Community-based psychosocial support interventions to reduce stigma and improve mental health of people with infectious diseases: a scoping review.

Background: Stigma experienced by people with infectious diseases impedes access to care, leading to adverse psychosocial consequences. Community-based interventions could prevent or mitigate these consequences but lack robust evidence. This scoping review aimed to identify and critically appraise community-based psychosocial support interventions to reduce stigma and improve mental health for people affected by stigmatizing infectious diseases including tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS, and leprosy.

miR-21 and miR-145 as Prognostic Biomarkers for Radiotherapy Responses in Cervical Cancer Patients: A Preliminary Study.

Radioresistance poses a significant challenge in the effective treatment of cervical cancer, often leading to poor patient outcomes. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) and MicroRNA-145 (miR-145) are oncogenic micro-RNAs associated with various cancers, including cervical cancer, but their potential as predictive biomarkers for radioresistance remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the association between miR-21 and miR-145 expressions and the response to radiation therapy in cervical cancer patients.

Resilience in Relation to Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in People Living With HIV: A Qualitative Study.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence significantly impacts the survival and quality of life of people living with HIV (PLWH). Despite the challenges faced by PLWH, adherence remains crucial. Thus, cultivating resilience in ART is essential for optimal treatment outcomes.

Role of CD44 and CD24 Expression on 2-years Disease Free Survival in Patients with Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma.

Objective: Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers with a high mortality rate worldwide. Despite optimal surgical therapy and chemotherapy, recurrence is still common. Cancer stem cells expressing CD44 and CD24 are thought to be contributing factors in recurrence.

Validity and reliability test of the brief symptom rating scale 5 (BSRS-5) questionnaire in Indonesian version as an assessment tool for psychological disorders in Indonesia.

Background: Psychological disorders in workers is associated with physical health problems and decreased work productivity costing the impact of workplace accidents. We can minimize these problems by introducing screening programs with a simple screening tool for psychological disorders. One of the questionnaires used in several countries to assess psychological disorders is the Brief Symptom Rating Scale - 5 (BSRS-5).

Noncommunicable diseases risk factors and the risk of COVID-19 among university employees in Indonesia.

Introduction: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are still a major public health problem in Indonesia. Studies have shown that risk factors of NCDs are associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and mortality. However, it is unclear whether NCD risk factors are also risks for new COVID-19 cases.

Acetic Acid and Iodine Staining for Determining Malignancy in Solid Tumors.

Objective: Surgical margin is an important prognostic factor in solid cancer surgery. Frozen section (FS), the gold standard for intraoperative surgical margin evaluation, requires extensive waiting time and expensive FS devices. The purpose of this diagnostic study was to verify whether multi-staining (MS) method with acetic acid and iodine could be used to differentiate malignant and non-malignant lesions of solid tumor.

Low vitamin D-25(OH) level in Indonesian multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optic patients.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is commonly found in multiple sclerosis (MS) and Neuromyelitis Optic (NMO) patients and can impair the immunological status. As a tropical country, Indonesia has a lot of sunshine throughout the year as a source of vitamin D. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the serum vitamin D-25(OH) level in Indonesian MS and NMO patients to healthy individuals.

Knowledge and perception of tuberculosis and the risk to become treatment default among newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients treated in primary health care, East Nusa Tenggara: a retrospective study.

Background: Despite the high efficacy of tuberculosis (TB) drug regiments, one of the barriers in the TB control program is the non-compliance to treatment. Morbidity, mortality, and risk to become resistant to drugs are emerging among defaulters. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify the factors, especially knowledge and perceptions of TB and association with treatment default among patients treated in primary care settings, East Nusa Tenggara.

Effectiveness of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine in an Indonesian population with D543N NRAMP1 polymorphism.

Introduction: Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination remains a routine immunization in primary care in tuberculosis (TB)-endemic areas, though several studies found that its efficacy was inconclusive. Natural resistance-asociated machrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1) polymorphism has been shown to result in higher susceptibility to TB. Information on genetic susceptibility in populations will be useful in planning the application of the BCG vaccine.

Primary Health Centre disaster preparedness after the earthquake in Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Background: The West Sumatra earthquake that occurred on September 30, 2009, caused severe damage in some districts, including Padang Pariaman. As Padang Pariaman is an earthquake-prone area, disaster and emergency management is necessary. Due to the limited health facilities, the health services completely rely on Puskesmas (Primary Health Centres, PHCs).

Zinc and vitamin A supplementation fails to reduce sputum conversion time in severely malnourished pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Indonesia.

Background: A previous study showed that combination of zinc and vitamin A reduced sputum conversion time in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients.

Objective: We studied the efficacy of which single micronutrient contributed more to the sputum conversion time.

Methods: In a double-blind randomized community trial, newly sputum smear positive pulmonary TB patients were assigned randomly to receive zinc, vitamin A, zinc + vitamin A or placebo on top of TB treatment.

Malnutrition and socio-demographic factors associated with pulmonary tuberculosis in Timor and Rote Islands, Indonesia.

Objective: To identify nutritional and socio-demographic factors for the development of tuberculosis (TB) in Timor and Rote Island, Indonesia, so that intervention programmes can be developed to address these factors.

Methods: In a case-control study, we enrolled new sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB patients as cases, and neighbours matched for sex and age as controls. Data obtained included history of TB, socio-demographic factors and nutritional status.