility, streamline traffic flow, and provide a more efficient parking system for visitors and vendors alike