Acceptable Sensitivity Research Articles

1575 Predictive Ability of Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio in Acute Appendicitis

Abstract Aim Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) predicts both diagnosis and severity of appendicitis. We aimed to evaluate accuracy of NLR to predict acute appendicitis and whether it can distinguish between uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis. Method Patients of any age and gender presenting with clinical history of acute appendicitis over a 4 month period were included. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of NLR were evaluated considering the cut-off values of 4.7 for acute appendicitis and 8.8 for complicated appendicitis. Results A total of 54 patients were included. Thirty-eight patients had acute appendicitis of whom 21 (55.2%) had complicated appendicitis. NLR was associated with sensitivity of 89.4%, specificity of 81.2%, PPV 91.8%, NPV of 76.5%, and accuracy of 87.0% for acute appendicitis. Moreover, it was associated with sensitivity of 61.4%, specificity of 78.9%, PPV 76.5%, NPV of 65.2%, and accuracy of 70.0% for complicated appendicitis. Conclusions NLR has acceptable sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy to predict uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis with relatively better ability to predict the former. NLR can be utilised for prioritising cases for surgery, for monitoring conservatively treated patients and for patients who do not routinely undergo CT scan (pregnant or paediatric patients).

Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-Revised.

ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the psychometric values of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-Revised (GADS-R) which measures the intensity and duration of worry, various coping and avoidance strategies to cope with worrying, and positive and negative metacognitive beliefs about worrying. Methods114 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and 198 healthy controls were included in the study. These patients were diagnosed according to DSM-IV TR, and the primary diagnosis of the patients was generalized anxiety disorder which was confirmed via SCID I and II, subsequently. Sociodemographic form, GADS-R total and subscale scores, and Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7), and Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) were used to assess validity, reliability and cut-off point. ResultsGADS-R total and subscale scores and MCQ-30, BDI, BAI, GAD-7, and PSWQ were found to be statistically higher in the patients with GAD compared to a healthy control group. GADS-R has five factors and showed relatively acceptable sensitivity and specificity for detecting anxiety disorders at a cut-off point of 1188. ConclusionThe GADS-R is a valid and reliable scale that can be used in the Turkish population as an assessment tool.

Role of Laryngeal Ultrasonography in screening for laryngeal diseases in symptomatic patients

Abstract Background Laryngoscopy is widely considered the most appropriate tool for evaluating the larynx, however, it is invasive and not all patients can tolerate it. Although laryngeal ultrasound has been proposed as a promising noninvasive technique that can play an important role in laryngeal imaging, there is lack of consensus regarding its role. Objective The aim of this study is to assess laryngeal ultrasound sensitivity compared to indirect laryngoscopy in screening for laryngeal diseases in symptomatic patients. Patients and methods 30 undiagnosed symptomatic patients underwent laryngeal ultrasound and indirect laryngoscopy. Their results were compared. Results Technical success rate of laryngeal ultrasound was (83%). It showed overall sensitivity of (78.9%) in detecting organic laryngeal diseases with high sensitivity in detecting laryngeal masses, reinke’s edema, vocal cord cysts and polyps (100%), vocal cord palsy (83.3%), intermediate sensitivity for vocal cord nodules (66.7%), and poor sensitivity for laryngitis and non organic voice disorders (0%). Conclusion Laryngeal ultrasound is a useful non invasive imaging tool that can be used with acceptable sensitivity in detecting organic laryngeal diseases excluding laryngitis, hindered mainly by complete thyroid cartilage calcification in older males. Consequently we recommend its use as complementary to clinical examination and mirror laryngoscopy, or as an alternative to indirect laryngoscopy when required and in routine neck ultrasound exams when appropriate.

Refined clock-jitter reduction in the Sagnac-type time-delay interferometry combinations

The ongoing development of the space-based laser interferometer missions is aiming at unprecedented gravitational wave detections in the millihertz frequency band. The spaceborne nature of the experimental setups leads to a degree of subtlety regarding the otherwise overwhelming laser frequency noise. The cancellation of the latter is accomplished through the time-delay interferometry technique. Moreover, to eventually achieve the desired noise level, the phase fluctuations of the onboard ultra-stable oscillator must also be suppressed. This can be fulfilled by introducing sideband signals which, in turn, give rise to an improved cancellation scheme accounting for the clock-jitter noise. Nonetheless, for certain Sagnac-type interferometry layouts, it can be shown that resultant residual clock noise found in the literature can be further improved. In this regard, we propose refined cancellation combinations for two specific clock noise patterns. This is achieved by employing the so-called geometric time-delay interferometry interpretation. It is shown that for specific Sagnac combinations, the residual noise diminishes significantly to attain the experimentally acceptable sensitivity level. Moreover, we argue that the derived combination, in addition to the existing ones in the literature, furnishes a general-purpose cancellation scheme that serves for arbitrary time-delay interferometry combinations. The subsequential residual noise will only involve factors proportional to the commutators between the delay operators. Our arguments reside in the form of the clock noise expressed in terms of the coefficients of the generating set of the first module of syzygies, the linear combination of which originally constitutes the very solution for laser noise reduction.

Expression and production of protoscolex recombinant P29 protein and its serological evaluation for diagnosis of human hydatidosis.

Cystic Echinococcosis/Hydatidosis considered as one of the most important parasitic diseases in humans and animals across the world. The goal of the present study was to determine a native antigen with an acceptable sensitivity and specificity to be used in the human hydatid cyst diagnostic methods. In the present study, recombinant P29 antigen was used to detect the antibodies in the serum of patients with hydatid cysts of the liver. In fact, purified recombinant P29 protein is used as an antigen in ELISA. In order to evaluate the recombinant P29 protein for diagnostic ELISA, 25 serums obtained from people harboring the hydatid cysts were tested. The result of the gene expression on a 12% SDS-PAGE gel showed a band with a length of 28 KD. Also, 28KDa band was observed through the reaction of recombinant P29 protein with Anti T7-tag monoclonal antibody in the western blotting method. This protein showed satisfactory results in detecting the hydatid cyst antibodies in the serum of patients having hydatid cysts. Twenty two of 25 hydatidosis serums positively reacted in ELISA using with P29 protein, indicating in 92% of ELISA sensitivity, 95% of specificity, 95.83% of positive predictive value, and 90.42% of negative predictive value for recombinant P29 protein. Whereas the produced recombinant protein P29 showed promising results in the diagnosis of hydatidosis but of more research needs to be done to reach a more accurate conclusion.

Design and Synthesis of Nitrogen-Rich Azo-Bridged Furoxanylazoles as High-Performance Energetic Materials.

A series of novel energetic materials comprising of azo-bridged furoxanylazoles enriched with energetic functionalities was designed and synthesized. These high-energy materials were thoroughly characterized by IR and multinuclear NMR (1 H, 13 C, 14 N) spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The molecular structures of representative amino and azo oxadiazole assemblies were additionally confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and X-ray powder diffraction. A comparison of contributions of explosophoric moieties into the density of energetic materials revealed that furoxan and 1,2,4-oxadiazole rings are the densest motifs while the substitution of the azide and amino fragments on the nitro and azo ones leads to an increase of the density. Azo bridged energetic materials have high nitrogen-oxygen contents (68.8-76.9 %) and high thermal stability. The synthesized compounds exhibit good experimental densities (1.62-1.88 g cm-3 ), very high enthalpies of formation (846-1720 kJ mol-1 ), and, as a result, excellent detonation performance (detonation velocities 7.66-9.09 km s-1 and detonation pressures 25.0-37.7 GPa). From the application perspective, the detonation parameters of azo oxadiazole assemblies exceed those of the benchmark explosive RDX, while a combination of high detonation performance and acceptable friction sensitivity of azo(1,2,4-triazolylfuroxan) make it a promising potential alternative to PETN.

Theoretical studies on new family of bridged difurazan derivatives with excellent heat of formation

AbstractThe optimized structure, HOMO‐LUMO orbital, molecular surface electrostatic potential (ESP), and thermal stability (BDE) of 30 bridged bifurazan derivatives (BDFD) were investigated by B3LYP/6–311+G* method. And we also evaluated some energy parameters including heat of formation (HOF), density (ρ), detonation velocity (D), detonation pressure (P), and impact sensitivity (h50%) in detail. In terms of the compounds in this series: Coordination oxygen is beneficial for obtaining good density and oxygen balance. Substituent C(NO2)3 can improve the density, HOF, and detonation properties. Both the bridge group N═N and the substitution group NHNO2 can promote HOF well. While NH has a negative effect on HOF and detonation performance. A4, B1, B2, B4, C4, D4, F4, H1, and H2 were eventually screened out as promising nitrogen‐rich high‐energy compounds because of their good positive heat of formation HOF (687–1,410 kJ/mol), excellent ρ (1.89–1.93 g/cm3), extraordinary Q (1702–1933 cal/g), outstanding D (9.15–9.74 km/s), impressive P (38.31–43.67 GPa), and acceptable sensitivity.

Non-Mass Enhancements on DCE-MRI: Development and Validation of a Radiomics-Based Signature for Breast Cancer Diagnoses.

PurposeWe aimed to assess the additional value of a radiomics-based signature for distinguishing between benign and malignant non-mass enhancement lesions (NMEs) on dynamic contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (breast DCE-MRI).MethodsIn this retrospective study, 232 patients with 247 histopathologically confirmed NMEs (malignant: 191; benign: 56) were enrolled from December 2017 to October 2020 as a primary cohort to develop the discriminative models. Radiomic features were extracted from one post-contrast phase (around 90s after contrast injection) of breast DCE-MRI images. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model was adapted to select features and construct the radiomics-based signature. Based on clinical and routine MR features, radiomics features, and combined information, three discriminative models were built using multivariable logistic regression analyses. In addition, an independent cohort of 72 patients with 72 NMEs (malignant: 50; benign: 22) was collected from November 2020 to April 2021 for the validation of the three discriminative models. Finally, the combined model was assessed using nomogram and decision curve analyses.ResultsThe routine MR model with two selected features of the time-intensity curve (TIC) type and MR-reported axillary lymph node (ALN) status showed a high sensitivity of 0.942 (95%CI, 0.906 - 0.974) and low specificity of 0.589 (95%CI, 0.464 - 0.714). The radiomics model with six selected features was significantly correlated with malignancy (P<0.001 for both primary and validation cohorts). Finally, the individual combined model, which contained factors including TIC types and radiomics signatures, showed good discrimination, with an acceptable sensitivity of 0.869 (95%CI, 0.816 to 0.916), improved specificity of 0.839 (95%CI, 0.750 to 0.929). The nomogram was applied to the validation cohort, reaching good discrimination, with a sensitivity of 0.820 (95%CI, 0.700 to 0.920), specificity of 0.864 (95%CI,0.682 to 1.000). The combined model was clinically helpful, as demonstrated by decision curve analysis.ConclusionsOur study added radiomics signatures into a conventional clinical model and developed a radiomics nomogram including radiomics signatures and TIC types. This radiomics model could be used to differentiate benign from malignant NMEs in patients with suspicious lesions on breast MRI.

MWCNT/Ti‐doped ZnO nanocomposite as electrochemical sensor for detecting glutamate and ascorbic acid

AbstractAttributed to high stability and reproducibility, nonenzymatic electrochemical sensors have been extensively utilized in the detection of various chemical substances. In this study, multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/Ti‐doped ZnO composite was prepared for fabrication of working electrode used in the detection of glutamate and ascorbic acid. Ti‐doped ZnO particles with the average size of 44.47 ± 4.05 nm were synthesized by the solution combustion technique. Hydrothermal impregnation was employed in preparation of the MWCNT/Ti‐doped ZnO composite. Electrocatalytic activities of the MWCNT/Ti‐doped ZnO composite were examined using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The cyclic voltammograms revealed the reduction reaction of glutamate close to −.5 V, whereas the oxidation reaction of ascorbic acid close to .5 V. Fair electrocatalytic performance, with acceptable sensitivity, limit of detection, and selectivity suggested potential utilization of MWCNT/Ti‐doped ZnO nanocomposite in the detection of ascorbic acid and glutamate.

The Validity and Reliability of a Tire Pressure-Based Power Meter for Indoor Cycling.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a tire pressure sensor (TPS) cycling power meter against a gold standard (SRM) during indoor cycling. Twelve recreationally active participants completed eight trials of 90 s of cycling at different pedaling and gearing combinations on an indoor hybrid roller. Power output (PO) was simultaneously calculated via TPS and SRM. The analysis compared the paired 1 s PO and 1 min average PO per trial between devices. Agreement was assessed by correlation, linear regression, inferential statistics, effect size, and Bland–Altman LoA. Reliability was assessed by ICC and CV comparison. TPS showed near-perfect correlation with SRM in 1 s (rs = 0.97, p < 0.001) and 1-min data (rs = 0.99, p < 0.001). Differences in paired 1 s data were statistically significant (p = 0.04), but of a trivial magnitude (d = 0.05). There was no significant main effect for device (F(1,9) = 0.05, p = 0.83, = 0.97) in 1 min data and no statistical differences between devices by trial in post hoc analysis (p < 0.01–0.98; d < 0.01–0.93). Bias and LoA were −0.21 ± 16.77 W for the 1 min data. Mean TPS bias ranged from 3.37% to 7.81% of the measured SRM mean PO per trial. Linear regression SEE was 7.55 W for 1 min TPS prediction of SRM. ICC3,1 across trials was 0.96. No statistical difference (p = 0.09–0.11) in TPS CV (3.6–5.0%) and SRM CV (4.3–4.7%). The TPS is a valid and reliable power meter for estimating average indoor PO for time periods equal to or greater than 1 min and may have acceptable sensitivity to detect changes under less stringent criteria (±5%).

A Radiomics Approach to Predict the Emergence of New Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Computed Tomography for High-Risk Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

Liver cirrhosis poses a major risk for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This retrospective study investigated to what extent radiomic features allow the prediction of emerging HCC in patients with cirrhosis in contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). A total of 51 patients with liver cirrhosis and newly detected HCC lesions (n = 82) during follow-up (FU-CT) after local tumor therapy were included. These lesions were not to have been detected by the radiologist in the chronologically prior CECT (PRE-CT). For training purposes, segmentations of 22 patients with liver cirrhosis but without HCC-recurrence were added. A total of 186 areas (82 HCCs and 104 cirrhotic liver areas without HCC) were analyzed. Using univariate analysis, four independent features were identified, and a multivariate logistic regression model was trained to classify the outlined regions as “HCC probable” or “HCC improbable”. In total, 60/82 (73%) of segmentations with later detected HCC and 84/104 (81%) segmentations without HCC were classified correctly (AUC of 81%, 95% CI 74–87%), yielding a sensitivity of 72% (95% CI 57–83%) and a specificity of 86% (95% CI 76–96%). In conclusion, the model predicted the occurrence of new HCCs within segmented areas with an acceptable sensitivity and specificity in cirrhotic liver tissue in CECT.

Taking full advantage of the structure and multi-activities of mineralized microbial surface-displayed enzymes: Portable three-in-one organophosphate pesticides assay device

It is of great significance and challenge to design a portable on-site pesticides assay device with three functions of synchronous pretreatment, rapid colorimetric assay, and detoxication. With the development of microbial surface display technology, it is interesting to take full advantage of enzymes, structures, and mineralized layers of surface display cells. Here, we constructed a portable assay device by the simple sedimentation of the phosphate-mineralized organophosphorus hydrolase-fused cells (M-OPH) on syringe filter. M-OPH was prepared by the technique fusion of microbial surface display and biomineralization. Due to the porous structure of M-OPH layer and the insertion of M-OPH into the filtration pores, the M-OPH layer-modified filter membrane can filter out smaller colored impurities in real samples, showing stronger pretreatment performance. Under the specific and high-active catalysis of M-OPH, the device showed short operation time (50 s), convenient operation, high selectivity, acceptable sensitivity and visualization, for the real-time detection of paraoxon, a typical model of organophosphorus pesticides (OPP). Interestingly, M-OPH exhibited not only 4.6-fold enhanced hydrolase activity, but also remarkable peroxidase-mimicking activity and catalytic reduction activity. So, hydrolysate of OPP could be further oxidized or reduced to low-toxic products under the tandem catalysis of OPH and copper phosphate layer. The proposed three-in-one assay device would open up a practical avenue for on-site assay of pesticides in real samples.

Assessment of Neopterin Serum Level for Monitoring Therapy of Patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem worldwide. To date, the standard diagnostic method for TB is still the direct observation of Mycobacterium TB in a sputum smear or culture. Objectives: There is an urgent need for a method to detect the disease in a shorter time with acceptable sensitivity and specificity and help monitor the treatment. Methods: A panel of 34 adults newly diagnosed with smear-positive pulmonary TB was followed during their treatment period of five months. Neopterin (NPT) serum levels were measured three times (before treatment and two and five months after treatment) using the Brahms ELItest Neopterin kit, and the results were analyzed using descriptive and graphical methods. Results: The mean NPT for the first time before treatment was 27.47 ± 20.7 nmol/L. NPT was measured two months after the anti-TB treatment, and the associated mean was 16.97 ± 14.14 nmol/L. At the end of the fifth month, the mean NPT concentration reached 11.3 ± 10.5 nmol/L. The mean serum NPT before treatment had a statistically significant difference with the mean NPT at the end of the second and fifth months of the treatment (P = 0.001). Conclusions: According to the national protocol for treating TB, a sputum smear is still necessary for patients’ follow-up. It seems that the serum NPT level should be measured to monitor response to treatment in patients that, for any reason are not able to give sputum in TB treatment follow-up.

Validation of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) in Russian people with epilepsy

ObjectiveTo assess the capacity of Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to detect anxiety disorders in a Russian sample of patients with epilepsy and to validate this instrument for rapid screening of anxiety in these patients. MethodsStudy included 233 patients with epilepsy, both inpatients and outpatients. For all patients Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview was conducted as a gold standard for diagnosis of mental disorders. All patients also completed the questionnaires – the Russian version of GAD-7 and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess convergent validity. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare categorical variables, and the Mann–Whitney test was used for the quantitative ones. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, Cronbach's alpha at point deletion, and corrected point-to-point correlation. ROC analysis was used to evaluate the properties of the GAD-7 to determine anxiety disorders. ResultsAmong 97 (41.6%) patients with epilepsy diagnosed with any anxiety disorders, 42 (18%) had panic disorder, 37 (15.9%) had agoraphobia, 17 (7.3%) had social anxiety disorder, and 64 (27.5%) had generalized anxiety disorder; 42 patients (18%) showed a combination of several anxiety disorders. The overall GAD-7 score was similar to other epilepsy studies, but higher cutoff scores characterize our sample. The scale performed well in detecting any anxiety disorder with the AUC of 0.866 and the optimal cutoff point > 8 points, and in detecting GAD with AUC = 0.922 and the optimal cutoff point > 9 points, showing overall acceptable sensitivity. ConclusionRussian version of the GAD-7 could be used as a screening tool for any anxiety disorders in PWE with the optimal cutoff score > 8 points.

Исследование применимости при контроле дефектов высокочастотных мод направленных волн с помощью фазированных решеток

An ultrasonic phased array scanning method was used for lamb wave evaluation of surface and in-depth defects in a steel plate. The ultrasonic guided wave modes resulting from a phased array transducer were modeled using finite element method. The experimental results showed that the high-frequency A0 mode gives acceptable sensitivity and resolution for small diameter through-thickness and surface defects. The sectorial scanning showed better axial resolution rather than spatial resolution.

Evaluation of a new fast in-house Real-Time PCR assay for detecting both Norovirus and toxigenic Clostridium difficile using fecal sample and rectal swab

Norovirus and toxigenic Clostridium difficile infections are the 2 most common causes of infectious gastroenteritis. Rapid and reliable detection of these to microorganisms is important to assess if contact precautions are indicated to prevent spreading and reduce cost of isolation. This study determines sensitivity and specificity of a new fast in-house PCR assay used on BD MAX platform to detect both norovirus and C difficile in 1 turn-over in clinical context. Furthermore, fecal samples as well as rectal swabs were used as analysis material to determine the accuracy of the new assay on a fecal samples and rectal swabs compared with standard methods. From 227 included patients, 143 rectal swabs and 135 fecal samples obtained. The new in-house PCR showed a sensitivity of 73.3% and a specificity of 99.2% for norovirus on a fecal sample and a sensitivity of 57.1% and specificity 99.1% of for norovirus on a rectal swab. For C difficile a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100% on a fecal sample and a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 99.1% on a rectal swab was shown. The time consumption for detecting the 2 enteropathogens was reduced by half by using the new assay. The new assay shows an acceptable sensitivity and specificity for C difficile and an acceptable specificity for norovirus when analysis was done on fecal samples and reduces half of the time consumption. Further research is needed to improve the accuracy of the new in-house PCR before clinical implication.

Turkish adaptation of Wilson-Sims psychiatric fall risk assessment scale.

This study aimed to adapt the Wilson-Sims Fall Scale to Turkish and assess the levels of sensitivity and selectivity. The scale consisting of two sections and 15 items including age, gender, mental and physical status, elimination, impairments, gait/balance, falls' history, medications, and detox protocol was administered to 750 patients in psychiatric clinic. The kappa coefficient of the study (K: 0.44, p < .000) showed a moderate agreement. The sensitivity and selectivity rates of the scale were 78.5% and 77.6%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 6.25% and 99.4%. The scale has acceptable sensitivity and selectivity values. It is best practice to use both Wilson-Sims and Itaki Scale simultaneously for identification of patients at risk of falling.

Comparative study of PCR test kits for ASFV DNA detection

The paper presents comparative test results of 12 domestically produced diagnostic kits/PCR test systems for DNA detection of the African swine fever virus with regard to the following parameters: completeness and correctness of instructions for use; labeling and package contents; convenience of using the kit; shelf life stability of reagents; stability of reagents after transportation and repeated freezing – thawing; batch-to-batch repeatability; sensitivity of various test materials and specificity of kits. The study of the instructions for use and kit contents revealed incompleteness of some instructions. It was noted that some manufacturers make serious errors in the instructions, which can significantly affect the interpretation of test results. It was also observed that there is insufficient control of the manufacturing process, which results in the production of faulty kits, as well as kits with poor-quality components and errors in the labeling. Thus, during the study, one kit showed its inactivity, demonstrating the absence of accumulation curves of the fluorescent signal during amplification of both positive controls and DNA of ASFV isolates. When the specificity was assessed, all the kits showed absence of non-specific reactions and acceptable sensitivity when testing various types of ASFV-containing material (blood, suspensions of pork spleen and pork casings used in sausage production). The stability test showed a sharp deterioration in the quality of operation of one kit within the shelf life period, and a significant decrease in the fluorescence signal was detected during repeated freeze – thaw cycles for another kit. Comparison of the repeatability results of different kit batches of the same manufacturer showed significant discrepancies for 41.5% of all kits. It was found that only 33% of the studied kits for ASFV DNA detection were compliant. The results of this study demonstrate the need for control of the manufactured diagnostic kits used in state programs for animal disease monitoring.

Validation of the WHO-5 as a screening tool for depression among young adults in Malaysia

As depression has become a major disease burden in Malaysia, an easy-to-use tool with good psychometric qualities is urgently needed to facilitate the screening process. The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric qualities of the 5-item World Health Organization Well-being Index (WHO-5) and the optimal cut-off point for depression screening in the Malaysian context. A total of 610 undergraduate students answered an online survey consisting of the English version of the WHO-5 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the single-factor model. The present study found the WHO-5 had a good reliability and concurrent validity. Moreover, receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that ≤13 was the optimal threshold with acceptable sensitivity and specificity to detect depression. This study concludes the WHO-5 is a brief, valid, and reliable depression screening tool among young adults in Malaysia.

Discrimination of COPD and lung cancer from controls through breath analysis using a self-developed e-nose

This work details the application of a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensor based electronic nose (e-nose) system in the discrimination of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from healthy controls. The sensor array integrated with supervised classification algorithms was able to detect and classify exhaled breath samples from healthy controls, patients with COPD, and lung cancer by recognizing the amount of volatile organic compounds present in it. This paper details the e-nose design, participant selection, sampling methods, and data analysis. The clinical feasibility of the system was checked in 32 lung cancer patients, 38 COPD patients, and 72 healthy controls including smokers and non-smokers. One of the advantages of the equipment design was portability and robustness since the system was conditioned with elements that allowed its easy movement. In the discrimination of lung cancer from controls, the k-nearest neighbors gave an acceptable accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 91.3%, 84.4%, and 94.4% respectively. The support vector machine gave better results for COPD discrimination from controls with 90.9% accuracy, 81.6% sensitivity, and 95.8% specificity. Even though the attained results were good, further examinations are essential to enhance the sensor array system, investigate the long-run reproducibility, repeatability, and enlarge its relevancy.