BackgroundComponents of the innate immune complement system have been implicated in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); however, a comprehensive examination of complement expression in this disease has not been performed. This study therefore aimed to determine the expression of complement components (C1qB, C4, factor B, C3/C3b, C5 and CD88) and regulators (CD55 and CD59a) in the lumbar spinal cord of hSOD1G93A mice during defined disease stages.MethodshSOD1G93A and wild-type mice were examined at four different ages of disease progression. mRNA and protein expression of complement components and regulators were examined using quantitative PCR, western blotting and ELISA. Localisation of complement components within lumbar spinal cord was investigated using immunohistochemistry. Statistical differences between hSOD1G93A and wild-type mice were analysed using a two-tailed t-test at each stage of disease progression.ResultsWe found several early complement factors increased as disease progressed, whilst complement regulators decreased; suggesting overall increased complement activation through the classical or alternative pathways in hSOD1G93A mice. CD88 was also increased during disease progression, with immunolocalisation demonstrating expression on motor neurons and increasing expression on microglia surrounding the regions of motor neuron death.ConclusionsThese results indicate that local complement activation and increased expression of CD88 may contribute to motor neuron death and ALS pathology in the hSOD1G93A mouse. Hence, reducing complement-induced inflammation could be an important therapeutic strategy to treat ALS.

ObjectivePesticide poisoning is a global health problem, and its progressive deterioration is a major cause of concern. The objective of this study is to assess epidemiological characteristics and identify risk factors of pesticide poisoning in Malaysia.SettingPesticide poisoning database of Malaysia National Poison Centre (NPC) from 2006 to 2015.ParticipantsTelephone enquiries regarding pesticide poisoning were made by healthcare professionals. Information received by the NPC was entered into a retrievable database of standardised Poison Case Report Form, as adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO).OutcomesThe outcome of the study is to provide an overview of national epidemiological profile of pesticide poisoning. High-risk groups of people and their circumstances were also identified to ensure that appropriate measures are strategised.ResultsWithin the study period, a total of 11 087 pesticide poisoning cases were recorded. Sixty per cent of these cases were intentional in nature and most were found among male individuals (57%) of the Indian race (36.4%) aged between 20 and 29 years (25.5%), which occurred at home (90%) through the route of ingestion (94%). The highest number of poisoning was due to herbicides (44%) followed by agricultural insecticides (34%), rodenticides (9.9%), household insecticides (9.5%) and fungicides (0.5%). In addition, 93.6% of intentional pesticide poisoning cases were caused by suicide attempts. The results of this study show that there was an increasing trend in pesticide poisoning incidents over the 10-year duration. This indicates that pesticide poisoning is a prevalent public health problem in Malaysia, resulting in an average incidence rate of 3.8 per 100 000 population.ConclusionsDeliberate pesticide ingestion as a method of suicide has become a disturbing trend among Malaysians. Therefore, regulation of highly hazardous pesticides must be enforced to ensure controlled and limited access to these chemicals by the public.

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The Malaysian construction industry continues to enhance the country's economy by displaying voluminous growth. Due to the unique nature of the process involved, this industry is being considered the most hazardous sector in terms of occupational safety and health (OSH). The statistics of fatal accidents recorded by Department of Safety and Health Malaysia (DOSH) presented that Malaysian construction industry has the highest number of fatalities within this period of study, making it the most critical sector that requires efficient OSH management in order to reduce a significant number of fatalities in construction sites. The main objective of this study is to identify the causes of fatalities in the Malaysian construction industry by analysing 145 fatalities investigated by DOSH during a period of five years (2013 to 2018) by applying the framework for causes of occupational accidents and illnesses. Johor has the highest occurrence of fatalities with 45 cases. These 145 cases were descriptively analysed. Falling from height (43%) recorded the highest number of accident cases and followed with struck-by (34%) as among the six listed categories in this study. The main accidents causes were discovered to be the management element (58 cases) followed by worksite element (57 cases) and human element (30 cases).

Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, or Margosa, originated in India. It is one of the species in the Azadirachta genus. It is native to South Asia's Indian subcontinent and dry areas such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Maldives. The plant has long been used in Ayurvedic and folk medicine and it is now commonly used in cosmetics and organic agriculture. Several pharmacological activities were identified from the crude extract of Azadirachta indica, which have attracted a lot of research interest from scientists. This narrative review explores the vast potential of neem in eliciting antibacterial and antifungal effects. Furthermore, we highlight the various effects of different types of solvent and several parts of the neem plant on growth inhibition of bacteria and fungi by performing the inhibition zone technique using the disc diffusion method, one of the commonly used methods to measure bacterial, fungal growth.

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Sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil are phosphodiesterase type 5 enzyme (PDE-5) inhibitors used for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction. This present study aims to investigate 55 herbal products indicated for men’s sexual health from the Malaysian market for adulteration of PDE-5 inhibitors and analogues. The screening and identification of 20 PDE-5 inhibitors and analogues in herbal products of various forms (powder, capsules, tablets, and pastels) were conducted using gas chromatography–electron impact-mass spectrometer (GC-EI-MS). The analysis has shown that 19 herbal products were adulterated with PDE-5 inhibitors and analogues. Unique ion fragmentations and the presence of molecular ion serve as potential markers, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.1-5.0 µg/g. Ten PDE-5 inhibitors and analogues were randomly selected and successfully validated for simultaneous quantification, whereby the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 5.0–50.0 µg/g with recoveries at 86.1-118.9%. The developed method of GC-EI-MS was shown to be simple, throughput, economical and had sufficient sensitivity to screen, identify and quantify PDE-5 inhibitors and analogues in herbal matrices.

Household chemical products poisoning by accidental ingestion, injection or inhalation is the most commonly reported cases in medical emergency departments (Kassiri et al., 2012; Adnan et al., 2013; Tangiisuran et al., 2017). Household chemical products, such as cleaning products and toiletries, are commonly used items and can be easily found in all homes all over the world. The products, such as bleach, cleaners, disinfectants, and detergents, have become essential products to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of daily human life. Since the chemical contents in these kinds of products are often harmful and poisonous, they can pose serious risks to people's health and environment. Nearly all of the household solution contains approximately 22% of harmful chemicals, such as formaldehyde and sodium chloride (EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning, n.d) which could