Vibrio vulnificus is a halophilic gram-negative bacillus that can cause fulminant septicaemia in immunocompromised patients. A 67-year-old man who was immunosuppressed as a result of cytotoxic chemotherapy presented with a brief history of fever, lethargy, myalgia, and reduced oral intake. He had recently travelled to the beach to consume seafood. His blood pressure was 81/47 mm Hg, necessitating fluid resuscitation followed by inotropic support and admission to the intensive care unit. His blood culture was positive for curved gram-negative bacilli. The isolate was oxidase-positive and produced an acid butt with an alkaline slant in triple sugar iron agar. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry conclusively identified the isolate as V. vulnificus. Intravenous ceftazidime plus ciprofloxacin were administered, and by the fifth day of admission, he was successfully transferred out to the general ward. In total, the patient completed a 14-day course of antibiotic therapy.

For centuries, deer antler velvet (DAV) has been a staple in traditional medicine due to its numerous health benefits, including immune stimulation, anti-ageing, wound healing, and anti-osteoporosis properties. Researchers attribute the therapeutic advantages of DAV to various compounds in its extract, ranging from growth hormones to minerals and amino acids. Recently, there has been renewed interest in these natural products for their potential use in treating chronic diseases such as bone health and development, bacterial infections, and sports supplementation to increase athletic performance. The available literature supports that DAV significantly affects bone development, chondrogenesis, and antimicrobial properties, making it a valuable resource in medical and dental settings. This review aims to provide an in-depth overview of the potential applications of DAV in modern medicine and dentistry.

Background: Childbearing is the most important determinant of population fluctuations, and its study is more important than other population phenomena. Owing to the lack of a valid questionnaire based on the extended theory of planned behavior, this mixed-method study was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of a questionnaire designed to examine related belief-based factors on the intention to bear children in Iranian society. Methods: This study was conducted in two phases in Hamadan city, western Iran, in 2021. Phase 1 consisted of an extensive literature review and a qualitative study using a directed content analysis approach to generate an item pool. Psychometrics were measured in phase 2, including content, face, and construct validity. Reliability was assessed based on internal consistency and stability. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS and AMOS ver. 24.0. Results: Mean content validity ratio and content validity index were 0.7 and 0.85, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis of the 32 items identified an eight-factor solution. These factors jointly accounted for 79.1% of the observed variance in the outcome variables. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit for the data. The internal consistency based on Cronbach’s α was 0.85 (0.71–0.93). In addition, stability was confirmed using the test-retest method and intraclass correlation coefficient (0.74–0.94). Conclusion The designed questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating related belief-based factors on the intention and behavior of childbearing among married men and women in Iran.

Background: The value of direct decompression of neural structures to treat lumbosacral plexus injury associated with sacral fractures is still debatable. Direct decompression allows decompression of nerve roots by sacral laminectomy and removal of bone fragments in the spinal canal. In contrast, indirect decompression may offer similar neurological outcomes if good fracture reduction and correction of sacral kyphosis are achieved. In this comparative retrospective study, we analyzed differences between direct and indirect neurological decompression in terms of neurological recovery, complications, and functional outcome. Methods: This study included 33 cases with spinopelvic dissociation with variable degrees of lumbosacral plexus injury. All cases were managed by spinopelvic fixation. Eighteen patients (group 1) had direct decompression of lumbosacral nerve roots while 15 patients (group 2) had indirect decompression. Results: Initial sacral kyphosis, quality of fracture reduction, and postoperative residual kyphosis were the main factors that significantly affected functional and neurological outcome in both groups. The final neurological improvement was similar in both groups. No significant difference was observed between both groups in the residual Gibbons’ score recorded in the last visit (p = 0.206). The final Majeed score also showed no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.869). Conclusions Indirect decompression of sacral fractures showed similar final functional outcome and neurological recovery compared to direct decompression. Restoration of lumbosacropelvic stability and anatomic reduction seem to be the cornerstone for better functional outcome and neurological recovery rather than direct decompression of neural elements.

Aims: Providing safe drinking water is an ongoing global concern. Coagulation is an essential process in water treatment. However, most of the coagulants are chemical in nature and have negative impacts on human health and the environment. This study investigated the production of myco-coagulant in solid-state fermentation using a fungal strain. Methodology and results: A scale-up was performed using the tray method to investigate the influence of substrate thickness (from 2-30 mm) on myco-coagulant production. The results revealed that the turbidity removal efficiency of myco-coagulant in kaolin suspension was found to be increasing with the increase in thickness of the coco peat substrate. However, the myco-coagulant extracted from the media with a thickness of 30 mm was able to remove the highest turbidity by 96%. Three different subculturing methods for mycelium inoculation were evaluated. The surface inoculation approach produced better results than other inoculation processes. The effect of initial turbidity values (50-300 NTU) on turbidity removal was studied too. The myco-coagulant was found to be the most suitable for high-turbidity water (300 NTU) with turbidity removal of 52%. Subculturing of fungus from solid-state to solid-state was also studied, which showed that the strategy was just as effective as an inoculum-based subculture. Conclusion, significance and impact of study Excellent bio-coagulation activity has been shown for the myco-coagulant that was isolated from the fungus strain. Subculturing using existing substrates will be more economical than subculturing using fresh inoculum. This strategy saves time, labour and cost of the coagulant production.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is a highly adaptive pathogen that emerged as a devastating and mortality-related disease agent. The limited efficacy of the Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine, antibiotics and intensive treatment to prevent mortality have piqued researchers' interest in host-pathogen interactions. Besides the emergence of multi-drug resistant TB as a drawback, the host immune responses could be successfully subverted and exploited by the MTB-host pathogenesis during the early stages of innate immunity. Factors contributing to mycobacterial pathogenesis are concomitant and multifactorial, including virulence factors such as adhesins, toxins and enzymes that drive the progression of MTB infection. Initially, alveolar macrophage (AM), which has been considered to restrain bacterial growth, facilitates the spread of disease through interactions with MTB. The progression to bacterial replication and systemic infection before the initiation of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) indicates a delay in the activation of adaptive immunity, which is crucial. The findings are supported by the bacterial multiplication and dissemination in the infected alveolar macrophage in animal models. On the other hand, mangrove plants have revealed a structural diversity and a plethora of compounds responsible for antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities. These may serve as potential bioactive compounds for anti-TB drugs. In this review, we discuss mycobacterial colonisation, tissue invasion and host inflammatory responses that lead to the pathogenesis of MTB, along with the potential bioactive compounds for alternative plant-derived anti-TB drugs. The mechanistic insights provide significant discoveries on the limitations of immunity, offering important strategies for developing immunomodulating drugs.

Aims: The development of new antimicrobial agents towards multidrug-resistant bacteria is one of the most significant challenges facing the healthcare system today. The continuous increase of antimicrobial resistance rates worldwide is a significant threat to public health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the antibacterial effect of filamentous macroalgae Cladophora sp. The sample was collected from an Algerian fountainhead of fresh water. A crude hydromethanolic extract (methanol-water) was tested against two standard Gram-negative bacteria: Escherichia coli ATCC25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853, and two standard Gram-positive bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 2921. Methodology and results: The antibacterial effect of the hydromethanolic extract of Cladophora sp. was investigated using the well diffusion method to determine the inhibitory diameters and the dilution methods to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the bactericidal inhibitory concentration (MBC). The results indicated that the hydromethanolic extract of Cladophora sp. is more effective towards Gram-positive bacteria, with a significant effect on S. aureus ATCC 25923, where an inhibitory diameter of 35 mm was recorded. For the Gram-negative, E. coli ATCC25922 was more susceptible with inhibitory diameters of 46 mm, followed by P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 with 28 mm. The MIC value of hydromethanolic extract of Cladophora sp. was 50 µg/mL for Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus ATCC25923 and E. faecalis ATCC29212). However, it was 100 µg/mL for Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli ATCC25922 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853). The best bactericidal effect was observed with Gram-positive with an MBC of 100 µg/mL. The MBC for Gram-negative bacteria was 150 µg/mL. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The Cladophora sp. macroalgae represent a potential source of bioactive compounds, which could be used in the management and treatment of various microbial infections.

Aims: Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are a group of Gram-negative or Gram-variable bacteria that oxidise ethanol during the production of vinegar. The aim of this study was to isolate the AAB from both Lansium domesticum (Dokong) and Nephelium lappaceum (Rambutan), mother of vinegars (MV) and vinegars, as a potential starter culture for vinegar production. Methodology and results : The MV and vinegar samples were collected from six to eight weeks of fermented Dokong and Rambutan vinegar from the Food Laboratory of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Jeli. The enriched samples were inoculated on selective Carr and GYC solid media. From the Carr medium, thirty-seven isolates that showed a yellow clear zone and seventy-eight isolates that showed a halo clear zone on the GYC medium were selected. Sixty isolates that produced higher total acidity (>60%) were characterized by Gram staining. Sixteen Gram-negative and fourteen Gram-variable isolates were subjected to 2.0% ethanol Carr medium to select for ethanol tolerance. Five ethanol-tolerant isolates were suitable for 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and molecular identification because they had 4% to 10% ethanol tolerance level utilisation on Carr solid medium. Based on the morphological and biochemical characteristics, isolates DV1 and RMV30 were Gram-variable. Meanwhile, RMV2, RMV19 and RMV37 were Gram-negative bacteria. RMV2, RMV19, RMV30 and RMV37 isolates were catalase-positive and oxidase negative. Only DV1 was catalase and oxidase positive. From the BLAST analysis, the obtained nucleotide sequences showed 100% homology, with RMV2, identified as Acetobacter fabarum, and DV1, RMV19, RMV30 and RMV37 were identified as A. pasteurianus. Conclusion, significance and impact of study Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, five isolates were identified as Acetobacter species: Four isolates, DV1, RMV19, RMV30 and RMV37 strains, were identified as A. pasteurianus and RMV2 was identified as A. fabarum. DV1, RMV2, RMV19, RMV30 and RMV37 showed significant differences at (p<0.05) for ethanol utilisation at 4% and the highest toleration up to an ethanol concentration of 10%. The ability to tolerate high ethanol concentration during vinegar fermentation is a desirable in producing high acetic acid for vinegar production.

Aims: Dengue virus is a global pathogen that lacks an effective vaccine or therapy. Screening medicinal plants for anti-dengue properties provides a promising avenue to identify potent compounds. Mangroves, known for their resilience in harsh conditions, produce a diverse range of natural products with unique biochemical profiles, which hold potential for anti-dengue treatments. This study aims to evaluate the anti-dengue activity of selected mangrove plant species from Sabah against DENV2 NS2B-NS3pro, utilizing an enzymatic protease assay. Methodology and results : Six mangrove species (Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata and Xylocarpus granatum) were investigated, with various plant parts subjected to aqueous and ethanol extraction. The results demonstrated significant anti-dengue activity in both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the mangroves against DENV2 NS2B-NS3pro, with IC50 values ranging from 0.95 µg/mL to 6.24 µg/mL. Notably, the ethanolic extract of R. apiculata leaves exhibited the highest inhibition, with an IC50 value of 0.95 µg/mL. Conclusion, significance and impact of study These findings suggest that the ethanolic extracts from R. apiculata leaves hold promise as potential candidates for dengue treatment. This study underscores the importance of natural products as valuable sources for the development of novel anti-dengue treatments, highlighting the need to explore mangroves in the quest for effective therapeutic options.

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP) and cleft palate only (CP) are the most common orofacial deformities observed in humans where almost 1 in 700 to 1 in 2,000 babies born each year are affected worldwide. This condition occurs when the specific and independently derived facial primordial fails to fuse together, hence forming the cleft of the lip and palate or the palate alone. These orofacial abnormalities can be divided into syndromic and non-syndromic where the deformities are either associated with other disorders or present on their own, respectively. It is important to understand every step in the lip and palate development during the embryonic stage to pinpoint the exact problem affecting the normal development of the human face. With current technologies, more genes are identified to be associated with and cause CLP and CP in humans. Therefore, this review aims to elaborate on the latest updates on the genetics of CLP and CP. Polymorphism in some of the genes has been associated with the incidence of these anomalies. Identification of these genes provides new knowledge on how these craniofacial abnormalities occur and hopefully will enable earlier treatment of these deformities to be implemented.