Comparison of Customized Cutting Block and Conventional Cutting Instrument in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Customized cutting block (CCB) was designed to ensure the accurate alignment of knee prostheses during total knee arthroplasty. Given the paucity of CCB efficacy data, we compare CCB with conventional cutting guide using a randomized controlled trial.

A Training Program for Pharmacy Students on Providing Diabetes Care

Objective. To compare second- and third-year pharmacy students’ competence, attitudes, and self-confidence in providing diabetes care before and after completing a hand-on diabetes training program and to determine if the program had an impact on students’ attitude and self-confidence based on their year in the curriculum.Design. The program included classroom lectures and hands-on learning sessions in 5 facets of diabetes care. Pre- and post-test instruments measured students’ competence, attitudes, and confidence in diabetes care.Assessment. Students’ competence and the mean overall confidence score significantly improved after completing the program, while mean overall attitude score did not. Third-year students had significantly higher confidence scores than did second-year students on both pre- and post-program tests. No significant difference was found for attitude scores between second- and third-year students.Conclusion. The hands-on learning program was an effective approach to training pharmacy students in diabetes care, improving both their competence and confidence.     

Composition and Acute Inflammatory Response from Tetraponera rufonigra Venom on RAW 264.7 Macrophage Cells

Tetraponera rufonigra (Arboreal Bicoloured Ant) venom induces pain, inflammation, and anaphylaxis in people and has an increased incident in Southeast Asia regions. The bioactive components and mechanism of action of the ant venom are still limited. The aim of this research was to identify the protein composition and inflammatory process of the ant venom by using RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The major venom proteins are composed of 5’ nucleotidase, prolyl endopeptidase-like, aminopeptidase N, trypsin-3, venom protein, and phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂). The venom showed PLA₂ activity and represented 0.46 μg of PLA₂ bee venom equivalent/μg crude venom protein. The venom induced cytotoxic in a dose- and time-dependent manner with IC₂₀ approximately at 4.01 µg/mL. The increased levels of COX-2 and PGE₂ were observed after 1 h of treatment correlating with an upregulation of COX-2 expression. Moreover, the level of mPGES-1 expression was obviously increased after 12 h of venom induction. Hence, our results suggested that the induction of COX-2/mPGEs-1 pathway could be a direct pathway for the ant venom-induced inflammation.     

Effectiveness of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine among community-dwelling older adults in Thailand: A two-year prospective cohort study

Background

We conducted a two-year prospective cohort study to measure the effectiveness of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3) to prevent laboratory-confirmed influenza among community-dwelling Thai adults aged ≥65?years during 2015–16 and 2016–17 influenza seasons.

Chromosome 17: gene mapping studies of cleft lip with or without cleft palate in Chinese families.

OBJECTIVE: Involvement of loci on chromosome 17, including retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) in nonsyndromic oral clefts has been reported in Caucasian populations, although never investigated in Asian populations. The purpose of the present study was to investigate several loci on chromosome 17, including RARA, in Chinese families. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six multiplex families (310 individuals), ascertained through nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate surgical probands from hospitals in Shanghai, China, participated in the present study. There were 23 families whose probands had cleft lip and cleft palate (CLP) and 13 with cleft lip alone (CL). RESULTS: Seventeen markers, spanning chromosome 17 and about 10 cM apart were assessed. Logarithm of odds ratio (LOD) scores (two point and multipoint), model-free linkage analyses, and allelic association tests (transmission/disequilibrium, Fisher's exact tests, and chi-square) were performed on the total family sample, families with CLP probands (CLP subgroup), and families with CL probands (CL subgroup). LOD scores from the two-point analyses were inconclusive. Multipoint analyses rejected linkage except for a few regions in the CL subgroup. However, positive results were found using the model-free linkage and association methods (p < .05). The markers with positive results varied across the CL and CLP subgroups. However, the RARA region and loci nearby yielded consistently positive results. CONCLUSION: Genetic variation within the RARA locus or nearby appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of nonsyndromic oral clefts in this population. Furthermore, based on the differing pattern of results in the CL versus CLP subgroups, it appears that the formation of CL and CLP is because of either differing alleles at the same genetic locus or different but related (and/or linked) genes that modify the severity and expression of oral clefting.     

Thai patients who fulfilled NCCN criteria for breast/ovarian cancer genetic assessment demonstrated high prevalence of germline mutations in cancer susceptibility genes: implication to Asian population testing

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment - Metastatic pattern (MP) is a prognostic factor in women with breast cancer. However, the prognostic significance of MP in male breast cancer patients remains...