AIM: To investigate the effect of SBH administration on the kidney and liver of streptozotocin-induced (STZ; 55 mg/kg) diabetic Sprague Dawley rats.
METHODS: The rats were grouped as follows (n = 6 per group): non-diabetic (ND), untreated diabetic (UNT), metformin-treated (MET), and SBH+metformin-treated (SBME) groups. After successful diabetic induction, ND and UNT rats were given normal saline, whereas the treatment groups received SBH (2.0 g/kg and/or metformin (250 mg/kg) for 12 d. Serum biochemical parameters and histological changes using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were evaluated.
RESULTS: On H&E and PAS staining, the ND group showed normal architecture and cellularity of Bowman's capsule and tubules, whereas the UNT and MET groups had an increased glomerular cellularity and thickened basement membrane. The SBH-treated group showed a decrease in hydropic changes and mild cellularity of the glomerulus vs the ND group based on H&E staining, but the two were similar on PAS staining. Likewise, the SBME-treated group had an increase in cellularity of the glomerulus on H&E staining, but it was comparable to the SBH and ND groups on PAS staining. UNT diabetic rats had tubular hydropic tubules, which were smaller than other groups. Reduced fatty vacuole formation and dilated blood sinusoids in liver tissue were seen in the SBH group. Conversely, the UNT group had high glucose levels, which subsequently increased MDA levels, ultimately leading to liver damage. SBH treatment reduced this damage, as evidenced by having the lowest fasting glucose, serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase levels compared to other groups, although the levels of liver enzymes were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSION: The cellularity of the Bowman's capsule, as well as histological alteration of kidney tubules, glomerular membranes, and liver tissues in diabetic rats after oral SBH resembled those of ND rats. Therefore, SBH exhibited a protective hepatorenal effect in a diabetic rat model.
METHODS: This study involved 555 scuba divers in Malaysia, and the questionnaire underwent a thorough development and validation process, including content and face validity assessments, as well as exploratory factor analysis. The validation of the knowledge domain was conducted using Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis, while awareness and practice were validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA).
RESULTS: The content validity of the instrument was confirmed, with all items scoring over 80% for Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI), Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI), and Scale Content Validity Index/Average (S-CVI/AVE). The initial draft comprises three domains: knowledge, awareness, and practice. Knowledge items were analyzed using IRT and demonstrated acceptable difficulty and discrimination levels. For the awareness and practice domains, EFA showed a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure (KMO) of 0.83 and 0.79, respectively, with a significant Bartlett's test of Sphericity (P < 0.001). EFA yielded three factors for both awareness and practice domains with a total of 12 items for awareness and 13 items for practice, with satisfactory factor loadings (≥0.3). The final model of CFA showed good fits for both awareness and practice domains in terms of absolute, parsimonious, and comparative measures. The composite reliability of awareness was acceptable with Raykov's rho of 0.71, whereas the practice domain fell slightly below the acceptable threshold at 0.55. This was attributed to low factor loading and a limited number of items within each factor. The final questionnaire now consists of 20 items for knowledge, 10 items for awareness, and 12 items for the practice domain.
CONCLUSION: The results of this validation and reliability study indicate that the newly developed questionnaire possesses favorable psychometric properties for assessing KAP related to safety and emergency response in the scuba diving context. This research is essential for harmonizing the perspectives of crucial stakeholders within the recreational scuba diving industry.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The panoramic radiographic images belonging to children with special needs from the two teaching dental hospitals in Malaysia aged between 5 and 16 years were included in the study. The evaluation was performed by two observers using three methods (London Atlas, Demirjian, and Willems methods) to estimate the accurate DA. The outcome was determined by comparing the mean of the DA and CA.
RESULTS: A total of 52 panoramic radiographs were available for the analysis. The London Atlas and Demirjian methods overestimated the DA with a mean of 0.05 and 0.20 years, respectively, while the Willems method underestimated by 0.19 years. The London Atlas method was highly precise and accurate, while Demirjian and Willems methods were the least precise and accurate.
CONCLUSION: The London Atlas method of DA estimation is highly accurate and valid for children with special needs in the Malaysian population, followed by the Willems and Demirjian methods.