METHODS: 71 patients from 18 facilities participated in the 8-week single-arm intervention study. GRVOTS mobile apps were installed in their mobile apps, and patients were expected to fulfill tasks such as providing Video Direct Observe Therapy (VDOTS) daily as well as side effect reporting. At 3-time intervals of baseline,1-month, and 2-month intervals, the number of VDOT taken, the Malaysian Medication Adherence Assessment Tool (MyMAAT), and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) questionnaire were collected. One-sample t-test was conducted comparing the VDOT video adherence to the standard rate of 80%. RM ANOVA was used to analyze any significant differences in MyMAAT and IMI scores across three-time intervals.
RESULTS: This study involved 71 numbers of patients from 18 healthcare facilities who showed a significantly higher treatment adherence score of 90.87% than a standard score of 80% with a mean difference of 10.87(95% CI: 7.29,14.46; p
OBJECTIVE: This review aimed to summarize the potential environmental and occupational risk factors associated with leptospirosis infection.
METHODS: Four databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, EBSCOhost) were searched for articles published from 2012 to 2021. Eligible articles were assessed using a checklist for assessing the quality of the studies. The quality of the articles was assessed based on the laboratory diagnosis approach and statistical analysis method.
RESULTS: A total of 32 studies were included in this systematic review. Water-related risk factors such as natural water as the primary water source (AOR 1.8-18.28), water-related recreational activities (AOR 2.36-10.45), flood exposure (AOR 1.54-6.04), contact with mud (AOR 1.57-4.58) and stagnant water (AOR 2.79-6.42) were associated with increased risk of leptospirosis. Infrastructural deficiencies such as un-plastered house walls and thatched houses presented a higher risk (AOR 2.71-5.17). Living in low-lying areas (AOR 1.58-3.74), on clay loam soil (OR 2.72), agricultural land (OR 2.09), and near rubber tree plantations (AOR 11.65) is associated with higher risk of leptospirosis. Contact with rats (AOR 1.4-3.5), livestock (AOR 1.3-10.4), and pigs (AOR 1.54-7.9) is associated with an increased risk of leptospirosis. Outdoor workers (AOR 1.95-3.95) and slaughterhouse workers (AOR 5.1-7.5) have higher risk of leptospirosis.
CONCLUSION: The environmental and occupational components related to water, infrastructure, landscape, agriculture, and exposed animals play an essential role in leptospirosis transmission. The magnitude of those risk factors differs with geographical region, climate factor, urbanization and population growth, and the country's socioeconomic status.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence, factors, management, and impact of AEs on treatment outcomes in MDR-TB patients.
METHODS: This study reviewed the medical records of 275 MDR-TB patients at Fatimah Jinnah Institute of Chest Diseases in Quetta, Pakistan. Patient information was collected using a designed data collection form. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests examined the difference in AEs occurrences based on patients' characteristics. Multiple binary logistic regression identified factors associated with unsuccessful outcomes, with statistical significance set at a p-value 60 years(OR = 23.481), baseline body weight of 31-60 kg(OR = 0.180), urban residence(OR = 0.296), and experiencing ototoxicity (OR = 0.258) and hypothyroidism (OR = 0.136) were significantly associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes.
CONCLUSION: AEs were highly prevalent but did not negatively impact treatment outcomes. Patients at higher risk of developing AEs and unsuccessful outcomes should receive special attention for its early management.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and implement a sexting intervention module guided by the prototype willingness model (PWM), delivered using web-based animated video, and evaluate its effectiveness among diploma students from a public higher educational institution. The primary outcomes were intention and willingness to sext, while the secondary outcomes were knowledge, attitude, perceived norms, and prototype perceptions of sexting.
METHODS: This 2-armed, parallel, single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in a public higher educational institution in the state of Melaka, Malaysia. Diploma students from 12 programs were randomly allocated into intervention and control groups. Both groups answered a self-administered web-based questionnaire assessing the outcomes at the baseline. The intervention group received a newly developed intervention module based on the PWM in the form of 5 animated videos posted on a private YouTube platform, while the control group was put on the waitlist. The intervention group was encouraged to discuss any issues raised with the researchers via WhatsApp private chat after viewing the videos. All participants were observed immediately and 3 months postintervention. Data analysis was performed with SPSS (version 26; IBM Corp). A generalized linear mixed model was used to determine the effectiveness of the intervention.
RESULTS: There were a total of 300 participants with an attrition rate of 8.3% (n=25). After adjusting for age, sex, relationship status, and the amount of time spent on the web, there were significant differences in the intention to sext (β=-.12; P=.002; Cohen d=0.23), willingness to sext (β=-.16; P
RESULTS: No significant difference in droplet size was observed between the formulations and fogging methods. The efficacy of cold fogs was significantly higher than thermal fogs for all formulations. D2 was found to be most effective against adult Ae. aegypti, followed by D1 and the negative control. D1 and D2 provided complete knockdown and mortality in adult Ae. aegypti at 10 and 25 m for cold and thermal fogging, respectively. However, all d-phenothrin formulations possessed minimal efficacy on immature Ae. aegypti.
CONCLUSION: The incorporation of non-toxic alcohols as adjuvants in water-based space spray insecticides increased efficacy against adult Ae. aegypti, a major vector for dengue. Propylene glycol was discovered to induce higher adulticidal efficacy than glycerol. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
METHODS: CD117 (c-KIT) antibodies were used to stain 160 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded invasive breast carcinoma tissues to demonstrate the presence of mast cells. Then the labelled mast cells were counted in 10 fields at 400× magnification and the mean value was used to represent the mast cell density.
RESULTS: The demographic distribution revealed that most patients were 40 years old or older (92.5%) and of Malay ethnicity (66.3%). With regard to prognostic factors, the most prevalent subtype was invasive carcinoma of no special type (80.6%), followed by tumour grade 3 (41.3%), T2 tumour size (63.1%), N0 lymph node stage (51.3%), presence of lymphovascular invasion (59.4%), positive oestrogen (64.4%) and progesterone receptors (53.1%), and negative human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (75.0%). However, there was no significant difference in stromal mast cell density among the different demographic and prognostic factor groups in invasive breast carcinoma.
CONCLUSION: The findings from this study suggest that stromal mast cells do not play a significant role in preventing or promoting tumour growth in invasive breast carcinoma.
METHODS: Psychiatric outpatients that fulfill the selection criteria were recruited and randomized into two groups, the intervention group (n = 24) and the control group (n = 24). Those in the intervention group received MoodMission in addition to TAU, while those in the control group received TAU. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores were assessed at baseline and after four weeks.
RESULTS: A total of 48 participants were recruited, randomized, and completed the study. Baseline characteristics for both groups were comparable. There is no significant mean difference between-group comparison of PHQ-9 (1.31, 95% CI -1.35, 3.98) and GAD-7 (0.02, 95% CI -2.01, 2.05) scores at four weeks. However, for the intervention group, there was a significant improvement in the PHQ-9 score at four weeks [mean difference 2.58 (95% CI 1.16, 4.01), P = 0.001)].
CONCLUSION: This study showed no significant improvement in anxiety symptoms after four weeks. Use of smartphone-based mental health applications led to significant reduction of depressive symptoms.
OBJECTIVE: This review examined the survival rate and prognostic factors of patients with Pca in Southeast Asia (SEA).
METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of three databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) and a manual search until April 1, 2022. The selected papers were evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Form for Cohort Studies. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022326521). Pooled prevalence rates were calculated using the programme R version 4.2.1. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic and p-value. A narrative approach was used to describe prognostic factors. Studies were selected and finalised based on the review question. The quality of the included studies was assessed.
RESULTS: A total of 11 studies were included in this review. The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year survival rates of SEA Pca cases were 80.8%, 51.9%, 66.1% (range 32.1-100) and 78% (range 55.9-100), respectively. Prognostic factors for Pca were discussed in terms of sociodemographic, disease-related and treatment-related aspects. The predictors of significantly lower survival were age more than 75 years, cancer detected during transurethral resection of the prostate, Gleason score more or equal to eight, high-risk group, metastases and no adjuvant radiotherapy. A meta-analysis on the pooled HR of prostate cancer could not be performed due to the heterogeneity of prognostic factors. The pooled prevalence of localised and metastatic prostate cancer in SEA countries was 39% 95% CI [20-62] and 40% 95% CI [28-53], respectively.
CONCLUSION: The survival rate in SEA countries can be determined by prognostic factors, which can be divided into sociodemographic, disease-related and treatment-related factors. Therefore, further studies are needed to improve the understanding and treatment of Pca in the region SEA.
MATERIALS AND METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Klinik Rawatan Keluarga (KRK), Orthopedic clinic and wards in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) from May 2020 to December 2020. A total of 264 participants were recruited and divided into three groups: 50 diabetic patients with no ulcers (control), 107 patients with non-infected diabetic foot ulcers (NIDFU), and 107 patients with infected diabetic foot ulcers (IDFU). The level of PCT was taken for all patients. Total white count (TWC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were taken only for IDFU patients. Diagnosis of infection was based on the Infectious Disease Society of America-International Working Group of Diabetic Foot (IDSA-IMWGDF), and the severity of infection was graded according to the Wagner Classification.
RESULTS: The level of PCT was higher in IDFU than in NIDFU and diabetic patient, with a median (IQR) of 0.355 (0.63) ng/mL, 0.077 (0.15) ng/mL and 0.028 (0.02) ng/mL, respectively. PCT and CRP showed moderate positive correlations in IDFU patients (p<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity were 63.6% and 83.2%, respectively, at the best cut-off at 0.25 ng/mL.
CONCLUSION: PCT is a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis of infection; however, it adds little value in the early diagnosis of IDFU in view of its low sensitivity.