Perceived oral health status and its association with oral health-related quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis - a pilot study

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects not only the joints, but also other organ systems including the oral cavity. Studies have demonstrated an association between RA and oral disease, in particular periodontal disease. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine self-reported oral health problems among RA patients and its association with oral health-related quality of life. A total of 67 RA patients attending the Rheumatology Clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia participated in this study. Self-administered questionnaires including the Malay version of Short Oral Health Impact Profile [S-OHIP(M)] questionnaire were used to obtain the variables of interests. Most patients perceived their oral health status as good or very good (70.2%) although some reported having at least one oral health problem (40.3%). Commonly reported oral health problems were cavitated tooth (16.4%), swollen gums (16.4%), bad breath (14.9%), and bleeding gums (13.4%). Some patients have lost all upper teeth (32.8%) and all lower teeth (28.4%). The median S-OHIP(M) score was 3.00 (IQR 7.00). With regard to prevalence of impact, item discomfort due to food getting stuck has the highest prevalence of 13.4%, followed by avoided eating certain foods (7.5%). No significant association was found between median S-OHIP(M) score and self-reported oral health problem among RA patients, but a significant association was found between median S-OHIP(M) score and perceived oral health status (P=0.013). In conclusion, oral health problems were common in RA patients, and the association between patients’ oral health perceptions and severity of impact from oral problems was apparent

Acute necrotising pancreatitis and acalculous cholecystitis: a rare presentation of leptospirosis

Leptospirosis typically presents with fever and thrombocytopenia, with or without jaundice. Acute necrotising pancreatitis and acalculous cholecystitis are rare presentations of this spirochetal infection. Here is the case of necrotising pancreatitis and acalculous cholecystitis associated with leptospirosis in an elderly patient. Leptospirosis was diagnosed by serological tests and abdominal CT imaging. The patient was successfully treated medically with intravenous antibiotics (imipenem and ceftriaxone) and proper hydration

Acute bilateral sensorineural hearing loss: an unexpected and early presentation of acute stroke

We report a case of acute ischemic stroke presented as acute bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. 47 year-old man presented with bilateral hearing loss for one day. Pure tone audiometry revealed moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) revealed left vertebral artery thrombosis with partial thrombosis of the basilar artery

A biobank of pediatric patient-derived-xenograft models in cancer precision medicine trial MAPPYACTS for relapsed and refractory tumors

Cancer models; Paediatric cancerModelos de cáncer; Cáncer pediátricoModels de càncer; Càncer pediàtricPediatric patients with recurrent and refractory cancers are in most need for new treatments. This study developed patient-derived-xenograft (PDX) models within the European MAPPYACTS cancer precision medicine trial (NCT02613962). To date, 131 PDX models were established following heterotopical and/or orthotopical implantation in immunocompromised mice: 76 sarcomas, 25 other solid tumors, 12 central nervous system tumors, 15 acute leukemias, and 3 lymphomas. PDX establishment rate was 43%. Histology, whole exome and RNA sequencing revealed a high concordance with the primary patient’s tumor profile, human leukocyte-antigen characteristics and specific metabolic pathway signatures. A detailed patient molecular characterization, including specific mutations prioritized in the clinical molecular tumor boards are provided. Ninety models were shared with the IMI2 ITCC Pediatric Preclinical Proof-of-concept Platform (IMI2 ITCC-P4) for further exploitation. This PDX biobank of unique recurrent childhood cancers provides an essential support for basic and translational research and treatments development in advanced pediatric malignancies.This work was supported by grants from Fondation Gustave Roussy; Fédération Enfants Cancers et Santé, Société Française de lutte contre les Cancers et les leucémies de l’Enfant et l’adolescent (SFCE), Association AREMIG and Thibault BRIET; Parrainage médecin-chercheur of Gustave Roussy; INSERM; Canceropôle Ile-de-France; Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer (Equipe labellisée); Fondation ARC for the European projects ERA-NET on Translational Cancer Research (TRANSCAN 2) Joint Transnational Call 2014 (JTC 2014) ‘Targeting Of Resistance in PEDiatric Oncology (TORPEDO)’, ERA-NET TRANSCAN JTC 2014 (TRAN201501238), and TRANSCAN JTC 2017 (TRANS201801292); Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-10-EQPX-03, Institut Curie Génomique d’Excellence (ICGex); IMI ITCC-P4; The Child Cancer Research Foundation (CCRF), Cancer Council Western Australia (CCWA); PAIR-Pédiatrie/CONECT-AML (INCa-ARC-LIGUE_11905 and Association Laurette Fugain), Ligue contre le cancer (Equipe labellisée, since 2016), OPALE Carnot institute; Dell; Fondation Bristol-Myers Squibb; Association Imagine for Margo; Association Manon Hope; L’Etoile de Martin; La Course de l’Espoir; M la vie avec Lisa; ADAM; Couleur Jade; Dans les pas du Géant; Courir pour Mathieu; Marabout de Ficelle; Olivier Chape; Les Bagouz à Manon; Association Hubert Gouin Enfance et Cancer; Les Amis de Claire; Kurt-und Senta Hermann Stiftung; Holcim Stiftung Wissen; Gertrud-Hagmann-Stiftung für Malignom-Forschung; Heidi Ras Grant Forschungszentrum fürs Kind; Children’s Liver Tumor European Research Network (ChiLTERN) EU H2020 projet (668596); Fundación FERO and the Rotary Clubs Barcelona Eixample, Barcelona Diagonal, Santa Coloma de Gramanet, München-Blutenburg, Sassella-Stiftung, Berger-Janser Stiftung and Krebsliga Zürich, Deutschland Gemeindienst e.V. and others from Barcelona and province, and No Limits Contra el Cáncer Infantil Association

Drying kinetics and product quality of dried chempedak.

The objective of this study was to investigate the drying kinetics of chempedak (Artocarpus integer) at different drying temperatures (50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C) and slab dimensions. The drying data were fitted to the different semi-theoretical models based on moisture ratio (MR) to predict the drying kinetics. A logarithmic model was found to be the best fit in this study for all the drying temperatures tested. Effective diffusivities were estimated from Fick’s 2nd law and the Arrhenius equation was used to determine the diffusivity constant (Do) and activation energy (Ea). The texture and color of dried product were altered significantly during drying. The total color change (ΔE), hardness and chewiness were found to be increased with elevated temperature; meanwhile, springiness and cohesiveness of dried chempedak were relatively constant

Validation of a Malay version of the smartphone addiction scale among medical students in Malaysia

Introduction: This study was initiated to determine the psychometric properties of the Smart Phone Addiction Scale (SAS) by translating and validating this scale into the Malay language (SAS-M), which is the main language spoken in Malaysia. This study can distinguish smart phone and internet addiction among multi-ethnic Malaysian medical students. In addition, the reliability and validity of the SAS was also demonstrated. Materials and Methods: A total of 228 participants were selected between August 2014 and September 2014 to complete a set of questionnaires, including the SAS and the modified Kimberly Young Internet addiction test (IAT) in the Malay language. Results: There were 99 males and 129 females with ages ranging from 19 to 22 years old (21.7±1.1) included in this study. Descriptive and factor analyses, intra-class coefficients, t-tests and correlation analyses were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the SAS. Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (p <0.01), and the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy for the SAS-M was 0.92, indicating meritoriously that the factor analysis was appropriate. The internal consistency and concurrent validity of the SAS-M were verified (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.94). All of the subscales of the SAS-M, except for positive anticipation, were significantly related to the Malay version of the IAT. Conclusions: This study developed the first smart phone addiction scale among medical students. This scale was shown to be reliable and valid in the Malay language

UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING STUDY FOR BETTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AMONG YOUTH

The study was commissioned to investigate the skills gaps brought about by the IR4.0 among TVET educated youth nationwide, in order to devise the appropriate interventions in terms of policies and action plans. The study was conducted for a period of six months commencing 1 October 2020 until 31 March 2021 in collaboration with the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (IYRES) and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak with members form the University Teknologi Mara (UiTM), University Putra Malaysia (UPM), University Technology Malaysia (UTM) and University Malaysia Kelantan (UMK). The study adopted a mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative approaches in addition to desk research. It commissioned a series of focus group discussions among key stakeholders consisting of all the eight ministries that oversee their respective TVET providers operations. In addition, these sessions were also conducted with other related government agencies such as the Institute of Labour Market Information & Analysis, Social Security Organisation, Human Resources Development Fund, Department of Skills Development, Malaysian Qualification Agencies, and Industry Lead Body. To gain perspectives from the industry, a series of focus group discussions were also held with employers in all the six zones namely Central, Northern, Southern, Eastern, Sabah and Sarawak in which a total of sixty people had participated, comprising of senior managers who are in charge of training and recruitment in their respective companies. The sessions were jointly organised with the Social Security Organisation whose representatives were also present during the sessions to deliver a special talk on MyFutureJobs and Hiring Incentives. A separate session was also conducted with the Majlis Belia Malaysia consisting of twenty-six leaders from youth organisations throughout Malaysia to seek their input and feedback for the study. An online nationwide youth survey was also conducted in which a total of 982 respondents participated comprising of those aged between 15 to 40 years. The results revealed a high rate of employment among youth, with 60.4 percent of the 982 respondents surveyed currently employed. The remaining 39.6 percent are either not in the labour force or still searching for jobs. Despite this, employment distributions show regional variations, with a higher share of employment in Central, Northern, and Southern zones while a higher incidence of unemployment in the East Coast, Sabah, and Sarawak. This trend is found to be aligned with the trend in the 2019 labour force survey. Job hierarchy distributions were identified as a source of concern. While most of the TVET-trained youth worked in semi-skilled occupations, only a small number were occupying high skill jobs. Furthermore, female employment in high-skilled jobs was lower than male youth. For example, only three out of every ten high-skill jobs were held by females. In addition, males were more likely to work in non-service industries like manufacturing and construction, while females were more likely to work in service industries like retail, hospitality, and education. The study shows that there is a lack of adequate skill matching and training needs among youth. Youth, regardless of their demographics, have been confirmed to be lacking in preparation for challenging duties and potential employment. While youth experienced a high pace of technological changes and new technologies in their jobs or workplaces, TVET youth received little on-the-job training, putting them at risk of lacking necessary skills. In the low-skilled category, skill matching is higher than in the high-skilled category. Although both male and female youth had a high percentage of skill matches, female youth were more likely to have low skill matches due to the skill needed for the employment and the skill they already had. According to the TVET survey, the majority of TVET graduates reported that their jobs required both technical and soft skills. The majority of youth agreed that their basic skills should be strengthened in all dimensions (technical, numeracy, literacy, computer, and English). In order to be ready for IR4.0 work environments, the majority of respondents (70 percent - 85 percent) stated that they needed to develop their core competency skills. Similarly, participants in the focus groups said that while TVET graduates had adequate technical skills, they lacked communication, complex problem-solving, and creative thinking skills, all of which are needed in a challenging workplace. The issues regarding qualification matching were also reported. More than half of those polled stated that their qualifications did not match the requirements of their jobs. In the overqualification group, the mismatch was greater at 45.5%. As a result, less than half (46.2%) of the respondents stated that jobs matched their qualifications. While gender did not affect mismatch, youth with Diploma and higher were more likely to experience overqualification. Overqualification is common in low and semi-skilled job categories. It appears that more young people in Sabah are working for wages that were lower than their qualifications (overqualified); youth in the Eastern region, on the other hand, were more likely to be employed in jobs that required higher qualifications than their own (underqualified). In terms of field of study, slightly more than half of the respondents (56.5%) reported that their TVET specializations were very relevant and just slightly above a quarter stated it was moderately relevant. These awee mostly witnessed in those holding high-skills jobs. A small proportion of the respondents stated that their specialisation was irrelevant to their jobs particularly those in the overqualified group. Youth who were working in the non-services sectors tended to have a greater relevancy of their specialisation to their jobs. The study also found that industries such as manufacturing as well as oil & gas tended to have a higher proportion of employees having TVET education compared to employers in the services and plantation sectors. Another major finding of the study is the wage differential issues that occurs particularly in terms of gender in which female youth reported a much lower income than male youth. In addition, those with matched qualification to their job reported higher income than those working in jobs that did not match their qualifications. The study has put forward key recommendations that encompass the whole spectrum of TVET implementation in Malaysia. These include jobs creation and career development, upskilling and reskilling needs, rebranding of TVET focusing on quality and future potentials, establishment of integrated TVET labour market information through data warehouse as well wages enhancement initiatives

Radiative non-coaxial rotating flow for viscous fluid over accelerated disk with MHD and porosity effects

An analytical solution to analyze the effects of radiation, magnetic, and permeability in an accelerating non-coaxial rotation phenomenon is not yet reported in the previous studies. Therefore, a radiative mixed convection flow for non-coaxial rotating MHD viscous fluid in a porous medium past an accelerated disk is studied. The fluid motion in this problem is induced by two sources which are rotating and buoyancy force. The dimensional coupled differential equations subjected to initial and accelerated boundary conditions are transformed to the dimensionless equations by utilizing appropriate dimensionless variables. The Laplace transform technique is applied to generate the closed form analytical solution for this problem. The impacts of Prandtl number, Grashof number, radiation, magnetic, porosity, and accelerated parameters on the temperature and velocity fields are illustrated graphically. The velocity and temperature profiles satisfy both the initial and boundary conditions, and the present results are found in accordance to the published work. The velocity is improved with the assistance of acceleration, radiation and porosity, while the implementation of magnetic field causes the opposite effect. Increasing radiation leads to the growth of the thermal boundary layer as well as reducing the heat transmission rate. This result can significantly contribute to the designing of heating systems because the imposition of radiation able to sustain an environment for a specific temperature. The obtained analytical solution can be used to check the correctness of the solution obtained from the numerical and experimental studies

Kimura disease: a case report and review of the literature

Introduction: Kimura disease (KD) is a benign chronic inflammatory disorder attributed to an immune mediated hypersensitivity. KD is commonly presented with unilateral subcutaneous tissue swelling in the head and neck area. The course is usually benign except for the potential cosmetic disfigurement. There is no consensus for the treatment of recurrent disease. Aim: To illustrate a case of an uncommon cause of head and neck swelling. Case study: A 41-year-old male presented with a recurrent painless swelling at his of right lower cheek swelling for 6-months. Head and neck examination revealed a 7 × 7 cm firm, non tender mass over the right mandibular region. Other systemic examination was unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging of the mass showed a well defined lesion 6 × 3 × 5 cm in size anterior to the right body of mandible. Surgical excision of the mass was done and histopathological examination of the specimen showed fibrocollagenous and fibrofatty tissue infiltrated by chronic inflammatory cells in the pattern of perivascular lymphoid aggregates. The infiltrate is composed predominantly of small lymphocytes and eosinophils. Results and discussion: Here we described a rare cause of painless subcutaneous head and neck swelling that occurred in a middle-aged Asian man. KD usually presents as a painless subcutaneous soft-tissue swellings and associated with regional lymphadenopathy in the head and neck region. Diagnosis of KD is always a clinical dilemma with no specific diagnostic guideline. Though there is no consensus for the treatment of recurrent disease, the overall outcome is good as there is no association with malignancy. Conclusions: KD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a recurrent head and neck mass

Prevalence and factors associated with internet addiction among medical students - a cross-sectional study in Malaysia

Introduction: Internet is important to university students, especially for medical students who use it to search for literature and relevant information. However, some of the users are experiencing a gradual loss of the ability to reduce the duration and frequency of their internet activities, despite the negative consequences. The literature on internet usage among Malaysian medical students is limited. This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with internet usage among medical students in a public university in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed among all the medical students (Year 1-5). Students were assessed on their internet activities using the internet addiction questionnaires (IAT). A Multiple Logistic Regression was used for data analysis. Results: The study was conducted among 426 students. The study population consisted of 156 males (36.6%) and 270 females (63.4%). The mean age was 21.6 ±1.5 years. Ethnicity distribution among the students was: Malays (55.6%), Chinese (34.7%), Indians (7.3%) and others (2.3%). According to the IAT, 36.9% of the study sample was addicted to the internet. Using the multivariate logistic regression analysis, we have found that the use of internet access for entertainment purposes (odds ratio [OR] 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-12.00), male students (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.01-3.21) and increasing frequency of internet usage were associated with internet addiction (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.09-1.67). Conclusion: Internet addiction is a relatively frequent phenomenon among medical students. The predictors of internet addiction were male students using it for surfing and entertainment purposes