METHODS: Wistar Kyoto rats and SHR underwent 16 weeks of TRF intervention, with daily feeding restricted to 9 am-5 pm. The effects of TRF on systolic BP, diastolic BP, mean BP, body weight (BW), heart weight (HW), HW/BW ratio, cardiac structure and function, and RAS activity in the circulating and left ventricular (LV) tissues were investigated.
RESULTS: TRF effectively reduced systolic BP, mean BP, diastolic BP, and BW; improved hypertension-induced cardiac structural and functional damage; and inhibited the ACE-Ang-II-AT1 axis in circulating and LV tissues.
CONCLUSION: TRF effectively inhibits RAS activity in both circulating and LV tissues, thereby lowering BP and mitigating structural and functional cardiac damage associated with hypertension.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The history of mental disorders was used as a proxy for diagnosis. The data came from the COMET-G study (40 countries; 54,826 subjects, 64.73 % females, 35.45±13.51 years old). The analysis included descriptive statistics, Risk Ratios, t-tests, and ANCOVA's.
RESULTS: 24.14 % reported a history of any mental disorder (depression >12 %, non-affective psychosis and Bipolar disorder 1 % each, >20 % self-injury, >10 % had attempted suicide, 7.17 % illegal substance abuse). Most patients were not under any kind of treatment (59.44 %) and most were not receiving treatment as recommended (e.g. 90 % of Bipolar and 2/3 of psychotic patients). No treatment at all and psychotherapy as monotherapy were consistently related to poorer outcomes. In anxiety or depression, only antidepressant monotherapy and benzodiazepines, in Bipolar disorder only antipsychotic monotherapy in males and antidepressant monotherapy in females and in non-affective psychosis antipsychotics and psychotherapy in females only, were related to good outcomes. No treatment modality was related to a good outcome in those with a history of self-harm, suicidal attempts, or illegal substance use. Only depression and treatment with antidepressants were related to metabolic syndrome.
DISCUSSION: In the community, the overwhelming majority of mental patients do not receive appropriate treatment or, even worse, no treatment at all. The outcome is unfavourable for the majority and only a few selective treatment options seem to make a difference.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 500 PUBG players, categorized into Lower, Medium, and High PUBG Users. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and a gaming disorder screening tool. The Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) methodology was applied to analyze the factors influencing migraine symptoms, sleep quality, and quality of life.
RESULTS: Participants of the study were categorized into lower PUBG users (LPU), medium PUBG users (MPU), and high PUBG users (HPU). Among study participants reporting migraine pain, 259 (51.8%) reported that they were HPU. By examining daytime sleepiness using the ESS, Higher normal Day sleep (DS) was observed in 78 (15.9%) HPU. The cultivation level of PUBG showed a very weak positive correlation with experiencing migraine pain or associated headache symptoms (r = 0.034, p = 0.454). In contrast, the gaming disorder of PUBG showed a weak negative correlation with PSQI (r = -0.092, p = 0.041). The higher levels of gaming disorder are slightly associated with poorer sleep quality. The results of the MLP model suggested that daily PUBG use was the most contributing factor to migraine and related symptoms followed by gaming disorder, gaming addiction, PSQI, and ESS.
CONCLUSION: The study concluded that PUBG playing contributes to migraine and its associated symptoms although is not significant it contributes to less sleep quality and lower quality of life.
METHODS: Participants were recruited through a snow-balling method of sampling with the help of community workers. Semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDIs) with transgender women in northern Malaysia and Focus group discussion (FGD) with a mixed group of transgender women and health care professionals were conducted to gain insights into the needs of the community. Data obtained from IDIs and FGD were coded, transcribed, and thematically analysed to derive codes and themes through the interpretative lens of the Information, Motivation and Behavioural skills (IMB) theory.
RESULTS: Participants of the IDIs were transgender women (n = 20, median age 39.8 (9.75 IQR) years). Aesthetic dental needs were prioritised, yet poor utilisation of dental services was reported, with many opting for self-medication or care from a non-qualified dental practitioner. Routine engagement in oral sex practices, primarily receptive fellatio with or without ejaculation with multiple cis-gender male partners, was reported. Low awareness of oral STIs, along with a perceived low risk of transmission of STIs through oral sex, was reported, with most (18, 90%) not using condoms for clients/partners or inconsistently using them during oral sexual practices. The themes identified from IDIs and FGD included: 'Place in the society' 'Attitudes and beliefs linked with dental care', 'Access to dental care', 'Lack of trans-specific health care' and 'Use of condoms for oral sex'.
CONCLUSION: The study's findings report poor dental service utilisation among transgender women despite aesthetics being prioritised. Gaps in knowledge regarding the oral transmission of STIs were also noted. These insights underscore the need for trans-specific health campaigns designed to address these concerns and enhance awareness through an integrated approach to improve access to inclusive oral health care and sexual health care for this vulnerable population.
METHODS: A mixed-methods study was conducted at a single dental school in Malaysia. An online questionnaire was administered to eligible lecturers, followed by in-depth interviews with volunteer respondents. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively using the statistical software Jamovi; qualitative data was analysed with inductive thematic analysis process in Microsoft Excel.
RESULTS: A total of 26 lecturers responded to the questionnaire (55% response rate), and 12 of these respondents also completed interviews. All respondents had experience in writing and developing assessments for students and reported that post-hoc assessment analysis and standard setting were not routinely carried out. The questionnaire analysis revealed that 13 respondents (50%) felt that the passing marks for the final exam were fair, 9(34.6%) were neutral, and 4(15.4%) strongly disagreed/disagreed. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: (1) Trust in the institutional quality assurance processes (2) Reflections on the passing mark as passing standard (3) Potential barriers to standard setting (4) Future faculty development strategies.
CONCLUSION: Arbitrary passing marks are common practise in dental education in this region. Our research revealed mixed confidence among participants in using an arbitrary fixed passing marks to make pass-fail decisions for dental high-stakes examinations. Low level of exposure and knowledge about educational measurement has restricted the application of post-hoc assessment analysis and standard-setting practices at the institute. Most participants were positive about exploring and learning methods to improve assessment practices and ensure fair passing standards. Any implementation of standard setting in similar contexts will need careful thought around training, support and infrastructure.