Sample survey of awareness of symptoms and utilisation of health facilities by chest symptomatics

In the national TB Programme, case finding is ‘passive’ and persons with chest symptoms are expected to attend on their own for diagnosis and treatment. For the successful implementation of the programme, it is, therefore, essential that chest symptomatics in the community are motivated enough to get their condition diagnosed, The Tuberculosis Research Centre undertook a sample survey in rural, urban and metropolitan areas to identify the chest symptomatics as defined in the National TB Programme. The symptomatics were interviewed by medical social workers with a view to obtain information about the action taken for relief, the type of health facilities utilised and the reason for the choice. Questions were also asked to find out the symptomstics’ knowledge about tuberculosis. More than 80% of the symptomatics were aware, over 75% had taken action, although most had no idea about its causation, yet more than 90% had contacted health facilities of which one half were governmental

A qualitative study exploring the role of clinical trials nurses in Australia

This study investigated the role that registered nurses play in the conduct of clinical trials in Australia. Current literature describing the roles and responsibilities of nurses working in clinical trials is mainly anecdotal in nature with very little published original research. The aim of this study was to explore the role of registered nurses in clinical trials from the perspective of clinical trial nurses and medical research principal investigators. Interviews were conducted within both groups of health professionals with data analysed using Gadamer’s hermeneutic methodology to identify and create themes that describe the reality of the role that registered nurses play in the conduct of clinical trials in Australia. The findings revealed that registered nurses working in clinical trials research enacted their role from within their professional nursing framework applying their nursing experience and clinical knowledge in clinical trials research conduct and management. As well as this, key challenges in regards to their role in the informed consent process, collegial support and establishing their identity within the broader nursing community were identified. In conclusion, this study has identified that there is need to explore more around the role of clinical trial nurses and to define the scope of practice for nurses in this role

A qualitative study exploring the role of clinical trials nurses in Australia

This study investigated the role that registered nurses play in the conduct of clinical trials in Australia. Current literature describing the roles and responsibilities of nurses working in clinical trials is mainly anecdotal in nature with very little published original research. The aim of this study was to explore the role of registered nurses in clinical trials from the perspective of clinical trial nurses and medical research principal investigators. Interviews were conducted within both groups of health professionals with data analysed using Gadamer’s hermeneutic methodology to identify and create themes that describe the reality of the role that registered nurses play in the conduct of clinical trials in Australia. The findings revealed that registered nurses working in clinical trials research enacted their role from within their professional nursing framework applying their nursing experience and clinical knowledge in clinical trials research conduct and management. As well as this, key challenges in regards to their role in the informed consent process, collegial support and establishing their identity within the broader nursing community were identified. In conclusion, this study has identified that there is need to explore more around the role of clinical trial nurses and to define the scope of practice for nurses in this role

Mediating Impact of Occupational Stress on Leadership Styles and Job Performance in Asset Maintenance-Transmission Division, Tenaga Nasional Berhad

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) is a monopoly company being in charge of power utility. TNB as a whole strives to cater power electricity to all consumers situated in Malaysia and Sabah with the aid of its core division which includes Asset Maintenance, Transmission. TNB focuses on how to “keep the lights on” without interruption. Such demanding situations and requirements at times lead to stress to employees regardless of their position and status in the organization. The problem of the occupational stress may affect the performance of the TNB’s employees. Therefore, leaders are identified to execute important roles and task to serve, to deliver and to excel in the business. A study was performed to find out the best leadership style that TNB should implement in her organization. Using a proportionate stratified random sampling, questionnaire survey was employed and distributed to the employees of Asset Maintenance, Transmission Division via their General Manager (Human Resource Management & Administration Services), Transmission Division, TNB. A total of 175 employees participated in this study, representing a response rate of 55.21%. However the actual usable data was 53.94% (171). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses posited in this study. The regression results indicated that: (1) it is partially supported for a significant relationship between leadership style and job performance, (2) it is partially supported for a significant relationship between leadership style and occupational stress. The findings showed that preferable leadership style was democratic, in which potent to be predictors of job performance within the Asset Maintenance Department of Transmission Division in TNB

A case report of an ethanol-related decompensated chronic liver disease with complications

Decompensated chronic liver disease, is a histopathologically defined condition with a variety of clinical symptoms and complications, some of which are associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. Cirrhosis is predicted to affect 100 (range 25-400) per 100,000 people worldwide, with a male-to-female ratio of one. Patients with ethanol-related cirrhosis have a 5-year death rate ranging from 60-85%. One of the leading causes of cirrhosis is alcoholism. However, it can also be caused by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), autoimmune disorders, and viral hepatitis. The decompensated chronic liver disease carries a 9.7 times greater chance of mortality. Cirrhosis is a histologic diagnosis, but a combination of clinical, laboratory, and imaging characteristics can help confirm a cirrhosis diagnosis. For evaluating liver cirrhosis, a liver biopsy continues to be the gold standard. A non-invasive approach to assessing liver cirrhosis is transient elastography (FibroScan). Patients with severe cirrhosis may experience several significant sequelae that complicate their clinical path. These include portal hypertension and related side effects, such as gastroesophageal varices, splenomegaly, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatorenal syndrome, hepatopulmonary syndrome, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In decompensated chronic liver disease, treatment focuses on underlying liver disease, dietary changes, and long-term medical management to control underlying problems. For patients who do not react to other medications, liver transplantation can be an effective long-term therapy option.

The mediating impact of occupational stress on leadership style and job performance

The aim of this study is to evaluate the intervening effect of occupational stress on leadership style and job performance. Using a proportionate stratified random sampling, questionnaire survey was employed and distributed to the employees of utility industries in Malaysia and a total of 175 employees participated. The regression results showed that: (1) it is partially supported for a significant association between leadership style and job performance, (2) it is partially supported for a significant association between leadership style and occupational stress. Contrary to expectation, there have no intervening effect of occupational stress on the association between leadership style and job performance. One probable explanation could be that the occupational stress level itself was found low among respondents. Respondents highlighted they have the work-related stress but perhaps due to most of them are healthy, educated, lack in working experience, or due to they are yuppies, (that is indicating they are in young age, ambitious, and hunger for challenging tasks), they did not perceive the stress as the actual stress as felt by the other group of age.Thus, the result suggested that occupational stress as an intervening role among the yuppies group is not a relevant issue in discussing job performance. In future study, other factors should be considered to increase about the explanation on job performance

High coverage of long-term follow-up of patients with spinal tuberculosis

A total of303 patients treated for spinal tuberculosis were systematically followed up for a period of 8 years. There were a total of 2243 attendances due during the period; the patients attended on the due date on 70.9% of these occasions, and after defaulter actions on 27.7% occasions. The coverage of 98.6% for an 5-year follow-up was obtained even though on 50% of these occasions, patients attended from a suburban area or from outside the city. An average of 13 visits per default were made and 0.9 letters were posted to retrieve those who did not attend on the due date. Thus, the high coverage obtained can be attributed to effective motivation of the patients by theclinic staff and intensive defaulter actions

Green nanotechnology from cumin phytochemicals : generation of biocompatible gold nanoparticles

Published in final edited form as: Int J Green Nanotechnol Biomed. 2009 January 1; 1(1): B39-B52. doi:10.1080/19430850902931599.The powerful antioxidant characteristics of various phytochernicals within cumin prompted us to test their efficacy in reducing sodium tetrachloroaurate to corresponding gold nanoparticles. We, herein, report an unprecedented synthetic route that involves the production of well-defined spherical gold nanoparticles by simple mixing of cumin to an aqueous solution of sodium tetrachloro aurate. Production of gold nanoparticles in this cumin-mediated Green Nanotechnological process is achieved under biologically benign conditions. The gold nanoparticles generated through cumin-mediated process did not aggregate suggesting that the cocktail of phytochemicals including proteins serve as excellent coatings on nanoparticles and thus, provide robust shielding from aggregations. In addition, the phytochemical coatings on nanoparticles have rendered nontoxic features to these 'Green Gold Nanoparticles' as demonstrated through detailed MTT assays performed on 'normal fibroblast cells. Results of our studies presenting a new 'Nano-Naturo' connection for the production and utility of gold nanoparticles for potential applications in nanomedicine and nanotechnology are discussed in this paper.This work has been supported by the generous support from the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute under the Cancer Nanotechnology Platform program (grant number: 5R01CA119412-01), NIH - 1R21CA128460-01 and University of Missouri-Research Board - Program C8761 RB 06-030