Search

Background: Refill Drinking Water (AMIU) is one of the alternatives used by the Indonesian people in meeting their drinking water needs. However, there are still AMIUs that do not meet the total coliform standard. Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between DAMIU operators' knowledge and hygiene measures on the bacteriological quality of AMIU in Banyuwangi Sub-district, Banyuwangi, East Java Province, Indonesia. Methods: This was an observational study with a cross-sectional approach. Water samples from 33 DAMIUs in Banyuwangi sub-district were tested for total coliforms. DAMIU operators were interviewed using a structured questionnaire regarding knowledge and hygiene. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test. Results: Twelve out of 33 (36.4%) AMIUs did not meet the total coliform standard. Thirty-one (93.9%) DAMIU operators had excellent knowledge, and 23 (69.7%) had good personal hygiene. There was a significant association between operator hygiene and total coliform quality of AMIU (p=0.016; OR=8.4). Conclusion: Operator hygiene is an important factor in meeting the bacteriological quality standards of AMIU. It is recommended to make efforts to raise awareness of DAMIU operators to always apply hygiene while working.

Heart failure (HF) is still the main cause of mortality worldwide. This study investigated the characteristics of human pericardial fluid-derived cells (hPFCs) and their effects in treating doxorubicin (DOX)-induced HF rats through intrapericardial injection. hPFCs were isolated from patients who underwent heart transplantation ( N = 5). These cells that primarily expressed SCA-1, NANOG, and mesenchymal markers, CD90, CD105, and CD73, were able to form adipocytes, osteoblasts, and cardiomyocytes in vitro. Passage 3 hPFCs (2.5 × 10 5 cells/heart) were injected into the pericardial cavity of the DOX-injured rat hearts, significantly improving cardiac functions after 4 weeks. The tracked and engrafted red fluorescent protein-tagged hPFCs coexpressed cardiac troponin T and connexin 43 after 4 weeks in the host myocardium. This observation was also coupled with a significant reduction in cardiac fibrosis following hPFC treatment (P < 0.0001 vs. untreated). The elevated inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α in the DOX-treated hearts were found to be significantly reduced ( P < 0.001 vs. untreated), while the regional proangiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) level was increased in the hPFC-treated group after 4 weeks ( P < 0.05 vs. untreated). hPFCs possess stem cell characteristics and can improve the cardiac functions of DOX-induced HF rats after 4 weeks through pericardial administration. The improvements were attributed to a significant reduction in cardiac fibrosis, inflammation, and elevated regional proangiogenesis factor VEGFA, with evidence of cellular engraftment and differentiation in the host myocardium.

Introduction: Blood transfusion warrants written informed consent from the patient. However, patients have poor knowledge regarding blood transfusions as evidenced by nonstandardized information retained by patients from the informed consent discussion. The problem stems from suboptimal patient knowledge on the elements of informed consent. This study describes the development and validation of a new questionnaire to assess the knowledge on informed consent for blood transfusion from the patients' perspective., Subjects and Methods: The development phase consisted of literature review, small group discussion, expert review meeting, content, and face validity. We evaluated the psychometric properties of Informed Consent for Blood Transfusion Questionnaire (ICBTQ) using reliability test and item response theory among a sample of 95 patients in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia., Results: ICBTQ was formulated to include sociodemographic and knowledge sections. ICBTQ possessed excellent content validity. The face validity index (FVI) of clarity and comprehension were both 0.97. Thus, the universal FVI was 0.96. One item was added following the advice given by one of the content experts. ICBTQ had excellent face validity. For the validation phase, ICBTQ demonstrated an acceptable Cronbach's Alpha value. One item was omitted in view of low corrected item-total correlation. In the item response theory (IRT) analysis, ICBTQ exhibited good difficulty and discriminatory indexes. Assessments of item-fit indicated that all items of the model were well-fitted., Conclusions: Based on the IRT and reliability analysis, the knowledge section of the ICBTQ was psychometrically valid to be used among patients., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Asian Journal of Transfusion Science.)

Severe corneal disorders due to infective aetiologies, trauma, chemical injuries, and chronic cicatricial inflammations, are among vision-threatening pathologies leading to permanent corneal scarring. The whole cornea or lamellar corneal transplantation is often used as a last resort to restore vision. However, limited autologous tissue sources and potential adverse post-allotransplantation sequalae urge the need for more robust and strategic alternatives. Contemporary management using cultivated corneal epithelial transplantation has paved the way for utilizing stem cells as a regenerative potential. Humaninduced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can generate ectodermal progenitors and potentially be used for ocular surface regeneration. This review summarizes the process of corneal morphogenesis and the signaling pathways underlying the development of corneal epithelium, which is key to translating the maturation and differentiation process of hiPSCs in vitro. The current state of knowledge and methodology for driving efficient corneal epithelial cell differentiation from pluripotent stem cells are highlighted., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)