MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using stratified sampling at the community level, 640 parents including 419 mothers and 221 fathers participated in the study. Tools included a socio-demographic pro-forma; Parental attitude inventory (PAI) to assess parenting attitudes, Parent Global Report of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) to assess current parenting dimensions, and the parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to assess behavioural problems among adolescents. We examined the prevalence and predictors of total difficulties, externalizing and internalizing behavioural problems among adolescents from paternal and maternal reports.
RESULTS: Paternal and maternal reports of total difficulties (11.3 %, 13.6 %), externalizing (2.3 %, 1.9 %) and internalizing behaviours (8.6 %, 7.4 %) among adolescents are reported. Predictors of abnormal behaviours per paternal reports included lower social class and poor paternal control. Being a male adolescent increased the odds of total difficulties and externalizing problems. Favourable maternal attitude, good maternal warmth and control predicted the reduced likelihood of total difficulties and externalizing behaviours per maternal reports. Paternal control and maternal warmth and control were found to reduce the likelihood of internalizing behaviours among adolescents.
CONCLUSION: Maternal attitude, paternal control and maternal warmth and control dimensions emerged as significant predictors of total difficulties, externalizing and internalizing behavioural problems among adolescents.
Methods: A prospective cohort study involving different populations within the Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra, India was conducted through camps organised from May 2009 to October 2015. A total of 568 serum samples were collected from high-risk people recruited as study cohorts based on inclusion criteria, additional risk factors and clinical symptoms. Samples were evaluated by indirect ELISA using the whole-cell antigens of B. abortus. The results were compared with the commercially available IgG detection ELISA kit to ascertain the specificity and sensitivity of the developed test.
Results: Fever, body ache, joint pain, lower back pain, loss of appetite and weight loss were major symptoms associated with the disease. With the cut-off of > 0.8, the positivity of brucellosis infection was at 12.32% (70/568) compared to 9.33% (53/568) as detected by the commercial kit. The in-house developed ELISA method yielded a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 99.18% as compared to the commercial kits (sensitivity -80.30% and specificity -99.6%).
Discussion: The B. abortus S19-derived whole-cell protein-based ELISA is rapid and cost-effective and can be used for screening brucellosis infection in lieu of the commercially available ELISA kits.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study used blood plasma from 30 newly diagnosed untreated patients with EOC and 25 healthy subjects. The mean age was 47.73 (SD = 10.29) years for EOC and 44.48 (SD = 16.14) years for healthy subject. The total RNA was isolated from blood plasma and reversed transcribed to obtain cDNA. The expression of miR-141 was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and calculated using 2-ΔΔCt methods. The data were analysed using Mann-Whitney test.
RESULTS: The expression of miR-141 was upregulated 8.41 fold in the blood plasma of EOC patients compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). Expression of miR-141 in the advanced stage was upregulated 4.2 fold compared to the early stage (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: The miR-141 was upregulated in the blood plasma of EOC and associated with an advanced stage of disease, suggesting it has potential as a biomarker for EOC detection.
METHODS: The hypolipidaemic effect of (R)-(-)-carvone was investigated in a tyloxapol-induced hyperlipidaemia mice model. Furthermore, its effect on insulin secretion and proliferation of 1.1E7 human pancreatic β-cells was studied. In addition, using molecular docking, the binding affinity of (R)-(-)-carvone against 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase was estimated.
RESULTS: (R)-(-)-carvone (100 mg/kg) decreased plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and atherogenic index by 90.6%, 49.3%, 56.6% and 70.3%, respectively, but it had no effect on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Furthermore, it increased hepatic triglyceride level and catalase activity by 79.6% and 59.6%, respectively. In-vitro, 500 μM (R)-(-)-carvone increased insulin secretion by 454.4% and proliferation of 1.1E7 cells with no cytotoxic effects up to a concentration of 100 μM. Molecular docking simulation demonstrated a good binding affinity with -5.03 Kcal/mol of (R)-(-)-carvone to HMG-CoA reductase.
CONCLUSION: The hypolipidaemic effect of (R)-(-)-carvone is comparable to that of fenofibrate. (R)-(-)-carvone has the advantage over fenofibrate of not producing hypoglycaemia in animals. Furthermore, (R)-(-)-carvone increased proliferation and insulin secretion of human pancreatic β-cells.
Methods: Microarray expression dataset GSE22255 was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. It includes messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression data for the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 20 controls and 20 IS patients. The bioconductor-package 'affy' was used to calculate expression and a pairwise t-test was applied to screen DEGs (P < 0.01). Further, GSEA was used to determine the enrichment of DEGs specific to gene ontology (GO) annotations.
Results: GSEA analysis revealed 21 genes to be significantly plausible gene markers, enriched in multiple pathways among all the DEGs (n = 881). Ten gene sets were found to be core enriched in specific GO annotations. JunD, NCX3 and fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) were under-represented and glycoprotein M6-B (GPM6B) was persistently over-represented.
Conclusion: The identified genes are either associated with the pathophysiology of IS or they affect post-IS neuronal regeneration, thereby influencing clinical outcome. These genes should, therefore, be evaluated for their utility as suitable markers for predicting IS in clinical scenarios.
METHODS: A total of 93 patients with American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II having lower limb orthopaedic surgery under spinal anaesthesia were randomised into two groups that received either Volulyte (n = 47) or Gelaspan (n = 46). Before the spinal anaesthesia, these patients were pre-loaded with 500 mL of the fluid of their respective group. Blood samples were taken before pre-loading and again after spinal anaesthesia and sent for venous blood gas and electrolyte level measurement. Baseline and intraoperative records of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and the requirement of ephedrine to treat hypotension were also recorded.
RESULTS: Both fluids could not prevent significant reductions in SBP (P = 0.011), DBP (P = 0.002) and MAP (P = 0.001). There was also significant reduction in HR over time (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in terms of ephedrine usage between both groups. Neither Volulyte 6% nor Gelaspan 4% caused significant changes in acid-base status.
CONCLUSION: The use of 500 mL of either Gelaspan 4% or Volulyte 6% as pre-loading fluids did not significantly prevent the incidence of post-spinal anaesthesia hypotension following orthopaedic lower limb surgery; however, both were useful in the maintenance normal acid-base balance.
Methods: A prospective, observational single-centre study was conducted where all 504 cases that were consecutively admitted for pneumonia were enrolled. Blood and sputum samples obtained were used to identify pathogens using standard microbiological culture methods. The urine samples collected were tested using the ImmunocatchTMLegionella immunochromatographic (ICT) urine antigen test.
Results: A microbiological diagnosis was only achieved in 104 cases (20.6%) and a Gram-negative infection predominance was observed. Culture-positive cases required longer hospitalisation (8.46 days versus 5.53 days; P < 0.001) and the higher usage of antipseudomonal antibiotics (23.1% versus 8.3%; P < 0.001). Only 3 cases (0.6%) were diagnosed with Legionella pneumonia.
Conclusion: The local pathogen distribution is diverse compared to other regions. Culture-negative pneumonia is common and significantly differs from culture-positive pneumonia. Legionella pneumophila serotype 1 is not a common cause of pneumonia and LUAT did not help demystify the cause of culture-negative pneumonia.
Methods: A series of videos were shot, which involved the eye, ear, vestibular system, cerebellar, proprioceptive sense and gait examination. These videos, conducted in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Medical Sciences, will be first in Malaysia and will highlight the proper technique and rapport with patients and essential points of each examination. There will be summary at the end of each examination on how to report findings which is a common weakness among students.
Conclusion: We hope that students and junior doctors could be apply these methods in their daily assessment of dizzy patients and ultimately, reach an accurate diagnosis.
Methods: This school-based, non-randomised controlled study was conducted among secondary school students with a total of 236 respondents. The KAPS score were assessed before and 1 month after using self-administered validated KAPS questionnaire on TB. Analysis was done using repeated measures ANOVA.
Results: The mean percentage score (SD) for baseline knowledge, attitude, practice and stigma score for the respondents were 54.0 (4.48), 65.6 (1.74), 70.0 (1.43) and 66.0 (6.88), respectively. There was a significant difference (P < 0.001) in the knowledge and stigma score for intervention group compared to control group, adjusted for gender, ethnicity and smoking status 4 weeks post-TB educational programme. However, with regards to attitude and practice score, there was no significant difference (P = 0.210 and P = 0.243, respectively).
Conclusion: TB education programme was effective in improving knowledge and stigma related to TB. This health education programme can be used as one of the strategies for the prevention and control of TB in schools.
Objectives: This paper illustrates the development of a guideline to build a concept mapping based-learning strategy. Called the Rusnani concept mapping (RCM) protocol guideline, it was adapted from the Mohd Afifi learning model (MoAFF) and the analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation (ADDIE) model, integrated with the Kemp model.
Methods: This model uses the five phases of analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. The validity of the guideline was determined by using content and face validity and the Delphi technique. Content validity for this RCM guideline was established using expert review. This formula suggested that if the content validity is greater than 70%, it shows good content validity, and if it is less than 70%, the content validity is low and it is advisable to recheck the content according to the objective of the study.
Results: The reliability of the RCM was 0.816, showing that the RCM guideline has high reliability and validity.
Conclusion: It is practical and acceptable for nurse educators to apply RCM as an effective and innovative teaching method to enhance the academic performance of their nursing students.
Methods: The study consists of six phases which begins with eliciting a conceptual understanding of the subject matter which is then followed by questions development, designing the overall structure and format of the questionnaire, assessing both its content validity and face validity, conducting a pilot study and finally a field test. A sample of study respondents who were permanent hospital staff above 18 years of age had been recruited from three government hospitals in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Results: The finalised JS-Q consists of a total of 34 questions that were based on 8 domains. For all these 8 domains, the minimum loading of each item on the factors was calculated to be at least 0.500, its coefficient of Cronbach's alpha was calculated to be at least 0.750 and its corrected item-total correlation was calculated to be at least 0.500. The goodness of fit of the model was determined to be satisfactory with a value of Chi-square/df < 3.0, and a value of root mean square error approximation (RMSEA) < 0.8 and finally with both Tucker Lewis index (TLI) and comparative fit index (CFI) > 0.9.
Conclusion: This newly developed and validated questionnaire (JS-Q) is found to be a valid and reliable study instrument for assessing job satisfaction among health workforce.
Objective: This study aims to fractionate water extract of Labisia pumila, identify the compound(s) involved and elucidate the possible mechanism(s) of its vasorelaxant effects.
Methods: Water extract of Labisia pumila was subjected to liquid-liquid extraction to obtain ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water fractions. In SHR aortic ring preparations, water fraction (WF-LPWE) was established as the most potent fraction for vasorelaxation. The pharmacological mechanisms of the vasorelaxant effect of WF-LPWE were investigated with and without the presence of various inhibitors. The cumulative dose-response curves of potassium chloride (KCl)-induced contractions were conducted to study the possible mechanisms of WF-LPWE in reducing vasoconstriction.
Results: WF-LPWE produced dose-dependent vasorelaxant effect in endothelium-denuded aortic ring and showed non-competitive inhibition of dose-response curves of PE-induced contraction, and at its higher concentrations reduced KCl-induced contraction. 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) significantly inhibited vasorelaxant effect of WF-LPWE. WF-LPWE significantly reduced the release of intracellular calcium ion (Ca2+) from the intracellular stores and suppressed the calcium chloride (CaCal2)-induced contraction. Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), methylene blue, indomethacin and atropine did not influence the vasorelaxant effects of WF-LPWE.
Conclusion: WF-LPWE exerts its vasorelaxant effect independently of endothelium and possibly by inhibiting the release of calcium from intracellular calcium stores, receptor-operated calcium channels and formation of inositol 1,4,5- triphosphate. WF-LPWE vasorelaxant effect may also mediated via nitric oxide-independent direct involvement of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)/ cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathways.