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Additive Manufacturing (AM) encompasses various techniques creating intricate components from digital models. The aim of incorporating 3D printing (3DP) in the healthcare sector is to transform patient care by providing personalized solutions, improving medical procedures, fostering research and development, and ultimately optimizing the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. This review delves into the historical beginnings of AM's 9 integration into medical contexts exploring various categories of AM methodologies and their roles within the medical sector. This survey also dives into the issue of material requirements and challenges specific to AM's medical applications. Emphasis is placed on how AM processes directly enhance human well-being. The primary focus of this paper is to highlight the evolution and incentives for cross-disciplinary AM applications, particularly in the realm of healthcare by considering their principle, materials and applications. It is designed for a diverse audience, including manufacturing professionals and researchers, seeking insights into this transformative technology's medical dimensions., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The paper describes the synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HAp) and strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite (SrHAp) from sand lobster shells by a hydrothermal method. The HAp and SrHAp were incorporated into the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofiber scaffold through the eletrospinning method. The scaffolds were incorporated with 5wt% of hydroxyapatite (HAp), 5wt%, 10wt%, and 15% of SrHAp. The physicochemical, mechanical, and in vitro biological properties of the scaffold were evaluated. The incorporation of HAp or SrHAp was evidenced by the diffraction patterns and the phosphate functional groups related to HAp. The morphological results showed the decrement of fiber diameter in line with the increased SrHAp concentration. A tensile test was conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of the scaffolds, and the results showed that the scaffolds perform poorly at a higher SrHAp concentration because of exceeding agglomeration levels. The PVA/SrHAp15 performed the best antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus with an inhibition zone of (15.2 ± 0.2) and (14.5 ± 0.8), respectively. The apatite formation was more abundant in PVA/SrHAp10 after immersion in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Cell viability results showed that the scaffold enabled the osteoblast cells to grow and proliferate. The biocompatibility of HAp and SrHAp resulted in the enhancement of cell adhesion. Based on all tests, the PVA/SrHAp 10 scaffold shows a strong candidate for further in vivo studies., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

Water saving in rice cultivation has assumed paramount importance, especially in the context of climate change. The introduction of sheet-pipe technology in Indonesia heralded as an innovative subsurface irrigation and drainage system, is poised to revolutionize how to manage this vital resource. Our study was designed with two primary objectives: first, to investigate how rice plants respond when water levels are deliberately reduced using the sheet-pipe technology; and second, to comprehensively analyze water productivity and water use efficiency in comparison to conventional flooded rice cultivation systems. We conducted two distinct experiments: one employing sheet-pipe subsurface irrigation (SSI) and the other utilizing conventional flooded irrigation (CFI). In the SSI setup, the water level was maintained at a depth of 5-10 cm below the soil surface 20 days after transplanting to harvesting. With this setting, the soil moisture was maintained at around 85-95 degrees of saturation. On the other hand, the CFI approach involved water flowing directly over the soil surface, with the water level consistently maintained at a mere 2-3 cm above it. Interestingly, while the SSI method did lead to a reduction in yield, it has significant benefits. Our results showed that a reduction in yield was observed for the SSI 15.5-18.6 % lower compared to the conventional method (CFI). However, the SSI is environmentally benefit compared to the conventional method by reducing 37.5-50.5 % in water irrigation, increasing water use efficiency (WUE) up to 70.8 %, and improving 3.2-10.4 % in water productivity. Our findings reveal that optimizing water conservation may have a disadvantageous effect on rice yield, indicating the importance of optimal water level. Future research to find the optimal water level that balances yield production and environment is required, especially to adapt to dry and warming climate change in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Chusnul Arif reports financial support was provided by Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Republic of Indonesia. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Physical properties of peat are widely applied to detect the quality of peatland ecosystem. A comprehensive dataset on the peat properties is the foundation for the development tool and model of peat ecosystem, especially in region with frequent wildfire. Here we established a tabular dataset for physical properties of lowland tropical peatland in Indonesia. The data were obtained in dry season 2019 and 2023, respectively, at Jambi and Central Kalimantan peatlands. The dataset comprises of 66 peat samples from two land-uses namely secondary forest and ex-burned lowly vegetation. The physical properties are bulk density, porosity, water retention at four pressures (-1, -10, -25, and -1500 kPa), and water holding capacity. In addition, a set parameter of van Genuchten for water retention curve is available. The field-observed dataset provides a solid base for a better understanding of physical peat properties and can be used as a first step to develop peat water retention database in lowland tropical peatlands., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could be perceived to have influenced the work reported in this article., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially among those with undernutrition. Evaluating risk factors associated with undernutrition is important to improve clinical outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the outcome and factors associated with undernutrition among children with CHD., Material and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted among children with CHD at Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia during February 2016 to June 2018. Clinical and demographic data were collected at the time of diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with undernutrition using odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Significance was set as p<0.05., Results: We recruited 1,149 children with CHD, of those, 563 (49%) were underweight, 549 (47.8%) were stunting, and 361 (31.4%) were wasting. In the multivariate analysis, cyanotic CHD, delayed diagnosis, congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, syndrome, young maternal age, history of low birth weight, and being first child were independently associated with undernutrition. Underweight and stunting were significantly associated with increased mortality with OR of 3.54 (95% CI: 1.62-7.74), p<0.001 and OR 3.31 (95% CI: 1.65-6.64), p<0.001, respectively., Conclusions: About half of the children with CHD were categorized with undernutrition. An increased risk of undernutrition was associated with cyanotic CHD, delayed diagnosis, congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, syndrome, low birth weight, and being first child. Underweight and stunting were significantly associated with increased risk of death., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Murni et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Peatland is a unique ecosystem that is key in regulating global carbon cycle, climate, hydrology, and biodiversity. Peat moisture content is a key variable in ecohydrological and biogeochemical cycles known to control peatland's greenhouse gas emissions and fire vulnerability. Peat moisture is also an indicator of the success of peat restoration projects. Here we present datasets of peat moisture dynamic and retention capacity of degraded tropical peatlands. The data were collected from automatic daily monitoring and field campaigns. The peat moisture content data consists of daily data from 21 stations across three peatland provinces in Sumatra Island, Indonesia, from 2018 to 2019. In addition, peat water retention data were collected from field campaigns in Riau province. This dataset represents human modified peatlands which can be used as a benchmark for hydrological and biogeochemical models., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Treatment of ammonia- and nitrate-rich wastewater, such as that generated in the aquaculture industry, is important to prevent environmental pollution. The anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process has been reported as a great alternative in reducing ammoniacal nitrogen concentration in aquaculture wastewater treatment compared to conventional treatment systems. This paper will highlight the impact of the anammox process on aquaculture wastewater, particularly in the regulation of ammonia and nitrogen compounds. The state of the art for anammox treatment systems is discussed in comparison to other available treatment methods. While the anammox process is viable for the treatment of aquaculture wastewater, the efficiency of nitrogen removal could be further improved through the proper use of anammox bacteria, operating conditions, and microbial diversity. In conclusion, a new model of the anammox process is proposed in this review.

Purpose: We have conducted for the first time a Malaysian postal dosimetry audit of external beam under non-reference conditions by evaluating the output performance while screening for systematic errors within the dosimetry chain. The potential use from the choice of detector were investigated along with the search for other sources of discrepancies., Methods: Ten radiotherapy centres were audited, encompassing 16 megavoltage photon beam arrangements, adopting the IAEA postal dosimetry protocol for non-reference conditions, with a holder modified to accommodate three TLD types: Ge-doped cylindrical silica fibres (CF), Ge-doped flat silica fibres (FF), and TLD-100 powder., Results: Eight of the centres operated within ± 5% of stated dose, one other exceeding tolerance for all measured points, and one did not return any dosimeters for analysis after failing the initial irradiations. Post remedial measures, the mean relative response for CF, FF, and TLD-100 was 1.00, 0.99, and 0.98 respectively, with associated coefficients of variation 6.87%, 6.45%, and 5.06%., Conclusion: High quality radiotherapy clinical practice postal dosimetry audits that are based on sensitive TLDs are seen to be particularly effective in identifying and resolving dose delivery discrepancies., (Copyright © 2022 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica e Sanitaria. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) manifests in a broad clinical spectrum. COVID-19 survivors report various symptoms up to several months after being infected. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of persistent COVID-19 syndrome in Indonesia, the factors that influence the incidence, and the quality of life., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with an online questionnaire conducted in January 2021. Inclusion criteria were: adult Indonesian citizens who had recovered from COVID-19, and were confirmed negative by RT-PCR of nasal swabs or had undergone an isolation period for a minimum of 14 days. Data analysis was performed by the Chi-square test, followed by multivariate analysis with the backward likelihood ratio method., Results: From a total of 385 respondents, 256 (66.5%) experienced persistent COVID-19 syndrome. The most prevalent symptoms were fatigue (29.4%), cough (15.5%), and muscle pain (11.2%). Of the five aspects of quality of life, the most commonly reported aspects were pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. The risk of persistent COVID-19 syndrome was significantly higher in subjects with older age, comorbidities, higher clinical severity, previous treatment in hospital, presence of pneumonia, and those who had required oxygen therapy. In the multivariate analysis, the most influential factor for the incidence of persistent COVID-19 syndrome was pneumonia (aOR 2.31, 95% CI 1.29-4.11, p<0.002)., Conclusions: The prevalence of the persistent COVID-19 syndrome in Indonesia was high, which affects the quality of life of COVID-19 survivors. Pneumonia was the main factor that influenced the incidence of persistent COVID-19 syndrome. Further research with a larger sample size and a longer study time is recommended to control COVID-19 and its impact on the health and quality of life of COVID-19 survivors., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: All authors – none to declare., (GERMS.)

This study aims to determine the one-step synthesis of lead zirconate titanate (PbZr (1-x) Ti x O 3 ; PZT) particles, using a solid-state reaction method. These particles were synthesized at x of 0.48, using a solid-state reaction (SSR) method at various operating temperatures of 700-1000 °C. Before the reaction in a muffle furnace, the precursor powder was shaker milled for 2 h. The structural analysis of the diffraction patterns showed the formation of the PZT perovskite particles. It also showed the evolution from the tetragonal phase (at 800 and 900 °C) to the coexistence of tetragonal and rhombohedral stages in samples synthesized at 1000 °C. Furthermore, the crystallite particle size synthesized and commercialized at 1000 °C were 36.00 and 47.98 nm, respectively. These showed the formation of monodispersed size distribution, with an average of approximately 4.7 μm. Therefore, the PZT particles were successfully synthesized through a one-step synthesis, using the SSR method with a pre-mixed shaker milling., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Tropical peatlands are among the most carbon-dense ecosystems on Earth, and their water storage dynamics strongly control these carbon stocks. The hydrological functioning of tropical peatlands differs from that of northern peatlands, which has not yet been accounted for in global land surface models (LSMs). Here, we integrated tropical peat-specific hydrology modules into a global LSM for the first time, by utilizing the peatland-specific model structure adaptation (PEATCLSM) of the NASA Catchment Land Surface Model (CLSM). We developed literature-based parameter sets for natural (PEATCLSM Trop,Nat ) and drained (PEATCLSM Trop,Drain ) tropical peatlands. Simulations with PEATCLSM Trop,Nat were compared against those with the default CLSM version and the northern version of PEATCLSM (PEATCLSM North,Nat ) with tropical vegetation input. All simulations were forced with global meteorological reanalysis input data for the major tropical peatland regions in Central and South America, the Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia. The evaluation against a unique and extensive data set of in situ water level and eddy covariance-derived evapotranspiration showed an overall improvement in bias and correlation compared to the default CLSM version. Over Southeast Asia, an additional simulation with PEATCLSM Trop,Drain was run to address the large fraction of drained tropical peatlands in this region. PEATCLSM Trop,Drain outperformed CLSM, PEATCLSM North,Nat , and PEATCLSM Trop,Nat over drained sites. Despite the overall improvements of PEATCLSM Trop,Nat over CLSM, there are strong differences in performance between the three study regions. We attribute these performance differences to regional differences in accuracy of meteorological forcing data, and differences in peatland hydrologic response that are not yet captured by our model., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Geophysical Union.)

This article describes daily groundwater depth data of peatlands in Indonesia. The data were recorded from eight in-situ stations spread over two peatland regions in Indonesia, namely Batanghari and Kubu Raya in Sumatra and Kalimantan. This article also presents experimental data describing soil water retention in the region. Water retention of peats determines the groundwater table's contribution to rewetting the soil surface. The datasets represent peatlands utilized for agriculture. Furthermore, the groundwater table of peatlands is a key variable controlling peat fire vulnerability, as described in the research article entitled 'An improved drought-fire assessment for managing fire risks in tropical peatlands' Taufik et al. (2022) and assessing the success of peat restoration projects. The groundwater datasets can be used as a benchmark for studies on modeling of hydrology and peat fire mitigation action., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

&lt;b&gt;Background and Objectives:&lt;/b&gt; Blue swimming crab, &lt;i&gt;Portunus pelagicus&lt;/i&gt; (Linnaeus, 1758) are economically important sources of soft-shell products for export demand. However, increasing over-exploitation and pollution towards the sea resources affected the production of the &lt;i&gt;P. pelagicus&lt;/i&gt;. The study aimed to determine the microalgal preference and feeding density of the monospecific (&lt;i&gt;Nannochloropsis oculata&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Chlorella vulgaris&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Isochrysis galbana&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Chaetoceros wighamii &lt;/i&gt;) by individual &lt;i&gt;P. pelagicus &lt;/i&gt;larvae. &lt;b&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; In the microalgal preference study, one polystyrene tray with 100 holes was set up in the experimental tank (200 L) to place the 50 mL centrifuges tube. For feeding density study, the survival rate, Specific Growth Rate (SGR), Body Weight (BW) and Larvae Stage Index (LSI) of each larvae stage were collected from Zoea 1 (Z&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;) till megalopa. &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; Results for mean microalgal preference of individual larvae preferred most &lt;i&gt;Chlorella vulgaris&lt;/i&gt; during Zoea 1 and 2, the larvae consumed the highest of &lt;i&gt;Nannochloropsis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;i&gt;oculata&lt;/i&gt;. For Zoea 3 and 4, the highest preference is &lt;i&gt;Isochrysis galbana&lt;/i&gt;. For feeding regime, Zoea 1, larvae fed rotifer, &lt;i&gt;Artemia&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Chlorella vulgaris&lt;/i&gt; (T&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;), was the highest survival rate, Zoea 2 was larvae fed rotifer, &lt;i&gt;Artemia&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Nannochloropsis oculata&lt;/i&gt; (T&lt;sub&gt;5&lt;/sub&gt;) and both Zoea 3 and Zoea 4, larvae fed rotifer, &lt;i&gt;Artemia&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Isochrysis galbana&lt;/i&gt; (T&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;) was the highest survival rate. The highest SGR and LSI were obtained in T&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; cultured in 14 days. &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; In conclusion, the microalgal preference and feeding density of the selected microalgae are different depending on each larvae stage.

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in those with severe RHD or progression of valvular disease (VD). Evaluation of the factors that predict valvular progression is important in order to improve clinical outcome., Aim: To evaluate outcome and clinical predictors of valvular progression in children with newly diagnosed RHD., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in children with newly diagnosed RHD at Dr Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia during 2013-2020. Clinical and echocardiography data at the time of diagnosis were collected and patients were followed up for 1 year. Echocardiography evaluations were undertaken to determine the progression of VD. Independent predictors of valvular progression were identified by Cox regression analysis., Results: A total of 77 patients were recruited, 36 (46.7%) of whom were male, and the median age (range) was 12.3 years (5.9-17.8). Thirty-three (42.8%) had progression of VD in the year after diagnosis. By multivariable analysis, an age at diagnosis of >10 years and high C-reactive protein (CRP) were independently associated with an increased risk of valvular progression with an adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) of 3.23 (1.09-9.60) and 3.69 (1.45-9.67), respectively., Conclusion: After only 1 year of follow-up, approximately four in 10 children with newly diagnosed RHD developed progression of VD. An increased risk of valvular progression was associated with being over 10 years of age and a high level of CRP.

&lt;b&gt;Background and Objective:&lt;/b&gt; The rate of population growth is not balanced with the rate of increase in national rice production. The attention of the government and researchers in Southeast Sulawesi on upland rice is still very low, even though the potential for increased upland rice production is quite promising. The research aimed to study the influence of KCl fertilizer and &lt;i&gt;Trichoderma &lt;/i&gt;spp. on the growth and yield of upland rice. &lt;b&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; The study was conducted in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) consisting of 6 treatments i.e.: without KCl fertilizer and &lt;i&gt;T. asperellum&lt;/i&gt; (K&lt;sub&gt;0&lt;/sub&gt;), KCl 0.15 g/polybag+&lt;i&gt;T. asperellum &lt;/i&gt;50 g/polybag (K&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;), KCl 0.30 g/polybag+&lt;i&gt; T. asperellum &lt;/i&gt;40 g/polybag (K&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;), KCl 0.45 g/polybag+&lt;i&gt;T. asperellum &lt;/i&gt;30 g/polybag (K&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;), KCl 0.60 g/polybag+&lt;i&gt;T. asperellum &lt;/i&gt;20 g/polybag (K&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;) and KCl 0.75 g/polybag+&lt;i&gt;T. asperellum &lt;/i&gt;10 g/polybag (K&lt;sub&gt;5&lt;/sub&gt;) with 4 replication for each treatment. The data obtained were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and conducted further tests with the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at a 95% confidence level. &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; The results of the research revealed KCl fertilizer combination with &lt;i&gt;T. asperellum&lt;/i&gt; in general, can increase the growth and yield of upland local aromatic red rice. Application of KCl fertilizers as 0.45 g/polybag equivalent to 90 kg ha&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; (K&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;) can provide optimal potassium nutrients for vegetative growth of upland rice. &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; The treatment of KCl fertilizer as 0.45 g/polybag with &lt;i&gt;T. asperellum &lt;/i&gt;30 g/polybag (K&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;) provides growth and yield of upland rice with an average production of4.95 t ha&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;.

&lt;b&gt;Background and Objective:&lt;/b&gt; Maize cultivation technology package development is a solution in increasing maize production, especially prolific maize. However, technology package evaluation has to be evaluated with interaction towards crop genetics. The purpose of this research is to discover the interaction between maize variety towards cultivation technology (plant fertilization and spacing) and to find information about secondary production characters in cultivation technique optimization. &lt;b&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; This research used a split-split-plot design. The main plot was planting system (S) consisted of three planting systems. Sub Plot (SP) was fertilizing plans ha&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; (P) consisted of four plans. Whereas Sub-Sub Plot (SSP) were (V): NASA 29 (V&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;), Bisi 2 (V&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) and Sinha's 1 (V&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;). There were 15 characters observed. &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; The results prolific potential is very dynamic which is determined by genetic potential, cultivation technology and genetic-cultivation technology interactions. The increase in the prolific potential will have a direct effect on increasing maize productivity. In general, the use of legowo lines and Eco-farming (biofertilizer) can increase prolific potential and productivity. &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; According to this research, the prolific potential is highly dynamic which is determined by genetic potential, cultivation technology and genetic-cultivation interaction. Technology considered in increasing maize productivity is Legowo plant spacing (50+100)×20 cm combined with N:P:K = 200:100:50+KNO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; 25 kg ha&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;+Eco farming 5 cc L&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. This technique combination is recommended in maize productivity increase.

Nutritional quality of the hepatopancreas and gonads of orange portunid mud crab, Scylla olivacea was evaluated for each gender under four treatment of different water velocities (0, 20, 40 and 60 cm s -1 ), in terms of nutrient reserve and nutrient for reproduction. About 56 crabs were used in this study in which fatty acids composition was analysed using gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS). For hepatopancreas analysis, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) were present in the highest fatty acids concentration, followed by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and, saturated fatty acids (SFAs). However, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) were displayed in low concentration in the hepatopancreas. Total fatty acid (TFAs) composition was significantly higher at moderate velocity of 20 cm s -1 compared to other water velocity treatments. For gonad analysis, 20 cm s -1 showed the highest TFA concentration of 93.34 mg g -1 while, the lowest concentration of 3.90 mg g -1 occurred at 0 cm s -1 . There were significant differences in male and female crab's fatty acids contents of gonads at all flow velocities challenged ( p < 0.05). PUFAs and MUFAs were dominant while, SFAs were observed at low concentration. This study revealed that, concentration of PUFAs increased as gonad maturation increased. The decreasing concentration of hepatopancreas fatty acids over the culture period indicated that nutrient was shifted from the hepatopancreas, to be used as energy reserved to gonads for further growth of eggs and offspring. The linkages between water flow strength, hepatopancreas, and gonad fatty acids concentrations, is fundamental knowledge useful in establishing efficient habitat velocities selection which will improve aquaculture production of mud crabs with high quality broodstock., (© Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2020.)

Background: Transmission of infection between patients by health workers, and the irrational use of antibiotics are preventable causes for healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and multi-resistant organisms. A previous study implementing a hand hygiene campaign and antibiotic stewardship program significantly reduced these infections. Sustaining such interventions can be challenging., Aims: To evaluate whether there was a sustained effect of a multifaceted infection control and antibiotic stewardship program on HAI and antibiotic use 5 years after it began., Methods: A prospective evaluation study was conducted over 26 months (from February 2016 to April 2018) in a teaching hospital in Indonesia, 5 years after the implementation of an antibiotic stewardship and infection control program, which was successful when initially evaluated. All children admitted to the pediatric ICU and pediatric wards were observed daily. Assessment of HAI was made based on the criteria from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Assessment of rational antibiotic use was based on the WHO Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to quantify the relationship between the HAI and the multifaceted intervention., Results: We observed an increase in HAIs, from 8.6% (123/1419 patients) in the initial post-intervention period in 2011-2013 to 16.9% (314/1855) in the evaluation study (relative risk (RR) (95% CI) 1.95 (1.60 to 2.37)). After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that an increase in HAI in the evaluation period with adjusted OR 1.94 (95% CI 1.53 to 2.45). Inappropriate antibiotic use also increased, from 20.6% (182 of 882 patients who were prescribed antibiotics) to 48.6% (545/1855) (RR 2.35 (2.04 to 2.71)). Hand hygiene compliance also declined from 62.9% (1125/1789) observed moments requiring hand hygiene to 51% (1526/2993) (RR 3.33 (2.99 to 3.70))., Conclusions: Healthcare-associated infections and irrational use of antibiotics remain significant even after the implementation of a multifaceted infection control intervention and antibiotic stewardship program. There is a need for continuous input, ongoing surveillance and long-term monitoring of these interventions to sustain compliance and effectiveness and address problems as they emerge., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The present datasets were conducted to investigate glucose concentration in hemolymph, energy levels at selected body parts (hepatopancreas, muscle, gonad), and feces among different sexes of crabs cultured at four different water velocities (0, 20, 40, and 60 cm/s) during a 60-day culture period. A total of 102 immature crabs (51 males, and 51 females) were sampled from Kuala Muda, Kedah coastal water, Peninsular Malaysia (5°39'N 100°19'E) from April to November of 2018. Results indicated that glucose concentration was the highest at water velocity of 60 cm/s for both male and female crabs (♂: 3.76 ± 0.08 mmol/L; ♀: 3.63 ± 0.06 mmol/L), whereas at 0 cm/s, the lowest levels of glucose concentration (♂: 0.13 ± 0.08 mmol/L; ♀: 0.19 ± 0.06 mmol/L) were recorded. As for energy analysis in hepatopancreas, results showed that both male and female crabs recorded the highest levels at 0 cm/s (no flow) with 37.919 ± 0.07 KJ/g and 34.636 ± 0.50 KJ/g, respectively. Energy for locomotion (muscle) of male crabs recorded the highest at 0 cm/s (♂: 26.823 ± 0.06 KJ/g), meanwhile for females, the highest was recorded at 20 cm/s (26.607 ± 0.34 KJ/g). Energy for reproduction of males could not be compared due to an insufficient available amount of testes/vas deferens, whereas female crabs recorded the highest energy usage at 20 cm/s water velocity (♀: 37.895 ± 0.08 KJ/g). For feces, both male and female crabs recorded the lowest energy at 60 cm/s (♂: 5.841 ± 0.03 KJ/g; ♀: 5.393 ± 0.01 KJ/g). Glucose assessment showed a direct relationship between increased velocity and glucose secretion in hemolymph at high velocity of 60 cm/s (stress condition) compared to other treatments. Regarding energy analysis, this research improved the mechanism of hepatopancreas, gonad, muscle and feces functions in development and reproduction, while it shed light on the influence of velocity on energy metabolism of S. olivacea., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Vast areas of wetlands in Southeast Asia are undergoing a transformation process to human-modified ecosystems. Expansion of agricultural cropland and forest plantations changes the landscape of wetlands. Here we present observation-based modelling evidence of increased fire hazard due to canalization in tropical wetland ecosystems. Two wetland conditions were tested in South Sumatra, Indonesia, natural drainage and canal drainage, using a hydrological model and a drought-fire index (modified Keetch-Byram index). Our results show that canalization has amplified fire susceptibility by 4.5 times. Canal drainage triggers the fire season to start earlier than under natural wetland conditions, indicating that the canal water level regime is a key variable controlling fire hazard. Furthermore, the findings derived from the modelling experiment have practical relevance for public and private sectors, as well as for water managers and policy makers, who deal with canalization of tropical wetlands, and suggest that improved water management can reduce fire susceptibility.

The current study aims to determine the inhibition activity gelatin against dipeptidyl aminopeptidase 4 (DP-4). Two commercial gelatins, i.e., bovine and fish skin gelatin and one extracted (in our laboratory) gelatin, i.e., fish bone gelatin were selected for analysis. Each gelatin have same protein pattern (75-245 kDa) on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with mean of protein concentration of 1.72 mg/mL. The inhibition activity was measured on the capacity to inhibit DP-4 by using Gly-Pro-p-nitroanilide as their substrate. The sitagliptin was used as standard comparison. Based on the percent inhibition, gelatin has been shown to be the prospective DP-4 inhibitor.

Introduction: Intussusception in adults is increasingly diagnosed on cross-sectional imaging with a lack of clear recommendations on management. The presence of an underlying lead point is a key to guiding management as its absence can predict spontaneous resolution. We studied adult patients with computed tomography (CT) diagnosed intussusception formulate a clinical scoring system to predict the risk of an underlying lead point., Methodology: We performed a retrospective review of all adult patients who underwent CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis in our institution between 2001 and 2014. Independent associations of an underlying lead point were derived following multivariable analysis, from which a clinical scoring system was developed., Results: We studied 140 patients. In multivariable analysis, six factors were found to be independently associated with the presence of an underlying lead point, namely gender, abdominal pain, CT evidence of colonic involvement, CT evidence of a lead point, distal diameter ≥27 mm and minimum wall thickness ≥3 mm. A nine-point clinical scoring system was developed, with a cutoff score of four or higher yielding a sensitivity and specificity of 0.75 and 0.81, respectively., Conclusion: Our clinical scoring system provides a quantitative tool to predict the likelihood of an underlying lead point in CT-diagnosed intussusception in adults to help guide management.

Background: Interleukin 18 (IL-18) exerts pleiotropic roles in many inflammatory-related diseases including parasitic infection. Previous studies have demonstrated the promising therapeutic potential of modulating IL-18 bioactivity in various pathological conditions. However, its involvement during malaria infection has yet to be established. In this study, we demonstrated the effect of modulating IL-18 on the histopathological conditions of malaria infected mice., Methods: Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection in male ICR mice was used as a model for malaria infection. Modulation of IL-18 release was carried out by treatment of malarial mice with recombinant mouse IL-18 (rmIL-18) and recombinant mouse IL-18 Fc chimera (rmIL-18Fc) intravenously. Histopathological study and analysis were performed on major organs including brain, liver, spleen, lungs and kidney., Results: Treatment with rmIL-18Fc resulted in significant improvements on the histopathological conditions of the organs in malaria-infected mice., Conclusion: IL-18 is an important mediator of malaria pathogenesis and targeting IL-18 could prove beneficial in malaria-infected host.

Background: In our previous study, the aqueous extract of Channa striatus (family: Channidae) fillet (AECSF) showed an antidepressant-like effect in mice. However, the mechanism of the antidepressant-like effect is unknown., Aim: The objective of this study was to explore the involvement of monoamines in the antidepressant-like effect of AECSF in mice., Materials and Methods: AECSF was prepared by steaming the fillets of C. striatus. The male ICR mice were pretreated with various monoaminergic antagonists viz., p-chlorophenylalanine (100 mg/kg, i.p.), prazosin (1 mg/kg, i.p.) and yohimbine (1 mg/kg, i.p.), SCH23390 (0.05 mg/kg, s.c.) and sulpiride (50 mg/kg, i.p.) followed by treatment with AECSF and tested in tail suspension test (TST). Two-way ANOVA with Tukey test were used at p < 0.05 for significance., Results: The pretreatments with p-chlorophenylalanine, prazosin and yohimbine, but not with SCH23390 and sulpiride, were able to reverse the antidepressant-like effect of AECSF in TST., Conclusions: The antidepressant-like effect of AECSF may be mediated through the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems and not through the dopaminergic system.

Background and Objectives: Channa (C.) striatus (Malay-Haruan), is a fresh water snakehead fish, consumed as a rejuvenating diet in post-parturition period in local Malay population. The aqueous extract of C. striatus fillet (AECSF) was reported to act through serotonergic receptor system in a previous study. There is no scientific report on neuropharmacological effects of C. striatus. Based on these data, the antidepressant-like effect of C. striatus was evaluated in mice models of depression., Materials and Methods: AECSF was prepared by steaming the fillets as described previously. Antidepressant activity was studied in male ICR mice using forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Open-field test was used to evaluate any psychomotor stimulant activity. AECSF was administered intraperitoneally at the concentrations of 30%, 40% and 50% w/v at the dosage of 10 ml/kg. Amitriptyline (10 mg/kg) was used as positive control., Results: All the three concentrations of AECSF (30%, 40% and 50% w/v) significantly reduced the immobility time (p < 0.001) in FST and TST. All the three concentrations of AECSF (30%, 40% and 50% w/v) significantly (p < 0.001) reduced locomotor activity in a dose-dependent manner in open-field test., Conclusions: AECSF produced significant reduction of immobility time in both FST and TST. Amitriptyline produced a significant reduction of immobility time in both FST and TST similar to previous findings. The AECSF produced a dose-dependent decrease in locomotor activity in the open-field test. This hypolocomotion effect indicated the absence of any psychomotor stimulant activity thereby supporting the antidepressant-like effect of the AECSF. The pharmacological mechanisms of the observed antidepressant-like effect and hypolocomotion effect are not understood from our study. Hence, further studies are required.

Mitragyna speciosa Korth. leaves have been used for decades as a traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, diabetes and to improve blood circulation by natives of Malaysia, Thailand and other regions of Southeast Asia. Mitragynine is the major active alkaloid in the plant. To date, the role of mitragynine in psychological disorders such as depression is not scientifically evaluated. Hence, the present investigation evaluates the antidepressant effect of mitragynine in the mouse forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), two models predictive of antidepressant activity and the effect of mitragynine towards neuroendocrine system of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by measuring the corticosterone concentration of mice exposed to FST and TST. An open-field test (OFT) was used to detect any association of immobility in the FST and TST with changes in motor activity of mice treated with mitragynine. In the present study, mitragynine at dose of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg i.p. injected significantly reduced the immobility time of mice in both FST and TST without any significant effect on locomotor activity in OFT. Moreover, mitragynine significantly reduced the released of corticosterone in mice exposed to FST and TST at dose of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg. Overall, the present study clearly demonstrated that mitragynine exerts an antidepressant effect in animal behavioral model of depression (FST and TST) and the effect appears to be mediated by an interaction with neuroendocrine HPA axis systems., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Aim of the Study: Mitragyna speciosa Korth from Rubiaceae family is a tropical plant indigenous to Southeast Asia particularly in Thailand, Peninsular of Malaysia and Indonesia. The leaves have been used by natives for their opium-like effect and cocaine-like stimulant ability to combat fatigue and enhance tolerance to hard work. However there is no scientific information about the effect of mitragynine on the cognitive performances. This study is designed to examine the working memory effects of mitragynine which is extracted from Mitragyna speciosa mature leaves., Materials and Methods: The cognitive effect was studied using object location task and the motor activity in open-field test. Mitragynine 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg and were administered by intraperitoneal (IP) for 28 consecutive days and evaluated on day 28 after the last dose treatment. Scopolamine was used as the control positive drug., Results: In this study there is prominent effects on horizontal locomotor activity was observed. Mitragynine significantly reduced locomotor activity in open-field test compared with vehicle. In object location task mitragynine (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg) did not showed any significances discrimination between the object that had changed position than the object that had remain in a constant position., Conclusion: Our results suggest that chronic administration of mitragynine can altered the cognitive behavioral function in mice., (Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Accumulating data demonstrated that hypercholesterolemia and oxidative stress play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. In the present study, a protective activity of alpha-lipoic acid; a metabolic antioxidant in hypercholesterolemic-induced animals was investigated. Eighteen adult male New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit were segregated into three groups labelled as group N, HCD and ALA (n = 6). Group N (normal control) was fed with normal chow, the rest (HCD and ALA) were fed with 100 g/head/day of 1% cholesterol rich diet to induce hypercholesterolemia. Four point two mg/body weight of alpha lipoic acid was concomintantly supplemented to the ALA group. Drinking water was given ad-libitum. The study was designed for 10 weeks. Blood sampling was taken from the ear lobe vein at the beginning, week 5 and week 10. Plasma was prepared for lipid profile estimation and microsomal lipid peroxidation index indicated with malondialdehyde (MDA) formation. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed and the aorta were excised for intimal lesion analysis. The plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were found to be significantly low in ALA group compared to that of the HCD group (p<0.05). Similarly, low level of MDA (p<0.05) in ALA group was observed compared to that of the HCD group showing a significant reduction of lipid peroxidation activity. Histomorphometric intimal lesion analysis of the aorta showing less of atheromatous plaque formation in alpha lipoic acid supplemented group (p<0.05) compared to HCD group. These findings suggested that alpha lipoic acid posses a dual lipid lowering and anti-atherosclerotic properties indicated with low plasma TC and LDL levels and reduction of athero-lesion formation in hypercholesterolemic-induced rabbits.