In vitro Antifungal Susceptibility Profile of Clinical Cladophialophora boppii in Malaysia

Xue Ting Tan,1 Nurin Nazirah Mokhtar,1 Murnihayati Hassan,1 Min Moon Tang2 1Bacteriology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Setia Alam, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Department of Dermatology, Hospital Umum Sarawak, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuching, Sarawak, MalaysiaCorrespondence: Xue Ting Tan, Bacteriology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Setia Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, Tel +60 333628968, Email [email protected]: This study aimed to determine the antifungal susceptibility pattern of clinical Cladophialophora boppii isolates in Malaysia.Patients and Methods: Eight clinical strains of the C. boppii were received from various Malaysian hospitals from the year 2020 until 2024. The isolates were obtained from patients with clinical presentations suggestive of cutaneous fungal infection. Their identities were determined using microscopic, macroscopic and molecular methods, specifically internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Next, the antifungal susceptibility of amphotericin B, itraconazole, fluconazole, voriconazole, ravuconazole, posaconazole, ketoconazole, isavuconazole, flucytosine and terbinafine against the C. boppii were determined using broth microdilution method as outlined in the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38 guideline. The geometric means (GM) of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), MIC50, and MIC90 were determined for each antifungal. Subsequently, the Kruskal–Wallis test was performed to determine the significant difference observed in the median MIC values between the different antifungal groups (azole, polyene, pyrimidine and allylamine) against the isolate. The significance value was set at p< 0.05.Results: The GM MIC, MIC50 and MIC90 of all tested antifungals except amphotericin B and fluconazole against the C. boppii were ≤ 0.25 μg/mL. In contrast, amphotericin B and fluconazole exhibited higher MICs ranging from 2 to 16 μg/mL. Furthermore, the Kruskal–Wallis test revealed a significant difference in the median MIC values across all antifungals, with a p-value of 4.94 × 10⁻5.Conclusion: In conclusion, all the C. boppii isolates in this study were susceptible to pyrimidine, allylamine, and azoles, while showing intermediate susceptibility to fluconazole and notable resistance to amphotericin B. Additionally, itraconazole and terbinafine could be recommended as the first-line therapy option, which was supported by their demonstrated efficacy (MIC ≤ 0.03 μg/mL) and clinical improvement observed in this study.Keywords: Cladophialophora boppii, fluconazole, itraconazole, terbinafine, amphotericin B, Malaysi

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Performance of CMS muon reconstruction in pp collision events at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The performance of muon reconstruction, identification, and triggering in CMS has been studied using 40 inverse picobarns of data collected in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the LHC in 2010. A few benchmark sets of selection criteria covering a wide range of physics analysis needs have been examined. For all considered selections, the efficiency to reconstruct and identify a muon with a transverse momentum pT larger than a few GeV is above 95% over the whole region of pseudorapidity covered by the CMS muon system, abs(eta) < 2.4, while the probability to misidentify a hadron as a muon is well below 1%. The efficiency to trigger on single muons with pT above a few GeV is higher than 90% over the full eta range, and typically substantially better. The overall momentum scale is measured to a precision of 0.2% with muons from Z decays. The transverse momentum resolution varies from 1% to 6% depending on pseudorapidity for muons with pT below 100 GeV and, using cosmic rays, it is shown to be better than 10% in the central region up to pT = 1 TeV. Observed distributions of all quantities are well reproduced by the Monte Carlo simulation.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Performance of CMS muon reconstruction in pp collision events at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The performance of muon reconstruction, identification, and triggering in CMS has been studied using 40 inverse picobarns of data collected in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the LHC in 2010. A few benchmark sets of selection criteria covering a wide range of physics analysis needs have been examined. For all considered selections, the efficiency to reconstruct and identify a muon with a transverse momentum pT larger than a few GeV is above 95% over the whole region of pseudorapidity covered by the CMS muon system, abs(eta) < 2.4, while the probability to misidentify a hadron as a muon is well below 1%. The efficiency to trigger on single muons with pT above a few GeV is higher than 90% over the full eta range, and typically substantially better. The overall momentum scale is measured to a precision of 0.2% with muons from Z decays. The transverse momentum resolution varies from 1% to 6% depending on pseudorapidity for muons with pT below 100 GeV and, using cosmic rays, it is shown to be better than 10% in the central region up to pT = 1 TeV. Observed distributions of all quantities are well reproduced by the Monte Carlo simulation.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Survival rates of cervical cancer patients in Sarawak: a single-centre referral study

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer represents a significant health challenge in Malaysia, especially in the state of Sarawak which records some of the highest incidence rates across the country. This study evaluates the survival rates of cervical cancer patients in Sarawak, focusing on demographic characteristics, disease stage and survival outcomes to inform healthcare strategies. METHODS: A retrospective case notes review of disease stage, patterns of care and survival outcomes of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer at Sarawak General Hospital between January 2018 to December 2022 was conducted. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox Regression analysis were performed to assess survival outcomes and factors influencing survival. RESULTS: A total of 555 patients were included in this review. The majority of patients were diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 59, with a mean age of 53 years. Ibans comprised the largest subgroup by ethnicity. Only 11.2% of patients were diagnosed with Stage I disease. The majority of patients were diagnosed at advanced stages III and IV. The overall 5-year survival rate was 59.4%. Factors significantly affecting survival included FIGO cancer stage and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis at advanced stages of disease lead to poorer clinical outcomes in cervical cancer patients in Sarawak. This study highlights the critical need for enhanced screening and early diagnosis to improve survival rates amongst cervical cancer patients Sarawak. Efforts should focus on improving cervical health literacy, expanding access to healthcare services and improving the uptake of HPV vaccination and cervical screening particularly in rural communities

Identification and Filtering of Uncharacteristic Noise in the CMS Hadron Calorimeter

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Performance of CMS hadron calorimeter timing and synchronization using test beam, cosmic ray, and LHC beam data

This paper discusses the design and performance of the time measurement technique and of the synchronization systems of the CMS hadron calorimeter. Time measurement performance results are presented from test beam data taken in the years 2004 and 2006. For hadronic showers of energy greater than 100 GeV, the timing resolution is measured to be about 1.2 ns. Time synchronization and out-of-time background rejection results are presented from the Cosmic Run At Four Tesla and LHC beam runs taken in the Autumn of 2008. The inter-channel synchronization is measured to be within ±2 ns

Randomized trials of artemisinin-piperaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine phosphate and artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria in Cambodia-Thailand border area

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Drug resistance of falciparum malaria is a global problem. Sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine-resistant and mefloquine-resistant strains of falciparum malaria have spread in Southeast Asia at lightning speed in 1980s-1990s, and the Cambodia-Thailand border is one of the malaria epidemic areas with the most severe forms of multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Artemisinin-piperaquine (AP), dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine phosphate (DHP) and artemether-lumefantrine (AL) were used to treat 110, 55 and 55 uncomplicated malaria patients, respectively. The total dosage for adults is 1,750 mg (four tablets, twice over 24 hours) of AP, 2,880 mg (eight tablets, four times over two days) of DHP, and 3,360 mg (24 tablets, six times over three days) of AL. The 28-day cure rate, parasite clearance time, fever clearance time, and drug tolerance of patients to the three drugs were compared. All of the above methods were consistent with the current national guidelines.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean parasite clearance time was similar in all three groups (66.7 ± 21.9 hrs, 65.6 ± 27.3 hrs, 65.3 ± 22.5 hrs in AP, DHP and AL groups, respectively), and there was no remarkable difference between them; the fever clearance time was also similar (31.6 ± 17.7 hrs, 34.6 ± 21.8 hrs and 36.9 ± 15.4 hrs, respectively). After following up for 28-days, the cure rate was 95.1%(97/102), 98.2%(54/55) and 82.4%(42/51); and the recrudescence cases was 4.9%(5/102), 1.8%(1/55) and 17.6%(9/51), respectively. Therefore, the statistical data showed that 28-day cure rate in AP and DHP groups was superior to AL group obviously.</p> <p>The patients had good tolerance to all the three drugs, and some side effects (anoxia, nausea, vomiting, headache and dizziness) could be found in every group and they were self-limited; patients in control groups also had good tolerance to DHP and AL, there was no remarkable difference in the three groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>AP, DHP and AL all remained efficacious treatments for the treatment of falciparum malaria in Cambodia-Thailand border area. However, in this particular setting, the AP regimen turned out to be favourable in terms of efficacy and effectiveness, simplicity of administration, cost and compliance.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>The trial was registered at <it>Chinese Clinical Trial Register </it>under identifier 2005L01041.</p

One-step fabrication of biocompatible chitosan-coated ZnS and ZnS:Mn2+ quantum dots via a γ-radiation route

Biocompatible chitosan-coated ZnS quantum dots [CS-ZnS QDs] and chitosan-coated ZnS:Mn2+ quantum dots [CS-ZnS:Mn2+ QDs] were successfully fabricated via a convenient one-step γ-radiation route. The as-obtained QDs were around 5 nm in diameter with excellent water-solubility. These QDs emitting strong visible blue or orange light under UV excitation were successfully used as labels for PANC-1 cells. The cell experiments revealed that CS-ZnS and CS-ZnS:Mn2+ QDs showed low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility, which offered possibilities for further biomedical applications. Moreover, this convenient synthesis strategy could be extended to fabricate other nanoparticles coated with chitosan

Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype distribution in Malaysia: A systematic review

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a key etiological factor in cervical cancer in both Malaysia and globally. It continues to pose a significant public health challenge. This systematic review aims to delineate the distribution of HPV genotypes across different demographics in Malaysia to inform targeted prevention strategies. Methods We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines, analyzing observational studies published from 2000 onward that reported HPV genotypes in cervicovaginal samples from Malaysian women. The review utilized PubMed, SCOPUS, The Cochrane Library, APA PsycNet, and Google Scholar for literature searches, focusing on studies that employed molecular methods for HPV genotyping. Two reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted data, and assessed study quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). A descriptive analysis was performed, and findings were synthesized by genotype, region, and ethnicity. Results The review included 22 studies from an initial pool of 2,547 articles, encompassing 44,251 women. These studies reported a HPV prevalence of up to 100% in confirmed cervical cancer cases and in general screenings from 4.5 to 47.7%. A total of 28 different HPV genotypes (high- and low-risk) were identified, with HPV16, HPV18, HPV58, HPV52, and HPV33 being the most prevalent high-risk genotypes. Genotype distributions showed significant variation across different states and ethnic groups within Malaysia, highlighting the diverse nature of HPV-related risks. Conclusions This review provides a detailed snapshot of the HPV genotype distribution in Malaysia, underscoring the necessity for tailored public health interventions that address the regional and ethnic diversity in HPV prevalence. The findings support the need for targeted vaccination programs and enhanced screening measures to effectively combat the high rates of HPV-related (99%) cervical cancer in Malaysia