Background: Client characteristics provide useful information for designing programs that target individuals with risk factors for substance use and for determining client retention. Therefore, this study examined the profiles of clients attending a methadone clinic. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of clients of a methadone clinic was conducted through a survey to obtain a profile of methadone clients. Results: Of the 51 patients who responded (response rate: 66.2%), the mean (SD) age at which they started substance use was 19.8 (5.1) years. Friends were cited as the most regular source of drugs (82.4%), and heroin was the most commonly used drug (98%). Daily substance use was reported by 72.5% of the respondents; 23.5% admitted to having stolen money to purchase drugs; 92.2% tried quitting substance use on their own and 98% stated that the main reason for registering at the clinic was that they wanted to stop their drug dependence. Approximately 60% of clients were receiving methadone doses of less than 60 mg/day. Conclusion: Heroin is still the most popular drug of abuse and most clients still receive methadone doses below the recommended level, despite evidence of poor patient retention rates associated with these low doses.

Primary central nervous system atypical rhabdoid/teratoid tumour (ATRT) is a rare and highly malignant tumour that tends to occur in infancy and early childhood. The majority of tumours (approximately two-third) arise in the posterior fossa. The optimal treatment for ATRT remains unclear. Options of treatment include surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Each of their role is still not clearly defined until now. The prognosis of the disease is generally unfavourable. This is a case report of ATRT in an atypical site in a 9-year-old girl.

Aims:This study was carried out to optimize the fermentation conditions using statistical approach for polyhydroxyalkanoate(PHA) production by a local isolate, Burkholderia cepaciaBPT1213, in the shake flask system.Methodology and results:Throughout this study, B. cepaciaBPT1213 was grown in minimal salt medium (MSM) supplemented with 2% of waste glycerol (86.70% purity).The strain can produce up to 1.33 g/L cell dry weight (CDW) with 22.21% of PHA content, thus giving a total PHA concentration 0.30 g/L before optimization. A factorial design experiment that was carried out showed all parameters KH2PO4, Na2HPO4·2H2O, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N), initial pH of medium, and temperature significantly affected the growth (cell dry weight, CDW) and PHA content. Response surface methodology (RSM) using central composite design (CCD) was then applied to optimize these parameters. The optimum conditions suggested were at 2.5 g/L KH2PO4, 4.5 g/L Na2HPO4·2H2O, 30 (g/g) C/N ratio, initial medium pH of 8.5 and 37 °C cultivation temperature, with a predicted CDW of 3.43 g/L and PHA content of 45.71% contributing to 1.57 g/L total PHA concentration. The verification experiment resulted in 3.60 g/L of CDW with 48.08% of PHA content contributing to 1.73 g/L total PHA concentration.Conclusion, significance and impact of study:The statistical approach using factorial design and RSM have succeeded in increasing the production of PHA by B. cepaciaBPT1213 using waste glycerol as the sole carbon source which is a promising renewable and cheaper feedsto

Ranking as the most communicable disease killer worldwide, tuberculosis, has accounted with a total of 9.6 million new tuberculosis cases with 1.5 million tuberculosis-related deaths reported globally in 2014. Tuberculosis has remain as an occupational hazard for healthcare workers since 1920s and due to several tuberculosis outbreaks in healthcare settings in the early 1990s, the concern about the transmission to both patients and healthcare workers has been raised. Healthcare workers have two to three folds greater the risk of active tuberculosis than the general population. Several studies on knowledge, attitude and practices on tuberculosis among healthcare workers worldwide have revealed that majority of the participated healthcare workers had good knowledge on tuberculosis. Most of the healthcare workers from South India and South Africa also reported to have positive attitude whereas a study in Thailand reported that most of the healthcare providers have negative attitude towards tuberculosis patients. Nevertheless, majority of the healthcare workers have low level of practice on tuberculosis prevention. An improved communication between healthcare workers and the patients as well as their families is the key to better therapeutic outcomes with good knowledge, attitude and preventive practice towards tuberculosis.