METHODS: We used multiplex array technology to simultaneously detect and quantify 32 plasma analyte (22 reported analytes and 10 novel analytes) levels in 38 patients.

RESULTS: In our study, 16 analytes are found to be significantly deregulated (13 higher, 3 lower, Mann-Whitney U-test, P-value <0.005), where 5 of them have never been reported before in AML. We predicted a seven-analyte-containing multiplex panel for diagnosis of AML and, among them, MIF could be a possible therapeutic target. In addition, we observed that circulating analytes show five co-expression signatures.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved patients who were diagnosed with rectal cancer and had undergone sphincter-preserving low anterior resection from January 2011 to December 2020. Upon clinic follow-up, patients were asked to complete an interviewed based questionnaire (LARS score) designed to assess bowel dysfunction after rectal cancer surgery.

RESULTS: Out of 76 patients, 25 patients (32.9%) had major LARS, 10 patients (13.2%) had minor LARS, and 41 patients (53.9%) had no LARS. The height of tumor from anal verge showed an association with the development of major LARS (P=0.039). Those patients with less than 8 cm tumor from anal verge had an increased risk of LARS by 3 times compared to those with 8 cm and above (adjusted odds ratio, 3.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-9.13).

RESULTS: Four hundred fifty-three cloacal and farm environment samples were collected from six different commercial chicken farms in Kelantan, Malaysia. E. coli was isolated using standard bacteriological methods, and the isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using disc diffusion and colistin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by broth microdilution. Multiplex PCR was used to detect mcr genes, and DNA sequencing was used to confirm the resistance genes. Virulence gene detection, phylogroup, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were done to further characterize the E. coli isolates. Out of the 425 (94%; 425/453) E. coli isolated from the chicken and farm environment samples, 10.8% (48/425) isolates were carrying one or more colistin-resistance encoding genes. Of the 48 colistin-resistant isolates, 54.2% (26/48) of the mcr positive isolates were genotypically and phenotypically resistant to colistin with MIC of colistin ≥ 4 μg/ml. The most prominent mcr gene detected was mcr-1 (47.9%; 23/48), followed by mcr-8 (18.8%; 9/48), mcr-7 (14.5%; 7/48), mcr-6 (12.5%; 6/48), mcr-4 (2.1%; 1/48), mcr-5 (2.1%; 1/48), and mcr-9 (2.1%; 1/48) genes. One E. coli isolate originating from the fecal sample was found to harbor both mcr-4 and mcr-6 genes and another isolate from the drinking water sample was carrying mcr-1 and mcr-8 genes. The majority of the mcr positive isolates were categorized under phylogroup A followed by phylogroup B1. The most prevalent sequence typing (ST) was ST1771 (n = 4) followed by ST206 (n = 3). 100% of the mcr positive E. coli isolates were multidrug resistant. The most frequently detected virulence genes among mcr positive E. coli isolates were ast (38%; 18/48) followed by iss (23%; 11/48). This is the first research to report the prevalence of mcr-4, mcr-5, mcr-6, mcr-7, and mcr-8 genes in E. coli from broiler chickens and farm environments in Malaysia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Demographic information, exposure determinants, and oral swabs were collected from swine personnel, including farmers, butchers, and veterinarians. Oral swabs were subjected to bacterial isolation and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for S. suis detection.

RESULTS: The study included 40 participants working in the swine industry, with a predominant representation of males (62.5%) and Malaysian Chinese individuals (60.0%) who consumed pork (92.5%). Notably, none of the participants reported consuming raw or partially cooked pork. In spite of their occupational exposure risk, none of the oral swabs showed positive results for S. suis infection.

METHODOLOGY: One hundred and two patients (102) underwent clean elective surgery; postoperatively they were randomized into two group. One group received Channa striatus extract spray (n=51) another group received placebo (n=51) on daily basis for 2 weeks. They were followed up on 2nd, 4th, and 6th weeks. Pain control effect was assessed based on Visual Analog Pain Score (VAPS) and cosmetic outcome based on Visual Analog Cosmetic Scale (VACS), Wound Evaluation Scale (WES), and Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS).

RESULT: The patient treated with Channa striatus spray displayed a better outcome in terms of pain control compared to placebo. During analysis using repeated measure ANOVA, there was significant difference of patient's pain score based on VAPS between Channa striatus spray and placebo (F-stat (df) = 4.80 (2), p-value = 0.010). For cosmetic outcome it showed a better result in Channa striatus spray group for all the 3-scoring system, VACS, (F-stat (df) = 2.68 (2) , p-value <0.001), WES (F-stat (df) = 3.09 (2), p-value = 0.048), and VSS (F-stat (df) = 1.72 (2) , p-value = 0.011).