METHODS: Male Wistar rats (200-250 g) were divided into 4 groups according to the diet given: control group (normal diet), ChV group with three different doses (50, 150 and 300 mg/kg body weight), liver cancer- induced group (choline deficient diet + 0.1% ethionine in drinking water or CDE group), and the treatment group (CDE group treated with three different doses of ChV). Rats were killed at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks of experiment and blood and tissue samples were taken from all groups for the determination of tumour markers expression alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), M2-pyruvate kinase (M2-PK) and specific antigen for oval cells (OV-6).
RESULTS: Serum level of TGF-β increased significantly (p < 0.05) in CDE rats. However, ChV at all doses managed to decrease (p < 0.05) its levels to control values. Expressions of liver tumour markers AFP, TGF-β, M2-PK and OV-6 were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in tissues of CDE rats when compared to control showing an increased number of cancer cells during hepatocarcinogenesis. ChV at all doses reduced their expressions significantly (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Chlorella vulgaris has chemopreventive effect by downregulating the expression of tumour markers M2-PK, OV-6, AFP and TGF-β, in HCC-induced rats.
METHODS: A total of 138 patients aged between 18 and 65 years old with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I or II status, who required general anaesthesia and had no contraindication towards the use of P-LMA™, were recruited. They were randomly positioned into three anatomical landmarks, which were umbilicus, lowest rib margin, and xiphoid. P-LMA™ was inserted following muscle paralysis, and the first successful placement was evaluated using positional and performance tests. Duration, ease of P-LMA™ insertion, and airway complications were compared.
RESULTS: Demographic and airway features were comparable among all groups. The P-LMA™ placement success rate improved when the table height was positioned at the lowest rib margin (p=0.002). All three positions were comparable in terms of duration, ease of insertion, and airway morbidities.
CONCLUSION: The lowest rib margin anatomical landmark can be used as a guide in achieving the optimal operating table height for successful P-LMA™ placement.
METHODS: Lizardfish bone collagens were extracted with various acids (i.e., acetic, lactic and citric acids). All extraction processes were conducted in a chiller room (4 °C). The extracted collagens were biochemically characterized, such as hydroxyproline content, Ultraviolet (UV) absorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra (FTIR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and solubility in different pH values and NaCl concentrations.
RESULTS: The yield of extracted collagens ranged between 1.73% and 2.59%, with the highest (p
PATIENTS AND METHODS: An observational retrospective study was conducted at Cardiology Centre, Hospital Serdang, from 1st January to 30th April 2021. Data were collected from medication charts, medical progress notes, laboratory and operative charts through electronic Health Information System (eHIS). The types and causes of DRPs were identified and classified based on Pharmaceutical Care Network of Europe's (PCNE) classification system V9.02. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: All patients (100%) experienced at least one DRP. Total number of DRPs identified was 120 encounters which were associated with 503 causes. The majority of problems were related to treatment effectiveness (59.1%) and treatment safety (33.4%). The causes of DRPs are mainly related to inappropriate monitoring including therapeutic drug monitoring (18.6%), inappropriate combination of drugs, or drugs and dietary/herbal supplement (10.3%), drug dose was too high (8.9%), drug dose was too low (8.2%) and inappropriate timing of administration or dosing intervals (7.7%).
CONCLUSION: The percentage of DRP occurrence was high in the studied population. Treatment effectiveness and treatment safety issues were the main DRPs identified with various preventable causes. The findings may be useful to guide the planning of measures to prevent and solve future DRPs in the population.
METHODOLOGY: This was a prospective observational study. Convenience sampling method was used to recruit all HD patients who had definitive pullthrough from January 2019 to December2020 in our institution. High-resolution anorectal manometry (HRAM) was used to record anal resting pressure (ARP), length of high-pressure zone (HPZ), and presence/absence of recto-anal inhibitory reflex (RAIR). The Paediatric Incontinence/Constipation Scoring System (PICSS) was scored for all participants. PICSS is a validated questionnaire with scores mapped to an age-specific normogram to denote constipation, incontinence, and their combinations. Non-parametric and chi-square tests at significance p<0.05 were conducted to examine the relationship between PICSS categories and manometry findings. Ethical approval was obtained.
RESULTS: There were 32 participants (30 boys). Median age at participation was 26.5 months (range: 13.8-156). Twenty-four (75%) had transanal pullthrough, 8(25%) underwent Duhamel procedure. PICSS scored 10(31.3%) as normal, 8(25%) as constipation, 10(31.3%) as incontinent, and 4(12.5%) as mixed. RAIR was present in 12 patients (37.5%). HPZ, maximum ARP, mean ARP were comparable across all PICSS groups without statistically significant differences. Presence of RAIR was not significantly associated with any PICSS groups (p = 0.13).
CONCLUSION: Bowel function does not appear to be significantly associated with HRAM findings after definitive pullthrough for HD, but our study is limited by small sample size. RAIR was present in 37.5% patients after pullthrough.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.
METHODS: The urine samples were photographed in a customized photo box, under five simulated lighting conditions, using five smartphones. These images were analyzed using Adobe Photoshop to obtain urine Red, Green and Blue (RGB) values with and without colour correction. A commercially available colour calibration card was used for colour correction. Using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), inter-phone and intra-phone agreements of urine RGB values were analyzed.
RESULTS: Without colour correction, the various smartphones produced the highest agreement for Blue and Green values under the 'daylight' lighting condition. With colour correction, ICC values showed 'exceptional' inter-phone and intra-phone agreement for the Blue and Green values (ICC > 0.9). Red values showed 'poor' (ICC < 0.5) agreement with and without colour correction in all lighting conditions. Out of the five phones compared in this study, Phone 4 produced the lowest intra-phone agreement.
CONCLUSIONS: Colour calibration using photo colour cards improved the reliability of smartphone-based urine colorimetry, making this a promising point-of-care hydration assessment tool using the ubiquitous smartphone.