Subdermal etonogestrel implant (Implanon®) is the newest, long term contraceptive implant which has recently been made available to Malaysian women. This prospective study was conducted to determine the effects on selected health indices among 42 women who had consented to Implanon® as their choice of contraception. Health indices were checked prior to Implanon® insertion and six months post insertion. Findings indicate a significant reduction in total cholesterol with a significant increase in total haemoglobin and BMI. However there was no significant change noted in the fasting blood sugar, glycosylated haemoglobin, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure.
Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) is associated with subfertility. Despite efforts to induce ovulation, success rates are low. We report a case of POF spontaneously conceiving twins while on hormone replacement therapy.
This systematic literature review (SLR) aims to determine the factors influencing the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) among industrial workers. This study was guided by the PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) review method, and four databases comprising Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar were employed. A total of 196 articles were identified, and 28 studies on the factors associated with HPD use among industrial workers from 2006 to 2021 met the inclusion criteria. Resultantly, five main themes emerged from this review: sociodemographic (29%), interpersonal influences (18%), situational influences (18%), cognitive-perceptual (29%), and health-promoting behavior (6%) associated with HPD use among industrial workers. A total of 17 sub-themes were identified, including age, gender, educational level, noise level, working experience, social models, interpersonal support, social norms, safety climate, training, organizational support, perceived barrier, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, self-efficacy, and cues to action. The significant factors influencing workers to use HPDs are sociodemographic, interpersonal influences, situational influences, and health-promoting behavior. Future studies should focus on the cues to action toward human behavior influencing the use of HPDs, workers' health status, and comorbidities of hearing loss. Therefore, this systematic study gives valuable reference resources for up-and-coming researchers as well as new knowledge to expert professionals and academics in various industries.
A one year study was carried out to determine the outcome of the seminal fluid parameters collected via masturbation and coitus interruptus in 151 patients who were undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI) and patients who came for seminal analysis. There were no statistically significant differences in terms of volume, concentration, progressive motility and normal morphology from specimens collected via coitus interruptus compared to specimens collected via masturbation. Pregnancy outcomes were also comparable.
Thermoplastic starch composites have attracted significant attention due to the rise of environmental pollutions induced by the use of synthetic petroleum-based polymer materials. The degradation of traditional plastics requires an unusually long time, which may lead to high cost and secondary pollution. To solve these difficulties, more petroleum-based plastics should be substituted with sustainable bio-based plastics. Renewable and natural materials that are abundant in nature are potential candidates for a wide range of polymers, which can be used to replace their synthetic counterparts. This paper focuses on some aspects of biopolymers and their classes, providing a description of starch as a main component of biopolymers, composites, and potential applications of thermoplastics starch-based in packaging application. Currently, biopolymer composites blended with other components have exhibited several enhanced qualities. The same behavior is also observed when natural fibre is incorporated with biopolymers. However, it should be noted that the degree of compatibility between starch and other biopolymers extensively varies depending on the specific biopolymer. Although their efficacy is yet to reach the level of their fossil fuel counterparts, biopolymers have made a distinguishing mark, which will continue to inspire the creation of novel substances for many years to come.
Collecting information from previous investigations and expressing it in a scientometrics study can be a priceless guide to getting a complete overview of a specific research area. The aim of this study is to explore the interrelated connection between alginate, gelatine, and hydroxyapatite within the scope of bone tissue and scaffold. A review of traditional literature with data mining procedures using bibliometric analyses was considered to identify the evolution of the selected research area between 2009 and 2019. Bibliometric methods and knowledge visualization technologies were implemented to investigate diverse publications based on the following indicators: year of publication, document type, language, country, institution, author, journal, keyword, and number of citations. An analysis using a bibliometric study found that 7446 papers were located with the keywords "bone tissue" and "scaffold", and 1767 (alginate), 185 (gelatine), 5658 (hydroxyapatite) papers with those specific sub keywords. The number of publications that relate to "tissue engineering" and bone more than doubled between 2009 (1352) and 2019 (2839). China, the United States and India are the most productive countries, while Sichuan University and the Chinese Academy of Science from China are the most important institutions related to bone tissue scaffold. Materials Science and Engineering C is the most productive journal, followed by the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A. This paper is a starting point, providing the first bibliometric analysis study of bone tissue and scaffold considering alginate, gelatine and hydroxyapatite. A bibliometric analysis would greatly assist in giving a scientific insight to support desired future research work, not only associated with bone tissue engineering applications. It is expected that the analysis of alginate, gelatine and hydroxyapatite in terms of 3D bioprinting, clinical outcomes, scaffold architecture, and the regenerative medicine approach will enhance the research into bone tissue engineering in the near future. Continued studies into these research fields are highly recommended.