METHODS: In the present study, a single-tube reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay was developed for the detection of both the Asian and African-lineage ZIKV. The detection limit, strain coverage and cross-reactivity of the ZIKV RT-LAMP assay was evaluated. The sensitivity and specificity of the RT-LAMP were also evaluated using a total of 24 simulated clinical samples. The ZIKV quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was used as the reference assay.
RESULTS: The detection limit of the RT-LAMP assay was 3.73 ZIKV RNA copies (probit analysis, P ≤ 0.05). The RT-LAMP assay detected the ZIKV genomes of both the Asian and African lineages without cross-reacting with other arthropod-borne viruses. The sensitivity and specificity of the RT-LAMP assay were 90% (95% CI = 59.6-98.2) and 100% (95% CI = 78.5-100.0), respectively. The RT-LAMP assay detected ZIKV genome in 9 of 24 (37.5%) of the simulated clinical samples compared to 10 of 24 (41.7%) by qRT-PCR assay with a high level of concordance (κ = 0.913, P
METHODS: This prospective observational study comprised 34 newly diagnosed unilateral vocal fold paralysis patients undergoing surgical interventions: injection laryngoplasty or medialisation thyroplasty. Voice assessments, including maximum vocal intensity and other acoustic parameters, were performed at baseline and at one and three months post-intervention. Maximum vocal intensity was also repeated within two weeks before any surgical interventions were performed. The results were compared between different time points and between the two intervention groups.
RESULTS: Maximum vocal intensity showed high internal consistency. Statistically significant improvements were seen in maximum vocal intensity, Voice Handicap Index-10 and other acoustic analyses at one and three months post-intervention. A significant moderate negative correlation was demonstrated between maximum vocal intensity and Voice Handicap Index-10, shimmer and jitter. There were no significant differences in voice outcomes between injection laryngoplasty and medialisation thyroplasty patients at any time point.
CONCLUSION: Maximum vocal intensity can be applied as a treatment outcome measure in unilateral vocal fold paralysis patients; it can demonstrate the effectiveness of treatment and moderately correlates with self-reported outcome measures.
METHOD: National policies related to AAPS were reviewed using data from the Global Information System on Alcohol and Health, following the framework of the WHO Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. The policy review was supplemented with data from corporate annual reports, press releases, four databases of academic literature, market research from Euromonitor International, and news articles.
RESULTS: Four TACs--Carlsberg, Diageo, Heineken, and San Miguel--have been expanding operations in Southeast Asia by setting up new breweries, acquiring local alcohol companies as subsidiaries, and entering into joint ventures. In contrast, policies for regulating AAPS vary across Southeast Asia and range from nonexistent to strong control of AAPS. There is strong control of AAPS in countries with existing legislation ranging from a complete ban (Brunei) to almost comprehensive bans (Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos) and partial bans (Thailand). Nonexistent to weak control of AAPS is observed in the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, which mostly rely on voluntary regulation.
CONCLUSIONS: The study's findings point to the growing power of TACs in the region and call for the need for stronger measures based on scientific evidence of effectiveness that are implemented without interference from commercial interests.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of peer learning on professional competence development among Indonesian undergraduate nursing students.
DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study with non-equivalent control group pre-test post-test design.
PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants. Seventy-five students completed the study (37 in the intervention group and 38 in the control group).
METHODS: The intervention group received the peer learning program, while the control group received conventional learning during clinical practice. The Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) was used to collect data at pre-test and post-test measurement. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
RESULTS: Professional competence had significantly increased in the intervention group. A significant interaction effect of time (pre-test and post-test) and group on professional competence development was also found. The effect of peer learning on professional competence development was significantly greater than the conventional method.
CONCLUSION: Peer learning was demonstrated as an innovative learning method to develop professional competence during clinical practice among Indonesian undergraduate nursing students. It is recommended for nurse educators to consider implementing peer learning during clinical education.
Setting and Design: Retrospective observational cohort study in the State of Johor, Malaysia.
Subjects and Methods: All infants born between January 2006 and December 2015 with a diagnosis of CCHD, defined as infants with duct-dependent lesions or cyanotic heart disease who may die without early intervention. The late diagnosis was defined as a diagnosis of CCHD after 3 days of age.
Results: Congenital heart disease was diagnosed in 3557 of 531,904 live-born infants and were critical in 668 (18.7%). Of 668, 347 (52%) had duct-dependent pulmonary circulation. The birth prevalence of CCHD was 1.26 (95% confidence interval: 1.16-1.35) per 1000 live births, with no significant increase over time. The median age of diagnosis was 4 days (Q1 1, Q3 26), with 61 (9.1%) detected prenatally, and 342 (51.2%) detected late. The highest rate of late diagnosis was observed in coarctation of the aorta with a rate of 74%. Trend analysis shows a statistically significant reduction of late diagnosis and a significant increase in prenatal detection. However, Cox regression analysis shows the timing of diagnosis does not affect the outcome of CCHD.
Conclusions: Due to limited resources in the MIC, the late diagnosis of CCHD is high but does not affect the outcome. Nevertheless, the timing of diagnosis has improved over time.
Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and Econlit for articles published from inception to 31 July 2019. Original articles reporting costs or full economic evaluation related with snakebites were included. The methods and reporting quality were assessed. Costs were presented in US dollars (US$) in 2018.
Results: Twenty-three cost of illness studies and three economic evaluation studies related to snakebites were included. Majority of studies (18/23, 78.26%) were conducted in Low- and Middle-income countries. Most cost of illness studies (82.61%) were done using hospital-based data of snakebite patients. While, four studies (17.39%) estimated costs of snakebites in communities. Five studies (21.74%) used societal perspective estimating both direct and indirect costs. Only one study (4.35%) undertook incidence-based approach to estimate lifetime costs. Only three studies (13.04%) estimated annual national economic burdens of snakebite which varied drastically from US$126 319 in Burkina Faso to US$13 802 550 in Sri Lanka. Quality of the cost of illness studies were varied and substantially under-reported. All three economic evaluation studies were cost-effectiveness analysis using decision tree model. Two of them assessed cost-effectiveness of having full access to antivenom and reported cost-effective findings.
Conclusions: Economic burdens of snakebite were underestimated and not extensively studied. To accurately capture the economic burdens of snakebites at both the global and local level, hospital data should be collected along with community survey and economic burdens of snakebites should be estimated both in short-term and long-term period to incorporate the lifetime costs and productivity loss due to premature death, disability, and consequences of snakebites.