Three different methods to measure the oxidative respiratory burst of neutrophils were performed. Of the three, the chemiluminescence technique was observed to be the most sensitive among them. The strong statistical correlation and an acceptable agreement between chemiluminescence with that of the killing assay provides evidence for using the chemiluminescence assay as an alternative method of detecting gross defects of neutrophil respiratory burst killing assays.
Variable parameters in chemiluminescence assay, one of the methods used to assess the functional capacity of neutrophils, were evaluated for suitable adaptation locally. The use of pooled normal human serum as compared to single normal human serum in opsonizing particles for phagocytosis was found to exhibit lower chemiluminescence activity (reduction range of 30%-50%). A similar degree of depression was observed when the particles were opsonized using normal human serum in comparison to that using autologous serum. Different intensity of chemiluminescence was also noted when the opsonized particle used was the Oxford strain of Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 6571) in contrast to a strain of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a patient. The results obtained warrant clinicians to deliver appropriate samples as best they can when the chemiluminescence assay is requested.
Local strains acting across an area of skin loaded uniaxially in vivo are converted to stresses using the standard elastic formulae. The stress values are compared to those obtained using the classical Bossinesq and Michell stress functions. The results indicate that these functions are capable of describing the response of the skin, both in the low load and the high load regions.
This study examines the possibility that estimation of the effect of breast-feeding on infant survival is affected by selection bias, in that children who are healthier at birth may be more likely to be breast-fed. Data are from the 1976 Malaysian Family Life Survey. "Ordinary logit models for breast-feeding and survival are estimated, and the results suggest that selection is indeed present. For example, children of higher birth weight appear to be more likely to be breast-fed and likely to survive. In addition, weight at birth and the duration of breast-feeding appear to be linked." Using birth weight as an indicator for the child's health, the authors conclude that "the direct influence of breast-feeding on survival remains of overwhelming importance even after corrections for selection bias are made."
Facial nerve schwannomas are rare benign tumors. The tumor can arise anywhere along the course of the facial nerve. The most common presentation for this tumor is a slowly progressive facial nerve paralysis. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and tinnitus are later symptoms. The symptoms and signs depend on the site of tumor along the nerve. We report three cases of facial nerve schwannomas with different clinical presentations. Appropriate management of a facial nerve schwannoma should be based on the site and extent of the tumor and status of the nerve function.
Acute ischaemic stroke is a debilitating disease and may lead to haemorrhagic transformation associated with few factors such as high National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), low Modified Rankin Score (MRS), cardio-embolic clot and others.1 We report herein a 61 years old man whom presented with left sided weakness and diagnosed with acute right middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. Thrombolytic therapy was not offered due to low Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (ASPECT) score and hence managed conservatively. However, within 24 hours, his Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) reduced by 4 points and urgent Computed Tomography (CT) brain confirmed haemorrhagic transformation with midline shift. He underwent emergency surgical decompression and subsequently had prolonged hospital stay complicated by ventilated acquired pneumonia. He recovered after a course of antibiotic and discharged to a nursing home with MRS of 5.
Scrotal circumference (SC) and body weight (BW) measurements were obtained from 122 crossbred (SaanenxLoca; JumnaparixLocal) bucks, ranging in age from 3 to 28 months. Spermatogenesis and semeniferous tubule diameters were studied from testicular biopsies in 24 bucks. The results showed that SC increased curvilinearly and was significantly correlated with age (P<0.05). Scrotal circumference correlated more significantly with BW (P<0.001). Spermatogenesis was completed at 6-7 months with a sudden increase in tubular diameter at the same time. Since SC is an indirect measurement of testicular size, a marked increase in testicular size indicated the onset of active spermatogenesis and, hence, the possibility of using bucks for breeding at an earlier age than normally recommended. Further, SC norms obtained in this study may become useful in the evaluation of bucks for breeding soundness.
Forty Droughtmaster bulls were evaluated for breeding soundness, using the method of examination and criteria for classifying bulls of the Society for Theriogenelogy. Eighty three percent of the bulls were classified as satisfactory, 14 percent as questionable and 3 percent as unsatisfactory breeders. Scrotal circumference for 2 to 8-year-old bulls were smaller in questionable and unsatisfactory bulls, as compared to satisfactory bulls. For bulls rated as satisfactory breeders, the scrotal circumference of 37 to 43 cms was higher than for other beef breeds. Three related bulls (2 questionable, 1 satisfactory) carried sperm defects classified as 'knobbed' (38 +/- 3%), 'Dag' (40 +/- 4%) and 'pseudo-droplets' (41 +/- 5%), which may adversely affect fertility.
The mechanism by which insulin causes vasodilatation remains unclear, so we explored this in aortic rings from normal Wistar Kyoto and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Insulin-induced relaxation of phenylephrine-contracted [endothelium (ED) intact or denuded] aortic rings was recorded in the presence or absence of various drug probes. Insulin relaxant effect was more in ED-intact than in-denuded tissues from normal or diabetic rats. l-NAME or methylene blue partially inhibited insulin effect in ED-intact but not the ED-denuded tissues, whereas indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor) had no effect on any of the tissues, indicating that insulin induces relaxation by ED-dependent and -independent mechanisms, the former via the NOS-cyclic guanosine monophosphate but not the cyclooxygenase pathway. The voltage-dependent K channel (KV) blocker (4-aminopyridine) inhibited insulin action in all the tissues (normal or diabetic, with or without ED), whereas the selective BKCa blocker, tetraethylammonium, inhibited it in normal (ED intact or denuded) but not in diabetic tissues, indicating that KV mediates insulin action in normal and diabetic tissues, whereas the BKCa mediates it only in normal tissues, with possible pathophysiologic absence in diabetic tissues. The inward rectifier K channel (Kir) blocker (barium chloride) significantly inhibited insulin effect only in ED-intact or -denuded diabetic tissues, whereas the KATP channel blocker, glibenclamide, inhibited it only in the ED-denuded diabetic tissues, suggesting that Kir channels mediate insulin-induced relaxation in ED-intact or -denuded diabetic tissues, whereas the KATP channel mediates it in ED-denuded diabetic tissues. All the agents combined did not abolish insulin action, suggestive of a direct vasodilatory effect. In conclusion, insulin causes vasodilatation in normal and diabetic tissues via ED-dependent and -independent mechanisms differentially modulated by K channels, some of which functions are altered in diabetes and thus are potential therapeutic targets.
We report a 39-year-old male with accidental findings of posterior mediastinum mass at right superior aspects, located at T2 with close proximity to trachea, superior vena cava, azygus vein, right subclavian artery and oesophagus. Apart from intermittent right shoulder pain, there was no other significant symptom. He opted for conservative management initially, given the benign nature and proximity to important structures. We postulated that robotic approach will be of advantage for this particular case which was successfully performed with uneventful recovery. This case illustrated the advantages of robotic-assisted surgery, compared to conventional VATS in otherwise potentially difficult case to undertake.
Neonatal death due to inborn error of metabolism (IEM) is rare in Malaysia. We report a sudden neonate death just a few hours after being discharged from the hospital. The deceased was a two-day-old baby boy and was asymptomatic until his demise. He was fed with expressed breast milk and formula milk. Autopsy revealed fatty changes of the liver and an enlarged heart. Laboratory investigation confirmed very long chain Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency which resulted in his death. Autopsy of sudden unexpected death in neonate should include investigation for inborn error of metabolism. Fatty liver and enlarged heart could give a clue for the diagnosis.
Steel sections are normally shaped via cold work manufacturing processes. The extent of cold work to shape the steel sections might induce residual stresses in the region of bending. Previously, researchers had performed studies on the influences of local buckling on the failure behavior of steel compression members which shown that failure will happen when most of the yielding has extended to the middle surface in the bend region of the sections. Therefore, these cold work methods may have major effect on the behavior of the steel section and also its load-bearing capability. In addition, another factor may play significant role in formed section's load-bearing capacity which is the longitudinal residual strain. The longitudinal residual strain raised during forming procedure can be used to define the section imperfection of the formed section and its relation to the existence of defects. Therefore, the main motivation of this research paper is to perform three-dimensional finite element (3D-FE) to investigate peak longitudinal residual strains of a thin-walled steel plate with large bending angle along member length. A 3D finite element simulation in ABAQUS has been employed to simulate this forming process. The study concluded that the longitudinal residual strain at the section corner edge was higher than those at the rest of the corner region. These strains at the edge were higher than the yield strain
(
ε
y
)
of the formed section which occurred due to the lack of transverse restraint. This made the plate edge tended to bend toward the normal direction when it was under a high transverse bending. This causes a significant difference in longitudinal strain at the plate edge.
Cellulose was extracted from sugar palm fibres (Arenga pinnata) by conducting delignification and mercerization treatments. Subsequently, sugar palm nanocrystalline celluloses (SPNCCs) were isolated from the extracted cellulose with 60wt% concentrated sulphuric acid. The chemical composition of sugar palm fibres were determined at different stages of treatment. Structural analysis was carried out by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Morphological analysis of extracted cellulose and isolated nanocrystalline cellulose (NCCs) was investigated by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal stability of sugar palm fibres at different stages of treatment was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that lignin and hemicellulose were removed from the extracted cellulose through the delignification and mercerization process, respectively. The isolated SPNCCs were found to have length and diameters of 130±30nm and 9±1.96nm, respectively.
The purpose of this paper is to calculate the specific absorption rate (SAR) reduction in a muscle cube with metamaterial attachment. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method has been used to evaluate the SAR in a realistic anatomically based model of the muscle cube. In this paper, we have designed the single-negative metamaterials from a periodic arrangement of split ring resonators (SRRs). By properly designing the structural parameter of the SRRs, the effective medium parameter can be tuned negative at the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands. Numerical results concerning the SAR values in the muscle cube in the presence of resonators exhibit significant SAR reduction. These results can provide useful information when designing safety-compliant mobile communication equipment.
A 21-year-old primigravida with previous history of pulmonary tuberculosis had a normal but assisted vaginal delivery after a prolonged second stage. Within 12 hours, she complained of dyspnoea and was found to have abnormal neck and anterior chest wall swelling. A diagnosis of subcutaneous emphysema was made and this was confirmed with the chest radiograph, which also revealed pneumomediastinum. She recovered well within four days with conservative treatment.
The heat-shock responses of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Hi- malaya) aleurone layers incubated with or without gibberellic acid (GA3) were compared. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that heat shock blocked the synthesis and secretion of secretory proteins from GA3-treated layers but not untreated layers. This suppression of secretory protein synthesis has been correlated with changes in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (F.C. Belanger, M. R. Brodl, T.-h.D. Ho [1986] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83: 1354-1358; L. Sticher, A.K. Biswas, D.S. Bush, R.L. Jones [1990] Plant Physiol 92: 506-513). Our secretion data suggested that the ER membranes of aleurone layers incubated without GA3 may be more heat shock tolerant. To investigate this, the lipid profiles of membrane extracts in aleurone layers labeled with [14C]glycerol were examined. Heat shock markedly increased [14C]glycerol incorporation into phosphatidylcholine (PC), and gas chromatography revealed an increase in the amount of saturated fatty acids associated with thin layer chromatography-purified PC in GA3-treated layers. In contrast, aleurone layers incubated without GA3 at normal temperature contained PC-associated fatty acids with a greater degree of saturation than GA3-treated layers. Heat shock modestly increased the degree of fatty acid saturation in untreated aleurone layers. This same trend was noted in fatty acids isolated from ER membranes purified by continuous sucrose density centrifugation. We propose that increased fatty acid saturation may help sustain ER membrane function in heat-shocked aleurone layers incubated in the absence of GA3.
This article presents three datasets related to the laboratory scale 3-axis filament winding machine. The winding experimental tests are described on the range of winding angle, winding accuracy of programmed G-codes, and linear and rotation speeds in raw data. The real-time winding angle measurement system is developed to monitor and measure the winding angle of filament-wound carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) tubes. Two winding patterns are provided as dry and wet winding processes. Moreover, an experimental test of a real-time winding angle measurement system is captured and analyzed. The i-winder app controls the winding machine through a Bluetooth module, which is programmed by MIT App Inventor. The data presented in this article can have a benchmark for developing a multi-axis filament winding machine. It is provided an inexpensive and open-source control system and is embedded in a real-time winding angle measurement system. The experimental assessment data can be found in this article [1]. The data is available in the cloud-based Mendeley Data repository [2].
The female gender reduces the risk, but succumbs more to cardiovascular disease. The hypothesis that short-term (8weeks) Streptozotocin-induced diabetes could produce greater female than male vascular tissue reactivity and the mechanistic basis were explored. Aortic ring responses to Phenylephrine were examined in age- and sex-matched normoglycaemic/diabetic rats. The normoglycaemic male tissue contracted significantly more than the normoglycaemic female and the male/female diabetic tissues. Endothelial-denudation, l-NAME or MB reversed these differences suggesting an EDNO-cGMP dependence. 17β-oestradiol exerted relaxant effect on all endothelium-denuded (and normoglycaemic endothelium-intact male) tissues, but not endothelium-intact normoglycaemic female. The greater male tissue contraction is attributable to absent 17β-oestradiol-modulated relaxation. Indomethacin blockade of COX attenuated male normoglycaemic and female diabetic tissue contraction (both reversed by l-NAME), but augmented diabetic male tissue contraction. These data are consistent with the raised contractile TXA(2) and PGE(2) in normoglycaemic male and diabetic female tissues, and the relaxant PGI(2) in diabetic male (and female). The higher levels of PGI(2) in the normoglycaemic and diabetic female perhaps explain their greater relaxant response to Acetylcholine compared to the respective male. In conclusion, there is an endothelium-dependent gender difference in the effect of short term diabetes on vascular tissue reactivity which is COX mediated.
Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) contributes in the regulation of vascular tone, especially in pathological states. The role of H(2)O(2) and superoxide anion free radicals in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced contraction of diabetic tissues was examined with the aim of elucidating the underlying mechanisms. Isometric tension in response to various drug treatments was measured in isolated superior mesenteric arteries of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic WKY rats using the Mulvany wire myograph. Compared to the normal (euglycaemic) arteries, the Ang II-induced contraction was significantly reduced in diabetic arteries. Superoxide dismutase (SOD; converts superoxide to H(2)O(2)) significantly reduced the contraction in both types of arteries -- an effect abolished by catalase (H(2)O(2) scavenger), suggesting that the SOD effect was mediated by H(2)O(2). Treatment with catalase had no effect on the Ang II contraction in euglycaemic arteries, but it raised the contraction in diabetic arteries to euglycaemic levels. This increase was similar to that observed with diabetic arteries incubated with L-NAME. Combined catalase and L-NAME treatment further enhanced the contraction in diabetic arteries, suggesting that the catalase effect was not mediated by nitric oxide (NO). The catalase effect was abolished by indomethacin treatment. These results suggest that attenuation of Ang II-induced contraction in diabetic tissues is modulated by endogenous H(2)O(2), the scavenging of which unmasks an indomethacin-sensitive (and therefore cyclooxygenase product-mediated) Ang II-induced contraction.
Aim. Validation of the Malay version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
Methods. A validation study was done involving 52 mothers who were at 4-12 weeks post-delivery. The women completed the Malay versions of EPDS and the 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). They were then assessed with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS). Psychiatric diagnoses were made based on ICD-10 criteria. The validity of EPDS was tested against this clinical diagnosis and the concurrent validity against the Malay version of 30-item GHQ and HDRS scores was also evaluated.
Results. The best cut-off score of the Malay version of EPDS was 11.5 with the sensitivity of 72.7% and specificity of 92.6 %.
Conclusion. The Malay version of EPDS is a valid and reliable screening tool for PND.