A MAX phase Ti3AlC2 thin film is demonstrated as a saturable absorber (SA) to induce Q-switching in the 2.0 μm region. The Ti3AlC2 thin film is sandwiched between two fiber ferrules and integrated into thulium doped fiber laser (TDFL) and thulium-holmium doped fiber laser (THDFL) cavities. Stable Q-switched pulses are observed at 1980.79 nm and 1959.3 nm in the TDFL and THDFL cavities respectively, with repetition rates of 32.57 kHz and 21.94 kHz and corresponding pulse widths of 2.72 μs and 3.9 μs for both cavities. The performance of the Ti3AlC2 based SA for Q-switching operation indicates the high potential of other MAX phase materials to serve as SAs in future photonics systems.
This data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 188 final year Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students in a Malaysian Public University. The survey was self-administered to final year BBA students undergoing seminar course prior to the commencement of their industrial training in the coming semester. A regression analysis was conducted in order to assess the link between students' self-esteem, pro-active personality, and social support with their career adaptability using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20. Specifically, this data article provides data about the participants' demographic characteristics, as well as the mean, standard deviation and reliability of the measured constructs. It is believed by the authors that the dataset will guide policy makers on the choice of predictor(s) that could boost the level of students' career adaptability, most especially during the school to work transition, in this current volatile labour market.
The concentration, distribution, and risk assessment of parabens were determined in the surface water of the Terengganu River, Malaysia. Target chemicals were extracted via solid-phase extraction, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Method optimization produced a high percentage recovery for methylparaben (MeP, 84.69 %), ethylparaben (EtP, 76.60 %), and propylparaben (PrP, 76.33 %). Results showed that higher concentrations were observed for MeP (3.60 μg/L) as compared with EtP (1.21 μg/L) and PrP (1.00 μg/L). Parabens are ubiquitously present in all sampling stations, with >99 % of detection. Salinity and conductivity were the major factors influencing the level of parabens in the surface water. Overall, we found no potential risk of parabens in the Terengganu River ecosystem due to low calculated risk assessment values (risk quotient
A sensitive and specific RT-nested PCR coupled with an ELISA detection system for detecting Newcastle disease virus is described. Two nested pairs of primer which were highly specific to all the three different pathotypes of NDV were designed from the consensus fusion gene sequence. No cross-reactions with other avian infectious agents such as infectious bronchitis virus, infectious bursal disease virus, influenza virus, and fowl pox virus were observed. Based on agarose electrophoresis detection, the RT-nested PCR was about 100 times more sensitive compared to that of a non-nested RT-PCR. To facilitate the detection of the PCR product, an ELISA detection method was then developed to detect the amplified PCR products and it was shown to be ten times more sensitive than gel electrophoresis. The efficacy of the nested PCR-ELISA was also compared with the conventional NDV detection method (HA test) and non-nested RT-PCR by testing against a total of 35 tissue specimens collected from ND-symptomatic chickens. The RT-nested PCR ELISA found NDV positive in 21 (60%) tissue specimens, while only eight (22.9%) and two (5.7%) out of 35 tissue specimens were tested NDV positive by both the non-nested RT-PCR and conventional HA test, respectively. Due to its high sensitivity for the detection of NDV from tissue specimens, this PCR-ELISA based diagnostic test may be useful for screening large number of samples.
As a result of the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials for various opto-electronics applications, a new class of materials named MXenes have been attracting interests due to their outstanding nonlinear properties. In this work, an MXene niobium carbide (Nb2C) was proposed and demonstrated as a saturable absorber to induce mode-locking in thulium- and thulium/holmium-doped fiber lasers. The Nb2C solution was first prepared using the liquid exfoliation technique, and then deposited onto a microfiber for integration into the laser cavity. Stable mode-locking operation was observed in both laser cavities, where the center wavelengths of the laser were recorded at 1944 nm for the TDFL and 1950 nm for the THDFL. The generated pulses in the TDFL and THDFL had repetition rates of 9.35 and 11.76 MHz respectively, while their corresponding pulse widths were 1.67 and 1.34 ps. Both of the lasers were highly stable, having SNR values of more than 52 dB and showed no major fluctuations when tested for their long-term stabilities. The results demonstrate an excellent performance of the Nb2C as a saturable absorber, offering opportunities to further explore MXenes for future photonics devices.
Spinal infection comprises pyogenic and non-pyogenic spondylodiscitis. This condition may manifest with non-specific clinical symptoms, elevated infective parameters and imaging findings that are difficult to distinguish. The cornerstone of a definitive diagnosis and subsequent successful treatment lies in tissue analysis through culture and histopathological studies. In this context, we present a case of Salmonella pyogenic spondylodiscitis affecting the C5/C6 vertebrae, complicated by Salmonella bacteraemia and characterised by mechanical neck pain that curtails daily activities and overall functioning, although without neurological deficits. The uniqueness of this case stems from its occurrence in an immunocompetent individual from a non-endemic area, with no identifiable sources of Salmonella infection or preceding gastrointestinal symptoms.
The ctxB gene, the causative agent of cholera epidemic was successfully cloned from V. cholerae in E. coli. The insertion of the gene was confirmed by PCR as well as restriction digestion analyses. The sequencing results for the gene confirmed that the insert was in the correct orientation and in-frame with the P(BAD) promoter and it showed that the gene was 99% homologous to the published ctxB sequence. The CTB protein was successfully expressed in E. coli using the pBAD/His vector system. The expected protein of approximately 14 kDa was detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The use of pBAD/His vector to express the cholera toxin gene in E. coli would facilitate future study of toxin gene products.
Adhesion molecules and cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of intimal injury in atherosclerosis but their relationship with endothelial function remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of atorvastatin on soluble adhesion molecules, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and brachial artery endothelial-dependent flow mediated dilatation (FMD) in patients with familial (FH) and non-familial hypercholesterolaemia (NFH). A total of 74 patients (27 FH and 47 NFH) were recruited. Fasting lipid profiles, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular-cellular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), E-selectin, IL-6 and FMD were measured at baseline, 2 weeks, 3 and 9 months post-atorvastatin treatment (FH--80 mg/day, NFH--10 mg/day). In both groups, compared to baseline, sICAM-1 levels were significantly reduced at 2 weeks, further reduced at 3 months and maintained at 9 months (P<0.0001). The IL-6 levels were significantly reduced at 3 months and 9 months compared to baseline for FH (P<0.005) and NFH (P<0.0001). In both groups, the FMD at 2 weeks was higher than baseline (P<0.005), with progressive improvement up to 9 months. FMD was negatively correlated with sICAM-1 and IL-6. In conclusion, both low and high doses of atorvastatin lead to early progressive improvement in endothelial function in patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia. sICAM-1 and IL-6 levels reflect endothelial dysfunction in these patients.
The aim of this study was to determine the level of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and selected heavy metals among fishermen via dietary intake of fish and other seafood from the eastern coast along the Straits of Malacca. This study determined the neurobehavioural performances (based on neurobehavioural core test battery scores) of the fishermen and evaluated the correlations between scores of neurobehavioural core test battery and exposure factors. Ninety fishermen participated in the study. The total fish intakes of the fishermen were measured using a set of food frequency questionnaires. The PCBs contents in the seafood samples ranged between 0.2 and 0.6 pg/g fresh sample. The concentrations of mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in the seafood samples were 1.1-5.4, 0.3-4.4, 0.6-36.1, and 0.02-0.3 μg/g fresh sample, respectively. The PCBs, Hg, As, Cd, and Pb exposures of the fishermen was estimated to be 2.8, 0.02, 4.5, 0.09, and 0.5 pg/kg body weight/day, respectively. PCB and heavy metal exposures through dietary intake of fish and seafood were within the tolerable daily limits. The results of neurobehavioural core test battery revealed that the neurobehavioural performances of the fishermen were not affected due to PCB and heavy metal intoxication. No correlations were found between the exposure and neurobehavioural performance among the fishermen. These data are useful for policy makers to assure the safety and quality of seafood in relation to sea pollution. Although the levels of exposure were low, periodic assessment of the quality of fish and fish products is required due to the polluted seawater.
Introduction: Leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by Leptospira bacteria. The clinical manifes-tations of leptospirosis include mild-fever to a severe or even fatal. Increased levels of inflammatory cytokines pro-duced in response to the Leptospira infection by the host immune system were hypothesized as among the causes of severity in leptospirosis. Besides the classical presentation with the triad of febrile, jaundice, and renal failure, patients with leptospirosis also can pose with predominant sign and symptoms of pulmonary involvement. This study aimed to compare the levels of TNF-α, IL-1b, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-18, and IL-22 In the plasma of samples of leptospirosis patients with and without pneumonia. Methods: Circulating cytokine levels in plasma were measured in seventeen patients hospitalized and diagnosed with leptospirosis in Malaysia (January 2016 – December 2017) and nineteen healthy individuals as controls. Patients were categorized into leptospirosis without pneumonia (n=12) and with pneumonia (n=5). Cytokine was measured using SimplePlexTM assays (San Jose, CA, USA). Measurement was performed in triplicate and statistical analysis was conducted using Graphpad® Prism v6 (San Diego, CA, USA). Results: Elevation of plasma TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, and IL-22 levels were observed among leptospirosis patients with pneumonia compared to without, although no statistical differences were observed between these two groups. Conclusion: There are no significant differences observed between the levels of plasma TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, and IL-22 in patients with pneumonia compared to without.
The purpose of this study was to study the association between selected demographic characters
and stress among primary school teachers. The respondents constituted of 60 male
and female school teachers who were chosen using stratified sampling technique. Study was
conducted in Jilin Province. Study design was cross sectional. SPSS was used to analyze
both descriptive and inferential statistics. The main results were as follows. Female teachers
experienced more stress compared to male teachers. Teachers below the age of 40 had more
stress probably, due to teaching experience, as this study revealed that teachers who had
more teaching experience had less stress. Marriage plays and important role in stress, unmarried
teachers experienced comparatively higher levels of stress compared to those married.
Furthermore, those living alone experienced more stress. Occupational stress is known
to cause burnout. It may be a good strategy to provide training in stress management techniques
A balanced dietary intake plays an important role in the prognosis of breast cancer and is one of the modifiable factors in preventing cancer recurrence. This study aims to determine the dietary intake among breast cancer survivors in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 125 breast cancer survivors, aged 37 to 72 years, with mean duration of survivorship of 6.1 ± 3.9 years were recruited from two main referral hospitals in Terengganu and Kelantan. Majority of the respondents were Malay (94.4%) with a mean BMI of 27.7 ± 5.07 kg/m², and were diagnosed with stage II cancer (66.0%). Dietary intake was estimated using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The results show that the mean daily intake of energy was 1764 ± 378 kcal/day, protein was 72.38 ± 33.6 g/day (16.5% of energy), carbohydrate was 243.0 ± 62.2 g/day (55% of energy) and fat was 55.8 ± 15.6 g/day (28% of energy). Overall, breast cancer survivors in this study had an adequate daily intake of vitamins and minerals according to Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNI) except for dietary fibre (10.6 ± 4.2 g/day), monounsaturated fatty acids (20.7 ± 5.7 g/day), polyunsaturated fatty acids (8.0 ± 2.2 g/day), calcium (561.0 ± 257.1 mg/day), iron (18.3 ± 7.2 mg/day) and potassium (1813.4 ± 531.1 mg/day) which was lower than the recommendation. Meanwhile, intake of sodium (2592 ± 1697 mg/day), protein (80.4 ± 33.6 g/day), saturated fatty acids (26.9 ± 14.2 g/day), vitamin B2 (1.9 ± 1.1 mg/day) and vitamin C (151.1 ± 149.3 mg/day) exceeded the recommendation by 135.0%, 139.0%, 166.9%, 154.6% and 152.0%, respectively. There was no significant difference in dietary intake between cancer survivors who were diagnosed in the past five years and those who were diagnosed more than five years ago (p>0.05) except for fat (p<0.001), saturated fatty acid (p=0.006), monounsaturated fatty acid (p=0.005) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (p=0.003). As a conclusion, breast cancer survivors in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia had an adequate intake of most nutrients except for dietary fibre, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, calcium, iron and potassium which was below the recommendation and sodium, protein, saturated fatty acids, vitamin B2, vitamin C which was above the recommendation. The intakes between long-term and short-term survivors were also comparable showing sustained dietary intake throughout survivorship.
Introduction:Despite significant advancements in testing technologies and treatment, 80% of 80 million chronically hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected people remain undiagnosed. FIND in collaboration with Ministries of Health and local partners, initiated seven Unitaid funded Hepatitis C Elimination through Access to Diagnostics (HEAD-Start) projects in four countries (Georgia, India, Malaysia and Myanmar) to demonstrate innovative models of HCV care to inform programme scale-up nationally and globally. Here, we describe preliminary findings for patient retention in the HCV cascade for each project. Methods: Target populations and settings include people who inject drugs (PWID) in harm reduction sites (Manipur, Georgia, Myanmar), high risk patients in primary health care facilities (Malaysia), general population in polyclinics and district hospitals (Delhi) and people living with HIV (PLHIV) in antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics (Punjab). All projects employ rapid diagnostic tests for HCV screening. HCV seropositive patients received confirmatory testing either on site (Georgia, Myanmar) or via centralized laboratory (Malaysia, Georgia, Delhi) or testing hubs (Punjab, Manipur). Results: In Malaysia, 4,613 patients were screened - 23% (1,042) are HCV seropositive, 57% (594) received RNA confirmatory testing and 11% (54) confirmed RNA-positive initiated treatment. In Delhi, 17,101 patients were screened – 2% (355) are seropositive, 92% (326) received confirmatory testing and 70% (180) initiated treatment. In Punjab, 17,507 patients were screened – 19% (3,368) are seroposi-tive, 94% (3,165) received confirmatory testing and 31% (828) initiated treatment. In Manipur, 3,845 patients were screened - 56% (2,180) are seropositive, 73% (1,591) received confirmatory testing and 67% (823) initiated treat-ment. In Myanmar, 199 patients were screened – 96% (191) are seropositive, 100% received confirmatory testing and 86% (151) initiated treatment. In Georgia (Arm 1) - 100% (619) received confirmatory testing and 76% (389) initiated treatment. Conclusion: The fully decentralised HCV testing model demonstrated higher numbers of patients progressing to each step in the care cascade.
Neonatal mastitis and abscess are rare and most often unilateral. Neonatal breast massage for physiological breast hypertrophy is suspected to be a predisposing factor in the case reported here: a 14-day-old neonate with bilateral neonatal breast abscess, treated effectively with intravenous cloxacillin and surgical aspiration.
Many studies have been carried out to produce magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phantoms as alternative to water phantom. Among the important properties of a phantom are the T1 and T2 relaxation times. The objective of this study is to investigate the T1 and T2 characteristics of the agarose gel phantoms with different relaxation modifier (gadolinium (III) oxide, Gd2O3) concentrations or [Gd2O3]. Six agarose gel phantoms were prepared with different [Gd2O3]. The T1 (fixed echo time (TE) and different repetition time (TR)) and T2 (fixed TR and different TE) measurements on all phantoms were conducted using the 3-T MRI system via spin echo (SE) and turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences, respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of all phantoms was calculated using Image-J software by implementing the region of interest (ROI) analysis. The SNR against TR and SNR against TE curves were fitted to the exponential equations for saturation, T1 and T2 determination. For every phantom, T1 curve demonstrated that the SNR increased exponentially with increasing TR, while T2 curves showed that the SNR decreased exponentially with increasing TE. Gd2O3 was found to successfully act as the relaxation modifier for the T1 but not the T2 curves. The T1 curve started to show saturated SNR (SNRo) and increasing SNRo for TR > 1000 ms and [Gd2O3] = 0.005 g/ml or higher. These behaviours are explained based on the dipole-dipole interaction that increases in phantoms with higher [Gd2O3], thus shortening the T1 relaxation. However, a systematic change in the T2 parameters with increasing [Gd2O3] was not observed. While Gd2O3 has significant effects on T1 relaxation parameters, the T2 relaxation parameters were minimally affected. With a shorter T1, the Gd2O3 added agarose gel can potentially be used as test phantom in fast imaging sequence, e.g. gradient echo pulse sequences.
Introduction: It is mandatory that every blood donor must have their haemoglobin (Hb) values measured before blood donation. High Hb may indicate an underlying hidden pathological condition. The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence of the JAK2 V617F gene mutation in blood donors with erythrocytosis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a nine-month period involving blood donors with high pre-donation Hb. A total of 45 blood donors with total white cell (TWC) > 12.0x 109/l, platelet > 450x109/ l and Hb > 18g/dL were subjected to JAK2 V617F gene mutation analysis. Samples were collected and analysed for haematological tests and detection of JAK2 V617F mutation. Results: From a total of 2238 blood donors, 175 blood donors had high haemoglobin value. Samples from forty-five of these donors were then analysed for JAK2 V617F using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The prevalence of blood donors with erythrocytosis was 7.8%. All samples were negative for the JAK2 V617F mutation. Conclusions: Erythrocytosis can be relative or absolute and the different causes can be distinguished on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms. An absence of the JAK2 V617F mutation cannot by itself excludes the diagnosis of polycyhaemia vera (PV) since erythrocytosis is the single clinical feature that sets PV apart from other types of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Further study is required for the detection of other gene mutations that activates the JAK-STAT signalling pathway that could be identified in JAK2 V617F-negative MPN patients.
Emanuel syndrome, also referred to as supernumerary der(22) or t(11;22) syndrome, is a rare genomic syndrome. Patients are normally presented with multiple congenital anomalies and severe developmental disabilities. Affected newborns usually carry a derivative chromosome 22 inherited from either parent, which stems from a balanced translocation between chromosomes 11 and 22. Unfortunately, identification of Emanuel syndrome carriers is diffi- cult as balanced translocations do not typically present symptoms. We identified two patients diagnosed as Emanuel syndrome with identical chromosomal aberration: 47,XX,+der(22)t(11;22)(q24;q12.1)mat karyotype but presenting variable phenotypic features. Emanuel syndrome patients present variable phenotypes and karyotypes have also been inconsistent albeit the existence of a derivative chromosome 22. Our data suggests that there may exist ac- companying genetic aberrations which influence the outcome of Emanuel syndrome phenotypes but it should be cautioned that more patient observations, diagnostic data and research is required before conclusions can be drawn on definitive karyotypic-phenotypic correlations.
Introduction: Rac1 and STIM1 genes are emerging therapeutic targets for cancers. However, their roles in acute my- eloid leukaemia (AML) are not well understood. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of dose and time on Rac1 and STIM1 knockdown in the AML cell line model (THP-1 cells). Methods: THP-1 cells were transfected with siRac1 at doses of 50, 100, and 200 nM or dsiSTIM1 at doses of 2, 5, and 10 nM. Expression level of Rac1 and STIM1 then were assessed at time points between 12 and 72 h post-transfection using real-time reverse transcription poly- merase chain reaction. Results: Compared to the control, 87% Rac1 knockdown was attained with 50 nM siRac1 at 24 h post-transfection, and 70% STIM1 knockdown was achieved with 10 nM dsiSTIM1 at 48 h post-transfection. Conclusion: These results show that effective knockdown of Rac1 and STIM1 is possible, and therapy that includes Rac1 and STIM1 inhibitors eventually could provide a new and highly effective strategy for AML treatment.
Wound management is important as it helps to promote healing without microbial infection. Euphorbia hirta, a species of Euphorbiaceae family, also known as Ara tanah among Malaysians, is traditionally used to promote wound healing where its poultice is applied to the sores on the legs, bruises and wounds. Several reported pharmacological properties including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-anaphylactic activities have been reported on this plant. The aim of this review was to evaluate the wound healing effects of E. hirta. Information involving only in vivo studies on wound healing effect of E. hirta was searched using electronic databases. The electronic databases include PubMed, Google Scholar, Ovid, CENTRAL, LILACS, and ClinicalTrials.gov from year 1962 to 2020. A total of five out of 70 studies were included and assessment was made. All included articles studied different wound models in rats. All showed significant wound healing activity with different mechanism of action for incision, excision and dead space wound. Quality assessment of the included studies suggested that experimental animal study design can be improved. It can be concluded that E. hirta displayed potential as a wound healing agent in vivo studies although further research on structure-activity relationship of compounds responsible for the wound healing effect and toxicological studies before it can proceed to clinical studies.
Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) are abnormal connections between branches of the intracranial arteries and dural veins or sinuses. Advancements in the technique of endovascular embolization has made it the treatment of choice for DAVFs. The goal of treatment is to completely occlude the fistula orifice while maintaining the normal cerebral venous drainage. Depending on the site of the DAVF, endovascular treatment has its own challenges to the performing physician. In this case report, we will discuss complex anterior cranial fossa DAVFs, treatment approaches, and complications of the treatment.