The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has encouraged global vaccine research, yet vaccine effectiveness in the elderly remains a concern due to immunosenescence. The aim of this study was to compare the cytokine response elicited by an inactivated virus-based COVID-19 vaccine between elderly and young adults, focusing on key cytokines involved in cellular and humoral immunity: tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-10, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Jakarta-Bogor region of Indonesia from January 2023 to December 2023. The study population was divided into two age cohorts: elderly (60−85 years) and younger adults (30−40 years). Blood samples were collected twice, after the first booster dose and four weeks after the second booster dose. Serum cytokine concentrations were measured using Luminex assays with microparticles conjugated to monoclonal antibodies against TNF-α, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ. Comparisons of the cytokine levels were conducted using Student’s t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests as appropriate. A total of 74 individuals were included, with 37 each in the elderly and young adult groups. The results showed significant differences in cytokine responses between the two age groups. After the first booster, the levels of IL-6 and IFN-γ were significantly higher in young adults compared to the elderly. After the second booster, the levels of IL-6 were still significantly higher in the young adult group compared to the elderly group (p=0.001). Data indicated that after the second booster dose, the levels of TNF-α increased significantly in the young adult group only (p=0.004), while the levels of IL-2 (p=0.040) and IFN-γ (p=0.006) increased in the elderly group only compared to after the first dose. IL-10 levels increased in both groups (both had p=0.020). This study highlights that young adults had stronger pro-inflammatory responses, while the elderly relied more on IL-2 and IFN-γ for T-cell immunity, suggesting the need for vaccination strategies for the elderly to optimize immune responses.

Background: Anatomy is a fundamental component of medical education, playing a pivotal role in understanding the structure and function of the human body. Cadaver-based anatomy learning remains widely used in many medical faculties; meanwhile, plastination as an alternative method, offering efficiency and practicality. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cadaver and plastination learning media in improving anatomical understanding among first-year medical students.Methods: This was a cross-sectional quantitative study with a pretest-posttest control group design conducted in November-December 2023. The study included 69 first-semester medical students from the Universitas Pertahanan, Republic of Indonesia who had not previously received musculoskeletal anatomy lectures. Participants were divided into cadaver and plastination groups. A questionnaire was distributed before and after the anatomy class. Data were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, and paired sample t-test.Results: Both cadaver and plastination groups showed a significant increase in post-test scores (p<0.05), indicating that each method effectively improved students’ anatomical understanding. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p-value=0.253), suggesting comparable effectiveness between cadaveric and plastinated teaching media.Conclusions: Cadaveric and plastinated learning media are equally effective in improving anatomical knowledge among first-semester medical students. A thorough understanding of human anatomy is essential not only for clinical competency but also for advancing knowledge related to wellness, healthy aging, and the management of degenerative diseases.

This study aims to determine the hematology profile of Covid-19 patients based on the severity of the case. The method used is descriptive. Data collection techniques are patient clinic data, complete patient blood, NRL, and ALC. The results of the study are a) characteristics of COVID-19 patients in weight that cases in women are more than men, b) the absence of the influence of hemoglobin levels in COVID-19 patients, c) hematocrit values do not affect the incidence of COVID-19, d) there is an effect of leukocytes on the symptoms of COVID-19 patients, e) there is no influence of platelets with the incidence of COVID-19, and f) there is an effect of NLR on the symptoms of COVID-19 patients, and g) there is an effect of ALC on the symptoms of COVID-19 patients. The conclusion of this study is a) there are differences in leukocyte, NLR, and ALC profiles in COVID-19 patients, b) there is no difference in hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet profiles in the symptoms of COVID-19 patients, and c) there are significant differences in hematological profiles in COVID-19 patients can help classify COVID-19 patients based on the severity of cases.

Malaria remains a significant global health concern, with 249 million cases and 608,000 deaths reported in 2022. Early detection, especially in endemic and resource-limited settings, is crucial to interrupt transmission. Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) are widely used due to their speed and practicality, requiring no laboratory infrastructure. This review aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of conventional RDTs (HRP2, pLDH, combination) and ultra-sensitive RDTs (uRDTs), and compare their effectiveness across different populations and clinical settings. Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane (2020–2025), including studies in English or Indonesian. A total of 30 studies were included based on the PRISMA guidelines, with study populations encompassing children, neonates, adults, pregnant women, clinical patients, and community members in both endemic and imported settings (involving more than 50,000 individuals in total). Most RDTs demonstrated high specificity (>90%), but sensitivity varied widely (0 to >95%), influenced by parasitemia level and population characteristics. HRP2-based RDTs were effective for Plasmodium falciparum, but HRP2 gene deletions caused false negatives. pLDH-based RDTs performed better in multi-species infections. U-RDTs improved the detection of low-density parasitemia, especially in pregnant women and asymptomatic individuals. However, sensitivity declined in neonates and adults with low parasitemia. While some RDTs outperformed microscopy in clinical sensitivity, PCR remains the gold standard, especially for detecting subclinical infections. In conclusion, RDTs provide rapid and specific detection, particularly for moderate to high-density P. falciparum infections. However, in low-density or asymptomatic cases, their limited sensitivity necessitates confirmatory testing using microscopy or PCR.

Old age according to the World Health Organization in 2017, is someone who has entered the age of 60 years and over. Due to various aging processes that occur in the elderly, the elderly will experience many complaints, one of which is bone pain and anemia. Various conditions in the elderly can cause bone pain and anemia, including: osteoporosis, osteomalacia, renal osteodystrophy, osteonecrosis, malignancy or bone metastases. From these conditions, a lymphocyte profile can be seen using a white blood cell differential scattergram in areas A, B, C, D, and E, according to the purpose of the study, wanted to know the scattergram profile of lymphocytes in the elderly with bone pain and anemia. This research method uses descriptive observation with a cross-sectional design method. The study was conducted from February-June 2020. The research subjects were elderly patients who experienced bone pain and anemia. Bone pain was measured by the Numeric Rating Scale on a scale of 1-10. Anemia was measured by examining hemoglobin on a hematology analyzer, then scattergram analysis was carried out through WDF using Sysmex XN 1000. The results of this study showed that the scattergram profile of lymphocytes in most elderly subjects with bone pain and anemia was in the SSC (A2, A3), SFL area. (B2, C2, D3, E3), which means that there are many changes in the lymphocyte profile, more atypical lymphocyte cells and suspicion of abnormal plasma cells or lymphocyte cells.