Clinicopathological Changes in Adjuvant Induced Arthritis in Canine Stifle Joint

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease ,and cause of physical disability in man and animals. It is a complex disease with unknown etiology. Intra-articular injection of 1 ml. Freund's adjuvant was inoculated into twenty-five adult Mongrel dogs weighing between 10-15kg. Osteoarthritis was induced in the left stifle joint, while the right joint act as a control. The dogs were evaluated for clinical evidence of joint heat, effusion and pain, and gait abnormalities. Radiographs were obtained for soft tissue swelling, osteophytosis and degenerative changes. At the end of each trial period (week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) the dogs were euthanised. The left stifle joint were opened, examined grossly and the articular cartilage and synovial membrane were harvested and fixed for histopathologic and electron microscopic studies. Clinical signs of joint swelling and pain upon palpation, weight bearing lameness and reduced range of motion were observed within week 1 post-inoculation. These signs were positively correlated with the acute pathological lesions in the synovial membrane and articular cartilage; and in radiograph evaluation. Radiograph study revealed evidences of soft tissue swelling, increased intra-articular space, osteophytes formation; the clinical signs that were suggestive of degenerative changes in osteoarthritis. However, plain radiograph was found to be not informative enough in the early stage of osteoarthritis. Gross changes during post mortem revealed, swelling of the adjacent soft tissue, hypertrophy of the joint capsule and synovial membrane, and joint effusion. These were signs of inflammation of the joint tissues and it was believed that the inflammatory process was one of the major factors in the development of degenerative joint disease. Lameness evaluation was positively correlated with gross examination but negatively correlated with radiograph examination. In histopathology study, there were signs of inflammation in the synovial membrane and formation of synovial pannus, which was thought to be related with the development of degenerative changes on the articular cartilage. Hyperplasia of intima and subintima layer, edema and congestion; flaking and erosion in articular cartilage, were observed as early as week 1 p.i. Under scanning electron microscopy, cartilage fibrillation and erosion, were observed as early as week 1 p.i. Significant positive correlation between the histological changes in articular cartilage with changes in the synovial membrane suggested that changes in the synovium preceded changes in the articular cartilage. The synovial membrane was highly vascularised, causes respond to injury more promptly. In articular cartilage, it took time to heal since healing depending on the depth of lesion. In this study, the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis was divided into three stages: the onset phase, which was observed within one week post-induction; the second phase or the intermediate stage and the end phase. Each structure, cells and tissues was found to have their own role in the production of osteoarthritis . Study on the pathogenesis must emphasize on these structures and cascade of events that occur during the production of osteoarthritis, which will aid in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The clinical, morphological and microstructure changes that occurred in osteoarthritis had been characterised , but the role of each in the aetio-pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, is still not rigidly defined

Comparison on the Effects and Safety of Tualang Honey and Tribestan in Sperm Parameters, Erectile Function, and Hormonal Profiles among Oligospermic Males

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Tualang honey on sperm parameters, erectile function, and hormonal and safety profiles. Methodology. A randomized control trial was done using Tualang honey (20 grams) and Tribestan (750mg) over a period of 12 weeks. Sperm parameters including sperm concentration, motility, and morphology were analyzed and erectile function was assessed using IIEF-5 questionnaire. Hormonal profiles of testosterone, FSH, and LH were studied. The volunteers were randomized into two groups and the outcomes were analyzed using SPSS version 18. Results. A total of 66 participants were involved. A significant increment of mean sperm concentration

A review on the potential of photocatalysis in combatting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

Photocatalytic technology offers powerful virus disinfection in wastewater via oxidative capability with minimum harmful by-products generation. This review paper aims to provide state-of-the-art photocatalytic technology in battling transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater. Prior to that, the advantages and limitations of the existing conventional and advanced oxidation processes for virus disinfection in water systems were thoroughly examined. A wide spectrum of virus degradation by various photocatalysts was then considered to understand the potential mechanism for deactivating this deadly virus. The challenges and future perspectives were comprehensively discussed at the end of this review describing the limitations of current photocatalytic technology and suggesting a realistic outlook on advanced photocatalytic technology as a potential solution in dealing with similar upcoming pandemics. The major finding of this review including discovery of a vision on the possible photocatalytic approaches that have been proven to be outstanding against other viruses and subsequently combatting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. This review intends to deliver insightful information and discussion on the potential of photocatalysis in battling COVID-19 transmission through wastewater

Inter-relationship of illness perception, personality and quality of life among type 2 diabetes patients: A cross-sectional survey

Improved psychological aspect among type 2 diabetic patients plays an important role towards an improved quality of life. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the inter-relationship of illness perceptions, personality and quality of life of type 2 diabetic patients from the Diabetic Clinic of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). A total of 115 of type 2 diabetic patients were involved in this study. Patients were surveyed using a quantitative questionnaires of Short Form 36 (SF-36), Revised-Illness Perception (IPQ-R) and big five inventory from September to December 2014. Result shows that most of the sub-domains in the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) were correlated either positively or negatively with the sub-domain of illness perceptions (p<0.05). In addition, most of the sub-domains of the Big Five inventory were also positively correlated with the sub-domains of HRQOL except for the neuroticism sub-domain (p<0.05). It was also found that personality contributed 21.2% of the variation to the PCS domain while 32.6% of the variation contributed to the MCS domain ofHRQOL. In addition, 17.1% of the illness perceptions variation contributed to the PCS domain and 32.7% of the variation contributed to the MCS domain of HRQOL. The findings of this study shows that there is a positive inter-relationship between illness perceptions and personality towards the quality of life of type 2 diabetic patients. A better understanding of illness perceptions and positive personality plays an important role in improving the quality of life among type 2 diabetic patients

DNA profile of commercial pineapples in Malaysia by using SSR markers

Nine commercial varieties of pineapples in Malaysia (Josapine, Maspine, MD2, Sarawak, Gandul, N36, Moris, Crystal Honey and Yankee) were collected from various places in Peninsular Malaysia and analysed for cultivar identifications using nine simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 27 alleles have been observed which ranged from 2 to 5 with an average of 3 alleles per locus. The polymorphic information content (PIC) value ranged from 0.3426 (Acom_82.8) to 0.6561 (Acom_67.2) with a mean of 0.4524 while the heterozygosity value ranged from 0.1097 (TsuAC021) to 0.8010 (TsuAC039) with a mean of 0.5481. The pairwise Nei’s genetic distances had also been calculated and the value ranged from 0.0562 (Gandul and Josapine) to 0.6383 (MD2 and Yankee) with an average value of 0.3169. The above data emphasised a moderate level of polymorphisms among the nine varieties. A dendrogram was constructed by using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) which showed all the nine successfully differentiated pineapple commercial varieties. A principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was also had been generated which revealed an agreement with the dendrogram output. Therefore, these nine SSR markers can be used to identify the nine selected commercial varieties to ensure pure planting materials

Predictors of drug and substance abuse among school-going adolescents living in drug hotspot in Malaysia.

This study explored the pressing issue of drug and substance abuse (DSA) among adolescents in drug hotspots in Malaysia. The Malaysian Anti-drug Agency (AADK) has identified 155 hotspot areas across Malaysia, of which 78 were randomly selected as the study sites. These areas were identified as having extreme drug-related activities such as drug trafficking and drug-related crimes. According to the literature, several factors influence adolescents to be involved in DSA. Therefore, understanding the risk factors in the context of Malaysian school-going adolescents is of utmost importance. The study examined, in particular, a wide range of potential predictors, including socioeconomic factors, peer influence, family dynamics, educational experiences, drug access, and community characteristics. Adolescents in the hotspot areas were selected by means of a cross-sectional survey design with a cluster sampling method. The sample comprised 3382 school-going adolescents, and the data were collected through face-to-face interviews. The logit model method with STATA software was used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed that school-going adolescents with disciplinary issues face a two-fold increase in the risk of becoming current drug users compared to their peers. Further, those exhibiting externalising behaviours, such as aggression and rule-breaking, also face greater odds of becoming involved in DSA. Drug pushers were identified as the most significant risk factor, with adolescents exposed to them being 46 times more likely to become current drug users. The factors of friends and family also contribute significantly to adolescent drug involvement. However, adolescents with academic-related issues may be less involved if they have the protective factor of better coping skills. These findings will contribute to efforts to mitigate drug addiction and drug-related activities, particularly in high-risk communities, as well as help policymakers and healthcare professionals develop targeted interventions and generally promote the well-being of adolescents

The Malaysian Acute Vascular Events Risk (MAVERIK) study protocol: studying genetic and other determinants of first-ever myocardial infarction in Malaysia (Preprint)

INTRODUCTION: Although the burden of premature myocardial infarction (MI) is high in Malaysia, direct evidence on the determinants of MI in this multi-ethnic population remains sparse. The Malaysian Acute Vascular Events Risk (MAVERIK) study is a retrospective case-control study established to enable investigation of genomic, lipid-related and other determinants of acute MI in Malaysia. To our knowledge, it represents the largest case-control study of MI and related traits in Malaysia. In this paper, we report the study’s design and initial results. METHODS: By June 2019, MAVERIK had enrolled about 2500 patients with first-ever MI and 2500 controls without cardiovascular disease (CVD), frequency-matched by age, sex and ethnicity, from 17 hospitals in Malaysia. For each participant, serum and whole blood have been collected and stored. Clinical, demographic and behavioural information has been obtained using a 200-item questionnaire. RESULTS: Tobacco consumption, history of diabetes, hypertension, markers of visceral adiposity, indicators of lower socioeconomic status, and family history of coronary disease were more prevalent in cases than controls. Crude and adjusted (age, sex) logistic regression models for traditional risk factors indicated that current smoking, previous smoking, history of high blood pressure, history of diabetes mellitus, family history of CHD and obesity (BMI>30) were associated with MI in age- and sex-adjusted models. CONCLUSION: The MAVERIK study can serve as a useful platform to investigate genetic and other risk factors for MI in an under-studied South-East Asian population. It should help to hasten discovery of disease-causing pathways and to inform regionally appropriate strategies that optimise public health action

Investigating Genetic and Other Determinants of First-Onset Myocardial Infarction in Malaysia:Protocol for the Malaysian Acute Vascular Events Risk Study

BACKGROUND: Although the burden of premature myocardial infarction (MI) is high in Malaysia, direct evidence on the determinants of MI in this multi-ethnic population remains sparse. OBJECTIVE: The Malaysian Acute Vascular Events Risk (MAVERIK) study is a retrospective case-control study established to investigate the genomic, lipid-related, and other determinants of acute MI in Malaysia. In this paper, we report the study protocol and early results. METHODS: By June 2019, we had enrolled approximately 2500 patients with their first MI and 2500 controls without cardiovascular disease, who were frequency-matched by age, sex, and ethnicity, from 17 hospitals in Malaysia. For each participant, serum and whole blood have been collected and stored. Clinical, demographic, and behavioral information has been obtained using a 200-item questionnaire. RESULTS: Tobacco consumption, a history of diabetes, hypertension, markers of visceral adiposity, indicators of lower socioeconomic status, and a family history of coronary disease were more prevalent in cases than in controls. Adjusted (age and sex) logistic regression models for traditional risk factors indicated that current smoking (odds ratio [OR] 4.11, 95% CI 3.56-4.75; P30 kg/m(2); OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05-1.34; P=.009) were associated with MI in age- and sex-adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: The MAVERIK study can serve as a useful platform to investigate genetic and other risk factors for MI in an understudied Southeast Asian population. It should help to hasten the discovery of disease-causing pathways and inform regionally appropriate strategies that optimize public health action. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR1-10.2196/3188