METHODS: The study consisted of two phases. In Phase 1, a 10-item instrument (SAIL-10) was developed and tested on a cohort of medical and pharmacy students who attended the workshop. In Phase 2, different cohorts of medical and pharmacy students completed SAIL-10 before and after participating in the workshop.
RESULTS: Factor analysis showed that SAIL-10 has two domains: "facilitators of interprofessional learning" and "acceptance to learning in groups". The overall SAIL-10 and the two domains have adequate internal consistency and stable reliability. The total score and scores for the two domains were significantly higher after students attended the prescribing skills workshop.
CONCLUSIONS: This study produced a valid and reliable instrument, SAIL-10 which was used to demonstrate that the prescribing skills workshop, where medical and pharmacy students were placed in an authentic context, was a promising activity to promote interprofessional learning among future healthcare professionals.
METHODS: Through stratified random sampling, 1469 students, aged 18-19 years, were enrolled. Participants whose score achieved the aggressive evaluation standard were selected and then 60 participants were randomly divided into 2 groups: G-IPT and control. The participants in the G-IPT group received 16 sessions of treatment, whereas the participants in the control group did not receive any intervention. All participants completed the assessment three times: before, after, and tracking.
RESULTS: The results showed that the total score and the scores of all subscales of aggression dropped significantly (P
METHODS: We conducted transcriptome profiling on 32 colonic biopsies [11 long-duration UC, ≥20 years; and 21 short-duration UC, ≤5 years] using Affymetrix Human Transcriptome Array 2.0. Differentially expressed genes [fold change > 1.5, p < 0.05] and alternative splicing events [splicing index > 1.5, p < 0.05] were determined using the Transcriptome Analysis Console. KOBAS 3.0 and DAVID 6.8 were used for KEGG and GO analysis. Selected genes from microarray analysis were validated using qPCR.
RESULTS: There were 640 differentially expressed genes between both groups. The top ten upregulated genes were HMGCS2, UGT2A3 isoforms, B4GALNT2, MEP1B, GUCA2B, ADH1C, OTOP2, SLC9A3, and LYPD8; the top ten downregulated genes were PI3, DUOX2, VNN1, SLC6A14, GREM1, MMP1, CXCL1, TNIP3, TFF1, and LCN2. Among the 123 altered KEGG pathways, the most significant were metabolic pathways; fatty acid degradation; valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation; the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signalling pathway; and bile secretion, which were previously linked with CAC. Analysis showed that 3560 genes exhibited differential alternative splicing between long- and short-duration UC. Among them, 374 were differentially expressed, underscoring the intrinsic relationship between altered gene expression and alternative splicing.
CONCLUSIONS: Long-duration UC patients have altered gene expressions, pathways, and alternative splicing events as compared with short-duration UC patients, and these could be further validated to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of CAC.
METHOD:: A prospective observational study on idiopathic clubfoot patients less than 3 months old. Clinical assessment was done using hindfoot Pirani score and measurement of ankle dorsiflexion. Serial ultrasonography was done to measure the length and thickness of the Achilles tendon pre-hindfoot correction, 3 and 6 weeks post-hindfoot correction. Independent t-test was used to analyse the increase in ankle dorsiflexion, improvement in length and thickness of Achilles tendon between the two groups. Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse the improvement in hindfoot Pirani score. Pearson correlation test was used for correlation in between clinical severity and ultrasonography assessment.
RESULTS:: Twenty-three patients with bilateral clubfoot and four with unilateral clubfoot were recruited with a total of 50 clubfeet. Each group consists of 25 feet with a mean age of 2 months. Marked improvement in hindfoot correction was noted in tenotomy group compared to non-tenotomy group as evidenced by significant increase in Achilles tendon length, ankle dorsiflexion and improvement of hindfoot Pirani score. No significant difference in Achilles tendon thickness was noted between the two groups. Positive correlation was demonstrated between increase in Achilles tendon length and increase in ankle dorsiflexion as well as improvement in hindfoot Pirani score.
CONCLUSION:: We would like to propose Achilles tendon tenotomy in all clubfoot patients as it is concretely evident that superior hindfoot correction was achieved in tenotomy group.
METHODS:: This was a retrospective propensity score-matched study using prospectively collected data. Surgeries performed between 08:00 and 16:59 h were labeled as daytime surgeries (group 1) and surgeries performed between 17:00 and 06:00 h were labeled as after-hours surgeries (group 2). The perioperative outcome parameters were average operation time in and out, operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion, intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, preoperative hemoglobin, postoperative hemoglobin, and total patient-controlled anesthesia (PCA) morphine usage. Radiological variables assessed were Lenke subtypes, preoperative Cobb angle, number of fusion levels, number of screws used, postoperative Cobb angle, correction rate, side bending flexibility, side bending correction index, complications rate, and length of hospitalization.
RESULTS:: Average operation time in for daytime group was 11:32 ± 2:33 h versus 18:20 ± 1:05 h in after-hours group. Comparing daytime surgeries with after-hours surgeries, there were no significant differences ( p > 0.05) in the operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative pH, bicarbonate, lactate, postoperative hemoglobin, hemoglobin drift, blood transfusion, postoperative Cobb angle, correction rate, side bending flexibility, side bending correction index, length of hospitalization, and complications rate. Total PCA morphine usage was significantly lesser in the after-hours group (18.2 ± 15.3 mg) compared with the daytime group (24.6 ± 16.6 mg; p = 0.042).
CONCLUSIONS:: After-hours elective spine deformity corrective surgeries for healthy ambulatory patients with AIS were as safe as when they were done during daytime.
METHODS: A total of 90 mice were used and divided into 15 groups, each group comprising of 6 mice. Tumour, body weight and mortality of the mice were determined throughout the experiment, to observe the effect of NDV and NDV + tamoxifen treatments on the mice. In addition, the toxic effect of the treatments was determined through liver function test. In order to elucidate the involvement of cytokine production induced by NDV, a total of six cytokines, i.e. IL-6, IFN-γ, MCP-1, IL-10, IL12p70 and TNF-α were measured using cytometric bead array assay (plasma) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (isolated splenocytes).
RESULTS: The results demonstrated that 4 T1 breast cancer cells in allotransplanted mice treated with AF2240 showed a noticeable inhibition of tumour growth and induce apoptotic-related cytokines.
CONCLUSIONS: NDV AF2240 suppression of breast tumour growth is associated with induction of apoptotic-related cytokines. It would be important to further investigate the molecular mechanism underlaying cytokines production by Newcastle disease virus.
Methods: From June 15, 2017 to May 14, 2018, we collected nasopharyngeal swabs from 600 patients of all ages older than 1 month hospitalized with pneumonia at Sibu and Kapit Hospitals. Specimens were examined at our collaborating institutions with a panel of molecular assays for viral pathogens including influenza A (IAV), IBV, ICV, and IDV, human adenovirus (AdV), human enterovirus (EV), human coronavirus (CoV), respiratory syncytial virus subtype A (RSV-A) or RSV-B, and parainfluenza virus (PIV) types 1-4.
Results: Of 599 samples examined, 288 (48%) had molecular evidence of 1 or more respiratory viruses. Overall, the most prevalent virus detected was RSV-A (14.2%) followed by AdV (10.4%) and IAV (10.4%), then RSV-B (6.2%), EV (4.2%), IBV (2.2%), PIV-3 (1.7%), CoV (1.0%), PIV-1 (1.0%), PIV-4 (0.7%), and PIV-2 (0.2%). No specimens were confirmed positive for ICV or IDV.
Conclusions: The high prevalence of viruses detected in this study suggest that respiratory viruses may be responsible for considerable morbidity in equatorial regions such as Sarawak. Access to viral diagnostics are very necessary for medical staff to determine appropriate pneumonia treatments.
METHODS: The expression of IFITM3 in OSCC and normal oral mucosal tissues was assessed by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The role of IFITM3 in driving OSCC cell proliferation and survival was examined using siRNA-mediated gene knockdown, and the role of IFITM3 in driving cell cycle regulators was examined using Western blotting.
RESULTS: We found that IFITM3 is overexpressed in more than 79% of primary OSCCs. We also found that IFITM3 knockdown led to impaired OSCC cell growth through inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of cell cycle arrest, senescence and apoptosis. In addition, we found that IFITM3 knockdown led to reduced expressions of CCND1 and CDK4 and reduced RB phosphorylation, leading to inhibition of OSCC cell growth. This information may be instrumental for the design of novel targeted therapeutic strategies.
CONCLUSIONS: From our data we conclude that IFITM3 is overexpressed in OSCC and may regulate the CCND1-CDK4/6-pRB axis to mediate OSCC cell growth.