METHODS: Embryonic day 18 (E-18) rat hippocampus neurons were cultured with poly-L-lysine coated glass coverslips. Following optimisation, KA (0.5 μM), a chemoconvulsant agent, was administered at three different time-points (30, 60 and 90 min) to induce seizure in rat hippocampal neuronal cell culture. We examined cell viability, neurite outgrowth density and immunoreactivity of the hippocampus neuron culture by measuring brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), γ-amino butyric acid A (GABAA) subunit α-1 (GABRA1), tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB), and inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R/IP3) levels.
RESULTS: The results revealed significantly decreased and increased immunoreactivity changes in TrkB (a BDNF receptor) and IP3R, respectively, at 60 min time point.
CONCLUSION: The current findings suggest that TrkB and IP3 could have a neuroprotective role which could be a potential pharmacological target for anti-epilepsy drugs.
Methods: Mice (n = 48) were fed high-fat diet (HFD) for 25 weeks to induce obesity, after which half were maintained on HFD and half switched to low-fat diet (LFD)while they were given normal water (H2O) or 0.1% (w/v) SCE in water at week 0-4 which was increased to 1% (w/v) at week 5-9. Effects of treatment with SCE were compared between HFDH2O, HFDSCE, LFDH2O and LFDSCE groups. Respiratory exchange ratios (RER) were measured at weeks 0, 5 and 10. Food, water intake and body weight were measured weekly. Plasma lipid profile and organ weights were determined at week 10.
Results: SCE had significantly reduced RER at week 9 (P = 0.011). Food intake, body weight, and abdominal adipose tissue weight were not altered by SCE at weeks 5 and 10. However, significant increase in plasma and liver cholesterol (P < 0.050) was observed.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that SCE induced lipolysis and body fat oxidation and increased energy expenditure. Further studies in other animal models should be done to confirm the consistency of these results.
METHODS: A total of 51 M. tuberculosis acid fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive sputum specimens were inoculated directly into drug-free and serial dilutions of drug-containing Middlebrook 7H9 broth media. With this direct resazurin micro plate assay (REMA) method, resazurin dye was used as a growth indicator in microplate wells. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF) were compared with those of the 'gold standard' absolute concentration method (ACM). The turnaround time (TAT) of the direct REMA and the ACM were also determined.
RESULTS: At the selected cut-off points (INH: 0.0625 μg/mL; RIF: 0.125 μg/mL), good drug susceptibility test results were obtained for INH and RIF with an average sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 90%, 100% and 97%, respectively, with a TAT of 15 days. The REMA method also correctly classified the resistant isolates with positive predictive values of 95% and negative predictive values of 98% for the two drugs.
CONCLUSIONS: The direct REMA was reliable in routine diagnostic laboratories for the drug susceptibility testing of M. tuberculosis and the rapid detection of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Methods: One hundred and fifty hard-working agricultural farmers from high-prevalence area for CKDu (Madawachchiya) were screened three times for proteinuria; 66 proteinuric and 21 non-proteinuric were identified as the baseline classification. Selected individuals were analysed further for creatinine, protein and cystatin C in urine and creatinine, cystatin C in serum. Urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UP/UC) was calculated.
Results: Based on creatinine and cystatin C cut-off levels in serum, individuals were classified as high or normal. Diagnosis of two functional markers (creatinine and cystatin C) were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and in terms of sensitivity and specificity using UP/UC as the baseline. Creatinine and cystatin C-based eGFR (estimated Glomerular filtration rate) levels were calculated, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was determined between different eGFR measurements using UP/UC. Mean (SD) UP/UC ratio, serum creatinine, and serum cystatin C levels of the proteinuric subjects were 129.0 (18.4) mg/mmol, 1.35 (0.39) mg/dL, 1.69 (0.58) mg/L. For non-proteniuric individuals, the results were found to be 14.4 (2.28), 1.22 (0.40) mg/dL, 0.82 (0.25) mg/L. The ROC analysis showed excellent accuracy in using cystatin C for identifying proteinuric patients than creatinine area under the curve (AUC): 0.9675, P < 0.001). Cut-off points were identified as 1.015 mg/dL for serum creatinine and 0.930mg/L for cystatin C. Furthermore, cystatin C based Hoek formula showed the better correlation (0.635, P < 0.001) with UP/UC compared with creatinine based modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) formula.
Conclusion: The study showed elevated serum cystatin C in patients with persisting proteinuria compared with non-responding serum creatinine. Moreover, cystatin C-based eGFR equations were more accurate to determine the kidney function than serum creatinine in proteinuric patients who are vulnerable for CKDu in high-prevalence areas.
Methods: Manual sample size calculation using Microsoft Excel software and sample size tables were tabulated based on a single coefficient alpha and the comparison of two coefficients alpha.
Results: For a single coefficient alpha test, the approach by assuming the Cronbach's alpha coefficient equals to zero in the null hypothesis will yield a smaller sample size of less than 30 to achieve a minimum desired effect size of 0.7. However, setting the coefficient of Cronbach's alpha larger than zero in the null hypothesis could be necessary and this will yield larger sample size. For comparison of two coefficients of Cronbach's alpha, a larger sample size is needed when testing for smaller effect sizes.
Conclusions: In the assessment of the internal consistency of an instrument, the present study proposed the Cronbach's alpha's coefficient to be set at 0.5 in the null hypothesis and hence larger sample size is needed. For comparison of two coefficients' of Cronbach's alpha, justification is needed whether testing for extremely low and extremely large effect sizes are scientifically necessary.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 500 nurses, selected through multistage cluster sampling, from the hospitals in Shiraz in 2017. The data collection tools were the Siberia Schering's Emotional Intelligence Standard Questionnaire and the Hospital Job Stress Standard Questionnaire, completed through the self-report method. The data were analysed using SPSS 22 software.
Results: The mean scores of emotional intelligence and job stress were 113.59 ± 14.70 (total score = 165) and 97.10 ± 14.27 (total score = 175), respectively. The correlation test showed that there was an inverse relationship between emotional intelligence and job stress (r = -0.474, P < 0.001). Also, the multiple linear regression analysis showed that self-awareness, social consciousness, and income predicted 25% of the job stress in the subjects under study (r2 = 0.25).
Conclusion: Regarding the relatively strong and inverse relationship between the nurses' emotional intelligence and job stress, it is suggested that emotional intelligence workshops be included in the in-service training programs of the nurses.
Methods: In this clinical trial study, 98 participants were randomly allocated to an HBM group (n = 48) and a control group (n = 50). The HBM group received an audiovisual compact disc (CD) that contained information about nutritional behaviour of colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention based on HBM that lasted 45 min. Both groups completed questionnaires regarding demographic factors, knowledge and HBM constructs, and a three-day dietary recall at the beginning of the study, 1 week after, and 3 months after the education. The outcome of this study was measured by the amount of food servings consumed and dietary micronutrient intake.
Results: At the baseline, there were no significant differences between groups regarding demographic factors. Findings showed that self-efficacy (P < 0.001), severity (P < 0.001), and benefits (P < 0.001) were perceived to be higher, and knowledge (P < 0.001) was increased in the HBM group compared to control group 3 months after education. There was a significant increase in fruit and vegetable (P < 0.001) and dairy (P = 0.001) intake and a significant decrease in red meat servings (P = 0.016) in the HBM group compared to the control group. Also, intake of vitamin D (P < 0.001), folate (P < 0.001), calcium (P = 0.008), and dietary fibre (P < 0.001) was increased in the HBM group compared to the control group 3 months after education.
Conclusion: Education plans based on HBM and implemented through multimedia can change nutritional beliefs and behaviours for the prevention of colorectal cancer.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used the sequential exploratory type of mixed methods design in which quantitative data analysis was performed via survey-based questionnaires and qualitative study. For this purpose, we performed a thematic analysis of semi-structured interview questions that were administered to all participants using the self-interview technique.
Results: A majority of students were of the opinion that the process of making poster preparation acted as an opportunity to promote deep learning. Moreover, a majority expressed that making these presentations required teamwork, which gave them an insight into collaborative learning.
Conclusion: Our study revealed that poster presentations, when used effectively as an assignment, can facilitate a learner's critical and reflective thinking and promoting active learning. Previous generic guidelines for making posters were found to be an important step that led to a systematic scientific approach amongst learners as well as for integrating basic science and medical knowledge.