Assessment of a medical information system: the mediating role of use and user satisfaction on the success of human interaction with the mobile healthcare system (iHeart)

Cognition, Technology & Work - iHeart is a mobile healthcare system which monitors and tracks patients with hypertension and arrhythmia. This empirical study aims to assess the interaction...     

Influence of Solvent Polarity and Conditions on Extraction of Antioxidant,Flavonoids and Phenolic Content from A verrhoa bilimbi

This paper presents the influence of solvent polarity and extraction conditions on the extraction of total flavonoid, total phenolic and antioxidants from Averrhoa bilimbi. The experiment was performed using a different solvent at different extraction conditions, including extraction time （15-240 min）, temperature （30-70 ℃） and agitation speed （50-300 rpm）. Results showed that yields of extraction varies with solvent polarity. Extraction using 50% aqueous methanol gives the highest antioxidant activity and flavonoid content. The highest total flavonoid content （193.3 μg quercetin equivalent/g dry weight）, total phenolic content （717.8 μg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight） and antioxidant activity （77%） was achieved using 50% methanol, at 70 ℃ and agitation speed of 300 rpm. This work may be useful for obtaining higher bioactive compounds during the extraction process of A. bilimbi.     

Chlorination Kinetics of Titanium Nitride for Production of Titanium Tetrachloride from Nitrided Ilmenite

The kinetics of chlorination of titanium nitride (TiN) was investigated in the temperature range of 523 K to 673 K (250 °C to 400 °C). The results showed that the extent of chlorination slightly increased with increasing temperature and decreasing particle size of titanium nitride at constant flow rate of N₂-Cl₂ gas mixture. At 523 K (250 °C), the extent of chlorination was 85.6 pct in 60 minutes whereas at 673 K (400 °C), it was 97.7 pct investigated by weight loss measurement and confirmed by ICP analyses. The experimental results indicated that a shrinking unreacted core model with mixed-control mechanism governed the chlorination rate. It was observed that the surface chemical reaction of chlorine gas on the surface of TiN particles was rate controlling in the initial stage and, during later stage, internal (pore) diffusion through the intermediate product layer was rate controlling step. Overall the process follows the mixed-control model incorporating both chemical reaction and internal diffusion control. The activation energy for the chlorination of TiN was found to be about 10.97 kJ mol^?1. In processing TiCl₄ from TiN and TiO_0.02C_0.13N_0.85, the solids involved in the chlorination process were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX). The SEM/EDX results demonstrated the consumption of TiN particles with extent of chlorination that showed shrinking core behavior.     

Evaluation of aflatoxin and Aspergillus sp. contamination in raw peanuts and peanut-based products along this supply chain in Malaysia

The peanut supply chain in Malaysia is dominated by three main stakeholders (importers, manufacturers, retailers). The present study aimed to determine the levels and critical points of aflatoxin and fungal contamination in peanuts along the supply chain. Specifically, two types of raw peanuts and six types of peanut-based products were collected (N = 178). Samples were analysed for aflatoxins by using high-performance liquid chromatography. Results revealed that the aflatoxin contamination was significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in raw peanuts and peanut-based products from the retailers. However, there was no significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) in fungal contamination for both types of peanuts except for the total fungal count in raw peanuts from the retailers. Furthermore, raw peanut kernels from the retailers were the most contaminated ones ranged from <LOD to 1021.4 µg/kg (mean: 120.7 µg/kg, median: 1.4 µg/kg) followed by the samples collected from the manufacturers which was ranged from < LOD to 181.9 µg/kg (mean: 20.5 µg/kg, median: 0.0 µg/kg). About 38% and 22% of the samples from the retailers and manufacturers were found to have exceeded the Malaysian Regulation limit (raw peanuts:15 µg/kg; peanut-based products:10 µg/kg), respectively. In contrast, no aflatoxins were detected in samples from the importers. On the other hand, 15.0% and 5.9% of peanut-based products from retailers and manufacturers, respectively, were found to have exceeded the limit. Fungal contamination (0.3–3.6 log CFU/g) was relatively higher in raw peanuts compared to that of peanut-based products (0.6–2.7 log CFU/g). In conclusion, the manufacturers and retailers were the critical points for aflatoxin contamination in peanuts. However, fungal contamination was more critical in the raw peanuts compared to peanut-based products. The study was limited by a minimal number of samples from the importer. Therefore, further investigations on a larger sample size should be conducted to confirm the findings in this present study.     

Success factors in developing iHeart as a patient-centric healthcare system: A multi-group analysis

Coronary Heart Disease is the number one killer disease not only in Malaysia and Iran but also in many countries around the world. Though early diagnosis is critical for successful treatment of the disease, immediate reaction in cases of emergency is crucial significance in saving the lives of stricken. Previous studies on patient-centric healthcare indicate that both the patient’s whereabouts and the locality of the healthcare centers play a vital role at moment of crisis. Not only it is important for a patient to be able to find the nearest healthcare points, it is also necessary for the emergency centers to know the exact location of the patient seeking for help. To this end, a Location-Based Mobile Cardiac Emergency System (iHeart) is proposed, which is a patient-centric healthcare system, to monitor and track the patient via a wearable device and their mobile phones. Therefore, this study aims to find healthcare professional’s opinion and to find success factors of such a system before its full implementation. A survey was conducted in the form of questionnaire in Malaysia and Iran. In order to conduct the survey, a conceptual model was proposed based on DeLone and McLean Information Success Model. A total number of 323 data was collected from both countries. The results were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS software. Multi-group comparison was applied to find differences in points of view from both countries. The results of this study revealed the success factors of iHeart before the full implementation. It was found that nationality plays a moderating role between some of the success factors and success of iHeart. The success of a patient-centric healthcare system is bound to the culture of a particular nation as well as to the technological advancements, facilities, and the needs of the target users, meaning that in order for a novel healthcare system to be publicly acknowledged and utilized; target users must be classified and assessed accordingly. The findings of the present study are highly beneficial to both patients suffering from Coronary Heart Disease and the healthcare providers that seek to utilize new patient-centric healthcare systems, devices, and electronic applications to rescue patients.