Cooperative Localization in Wireless Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks

EDITORIAL

Determinants of left ventricular hypertrophy among elderly hypertensive in Malaysia

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has high prognostic value on cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. However, echocardiography is not routinely performed among elderly hypertensives in the primary-care setting due to limited resources. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of LVH and its associated risk factors in a multi- ethnic elderly hypertensive population in a primary-care clinic in Malaysia. This study was a sub-analysis of a cross-sectional study of 359 patients with hypertension in a primary-care clinic. All test subjects recruited for the study were hypertensive patients aged 60 and above. Blood pressure, height and weight were measured. All patients underwent an echocardiogram examination for diagnosis of LVH. One hundred and ninety-nine patients were studied for the analysis. The mean age and duration of hypertension was 64.8 (SD 2.9) and 10.4 (SD 7.7) years, respectively. The study found that 44.7% of respondents achieved target blood pressure. The prevalence of LVH was 23.6%. Using multiple logistic regression, factors associated with LVH among elderly patients with hypertension were diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 3.346, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.458-7.676), higher diastolic blood pressure (OR: 1.088; 95% CI: 1.024-1.156), higher body mass index (OR: 1.113; 95% CI: 1.031-1.203) and poorer blood pressure control was 23.6%. Using multiple logistic regression, factors associated with LVH among elderly patients with hypertension were diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 3.346, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.458-7.676), higher diastolic blood pressure (OR: 1.088; 95% CI: 1.024-1.156), higher body mass index (OR: 1.113; 95% CI: 1.031-1.203) and poorer blood pressure control (OR: 2.924; 95% CI: 1.180-7.258). Poor hypertension control, higher diastolic blood pressure, presence of diabetes and obesity are the predictors for the development of LVH in elderly hypertensive

A novel wideband dynamic directional indoor channel model based on a Markov process

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Puncture resistance and mechanical properties of graphene oxide reinforced natural rubber latex

Natural rubber (NR) latex gloves are widely used as a very important barrier for healthcare workers. However, they can still be perforated easily by sharp devices and instruments. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the addition of graphene oxide (GO) to low-ammonia NR latex on its puncture resistance, mechanical properties and thermal stability. GO was synthesized using modified Hummers’ reaction. The produced GO was mixed into the NR latex solution at various doses (0.01-1.0 wt. %), followed by a coagulant dipping process using ceramic plates to produce film samples. Puncture resistance was enhanced by 12% with 1.0 wt. % GO/NR. Also, the incorporation of GO improved the stress at 300% and 500%, the modulus at 300% and 500% and the tear strength of low-ammonia NR latex films

Investigation on the effect of steel slag as cement replacement material on mechanical properties of mortar

The use of SS to replace cement in mortar production can reduce the consumption of cement while improving the efficiency of the resource utilization. This study is to investigate the influence of SS as cement replacement material on the properties of fresh and hardened mortar. A series of mixes by varying the contents of SS from 0-40% with increment of 10% replacement ratio was prepared. Flow table test, compressive strength test and flexural strength test have been conducted. While for the compressive strength, it reduces from 19.7 to 4.2 MPa, 34.1 to 10.4 MPa, 41.5 to 13 MPa with the increase of SS replacement ratio for 1-day, 7-day and 28-day curing age mortar, respectively. Flexural strength value decrease from 5.7 to 2.5 MPa, 7.5 to 4.3 MPa and 8.2 to 5.6 MPa with the increase of SS replacement ratio for 1-day, 7-day and 28-day curing age mortar, respectively. The optimum mix design of SS mortar is 10% replacement ratio

Production of phytase by Mitsuokella jalaludinii in semi-solid state fermentation of agricultural by-products

Phytase activity and growth of anaerobic rumen bacterium, Mitsuokella jalaludinii were investigated by semi-solid state fermentation. Carbon source (rice bran, yam and cassava), nitrogen sources (soya bean, offal meal, fish meal and feather meal) and growth factors (hemin, L-cysteine hydrochloride and minerals) were evaluated in a one-factor-at-atime approach. Rice bran and fish meal produced better growth and phytase enzyme activity. The removal of L-cysteine hydrochloride and minerals significantly decreased (p<0.05) phytase activity from 1178.72 U to 446.99 U and 902.54 U, respectively. The response surface methods (RSM) was conducted to optimize the phytase production and the results showed the combination of 7.7% of rice bran and 3.7% of fish meal in semi-solid state fermentation gave the highest phytase activity. Maximum phytase production and optimum growth of bacteria were detected at 12 h incubation in both MF medium (control) and agro-medium. In this agro-medium, M. jalaludinii produced 2.5 fold higher phytase activity compared to MF medium

Effects of supplementing freeze-dried Mitsuokella jalaludinii phytase on the growth performance and gut microbial diversity of broiler chickens

Inclusion of phytase in animal feedstuff is a common practice to enhance nutrients availability. However, little is known about the effects of phytase supplementation on the microbial ecology of the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, freeze-dried Mitsuokella jalaludinii phytase (MJ) was evaluated in a feeding trial with broilers fed a low available phosphorus (aP) diet. A total of 180 male broiler chicks (day-old Cobb) were assigned into three dietary treatments: Control fed with 0.4% (w/w) of available phosphorus (aP); Group T1 fed low aP [0.2% (w/w)] supplemented with MJ; and T2 fed low aP and deactivated MJ. The source of readily available P, dicalcium phosphate (DCP), was removed from low aP diet, whereby additional limestone was provided to replace the amount of Ca normally found in DCP. For each treatment, 4 replicate pens were used, where each pen consisted of 15 animals. The animals' energy intake and caecal bacterial community were monitored weekly for up to 3 weeks. The apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and apparent digestibility of dry matter (ADDM) of broilers fed with different diets were determined. In addition, the caecal microbial diversities of broilers were assessed using high-throughput next-generation sequencing targeting the V3-V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA. The results showed that broilers fed with T1 diet have better feed conversion ratio (FCR) when compared to the Control (p < .05) and T2 diets (p < .05), demonstrating the efficiency of MJ as a supplement to low aP diet. Nevertheless, MJ did not significantly affect the microbial population and diversity in broilers' caeca, which mainly consists of members from Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Regardless, significant variations in the caecal bacterial composition were observed over time, probably due to succession as the broilers aged. This is the first reported study on the effect of MJ on the microbial diversity of broiler's caeca