BACKGROUND: The success of an injury intervention program can be measured by the proportion of successful return to work (RTW). This study examined factors of successful return to employment among workers suffering from work-related injuries. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Social Security Organization, Malaysia database consisting of 10,049 RTW program participants in 2010–2014. The dependent variable was the RTW outcome which consisted of RTW with same employer, RTW with new employer or unsuccessful return. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to test the likelihood of successful return with same employer and new employer against unsuccessful return. RESULTS: Overall, 65.3% of injured workers were successfully returned to employment, 52.8% to the same employer and 12.5% to new employer. Employer interest; motivation; age 30–49 years; intervention less than 9 months; occupational disease; injuries in the lower limbs, upper limbs, and general injuries; and working in the manufacturing, services, and electrical/electronics were associated with returning to work with the same employer against unsuccessful return. Male, employer interest, motivation, age 49 years or younger, intervention less than 6 months, occupational disease, injuries in the upper limbs and services sector of employment were associated with returning to new employer against unsuccessful return. CONCLUSION: There is a need to strengthen employer commitment for early and intensified intervention that will lead to improvement in the RTW outcome.
Case Management* ; Employment* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lower Extremity ; Malaysia ; Male ; Motivation ; Occupational Diseases ; Rehabilitation ; Return to Work ; Social Security ; Upper Extremity

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study is to verify the risk factors associated with Dieulafoy lesion formation in the upper gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: A case-control study was performed by reviewing the electronic medical records of 42 patients who were admitted to a tertiary medical center in the Daejeon region for Dieulafoy lesions from September 2008 to October 2013, and the records of 132 patients who were admitted during the same period and who underwent endoscopic examination for reasons other than bleeding. We analyzed clinical and endoscopic findings retrospectively, and searched for risk factors associated with Dieulafoy lesion formation. RESULTS: All 42 patients diagnosed with Dieulafoy lesion had accompanying bleeding, and the location of the bleeding was proximal in 25 patients (59.5%), the middle portion in seven patients (16.7%), and distal in 10 patients (23.8%). Antiplatelet agents (p=0.022) and alcohol (p=0.001) use showed statistically significant differences between the two groups. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of the two factors were 2.802 (1.263 to 6.217) and 3.938 (1.629 to 9.521), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that antiplatelet agents and alcohol consumption were risk factors associated with Dieulafoy lesion formation in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcohols ; Case-Control Studies ; Electronic Health Records ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study is to verify the risk factors associated with Dieulafoy lesion formation in the upper gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: A case-control study was performed by reviewing the electronic medical records of 42 patients who were admitted to a tertiary medical center in the Daejeon region for Dieulafoy lesions from September 2008 to October 2013, and the records of 132 patients who were admitted during the same period and who underwent endoscopic examination for reasons other than bleeding. We analyzed clinical and endoscopic findings retrospectively, and searched for risk factors associated with Dieulafoy lesion formation. RESULTS: All 42 patients diagnosed with Dieulafoy lesion had accompanying bleeding, and the location of the bleeding was proximal in 25 patients (59.5%), the middle portion in seven patients (16.7%), and distal in 10 patients (23.8%). Antiplatelet agents (p=0.022) and alcohol (p=0.001) use showed statistically significant differences between the two groups. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of the two factors were 2.802 (1.263 to 6.217) and 3.938 (1.629 to 9.521), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that antiplatelet agents and alcohol consumption were risk factors associated with Dieulafoy lesion formation in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcohols ; Case-Control Studies ; Electronic Health Records ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract*

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the pressure changing characteristics of upper esophageal sphincter (UES), lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and the esophagus kinetic characteristics of pharyngeal paraesthesia patients. METHOD: To take high resolution manometry in 44 cases of pharyngeal paraesthesia patients and 23 normal subjects separately. According to the RSI score,the 44 patients were divided into group A (the group without reflux, RSI < 13, n = 25) and group B (the group with reflux, RSI ≥ 13, n = 19). RESULT: The UES average resting pressure and average residual pressure of patients group were higher than the control group (P < 0.05); The UES average resting pressure and average residual pressure of group B were higher than group A (P < 0.05); The LES average resting pressure and average residual pressure of group B were lower than group A and the control group (P < 0.05); The comparison of LES average resting pressure and average residual pressure between group A and the control group was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The esophagus DCI of group B was lower than that of group A and control group (P < 0.05). The esophagus DCI comparison between group A and control group was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION The pharyngeal paresthesia symptoms of'patients was associated with the increasing of UES pressure. The pharyngeal paresthesia symptoms of group with reflux was related to low pressure of LES and high pressure of UES. The last part of esophagus of group with reflux had obstacles in powers, which weaken the peristalsis and declined the ability to clear the bolus and gastric reflux material.
Case-Control Studies ; Esophageal Sphincter, Lower ; physiopathology ; Esophageal Sphincter, Upper ; physiopathology ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Manometry ; Paresthesia ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Peristalsis ; Pharynx ; physiopathology ; Pressure

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of needle electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction study (NCS) in the forensic appraisal; to provide scientific basis for establishing normative and unified assessment methods of the peripheral nerve study in forensic medicine. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-four samples with injured peripheral nerve (injury group) and 138 samples with normal peripheral nerve (control group) were collected and tested with methods of EMG and NCS respectively. The relevance rate of two methods were compared and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: In the injury group, there was no statistical difference on the relevance rate between the application of EMG and that of NCS (P > 0.05). In the control group, there was no statistical difference on the negative rate between the two methods (P > 0.05). The false negative rate of the injury group and the false positive rate of the control group were both 0% when using the two methods together. CONCLUSION When the injured peripheral nerve in forensic appraisal is in doubt, application of both EMG and NCS could disclose truth from falsehood. The accuracy and credibility of identification results could be enhanced.
Action Potentials ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Electromyography/methods* ; Female ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Humans ; Lower Extremity/injuries* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology* ; Needles ; Neural Conduction/physiology* ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/physiopathology* ; Trauma Severity Indices ; Upper Extremity/injuries* ; Young Adult

Monomelic amyotrophy (MA), also known as Hirayama disease, occurs mainly in young men and manifests as weakness and wasting of the muscles of the distal upper limbs. Here, we sought to identify a genetic basis for MA. Given the predominance of MA in males, we focused on candidate neurological disease genes located on the X chromosome, selecting two X-linked candidate genes, androgen receptor (AR) and ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 1 (UBA1). Screening for genetic variants using patients' genomic DNA revealed three known genetic variants in the coding region of the AR gene: one nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; rs78686797) encoding Leu57Gln, and two variants of polymorphic trinucleotide repeat segments that encode polyglutamine (CAG repeat; rs5902610) and polyglycine (GGC repeat; rs3138869) tracts. Notably, the Leu57Gln polymorphism was found in two patients with MA from 24 MA patients, whereas no variants were found in 142 healthy male controls. However, the numbers of CAG and GGC repeats in the AR gene were within the normal range. These data suggest that the Leu57Gln polymorphism encoded by the X-linked AR gene may contribute to the development of MA.
Case-Control Studies ; Clinical Coding ; DNA ; Genes, X-Linked ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Muscles ; Peptides ; Receptors, Androgen ; Reference Values ; Spinal Muscular Atrophies of Childhood ; Trinucleotide Repeats ; Upper Extremity ; X Chromosome

The effect of water extracts of Euphorbia hirta on the histological features and expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in the rat articular cartilage was investigated. Arthritis was induced in rats using Freund's Complete Adjuvant containing heat-killed M. tuberculosis, and treated with water extracts of E. hirta. Paraffin tissue sections of the arthritic joints were evaluated. The extent of cartilage degeneration was found to be greatest in rats treated with the highest dosage of E. hirta, followed by rats in the untreated group. Rats treated with the intermediary and low dosages of Euphorbia hirta showed improved histology. MMP-13 levels were found to be decreased with decreasing dosages of E. hirta. TIMP-1 levels were found to increase with decreasing dosages of E. hirta. MMP-3 levels fluctuated without any appreciable pattern. Low dosages of E. hirta seem to be beneficial in reducing cartilage degeneration in cases of arthritis.
Upper case ee ; Rattus norvegicus ; Euphorbia ; Water ; Degeneration, NOS

During a forensic entomological study conducted at an oil palm plantation in Tanjung Sepat, Kuala Langat, Selangor, a Bengalia emarginata Malloch, 1927 (Diptera: Calliphoridae: Calliphorinae: Bengalini) was collected for the first time. Two adults were collected nearby the pig carcass by the first author and identified by the second. Prior to this finding, nine species of Bengalia were recorded from peninsular Malaysia or Borneo. Male of B. emarginata are different from Bengalia varicolor Fabricious by the following characters: Sternite 5 projection rounded with small identation and mid tibia double-fringed in ventral surface.
Calliphoridae ; Malaysia ; Diptera ; Upper case Bee ; Status pre-

Fannia prisca Stein, 1918 is newly recorded from peninsular Malaysia. This record is based on 4 male specimens from Mount Berembun, Brinchang, Cameron Highland, Pahang state, peninsular Malaysia. It is previously recorded from China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Bonin Island, Thailand and oriental region. The male of Fannia prisca can be differentiated from male Fannia scalaris by the following features: for F. prisca, mid-coxa without spine; mid-tibia normal or without stout triangular ventral projection; and hind tibia usually with 2 av, while F. scalaris has several stout hook-like spines on the anterior margin; mid-tibia with stout triangular ventral projection and hind tibia usually with 3 av. Both F. prisca and F. scalaris can be differentiated from Fannia leucosticta by looking at its hind tibia, which only has 1 av.
Tibia ; Fannia ; Upper case eff ; Malaysia ; Stout

Flourescent antibody test (FAT) was applied to determine the cross-reactivities of monoclonal (mAb), polyclonal (pAb) antibodies to Neospora, Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium and antisera from cattle naturally infected with Neospora canium against antigens from a number of sources. Both mAb and pAb to Neospora reacted strongly (FAT titre up to 2560) with the homologous antigens and demonstrated weak titre (80) or no reaction with both Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium antigens. Also mAb and pAb to Toxoplasma gondii reacted at titres of 80 - 640 with homologous antigens and at titres of 10-40 with N. caninum. No cross-reactions with either mAb or pAb antibodies to N. caninum and T. gondii were observed with Cryptosporidium parvum. The same results were observed with C. parvum mAb when tested with both N. caninum and T. gondii antigens. Sera from cattle naturally infected with N. caninum had titres ranging from 80- 640 with N. caninum antigens, and 10- 40 with T. gondii and C. parvum antigens. At low dilutions, the complete surfaces of Neospora and Toxoplasma parasites were fluorescent, while in higher dilutions only dotted fluorescence appeared on the apical complex. These results indicated the presence of cross-reactivity between Neospora and Toxoplasma but not with Cryptosporidium. Accordingly the recommended cut-off antibody titre for diagnosis of neosporosis is 80.
Antibodies ; Neospora ; Antigens ; Toxoplasma ; Upper Case En