Colorectal cancer (CRC) carries a significant burden in most world regions. However, its screening uptake remains low. This study aimed to explore awareness and perspectives on CRC screening program in a multiethnic population and their preference for CRC screening decision aid. In-depth interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, translated to English and analysed thematically using hybrid inductive and deductive approaches. 17 informants from three main ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese and Indian) with various levels of risk for developing CRC were recruited. Awareness on CRC screening program was found to be low. Majority of informants never heard of CRC screening program. Among 11 eligible informants, only five experienced CRC screening uptake. Thematic analysis of the transcripts yielded six major themes; knowledge on CRC, screening process, authority’s role, curability, willingness to screening and preference for decision aid, and theywere mapped onto the Health Belief Model. Specific multiethnic perspectives found included preference for traditional medicine coming from all ethnics, and reliance in God coming from Malay informants. Majority preferred short videos as CRC screening decision aid, in the form of animation and live-action screenplay. Exploration of perspective of CRC screening helps in producing impactful decision aids. Future efforts should focus on developing short videos that incorporate population’s perspectives and can be disseminated through electronic media.

Avian infectious bronchitis (IB), a Gammacoronavirus, is a highly contagious upper respiratory disease, affecting chickens of all ages with a significant economic threat to the poultry industry. In February 2020, a specimen of imported chicken meat product was received and requested for coronavirus testing. The result was positive for the avian coronavirus, the IB virus (IBV) by molecular detection in the pre-screening test. Thus, this study aimed to isolate and characterize the IBV from the specimen. Virus isolation via egg inoculation was attempted and IBV was successfully isolated. The S1 subunit of the spike (S) gene of the IBV was amplified, sequenced, and the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis showed that the IBV has 99% and 98% nucleotide similarity with the Malaysian and China IBVs, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the virus belongs to the GI-19 lineage (also known as the QX strain) and is grouped with other IBVs from Malaysia and China. The GI-19 lineage is one of the primary IB strains that circulate in Malaysia. The recovery of the virus may be due to the persistence characteristic of the virus on meat; and the cold chain practices in the imported food product prolong the survival of this coronavirus. Though IBV is not identified as a hazard in chicken meat or meat products, raw food should be cooked thoroughly before being consumed. With the increase in international trade in poultry and poultry products, disease screening at the entry point and import risk analysis is crucial to ensure food safety and prevent the introduction of new viruses into Malaysia.

Introduction: Haze imposes a substantial health burden especially in Southeast Asia where occurrences are frequent. Reduction in air quality levels has resulted in an increase in healthcare utilization, especially to the front door of healthcare, the emergency department (ED). Data on ED utilization during haze period is lacking. Methods: This is a retrospective study aimed to determine the association between haze and ED utilization of haze-related acute respiratory illnesses between April 2013 to September 2013. The study period was divided into haze/ non-haze period. Clinical data was collected from the registration book and patients’ case notes. Environmental data was obtained from Institute of Environment and Development Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Results: Total number of patients presented to ED during the study was 32,661. Fifteen percent (n= 5177) presented with acute respiratory symptoms. Total Emergency Department visits during haze period reduced due to emergency declaration, hence reducing non-emergency visits. However, there was a significant increase in hospital admission (p=0.0015) and infective respiratory illnesses (p=0.001) during haze which correlates with increase air pollutant. Patients with chronic respiratory illnesses were more affected by haze (p = 0.001). PM10 and ozone were the main pollutant during the haze period. Conclusion Increasing pollutant levels from the haze significantly increases ED hospital admission. Evidence from this study can influence policymakers to prepare and allocate resources to hospitals in response to haze-related illnesses.

Aims: Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3 (EC:2.7.11.1)) is one of the main therapeutic targets for treating cancer, diabetes, neurological illness and parasitic infection. Due to their distinctive structural characteristics and wide-ranging biological actions, small compounds from soil bacteria have been the most sought-after source for GSK-3 inhibitors. This study assessed the activities of soil actinomycetes isolated from Sabah, Malaysia, against human GSK-3β. Methodology and results: A total of 514 actinomycetes strains were isolated from 144 soil samples. The activities of the crude extracts were evaluated against GSK-3β and its upstream regulators (MKK1 and PP1/GLC7) using yeast-based assays. Eight actinomycetes extracts showed selective human GSK-3β inhibition without affecting MKK1 and PP1/GLC7. The extract from one of these eight isolates, FA013, also showed potent and selective anti-plasmodial activities against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain (IC50 = 0.18 μg/mL, SI = 13,850) with a non-toxic effect against Chang liver cells. Conclusion, significance and impact of study This study identified FA013 as a potential isolate from Malaysian rainforest soil with inhibitory activities against GSK-3β and malaria parasites for future drug development.

Wild aquatic birds are natural reservoirs of influenza A viruses and H3 subtype is one of the most prevalent subtypes in waterfowl. Two H3N8 viruses of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) were isolated via egg inoculation technique from the fecal swab specimens from imported barnacle goose and paradise shelduck in Veterinary Research Institute Ipoh, Malaysia. The full length of eight gene segments of the two viruses were amplified and sequenced with specific primers. The sequences were molecularly characterized, and the sequence identity were assessed with other published sequences. The two viruses are identical and they possess the same amino acid sequences for all the eight gene segments. The viruses were highly similar to the H3 virus from Netherlands and N8 virus from Belgium respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the eight gene segments were grouped in the Eurasian lineage, and genetic reassortment may occur between the internal genes of the H3 viruses and other AI subtypes. Though four amino acid substitutions were identified in the hemagglutinin gene, the viruses retained most of the avian-type receptor binding preference. Few amino acid substitutions were observed in all internal genes. Most of the neuraminidase inhibitors and adamantine resistance related mutation were not seen in the viruses. The replicative capacity, cross species transmissibility, and potential zoonotic risk of the viruses are worth further investigation. As H3 virus poses potential threats to both human and animals, and with the increase in the international trade of birds; strict quarantine practice at the entry point and good laboratory diagnostic capabilities is crucial to prevent the introduction of new AI virus into our country.

Introduction: Numerous factors contributed to the susceptibility of university students to develop mental health issues. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of mental health problems among International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) students and their relationships with diet quality and body mass index (BMI). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 104 students. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess students’ depression, anxiety, and stress levels. The Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (M-HEI) was used to assess diet quality. Spearman Rho was used to determine the relationships between variables. Results: Approximately 69.4% (n = 34), 71.4% (n = 35), and 48.9% (n = 34) of male students experienced moderate to extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. In contrast, 85.4% (n = 47), 89.1% (n = 49), and 54.6% (n = 30) of female students had moderate to extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. No correlations were found between diet quality and BMI with students’ mental health problems. For male students, there were negative significant associations reported between fat-rich foods (r = -0.447, p-value = 0.001) and sugar-rich foods (r = -0.332, p-value = 0.020) intake with depression; a positive significant relationship between fruit intake and anxiety (r = 0.284, p-value = 0.048); a positive relationship between fruit intake and stress (r = 0.300, p-value = 0.036); and a negative relationship between fat-rich foods and stress (r = -0.293, p-value = 0.041). Female students only had a significant negative correlation between fish intake and anxiety (r = -0.376, p-value = 0.005). Conclusion: No associations were found between diet quality, BMI, and mental health problems. A more profound comprehension of the connections between risk factors and mental health could lead to new intervention strategies.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been spreading like a wildfire everywhere in the globe. It has been challenging the global health care system ever since the end of 2019, with its virulence and pathogenicity. Recent studies have shown the association between ABO blood group, Rhesus blood type and susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. Various studies and few meta-analyses have been done and some might be inconsistent; therefore, this meta-analysis was done to assess the relationship between different ABO and Rhesus blood types on the susceptibility to COVID-19 infections. This meta-analysis assessed the odds ratio of COVID-19 infection of different ABO and Rhesus blood types. Subgroup analyses according to (1) age and gender matched; (2) different blood group antigens; (3) Rhesus positive and negative of each blood group were carried out. Publication bias and Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) were also done to assess the risk of bias in these publications. It was found that blood group A showed significant difference in odds ratio of COVID-19 infection (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.24). Blood group AB showed significant difference in odds ratio when studies with lower QUADAS-2 score were removed. This means that populations with blood group A and AB are more likely to be infected with COVID-19. As there is a higher tendency that blood group A and AB to be infected with COVID19, precautious care should be taken by these populations.

Introduction: Imatinib mesylate has been widely used as a standard treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). It acts as a selective competitive inhibitor of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase. Despite the excellent efficacy on CML treatment, some patients developed resistance to the treatment. Mutation in the PDGFRA may be one of the factors involved in the mechanism of resistance that affects the response to imatinib. The mutational status of PDGFRA is highly relevant for prognosis and treatment prediction in CML patients. Thus, this study is intended to establish and validate a High Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis for PDGFRA exon 10 c.1432 T>C polymorphism in CML patients. Methods: High resolution melting (HRM) analysis was used to identify the c.1432 T > C polymorphism in PDGFRA exon 10 (n =86; response = 43; resistance = 43). The results from HRM analysis were compared and validated with Sanger sequencing. The association between the polymorphism and treatment response was assessed by statistical analysis using binomial logistic regression analysis. Results: HRM analyses showed two different melt curves. One curve followed the shape of the reference, homozygous wild type (TT) and the other curve showed a different melting profile than the reference with the TC genotype (heterozygous variant). The results revealed that heterozygous variant (TC) genotype showed a high risk of acquiring resistance with an OR of 3.795; 95% CI: 1.502-9.591, with a statistically significant association, p = 0.005. HRM analysis also showed 100% sensitivity and specificity in the detection of PDGFRA exon 10. Conclusion: The HRM analysis of PDGFRA exon 10 c.1432 T>C was successfully established. The exon 10 c.1432 T>C polymorphism shows a higher risk for the development of resistance toward imatinib treatment.

Introduction: We clarified the extent to which white rice (WR)-based carbohydrate diets affect body weight and metabolic parameters in rats. Methods: In this experimental study, a male Sprague Dawley (n=32) rats fed with WRbased CHO diet in two different proportions of total energy intake (TEI 55% moderate-CHO (MCHO, n=8) and 65% High-CHO (HCHO, n=8)) or high-fat diet (HFD, n=8) were compared with rats maintained on standard pellet diet (SD, n=8) for eight weeks period. Carbohydrate sources in the HFD and SD were mainly based on cornstarch (25% of amylose). Outcomes measures include body weight and metabolic parameters. Results: At baseline, body weight and metabolic parameters (fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels) were comparable in all rats. Despite higher daily caloric intake in rats fed with HFD (103.9±3.0) than the other diets, no significant differences in body weight between groups after 8 weeks of study. However, rats’ feds with WR-based CHO diets (both moderate and high carbohydrates) had higher fasting blood glucose (MCHO=12.8±1.6, HCHO=16.9±2.4) and triglycerides level (MCHO=1.2±0.0, HCHO=1.3±0.0) than rats in cornstarch-based HFD and SD (p<0.05). Both HFD and HCHO had higher fasting insulin than MCHO and SD (p<0.05), but the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was significantly higher in WR-based CHO diets (both moderate and high carbohydrates) than the rats in cornstarch-based HFD and SD (p<0.05). Conclusion: A WR-based CHO diet exhibits higher fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and insulin resistance state than a high-fat diet without a significant impact on body weight. These findings may explain the growing incidence of diabetes in Asia and worth studying further.

Coccidiosis is a major recurring problem in the poultry industry and is caused by infection of one or more of the seven Eimeria species known to infect chickens, with Eimeria tenella among the best studied and economically important. Studies on the genetic diversity of E. tenella strains is essential for the development of universally acceptable diagnostic markers and vaccines against the disease. Eimeria tenella internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) and apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) sequences from different parts of the world are available in the public domain and therefore provide suitable comparative markers for genetic diversity study. In this study, the ITS-1 and AMA-1 sequence diversity of two local E. tenella strains, namely EtNSN6 and EtSGR6 were characterized. Both ITS-1 and AMA-1 sequences for EtNSN6 and EtSGR6 were retrieved by mapping to their respective genome sequences generated using next generation sequencing. Multiple sequence alignment of the ITS-1 and AMA-1 sequences with selected homologous sequences revealed the presence of a total of five and 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) respectively. All SNPs appeared to occur at random and did not show any unique pattern based on geographical regions while no insertions and deletions (indels) was found to occur in the aligned sequences. However, unique bases that defined certain strains were detected. Phylogenetics analyses performed with Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods revealed similar topology for the internal groups with all the E. tenella ITS-1 and AMA-1 sequences grouped in the same clade supported by high bootstrap confidence. This confirmed that both EtNSN6 and EtSGR6 samples are E. tenella strains. Sequence comparison and phylogenetics analyses further suggest the possibility of low genetic diversity among E. tenella strains.