Determining the optimum application dosage of probiotic in biofloc system is often challenging because the microbial community seems to exert similar effects irrespective of their dosages. It is however noted that certain dosages promote higher yield in shrimp culture more effectively. Principal component analysis was adopted to identify these optimum dosages where 1-way ANOVA could not clearly identify due to the effects of microbial community.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpecial education teachers encounter considerable occupational challenges, yet there is limited information concerning musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) within this group. Therefore, this study aimed to address this gap by determining the prevalence of MSD, investigating associated factors of MSD, and identifying predictors of MSD among special education teachers. A cross-sectional study was conducted among special education teachers in Kota Kinabalu and Penampang, Sabah.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
May 2024
The ubiquitous proximity of the commonly used microplastic (MP) particles particularly polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) poses a serious threat to the environment and human health globally. Biological treatment as an environment-friendly approach to counter MP pollution has recent interest when the bio-agent has beneficial functions in their ecosystem. This study aimed to utilize beneficial floc-forming bacteria Bacillus cereus SHBF2 isolated from an aquaculture farm in reducing the MP particles (PE, PP, and PS) from their environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunogenicity of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) bivalent mRNA-1273.214 vaccine (Original/Omicron B.1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Older adults are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection and severe disease, especially those in congregate living settings, despite high SARS-CoV-2 vaccine coverage. It is unclear whether hybrid immunity (combined vaccination and infection) after one Omicron infection provides increased protection against subsequent Omicron reinfection in older adults.
Methods: Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection was examined in 750 vaccinated residents of long-term care and retirement homes in the observational cohort in Ontario, Canada, within a 75-day period (July to September 2022).
Background: Challenges in timely access to one's usual primary care physician and the ongoing use of walk-in clinics have been major health policy issues in Ontario for over a decade. We sought to determine the association between patient-reported timely access to their usual primary care physician or clinic and their use of walk-in clinics.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of Ontario residents who had a primary care physician by linking population-based administrative data to Ontario's Health Care Experience Survey, collected between 2013 and 2020.
Boiss (AP) is a wild plant in Palestine whose leaves have a long history as food and medicine in Middle Eastern countries. The current study aimed to evaluate the biological characteristics of AP flower extract, including its antimicrobial and coagulation cascade activities and its effects on anticancer molecular pathways. The antimicrobial activity of the aqueous extract of AP flowers was assessed using a microdilution assay against eight pathogens.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroplastics (MPs) occurrence in farmed aquatic organisms has already been the prime priority of researchers due to the food security concerns for human consumption. A number of commercially important aquaculture systems have already been investigated for MPs pollution but the mud crab (Scylla sp.) aquaculture system has not been investigated yet even though it is a highly demanded commercial species globally.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn order to determine the safety level of water parameters and nutrients in the natural environment of fish and freshwater prawn in Nyatuh River, Terengganu, Malaysia, it is necessary to conduct an assessment of water quality parameters. Due to its important, a study was conducted to assess the water quality parameter and nutrients contents from Nyatuh River of Setiu Terengganu in relations to the population of freshwater prawn, caught along the Nyatuh River basin. Total of four expeditions and five stations at different tidal condition for the water quality parameter were assessed during the study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Burnout and depression among health professions education (HPE) students continue to rise, leading to unwanted effects that ultimately jeopardise optimal medical care and patient health. Promoting the resilience of medical students is one solution to this issue. Several interventions have been implemented to foster resilience, but they focus on aspects other than the primary cause: the assessment system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To identify factors that contribute to protection from infection with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in older adults in nursing and retirement homes.
Design: Longitudinal cohort study with retrospective analysis of infection risk.
Setting And Participants: 997 residents of nursing and retirement homes from Ontario, Canada, in the COVID in LTC study.
Tuberc Respir Dis (Seoul)
April 2023
Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health concern. Globally, TB is among the top 10 and the leading cause of death due to a single infectious agent. Providing standard anti-TB therapy for at least 6 months is recommended as one of the crucial strategies to control the TB epidemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroplastics pollution has become a threat to aquaculture practices, as nearly all farming systems are saturated with microplastics (MPs) particles. Current research on MPs is limited considering their effects on aquatic organisms and human health. However, limited research has been conducted on potential cures and treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAway from hemorheological properties, the effect of heroin addiction on erythrocytes is poorly investigated. This study aimed to investigate the oxidative impacts of heroin administration on erythrocytes. Study subjects included chronic intravenous heroin addicts and control subjects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMusculoskeletal disorder (MSD) is a major health problem, which can lead to an enormous burden to the institution as well as chronic disability to the individual. Teachers are at risk of developing MSD due to the exposure to various ergonomic risk factors. Teachers of special education, for example, are expected to perform extra duty such as lifting and moving students, feeding food, changing diapers, and helping them in ambulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemosphere
December 2022
Objectives: In this study, we (1) identify the terms used to describe the assisted living sector and the legislation governing operation in all Canadian provinces and territories; (2) identify the cost estimates associated with residency in these homes; and (3) quantify the growth of the sector.
Design: Environmental scan.
Setting And Participants: Internet searches of Canadian provincial and territorial government websites and professional associations were conducted in 2021 to retrieve publicly accessible sources related to the assisted living sector.
Background: Because there are no standardized reporting systems specific to residents of retirement homes in North America, little is known about the health of this distinct population of older adults. We evaluated rates of health services use by residents of retirement homes relative to those of residents of long-term care homes and other populations of older adults.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population health administrative data from 2018 on adults 65 years or older in Ontario.
Background: Medical students are vulnerable to test anxiety (TA), which impacts their professional lives and jeopardizes the optimal health care of their patients. The qualitative exploration of TA among medical students is crucial to understanding the problem. Hence, this study examined medical students' insights into TA and their suggestions on how to reduce it.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Geriatr Soc
February 2022
Background: Homebound status is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in older adults, yet little is known about homebound older adults in Canada. Our objectives were to describe time trends in the prevalence of homebound status among community-dwelling long-term home care recipients and the characteristics associated with homebound status.
Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional and cohort study using linked health administrative data in Canada's most populous province, Ontario.
Background: Many residents of assisted living facilities live with dementia, but little is known about the characteristics of assisted living facilities that provide specialized care for older adults who live with dementia. In this study, we identify the characteristics of assisted living facilities that offer a dementia care program, compared to those that do not offer such a program.
Methods: We conducted a population-level cross-sectional study on all licensed assisted living facilities in Ontario, Canada in 2018 (n = 738).
Objective: We investigate whether older adults who were newly diagnosed with dementia (severity unspecified) and resided in an assisted living facility that offered a dementia care program had a lower rate of transition to a nursing home, compared to those who resided in an assisted living facility without such a program.
Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study.
Setting And Participants: Linked, person-level health system administrative data on older adults who were newly diagnosed with dementia and resided in an assisted living facility in Ontario, Canada, from 2014 to 2019 (n = 977).
Problem-based learning (PBL) emphasizes learning behavior that leads to critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaborative skills in preparing students for a professional medical career. However, learning behavior that develops these skills has not been systematically described. This review aimed to unearth the elements of effective learning behavior in a PBL context, using the protocol by Arksey and O'Malley.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Ontario ambulances are restricted from patient transportation to sub-acute levels of care when these facilities may be more suitable than emergency departments for non-emergent conditions. There is no known patient classification specifically constructed to inform ED diversion protocols and guidance for sub-acute centre transportation for primary care-like patient conditions.
Objective: To construct a novel patient classification of potentially preventable emergency department visits following transport by ambulance, and analyse patient-level characteristic associations with this classification based in Ontario secondary data.