Examining students' intention to perform voluntary blood donation using a theory of planned behaviour: A structural equation modelling approach.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the behavioural intention of students to make voluntary blood donations. Moreover, it uses a theory of planned behaviour as its guiding principle and does so within the context of Malaysia, a developing nation. METHODS: Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire from a sample of 500 students at a public higher learning institution in Malaysia. Structural equation modelling approach (SEM) was performed to assess the strength of the hypothesized relationships of the proposed model simultaneously via the two-stage model-building process. RESULTS: The SEM approach revealed that knowledge was the most influential predictor of students' intention to make a voluntary blood donation. With the knowledge that the more blood they donate, the more lives will be saved, the inclination to donate blood is intensifying among students. Moreover, all of the TPB constructs applied were also seen to significantly influence students' response to voluntary blood donation. CONCLUSIONS: The nexus of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and knowledge about students' intention to perform voluntary blood donation are evidenced in a developing nation. The implications of the study and directions for future research are provided.

Clitoria ternatea root extract enhances acetylcholine content in rat hippocampus.

Treatment with 100 mg/kg of Clitoria ternatea aqueous root extract (CTR), for 30 days in neonatal and young adult age groups of rat, significantly increased acetylcholine (ACh) content in their hippocampi as compared to age matched controls. Increase in ACh content in their hippocampus may be the neurochemical basis for their improved learning and memory.

Clitoria ternatea (Linn) root extract treatment during growth spurt period enhances learning and memory in rats.

Neonatal rat pups (7 days old) were intubated with either 50 mg/kg body weight or 100 mg/kg body weight of aqueous root extract of Clitoria ternatea (CTR) for 30 days. These rats were then subjected to open field, two compartment passive avoidance and spatial learning (T-Maze) tests (i) immediately after the treatment and (ii) 30 days after the treatment, along with age matched normal and saline control rats. Results showed no change in open field behaviour, but showed improved retention and spatial learning performance at both time points of behavioural tests, indicating the memory enhancing property of CTR which implicates a permanent change in the brain of CTR treated rats.

An endoscopic approach to the deviated nasal septum--a preliminary study.

The authors have used the nasal endoscope for the precise identification of pathological abnormalities of the nasal septum in relation to the lateral nasal wall including the osteo-metal complex and in its ultraconservative management. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacies of endoscope-aided septoplasty (EAS) over traditional septoplasty (TS) in treating the pathological septum and turbinates, performed in 30 cases each. The subjective assessment was carried out by visual analogue scores and objective assessment by nasal endoscopy. This study demonstrates the superiority and limitations of the endoscopic approach in managing a deviated nasal septum and the turbinates. The endoscope-aided technique was found to be more effective in relieving the contact areas and nasal obstruction (p = < or = 0.05). The authors advocate a combined approach--an endoscopic approach for inaccessible posterior deviation and the conservative traditional technique for accessible anterior deviation of the nasal septum.

Synapses in developing cingulate and hippocampal cortices in undernourished rats.

Differential patterns of developmental changes were observed between 10 and 150 days of age in numerical densities of ethanolic-phosphotungstic acid stained synapses in the molecular layer of cingulate cortex (area 29 c,d) and hippocampus (CA1)-dentate region in rat. Chronic caloric undernutrition commencing prenatally caused considerable reduction of synaptic densities up to 45 days of age in both the cortices, but showed opposite trends subsequently; the density attained was higher than control in the cingulate area, but lower than control in hippocampus-dentate area. Post-weaning rehabilitatory nutrition resulted in a reduced deviation from normal in the cingulate area but not in the hippocampus-dentate area.

Ex vivo platelet deposition on fibronectin-preadsorbed surfaces.

Temporal platelet deposition profiles of canine plasma fibronectin (CPFN) adsorbed to different polymers ex vivo and the in vitro characteristics of CPFN adsorption were studied in an attempt to correlate the two. The maximum platelet deposition (gamma pltmax) obtained at a protein preadsorption time of 30 min was greater than that obtained using an adsorption time of 120 min for all surfaces studied. At 30 min of preadsorption, gamma pltmax was 520,560 and 1230 platelets/1000 micron2 on Biomer, polyethylene (PE) and oxidized PE (OXPE), respectively. In contrast, the platelet deposition at 120 min. of fibronectin preadsorption was about 60 approximately 90 platelets/1000 micron2 on all polymers studied. The surface concentrations of adsorbed CPFN measured using 125I-CPFN, were in the order PE greater than OXPE greater than Biomer. The adsorbed protein concentration increased with increasing adsorption time. The surface distribution of adsorbed CPFN was visualized with antibody-labelled colloidal gold and scanning electron microscopy. The extent of staining was lowest on PE, greater on Biomer, and highest on OXPE, roughly similar to the order of platelet deposition. Platelet deposition ex vivo appears to correlate with the immunogold-stainable-adsorbed protein rather than with the total amount of adsorbed protein.

Properties of extruded poly(tetramethylene oxide)-polyurethane block copolymers for blood-contacting applications.

The bulk and surface properties and blood compatibility of a series of polyurethanes based on methylene bis(p-phenyl isocyanate), 1,4-butanediol, and poly(tetramethylene oxide) of molecular weight 1000 were studied. The hard-to-soft segment ratio of these multiphase polymers was varied, and the effect of substituting a poly(dimethylsiloxane)-containing polyol in place of 5% of the polyether soft segment was studied. Bulk properties such as tensile strength and modulus increased with hard segment content, as did surface wettability and ESCA nitrogen content. However, blood compatibility measured by a canine ex vivo blood-contacting experiment was not found to vary with hard/soft segment ratio. The addition of the silicone-containing polyol did not significantly lower the surface wettability, although ESCA-measured silicon content increased and physical properties were unfavourably affected by the incorporation of this co-soft segment. Incorporation of the siloxane-containing component resulted in increased platelet adhesion and fibrinogen deposition at most blood contact times in comparison with the other polyurethanes.

Utilization of immunogold labeling to compare the adsorption behavior of fibrinogen, fibronectin and albumin on polymers.

Immunogold labeling followed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the surface distribution of adsorbed plasma proteins. Adsorption was performed under various conditions on six different polymers; [low density polyethylene (PE), chromic acid-oxidized PE (OXPE), solution grade Biomer (SB), Teflon-(FEP), a laboratory synthesized polyurethane containing some zwitterions (ZW) and a polydimethylsiloxane based polyurethane (ZS) also containing zwitterions]. The proteins used were purified human and canine fibrinogen, fibronectin, and serum albumin. The immunogold staining technique was successful in the labeling of the adsorbed proteins. The adsorbed proteins were distributed differently on the polymers selected. Human and canine fibrinogen were found to cover all surfaces in a dense, uniform fashion. Albumin covered most surfaces in a less uniform fashion and on the zwitterionomers covered only a portion of the surface, leaving large bare patches. Fibronectin appeared to deposit unevenly, forming a network on part of the surface and uniformly coating other parts.