A Preliminary Study On Platelet Concentrates Quality Collected From Two Different Mixing Methods: Manual Mixing Versus Automated Blood Collection Mixer

Terdapat dua kaedah pencampuran darah semasa proses pengumpulan darah, iaitu kaedah pencampuran secara manual dan pengadun pengutipan automatik. Tujuan pencampuran darah yang dikumpulkan dengan antikoagulan dalam beg utama adalah untuk mencegah platelet dan faktor pembekuan awal pengaktifan There are two different mixing methods used in whole blood collection which are manual mixing and automated blood collection mixer. The purpose of mixing collected blood with anticoagulant in primary bag is to prevent platelet and clotting factors early activatio

Nutritional and physical activity status among adults living in low-cost housing area in Selangor

This study aimed to assess the nutritional and physical activity status among adults living in low-cost housing area. This cross-sectional study involved 115 adults aged from 18 to 59 years old (46 male and 69 female). Anthropometric and body composition measurements of height, weight, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference were taken. Biochemical measurements included blood glucose, blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Dietary intake was evaluated by interviewing subjects using Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ). Physical activity status was determined by interviewing subjects using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Most of the subjects were found to be mainly on low socioeconomic status and working as blue collar workers. The mean body mass index (BMI) for men and women were 27.3 ± 6.3 kg/m2 and 28.5 ± 5.3 kg/m2, respectively. The waist-hip ratio of men and women were 0.92 ± 0.07 and 0.86 ± 0.06, respectively. Mean blood pressure observed was 128.8 ± 18.8 mmHg (systolic) and 78.2 ± 12.1 mmHg (diastolic). Mean blood glucose was reported to be 6.6 ± 3.2 mmol/L while the mean blood cholesterol was 5.2 ± 1.0 mmol/L. Overall energy intake was 2705 ± 603 kcal with the contribution of 53.4% carbohydrate, 13.5% protein and 32.5% fat to overall energy intake. The nutrients that did not achieve Malaysia’s Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) were calcium (73.1%), thiamine (70.5%), folate (25.0%) and vitamin A (19.6%). The mean physical activity of subjects was 6739.8 ± 8135.6 MET-min/week (high physical activity). In conclusion, the adults living in low-cost housing have unsatisfactory nutritional status yet they have good physical activity level which might be contributed by their occupation

Phage Display‐Derived Antibodies: Application of Recombinant Antibodies for Diagnostics

Antibodies are produced by the human body in response towards infections as a means of protection. The in vivo production of antibodies by B-cells involves a series of intricate gene editing processes resulting in a highly diverse pool of antibodies. However, this diversity can be replicated in vitro using phage display. Phage display offers the potential to present the antibody phenotype together with the cloned genotype of the specific antibody in a single-phage particle. Antibodies are highly sought after for diagnostic applications owing to its specificity and affinity towards a target antigen. The advent of recombinant antibody (rAb) technology allows for a faster and more cost-effective solution for antibody generation. It also provides diagnostic developers with the possibility to customize the antibodies. Antibodies have been utilized successfully in various diagnostic platforms ranging from standard immunoassays to lateral-flow assays, nanoparticles, microfluidics, DNA‐integrated assays and others. The limitless application of antibodies in the field of diagnostics has made it a critical component in any diagnostic development platform. This chapter focuses on the processes involved in antibody discovery including the various forms of antibody libraries for phage display and panning processes. We also highlight some diagnostic platforms that apply recombinant antibodies

Vision-based frontal vehicle detection and tracking

This paper presents a vision-based driver assistance system composing of vehicle detection using knowledge-based method and vehicle tracking using Kalman filtering.First, a preceding vehicle is localized by a proposed detection scheme, consisting of shadow detection and brake lights detection.Second, the possible vehicle region is extracted for verification. Symmetry analysis includes contour and brake lights symmetries are performed and followed by an asymmetry contour analysis in order to obtain vehicle’s center.The center of vehicle is tracked continuously using Kalman filtering within a predicted subwindow in consecutive frames.It reduces the scanning process and maximizes the computational speed of vehicle detection. Simulation results demonstrate good performance of the proposed system

Your perception may predict your anxiety level: a preliminary study in primary care in Singapore

Background: Patients’ perception of their medical illness has been shown to associate with not only their responses to the illness but under certain conditions even outcomes of their illness. While anxiety is prevalent among primary care patients, illness perception studies relating to anxiety in this population are scarce. This study aimed to fill this gap and explore clues for perceptual elements of primary care patients’ effective management of their own anxiety. Methods: Ninety-five adult participants (65% female and 35% male) were recruited in two primary care clinics in this cross-sectional study. The questionnaires administered were Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Illness Perception Questionnaire Mental Health (IPQ-MH) were used to assess anxiety and illness perception respectively. Data analysis was conducted using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients and linear regression. Results: Four specific dimensions of the participants’ illness perception (i.e., consequences, personal control, coherence and biology) were found to be significantly correlated with their severity of anxiety. In other words, the participants experienced higher anxiety when they perceived a serious impact of anxiety in their lives, experienced a diminished sense of self-efficacy, had trouble understanding their condition and attributed their anxiety to biological causes (which could presumably be ameliorated only with medication). Conclusion: Attribution to biological factors and personal control were highly significant predictors of severity of anxiety. Clinicians should consider psychological interventions that target patients’ medication adherence as well as their physiological responses to anxiety (e.g., breathing skills). Further, anxiety patients’ experience of personal control should be enhanced which could be facilitated through deliberate assessment and reinforcement of the strengths and resources in the patients’ psychosocial spheres

Poboljšanje mikrobiološke ispravnosti borovnica pomoću polimernih nanočestica s timolom

Research background. The presence of Yersinia enterocolitica on raw food products raises the concern of yersiniosis as most of the berries are consumed raw. This is a challenging issue from the food safety aspect since it could increase the occurrence of foodborne diseases among humans. Thus, it is crucial to implement an effective sanitation before the packaging. Experimental approach. This study aims to synthesize and characterize thymol-loaded polyvinyl alcohol (Thy/PVA) nanoparticles as a sanitizer for postharvest treatment of blueberries. Thy/PVA nanoparticles were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic approaches, prior to the analyses of antimicrobial properties. Results and conclusions. The diameter size of the nanoparticles was on average 84.7 nm, with a surface charge of −11.73 mV. Based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurement, the Thy/PVA nanoparticles notably shifted to the frequency of 3275.70, 2869.66, 1651.02 and 1090.52 cm-1. A rapid burst was observed in the first hour of release study, and 74.9 % thymol was released from the PVA nanoparticles. The largest inhibition zone was displayed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), followed by Y. enterocolitica and Salmonella typhi. However, amongst these bacteria, the inhibition and killing of Y. enterocolitica required a lower concentration of Thy/PVA nanoparticles. The treatment successfully reduced the bacterial load of Y. enterocolitica on blueberries by 100 %. Novelty and scientific contribution. Thymol is a plant-based chemical without reported adverse effects to humans. In this study, by using the nanotechnology method of encapsulation with PVA, we improved the stability and physicochemical properties of thymol. This nanoparticle-based sanitizer could potentially promote the postharvest microbiological safety of raw berries, which may become an alternative practice of food safety.Pozadina istraživanja. Prisutnost bakterije Yersinia enterocolitica u sirovim prehrambenim proizvodima izaziva zabrinutost zbog moguće pojave jersinioze, s obzirom na to da se bobičasto voće najčešće konzumira sirovo. S aspekta sigurnosti hrane ova bakterija predstavlja problem, jer može povećati učestalost pojave bolesti koje se prenose hranom. Stoga je neophodno provesti učinkovitu sanitaciju voća prije pakiranja. Eksperimentalni pristup. Svrha je ovoga rada bila sintetizirati i okarakterizirati nanočestice poli(vinil-alkohola) s timolom kao dezinficijensom za obradu borovnica prije pakiranja. Nanočestice su okarakterizirane pomoću spektroskopije i mikroskopije, a zatim su ispitana njihova antimikrobna svojstva. Rezultati i zaključci. Prosječni promjer nanočestica bio je 84,7 nm, s površinskim nabojem od −11,73 mV. Rezultati Fourier transformirane infracrvene spektroskopije (FTIR) pokazuju značajan pomak pika nanočestica poli(vinil-alkohola) s timolom prema frekvencijama od 3275,70; 2869,66; 1651,02 i 1090,52 cm-1. Iznenadni porast količine timola oslobođenog iz nanočestica opažen je u prvih sat vremena ispitivanja njegovog kontroliranog otpuštanja, a ukupno je otpušteno 74,9 % timola. Opažena je najveća zona inihbicije rasta bakterije Staphylococcus aureus otporne na meticilin (MRSA), a zatim bakterija Y. enterocolitica i Salmonella typhi. Međutim, za inhibiciju i ubijanje bakterija Y. enterocolitica bile su potrebne manje koncentracije nanočestica poli(vinil-alkohola) s timolom. Ovim je postupkom broj bakterija Y. enterocolitica uspješno smanjen za 100 %. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Timol je spoj biljnog porijekla, koji ne narušava zdravlje čovjeka. U ovome smo radu inkapsulacijom u omotaču s poli(vinil-alkoholom) povećali stabilnost i poboljšali fizikalno-kemijska svojstva timola. Primjenom nanočestica tog dezinficijensa može se poboljšati mikrobiološka ispravnost sirovog bobičastog voća, što se u praksi može primijeniti za očuvanje sigurnosti hrane

Quality of sleep and associated factors among healthcare providers during COVID-19 in Malaysia: a web-based cross-sectional study

Introduction: COVID-19 has placed enormous strain on healthcare providers (HCPs). This study aimed to determine the quality of sleep (QoS), and associated factors, of HCPs in primary care clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a web-based cross-sectional study of HCPs from 30 primary care clinics in Malaysia. QoS was assessed using a validated single-item scale, and the response ranged from 0 (poor) to 10 (excellent). SPSS version 26 was used for the analysis. Results: Our study included 1280 respondents. The mean QoS score was 6.725 = 1.961. One demographic factor that was positively associated with QoS was age. Having one workplace, nurse, medical assistant, medical laboratory technician (or healthcare assistant compared to being a driver, were also significantly positively associated with QoS. Personality factors that were significantly positively associated with QoS were HCPs’ abilities to cope with work stress and be altruistic. There were negative correlations between QoS and being a male HCP, concern about COVID-19 mortality and perceived risk of exposure to COVID-19. Conclusion: HCPs with clinical roles who were older, had a single workplace, were altruistic and could cope with work stress had better QoS. To maintain the QoS of HCPs, healthcare organisations should promote regular activities supporting the staffs’ mental health and encourage compassion for the organisation and an altruistic work culture, especially among younger employees

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their complex cargo, can reflect the state of their cell of origin and change the functions and phenotypes of other cells. These features indicate strong biomarker and therapeutic potential and have generated broad interest, as evidenced by the steady year-on-year increase in the numbers of scientific publications about EVs. Important advances have been made in EV metrology and in understanding and applying EV biology. However, hurdles remain to realising the potential of EVs in domains ranging from basic biology to clinical applications due to challenges in EV nomenclature, separation from non-vesicular extracellular particles, characterisation and functional studies. To address the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) updates its 'Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles', which was first published in 2014 and then in 2018 as MISEV2014 and MISEV2018, respectively. The goal of the current document, MISEV2023, is to provide researchers with an updated snapshot of available approaches and their advantages and limitations for production, separation and characterisation of EVs from multiple sources, including cell culture, body fluids and solid tissues. In addition to presenting the latest state of the art in basic principles of EV research, this document also covers advanced techniques and approaches that are currently expanding the boundaries of the field. MISEV2023 also includes new sections on EV release and uptake and a brief discussion of in vivo approaches to study EVs. Compiling feedback from ISEV expert task forces and more than 1000 researchers, this document conveys the current state of EV research to facilitate robust scientific discoveries and move the field forward even more rapidly

Measurement of t(t)over-bar normalised multi-differential cross sections in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV, and simultaneous determination of the strong coupling strength, top quark pole mass, and parton distribution functions

Peer reviewe