MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational study was conducted in Manjung, Perak and Langkawi Island to look at the pattern and incidence of jellyfish stings which occur within 1 year.
RESULTS: There were 45 sting incidents reported with the highest number of cases occurred in December and February. Cases mainly involved young adults aged 10 to 29 years old. The most common clinical symptom that presented was sudden and persistent pain. Vinegar was applied as first aid in 53.3% of reported stings. All patients were treated symptomatically and discharged well. Stings occurred at mean sea surface temperature of 29.38°C and the wind speed of 7.6 knots. All cases were mild and did not require antivenom.
CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that the occurrence of jellyfish stings are affected by weather conditions. Jellyfish stings occur seasonally, thus making it predictable and easily preventable with public awareness, early first aid application and use of jellyfish nets.
Methods: A qualitative approach with a phenomenological research design was adopted. The perceptions of undergraduate and postgraduate optometry students about JCs were captured using focus group discussions. A narrative thematic analysis was done using the verbatim transcripts and moderator's notes. Results are reported using "consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research" guidelines.
Results: A total of 33 optometry students participated in the study. Data analysis revealed three major themes related to (i) The ongoing practice of JC, (ii) student perceptions of JC and its relevance in facilitating student learning, and (iii) suggestions for modification of JC for achieving optimal educational outcomes.
Discussion: Student feedback indicates that an instructional redesigning of JC is necessary, considering the characteristics and expectations of the current generation of learners and the rapid strides made in the field of educational technology. The recommendations provided are likely to resurrect an age-old approach that still has educational relevance if blended with collaborative learning formats and appropriate technology.
Materials and Methods: This randomized experimental study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Chittagong Medical College, Chattogram, from July 2017 to June 2018. A total of 100 1st-year students, aged between 18 and 20 years, were included by a random sampling method. Fifty participants (25 males and 25 females) were enrolled in the experimental group, while age- and body mass index-matched another 50 participants (25 males and 25 females) served as the control group. Experimental group participants performed ANB exercise for 4 weeks. Cardiorespiratory parameters (pulse rate, blood pressure, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1st s [FEV1], and peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR] were measured. Data were taken at the start and after 4 weeks in both groups.
Results: Independent t-test showed no significant differences in the cardiorespiratory functions between the experimental and control groups among the male and female participants, except for the females' PEFR which showed small differences. On the other hand, repeated measure ANOVA shows significant improvement in the experimental groups among males (P < 0.001-0.028) and females (P < 0.001-0.001) in all the cardiorespiratory functions measured, except for the FEV1 and PEFR among males.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that cardiorespiratory functions were improved after breathing exercise, and therefore, ANB can be recommended for increasing cardiorespiratory efficiency.
METHODS: Ten ligands with reported in vitro and/or in vivo activities against GAPDH were evaluated for their binding interactions through molecular docking studies using AutoDock 4.2 program. The ligand with the best binding energy was then modified to produce 10 derivatives, which were redocked against GAPDH using previous protocols. BIOVIA Discovery Studio Visualizer 2019 was used to explore the ligand-receptor interactions between the derivatives and GAPDH.
RESULTS: Among the 10 ligands, curcumin, koningic acid and folic acid showed the best binding energies. Further analysis on the docking of two folic acid derivatives, F7 (γ-{[tert-butyl-N-(6-aminohexyl)]carbamate}folic acid) and F8 (folic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester) showed that the addition of a bulky substituent at the carboxyl group of the glutamic acid subcomponent resulted in improved binding energy.
CONCLUSIONS: Folic acid and the two derivatives F7 and F8 have huge potentials to be developed as targeting agents against the GAPDH receptor. Further study is currently on-going to evaluate the effectiveness of these molecules in vitro.
DESIGN: This longitudinal qualitative study was informed by the Normalisation Process Model and involved audiotaped semi-structured individual interviews with front-line clinicians before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) the PIPC intervention. The Framework Method was used in the thematic analysis of pre/post interview transcripts.
SETTING: Two government-operated primary care clinics in Penang, Malaysia.
PARTICIPANTS: 17 primary care medical, nursing and allied health staff recruited purposely to achieve a range of disciplines and a balanced representation from both clinics.
INTERVENTION: Psychiatrists, accompanied by medical students in small numbers, provided one half-day consultation visit per week, to front-line clinicians in each clinic over an 8-month period. The service involved psychiatric assessment of patients with suspected CMDs, with face-to-face discussion with the referring clinician before and after the patient assessment.
RESULTS: At Time 1 interviewees tended to equate CMDs with stress and embraced a holistic model of care while also reporting considerable autonomy in mental healthcare and positively appraising their current practices. At Time 2, post-intervention, participants demonstrated a shift towards greater understanding of CMDs as treatable conditions. They reported time pressures and the demands of key performance indicators in other areas as barriers to participation in PIPC. Yet they showed increased awareness of current service deficits and of their potential in delivering improved mental healthcare.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite resource-related and structural barriers to implementation of national mental health policy in Malaysian primary care settings, our findings suggest that front-line clinicians are receptive to future interventions designed to improve the mental healthcare capacity.
Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review on all PCNLs performed in our center between July 2012 and June 2017, with emphasis on preoperative urine results, intra-operative findings, and postoperative septic complications.
Results: Among 425 cases of PCNL performed, 16 (3.76%) developed sepsis postoperatively. Patients with positive preoperative urine cultures were almost four times as likely to develop post-PCNL sepsis compared to those with negative cultures (8.41% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.004). Among patients with positive urine leukocytes and positive urine cultures, the presence of Staghorn calculi and multiple PCNL punctures both predicted significantly higher risks of postoperative sepsis. In contrast, diabetes mellitus and preoperative stenting were not found to be associated with a greater risk of post-PCNL sepsis.
Conclusions: Patients who had positive preoperative urine leukocytes and/or cultures, and either harbor Staghorn calculi or are deemed to require more than one puncture on PCNL, were at an increased risk of developing post-PCNL sepsis. Such at-risk patients should be identified preoperatively, given aggressive perioperative antibiotic treatment, and monitored closely for septic complications during the convalescence period.