Characteristics of nursing homes with high rates of invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Background: Nursing home residents experience a large burden of invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Data are limited regarding nursing home characteristics associated with differences in facility-level invasive MRSA rates.

Methods: We analyzed 2011-2015 data from CDC's Emerging Infections Program (EIP) active population- and laboratory-based surveillance for invasive MRSA cases within seven states.

Galectin-9 regulates dendritic cell polarity and uropod contraction by modulating RhoA activity.

Adaptive immunity relies on dendritic cell (DC) migration to transport antigens from tissues to lymph nodes. Galectins, a family of β-galactoside-binding proteins, control cell membrane organisation, exerting crucial roles in multiple physiological processes. Here, we report a novel mechanism underlying cell polarity and uropod retraction.

Mannitol-Coated Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose as a Directly Compressible Controlled Release Excipient for Moisture-Sensitive Drugs: A Stability Perspective.

Background/objectives: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is one of the most commonly used hydrophilic polymers in formulations of matrix tablets for controlled release applications. However, HPMC attracts moisture and poses issues with drug stability in formulations containing moisture-sensitive drugs.

Methods: Herein, the moisture sorption behavior of excipients and drug stability using aspirin as the model drug in matrix tablets were evaluated, using HPMC and the newly developed mannitol-coated HPMC, under accelerated stability conditions (40 °C, 75% relative humidity) with open and closed dishes.

Organisational models for managing Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEICs) in the South-East Asia Region (SEAR) nations: protocol for a systematic review.

Introduction: The current literature suggests that the frequency and complexity of public health emergencies are rising and this trend will likely continue. From 2000 to 2023, seven events have been declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO). Organisational models such as the Incident Management System, Incident Response System and Incident Command System or country-specific models are essential in managing PHEIC.

Distinct melanocyte subpopulations defined by stochastic expression of proliferation or maturation programs enable a rapid and sustainable pigmentation response.

The ultraviolet (UV) radiation triggers a pigmentation response in human skin, wherein, melanocytes rapidly activate divergent maturation and proliferation programs. Using single-cell sequencing, we demonstrate that these 2 programs are segregated in distinct subpopulations in melanocytes of human and zebrafish skin. The coexistence of these 2 cell states in cultured melanocytes suggests possible cell autonomy.

A hepatocyte-specific transcriptional program driven by Rela and Stat3 exacerbates experimental colitis in mice by modulating bile synthesis.

Hepatic factors secreted by the liver promote homeostasis and are pivotal for maintaining the liver-gut axis. Bile acid metabolism is one such example wherein, bile acid synthesis occurs in the liver and its biotransformation happens in the intestine. Dysfunctional interactions between the liver and the intestine stimulate varied pathological outcomes through its bidirectional portal communication.

Sleep maintains excitatory synapse diversity in the cortex and hippocampus.

Insufficient sleep is a global problem with serious consequences for cognition and mental health. Synapses play a central role in many aspects of cognition, including the crucial function of memory consolidation during sleep. Interference with the normal expression or function of synapse proteins is a cause of cognitive, mood, and other behavioral problems in over 130 brain disorders.

Mannitol-coated hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as an alternative directly compressible controlled release excipient.

One of the most common forms of controlled release technology for oral drug delivery comprises an active ingredient dispersed in a hydrophilic matrix forming polymer such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), which is tableted via direct compression. However, HPMC may pose problems in direct compression due to its poor flowability. Hence, mannitol syrup was spray-coated over fluidized HPMC particles to produce co-processed HPMC-mannitol at ratios of 20:80, 50:50, and 70:30.

Investigation on the Combined Effect of Hydroxypropyl Beta-Cyclodextrin (HPβCD) and Polysorbate in Monoclonal Antibody Formulation.

Monoclonal antibodies require careful formulation due to their inherent stability limitations. Polysorbates are commonly used to stabilize mAbs, but they are prone to degradation, which results in unwanted impurities. KLEPTOSE HPβCD (hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin) has functioned as a stable stabilizer for protein formulations in our previous research.

Predictors and outcomes of withholding and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments in intensive care units in Singapore: a multicentre observational study.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines on limitation of life-sustaining treatments (LST) in the intensive care unit (ICU), in the form of withholding or withdrawal of LST, state that there is no ethical difference between the two. Such statements are not uniformly accepted worldwide, and there are few studies on LST limitation in Asia. This study aimed to evaluate the predictors and outcomes of withholding and withdrawal of LST in Singapore, focusing on the similarities and differences between the two approaches.

Pigmented skin exhibits accelerated wound healing compared to the nonpigmented skin in Guinea pig model.

This study investigated and compared the wound healing kinetics of pigmented (PG) and non-pigmented (NP) skin in guinea pigs, focusing on histological and transcriptional changes. Full-thickness wounds created on PG and NP skin were evaluated at various time points post-injury. Fontana-Masson staining and ultrastructural analysis suggested the presence of melanin and melanosomes in PG skin, which coincided with an upregulation of melanogenic genes cKIT, TYR, and DCT.

Sustained pigmentation causes DNA damage and invokes translesion polymerase Polκ for repair in melanocytes.

Melanin protects skin cells from ultraviolet radiation-induced DNA damage. However, intermediates of eumelanin are highly reactive quinones that are potentially genotoxic. In this study, we systematically investigate the effect of sustained elevation of melanogenesis and map the consequent cellular repair response of melanocytes.

Findings from a decade of experience following implementation of a Rapid Response System into an Asian hospital.

Aim: Rapid response systems (RRS) are present in many acute hospitals in western nations but are not widely adopted in Asia. The influence of healthcare culture and the effect of implementing an RRS over time are infrequently reported. We describe the introduction a RRS into a Singaporean hospital and the barriers encountered.

Growth After Menarche in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Objectives: Growth impairment in pediatric patients with pediatric onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is multifactorial. Reports on the effect of age at menarche on adult stature in this population are limited. This study investigated the impact of age at menarche, disease-associated factors, and mid-parental height on growth from menarche to final height (FHt) in pediatric patients with Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) and IBD unclassified (IBD-U).

Respiratory Quinone Switches from Menaquinone to Polyketide Quinone during the Development Cycle in sp. Strain MNU77.

Type III polyketide synthases (PKSs) found across species are primarily known for synthesis of a vast repertoire of clinically and industrially relevant secondary metabolites. However, our understanding of the functional relevance of these bioactive metabolites in physiology is still limited. Recently, a role of type III PKS harboring gene cluster in producing alternate electron carrier, polyketide quinone (PkQ) was established in a related member of the , , highlighting the critical role these secondary metabolites play in primary cellular metabolism of the producer organism.

Developmental disruption and restoration of brain synaptome architecture in the murine Pax6 neurodevelopmental disease model.

Neurodevelopmental disorders of genetic origin delay the acquisition of normal abilities and cause disabling phenotypes. Nevertheless, spontaneous attenuation and even complete amelioration of symptoms in early childhood and adolescence can occur in many disorders, suggesting that brain circuits possess an intrinsic capacity to overcome the deficits arising from some germline mutations. We examined the molecular composition of almost a trillion excitatory synapses on a brain-wide scale between birth and adulthood in mice carrying a mutation in the homeobox transcription factor Pax6, a neurodevelopmental disorder model.

Mediating effect of industry 4.0 technologies on the supply chain management practices and supply chain performance.

The ever-growing concern of sustainability and survivability attracts academicians and practitioners to develop strategies and supply chain capabilities that cater to the challenges and helps in achieving the sustainability development goals. There is a need to develop a holistic model that facilitates understanding the relationships among supply chain practices, industry 4.0 technologies, and supply chain performance measures.

Characteristics, risk factors and outcomes of critically ill patients with active TB.

TB continues to impose a significant healthcare burden despite advancement in diagnostics and increased availability of effective antimicrobials. Recent years have seen a resurgence of the disease in association with increasing life expectancy and use of immunosuppressive therapy. Mortality remains high in TB patients requiring admission to critical care units.

Sex-Specific Pathways Lead to Statural Growth Impairment in Children with Crohn's Disease.

Objectives: To examine the underlying mechanisms that lead growth impairment to occur more commonly in males than females with Crohn's disease (CD).

Study Design: Children and adolescents with CD were enrolled in a prospective multicenter longitudinal cohort study. Height Z-score difference was computed as height Z-score based on chronological age (height chronological age-Z-score) minus height Z-score based on bone age (height bone age-Z-score) using longitudinal data.