METHODS: This investigator-blinded, randomised, moisturiser-controlled study evaluated patients with stable mild-to-moderate AD. Clobetasone butyrate ointment plus aqueous cream (Aq) or Aq alone was applied on randomised sites twice daily for 6 weeks. The itch score, modified Eczema Area and Severity Index (M-EASI) and epidermal biophysical parameters were assessed at baseline and 1 h, 3 h, 2 weeks and 6 weeks after application.
RESULTS: Sixteen patients, among whom 14 (87.5%) were women and two (12.5%) were men, participated in the study. There were no significant differences in pH, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and hydration between TCS + Aq and Aq from 1 h to 6 weeks. A non-significant trend of pH increment was observed with TCS + Aq from baseline to 6 weeks. TEWL and hydration improved at 6 weeks for both treatment arms. The difference in TEWL from baseline was significant with Aq (P=0.01). The M-EASI at 6 weeks was comparable between the two arms. TCS + Aq improved itch and erythema better than Aq (P=0.02). No cutaneous adverse effects were observed at both sites.
CONCLUSION: Short-term application of clobetasone butyrate with Aq is safe with no significant changes in epidermal biophysical parameters while controlling the symptoms and signs of eczema faster than Aq alone.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical officers in 14 health clinics in Seremban District, using a validated, self-administered online questionnaire.
RESULTS: A total of 240 medical officers from 14 health clinics in Seremban District, participated in this study. Most participants (85.4%) passed the knowledge test. Their practice was acceptable, but only a minority were familiar with non-invasive testing of liver fibrosis (e.g. APRI or FIB-4), medication and specific diet for the treatment of MAFLD.
CONCLUSION: Most primary care physicians in Seremban District are knowledgeable in identifying risk factors and managing patients with MAFLD. However, there are still areas to improve in terms of management, particularly regarding the use of silymarin, vitamin E and pioglitazone.
METHODS: A total of 171 patients who received treatment in a local heart centre were included in this study. Several questionnaires such as the Life Event Checklist-5, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were used to measure their traumatic experiences and PTSD and depressive symptoms, respectively. Physiological measures were also examined. Data were analysed using SPSS.
RESULTS: The chi-square test showed significant differences in the percentage of reported PTSD symptoms among the patients with CVD (24.0%), patients with kidney disease (4.3%) and patients with other health problems (7.1%). The patients with CVD reported having a significantly higher percentage of PTSD and depressive symptoms than the patients with other medical conditions. The patients with CVD who reported having PTSD symptoms had significant systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate changes compared to the patients who did not. The patients who reported PTSD symptoms had a significantly shorter sleep duration than their counterparts. The SBP and diastolic blood pressure differed significantly between the patients with and without PTSD symptoms.
CONCLUSION: Earlier detection, prevention and intervention related to trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms are suggested to reduce the CVD risk.
METHODS: Primary data gathered with the help of questionnaires from employees of SMEs manufacturing in developing countries, Pakistan. The research gathered data from 211 participants by applying a pre-tested instrumental questionnaire and structural equation modelling (SEM) for data analysis.
RESULTS: The results confirmed all direct effects, including a reduction in resource use, the greening of processes and products and green employee behaviour of environmental strategies in small and medium manufacturing firms. Also, confirmed partial mediation effect of green employee behavior between greening of processes and products and environmental strategy.
CONCLUSION: The current study clearly showed the need for programs and infrastructures that support resource reduction and greening businesses in SMEs. Companies' implementation of green processes and technologies allows SMEs to take an environmentally responsible stand and become part of the movement toward sustainability. The research stresses the importance of green employee conduct as a mediator, the central point being the individual employee being engaged and aware of the subject and willing to participate in environmentally friendly practices. Therefore, small and medium enterprises should enlighten their staff to practice green behaviour, give them what they need and empower them to be change drivers that will trigger sustainability throughout the organisations.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We designed a case-control study where patients admitted with PSS were recruited with consent. Controls admitted for stroke without seizure were then included. Suitability based on exclusion criteria was ensured before recording their sociodemographic and clinical data. An EEG was performed and read by two certified neurologists before the data was analyzed.
RESULTS: We recruited 180 participants, 90 cases and 90 matched controls. Gender (p=0.013), race (p=0.015), dyslipidemia (p<0.001), prior stroke (p<0.031), large artery atherosclerosis (p<0.001), small vessel occlusions (p<0.001), blood pressure on presentation (p<0.028) and thrombolysis administration (p<0.029) were significantly associated with the occurrence of PSS. An increase in odds of PSS was observed in the male gender (1.974), dyslipidemia (3.480), small vessel occlusions (4.578), and in participants with epileptiform changes on EEG (3.630). Conversely, lower odds of PSS were seen in participants with high blood pressure on presentation (0.505), large artery atherosclerosis (0.266), and those who underwent thrombolysis (0.319).
CONCLUSION: This study emphasized that identifying post-stroke seizures may be aided by EEGs and recognizing at-risk groups, which include males of Chinese descent in Asia, dyslipidemia, small vessel occlusions, those with low to normal blood pressure on presentation, and epileptiform changes in EEGs.
METHODS: We used questionnaire and attendance data (Aug 2020-Nov 2022) from Compass-PLUS, a sub-study of the Compass randomized-controlled trial of Human Papillomavirus-based vs cytology-based screening. Data was restricted to the HPV-screening arm for comparability to the national program. We investigated associations overall and for younger (25-39 years) and older (≥40 years) cohorts, between intention-to-attend/attendance, and socio-demographics, anxiety-related scores, and agreement with beliefs about screening during the pandemic (e.g. importance of screening, increased workload, working from home, risk of infection).
RESULTS: Among 2,226 participants, positive intention to attend screening was more likely among those with a family history of cancer (p = 0.030) or living outside major cities (p = 0.024). Increased attendance was associated with increasing age (p
METHODS: To clarify the intermediary role of sensation seeking and FoMO in the relationship between elderly loneliness and problematic phone use, this study employed the loneliness scale, brief sensation seeking scale, the scale of FoMO and WeChat overuse scale in a questionnaire survey on the Chinese elderly aged 55 to 89 (N=913). A chained mediation model was constructed, with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation effect tests performed.
RESULTS: The results indicate that the relationship between loneliness and excessive WeChat use among Chinese elderly is mediated by sensation seeking and FoMO.
CONCLUSION: The findings reveal that loneliness, sensation seeking and FoMO and problematic mobile phone use (WeChat) are interconnected; (ii) sensation seeking and FoMO are the two important intermediary mechanisms between loneliness and problematic mobile phone use; and (iii) sensation seeking and FoMO can act as mediators in the relationship between loneliness and problematic mobile phone use among the elderly. In the difference test of demographic variables, it was found that women had more WeChat overuse behavior than men, and urban residents demonstrated significantly higher levels of overuse than their township residents. The study has revealed the psychological mechanism between loneliness and problematic mobile phone use among the elderly, which provides guiding suggestions for the prevention and intervention of such behaviors in the elderly.
PURPOSE: To develop and validate a risk assessment tool for the therapeutic outcomes of ASM therapy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a hospital-based specialist clinic from September 2022 to August 2023. Data was analyzed from patients' medical records and face-to-face assessments. The seizure control domain was determined from the patients' medical records while seizure severity (SS) and adverse effects (AE) of ASM were assessed using the Seizure Severity Questionnaire and the Liverpool Adverse Event Profile respectively. The developed tool was devised from prediction models using logistic and linear regressions. Concurrent validity and interrater reliability methods were employed for validity assessments.
RESULTS: A total of 397 patients were included in the analysis. For seizure control, the identified predictors include ≥10 years' epilepsy duration (OR:1.87,95% CI:1.10-3.17), generalized onset (OR:7.42,95% CI:2.95-18.66), focal onset seizure (OR:8.24,95% CI:2.98-22.77), non-adherence (OR:3.55,95% CI:1.52-8.27) and having ≥3 ASM (OR:3.29,95% CI:1.32-8.24). Younger age at epilepsy onset (≤40) (OR:3.29,95% CI:1.32-8.24) and neurological deficit (OR:3.55,95% CI:1.52-8.27) were significant predictors for SS. For AE, the positive predictors were age >35 (OR:0.12,95% CI:0.03-0.20), <13 years epilepsy duration (OR:2.89,95% CI:0.50-5.29) and changes in ASM regimen (OR:2.93,95% CI: 0.24-5.62). The seizure control domain showed a good discriminatory ability with a c-index of 0.711. From the Bonferroni (ANOVA) analysis, only SS predicted scores generated a linear plot against the mean of the actual scores. The AE domain was omitted from the final tool because it did not meet the requirements for validity assessment.
CONCLUSION: This newly developed tool (RAS-TO) is a promising tool that could help healthcare providers in determining optimal treatment strategies for adults with epilepsy.
METHODS: A matched case-control study involving young adults aged 18-30 years was conducted in the Klang Valley of Malaysia. The young adults were matched in a 1:1 ratio based on their sociodemographic characteristics, including gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, educational attainment, employment status, and monthly earned income. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was utilized to evaluate sleep quality, and the Diet Quality for Malaysia was used to determine the diet quality of all young adults. The young adults retrospectively recalled their prepandemic body weight in February 2020, while their current body weight in February 2023 was measured using a TANITA HD-314 digital weighing scale.
RESULTS: Emerging findings suggest that sleep quality and weight change were comparable between COVID-19-recovered patients and healthy controls. However, healthy controls were reported to have a more diversified diet than COVID-19-recovered patients. Nevertheless, no significant main effects or interaction effects of sleep and diet quality on weight change were observed in COVID-19-recovered patients or healthy controls. In this study, young adults also reported suffering from sleep deprivation and deficiency due to the pandemic.
CONCLUSION: Intervention programs that emphasize avoiding stimulants before bedtime for healthy controls, promoting the importance of having a diversified and balanced diet among the COVID-19-recovered patients, and achieving an ideal body weight for all young adults should be conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHOD: Five years of retrospective case review of surgical eye removals was conducted from 1st June 2018 to 31st May 2023 at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), University of Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Medical record files were used to analyse the age, gender, affected eye, types of surgeries, and indications of the eye removal surgery.
RESULTS: Fourteen eyes underwent anophthalmic surgeries inclusive of evisceration (78.57%, n = 11), enucleation (14.29%, n = 2), and exenteration (7.14%, n = 1). Among the evisceration group, 63.64% (n = 7) were due to endophthalmitis, 27.27% (n = 3) were due to ocular trauma, and 9.09% (n = 1) were done for a painful blind due to neovascular glaucoma. Two enucleation surgeries were performed for retinoblastoma and one exenteration for orbital metastatic malignancy.
CONCLUSION: The preferred choice of anophthalmic surgery was in favour of evisceration, especially when the underlying causes were due to benign conditions. The most common indications of anophthalmic surgeries were endophthalmitis, trauma, and malignancies. Enucleation and exenteration were performed mainly for the blinded eye due to the intraocular malignancies and malignancy with an extraocular spread. A fairly lesser number of anophthalmic surgeries over the five years could imply an improvement in the conservative management approach of a painful blinded eye.