An open labelled randomized clinical trial of fluoxetine versus dapoxetine treatment among men with premature ejaculation and its effect on marital satisfaction

INTRODUCTION: Premature ejaculation (PE) causes reduces sexual satisfaction and quality of life. Both Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor Fluoxetine and Dapoxetine have been used in treatment of PE. Fluoxetine is used as off-label treatment meanwhile Dapoxetine is the first SSRI specifically designed for PE that has a short half-life and few side effects. OBJECTIVES: To compare the PE symptoms score and marital satisfaction score between Fluoxetine and Dapoxetine groups. METHODS: In this open labelled randomized clinical trial, 44 participants aged between 18 and 64 with PEDT score of ≥ 9 from the Primary Care clinic of Hospital USM, Kelantan Malaysia were recruited and randomized into two groups; Fluoxetine Group (FG) and Dapoxetine Group (DG). They were prescribed with either daily oral Fluoxetine 20mg or Dapoxetine 30mg on demand twice weekly for 8 weeks. PE symptoms were measured using the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostics Tool (PEDT) score and marital satisfaction score were measured using the Dyadic Satisfaction-Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DS-DAS) score. Measurements were made at baseline and at the 8th week (post intervention). RESULTS: In FG and DG, 22 and 21 participants completed the study, respectively. PEDT scores reduced significantly within both groups [from 11.41 to 5.45 (P<0.001) within FG and from 13.43 to 3.10 (P<0.001) within the DG]. At the 8th week follow-up, PEDT scores was observed to be were lower in DG (6.03 vs. 2.49, P<0.001) after adjustment of the baseline PEDT score. Significantly increased DS-DAS scores were observed in both groups [from34.50 to 40.68 (P<0.001) within FG and from 36.57 to 44.33, (P<0.001) within DG] with no significant difference in DS-DAS scores at the end of study (41.13 vs. 43.86, P=0.055) after adjustment of the baseline DS-DAS score. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction in PE symptoms was observed for both groups. At 8 weeks, PE symptoms among participants on Dapoxetine were significantly lower compared to the participants on Fluoxetine group at 8 weeks. Treatment of PE with either Fluoxetine or Dapoxetine reduces symptoms of PE and improves marital satisfaction

Kebolehupayaan sistem penuaian hujan sebagai bekalan air alternatif di Malaysia: Suatu penelitian awal

Sistem Penuaian Air Hujan dianggap sebagai Kaedah Pengurusan Terbaik atau "Best Management Practice (BMP)" yang diamalkan di Malaysia. Sistem ini bukan sahaja bertujuan untuk melambatkan aliran air larian permukaan malahan ianya juga dijadikan sebagai sumber bekalan air alternatif yang percuma dan selamat digunakan. Terdapat juga pandangan yang mengatakan sistem tersebut tidak viable dan praktikal memandangkan kos binaan dan penyelenggaraan yang terpaksa ditanggung oleh pengguna sistem berkenaan. Bagaimanapun, terdapat beberapa kajian di dalam dan diluar negara menunjukkan faktor ‘return on capital’ atau ROC bagi sistem ini hanyalah di dalam tempoh masa yang pendek, iaitu antara dua hingga tiga tahun. Artikel ini cuba meneliti tapak pelaksanaan sistem berkenaan di kampus Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia sebagai makmal ujikaji khusus. Hasil pengoperasian sistem analisis TANGKINAHRIM (2010), telah mendapati taburan hujan yang konsisten sepanjang tahun, di samping keluasan tapak tadahan air yang besar dan mencukupi untuk kegunaan operasi pejabat di Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan. Kebolehpercayaan terhadap sistem berkenaan adalah tinggi iaitu 89.3% dan didapati saiz tangki yang optimum adalah di sekitar 60 hingga 65 meter padu air yang mampu diisi. Anggaran saiz berkenaan adalah didapati bersesuaian dengan saiz tadahan, jumlah populasi (pengguna) dan juga perletakan lokasi yang strategik

Nasal fibroblast conditioned medium promotes cell attachment and migration of human respiratory epithelium

Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is a well-known surgical treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis disease after failed medical and antibiotics treatment. However, improper wound healing might induce synechiae or adhesion. Conditioned medium from cultured cells is known to promote wound healing and potentially able to accelerate wound healing in ESS and other airway epithelial injuries. This study was to investigate the effect of human nasal fibroblast conditioned medium on the attachment, proliferation and migration of respiratory epithelial cells (RECs) in an in vitro model. RECs and fibroblasts were co-cultured in Defined Keratinocytes Medium and F-12 and Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium. Once confluent, the fibroblasts were removed, leaving the colonies of RECs to reach confluency. RECs and fibroblasts were cultured separately and the conditioned medium was acquired by culturing fibroblast either in DKSFM or F12: DMEM, denoted as NFCM_DKSFM and NFCM_FD, respectively. RECs were supplemented with 20% conditioned medium for attachment, proliferation and migration assay. The results showed significantly higher cell attachment in NFCM_DKSFM (3452.77±588.1 cell/cm2) compared to NFCM_FD (2336.1±440.4 cell/cm2) and DKSFM alone (2819.8±509.5 cell/cm2). After 7 days, the specific growth rate was higher in DKSFM (0.019±5.16×10-4 h-1) compared to NFCM_DKSFM (0.015±8.94×10-4 h-1) and NFCM_FD (0.013±1.03×10-3 h-1). The mean of migration rate was significantly higher in NFCM_DKSFM (4341.81±385.7 μm2/hr) compared to NFCM_FD (1803.38±408.1 μm2/hr) and DKSFM (1933.48±271.9 μm2/hr). Hence, NFCM_DKSFM supplementation provides suitable culture conditions for RECs through increased cell attachment and migration, which suggest that the factors secreted in conditioned medium may play a major role in enhancing airway epithelial wound healing

Multiplexed SNP Typing of Ancient DNA Clarifies the Origin of Andaman mtDNA Haplogroups amongst South Asian Tribal Populations

The issue of errors in genetic data sets is of growing concern, particularly in population genetics where whole genome mtDNA sequence data is coming under increased scrutiny. Multiplexed PCR reactions, combined with SNP typing, are currently under-exploited in this context, but have the potential to genotype whole populations rapidly and accurately, significantly reducing the amount of errors appearing in published data sets. To show the sensitivity of this technique for screening mtDNA genomic sequence data, 20 historic samples of the enigmatic Andaman Islanders and 12 modern samples from three Indian tribal populations (Chenchu, Lambadi and Lodha) were genotyped for 20 coding region sites after provisional haplogroup assignment with control region sequences. The genotype data from the historic samples significantly revise the topologies for the Andaman M31 and M32 mtDNA lineages by rectifying conflicts in published data sets. The new Indian data extend the distribution of the M31a lineage to South Asia, challenging previous interpretations of mtDNA phylogeography. This genetic connection between the ancestors of the Andamanese and South Asian tribal groups ∼30 kya has important implications for the debate concerning migration routes and settlement patterns of humans leaving Africa during the late Pleistocene, and indicates the need for more detailed genotyping strategies. The methodology serves as a low-cost, high-throughput model for the production and authentication of data from modern or ancient DNA, and demonstrates the value of museum collections as important records of human genetic diversity

Reversal of isolated unilateral optic nerve edema with concomitant visual impairment following blunt trauma: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Serious injury to the optic nerve is an uncommon entity but may result in permanent visual disability. Isolated trauma of the optic nerve is usually associated with blunt skull trauma involving fractures of both skull and optic canal, but may also occur from blunt ocular trauma.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a woman who developed isolated unilateral optic nerve edema with corresponding visual deficits after a rear-end collision accident. She was treated with corticosteroids and had a favourable outcome.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The approach described here was successful in this case but the current body of evidence still lacks a validated approach to the management of traumatic optic neuropathy and each case needs to be individually assessed.</p

BRCA1 positively regulates FOXO3 expression by restricting FOXO3 gene methylation and epigenetic silencing through targeting EZH2 in breast cancer.

BRCA1 mutation or depletion correlates with basal-like phenotype and poor prognosis in breast cancer but the underlying reason remains elusive. RNA and protein analysis of a panel of breast cancer cell lines revealed that BRCA1 deficiency is associated with downregulation of the expression of the pleiotropic tumour suppressor FOXO3. Knockdown of BRCA1 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) resulted in downregulation of FOXO3 expression in the BRCA1-competent MCF-7, whereas expression of BRCA1 restored FOXO3 expression in BRCA1-defective HCC70 and MDA-MB-468 cells, suggesting a role of BRCA1 in the control of FOXO3 expression. Treatment of HCC70 and MDA-MB-468 cells with either the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycitydine, the N-methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) inhibitor GSK126 or EZH2 siRNA induced FOXO3 mRNA and protein expression, but had no effect on the BRCA1-competent MCF-7 cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis demonstrated that BRCA1, EZH2, DNMT1/3a/b and histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) are recruited to the endogenous FOXO3 promoter, further advocating that these proteins interact to modulate FOXO3 methylation and expression. In addition, ChIP results also revealed that BRCA1 depletion promoted the recruitment of the DNA methyltransferases DNMT1/3a/3b and the enrichment of the EZH2-mediated transcriptional repressive epigenetic marks H3K27me3 on the FOXO3 promoter. Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation assays also confirmed increased CpG methylation of the FOXO3 gene on BRCA1 depletion. Analysis of the global gene methylation profiles of a cohort of 33 familial breast tumours revealed that FOXO3 promoter methylation is significantly associated with BRCA1 mutation. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry further suggested that FOXO3 expression was significantly associated with BRCA1 status in EZH2-positive breast cancer. Consistently, high FOXO3 and EZH2 mRNA levels were significantly associated with good and poor prognosis in breast cancer, respectively. Together, these data suggest that BRCA1 can prevent and reverse FOXO3 suppression via inhibiting EZH2 and, consequently, its ability to recruit the transcriptional repressive H3K27me3 histone marks and the DNA methylases DNMT1/3a/3b, to induce DNA methylation and gene silencing on the FOXO3 promoter

The impact of albendazole treatment on the incidence of viral- and bacterial-induced diarrhea in school children in southern Vietnam: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Anthelmintics are one of the more commonly available classes of drugs to treat infections by parasitic helminths (especially nematodes) in the human intestinal tract. As a result of their cost-effectiveness, mass school-based deworming programs are becoming routine practice in developing countries. However, experimental and clinical evidence suggests that anthelmintic treatments may increase susceptibility to other gastrointestinal infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or protozoa. Hypothesizing that anthelmintics may increase diarrheal infections in treated children, we aim to evaluate the impact of anthelmintics on the incidence of diarrheal disease caused by viral and bacterial pathogens in school children in southern Vietnam.This is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the effects of albendazole treatment versus placebo on the incidence of viral- and bacterial-induced diarrhea in 350 helminth-infected and 350 helminth-uninfected Vietnamese school children aged 6-15 years. Four hundred milligrams of albendazole, or placebo treatment will be administered once every 3 months for 12 months. At the end of 12 months, all participants will receive albendazole treatment. The primary endpoint of this study is the incidence of diarrheal disease assessed by 12 months of weekly active and passive case surveillance. Secondary endpoints include the prevalence and intensities of helminth, viral, and bacterial infections, alterations in host immunity and the gut microbiota with helminth and pathogen clearance, changes in mean z scores of body weight indices over time, and the number and severity of adverse events.In order to reduce helminth burdens, anthelmintics are being routinely administered to children in developing countries. However, the effects of anthelmintic treatment on susceptibility to other diseases, including diarrheal pathogens, remain unknown. It is important to monitor for unintended consequences of drug treatments in co-infected populations. In this trial, we will examine how anthelmintic treatment impacts host susceptibility to diarrheal infections, with the aim of informing deworming programs of any indirect effects of mass anthelmintic administrations on co-infecting enteric pathogens.ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02597556 . Registered on 3 November 2015