METHODS: Scanning electron microscopy was performed on P50 and P200 devices. Bench-top flow studies were performed to find the resistances of the devices. Devices were also incorporated into a perfused, ex vivo porcine sclera model to test and compare their control of pressure, with and without overlying scleral flaps, and with trabeculectomies.
RESULTS: The luminal dimensions of the P200 device were 206.4±3.3 and 204.5±0.9 μm at the subconjunctival space and anterior chamber ends, respectively. Those of the P50 device were 205.0±5.8 and 206.9±3.7 μm, respectively. There were no significant differences between the P200 and P50 devices (all P>0.05). The resistances of the P200 and P50 devices were 0.010±0.001 and 0.054±0.002 mm Hg/μL/min, respectively (P<0.05). Equilibrium pressures with overlying scleral flaps were 17.81±3.30 mm Hg for the P50, 17.31±4.24 mm Hg for the P200, and 16.28±6.67 mm Hg for trabeculectomies (P=0.850).
CONCLUSIONS: The luminal diameters of both devices are externally similar. The effective luminal diameter of the P50 is much larger than 50 μm. Both devices have low resistance values, making them unlikely to prevent hypotony on their own. They lead to similar equilibrium pressures as the trabeculectomy procedure when inserted under the scleral flap.
METHODS: We analyzed data from 524 families with PALB2 PVs from 21 countries. Complex segregation analysis was used to estimate relative risks (RRs; relative to country-specific population incidences) and absolute risks of cancers. The models allowed for residual familial aggregation of breast and ovarian cancer and were adjusted for the family-specific ascertainment schemes.
RESULTS: We found associations between PALB2 PVs and risk of female breast cancer (RR, 7.18; 95% CI, 5.82 to 8.85; P = 6.5 × 10-76), ovarian cancer (RR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.40 to 6.04; P = 4.1 × 10-3), pancreatic cancer (RR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.24 to 4.50; P = 8.7 × 10-3), and male breast cancer (RR, 7.34; 95% CI, 1.28 to 42.18; P = 2.6 × 10-2). There was no evidence for increased risks of prostate or colorectal cancer. The breast cancer RRs declined with age (P for trend = 2.0 × 10-3). After adjusting for family ascertainment, breast cancer risk estimates on the basis of multiple case families were similar to the estimates from families ascertained through population-based studies (P for difference = .41). On the basis of the combined data, the estimated risks to age 80 years were 53% (95% CI, 44% to 63%) for female breast cancer, 5% (95% CI, 2% to 10%) for ovarian cancer, 2%-3% (95% CI females, 1% to 4%; 95% CI males, 2% to 5%) for pancreatic cancer, and 1% (95% CI, 0.2% to 5%) for male breast cancer.
CONCLUSION: These results confirm PALB2 as a major breast cancer susceptibility gene and establish substantial associations between germline PALB2 PVs and ovarian, pancreatic, and male breast cancers. These findings will facilitate incorporation of PALB2 into risk prediction models and optimize the clinical cancer risk management of PALB2 PV carriers.
METHODS: The protocol of the systematic review was registered at PROSPERO with approval ID CRD42020203046. Three databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and MEDLINE) were searched for studies reporting the prevalence of P. cynomolgi infections in Southeast Asian countries between 1946 and 2020. The pooled prevalence or pooled proportion of P. cynomolgi parasitemia in humans, mosquitoes, and macaques was estimated using a random-effects model. Differences in the clinical characteristics of P. cynomolgi infections were also estimated using a random-effects model and presented as pooled odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS: Thirteen studies reporting on the prevalence of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi in humans (3 studies, 21 cases), mosquitoes (3 studies, 28 cases), and macaques (7 studies, 334 cases) were included. The results demonstrated that the pooled proportion of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi in humans was 1% (95% CI, 0.1%, I2, 0%), while the pooled proportion of P. cynomolgi infecting mosquitoes was 18% (95% CI, 10-26%, I2, 32.7%). The pooled prevalence of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi in macaques was 47% (95% CI, 27-67%, I2, 98.3%). Most of the cases of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi in humans were reported in Cambodia (62%) and Malaysia (38%), while cases of P. cynomolgi in macaques were reported in Malaysia (35.4%), Singapore (23.2%), Indonesia (17.3%), Philippines (8.5%), Laos (7.93%), and Cambodia (7.65%). Cases of P. cynomolgi in mosquitoes were reported in Vietnam (76.9%) and Malaysia (23.1%).
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the occurrence of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi infection in humans, mosquitoes, and macaques. Further studies of P. cynomolgi in asymptomatic human cases in areas where vectors and natural hosts are endemic are extensively needed if human infections with P. cynomolgi do become public health problems.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah between January and April 2020. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire which encompasses details about sociodemographic, health status, environment, and employment characteristics.
Results: A total of 290 waste collectors with a mean age of 40 (±9) years old were participated in the study. Most of them were from Kadazan-Dusun-Murut ethnic origin with educational background till secondary school. The average monthly income of the workers was USD 298.45 (±171.9) per month, and they had been in service for 11 (±9.04) years. Respiratory symptoms were seen in 21% of the workers. The identified significant risk factors were determined as underlying chronic diseases (OR=2.34; 95% CI=1.054, 5.219) and contact with pets (OR=1.87; 95% CI=1.004, 3.288).
Conclusion: Respiratory symptoms are prevalent amidst domestic waste collectors and related to their health and field activities.
OBJECTIVES: In this study, we sought to compare fluid resuscitation with vasopressors with the use of vasopressors alone in a hyperdynamic model of ovine endotoxemia.
METHODS: Endotoxemic shock was induced in 16 sheep, after which they received fluid resuscitation with 40 ml/kg of 0.9% saline or commenced hemodynamic support with protocolized noradrenaline and vasopressin. Microdialysis catheters were inserted into the arterial circulation, heart, brain, kidney, and liver to monitor local metabolism. Blood samples were recovered to measure serum inflammatory cytokines, creatinine, troponin, atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and hyaluronan. All animals were monitored and supported for 12 hours after fluid resuscitation.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: After resuscitation, animals that received fluid resuscitation required significantly more noradrenaline to maintain the same mean arterial pressure in the subsequent 12 hours (68.9 mg vs. 39.6 mg; P = 0.04). Serum cytokines were similar between groups. Atrial natriuretic peptide increased significantly after fluid resuscitation compared with that observed in animals managed without fluid resuscitation (335 ng/ml [256-382] vs. 233 ng/ml [144-292]; P = 0.04). Cross-sectional time-series analysis showed that the rate of increase of the glycocalyx glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan was greater in the fluid-resuscitated group over the course of the study (P = 0.02).
CONCLUSIONS: Fluid resuscitation resulted in a paradoxical increase in vasopressor requirement. Additionally, it did not result in improvements in any of the measured microcirculatory- or organ-specific markers measured. The increase in vasopressor requirement may have been due to endothelial/glycocalyx damage secondary to atrial natriuretic peptide-mediated glycocalyx shedding.
METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed infants with ARM who received surgery and were followed at the Sabah Women and Children's Hospital, Malaysia, from 1986 to 2010.
RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-two children with anorectal malformations were studied, after excluding 24 children with incomplete data. Three factors were significant as predictors of the presence of a urological anomaly: high ARM lesion (OR 3.12, 95%CI 1.1-8.9), the presence of genital abnormality (OR 2.95, 95%CI 1.10-7.91) and cloacal anomaly in girls (OR 8.27, 95% CI 1.91-35.6). The most common anomalies were vesicoureteric reflux, single kidney and neurogenic bladder. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was noted in 5.7%, in children who had recurrent urinary tract infections, neurogenic bladder or complex renal tract pathology; end-stage renal failure was seen in only 0.8% of children with ARM.
CONCLUSION: Urological anomalies were seen in 23% of patients, but the overall incidence of CKD and end-stage renal disease is low. Early identification of infants with ARM at risk of renal failure may be important for renal survival.
METHODS: Genotyping was performed as part of the OncoArray project. Samples with >60% Asian ancestry were included in the analysis. Genotyping was performed on 533,631 SNPs in 3238 Asian subjects diagnosed with invasive or borderline EOC and 4083 unaffected controls. After imputation, genotypes were available for 11,595,112 SNPs to identify associations.
RESULTS: At chromosome 6p25.2, SNP rs7748275 was associated with risk of serous EOC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34, P = 8.7 × 10-9) and high-grade serous EOC (HGSOC) (OR = 1.34, P = 4.3 × 10-9). SNP rs6902488 at 6p25.2 (r2 = 0.97 with rs7748275) lies in an active enhancer and is predicted to impact binding of STAT3, P300 and ELF1. We identified additional risk loci with low Bayesian false discovery probability (BFDP) scores, indicating they are likely to be true risk associations (BFDP <10%). At chromosome 20q11.22, rs74272064 was associated with HGSOC risk (OR = 1.27, P = 9.0 × 10-8). Overall EOC risk was associated with rs10260419 at chromosome 7p21.3 (OR = 1.33, P = 1.2 × 10-7) and rs74917072 at chromosome 2q37.3 (OR = 1.25, P = 4.7 × 10-7). At 2q37.3, expression quantitative trait locus analysis in 404 HGSOC tissues identified ESPNL as a putative candidate susceptibility gene (P = 1.2 × 10-7).
CONCLUSION: While some risk loci were shared between East Asian and European populations, others were population-specific, indicating that the landscape of EOC risk in Asian women has both shared and unique features compared to women of European ancestry.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective crosssectional study of HCC cases within a five-year period in our center with data collected from Hospital Canselor Tunku Mukhriz (HCTM). This study examines the HCC risk factors, the pattern of diagnosis, treatment options and overall survival.
RESULTS: The findings from this study showed that viral hepatitis was the highest risk factor in which most of the patients were elderly males who presented with abdominal distension. In addition, given the high prevalence of metabolic diseases Malaysia, it is predicted that the number of non-alcoholic steatohepatosis (NASH)-related HCC cases might increase. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) proved to have no significant role in the detection of the disease. The number of patients detected at early BCLC was minimal, resulting in limited options of treatment. Overall survival of our HCC patients was poor at 17 months.
CONCLUSION: We conclude that HCC patients in HCTM mostly presented at late stage to hospital, hence limiting the treatment options and resulted in poor survival rate. Disease awareness should be implemented at primary care level to detect HCC at its early stage. Subsequently, a multidisciplinary hospital team is required to manage the disease at its different stages of presentation.
OBJECTIVE: This study was looking at the acceptance towards using social network information system among public health workers.
MATERIALS AND METHOD: This study was done on 205 Malaysian One Health University Network (MyOHUN) members through email and physical survey.
RESULTS: Results show that 62.4% public health workers accepted the use technology. The acceptance was shown to be associated with performance expectancy (p<0.05). However, unlike the very famous Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, the acceptance of social network information system was not associated with effort expectancy, social factors, facilitating conditions and socio-demographic factors. Therefore, it is suggested that social network information system be developed by the authorities in Malaysia, and be developed in a way that the system could strongly increase performance in detection of outbreak earlier than the current normal pathways. As such the system to be accepted and used, it must be sensitive, specific and be able to detect influenza outbreak early CONCLUSION: The development of social network information system is feasible as it is highly accepted and it's potential to improve early detection of influenza outbreak.
METHODS: We conducted molecular detection, genetic characterization, and Bayesian time-scale evolution analyses of NiV using pooled Pteropid bat roost urine samples from an outbreak area in 2012 and archived RNA samples from NiV case patients identified during 2012-2018 in Bangladesh.
RESULTS: NiV-RNA was detected in 19% (38/456) of bat roost urine samples and among them; nine N gene sequences were recovered. We also retrieved sequences from 53% (21 out of 39) of archived RNA samples from patients. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all Bangladeshi strains belonged to NiV-BD genotype and had an evolutionary rate of 4.64 × 10-4 substitutions/site/year. The analyses suggested that the strains of NiV-BD genotype diverged during 1995 and formed two sublineages.
CONCLUSION: This analysis provides further evidence that the NiV strains of the Malaysian and Bangladesh genotypes diverged recently and continue to evolve. More extensive surveillance of NiV in bats and human will be helpful to explore strain diversity and virulence potential to infect humans through direct or person-to-person virus transmission.