Browse publications by year: 2018

Fulltext The long-term assessment of air quality on an island in Malaysia

Abdul Halim ND, Latif MT, Ahamad F, Dominick D, Chung JX, Juneng L, et al.

Heliyon, 2018 Dec;4(12):e01054.
PMID: 30603693 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e01054

This study aims to evaluate the air quality on Langkawi Island, a famous tourist destination in Malaysia, using 13 years of data (1999-2011) recorded by the Malaysian Department of Environment. Variations of seven air pollutants (O3, CO, NO, NO2, NOx, SO2 and PM10) and three meteorological factors (temperature, humidity and wind speed) were analysed. Statistical methods used to analyse the data included principal component regression (PCR) and sensitivity analysis. The results showed PM10 was the dominant air pollutant in Langkawi and values ranged between 5.0 μg m-3 and 183.2 μg m-3. The patterns of monthly values showed that the concentrations of measured air pollutants on Langkawi were higher during the south-west monsoon (June-September) due to seasonal biomass burning activities. High CO/NOx ratio values (between 28.3 and 43.6), low SO2/NOx ratio values (between 0.04 and 0.12) and NO/NO2 ratio values exceeding 2.2 indicate the source of air pollutants in this area was motor vehicles. PCR analysis grouped the seven variables into two factor components: the F1 component consisted of SO2, NO and NOx and the F2 component consisted of PM10. The F1 component (R2 = 0.931) indicated a stronger standardized coefficient value for meteorological variables compared to the F2 component (R2 = 0.059). The meteorological variables were statistically significant (p < 0.05) in influencing the distribution of the air pollutants. The status of air quality on the island could be improved through control on motor vehicle emissions as well as collaborative efforts to reduce regional air pollution, especially from biomass burning.
Fulltext Probing nanoliposomes using single particle analytical techniques: effect of excipients, solvents, phase transition and zeta potential

Danaei M, Kalantari M, Raji M, Samareh Fekri H, Saber R, Asnani GP, et al.

Heliyon, 2018 Dec;4(12):e01088.
PMID: 30603716 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e01088

There has been a steady increase in the interest towards employing nanoliposomes as colloidal drug delivery systems, particularly in the last few years. Their biocompatibility nature along with the possibility of encapsulation of lipid-soluble, water-soluble and amphipathic molecules and compounds are among the advantages of employing these lipidic nanocarriers. A challenge in the successful formulation of nanoliposomal systems is to control the critical physicochemical properties, which impact their in vivo performance, and validating analytical techniques that can adequately characterize these nanostructures. Of particular interest are the chemical composition of nanoliposomes, their phase transition temperature, state of the encapsulated material, encapsulation efficiency, particle size distribution, morphology, internal structure, lamellarity, surface charge, and drug release pattern. These attributes are highly important in revealing the supramolecular arrangement of nanoliposomes and incorporated drugs and ensuring the stability of the formulation as well as consistent drug delivery to target tissues. In this article, we present characterization of nanoliposomal formulations as an example to illustrate identification of key in vitro characteristics of a typical nanotherapeutic agent. Corresponding analytical techniques are discussed within the context of nanoliposome assessment, single particle analysis and ensuring uniform manufacture of therapeutic formulations with batch-to-batch consistency.
Fulltext Toughness, elasticity and physical properties for the evaluation of foamed concrete reinforced with hybrid fibers

Dawood ET, Mohammad YZ, Abbas WA, Mannan MA

Heliyon, 2018 Dec;4(12):e01103.
PMID: 30603721 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e01103

This study has been undertaken to investigate the evaluation of Fiber-reinforced Foamed Concrete (FRFC) performance by the use of toughness and non-destructive tests. These tests cover the workability, density, static modulus of elasticity, toughness, ultrasonic pulse velocity and absorption tests. Different FRFC mixes using carbon fibers in the order of 0.5, 1 and 1.5% carbon fibers were used. Also, the combinations of carbon fibers (C) and polypropylene fibers (PP) as 1% C+ 0.5% PP, and 0.5% C+1% PP were prepared. Lastly, the inclusion of polypropylene fibers with the order of 1.5% PP was used to strengthen the foamed concrete mix. The results showed that the use of 1.5% of C has affected the modulus of elasticity and flexural toughness of foamed concrete. On the other hand, a strong relationship is found between compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity for FRFC.

MeSH terms: Carbon; Dietary Fiber; Elasticity; Polypropylenes; Ultrasonics; Compressive Strength; Elastic Modulus; Physical Phenomena
Fulltext Isoniazid-induced liver disorder in the treatment of tuberculosis

Sivannan S, Vishnuvardhan A, Elumalai K, Srinivasan S, Eluri K, Elumalai M, et al.

Chronic Dis Transl Med, 2018 Dec;4(4):268-270.
PMID: 30603745 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdtm.2018.11.003
Fulltext Mutations in KIF27, GNAS and IFT140 genes in a patient with VACTERL association: a case report

Siti Aishah Sulaiman, Nor Azian Abdul Murad, Chow, Yock Ping, Zam Zureena Mohd Rani, Salwati Shuib, Dayang Anita A. Aziz, et al.

Asia-Pacific Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2018;8(2):1-10.
MyJurnal

VACTERL association is a rare genetic disorder involving at least three of the following congenital
malformations: vertebral defects (V), anal atresia (A), cardiac defects (C), trachea-oesophageal fistula with
or without oesophageal atresia (TE), renal anomalies (R) and limb abnormalities (L). Until now, the
aetiology of VACTERL association is unknown, particularly at the molecular level. Here, we performed
whole exome sequencing (WES) of an infant with VACTERL association. The patient was delivered
prematurely at 30 weeks and had 4/6 of the VACTERL malformations. Trio-WES analysis was performed
using Torrent Suite and ANNOVAR. Polymorphisms with an allele frequency of >0.01 were excluded, and
the remaining variants were filtered based on de novo mutations, autosomal recessive, X-linked and di-genic
inheritance traits. In this patient, no homozygous, compound heterozygous or X-linked mutations was
associated with VACTERL. However, we identified two heterozygous mutations; KIF27
(ENST00000297814: c.3004A> C:p.N1002H) and GNAS (ENST00000371098: c.205C>A:p.H69N) genes that
were inherited from her father and mother respectively. A de novo, IFT140 gene mutation
(ENST00000426508: c.683C>G:p.S228C) was also identified in this patient. The VACTERL phenotype in
this patient may due to heterozygous mutations affecting KIF27 and GNAS genes, inherited via autosomal
recessive trait. In addition, the IFT140 gene mutation may also be involved. These genes are known to be
directly or non-directly involved in the sonic hedgehog signalling that is known to be implicated in
VACTERL. This is the first report of these genetic mutations in association with VACTERL.

MeSH terms: Anal Canal; Anus, Imperforate; Esophageal Atresia; Esophageal Fistula; Fathers; Female; Gene Frequency; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Infant; Kidney; Male; Mothers; Mutation; Phenotype; Spine; Trachea; Limb Deformities, Congenital
Fulltext Gene expression analysis of the concomitant existence of lymphovascular and perineural invasion in colorectal cancer

Nadiah Abu, Nurul-Syakima Ab Mutalib, Rahman Jamal

Asia-Pacific Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2018;8(2):1-13.
MyJurnal

The invasion of cancer cells into the peritumoral, lymph node and perineural system could be detrimental
on cancer patients. In colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, the presence of lymphovascular (LVI) and/or
perineural (PNI) invasion could significantly influence on the survival rates, treatment options and
recurrence tendencies. To date, no study has analyzed the molecular profile of the concomitant existence of
LVI and PNI in CRC. Here, we reanalyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) CRC datasets and focused
on cases where the information regarding LVI and PNI are available (n=176). We performed differential
gene expression, methylation and microRNA analysis by comparing the groups having both or either LVI
and PNI with the control group (LVI negative and PNI negative). Although there was no significant
difference in the methylation and miRNA profiles, we identified a number of differentially expressed genes
(DEGs). The comparison between the LVI+PNI+ and LVI-PNI- groups revealed key DEGs including
SFTA2, PHACTR3, CRABP2, ODZ3, GRP, HAP1, CSDC2, TMEM59L and HDAC9. Meanwhile, in the
LVI-PNI+ vs LVI-PNI- group, some of the DEGs found were PTPRR, EFNA2, FGF20, IGFL4, METRN
and IGFBPL1. We believe that this study could be beneficial and add value to further understand the
complex molecular profiles of CRC.

MeSH terms: Humans; Lymph Nodes; Methylation; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Colorectal Neoplasms; Survival Rate; Control Groups; MicroRNAs; Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 7
Fulltext In silico homology modelling and identification of Tousled-Like Kinase 1 Inhibitors for Glioblastoma therapy via high throughput virtual screening proteinligand docking

Kamariah Ibrahim, Abubakar Danjuma Abdullahi, Nor Azian Abdul Murad, Roslan Harun, Rahman Jamal

Asia-Pacific Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2018;8(1):1-14.
MyJurnal

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a high-grade brain tumor of which the survival patients remain poor.
Tousled-like kinase 1 (TLK1), a serine-threonine kinase, was identified to be overexpressed in cancers such
as GBM. TLK1 plays an important role in controlling survival pathways. To date, there is no structure
available for TLK1 as well as its inhibitors. We aimed to create a homology model of TLK1 and to identify
suitable molecular inhibitors that are likely to bind and inhibit TLK1 activity via in silico high-throughput
virtual screening (HTVS) protein-ligand docking. The 3D homology models of TLK1 were derived from
various servers. All models were evaluated using Swiss Model QMEAN server. Validation was performed
using multiple tools. Energy minimization was performed using YASARA. Subsequently, HTVS was
performed using Molegro Virtual Docker 6.0 and ligands derived from ligand.info database. Drug-like
molecules were filtered using ADME-Tox filtering program. Best homology model was obtained from the
Aurora B kinase (PDB ID:4B8M) derived from Xenopus levias structure that share sequence similarity with
human TLK1. Two compounds were identified from HTVS to be the potential inhibitors as it did not violate
the Lipinski rule of five and the CNS-based filter as a potential drug-like molecule for GBM

MeSH terms: Animals; Brain; Brain Neoplasms; Computer Simulation; Glioblastoma; Humans; Ligands; Xenopus; Xenopus laevis; Aurora Kinase B
Fulltext Intralenticular matchstick in a toddler: a rare presentation of penetrating ocular injury from a toy gun

Royan, Jeyarine, Teo, Khairy Shamel Sonny, Vengadasalam, Selva Raja

Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 2018;3(1):15-18.
MyJurnal

To report on a rare case of an intralenticular foreign body which
demonstrates that use of a spring-powered airsoft gun can result in a severe
ocular injury. A 2-year-old male presented following a trauma to the left eye.
The trauma was caused by a wooden matchstick from a spring-powered airsoft
gun being shot into his eye. On examination, there was a shallow anterior
chamber with a full thickness corneal laceration, with fragmented matchstick
pieces embedded in the cornea and in the lens. The corneal foreign bodies
were removed, corneal laceration wound sutured and lensectomy done. There
were no post-operative complications, and the cornea wound healed with a
scar. A few months later, he underwent a successful secondary intraocular lens
implantation surgery with an iris claw lens. Airsoft guns are easily available to
children who are unaware of its dangers. It can cause significant ocular
morbidity despite successful surgical treatment of the injury.

MeSH terms: Child; Child, Preschool; Cicatrix; Cornea; Eye Foreign Bodies; Firearms; Humans; Lens, Crystalline; Lenses, Intraocular; Male; Lacerations; Corneal Injuries
Fulltext Malignant hypertension and acute loss of vision in a patient with history of pre-eclampsia

Ghani Siti-Ilyana, Ang, Wen-Jeat, Wan-Hazabbah Wan-Hitam, Embong Zunaina

Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 2018;3(1):11-14.
MyJurnal

Pre-eclampsia may have an impact on women’s health beyond their
pregnancies and has been associated with increased risks for future hypertension
and cardiovascular disease. We report a case of a patient with history of preeclampsia and emergency caesarean section at 31 weeks of gestation due to
impending eclampsia who defaulted follow up and presented with malignant
hypertension and acute loss of vision 10 years later. A 34-year-old Malay female,
presented with generalized painless reduced vision of 5 days duration which was
preceded by an intermittent headache for 1 months duration. She had a history of
pre-eclampsia during her last childbirth 10 years ago and was not started on any
antihypertensive medication as her blood pressure normalized 2 weeks post-delivery.
Subsequently, she defaulted on her follow up. Visual acuity was counting finger at 1
meter in both eyes with no relative afferent pupillary defect. Funduscopy revealed
bilateral grade IV hypertensive retinopathy with the presence of optic disc swelling
and macular star. Optical coherence tomography showed bilateral sub-retinal fluid at
the macula. Her blood pressure was 255/168 mmHg with other systemic
examinations being normal. Ultrasonography of the kidneys showed the presence of
bilateral renal parenchymal disease with elevation of serum urea and creatinine
levels. Her blood pressure was controlled with triple oral antihypertensive agents. Her
vision improved to 6/36 and 6/6 with a pinhole in both eyes and resolution of
papilloedema and sub-retinal fluid at three months follow-up. Patients with a history
of pre-eclampsia must be closely monitored during the postpartum period. Even
though her blood pressure was normalized, careful monitoring and long-term medical
follow up plan must be clearly explained to the patient as she might develop chronic
or essential hypertension afterward. Our patient most likely had essential
hypertension superimposed with pre-eclampsia during her last pregnancy and
currently presented with malignant hypertension due to undiagnosed chronic
hypertension as she defaulted her medical follow up.
Fulltext Laryngopharyngeal tuberculosis mimicking hypopharyngeal carcinoma

Adam, M., Irfan, M., Muhammad Nasri AB, Arfahiza S.

Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 2018;3(1):8-10.
MyJurnal

Laryngopharyngeal tuberculosis (TB) is a rare disease and usually associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Mostly, it occurs in adults without BCG vaccination or in immuno-compromised patients (such as AIDS patients). A 34-year-old gentleman with odynophagia and poor oral intake was referred to us to rule out malignancy. Direct laryngoscopy examination revealed ulcerative lesion involving right tonsillar fossa extending downward till right pyriform sinus. Panendoscopy and biopsy was performed. Laryngopharyngeal TB was diagnosed based on the histopathological examination and Ziehl-Neelsen staining.

MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Adult; Biopsy; Humans; Hypopharynx; Laryngoscopy; Malaysia/ethnology; Male; Neoplasms; Tuberculosis, Laryngeal*; Vaccination
Fulltext Early-life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals associates with childhood obesity

Yang C, Lee HK, Kong APS, Lim LL, Cai Z, Chung ACK

Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab, 2018 Dec;23(4):182-195.
PMID: 30599479 DOI: 10.6065/apem.2018.23.4.182

Increasing prevalence of childhood obesity poses threats to the global health burden. Because this rising prevalence cannot be fully explained by traditional risk factors such as unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, early-life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is recognized as emerging novel risk factors for childhood obesity. EDCs can disrupt the hormone-mediated metabolic pathways, affect children's growth and mediate the development of childhood obesity. Many organic pollutants are recently classified to be EDCs. In this review, we summarized the epidemiological and laboratory evidence related to EDCs and childhood obesity, and discussed the possible mechanisms underpinning childhood obesity and early-life exposure to non-persistent organic pollutants (phthalates, bisphenol A, triclosan) and persistent organic pollutants (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Understanding the relationship between EDCs and childhood obesity helps to raise public awareness and formulate public health policy to protect the youth from exposure to the harmful effects of EDCs.
Complexity in financial asset returns: Evidence from the compass rose

Batten JA, Lucey BM, Peat M

Chaos, 2018 Dec;28(12):123109.
PMID: 30599539 DOI: 10.1063/1.5029226

The compass rose pattern in financial data may indicate the presence of a nonlinear, possibly chaotic, data generating mechanism. The analysis of three key financial asset and denoised returns, gold, the Great British Pound/US dollar spot exchange rate, and the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index, reveals that over four equivalent subperiods, from 1996 to 2015, the compass rose pattern changes. This finding provides an opportunity to establish how noise affects financial time series. We conclude that the compass rose pattern is unlikely the product of an underlying nonlinear structure, since there is evidence of nonlinearity in all time periods, even those where the compass rose pattern is not evident. Therefore, the compass rose patterns, seen in the denoised data, suggest that the presence of noise masks the underlying dynamics of the asset returns.

MeSH terms: Financial Statements; Color; Ethnic Groups; Gold; Humans; Masks; Poverty; Cluster Analysis; Rosa
Fulltext Evaluation of types of poisoning exposure calls managed by the Malaysia National Poison Centre (2006-2015): A retrospective review

Tangiisuran B, Jiva M, Ariff AM, Abdul Rani NA, Misnan A, Rashid SM, et al.

BMJ Open, 2018 12 31;8(12):e024162.
PMID: 30598487 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024162

OBJECTIVE: Accidental or intentional poisoning is a public health concern requiring intervention. The current study designs to evaluate the types of poisoning exposure calls received by the Malaysia National Poison Centre (NPC) over a 10-year period.
SETTINGS AND DATA SOURCES: The poisoning enquiries database (2006-2015) from the Malaysia NPC was used for the analysis.
PARTICIPANTS: The NPC records all telephone calls that it manages using a validated and standardised form. Demographics and types of the poisoning exposure calls were extracted and descriptive analysis was applied.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: The primary outcome of this study is to evaluate NPC data for trends in the poisoning exposure calls based on the types and modes of poisoning over a 10-year period. The secondary outcome is to evaluate the characteristics of human exposure cases based on the calls received by the NPC.
RESULTS: There was a notable increase in the number of poisoning exposure calls noticed during the 10-year period but dropped significantly in 2012. The highest number of poisoning exposure calls came from Selangor (21.0%), Perak (18.0%) and Negeri Sembilan (9.8%). More than half of the exposure was intentional (53.8%) involving more women (50.3%) as compared with men (41.9%), and in the 20-29 years age group category (33.5%). Exposure mostly occurred at home (96%) through the ingestion route (94.1%). Pharmaceutical products (40.5%), pesticides (31.7%) and household products (20.1%) were the common agents implicated for intentional exposure.
CONCLUSIONS: There is an increasing trend in enquiries on poisoning exposure calls made to the NPC. Most of the intentional poisoning exposures occurred among younger women and involved pharmaceuticals, pesticides or household products. Poisoning safety education and other interventions are needed to curb poisoning incidents.

MeSH terms: Adult; Female; Household Products/toxicity*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Pesticides/toxicity*; Poisons/classification; Retrospective Studies; Incidence; Sex Distribution; Needs Assessment; Intention*
The cave population of Chaerilus Simon, 1877 from Palawan, Philippines, and description of a new species (Scorpiones: Chaerilidae)

Lourenço WR, Rossi A

C. R. Biol., 2018 12 27;342(1-2):45-53.
PMID: 30595495 DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2018.12.001

The study of an important collection of scorpions, belonging to the genus Chaerilus, recently collected from a cave in the Palawan Island, Philippines, allows the clarification of the identity of this population, often misidentified with Chaerilus chapmani Vachon & Lourenço, 1985 known from caves in the Gunong Mulu National Park in Sarawak (Borneo). Chaerilus agnellivanniorum sp. n. is described from the Puerto Princesa Underground River Cave in Palawan Island based on 14 specimens, males, females, and juveniles. The new species is totally distinct morphologically from Chaerilus chapmani, a true troglobitic species. Chaerilus agnellivanniorum sp. n. may also be a true troglobitic element, but with a less marked degree of regression for several characters. Some comments on the ecology of the new species and on regional biogeography of Borneo and Palawan islands are also proposed.

MeSH terms: Animals; Female; Malaysia; Male; Philippines; Scorpions/classification*; Caves
Big data management skills: accurate measurement

McKay E, Mohamad MB

Res Pract Technol Enhanc Learn, 2018;13(1):5.
PMID: 30595736 DOI: 10.1186/s41039-018-0071-2

Some say that big data is transforming business and society. This can mean wide-reaching disruption for commerce, health and world governance. Few authors agree on what constitutes big data, depending on the philosophical stance taken. Our propensity for keeping data archived is posing major issues globally, with retrieval and application of such data crossing ethical boundaries. However, one of the more pressing issues is the growing need for confirming whether those working with such big data have the required digital skills to cope. This paper presents one effective and efficient way to identify such digital skill acquisition. We show the progression from the earlier approach used for measuring proficiency between novice and experienced programmers using traditional statistical measures, to adopting a more comprehensive unidimensional scale that empowers comprehension of human performance and test item performance relative to each other. This methodology offers an effective tool for understanding individual of differences in digital skill development.
Fulltext Effects of psychological ownership on teachers' beliefs about a cloud-based virtual learning environment

Yim JS, Moses P, Azalea A

Res Pract Technol Enhanc Learn, 2018;13(1):13.
PMID: 30595741 DOI: 10.1186/s41039-018-0081-0

Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use constitute important belief factors when technology adoption decisions are made within a non-mandatory setting. This paper investigated the role played by psychological ownership in shaping teachers' beliefs about using a cloud-based virtual learning environment (VLE). Psychological ownership is increasingly becoming a relevant phenomenon in technology adoption research, where people can feel psychologically attached to a particular technology. The study proposed that such phenomenon can also occur when using a VLE, and a hypothesised model with six constructs was tested with 629 Malaysian teachers from 21 schools. Results from structural equation modelling-partial least squares analysis found teachers' experiences with the VLE significantly influenced psychological ownership, which in turn significantly predicted perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the VLE. Overall, the model possesses predictive relevance for the outcome predictors as indicated by Stone-Geisser's Q2, and accounted for 61.6% of variance in perceived usefulness and 62.0% of variance in perceived ease of use. This study provides insights into the motivation behind teachers' beliefs which are shaped by their experiences with the VLE. Implications for theory and practice were discussed based on the insights of the study.

MeSH terms: Learning; Motivation; Ownership; Perception; Schools; Least-Squares Analysis; Educational Personnel
Fulltext Adult Immunization - Need of the Hour

Jairaj A, Shirisha P, Abdul MSM, Fatima U, Tiwari RVC, Moothedath M

J Int Soc Prev Community Dent, 2018 11 29;8(6):475-481.
PMID: 30596036 DOI: 10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_347_18

Immunization is the process of making individuals immune. Childhood immunization is a common process for various aliments, but adult immunization in the Indian scenario is obscure. Officially, India has been declared polio-free, which is an achievement despite cultural, political, economic, geographic, and so many other factors. The changing demographics of adult, geriatric population and growing cost of health-care maintenance are a concern in developing countries like India. Thus, promoting healthy lifestyle needs prevention, early detection, and management of various diseases and disorders. Certainly, prevention in adults is yet to be tapped completely, so that goal of 100% prevention can be achieved. Various fraternities of medical association have come up with guidelines for adult immunization schedules in India. The present paper reviews infectious diseases such as anthrax, chikungunya, cholera, dengue, influenza, and malaria in this section of the review. We humbly request all health-care professionals and educators to educate the mass for adult immunization. So that, cost involved for treatment and workforce for the management of diseases can be better utilized in some other needed areas.

MeSH terms: Adult; Anthrax; Cholera; Communicable Diseases; Demography; Dengue; Developing Countries; Goals; Humans; Immunization; Immunization Schedule; India; Influenza, Human; Malaria; Poliomyelitis; Vaccination; Healthy Lifestyle
Fulltext Knowledge Analysis of Pit and Fissure Sealants among the Dental Students of South India

Ealla KKR, Kumar AN, Turagam N, Sooraparaju SG, Yerrapothu RMR, Bhaskaran MK

J Int Soc Prev Community Dent, 2018;8(6):508-512.
PMID: 30596041 DOI: 10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_238_18

AIM: This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and attitudes for pit and fissure sealants among undergraduate Indian dental students.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A modified questionnaire consisting of 24 items was distributed to 280 undergraduate dental students comprising males and females of different years at MNR Dental College, Sangareddy, India. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analysis. The data were computationally tested using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20, IBM SPSS Statistics software for Windows, Armonk, NY, USA.
RESULTS: With the response rate at 100%, most of the respondents, i.e., 70.4%, were females and the remaining 29.6% were male. Regarding the level of study, 20.8% were in 3rd year, 43.8% in the 4th year, and 16.8% were in 5th year (internship). The respondents showed a reasonable level of knowledge about sealants, mostly being good with the theoretical concepts of the sealants. On the other hand, respondents showed insufficient knowledge about sealants in the clinical practice.
CONCLUSION: Although a high proportion of undergraduate dental students showed adequate knowledge about dental sealants, there is a lag in putting that knowledge into work during the clinical practice. These findings suggest an urgent need of dental schools to include and/or update their curriculum regarding fissure sealants to reflect modern dental education that concentrates on evidence-based practice in pediatric dentistry and improve the dental health among the future generations by reducing the incidence of caries.
Fulltext Medical students' knowledge and perception toward family planning services: A preliminary intervention study

Htay MNN, Latt SS, Abas AL, Chuni N, Soe HHK, Moe S

J Educ Health Promot, 2018;7:137.
PMID: 30596109 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_104_18

INTRODUCTION: Family planning and contraception is the effective strategy to reduce maternal mortality, child mortality, abortion, and unwanted pregnancies. Since the medical students are the future doctors, it is important to have proper knowledge and training on family planning services. This study aimed to explore the effect of teaching-learning process at maternal and child health (MCH) clinics on the students' knowledge, perceptions toward contraception methods, and family planning counselling.
METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the private medical institution in Malaysia. The same questionnaire was used to administer twice, before and after the posting. Moreover, a qualitative question on the issues related to family planning and contraception utilizations in Malaysia was added to the after posting survey. The quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS (version 20) and qualitative data by RQDA software.
RESULTS: A total of 146 participants were recruited in this study. Knowledge on contraception method before posting was 5.11 (standard deviation [SD] ±1.36) and after posting was 6.35 (SD ± 1.38) (P < 0.001). Thematic analysis of the students' answer revealed four salient themes, which were as follows: (1) cultural barrier, (2) misconception, (3) inadequate knowledge, and (4) improvement for the health-care services.
CONCLUSIONS: The teaching-learning process at the MCH posting has an influence on their perception and upgraded their knowledge. It also reflects the role of primary health-care clinics on medical students' clinical exposure and training on family planning services during their postings.

MeSH terms: Abortion, Induced; Child Health; Data Accuracy; Child; Contraception; Counseling; Family Planning Services; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Maternal Mortality; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Unwanted; Surveys and Questionnaires; Software; Students, Medical; Child Mortality
Recombinant ferritin-H induces immunosuppression in European sea bass larvae (Dicentrarchus labrax) rather than immunostimulation and protection against a Vibrio anguillarum infection

Yaacob EN, De Geest BG, Goethals J, Bajek A, Dierckens K, Bossier P, et al.

Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 2018 Oct;204:19-27.
PMID: 30596377 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2018.09.001

Vibrio anguillarum causes high mortality in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) larviculture. In this study, we evaluated if the recombinant sea bass ferritin-H could stimulate the innate immune system of gnotobiotic European sea bass larvae resulting in protection against a V. anguillarum challenge. We also evaluated the effect of a V. anguillarum infection on the transcription of immune-related genes in gnotobiotic European sea bass larvae. Recombinant sea bass ferritin-H was produced, encapsulated in calcium alginate microparticles and orally delivered to sea bass larvae at seven days after hatching. Our results showed V. anguillarum caused an acute infection, resulting in high mortality. The infection significantly upregulated the expression of tlr3, tlr5, cas1, il1β, tnfα, mif, il10, cc1, cxcl8 at 18, 24 and 36 h post infection, but not of the chemokine receptor genes cxcr4 and ccr9. There was no protective effect of ferritin-H. Remarkably, ferritin-H caused significantly higher transcript levels for cxcr4 and ccr9. Sea bass ferritin-H was more likely involved in immune-suppression and results point in the direction of a negative regulation of CXCR4 resulting in inhibition of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration which is detrimental to innate immunity and might explain the non-protective effect of ferritin-H in fish larvae.

MeSH terms: Animals; Apoferritins/pharmacology*; Bass/immunology; Bass/microbiology*; Fish Diseases/immunology; Fish Diseases/microbiology*; Fish Diseases/prevention & control; Immunity, Innate/drug effects*; Larva/microbiology; Recombinant Proteins; Vibrio/immunology*; Vibrio Infections/immunology; Vibrio Infections/prevention & control; Vibrio Infections/veterinary*

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